Gabe Leonard Issue

August/September 2012

Musicians, Outlaws and Drunken Poets -The Art of Gabe Leonard

METANOIA EXECUTIVE AND STAFF

A NEW WAY OF THINKING

PUBLISHERS

SALME JOHANNES LEIS & ALLISON PATTON

COPY CHIEF

CALEB NG JR LEIS AND HEINO LEIS

EXECUTIVE DIRECTORS

DAL FLEISCHER

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF MARKETING

DAN DENIS

CREATIVE DIRECTOR

GALINA BOGATCH

PHOTO ARCHIVIST CONTRIBUTORS

Maureen Bader Alex Barberis Andy Belanger Donald J. Boudreaux Tim Brown Brian Croft Miki Dawson Cheryl Gauld Kulraj Gurm Marilyn Hurst Peter and Maria Kingsley Hank Leis Salme Leis Chris MacClure Seth Meltzer Caleb Ng Janice Oleandros Allison Patton Cara Roth Kaela Scott Pepe Serna Christina Reid Dan Walker Harvey White On The Cover: You Know Me Too Well by Gabe Leonard more of his artwork can be seen at www.gabeleonard.com

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METANOIA MAGAZINE is a publication of METANOIA CONCEPTS INC. For questions, comments, or advertising contact by Phone: 604 538 8837, Email: metanoiamagazine@gmail.com, Mail: 3566 King George Blvd, Surrey, BC, Canada, V4P 1B5

METANOIA CONTENTS

A NEW WAY OF THINKING

4 5 6 10 13 15 18 20 23 29 31 33 34

Executive Summary Metanoia Musicians, Outlaws and Drunken Poets Persistence Pays Off In with the Old...

More & more to discover Who we are An Interview with Artist, Gabe Leonard

By Seth Meltzer Harvey White writes about our outdated educational paradigm

Victoria to Shanghai

The Travels of Dan Walker

Panache and Parties

Out & about with Metanoia

Pablo From Pluto As Far As Longing Can Reach Common Household Toxins Who Is Entitled?

Missives The METANOIA Horoscope

By Hank Leis

By Peter and Maria Kingsley Making Your Home More Natural Another Rant by Hank Leis. This one has two parts.

From Donald J Boudreaux Watch out!

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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Gabe Leonard is an unusual selection of artist for this magazine. But look closely at his work and you may discover more than what at first glance meets the eye. Gabe Leonard knows people, and his art is an essay on the human condition, then and now.

Hank Leis, chastizes, rants and pontificates in his articles on education and the rest. You may not always agree with him, and he hopes you never do.

Harvey White is an articulate writer. His analysis of the current education system is thoughtful and provocative.

There is more to come in subsequent issues.

Peter Matsuo tells his story of how he sold his research project to Yahoo and hopes to do it again. An interesting read for inventors and entrepreneurs.

Peter and Maria Kingsley discuss longing. It’s not what you think - but it may be very helpful for those who want to know and work hard for it.

Dan Walker a man who challenges life, completes his journey to China and also visits North Korea. Each month we will take you step by step in his adventure.

And yes, there is more.

Happy Metanoia.

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METANOIA

METANOIA METANOIA

By Hank Leis

March/April 2012 Edition

The Greek origins of the word Metanoia [met-uh-noiuh] convey the notion of an experience or a moment that is transformative. In fact the change itself would be so remarkable as to shift paradigms and these shifts actually would cause a change in behavior and ultimately the consequences of those behaviors. The articles in this magazine are intended to introduce a different way of thinking so that ideas and notions we take for granted can be reframed in such a way as to renew our life by making it more interesting, challenging and rewarding.

A

NEW WAY OF THINKING

The New Face of BC Politics President of the BC Conservatives White Rock-Surrey Constituency Association

Dr. Allison Patton, MBA

METANOIA METANO magazine Naturopathic Medicine Week 2011 May 9-15

METANOIA METANOIA METANOIA March 2011

June /July 2012 Edition

Many of us have abandoned our intelligence, our ability to think, our various gifts for being able to create and instead joined the masses whose only goal is to perpetuate the species and dwell in a complacent and apathetic state amounting to nothing more than mere existence.

magazine

Apollonia Vanova

WILL JOHN CUMMINS BE ABLE TO CHANGE BC’S POLITICAL LANDSCAPE?

Thank you for 10 years

Present

We at Metanoia believe we are all capable of more than that and more importantly are able to generate epiphanous moments for you. We hope that our plethora of deepthinking writers will be able to transform your life into something meaningful and wondrous. Every one of us, to a varying degree, has experienced these moments and most of us who have been so transformed are driven to rediscovering the process that first allowed us our enlightened clarity of mind.

Sings us...

“Lullabies”

The Rant

the December 7

Steve Nash Christmas Bash

DECEMBER 2011 SPECIAL EDITION

Vancouver Is Burning June 2011

CAND Health Fusion Issue

An Interview with

George P. Shultz

cont.

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ie ab ull er Lynx, Her Pa ssion, Her L

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TOUR DE WHITE ROCK Events list & schedule

THE RANT

Betty Mobley

GEORGE SHULTZ PART 3 Interview with a Statesman

2011 METANOIA Media Kit

In the last decade, scientific advancements have given insights into human phenomena that were previously thought science fiction, such as the viral theory as a contributing factor in the feeling of “love”. Anthropologists may have noticed nuances in human behavior early in our development, but these scientific discoveries now actually explain the physiology of “metanoic thinking”. Our own behaviors are being re-examined in light of these discoveries about brain function, and in particular that our usual way of thinking leads us to our usual results. Moreover mostly we do not think- but react- not unlike reptiles- and this process does not always serve us well.

Daughter of Texas

La lumiere d’une Chandelle

METANOIA

WeThank You For 10 Years!

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METANO

2011 Media Ki magazine Special Fall 2011 Edition

Man is evolving, and more and more the primitive fears that govern our behaviors are being discovered to be limiting rather than opportunistic. What man is discovering about himself is what our revolution is all about; the beast within will soon be quelled and what will emerge is anybody’s guess.

METANOIA February/March 2012 Edition

METANOIA

Individually, the context of one man within a population of seven billion suggests his insignificance – let alone a lifetime in the span of eternity. And yet we still have this narcissistic sense that our existence is of tremendous relevance. And while there may be something to this belief, how do these enormous discrepancies in size and time fit together to explain the relevance of this epic story? Simplified, what is the relevance of man making a living to pay for food and shelter to the formula E=mc2. Our mission, certainly for Metanoia is to explore all those ideas, and to change ourselves and you in pursuit of this intelligence. To put it another way, we want your brain to be engaged in way it never has been before. Are you ready for the challenge?

2011 magazine Media Kit

METANOIA magazine

Pepe Serna Actor, Artist & Motivational Speaker The Scarface Anniversary what it was like on set

2011 Media K

“Crackshot”

Gabe Leonard

The first time I saw your art was at the Jerome

Interview by Hank Leis

more casual observers. What I’m after in any particular painting, including this one, is something beneath the Grand Hotel in Jerome, Arizona. When I inquired surface details. There needs to be something a viewer about the painting the bartender told me a brief can enjoy instantly and without further investigation or story about you and gave me a tiny photocopy of an description, but to keep one’s attention I feel the viewer article written about you in the local paper. Do you needs to feel empathy for the character. To do this there remember the occasion when you went to the hotel? is generally a back story in my mind that I use to try and Is this the way you market your art or was this more infuse the character with a particular body language happenstance than clever marketing? that we regularly perceive in our day to day lives in other people. The backstories are often based on real I’ve actually never been to historical events or people. the hotel. The painting was For example the painting purchased through a gallery you’re referring to is based in Escondido, CA. It was on a guy name Bass Reeves part of a solo exhibit called who came out of slavery in “Right Side of The Dirt” in south Texas to become the February of 2010. first deputized marshal west of the Mississippi River.

What drew me to your He was a highly successful art was the desperation in bounty hunter and there are the face of the gunfighter. several accounts of him It is the desperation that getting into gunfights with I have felt at times when a few people he was trying cornered and also in to bring in. the faces of the people I meet when they reek of You paint women with desperation. I thought guns blazing while in their that business people would underwear. Other than “Justice” love your art because they the obvious attraction to men who like pictures are the legacy of the western gunfighter. What is of naked women, do you have a storyline within the your take on my interpretation? painting that relates to both the vulnerability and the I think you’re more conscious of what I’m doing than strength of the women who first came to the West?

Is there an implication that sometimes women had to shoot their men after sex?

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The story lines for the saloon women are mostly fictional, outside of the historical fashion. Before I did them I had a painting of Calamity Jane, but she was a rather mannish character and most people didn’t recognize her as a woman in my paintings. I had a lot of people asking “where are the chicks”, but as I researched story lines from the late 19th century I found that the most compelling stories were either like those of Calamity Jane, which weren’t overtly feminine or stories of prostitutes stabbing each other in small gold mining towns. What I decided to go after was self assured, obviously feminine and sexy, gun slinging women with implied stories of vengeance. These were actually made to appeal to female fans and women are the ones who like these paintings the most. It is easier for a woman to connect and see themselves in these paintings than the paintings of male outlaws in my other paintings.

The facial expression, the body language, the imagery to me seem so real, almost as if you know these people. Do you?

I get friends, family and anybody else within shouting distance to pose for the paintings.

The large hands of the gunfighters add to the fierceness of the moment. Is that your intent?

In my mind strong guys have big hands. It just makes sense to me somehow.

There is a certain unique rawness to the characters in your paintings. Growing up in Wyoming must have put you in contact with many people who’s challenges come from the out of doors and the respite from temporary relief from booze and tough women. Is Wyoming where a lot of the ideas for your art come from?

There is certainly a lot of history in Wyoming that has inspired a number of paintings, but I think my experience with the environment rather than any particular people I knew has helped contribute to my understanding and expression of the characters in my paintings. I grew up in a tiny town of less than 200 people. I spent a lot of time catching snakes and lizards in the summer and lived through a number of blizzards and long winters.

Now that I’m grown up I look back at that and imagine not having electricity or air conditioning or any real civilization that was closer than 3 or 4 days by horse.

Pile on top of that hostile natives and other settlers who may not have your best interests at heart. I think you would have to have a very strong mental fortitude on top of a physical toughness to be in that place and time.

Some of your characters are assassins, others are

“Wild Bill”

defending themselves, others are louts with tiny reptilian brains who just like to kill. What thought process do you go through in conjuring up these characters?

Most of them are based on some sort of real person or story. What I really try to do is find a way to understand them and to express my idea of who they might of been in a way that others might find entertaining or interesting.

It seems like almost every painting you do, has a background story and a future. What we see is a violent present. Do you yourself have any sense of their stories?

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his motivations are in context to his circumstances and the time he’s living in. On the technical side of making a painting I like to find new or better ways of doing something. I don’t want to do the same poses or same costume or slight variations over and over. I try not to worry about making mistakes or changing something when it needs to be changed compositionally or otherwise.

“Shootout”

You’re right in that they have an implied backstory and possible future. I tend to put them in a transitional moment. I don’t always make it obvious if something has already happened or about to happen. The perception of violence is almost always up to the viewer. With the exception of a couple of paintings, I don’t show people getting shot or hurt, although there’s an implication that someone or something either just got it or is about to.

Are any of these people you actually know? Am I putting too much into the story aspect of it?

When people react to your art is the story they see a common story or are the variances and interpretations fairly wide?

There are a number of ways people see and interpret some of the paintings. I leave plenty up to the viewers imagination. If I showed everything in the painting it would leave the view with nothing for them to figure out or interpret. In my mind that makes for a boring painting. It’s like seeing the monster in a movie, it’s not really scary anymore once you know what it is.

Jaws was really scary to me as a kid and I think it’s because you never really saw the shark. The open ended aspect of the paintings also allow the viewers to see themselves in the role of the character if they choose. I think it’s important for people to find a way to personally connect to the art.

For me as a writer, when I interview someone I haven’t met before (like you) almost every time it opens up a kind of new life experience for me which may preoccupy my life for days, weeks and sometimes a lifetime. What does each painting do for you?

I look for something to learn about and try to find a way to connect and understand it. I’m not really interested in just a guy shooting a gun with a cowboy hat on. I want to know why he is doing what he’s doing and what

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Almost every artist I’ve known has a collection of works that he paints to sell and another that he keeps and reserves to only show other artists who appreciate technique and the other subtleties of art.

Do you have such a collection and what does it look like?

I don’t have anything that I intentionally keep secret or to myself. The paintings are made to go out into the world and be enjoyed by others. I do have a few pieces that I’ve done that seem to have a one man audience of myself, although it was unintentional. Basically it’s a character that consists of a nude fat white guy sitting in a tree pooping on pigeons, floating over the paparazzi; balancing effortlessly by his fingertips on gear shifters that are behind his back and other various scenarios that are ridiculous and somewhat sardonic.

What do you make of the business of art?

I’m very grateful and fortunate to have found a way to make a living on the sales of my art. There can be ups and downs like with any other business, but in the end I’m living the dream!

Are you, in your mind working on the penultimate piece of art that will finally express fully what you are trying to say?

What do you hope to gain out of your art?

Is there anything that you would like to add to this interview?

I think as an artist you always want to outdo yourself and improve over previous work. However, I don’t think that any one painting will ever fully express everything I have to say. I tend to say a lot of stuff and it tends to shift directions on a constant basis. I think the overall body of work is probably more important to me than any one particular painting. The artists who go crazy are likely the ones that take themselves too seriously or put too much pressure on themselves to make the ultimate expression. I try to make sure that the making of art is always fun. The thing I hope to gain out of my art is a life well lived. I’m working on it.

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Persistence Pays Off

by Seth Meltzer

What Peter Matsuo learned from growing his business and selling to Yahoo!

I recently had the pleasure of sitting down with Peter Matsuo, the CEO of Clipcentric Inc., a startup that provides technology solutions that enable local-market advertisers and publishers to produce professional quality video advertisements based in Albany, NY. Seth Meltzer with Peter Matsuo Back in 1999 Peter and his partner were at the University of Albany finishing their physics PhDs when they got the idea to start a company that offered users the opportunity to play games online using actual advertisements- in other words they turned ads into games. Naturally advertisers loved this idea and paid well for it while they grew to 1.5 million users.

Then in late 2000 when the internet bubble burst, all of their advertisers dried up. Over the next 18 months Peter and his partner decided to rework their technology to make it a more generalized tool.

This new firm was called adInterax and it grew to become the local rich media advertising leader on the web. The firm offered rich media technology solutions for advertisers and publishers (rich media being advertisements with more interactivity that your regular banner ads, e.g. slide out panels, animations, and video). Peter’s marketing efforts included a goal of getting Yahoo! as a customer and like a professionally persistent salesman he sent countless emails and left countless voicemails all across Yahoo! Although he did not win their account, it did put him on their radar and later on when Yahoo! decided to launch an industry-wide search for an exclusive vendor for the technology offered by adInterax, it’s no surprise that because of Peter’s efforts his firm was one of the many chosen to compete. Ultimately adInterax won the slot as the exclusive vendor, and during licensing negotiations the conversation turned to acquisition. After 6 months of negotiations and drawing up agreements he closed on the sale of his business to Yahoo!, a “life changing” experience as he calls it.

I truly enjoyed my time with Peter, he is a refreshing executive. He has a warm and comforting demeanor with an obvious laser focus on his task at hand. He’s confident but composed, and honest as the day is long. Here are some salient points that I walked away with, I’ll call them Peterism’s:

• • •

Running a startup can be a lonely place.

Forget your pride, let the best idea win.

The more people you bring on that have a vested interest in what’s going on the more avenues you’ll have to success.

• The most important character needed for success in business is integrity.

• Look at every customer as a relationship. Be there for them, be honest, do your best to help them out.

• Be genuine. You are who you are, be honest about it and people will ultimately forgive your failings and appreciate you.

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Now, Peter Matsuo in his own words:

In hindsight what were the most important components to your success?

First, I’d say a good partnership. Being able to debate ideas with someone who has a vested interest is essential.

Also, being in a start-up can be a lonely place. No one but your partner can understand the ups and downs.

Both my partner and I were completely committed to the success of adInterax. When times got tough, one of us was always able to inject optimism into our day to day routine. Next, probably perseverance. Things do not always go well. Markets shift, powerful competitors emerge, and bad luck happens. Simply put, you must make it through the hard times to be successful. And thirdly, I’d say humility. The only thing that matters when it comes to an idea is whether or not it is good.

It sounds obvious, but his had to evolve for us. If your pride causes you to hold onto a bad idea for a moment too long, the company will suffer for it.

What kind of hours did you work to make the business a success?

It’s hard to put a number on it. I was always working, even when I was at home, or dinner, or the opera.

Customer calls came in almost every day after hours, and for a long time, I fielded all of them. It was only toward the end that we brought on a team to lessen the work load.

How did you connect with Yahoo!?

We had been pursuing Yahoo! as a customer for a couple of years. We called and emailed regularly, and tried a bunch of angles. We bought event sponsorships where Yahoo! and other key customers would be. The one day Yahoo! called us and requested a proposal. They were looking for an exclusive in-house vendor, and doing an industry-wide review. It was quite competitive, but we won it. That licensing deal led to the acquisition. This also goes to show how persistence pays off. I must have had 20 conversations with Yahoo! trying to get a foot in the door, and this put us on their radar.

What was the biggest thing that surprised you about the acquisition process with Yahoo!?

The whole process was a new experience for me, so I just kept an open mind and just tried to learn everything

I could. The negotiations, due diligence and business planning all seemed natural. I wasn’t expecting such a comprehensive legal process...our final agreement was about three inches thick, but I wouldn’t say I was surprised. Maybe I was surprised by how emotionally attached I had become to our business, and how this complicated the negotiation process.

What did you learn from that process?

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As a startup, we spent a lot of energy worrying that some 800 pound gorilla would come in and eat our lunch, but I realized that the agility of startups is more powerful than the size and resources of large companies… especially in fast paced information technologies, where startup barriers are low and speed really matters.

Sept 13

How do you know you got a fair price from them?

Sept 25

Sept 19

Did I say that?

How do you balance the time between Clipcentric and your growing family?

Oct 11

I try to make my work time work, and my family time family. I sometimes fail at this, but I remind myself of this priority every day.

Oct 15

What role does the spouse play in the success of an entrepreneur?

I’m sure it’s different for different people, but for me, she really picks up my slack for everything non-work related. She is there to support our children when I am unable, or get the extended family together for weekend events… you know, the important stuff. For example, if my son has a concert in the afternoon, she can get him ready and off to the show, and I can just show up and watch the performance. It allows me to be successful at jumping from one world to another.

How do you know when you’ve achieved success with Clipcentric?

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Well, we have employees that get paychecks, we’re building a great product, and I’m having fun. Sounds like success to me.

What are your long term goals?

My most important role is as a parent, so it would have to be guiding my children toward self actualization. I obviously need to get there first to do the job right, and I feel like I’m making progress through continued hard work and reflection.

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Our Education System Is Not So Much “Broken” As It Is Totally Outdated!

by Harvey White

From the animated RSA presentation of Sir Ken Robinson on Changing the Educational Paradigm

The US education system does what

it was designed to do – the problem is that it was formed over 100 years ago in a different time – for a different need – in a different world economy – to satisfy a different life style – using the then available technology.

The US education system has not changed significantly in over 100 years but the world has!

It was created and driven by a set of business leaders, liked Carnegie and others, who saw the country was moving from an agricultural economy to an industrial one. They saw the need for workers who could “read, write and cipher a little” to man the factories and mills that were being built in areas of the East and across the great Midwest, (today’s “rust belt”) where the farm children were and could be trained and put to work. It created millions of jobs and allowed the country’s to become the leading economy in the world as it implemented the industrial revolution.

As Ken Robinson illustrates, schools were, and still are structured like the factories they were developed to serve. They treat education like an assembly line – you move from one task (class) to the next – day in and

day out. There is little collaboration or interchange between the work done in one department (course) versus the next. The product (students) are processed, as in a factory, in batches (by year of birth). The resultant product (graduates) are therefore all from the same mold. Due to this structure, which has not changed much in the last 100+ years – change is hard to come by.

So is it any wonder that the teachers, who are given the workflow and schedule (curriculum) by the plant managers (the school boards and politicians) with little flexibility and/or authority to change things, are treated like foreman, unionized, and are paid and protected by seniority (tenure)?

When this system began students accepted this regimen because graduation promised (almost guaranteed) a job and maybe a chance for college and an even better job. The latter is no longer true even if ones grades are great – there is an oversupply of graduates. Couple this with the boredom and lack of enthusiasm generated by this production line education and is there any wonder why there are more costly drop-outs and an overall uninspired set of students?

The businessmen of the late 1800’s knew that an appropriately trained and educated work force was essential for the success of their businesses so that the country could grow with the industrial revolution and we became the world’s economic leader. They saw that the nation needed a national public school system to fulfill this need. They were right and their basic premise is still correct.

Training and education must meet the needs of the times and the economy of the future – ours does not!

The state of our current system is like owning an old trusted, rusty, seriously underpowered 150,000 mile van that has missing and broken parts, that your grandfather gave you, to operate your family’s delivery business. But the items to be delivered have gotten larger and more complicated and you are falling behind competitors who have newer vans and enhanced scheduling software.

Do you try to “fix” some of the more noticeable “broken” parts – paint it – and try to “upgrade” as many of these missing parts as you can to bring it in line with current technology and

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needs? Or do you buy a new van with the best current technology and has all the features needed for today’s job?

The “fix and upgrade it” approach may cost less dollars up front. But it will still be an old van with old technology and broken parts and competition will continue to gain market share at your expense.

The answer seems clear. To stay in business and support your family’s current life style and survive and grow as future competition expands – you must buy a new van.

The same is true with our K-12 education system – a “patchwork fixing it up” approach is not the answer – we must have a totally new refocused system in order to successfully compete globally.

Good news – the time is right and now to refocus our K-12 education system We have a wonderful opportunity today. The stars are aligned to do the redefining and refocusing of an education system built for the future competitive economy. The public wants the current K-12 education system fixed – really needs to be redone.

Government and thought leaders are struggling to find ways to meet the need for innovation and create the education system that supports it.

If we merely tinker with the system piecemeal we will have wasted this opportunity and probably spent large amounts of money, energy and depleted the public’s good will to do the job right.

Here is some more good news In today’s very polarized and partisan political world about the only economic issue where there is general agreement is the need for the US to be

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leaders in innovation. There seems to be consensus that for the US to replace the lost jobs from the industrial sector we must create the new industries that will drive the future economies of the world – and that requires innovation.

So we need to focus on examining some of the difference between what and how we ”teach” today and what we need to change to effectively “teach” innovation.

The underlying need is to refocus the system to teach innovation – not just facts Some time ago, Clinton’s former Secretary of Education, Richard Riley, summed up this need for innovation to drive our future when he predicted what is now already occurring.

“The jobs in the greatest demand in the future don’t yet exist and will require workers to use technologies that have not yet been invented to solve problems that we don’t yet even know are problems.”

Just as was the case with the current system the new refocused one must prepare students to meet the needs of the then current and future economies.

Today that means it must produce the best trained, skilled and innovative work force possible so we can compete for, and remain a leading world economy and thus assure a continuation of our standard of living for future generations.

literally seconds they will give you the answer. (Actually not all students use Google – some use Yahoo or Bing or another browser to find the requested “fact”.)

Finding the “fact” is no longer the need – the need is how to use the facts In today’s competitive world our schools need to teach not how to find facts but rather what to do with them.

We must teach our students how to synthesize, how to inter-relate, how to build systems and processes based on the acquired facts, and how to question individual facts by seeing how they fit with more complex constellations of facts. We need to teach how to deal with ambiguities and nuances – how to think creatively and how to construct or deal with abstract issues. These are the skills that build a base for creativity and teach innovation. The rote learning of facts, that are soon forgotten, but that students know can easily be reacquired if ever needed, is not consistent with what either students or business need to be successful in today’s world.

To be continued in the next issue.

We need to face the fact that facts are basically irrelevant!

Ask any student you know “what is the capital of Belarus” – or “the formula for area of a circle” – or “how to spell irrelevant” – or “who won the last game ”, or “where is the nearest Italian restaurant”, or virtually any other “fact” – and what will he or she answer? “Just a minute I will Google it on my phone” – and in the matter of

Harvey White Chairman of (SHW)2 Enterprises www.steam-notstem.com

The Dan Walker Chronicles

Victoria to Shanghai Dan Walker is an adventurer, a businessman and raconteur. He has visited every country in the world. His trusty Rolls Royce has taken him across many continents. He includes his grandchildren in some of his travels allowing them to select the destination. Originally, he hails from Victoria, British Columbia, but now resides in Costa Rica. At our request he has honoured us by writing a journal of his most recent trip to China. We are pleased to present the Dan Walker Chronicles.

Victoria in May is generally cold and rainy, but this year we were lucky. The sun came out when we arrived and with the exception of a couple of days lasted until we left.

Wednesday, May 30 we were picked up by our son and driven to the airport for a short flight to Vancouver where we boarded a China Eastern Airbus 330 for the flight to Shanghai. I had some serious concerns about China Eastern, as I’d had no success in contacting them at either of the numbers Travelocity gave me, and when Travelocity tried to contact them to tell them we would not be using the Shanghai to Beijing portion of the flight, they couldn’t get through by phone either.

When in Vancouver I contacted friends at Bestway Tours & Safari’s, and they gave me a Vancouver number that was eventually answered. They said if we cancelled or didn’t show up for that segment of the flight our return flight would be automatically cancelled by the computer and there was nothing they could do about it. I emailed friend Lifeng Liu at CSITS in Beijing, who had put together the China and North Korea parts of the trip, and she contacted China Eastern with the same result - the airline was inflexible. Another call to Travelocity to give them the Vancouver number resulted in them saying we could cancel the segment if we paid $115, which didn’t seem reasonable as it was a prepaid business class ticket that we weren’t looking for a refund on. Another flight had already been arranged from Shanghai to Huangshan in China, so I decided to take a chance and try talking to the China Eastern people at the airport in Shanghai. In spite of these problems and the fact that they don’t have a functional English website, my fears proved unfounded once we were checked in.

In the lounge in Vancouver airport there were free food and drinks and a cart was laid on to transport the airline clients to the departure gate. Once on board everything I could have hoped for was provided. The seats reclined into a flat bed that fit my 2 meter (6ft 6inch) length, individual large screen TVs provided a range of games and entertainment including dozens of on demand movies, there was an AC plug in with each seat, a full kit of condiments including toothbrushes and toothpaste plus slippers and a first for me -- pyjamas!

These were real pyjamas with full length pants and button up top in soft, warm material. The service was superb - a press of the call button brought another beer instantly. We arrived in Shanghai half an hour early. Immigration was fast and

easy, and we walked non-stop through the customs area. A couple of stops for directions and a short walk got us into the departure area, where we sought out China Eastern Airlines to see what could be done about the flight on which we were booked, but were not going to take. We were bounced from one area to another four times before we arrived to see a domestic flight supervisor who was being yelled at by a German lady at that point over some problem. When we stood in front of the distraught supervisor and explained the problem she got that “Another problem that can’t be solved” look on her face. She really did try, phoning many different people and basically getting the same answer - if we don’t fly the flight it is likely our return flights will be cancelled.

When she said she could change the date of the flight I got an idea. Our return flights are July 2, so I changed the Shanghai to Beijing flight we want to cancel to July 3. The helpful lady gave me a printout showing both of our July 2 flights and the one we won’ be on July 3.

Our next stop was the bus stand. We were currently at Pudong Airport, but tomorrow leave from Hongqiao Airport located on the opposite side of Shanghai - we were told it was about an hour by taxi, however knowing most cities have buses between major airports we went looking. No one spoke English, but most could read the airport name, so we were soon seated on a comfortable bus speeding across the vast network of elevated express highways. Once at Hongqiao we took a taxi to the Cypress Garden Hotel - a 15 minute ride that cost $16.40. The bus had been $5 each.

The hotel is located on a large estate with gardens, pagodas and pools around it. It has a huge indoor swimming pool, however internet and phone calls were expensive. We went to the lounge for something light to eat and the prices were higher than in Canada, and the food horrible. There was no Chinese food on the lounge menu, but the Tsingtao beer was good! Tomorrow we fly south.

Friday, June 1, 2012 The nice thing about arriving in the evening after a long flight is that it is easy to sleep on local time, a big help in getting over jet lag. In the morning we enjoyed the extensive western and Chinese breakfast buffet and went for a walk around the hotel grounds. Marilynn wasn’t feeling great, so she lay down while I went for a swim. The hotel indoor pool is huge, heated to the perfect temperature, and very clean.

The hotel organized a taxi to the hotel at noon, and we found

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out we had been ripped off big time the night before - this time the cab used the meter and it was 23 Yuan rather than the 100 we were charged last night. Check in was quick and security courteous and efficient. They use the European rather than US model, so shoes don’t need to come off and the whole procedure is much easier. In the waiting lounge we enjoyed the Chinese buffet, salad bar and desert bar while I made good use of the selection of Chinese and international beers. We used the internet to catch up on emails and send out updates. The one hour flight to Huangshan was comfortable.

A light lunch accompanied by a couple of beer was provided. Huangshan means “Yellow Mountain,” a famous mountain we will visit in this part of China. On arrival we were met by the guide who will be with us for the next few days. His English name was Mike, however we opted to use his Chinese name which sounded like Lian. He picked his English name as at university he was a karaoke master and always asking for the microphone.

We were checked into a beautiful, well appointed room at the International Hotel. This is a beautiful area with mountains where a large variety of teas are grown and the valleys are filled with rice paddies. We were driven the short distance to Tunxi Old Street, which winds for about a mile through the 2,000 year old ancient city. Wood buildings here date back 400 years, and the architecture is amazing. Marilynn went from shop to shop wanting to buy everything from gorgeous gigantic carvings in Sandalwood to very inexpensive handmade silk clothing.

There were various shops specializing in ornate ink containers for calligraphy carved from rock in sizes from small to giant ones that must have weighed tons.

Famous people come from all over China to purchase art and select from the hundreds of types of brushes on sale. We passed shop after shop of carvings, paintings, handmade shoes and cloths. The light rain didn’t dampen our enthusiasm a bit! Lian took us to a restaurant frequented by the local people for dinner where one selects from a buffet of uncooked raw material in pots. We were delighted that he agreed to join us for a dinner of pigs feet (here called pigs hands), port ribs, greens, rice, dumplings and

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a type of sweet, moist ball for desert accompanied by local beer and a bottle of the quite good local red wine. Grapes are grown here for local wineries. After dinner there were photos and hugs from the lady who owns the restaurant.

Lian is 31 years old and married with a two year old daughter - we had expected him to want to go home, as our agreement was that we were on our own for dinner and he’ll be on the road for the next few days. He walked us back to the hotel where we weren’t long climbing into the rock hard king sized bed.

Saturday, June 2, 2012 Lian picked us up at 9 AM. Our excellent driver headed into the mountains where we drove past rice paddies in the low, narrow valleys and through tea plantations on the hills.

The winding road followed an ever narrowing clear stream into higher mountains through forests of bamboo, camphor, and sandalwood trees. There was little habitation and the scenery was beautiful. The air is pure and the rivers crystal clear. We eventually arrived at the UNESCO world heritage site Honcun Village. The large parking area was filled with tour buses for Chinese tour groups, but we saw only a couple of Caucasians.

The village has wood buildings up to 650 years old, and each street has water running between the walking area and buildings. This water was used for all purposes originally, but now is used for washing as tap water has been installed. The streets are only wide enough for three people shoulder to shoulder.The village is extensive enough to absorb the large number of visitors, so it was not unusual to have no one else was in sight. The reflection of ancient buildings and bridges in the large ponds had photo shutters clicking like a swarm of crickets. Like all the ancient villages we visited in the area it is a working village. While some people made their living selling to tourists, most were farmers whose houses had been passed down in the family for centuries. It was amazing to see how well the old, unpainted wood buildings lasted for the hundreds of years since they were built - including wood pillars and beams, generally made from sandalwood. One shop was a wine merchant, who sold from waist high urns of different wines. There

were small disposable sampling cups and a dipper to portion out the wines, so we tried a few. Some were close to straight alcohol - I had a bit of a buzz on by the time we left. We bought a desert wine, which was ladled into a section of bamboo with a stopper in the top and a carrying strap attached to each side. Lian’s chosen lunch restaurant was packed, so we drove to a hotel in another village where we were served in a private dining room. Driving further through the mountains, we arrived at Xidi Village, also a world heritage site.

There were less people, but the setting on a small lake was beautiful. Once again there was admission to pay before entering through a huge ornate stone gate to get to our hotel, a renovated complex of buildings some 400 years old. The appearance had been changed very little - only electricity, water and modern bathrooms had been installed.

Our room was a considerable walk from reception, along a flagstone path past a number of other buildings. The room was originally larger, but glass partitions to make room for bathroom & shower reduced it to fairly tight quarters. Modern conveniences such as air conditioning, cable internet, TV and so on had been added. We walked through the village, popping in and out of shops. My knees were starting to give serious problems, as I’ve put a few miles on them today, so we headed back to the room to rest for a bit. Any doubts I’ve had about suffering through a knee replacement are gone - I’m going to get it done as soon as possible. At dinner we had a table to ourselves in the entrance area to the hotel restaurant, were the loyal Lian arrived to ensure we could communicate well enough to order. As it turned out the menus were in English and Chinese, and the hotel owner had decided to look after us personally. He is from Hong Kong where he started his career as a receptionist in some of the finest hotels, eventually owning a couple of his own. His English was fluent - it was very interesting to talk with him. After a good feed we went for a short walk through part of the village where a type of line dance was going on to music at the side of the lake. It was truly magical with colourful dancers, the music, and reflection of the lights & full moon in the lake with towering mountains above.We then retired to climb into a bed even harder than the last one. These people do take firm mattresses to the extreme!

The Gallery Panache & Parties

Dr. Allison Patton, ND with White Rock artist, Peter Daniels at Mountainview Wellness Centre

Dr. Allison Patton, ND and daughter, Olivia Ng with MP for South Surrey-White Rock-Cloverdale, Russ Heibert; White Rock Youth Ambassadors Nicole Patterson and Miss White Rock Alex Barberis

Leah Costello, founder of the Bot Mot Book Club; political columnist, Andrew Coyne; Salme Leis; Dr. Allison Patton; and former Deputy Prime Minister of Canada, the Honourable Sheila Copps at the History Wars Debate Series at the Kay Meek Centre, featuring Andrew Coyne and Sheila Copps discussing “Does Power Corrupt Canadian Prime Ministers?�

Hamish Marshall, Campaign Director for the BC Conservatives and Kathryn Marshall, LLP, columnist, political commentator and articling student in Vancouver at the History Wars Debate Series

2012 Miss World Canada, Tara Teng with Olivia Ng at Langley Events Centre

Dr. Caleb Ng, ND with Dr. Michael Cox, PhD, Associate Professor, Department of Urologic Sciences, University of British Columbia; Senior Scientist, The Vancouver Prostate Centre; and Dr. Robert Yong, MD, Urologist at Surrey Memorial Hospital at a presentation for prostate research updates at the monthly Prostate Cancer Canada Network-Surrey meeting for July 2012.

Dr. Allison Patton and Salme Leis with Minister of State of Foreign Affairs (Americas and Consular Affairs), the Honourable Diane Ablonczy.

L to R: James Ram, Regional Director - Surrey; Kamaljit Thind , Surrey-Whalley CA President; Kulwinder Turna, Surrey-Tynehead CA President; John Cummins, leader of the BC Conservative Party; Dr. Allison Patton, ND, Surrey-White Rock CA President; William Zemianski, SurreyPanorama CA President; and Jason Humeniuk, Surrey- Cloverdale CA President at the Italian Dinner Fundraiser in Surrey in June.

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Dr. Galina Bogatch, MD, ND; JR Leis, Salme Leis, and Dr. Allison Patton, ND at Canada Day Celebrations at Langley Events Centre

Dr. Allison Patton, ND giving a presentation on Childhood Vaccinations at the Mountainview Wellness Centre

Dr. Allison Patton attended the 14th Afternoon Tea with Kate Linder & Friends Charity Benefit in support of the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation on Saturday, July 21, 2012 at the Hyatt Regency in downtown Vancouver. On stage were stars of “The Young and the Restless” Kate Linder who plays “Esther”, Michelle Stafford who plays “Phyllis”, Melissa Egan who plays “Chelsea” and Jessica Collins who plays “Avery”. In a moment of spontaneity during the live auction, Michelle Stafford decided to auction off her favourite pink bra that she was wearing to raise money for the foundation. In good spirit, Stafford bid the highest at $1,500 and was able to keep her bra!

Michelle Stafford and Dr. Allison Patton, ND at the Afternoon Tea with Kate Linder and Friends.

Kate Linder and Dr. Allison Patton, ND at the Afternoon Tea with Kate Linder and Friends.

Dr. Allison Patton, ND at the autograph signing with Jessica Collins at the Afternoon Tea with Kate Linder and Friends.

Dr. Allison Patton, ND getting a copy of Metanoia signed at the autograph signing with Christian LeBlanc who play “Michael” on “The Young and the Restless” at the Afternoon Tea with Kate Linder and Friends.

Our man, Dal Fleischer, with friend in San Diego

Pictured are Linda and Colin Shields, Linda Bellamy, and JR Leis from Dr. Allison Patton’s Sunday Coffee, Tea, and Me Conversations

Dan Walker, Dr. Allison Patton, ND, and his trusty Rolls Royce at the Mountainview Wellness Centre.

Two of Three doctors have a leg up!

Dr. Allison Patton, ND; Dr. Galina Bogatch, MD, ND; and Dr. Caleb Ng, ND get ready for a Coffee, Tea, and Me Conversation with a cheer.

Dr. Allison Patton, ND with marketing and referral expert, author and international speaker Sue Clement at her Insider Secrets to Referral Success presentation at the White Rock/South Surrey Chamber of Commerce.

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The Pablo from Pluto -by Hank Leis

The idea of a formal education for all is a relatively recent phenomenon, in particular the notion that university education should be available to everyone. Many accuse those in the education industry of “dumbing down” education in order to meet the personal expectations, ulterior motives, and hidden agendas that inevitably creep into any virtuous program undertaken by mankind for mankind.

Now that educated people are not able to get jobs based on the merits of education, we ask the question, “What went wrong?”

The answer of course is that we are asking the wrong question. The education system spits out the kind of product that its original “inventors” intended. Of course it has deviated from its intentions as all things do, but on the whole it delivers what it is meant to.

Education in its truest sense should not be an answer to everything but a question about all things. Education as we define it now, is a backward look that requires a regurgitation of all that has been discovered without the benefit of knowing the challenges, the initiative, and most importantly, the passion of those who wanted to know.

It is this passion that drove discoveries in the past and does now and will in the future. The desire to know, to experience the new and to have variety in our destiny is the simple driving force that serves as part of our will to live. And what education is doing is sucking the life out of wanting to know by having to know. Passion and wanting to experience beauty is the art in everything. And today, what educators are doing is even sucking the art out of art. What makes science, engineering, and economics interesting is the creativity and artistry in all of it.

While studying the techniques of Van Gogh as an artist may be intellectually arousing to some, it is the emotional drama within him that made his art beautiful. We believe that in some way that we are all unique, and this belief is reinforced by bland mantras with the effect of making us feel even less unique. We are fed pabulum and told it is filet mignon. And when we get filet mignon it tastes like pabulum. We go to movies to escape the tedium of memorizing or the boredom of routine. The challenges that we ourselves might have, are delivered to us in a box that we can only peek inside. The experience itself we are told is too dangerous and too raw.

Avoid endangering oneself is the other mantra and there are laws to enforce that belief. Don’t watch the news today- it’s too awful, we are warned.

By creating a system of educators, we have sucked the life out of our life. Education cannot be about creating jobs, because the paradigms of creativity and systems are at odds with each other.

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They are contradictions as would be the delivery of a product by a delivery boy being synonymous to the wonders of delivering a baby –with the entire emotional connotation that that experience delivers. Education is an impersonal message with a predictable consequence: a good job that gives you enough money to get through your retirement years. And then you die. Put that away, why would anyone want to educate? As I put it to one matronly educator in Texas expounding on the virtues of her work and how she’d like to help Latinos to elevate themselves, “I’d rather rob banks Billy the kid style and die a painful death than do what you do.”

Are our children as crazy as our psychologists and educators say they are or is Ritalin another attempt at taking the danger (aka interest) out of life? Crazy-making kids have a thirst for life that makes the rest of us look like candidates for a zombie movie. They cannot control their passion to experience everything and right now- and the controls imposed on them by society endanger them because they have no outlet for their energy. There is no outlet for the drive that is within. They are held back from experiencing what they naturally want to experience. They are not permitted to let their body do what it wants to do- and so they do it secretly and too often that is what ends up making them criminals (by definition).

I have strayed from my original thesis, but I feel it has been for good reason. My thesis is that our very DNA want, even demand, that there be more to life than getting through it in order to die. Our education system takes the “wanting” out and changes it to “having to” and then we the “educated” wonder why the system isn’t working. Does no one see the incongruities of our questions and inadequacies of how we see things? We are locked into a paradigm that inevitably will bring apocalyptic disaster and the longer we try to hold it together, the greater the disastrous consequences.

When I say to my daughter when she is trying to get something done to hurry off somewhere else, “This too is your life,” she stops and focuses on what she is doing, loving it. Education is a system that hooks those who want to get things done into getting things. Educators teach the mechanics of the things that were done, rarely why and how, because the educators themselves don’t know or care. And they don’t care because they are in a hurry to get the day over and go elsewhere to do other things.

Well, how do you solve a problem like Maria? It’s easy.

Don’t keep her locked up in a cloister. Children do not have to be taught how to learn or forced to learn. It is innate in all of us to want to learn and to experience. And everything we do, every moment is our life too. And sometimes we get hurt, injured, or our life ends by doing things. But we all die and the degree to which we avoid the adventure makes life not worth living.

The educators will not better the education system

because the term education system is a contradiction of wants and values. The education system erodes our morality, it diminishes our will to live, and it diminishes our ability to contribute, because it determines what the values ought to be and punishes and judges us for who we are and what comes naturally. We are always found wanting within the system, and then later are questioned about our confidence.

Confidence is what we started out with; lack of confidence is what we are taught.

College graduates are flipping hamburgers at McDonald’s, and that’s what they are supposed to be doing at McDonald’s.

Having an education doesn’t mean that you can think. It merely means that you have managed to memorize in timely manner information that you will soon forget and cannot draw on to manifest your own destiny. Your education has made you mindless, soulless, and without purpose. You are where your educators determined you should be and the only problem for you is not being able to frivolously spend as much money as you could have had you escaped the drudgery of the day at McDonald’s to an office. And you of course have determined nothing, because from the beginning you have been trained to do what you’ve been told and you are still doing it, and so by the way, are your educators because they too are in the same trap you’re in: mindless, clueless and purposeless through no fault of their own, wanting for someone else to give them a raise, so they can spend their money doing something else.

Join us for a presentation on the latest in marketing innovation.

October 10, 2012 at 7pm Chateau Cargill, South Surrey, BC to register call 604.538.8837 TSX-V:SPN

www.snipp.com

Notice of Appointment Dr. Lawrence McDonald DVM, Regional Director for the Prince George Region for the BC Conservative Party.

I was born in Vancouver and grew up on a small farm in Mission, BC. After high school, I went to UBC to study agriculture and then went on to study veterinary medicine at the University of Saskatchewan. After graduation I worked for 3 years in farm and pet practice and then opened up on my own in Nanaimo. I then completed a specialty with the American Board of Veterinary Practitioners in canine and feline medicine.

from there.

After 20 years in Nanaimo I sold the practice and began locuming for clinics in BC, Alberta, Alaska, Washington and California. I moved to Lac La Hache in 2004 and now base my business

My political beliefs have previously found a home in the Social Credit, Reform and Conservative Parties. Specifically, I am interested in agriculture, environmental issues and health care. Mismanagement of these portfolios has been the motivating factor for my membership in the BC Conservatives. We need to radically change these ministries to reflect the needs and desires of the electorate of BC. Region 12 has a major stake in the environmental issues and I hope to represent their concerns with the BC Conservatives.

My goal is to have in place all 4 constituency associations (CA) for region 12 and at least 100 members per CA. This will allow us to nominate 4 electoral candidates for the May 2013 election.

I am asking you for help and input to accomplish this goal. If you wish to volunteer and help make British Columbia a better place to live; you will find a home in the BC Conservative Party.

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Fires of Dawn by Gary Osborne Winner of the Sunset Photo Contest in Panama

Award Winning Photos by Gary Osborne in Panama

Stawberry Poison Dart Frog of Central America (top profile)

Stawberry Poison Dart Frog of Central America (front profile)

As Far As Longing Can Reach

by Peter and Maria Kingsley What is this longing that drives men and women crazy, deprives them of sleep, of rest and peace — this longing that keeps surfacing throughout history in the literature of people as far apart as ancient Greece, Anatolia, Iran, and remote places hardly any of us even know? Echoes reach our ears of those who have been laughed at, persecuted, even killed because they dared to live their longing in public; but we often choose to make ourselves deaf. It can be so much easier, so much more convenient, to pretend they never existed; that their longing can never be ours; that their timeless teachings are too old and out of fashion for us now.

And yet, like a heartache that stubbornly persists in spite of all our best efforts to ignore it, this longing follows us too.

It drives us from one place to another, from one desire to a different one and then another one, as we go on searching to fulfill ourselves and finally silence the inner voice that never seems satisfied with anything. But whatever we do, and however hard each of us tries, we still sense that something is missing.

Already two and a half thousand years ago a Greek man from southern Italy called Parmenides spoke about this longing in a poem he left behind about the journey he made deep into the underworld to meet the queen of the dead, Persephone, and be taught by her the secrets of reality. The beginning of his poem starts like this: The mares that carry me as far as longing can reach rode on, once they had come and fetched me onto the legendary road of the divinity that carries the man who knows through the vast and dark unknown...

And the clue to the whole poem lies already in the first line. The one crucial factor in this strange affair that for Parmenides influences everything — that determines just how far on this journey towards reality he can actually go — is longing. The Greek word he uses is thumos, and thumos means the energy of life itself. It’s the raw presence in us that senses and feels, the massed power of our emotional being.

Above all it’s the energy of passion, appetite, yearning, longing.

Since the time of Parmenides we have learned so well to hedge our thumos in, to dominate our longing, punish and control it. But for Parmenides himself the longing is what

comes first, right at the beginning. And there is a profound significance in this, because what he is saying is that — left to itself — longing makes it possible for us to go all the way to where we really need to go.

There is no reasoning with passion and longing, although we like to deceive ourselves by believing there is. All we ever do is reason with ourselves about the form our longing will take. We reason that if we find a better job we will be content, but we never are. We reason that if we go somewhere special we will be happy; but when we get there we start wanting to go somewhere else. We reason that if we were to sleep with the lover of our dreams we would be fulfilled. And yet even if were to manage that, it would still not be enough.

What we sometimes refer to, so misleadingly, as “human nature” is simply the state of being pulled by the nose in a hundred different directions and ending up going nowhere very fast.

But although there is no reasoning with our passion, it has a tremendous intelligence of its own. The only trouble is that we keep interfering; keep breaking it up into tiny pieces, scattering it everywhere. Our minds always trick us into focusing on the little things we think we want — rather than on the energy of wanting itself.

If we can bear to face our longing instead of finding endless ways to keep satisfying it and trying to escape it, it begins to show us a glimpse of what lies behind the scenes of this world we think we live in. It opens up a devastating perspective where everything is turned on its head: where fulfillment becomes a limitation, accomplishment turns into a trap. And it does this with an intensity that scrambles our thoughts and forces us straight into the present.

Longing is the movement and the calling of our deepest nature. It’s the cry of the wolf, the power of the lion, the fluttering of all the birds inside us. And if we can find the courage to face it, it will take us back to where we belong.

But just like animals, this longing is dangerous as well as beautiful. Longing is the powerhouse of our being, and on this path of return it breaks everything except what is unbreakable. It shatters all the man-made structures that we try to build up around it and place in its way. It washes away the future and past and leaves us with nothing but eternity.

For longing is the creator of time, and time can never contain it.

Time is the sequence of respectable faces and forms that we give to our longing, from moment to moment and day to day. But as soon as we turn away from all these distractions towards the energy of our longing itself, something extraordinary happens. We discover that what we really want is what has been wanting us since before the beginning of time. Longing longs for us. It wants us to wake up, to become conscious. It is divine intelligence longing to

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become known. All along we thought it was our longing: assumed that we could do whatever we wanted with it, even run away from it if we chose. But how can we run away from our own inner nature, our own divine heritage? We were born to know this mystery which, as Gnostics used to say, “has no name but all names refer to it” or which Sufis describe as the nameless mystery that “appears by whatever name you choose to call it.” And just like Parmenides who made the heroic journey into the depths of darkness to find what he called “the unshaken heart of persuasive Truth,” we too can start out on the journey back to reality — guided by the call of our longing.

This journey, “as far as longing can reach,” is a journey to end all journeys: way beyond any ordinary human experience.

It demands tremendous courage. It changes every cell in our body. Mythologically, it’s the journey of the hero. And yet to understand what’s involved we have to forget all our concepts of what it means to be a hero. We usually think of a hero as a warrior, a fighter. And yet what will get us where we want to go isn’t willpower; it isn’t struggle or effort. It isn’t even a matter of having to do anything ourselves. It’s just a question of knowing how to turn and face our own longing without interfering with it or doing anything at all.

And that goes against the grain of everything we’re used to, because we have been taught in so many ways to escape from ourselves — find a thousand good reasons for avoiding our longing.

Sometimes it appears as depression, calling us away from

everything we think we want, pulling us into the darkness of ourselves. The voice is so familiar that we run from it in every way we can; the more powerful the call the further we run. It has the power to make us mad, and yet it’s so innocent: the voice of ourselves calling to ourselves. The strange thing is that the negativity isn’t in the depression but in running from the depression. And what we imagine we are afraid of isn’t what we are really afraid of at all.

It can be so terrifying to face our longing because it makes no allowances for what we think, or what we care for. Like a sharp sword it cuts through all our cares and ambitions and leaves us naked. It wants the whole of us, and we know that in the end this longing is a fire which will consume every part of us. But what in all honesty is the alternative? How long will we go on looking for truth everywhere outside ourselves? How many books do we have to read, how many people do we have to ask?

Always we want to learn from outside, from absorbing other people’s knowledge. It’s safer that way. The trouble is that it’s always other people’s knowledge. We already have everything we need to know, deep in the darkness inside ourselves. And our longing, if we dare to follow it all the way, is what turns us inside out until we find the sun and the moon and stars inside.

For further details of Parmenides’ poetry, and the background to his teachings, see Peter Kingsley’s books Reality and In the Dark Places of Wisdom.

Anthology and Excerpts as Compiled by Ulrich Mohrhoff So many of us today are concerned about the extinction of all the species that the western world is wiping out. But there’s hardly anyone who notices the most extraordinary threat of all: the extinction of our knowledge of what we are. (DPW 9) Perhaps the simplest way of describing the situation would be to say that, two and a half thousand years ago in the West, we were given a gift — and in our childishness we threw away the instructions for how to use it. We felt we knew what we were playing with.

And, as a result, western civilization may soon be nothing but an experiment that failed. (R 20–21) In describing his journey Parmenides is referring to something very specific. If we want to understand him we need to see what.

It’s all tied up with that clumsy word: incubation. The formal side to incubation was simple enough. Usually you’d lie down in a special place where you wouldn’t be disturbed. Sometimes it was a room inside a house or temple; often it was a cave or other place considered a point of entry to the underworld. And people didn’t do this just when they were sick. There used to be experts at incubation— masters at the art of going into another state of consciousness or allowing themselves to go if they were drawn there.

Sometimes they did this for the sake of healing others, but the main point of incubation really wasn’t the healing at all. That’s simply how it seemed. What was most important was the fact that the healing comes from another level of being, from somewhere else.

For these were people who were able to enter another world, make contact with the divine, receive knowledge directly from the gods. (DPW 101–102)

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Review

all would be finding that elusive thing we're looking for. As much as we want to find it, we also make sure we don't. We long to find Higgs boson, but now that we have, please tell us it isn't so. And it isn't. Ultimately purpose is defined by what we don't know.

By Hank Leis

When Peter Kingsley writes about longing, it can easily be discarded by some who have no inclination towards the mystical or the philosophical as something much too ethereal to be understood in the crass world of the practical man. But Peter Kingsley is being crass, because he is asking the question, "What's in it for you?" His writings are meant for the practical man, to sit down and reflect on whether or not he is getting what he wants, and for the philosophically inclined to stop pretending that life is some vague concept that you glide through.

Life is as rough and dirty as you make it or very smooth and clinically clean if you avoid it. He points out that all your wants, desires, and ambitions are not just about you but that you live in a time that misinterprets them because you've lost your connection to what brought you here and because what you think gives meaning to your life is the result of everything having gone astray from what was once understood by every man. Long ago, in tents, in caves and burrows, men, shivering in the cold, fearing for their lives, KENNETH 2012) and wondered what it was all staredMARTIN at theHOFFMANN stars in(1929 the– sky about and had passed betteraway answers have now. to serve as a Ken Hoffmann recently at the agethan of 82. we He had the opportunity

In an artist’s conception, a Higgs boson (aka the “God Particle”) erupts from a collision of protons. Illustration by Moonrunner Design Ltd., National Geographic

Kingsley talks about the depths of darkness. We should be afraid and we are. He informs us that out of these depths comes clarity, and when we absent ourselves from attending these dark places we do not grow. We remain stuck for ever in light chasing things we’re not sure of and acting like flitting butterflies.

teacher, politician, missionary, captain in Canada’s militia and well-loved family man. Born in StonyPeter Plain, Alberta, his school years were spent in Chilliwack and fiveof Kingsley wants to reconnect us helping with his theparents concept siblings with berry farming. He became a public school teacher, the first in his family, and thinking and feeling. He talks about longing, which is the focused on special needs learners. Ken knew what it meant to overcome a disability – he innatewith feeling today's until world we easily discard becausewith struggled a severe that speechinimpediment his Grade 7 year. Ken’s first involvement He informs us that knowledge is in the darkness and the BCentertainment politics was as a young teacher in Burnaby in the 1950’s when he became the youngest displaces thought. We are paralyzed from thelocal horror we feel is not the darkness but in trying to escape Social Credit candidate. He didn’t win the MLA race but that didn’t stop him from persevering. neck up because we dare not think.

Thinking hurts.

We have In Port Alberni, Ken had the opportunity to serve on city council. Ken came to Surrey after it. Like Soren Kierkegaard he tells us that depression is a learned to participate passively, wemember indulge ourselves. retiring from teaching and was elected as a Schoolso Board for two terms (1993But – 1999). place where we find healing and that we must trust that all Helonging believed in the importance public education everyone, all together as itself is theofmaster plan.– To be sensitive toCanadians. who we the feelings we have evolved within us too are a result of Helping establish the regular singing of “O Canada” in Surrey schools was something he was are, we must acknowledge it as a powerful force because very proud of. Ken loved to celebrate Canada and was intensely patriotic. This past year he a process intended to help us in our daily life. This too is a longing the essence we are,party andandmoreover it isfora the enjoyed raisingis awareness about the of newwho BC Conservative felt great optimism need to know for the practical man. future.

Signing up new process members always revivedthe Ken’sbiggest energy anddisappointment kept him enthusiastic. of Mr. never ending because Hoffmann’s love for his community and family will always be remembered.

Written in loving memory – Ken’s daughter, Anita McBride KENNETH MARTIN HOFFMANN

(1929 – 2012) Ken Hoffmann recently passed away at the age of 82. He had the opportunity to serve as a teacher, politician, missionary, captain in Canada’s militia and well-loved family man. Born in Stony Plain, Alberta, his school years were spent in Chilliwack helping his parents and five siblings with berry farming. He became a public school teacher, the first in his family, and focused on special needs learners. Ken knew what it meant to overcome a disability – he struggled with a severe speech impediment until his Grade 7 year. Ken’s first involvement with BC politics was as a young teacher in Burnaby in the 1950’s when he became the youngest local Social Credit candidate. He didn’t win the MLA race but that didn’t stop him from persevering. In Port Alberni, Ken had the opportunity to serve on city council. Ken came to Surrey after retiring from teaching and was elected as a School Board member for two terms (1993 – 1999).

He believed in the importance of public education – everyone, all together as Canadians. Helping establish the regular singing of “O Canada” in Surrey schools was something he was very proud of. Ken loved to celebrate Canada and was intensely patriotic. This past year he enjoyed raising awareness about the new BC Conservative party and felt great optimism for the future. Signing up new members always revived Ken’s energy and kept him enthusiastic. Mr. Hoffmann’s love for his community and family will always be remembered.

Written in loving memory – Ken’s daughter, Anita McBride

Ready for the race, Chilliwack, BC

Dr. Allison Patton, ND with her friend, Ken Kenneth Hoffmann – proud Canadian

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The Travels of Dal Fleischer in Machu Picchu, Peru

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Page 27

Milestone for Naturopathic Medicine in Canada

Dr. Allissa Gaul, ND, first President of the College of Naturopathic Doctors of Alberta

Wednesday, July 25, 2012 Welcome everyone.

This is a historic day for all Albertans and the 144 Naturopathic Doctors who practice here. Today, we see the birth of the College of Naturopathic Doctors of Alberta.

It is my honour to serve as the College’s FIRST PRESIDENT. The journey from the Naturopathic Association of Alberta (NAA) which was established here in 1944, some 68 years ago, has been a long one.

We are so proud Minister that Alberta now joins British Columbia, Saskatchewan, Manitoba and Ontario as regulated provinces of naturopathic medicine.

Today marks the end of 14 long years of hard work for us and the start of a new era for Albertans wanting trusted, regulated, professional primary care providers - - Naturopathic Doctors.

It was in 1998, your Ministry started formal revisions to Alberta’s health regulations and members of the Alberta Association of Naturopathic Practitioners began working on Section 14 in the Health Professions Act which passed in May 1999.

Today, Albertans can have confidence when they reach out to one of 144 members of the College of Naturopathic Doctors of Alberta that they have a Naturopathic Doctor who meets stringent competency and practice requirements.

Page 28

We offer Albertans a distinct system of primary care – that is an art, a science, a philosophy and a practice of diagnosis and assessment, treatment and prevention of illness. We are trained in the primary care use of diet and lifestyle intervention, homeopathy, nutritional supplementation, physical medicine and traditional Chinese medicine. As you just said, we also offer intravenous administration of ozone, chelation therapy or supplemental vitamins and minerals.

There are many studies available about the effectiveness of our treatments. Many of these studies can be found on the Naturopathic Research Institute website nprinstitute.org. Here in Alberta, we are continually involved in research as part of our annual competency requirements.

Our symbol is a green leaf to reflect our fundamental belief in the Healing Power of Nature. We operate by Naturopathic Principles. We identify and treat causes. We first do no harm.

We believe in educating our patients.

We believe in treating the whole person.

Our goal is to work with our patients to achieve optimum health and to prevent disease.

And, for Albertans, we are easy to find! Some of us are in private practices and others are in multi-disciplinary practices with regulated health professionals such as chiropractors, medical doctors, nurses, physical therapists, and massage therapists.

We are throughout the province from Ft. McMurray to Coleman, from Medicine Hat to Grande Prairie.

While patients pay out-of-pocket for naturopathic services, most private group health plans, offered by organizations, cover office visits and laboratory evaluations. Now that Alberta is a College, we hope the Government of Canada will move quickly to remove the GST requirement from our services.

Our goal is to ensure every Albertan

has access to a registered Naturopathic Doctor and Albertans have a Naturopathic Doctor as part of their own committed wellness and health care regime.

We hope Albertans will encourage our MLA’s to continue developing wellness policies. This Government’s appointment of an Associate Minister of Wellness, the Hon. Dave Rodney, to champion the Ministry's actions to enhance wellness and to achieve improved health outcomes, directly aligns with our goals as Naturopathic Doctors.

Members of the College of Naturopathic Doctors of Alberta believe we have a unique and valuable role to play in helping your Ministry educate and motivate Albertans to take charge of their health. We already see thousands of Albertans in our practices and work closely with our patients to educate them to be proactive about their own health and wellness.

We have such philosophical unity amongst our members and strength in the quality of our Doctors that I cannot imagine the Naturopathic Doctors of our College to be anything but brilliant contributors to how heath care and wellness is accomplished in Alberta.

We have lots of information to share.

Please visit our website cnda.net and follow us on Twitter @CollegeNDAB to find out more about Naturopathic Medicine and Naturopathic Doctors in Alberta.

Thank you to many individuals, especially the 144 Naturopathic Doctors of Alberta who are the founding members of the College, the Canadian Assn. of Naturopathic Doctors, the Canadian Naturopathic Coordinating Council, the Alberta Federation of Regulated Health Professionals, and your Ministry for your support and leadership. drgaul@shaw.ca (403) 283-7683/ (403)708-8398, www.drgaul.com

Method, Dr. Bronners and many others offer equally priced, non-toxic alternatives.

When you spray your counter tops and clean your bathroom, would you rather be breathing in chemicals or non-toxic substances? No brainer really! Make the commitment to switch over to non-toxic cleaners when your old ones run out – just make sure to read the labels to avoid greenwashing or ask your friends if they have any much loved, non-toxic favorites!

Dr. Alexina Mehta, ND and Tracy Lydiatt

Top 5 Toxin Sources to Change in Your Home

By Tracy Lydiatt – The Green Families Guru

As naturopathic doctors and health care professionals for the whole being, you are natural advocates for your patients and have a vested interest in supporting them to create the most wholesome lifestyle possible. Yet there is only so much you can do within the span of an appointment. Empowering your patients to detox their homes is one of the best things you can do to support them outside of your practice.

One of the ground rules for creating a sustainable society is to stop poisoning the system we depend upon for our survival – the earth! Did you know that as a society, we create 75,000 – 100,000 different man-made chemicals?

Many of these chemicals have not been tested for their interactions with each other and many of them do not break down naturally. This means they exist in the environment (water, air, soil) for a long time and some of them can even accumulate in us through the food chain.

Even though it’s scary to admit, our homes can be one huge simmer pot for toxins. Children’s mattresses can off-gas chemicals, pesticides can be leftover in cotton clothing, chemicals you need a PhD to decipher lurk in your soap, shampoo, conditioner, shaving gels, hair dyes, skin creams, hairspray, and nail polish. And to top it off, large companies that produce household cleaning products spend millions of dollars on advertising, conditioning us to be germ-phobes. Their solution? Anti-bacterial soap, chemical cleaners and disinfectants, chemical air fresheners and sprays like Febreze.

The results? There is growing evidence that common health conditions are associated with toxic exposure. They are: allergies, asthma, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, autism spectrum disorders, birth defects, cancer, developmental disabilities, diabetes, obesity and reproductive disorders.

According to the US Environmental Protection Agency, the incidence of childhood cancers has jumped almost 27% from 1975 to 2002. Last year on CBC’s Doc Zone, a documentary named The Disappearing Male stated that, “The last few decades have seen steady and dramatic increases in the incidence of boys and young men suffering from genital deformities, low sperm count, sperm abnormalities and testicular cancer. At the same time, boys are now far more at risk of suffering from ADHD, autism, Tourette's syndrome, cerebral palsy, and dyslexia.”

This is scary stuff! The results of the last sixty years of our chemical inventions are beginning to clearly show their results. Helping your patients to detox their homes can help them take leaps and bounds towards creating a healthy home environment and needs to be your home environment needs to be high on their priority list. The challenge is how to do it without breaking the bank. Share these suggestions with your patients for how to easily and cheaply replace products at home for more non-toxic ones right away.

1. Chemical based household cleaners

Do you still use chemical based cleaners to clean your house? 5 years ago, it was difficult to find alternatives other than water, lemon and vinegar (which still work great incidentally!). Nowadays, companies like Seventh Generation,

2. Chemical based air fresheners

3. Shampoo and Conditioner

4. Skin Creams and lotions

5. Toothpaste

This is one of my biggest green pet-peeves. Every time an Airwick or Febreze commercial comes on TV, I want to throw something at the screen! If you use these products in your house, you are essentially releasing air-contaminating chemicals into your air, on the couch, pet beds, car and where ever you put these products. You can breathe these in or absorb them through your skin. The nonprofit, Environmental Working Group in the US tested a Febreze product and found it contained 89 different air contaminants, only three of which were listed by the manufacturer. A great, non-expensive, non-toxic alternative includes using essential oils mixed with water in a bottle with a mister spray or a candle lit diffuser.

Love your cheap, nice smelling, rich lathering shampoo? Well you might want to check a little closer. Many shampoos and conditioners contain parabens, chemical fragrance, mono- , di-, tri-ethanolamine (MEA, DEA, TEA), nonylphenols, and sodium lauryl sulfate (or sodium laureth sulfate). These chemicals are known to cause allergic reactions, affect the central nervous system, mimic hormones like estrogen, and be carcinogenic to our kidneys and liver. Even if the label says, “Natural” or “Green” make sure to flip over the bottle and have a closer look! Only buy ones that leave out these toxic ingredients.

Did you know if you put a piece of garlic against your foot in your shoe, you’ll taste garlic in your mouth in 20 minutes? Your skin is a highly absorptive organ so be mindful of what you put on it. Body lotions can contain any of the following chemicals: mono- , di-, tri-ethanolamine (MEA, DEA, TEA), Diazolindinyl Urea, FD&C Colors, Fragrance, Parabens and sodium lauryl sulfate (or sodium laureth sulfate). Look for skin creams and lotions without these toxic ingredients in them. Check out this website for a listing of tested body lotions: http://www. cosmeticsdatabase.com/browse.php?category=moisturizer Many name-brand toothpastes and mouthwashes contain potentially harmful ingredients, which are made up of very small molecules that may penetrate through the tissue of your mouth, enter the blood stream, and build up in the liver, kidneys, heart, lungs, and tissues. They can contain the following chemicals and toxins: sodium fluoride, triclosan, FD&C Blue Dye #1 and 2, sodium lauryl sulfate, and hydrated silica. All of these common ingredients have been found to be harmful to humans. Need help sourcing some non-toxic alternatives? Visit this site for a listing of tested toothpastes. http://www.cosmeticsdatabase.com/browse.php?category=toothpaste Your patient’s home should be a non-toxic haven for their family to grow and thrive in. Making these changes just requires a small commitment to take action and substitute your chemical based products for non-toxic ones! The benefits will last a lifetime!

Tracy Lydiatt is an award-winning sustainability advisor, educator and #1 Amazon.com bestselling author passionate about green/sustainability empowerment and change. She advocates for health, freedom and family by providing services designed to be user-friendly, resource rich and empowering. Businesses, families and individuals love her 7-Day Going Green Challenge (www.thegreenfamiliesguru.com/7-Day-Challenge) hosted online. If you are the kind of person who cares about your family’s health, the planet, wants to budget conscious ways to live healthy and toxin free then we invite you to participate in Tracy’s challenge so you can step into being the leader we know you to be. www.thegreenfamliesguru.com

Page 29

Photographer: Florence Leung, www.flotography.ca Fan page: www.facebook.com/FLOTOGRAPHY.CA

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The Rant

Who is Entitled?

by Hank Leis

Part I - J’accuse The new generation-feeling the power of youth-wanting it all, expecting it all-lacking self discipline-no work ethic-no morality-seem to be embracing unethical behavior-arrogant to the point of viciousness. “How did this all happen?!”, we of the older generation lament. We despair about the future of mankind-because there is no one responsible to take over.

We of the old generation, who have clawed our way up, now cling onto our posts-hoping beyond hope that a miracle will occur and save this generation of do-nothings. We are vicious in our condemnation of the young people who dare tell us their ways are not our ways and we are the ones who have it wrong-and they are entitled to whatever they can get, however they can get it.

Part II - Mea Maxima Culpa As I, in my old age, hobble up and down the corridors of Semiahmoo Mall, I look around at the discontent and indifferent youth who bump into me and make my life a living hell. Do they not know I built this place-and many more like it-and I will soon leave it all behind for them. Treat me with a modicum of respect!

I am older now, and perhaps somewhat wiser (some might say, not so much, but who cares, soon I am gone and others will have to contend with all the problems I have created) and I leave with impunity-there is no one left to make me accountable or punish me more than I already do myself.

Moreover, let’s just call problems, challenges. In this day and age how you word things is more important than what you mean.

But we, the old, the decrepit, the feeble, are not ready to throw in the towel just yet. We think we will fix it all by reminding the young that you

In my more introspective moments, I want to retract all I have said

owe us for this good life you lead. Especially we, the old time politicos,

and all I have done. I am desperate, I am scared, I am lonely, I am guilty,

look at your efforts to displace us in disdain. You know nothing, and now

and soon I will be dead. They will find that out too, and they do they will

in your arrogance, think that you can just discard us? You are weak, you

not be forgiving of what I have done, and I deserve no less.

have no experience, you have no courage, and you certainly don’t have the toughness to do what it takes! We are entitled to rule the world that we created-for you-remember, we did it all for you-our children.

In the guise of capitalism, “I was a Fabian socialist at heart”. All those safety nets I created were for me-not for you-and I did it with such narcissistic alacrity and virtuosity. Not only did I steal your future, but

We created safety nets-pensions, health plans, insurance, and lifestyles

that of your children. I created a mountain of wealth, but behind it all is a

that have not been achieved in the history of the world. You are miserable

huge pit of debt and on the other side of the pit is a mountain of garbage,

ingrates who can’t even bring yourselves to worship at the altar of our

and the hole has been filled with a sea of pollutants. This is my legacy to

egos. You do not know our story of suffering, fighting and sacrifice to

you. I am so sorry.

make this world safe for you. Remember, it is only since World War II that we as humans on this planet have been able to consume and indulge ourselves with impunity. It is not you who are the champions-it is us-we are the champions-my friends.

Remember, in the next decade the greatest transfer of wealth ever-from

I have stolen your future, and those of your children, and the only solution that is left is for you is to do the same or worse. We are predators, but unlike other species, we are clever and have devised ways to prey on the unborn. Yes we are the champions-of self indulgence, deceit, arrogance, and self deception. We have taught you well by example.

one generation to the next-will take place, and you the beneficiaries-be grateful.

Page 31

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MISSIVES FROM DONALD J BOUDREAUX Editor, Los Angeles Times Dear Editor: Michael Kinsley eloquently defends free trade and understandably bemoans the public’s and politicians’ Alicein-Wonderland confusion about trade (“Outsourcing’s bad rap,” July 12).

Mr. Kinsley’s article reminds me of a truth noted years ago by a world-renowned international-trade economist who, like Mr. Kinsley, lamented that “The compelling economic case for unilateral free trade carries hardly any weight among people who really matter....” This economist explained that “the problem free traders face is not that their theory has dropped them into Wonderland, but that political pragmatism requires them to imagine themselves on the wrong side of the looking glass. There is no inconsistency or ambiguity in the economic case for free trade; but policyoriented economists must deal with a world that does not understand or accept that case. Anyone who has tried to make sense of international trade negotiations eventually realizes that they can only be understood by realizing that they are a game scored according to mercantilist rules, in which an increase in exports - no matter how expensive to produce in terms of other opportunities foregone - is a victory, and an increase in imports - no matter how many resources it releases for other uses - is a defeat. The implicit mercantilist theory that underlies trade negotiations does not make sense on any level, indeed is inconsistent with simple adding-up constraints; but it nonetheless governs actual policy.”

Programming Director, WTOP Radio Dear Sir or Madam: A Georgetown professor interviewed during today’s 8am hour declared that New York City Mayor Bloomberg is “right” to use government to “coerce us” into eating healthier diets. Such coercion allegedly is necessary because, having evolved during times when food was scarce, we are unable to control ourselves now that food is abundant.

Whoa.

If our genes distort our dietary choices, how can we be sure that they do not distort our political choices? Might it be that, having evolved in small tribal bands whose survival often depended upon deference to tribal elders, our genes prompt us today to put excessive trust in charismatic political leaders? Might it be that we’re evolved to rely too readily today upon direction from kingpins consciously issuing commands rather than upon the impersonal and far more nuanced directions given by market prices, profits, and losses?

Science does indeed reveal that modern conditions differ greatly from those that shaped our evolution. But it is irresponsible pseudo-science to leap from this fact to the conclusion that government must therefore exercise more control over individuals’ lives.

Sincerely, Donald J. Boudreaux Professor of Economics George Mason University Fairfax, VA 22030

Nothing – not the reality that unilateral free trade is beneficial; not the public’s and politicians’ antediluvian refusal to grasp this reality – has changed since these words were penned in 1997 by Paul Krugman.* Sincerely, Donald J. Boudreaux Professor of Economics George Mason University Fairfax, VA 22030

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Horoscope

By Onieh Siel

Back by Popular Demand. Really.

Cancer

Put more time into your home life and relationships. Remember you’re here for a good time, not a long time. If you’ve spent your life recklessly, not taking it too seriously, then you’ve achieved the kind of success few have. Live a balanced life, exercise, eat well and spend time with relatives and friends. They will come to your assistance when you’re in trouble, when you have no income.

Leo

Worried about ulterior motives of those around you? Of course, because you are clear on your own motives and know that all your intentions are good, you must take care not to be the victim of other people’s malevolent intentions. Your own integrity is beyond question, so question everyone else’s.

Virgo

Enhance your love life. Remember the old saying that two dysfunctional people sharing thoughts and ideas make for one complete person. Falling in love is the answer to everything. Do it frequently and get the most that life can offer you.

Libra

Avoid opposition at all cost. Taking on someone may tax your brain. Go along with everything and let people walk all over you.

Remember, most people are smarter and better educated than you are, so it is important for you to know your place and remain there. Being proactive isn’t all it’s made out to be. Giving up is a good thing.

Scorpio

Your charisma is beyond belief, so don’t believe it. You’ve proven that hard work and planning don’t work. Do what you do without thought, planning or consideration and by all means don’t try too hard. Leave effort to those who think they’re better than others.

Your virtue is that you’re not.

Sagittarius

Getting your own way is your special talent. Don’t waste it on anything that might get you ahead. Being there is a responsibility and headache you don’t want to take on. Being second rate is a first rate preoccupation. Just remember the song “Only the good die young!”

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Capricorn

Compliment everyone around you for their good looks and talent, even if they lack both. It puts you in a senior position, because those you compliment actually seem to care and moreover makes them think you actually have good judgement. Afterwards you will glow in the knowledge that you’ve fooled them all because you really don’t give a damn either way.

Aquarius

Always fear letting anyone know that you don’t know. Simply nod your head up, down and sideways so no one will know whether you agree or not. Look quizzical because people are not sure if your expression is one of derision, approval or ignorance. Keep them guessing and you can be confident that at least 50% of the room will support you.

Pisces

When presented with an opportunity to be wealthy, don’t do it. The money you will have, may give you unwarranted status or cause you to behave like the rich and famous. Being wealthy does not give you the kind of attention you strive for. Poverty, ignorance and the knowledge that others are there to help you in your many times of need is really all you want.

Aries

Never strive for self improvement. It’s an admission that you are not good enough. Always tell others how much smarter than they you are. Whenever they tell a story, “over” them by interrupting them and letting them know how much better you would have handled it. Always be the hero of your own stories and belittle all who might steal your limelight for not having your courage or your remarkable insights.

Taurus

Focus on reputation, status and love. Fool others by telling them you have all three. Remember, people with a reputation always inform others what it is. Status of course speaks for itself because no one else will, and love the ultimate confusion always delivers what it promises. Remember, love conquers all including sanity.

Gemini

Stay on top of every situation you face. Remember that if you aren’t on top of every detail, things will go wrong and you know how grateful everyone is when you tell them what to do, when to do it and how to do it. They will be grateful for the time you spend with them and will find it a pleasure to work with you. They may not always seem to be responding that way, but you know in your heart of hearts they couldn’t do it without your constant input.

Vaccines and your Child Seminar and Open House

with Dr Allison Patton, N.D.

Mountainview Thursday April 12, 2012 at 7pm

WELLNESS CENTRE

Tickets are $ 10; space is limited call Mountainview Wellness Centre Providing Excellence in Naturopathic Medicine538-8837 since 2001 or visit to reserve tickets (604) mountainviewwellnesscentre.ca

Open House Partners you will be meeting at the event:

Miki Dawson Author and Artist

Sarah Stevens Physiotherapist/ Osteopath

Kasia Rachfall Author, Speaker, Parenting Expert

Kaela Scott Registered Clinical Counsellor

April Lacheur Artist

Alison Legge Aromatherapist

www.freshperspectiveworks.com

3566 King George Blvd.,Surrey, British Columbia, Canada www.mountainviewwellnesscentre.ca

Coffee, Tea and Me Join us Sundays from 2-4pm

Join us at the oďŹƒce on Sundays from 2-4 PM for casual conversation and some light snacks where we can get to know each other and express our opinion about current events that concern and affect the people in British Columbia.

August 5 August 12

THE ECONOMY : Can we actually provide all the jobs needed?

THE ENVIRONMENT: How do we get a cleaner healthier planet, and still meet the needs of seven billion people?

August 19 THE MEDIA: What role does the media play in shaping our lives?

August 26 SENIORS: Pensions and care for seniors October 10 MOBILE MARKETING: Using mobile to better engage customers

Mountainview WELLNESS CENTRE 3566 King George Boulevard, South Surrey

For more information call 604.538.8837 or visit www.mountainviewwellnesscentre.ca