Pet Theories

Infants who walk like men.

On 02.22.10, In A.D.D., How unCanadian of me, Navel Gazing, Pet Theories, By Liam

In the wake of Adam Giambrone’s recent scandal in a teapot I’ve been reflecting on the deeper problem surrounding his actions. He never grew up. How else do you explain his immature actions?

It isn’t just him. I would put myself in the same category. I believe we’ll see a whole generation of men who are not wholly grown up. We have forgotten the rites of passage, the conversations with our children about what adulthood, and manhood is all about.

Mark Driscoll talks about how culture feminizes men. I would humbly beg to differ. Both Christian and secular culture have forgotten how to train children, especially boys, into adulthood. There is no education in self-control, responsibility, or faith that is strong enough to make men out of boys. I would argue that Mark Driscoll’s machismo is as much a product of a failed full entry into adulthood as my weaknesses in being a responsible young man.

I’m not sure what the solution is. I can only say that we are failing to produce men. We are making adult-shaped children.

Tagged with: Adam Giambrone • Adulthood

Swine Flu and Accidents

On 12.11.09, In Examples of Stupidity, Not Einsteins Relativity, Pet Theories, Propositions, By Liam

I’ve mentioned this a few times on Twitter, and I think I’m going to expand a bit here. Fear-mongering is nothing new on the part of the media. We need to be careful though when the New York Times throws a figure like 10,000 Swine Flu deaths since April. 10, 000 seems like a big number, and it would be easy to become concerned. However, as I recently posted to Twitter, there have been 16,626 people killed in traffic accidents since the start of this year (as of October).

It strikes me that these two domains bear comparison. After all, both are national statistics, both are more likely to occur in cities, and both can occur even if preventative measures are taken. If one is going to panic over the swine flu deaths they might as well stay off the streets as well. We need to be careful about what causes us to panic, or we might never leave our homes.

Tagged with: accidents • Car deaths • fear-mongering • Swine Flu

Thoughts after a visit to the Distillery District

On 11.26.09, In Dangerous thoughts, Entertaining myself to death, Go check this out, Navel Gazing, Pet Theories, By Liam

I had a good friend hang out with me today who is visiting from New Brunswick. In trying to think of places that were fun and affordable I decided to show her the Distillery District. One of the downtown areas that was useless, and has now been wonderfully revitalized as an arts centre. I had a couple of realizations while we were down there and in my conversations with my friend afterwards.

The first is that art, beautiful, tangible, thought-provoking art is not dead. Sure there was one gallery with a whole lot of paint splashed on canvasses with clever titles like untitled 1, untitled 2, untitled 3. Yet apart from that one gallery there were four more we visited that had imagery you could get a hold of. Some were more obscure, with shapes and objects coalescing only on closer examination. Others were overt in imagery yet profound in meaning. I was particularly struck by the work of Mark Henson who incorporated surrealism into some stunning critiques of our consumeristic lifestyle. (warning:there is some graphic/disturbing content following the link). His work is on display at the Meta Gallery.

My other realization was that art must be imbued with some meaning from its creator. The notion of creating a piece (particularly of abstract art) that leaves everything up to the viewer is ridiculous. The idea that you can charge 2500 dollars for it means you are capitalizing on rich people with no taste. Too throw paint at a canvas in random, though sometimes striking, fashion is not something only the select few can do. If a person truly wants to seek their own meaning in imagery they can examine the cracks in a sidewalk, or the pattern of bricks in a building, or the time honoured cloud-watching. The meaning can be vague, hidden in visual clues and hinted at in the title, but it must exist. Meaningless art is not art at all. It is at best visual nihilism.

Tagged with: Art • Distillery District • Theory

Toll Routes and the TTC

On 11.19.09, In Dangerous thoughts, Not Einsteins Relativity, Pet Theories, Politics. Not that I know that much about it but..., Propositions, By Liam

I’m not sure if this is an original idea. I’d be surprised if it is. I’ve just never heard any discussion of it before. My idea is this, instead of yet another fare hike for the TTC, the City of Toronto finds a way to put tolls on the Gardiner and Don Valley Parkway. These tolls could then be pumped into the TTC and infrastructure in Toronto. As well the tolls would serve as a City of Toronto tax on those who make their living in Toronto, but pay municipal taxes in the suburb cities.

For lack of being able to find decent usage statistics let’s say 50,000 cars enter Toronto on a given weekday. If the DVP/Gardiner toll is $3.00, the price of commuting on the TTC, that means that each car will provide $6.00 a day. That is a total of three-hundred thousand dollars being pumped into the Cities coffers every day. Or Seventy-Eight million dollars a year. If we use the toll technology of the 407, we do not even have to slow drivers down on their way into the city.

To save money on administration we could hold off on billing people until they reach a certain amount owed. Instead of paying the fifty-two cents postage on a six dollar bill we would wait until commuters reach an amount owing of a hundred dollars. Anyway, that is a rough sketch of the idea. Can you think of anything to add to it. Or some glaring negatives for the city of Toronto. Clearly this would annoy commuters, but seeing as people who live and work in the City of Toronto tend not to use the highways it shouldn’t be political suicide for the mayor or city councillors to try and implement. And it would mean a reduced need to increase the fares on the TTC. I’d suggest lowering them, but I won’t hold my breath for that.

Tagged with: Don Valley Parkway • Gardiner • Ideas • Improve Toronto • Tolls • TTC

Canadian Banks, Something to be proud of.

On 03.22.09, In Go check this out, Links, Pet Theories, Politics. Not that I know that much about it but..., Propositions, By Liam

I had been thinking about this a lot recently. Some of the more right wing people I read from the States have been arguing that this crisis does not mean that the markets need to be regulated. While I have tended to agree with this I’ve often wondered about what regulations mean. Then I read this article from the Globe and Mail and could not help but think maybe I’m wrong.

Former central bank governor David Dodge agrees. Canadian bank executives keenly remember that period, “and there was therefore perhaps a degree of prudence, a lack of aggressiveness, in comparison with major banks around the world,” he said.

And he gives top marks to the Office of the Superintendent of Financial Institutions, Canada’s banking regulator, for being more conservative than those in the U.S. or Britain. “I think that, from a regulatory point of view, you can say that the Canadian banks were more appropriately regulated.” (Emphasis mine)

The idea of the free market only really makes sense if you do not have powerhouses, like the American banks, that can manipulate the system. When it comes to corporations or the Government having controls I’ll choose the Government; at least when they screw up the little guys can fire them.

Torture, Ethics, and God

On 02.24.09, In Evolution and God, Go check this out, Navel Gazing, Pet Theories, Propositions, By Liam

I haven’t had much time to blog, I’m on reading week, which is attempting to live up to its name. I’ve finally gotten around to answering my good friend Matt’s (who should blog) response to my thought’s on torture. I meant to keep it short but it kind of exploded. You can read and add to the discussion here.

Some thoughts on Prison.

On 11.14.08, In Dangerous thoughts, Pet Theories, Politics. Not that I know that much about it but..., By Liam

Michael Santos has an incredible story. In the Forbes special edition on power he tells his story of power in prison. He talks about developing a long term vision for reintegration into society (he was senteced to 46 years in 1987, he has earned an “early” release in 2013 through good behavior, read his story and you’ll see just how good).

He also talks about the failures of the prison system in the U.S. While we in Canada are slightly better the idea of prison is the same no matter what country you are in.

In prison, preservation of the institution trumps the needs of the individual. Unlike any other place in America I know, prison administrators rely on the threat of punishment and coercion rather than the promise of incentives to manage inmates. People who seek power inside prison walls learn to manipulate this environment. Yet as recidivism rates show, those who learn to live in prison simultaneously learn to fail in society.

I’ve often wondered about this. Prison is punishment, not rehabilitation. Psychopaths,those who even now psychologists have no idea how to rehabilitate, should be imprisoned, not for punishment (which doesn’t work with them) but for the safety of the wider society. However, what about those who can be rehabilitated? I’ll be looking further into Michael Santos’ story. It seems a shame though that he had to work against the system to rehabilitate himself. Could his story be used as a model to help prisoner’s reintegrate? I’ll have more on this in the coming months.

Tagged with: Michael Santos • Power • Prison

Big Brother Strikes Again.

On 02.26.08, In A.D.D., Go check this out, Pet Theories, By Liam

And he strikes on the World of Warcraft. It appears that when terrorists have finished planning their next strike, or narrowly escaped being hit by a cruise missile, they unwind by playing MMORPGs*. These terrorists, while playing these games, discuss their crucial and sensitive plans for world ~~domination~~ chaos. This is why the U.S. Government needs to watch and track these games to ensure public safety.

Or maybe it’s just easier to keep tabs on citizens and youth.

Not that I’m a paranoid conspiracy theorist or anything.*

*Massive Multiplayer Online Role Playing Games

*For the record, I don’t play these games. I now have yet another reason not to.

Tagged with: Big Brother • National Security • Terrorism • World of Warcraft • WOW

Two Wrongs…

On 02.16.08, In Navel Gazing, Pet Theories, By Liam

… don’t make a right. But enough wrongs can confuse anybody as to whether right ever was.

Unchallenged Thought

On 02.11.08, In Dangerous thoughts, From the Moleskine, Lewis defnitely didn't write this, Navel Gazing, Pet Theories, By Liam

Thinking is only thinking if it’s challenged, only then is it a verb. Unchallenged thinking is only a thought and that, left unchallenged, is prejudice. If you enter a conversation and there is no chance of anyone changing their perspectives it is a pointless exercise.

Where is this coming from? Over the past few days I’ve had the opportunity, at this blog and elsewhere to witness people unwilling to accept challenges to their preconceived notions. This frustrates me. I’ve spent the majority of my life, with the exception of two years, in an environment that is antithetical to most of what I believe. If you’re a Christian going through public education or university you are in an environment that at best tolerates you for your aberrant beliefs and at worst openly mocks what you believe.

Before you dismiss me and what I believe as stupid perhaps you should consider whether or not any of your perceptions of the world have ever faced serious or constant challenge. Contrary to popular belief, you can move through life as an atheist or agnostic and never be seriously challenged intellectually. It requires thinking to actually believe something. Otherwise, it’s only a thought.

Tagged with: Apologetics • Atheism • Belief • Christianity • Religion

Infants who walk like men.

Swine Flu and Accidents

Thoughts after a visit to the Distillery District

Toll Routes and the TTC

Canadian Banks, Something to be proud of.

Torture, Ethics, and God

Some thoughts on Prison.

Big Brother Strikes Again.

Two Wrongs…

Unchallenged Thought

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