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From time to time, we may have something to say. In all probability nothing important, but because we are the staff around here, we indulge ourselves in this right. This page will also be used for editorial comment from other contributors.
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From time to time, we may have something to say. In all probability nothing important, but because we are the staff around here, we indulge ourselves in this right. This page will also be used for editorial comment from other contributors.
August 10, 2000
Sam Person does it again. He gets the blood a little hot when he writes - "Talking About Sports Talk".My reply for Sam:
One of my favorite peeves - - the 'open mouth' radio show.Moderators (sports or any other) are usually out of touch with what-ever the topic, usually very rude, usually very stupid. They used to be nice folks. After a lifetime in broadcasting I got to know many of them. As soon as they opted for this new way of life it was like being 'born again'. Much like politicians. He was just an ordinary guy. After he won the election he became an expert on all topics. To think of the obscenely high wages they earn makes me cry!
August 06, 2000
On this date, Kimit Muston of North Hollywood, columnist for the Los Angeles Times, the Los Angeles Daily News and Inditer dot Com sent us an essay titled "Oh Canada".The essay itself, like other work coming our way from Kimit was welcome. The preface with this latest piece is even more touching...at least to us. Kimit said:
This one is in your honor, my present to you for your efforts to make Inditer dot Com such a success. Call it, "Oh, Canada." I have attempted to avoid any jokes about cold winters, "hey", and or blandness of life. It was submitted as you read it here, to the L.A.Daily News on this date, and had to be written for an American Audience. But it is in your honor, buddy.
KimitAs editor of Inditer dot Com we feel obliged however, to correct a few misconceptions (of minor significance) frequently held by our Southern neighbours. Kimit says,
"The Canadians do not have to hold elections every November as we do. As a matter of fact they don't have to hold an election almost ever."
Kimit goes on to say, "None of their politicians above mayors have terms limits to their offices, and their governments can go on for five years or more without disrupting their television schedules with election coverage."
- Not quite: Our members to the House of Commons are elected and given a mandate to govern for five years. It is customary for the Prime Minister to call an election before that time...usually when the polls show it to be a propitious moment. Three and a half years is often the term of government, but the Prime Minister can hold off until five years is gone by. He must however, hold at election at that time. Contrary to what seems to some that the House of Commons can sit forever before calling a vote, it only seems that way to Canadians waiting for the writ to be dropped. This rule applies to Provincial elections as well. Municipalities come under an entirely different elections act.
Kimit looks at the Canadian Senate,
- While it is true politicians at the federal and provincial levels are not limited in the number of times they can run for office, very few make it beyond two terms. The ones who do make it beyond two terms do it largely because Canadians would rather vote for the devil we know than one we don't know. As mentioned earlier however, a vote into the House of Commons is required at the end of five years.
"But their Senate is very different from ours. The venal, arrogant politicians in their Senate are appointed. This gives Canadians the distinct advantage of being able to blame someone else for many of the idiots holding high office."
- Canadians do not blame the Senate for anything. That is because the Senate does nothing. The Senate in Canada is supposedly a chamber of serious second consideration. It's role is to study, and if they feel it should be, toss out legislation worked out in the Commons. This rarely happens. Members of the "Red Chamber" (senate) are old political hacks, fund raisers, bagmen and ladies. A job in the senate is the ultimate reward for being a mindless toady to the party in power. We recently had one senator who showed for one day of the entire session and spent the rest of his time in Mexico, languishing in the sunshine, thumbing his nose at the citizens who send him is montly pay-off.
Kimit, we are sincere when we say thank you for your kind words regarding Inditer.com. As you know, Inditer.com came about as a retirement hobby (mine), and has grown out of all expected proportion. That is due to the fine calibre of writers and artists showing their wares in this journal.
We are also aware that folks who live on the West Coast of your country, and those who take the time to visit the home city of Inditer.com (Victoria, BC), know a lot more about our vast country than many of us will give them credit for. There are pockets in the east and south who still have not heard of Canada and some red necked politicians in the deep south who would like to take that rifle from their pick-up truck gun rack and steal our water and natural resources, now that all that good stuff has been plundered from south of the 49th.
Again, thanks so much for all of your essays...wonderful, thoughtful writing, and great reading. Keep it up, there are plenty of folks in Southern Cal who are regular readers of this journal.
Bill editor@inditer.com
July 31, 2000
Bill Loeppky, editor/publisher at Inditer dot Com interviews
Bruce Batchelor, Co-founder and CEO of Trafford On Demand PublishingAnd we had to add this: If you hve not already seen it, you must look at the astounding brazilian soapstone sculpture of Keith Austin, now featured in Inditer.com This young man and his soapstone sculpture ill, we predict, soon be in demand for shows at major gallieries ad museums throughout the world.
June 11 and July 09, 2000
With reference to "The Condescending Liberal" - a political essay by Richard Koss.
As The Inditer is more of an international journal, it's likely a prudent move for us to try to distinguish the rowers in this nomenclative maelstrom. When Dick Koss referes to 'liberal' we assume he is speaking generally of 'Democrats' or those who lean slightly left of 'Replublican' in the United States.
Along those same lines in Canada, when we refer to Liberal, we generally speak of the Canadian middle-of-the-road party, the Liberals, which could be roughly equated to the USA Democrats. When we speak of small L liberal as Dick Koss does, in Canada, that would generally mean the New Democratic Party, or supposedly the true 'left-winger'. New in Canada, now the Canadian Alliance (Formerly the Reform Party of Canada), which is a coalition of those from the extreme right.
These appelations become most confusing these days, and Dick Koss likely says it best when he refers to the small L liberal as the pie-in-the-sky, cradle to grave care and handouts. However, all of these party members are inter-married. There are Conservatives and Canadian Alliance members in Canada and Republicans in the USA who are left of Marx (Karl - not Groucho). There are Democrats in the USA and there are NDP and Liberals in Canada who are right of Atilla the Hun.
As Richard Koss refrains from using labels Democrat or Liberal; Conservative or Republican, perhaps we should all refrain from using those labels. In everyones eye, it would seem to be simpler if those who travel the path of least resistance, down the middle of the road would be called liberal. Those who travel the path of extreme right-wing, business run amok and who are mis-named as Conservative, would never-the-less carry that name. Of course, those to the far left, be they NDP, Liberal, Democrat...even some Rebublicans and Conservatives can just be bunched together and labeled Socialist. I don't like Communist as a title, as I feel there are too few true Communists in North American to make a difference. Add to that, it doesn't work! Socialism might work for a while, but soon breaks down, Communism turns into despotism and dictatorship, but then it too breaks down.
Call them what you will, but be sure to read Richard Koss's well thought out "The Condescending Liberal".
July 09, 2000
Other pieces in the same line you will enjoy:An Open Letter to Kimit Muston by Richard Koss
Three Popes and Jerry Falwell by Kimit Muston
June 08, 2000
We thought you'd have something to think about by reading this little take on "a guy walks into a bar" scene. This has an anonymous author and was sent to us by one of our favourite people, Caroline Sposto of Sposto Productions. Caroline ain't anonynmous!
Three beggars are begging in New York City, around Silicon Alley.The first one writes "beg" on his broken steel cup and he makes about ten bucks after one day.
The second one writes "beg.com" on his cup and after one day he gets hundreds of thousands of dollars. Someone even wants to take him to NASDAQ.
The third one writes "ebeg" on his cup. IBM, HP & EMC send vice-presidents to talk to him about a strategic alliance and offer him free hardware and professional consulting. i2 announces begTradeMatrix, a b2b industry portal to capitalize on the buying power of beggars internationally and offer supply chain integration for the entire begging process. Cisco announces that virtually all ebeg traffic runs over their equipment. Larry Ellison claims on CNBC that ebeg uses 95% Oracle technology.
After living high on the hog through the investor roadshow, the market takes a downturn. The investment bank quits and the VCs pull their funding.
A week later, the ebeg guy is sitting on a flattened cardboard box around Silicon Alley. Holding a broken steel cup with "beg" written on it. At the end of the first day, he makes about ten bucks.
Jeffrey Dane beside the Brahms Bachmann
Piano which was used in the recording
"In Memorium Claudio Arrau".
This piano was built by Wilhelm Bachmann,
Vienna, about 1850Of all the great writers featured in The Inditer, one must be brought to your attention because of his attention to detail and thorough investigation. To some, we suspect, the life of a music historian would be dull and uninteresting. To others, that life would be full of interest. Jeffrey Dane, now known well to many readers of The Inditer fills the bill as historian and writer. Most of his work centres on musicians, composers particularly and the vignettes that travel with these interesting people.
Jeffrey Dane, in his research is impeccable, in his writing superb. If you have not already visited Jeffrey Dane's site, we urge you to do so, and travel with him on a musical journey around the world.
Jeffrey Dane beside the Bösendorfer
Piano used by Brahms in Bad Ischl
