Beware of "Tik Tok Brain

Some may say that we are simply becoming "fast learners" and able to process information at a faster pace. While that may be the case on a certain level, I have noticed that some of us, myself included, are developing a preference for info sources and reading material that move at the speed of light. Our brains are on visual crack.

Basically, any media that you can't swipe right away from seems a bit "old fashioned" and slow.

Now, I am not trying to slow down humanity. Ok, maybe just a bit. 

But I am noticing that I need to make an intentional effort to sit down and read normal paper bound books.

To sit and read a real book feels awkward and old school and cumbersome, especially when your mind is racing with fast flow media such as Twitter, youtube shorts or Tik Tok.

So, I discovered one way to slow down my brain is simply by reading one page aloud of a paper bound book. This allows more of my 5 senses to be involved in the reading... drawing my auditory  and tactile senses into the act of reading proactively instead of just visually. Just reading one page aloud  calms me down sufficiently to decide if I want to proceed with another page or another paragraph whether silently or on  "out loud" mode. (and yes, I do realize that reading aloud can really annoy room mates or family members :)

I am not going to say anything at all about which kind of book to read, as that is just not the point.

The point is that I would prefer that us humans remain capable of reading real books, real printed books. Even if these books become more expensive because the cost of paper has risen, that's ok.  i believe the process of holding a book, isolates you and your mind with access to the author of the book, without you having the distractions of other apps beeping or signalling for your attention. Paper bound books also have the wonderful option of having us humble readers the ability to write our own thoughts and annotations in the margins. 

Some folks hate to see hand written notes in a paper bound book. But I find it delightful for the most part. The reason being, that some authors become gloated with a sense of importance and have no ears for honest response. Therefore, sometimes the only reasonable outlet for voicing your objection to any author who strays too far from the good path, is a good note of objection in the side margins.

And what would a good post from Carla be without a hint of conspiracy? If all the books we read are only available "online", we are giving "the net" control over what we read and don't read. When we keep and curate a beautiful selection of real books for our homes or businesses or churches, we are protecting that treasure for the future generations. Keep them under lock and key. The last 5 years in North America have shown us a wave of strange censorship has sprung up across the continent. It does not bode well with me.

Treasure the books you have read that opened worlds for you and your mind. Speak of them, write of them and print them up if you can't buy a clean copy. Keep the originals safe under lock and key.

Well, that's all for now.

Peace,

Carla

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Professor Evelyn L. Forget Wrote a Book about Basic Income

I found a book at the library written by Professor Evelyn L. Forget  who teaches at the University of Manitoba. 

It is entitled "Basic Income for Canadians..... From the Covid-19 emergency to Financial Security for All" .

I thought it would be a good idea to feed my internal debate about the drawbacks and merits of a Universal Basic Income program being utilized in my beloved country. Is it possible? Would it be wise???

I finally meandered over to Chapter 9, which is titled "Can We Afford a Basic Income?"

I would like to quote the last sentence of the first paragraph verbatim 

" If governments are prepared to pay the interest on the debt, they can refinance it forever". 

And that was her thought process. Canada will just borrow and borrow and borrow and not worry about interest rates or debt repayment until we are forced to. She believes that, unlike a personal household, it is "normal" for governments to carry debt into infinity. 

And so ended my curiosity into Universal Basic Income. The perspective of the author on government debt was so deeply warped and unrealistic. It alarmed me further, when I noted that Professor Forget has actually been granted the status of 

"Officer of the Order of Canada"...which is a great honor.

What began as a gentle walk into the idealogy of U.B.I. and it's possible pros and cons, morphed into an unpleasant 

"drowning in debt" feeling, when the author began to discuss how such a "progressive" idea might be funded.

So, just to put things into perspective, I am not usually surprised by bureaucratic mumbo jumbo. But oy, the author declares that we have nothing to worry about, because we can just keep borrowing as a country to pay our citizens to exist. It must be noted that this book was published before the epic rise in Canada's interest rates that have choked ALL debt holders, including our own federal government.  Professor Evelyn Forget wrongly assumed that interest rates would stay low forever. Professor Forget wrote this book from the perspective that government debt is some kind of lame tame duck we can carry forever.

The national debt of Canada is a disgrace. It is a testament of a lack of wisdom and discipline. It is a picture of a man using a credit card that doesn't belong to him...running around spending billions. How did we as a country allow this to occur???Are we all asleep at the wheel?

According to my studies (i apologize for not having the proper citations for this paragraph)... the national debt of Canada has doubled since the reign of the Liberal government. Doubled! The number of government employees has increased by 20% over the past 9 years. More personnel...indicate a much heavier payroll for taxpayers to carry. 

I wonder if Professor Forget would take back some of these careless notions that she put forward in chapter 9. Debt is not a tame lame duck. Generations to come will have to come to terms with the damage done by undisciplined politicians and bureaucrats fed by emotion instead of common sense.

If you are curious as to what our current national debt here in Canada is take  a gander at debtclock.ca    .

As of today Oct 5,2024, our national debt stands at 1.2 Trillion Canadian dollars.

Dear Lord. Help us face this. Notice that I say "we", not playing the blame game. We as a country are in this boat together. We are building the future of the country with every decision we make. We can fix it together if we choose to do so.

Dear God, help us as a country to not spend before we earn. Help our leaders to understand right from wrong and to learn how to steer our country well.

I thank you God for all the many blessings that are here, right now all across Canada. I thank you for the strength and resilience of Canadians from coast to coast. I thank you for the great intelligence and wisdom that exists in Canada. Help us create a wise path for our country for this generation and the generations to come, in Jesus' name. amen.

If you are looking for a thought provoking book, you may wish to read Professor Forget's book "Basic Income for Canadians". But be prepared to be startled by it's illusions.

Peace,

Carla.

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Batteaux Park Food Forest

Batteaux Park Food Forest is one of 2 Free Fruit Forests that have been planted in Barrie, Ontario Canada.

The other one I have visited so far is located at Shear Park in Midtown Barrie.

The concept of Free Fruit Forests is a rather brand new idea that seems to be catching some good support in addition to the good vibes :)

It is reminiscent of the peace and interest in communal living in the 60ś and 70´s. There will always be those who consider these kind of efforts to be wasteful or indulgent. But they are easy to ignore. 

Community supported Free Fruit Forests bring out the best in the community. They  are a teaching opportunity for local schools, so the children can make a tangible connection between the fruits and berries they can eat and the trees and berry bushes that they can touch with their own two hands. Seeing fruits that your mom or dad bought at the grocery store is not the same as an apple that you pulled off the tree yourself, or a gooseberry you hunted down and plucked from the bush.

No one can argue against the great health benefits of eating fruits and berries fresh from the tree, harvested at the peak of ripeness with your own two hands.

The only draw back that may be put forward is that there may be some in the community who take more than their fair share of the ripe fruits rather than leaving some on  the bushes and trees for others to enjoy.

I was happy to see that the trees in the Fruit Forest at Shear Park were plucked absolutely clean. Not one berry or apple or pear or plum to be seen. That´s a great thing. That is something to celebrate. Hungry folks are eating the abundant harvest. Humans are being fed. Hallelujah :)

On a side note, since I have had numerous opportunities to volunteer for church and public food programs, I want to give you a gentle word of encouragement. The need for food support is big right now. If you  have started a food bank or food suppport program and are overwhelmed with the amount of food that people are taking, please don´t stop what you are doing. Even if you need to cut back on the amount per family that your program is giving out, please don´t cancel the program because you are overwhelmed with food requests.

Food banks must be fed with the right spirit. A spirit of kindness and generosity. Food banks are not a work program. You can not force people to work for you to ¨earn¨ the right to access your food bank. Food banks are donation centers. 

Although it may be really frustrating if you feel like people do not appreciate the free food in a sincere way, please don´t stop giving. Why? Because somewhere somehow, in the midst of the shenanigans and the occasional dishonest user, there is a vulnerable senior citizen or a young child who is finally getting their belly fully of good quality food. Never let dishonest or scammy folks dissuade you from supporting a local food bank. If you are going to be involved in food charity, you will come into contact with those who will pretend to be poor just to take advantage of a free food source.  It doesn´t matter. Those who work in charity must develop a rather thick skin. Focus on the quality and availability of good quality food, to ensure it gets to those who need it most.

Are food banks the ¨end all and the be all¨ to end community hunger? By no means. But it is just one piece of a puzzle that deserves attention. 

Hungry people can not focus on getting a job, or taking good care of their children. Hungry people are ¨hangry¨  and irritable. The lack of protein and fats,  inhibits their ability to think calmly. They may find it difficult to focus and form a good plan. 

If you have the privilege of working in or at a food bank, you may want to also spend some small chunks of time praying for those that you meet. Pray for their peace of mind and pray that they will accept the food without shame or guilt. Pray for their families that God will help them to get over their temporary troubles in Jesus´ name.

Well friends, thanks for listening to me chat about free fruit forests and food banks. If you ever get the chance to plant a berry bush or fruit tree in a public location, I encourage you to go for it! 

There´s a great book ¨ The Man Who Planted Trees¨ by Jean Giono. It is a tiny book with a huge heart. What one man can do  who just starts planting trees ....is transformative and inspiring.

It is along the same lines as the store of John Chapman, the man behind the story of ¨Johnny Appleseed¨.

Great stories build up good hearts. Take part friends in reading and repeating these great stories.

 

May God bless your adventures, big or small in tending to the earth whether gleaning parsely from a pot on your porch or planting a grant fruit forest in a public park.

Peace,

Carla