The British Humanist Ass'n (http://www.humanism.org.uk/home) has plastered sign on buses in London which read:

"There's probably no God. Now stop worrying and enjoy your life."

Professor Dawkins of the BHA said: "Religion is accustomed to getting a free ride - automatic tax breaks, unearned respect and the right not to be offended, the right to brainwash children.

The group chose Calgary as its second Canadian target because it has received a lot of support from city residents. It hopes to launch the Calgary campaign in March.

I'm sitting at the office waiting to hear about a Seller's response to my Buyer client's offer. It's a low offer, but in the market we are in currently, it is an Offer! Which is something!

It's really quite amazing to me how the "market" dropped off a cliff...suddenly. Our overall housing market had been already slowing/moderating, primarily due to the onerous new City of Toronto Land Transfer Tax! YIKES. Talk about suck all the sales out of a marketplace. The day that took effect, Feb. 1, 2008, sales ground to a halt. Then it was summer and then...Lehman Brothers & Bear Stearns collapsed. And the end was nigh!

What is funny to me is that the "writing was on the wall" about the US market for some time. Housing had been plummetting for nearly 2-years. Job losses were mounting. Credit was tightening. Demand for imports was dropping. Everything was pointing to a US slow down/recession...but nobody paid any heed! That is until these two banks were allowed to go under!

In retrospect, it's curious why the US government let these two banks go down but they bailed out AIG...and now they are spending 100's of billions of dollars (and probably soon trillions) to bail out their economy. What a blunder. Where was the wisdom of all those market mavens and economists and politicians then...when it counted?

The truth (small 't') of the matter is, we are talking about CONFIDENCE. About a national and now international conversation about wealth, money, abundance and enough! For the majority of the planet's population, nothing has changed. For the billions of impoverished, malnourished, uneducated and disenfranchised, they have not necessarily noticed any difference in their living standards. When you are at the very bottom of the food chain...what does a recession/depression/market correction/reset...whatever you want to call it...mean? NOTHING!!!!

Likewise, other than the fact that post September 16, 2008, we are now living in the post-credit age and a world conversation call recession/depression. So what really, fundamentally happened...at least on the micro-level...to you and me? We stopped believing in the fairy-tale of consumption without limits!

I just read a startling factoid in the Economists 2009 preview issue. They make a comment that US citizens save approximately 0.5% of their GDP on a per capita basis. In other words, Americans (and Canadians not too far behind) have been spending 99.5% of their income...and many much more than they earn or own. This article goes on to say, that if Americans begin to save again at a higher percentage point - which they suggest will be the inevitable result of this recession/depression -say 5%, then this act alone could throw the entire planet into a prolonged depression. In other words, US citizens must continue to consume at the levels they had in order to get the world out of the situation were are currently in...all the while slowly (emphasis on slowly) increasing their saving %!

What a funny world. We are in this mess because the citizens of one powerful country have consumed at ridiculous and unsustainable levels for so long that all of our country's economies and our very own life-styles have become addicted and dependent on it...no matter the long-term cost to markets, the ecosphere, human rights, poverty, resources...you name it! We are an addicted world feeding on fear and desperation.

So my question is: WHAT IS ENOUGH?

Fascinating stuff

I JUST GOT THIS STORY FROM CAMERON BY EMAIL AND WANTED TO SHARE IT (not sure of the author...sorry):

A man sat at a metro station in Washington, DC and started to play the violin; it was a cold January morning. He played six Bach pieces for about 45 minutes. During that time, since it was rush hour, it was calculated that thousand of people went through the station, most of them on their way to work. Three minutes went by and a middle aged man noticed there was musician playing. He slowed his pace and stopped for a few seconds and then hurried up to meet his schedule. A minute later, the violinist received his first dollar tip: a woman threw the money in the till and without stopping continued to walk. A few minutes later, someone leaned against the wall to listen to him, but the man looked at his watch and started to walk again. Clearly he was late for work.

The one who paid the most attention was a 3 year old boy. His mother tagged him along, hurried but the kid stopped to look at the violinist. Finally the mother pushed hard and the child continued to walk turning his head all the time. This action was repeated by several other children. All the parents, without exception, forced them to move on.

In the 45 minutes the musician played, only 6 people stopped and stayed for a while. About 20 gave him money but continued to walk their normal pace. He collected $32. When he finished playing and silence took over, no one noticed it. No one applauded, nor was there any recognition.

No one knew this but the violinist was Joshua Bell, one of the best musicians in the world. He played one of the most intricate pieces ever written with a violin worth 3.5 million dollars.
Two days before his playing in the subway, Joshua Bell sold out at a theater in Boston and the seats average $100.

This is a real story. Joshua Bell playing incognito in the metro station was organized by the Washington Post as part of an social experiment about perception, taste and priorities of people. The outlines were: in a commonplace environment at an inappropriate hour:

• Do we perceive beauty?
• Do we stop to appreciate it?
• Do we recognize the talent in an unexpected context?

One of the possible conclusions from this experience could be:

If we do not have a moment to stop and listen to one of the best musicians in the world playing the best music ever written, how many other things are we missing?

25th January 2009

I just got home from running 8k+ in -11 C weather! Wow! Nothwithstanding the short run I did on Friday with James, my last long run was 14th December 08 in Honolulu and it was in the low 80's F. What a change! Lol!

Nevertheless, it feels very good to be back. I have been too lethargic for far too long. At 45 years of age, I cannot afford to slip into laziness an complacency...it's a slippery slope...not unlike the black-ice that covered much of the roads/sidewalks this morning. And one fall could bring me down. And that is just not something I am prepared to endure or allow.

It's funny that I am taking up or on running. As a kid, I was a complete nerd/arts-brat and didn't ever do anything physical unless forced. I was not a jock and didn't do anything much physical until I was older and started going to the gym. Even that was a mostly a travesty. However, the last couple of years I have been edging closer and closer into running. And in 2008, I jumped in fully.

Last year I ran with Team In Training from July onward and ran my first official Half Marathon at the end of September (Scotiabank Waterfront 1/2 & full). After which I actually injured myself and didn't run again until almost Honolulu when I chose - against many people's recommendations/urgings - to go ahead with my first official FULL MARATHON! Wow...and was that an experience.

It's so funny, because as gruelling and physically devastating as that was, I got home a week later and immediately started looking up marathons in the world. I saw that there is/was a marathon in Madrid sometime in April 09 that totally inspired me. Now with the economy so bad and business being rather challenging, I am not sure that is likely...but it inspired me. What also surprised me was how eager I was for it.

Just Friday I signed-up for four races: an 8k, a 10k, a full marathon and a 5k, in that order. I will also sign up for the St Patty's Day 5k in March and perhaps a 1/2 marathon somewhere in May (perhaps the Women's 1/2 and full). I have become addicted.

Long distance running has become something of a test for me. For who I am. For I am committed to being. For what I want to accomplish with my life. I am a late bloomer or re-bloomer...and I am determined NEVER TO GIVE UP.

I am totally inspired to take risks, to push myself and my boundaries: emotionally, physically, spiritually, mentally, artistically...in all ways I can. Life is way too short to spend it whining and complaining and/or wishing I had done something. 2009 is my year for ACTION. And running will be my gauge of how far I am willing to go. I particularly like the 'long distance' aspect too. It is a metaphor for the long journey's in life. For staying the course and making through to the end. Just like today, I wanted to quit a couple of times...but I chose to finish. I am a finisher! This is my new mantra. I finished the Honolulu marathon and although there was no record set by a very long shot...I finished...and I finished running! Thanks to my amazing coach!

So onward and upward!

My other physical goals this year include hiking, mountain climbing (Mount Kilimanjaro this summer), parachuting, biking generally and doing a bike rally specifically, at least 2 marathons and maybe a triathlon or two...at least a mini-if not full one! WOW...from couch potato to athlete at 45-years old. IT'S NEVER TOO LATE!!!!