The Life Slant - Page 5

Saturday, Sundays and Sour Grapes

From the moment it was announced that Jeff Saturday would serve as the interim coach of the Colts, everyone – and I mean EVERYONE – in the media has been on his case.  “It’s a travesty.”  “It makes a mockery of the coaching profession.”  “It disrespects all the guys that have worked for decades to rise above and be considered for a head coaching job.”  Popycock.  What a bunch of whiners and complainers and sore losers.  I have two simple questions for you:

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Broken, Won’t Back Down

Doom’d humpback,
Mighty Moon
Lone traveller
British Columbia to Maui,
Pure grit!

Stuff brimming,
Wretch’d hurrying vessel
Smash’d her spine,
Five thousand
Agonising kilometres,
Three months
All strength!

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Ransacking Snow-Making Aussie Church

Glorious Victorian Alps
‘O Mount Stirling,
Thank thee
Snow gums,
Ageless secrets
Revealed,
Numen!

Currawong calls
Cockatoo gangs
Elegant flaming robins
(My BFFs!),
Spring snow gum flushing
Regal red ribbons
Burly broad-leafed ascenders,
The High Country keepers!

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All Hail Blue Monarchs!

Breathtaking thirty-four metres
Mesmerising one hundred-ninety
Gloried tonnes!
Regal baleen whales,
Largest-ever living
Acoustic map reading
Venerable beaming kinsfolk,
Hat tip powerhouse krill,
Blue whale stokers!

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Trucks, Terrain, Trepidation

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The pickup truck and SUV markets in the U.S. increased by 9.9% between 2019 and 2022, let’s just say 10% for the sake for simplicity. More and more people seem to be wanting buy an SUV or a pickup truck and venture out into the wilderness, at least that’s what the commercials are reflecting. No matter what brand we are looking at, commercials show their owners (mostly fairly young) taking their vehicles out where any sign of human civilization cannot be seen. The new owners crave to be In The Middle Of Nowhere, or, ITMON, a new acronym. 

The truck/SUV owners are “exploring” places where the roads aren’t paved, no speed limit signs, traffic signals. There are also no fueling stations, food, water, toilets, emergency services, doctors, nurses or walk-on clinics. Just buy this truck/SUV and get out there in the Great Outdoors, get yourself ITMON. New Hampshire, Hawaii, Idaho, Maine, Vermont and Oregon have laws that allow rescue services to bill you if you get yourself in a bad situation out ITMON and need to be rescued.  These bills can run up to $5,000 if the rangers have to do a lot to find you, especially in the middle of the night.

I have seen a fair number of younger people buy 4-wheel drive trucks with the specific purpose of using them to tear up the countryside. It seems these young truck owners are in competition to see who can tear up more of the landscape. We can’t be sure if the truck manufacturers condone such behavior, but their commercials certainly don’t discourage it.

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Burning Cathedrals Alive

Extinction bankers
Raping America’s hardwoods
British Columbia’s softwoods
Australia’s rare gums,
Subsidised
Wood pellets,
Europe’s hulking ovens
Stoking climate catastrophe,
Hustling Great Ending.

The Big Forestry Lie,
Enormous profits
Devastating biological deaths,
Trees are water
Water is life
Life is water!
Grownup forests
Cooperative complex
Communities,
No trees
No life!

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Grit Wins Long Game

Once upon
A long time ago,
A confused American
Youngster
Wanted to be
A lion,
Honourable
Selfless
Serving others.

Youth’s misguided
Desires
Destroyed
Seagrass meadows,
Power
At the hands of
Mother Earth blood-money.

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Et tu, Sea Shepherd Global? The Betrayal of Captain Paul Watson Continues…

Captain Paul Watson


On September 1, 2022, after Captain Paul Watson’s recent resignation from Sea Shepherd USA and upon mass criticism of abandoning their famous direct action tactics for their new focus on scientific research, Sea Shepherd USA (SSCS) and Sea Shepherd Global jointly released the following statement: “Sea Shepherd Conservation Society USA and Sea Shepherd Global continue standing shoulder-to-shoulder in defense of marine wildlife around the world.”

And to make matters even more capricious, Watson received notice the next day that he has also been removed from Sea Shepherd Global’s Board of Directors. 

Sea Shepherd Global Director, Alex Cornelissen, who Watson mentored  and provided the opportunity to rise from the ranks of galley cook all the way up to captain on numerous Sea Shepherd campaigns, wrote:

“I am sorry to inform you that based on the conversations that we’ve had, and the legal issues between you and SSCS (USA), we asked you to step down from the board. Since you have not complied with that request, the majority of the Global Board has decided that it is a conflict of interest for you to remain as a Director on the Board of Sea Shepherd Global; and has therefore reached the decision that you are no longer a Director of Sea Shepherd Global.”  

This shocking betrayal has prompted many long-standing Sea Shepherds to wonder if anyone left in this movement has any integrity?

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