tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-91453172024-03-14T07:53:52.879-04:00A Voice in the Village<center><B>My contribution to the ongoing Internet conversation about LIFE and MEANING in the Global Village.</B></center>Robert J. Bernhardthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06440812607038012065noreply@blogger.comBlogger23125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9145317.post-85384117300725994862007-09-26T15:37:00.000-04:002007-09-26T16:18:23.262-04:00New Source of HumourThe upcoming Ontario Provincial election has brought to my door the usual assortment of candidate brochures. These are not usually items that I spend much time with. They tend to say the obvious, endorse goodness and light and be vehemently, even if politely, opposed to all other political parties.<br /><br />Yesterday, in the midst of an idle moment, I picked up two brochures that had gotten trapped in the usual debris on the kitchen counter and began to read. I hadn't gotten far into the first one when I began to chuckle. This brochure proudly proclaimed that the candidate was the father of six children and then in the very next sentence proclaimed that "he was a man of action." The second declaration hardly seemed necessary. I began to wonder if his promo writer was perhaps secretly on the payroll of one of his opponents.<br /><br />The second brochure also began with a declaration that eclipsed everything else that followed in the glitzy brochure. The candidate's opening declaration was, "Nothing is more important to me than representing the people of ... after October 10." Wow! Who says that winning isn't everything.<br /><br />The intentional, or unintentional, disclosures in these two brochures prompted me to scuttle off to the recycle container to retrieve the brochure from the representative of the third major party in the election. Unfortunately it didn't offer anything to match the revelations of the other two. It just had two themes - the evils of those other guys and the absolute saintliness of the candidate. Other than sounding like it might be the first salvo in a beatification submission it offered no comparable personal revelations.<br /><br />My, aren't elections fun?Robert J. Bernhardthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06440812607038012065noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9145317.post-41561755420966582332007-02-16T13:28:00.000-05:002007-02-16T18:12:01.284-05:00A Common AfflictionIronically, in today's newspaper, it was a movie review that offered the most insightful comment on the world. An Associated Press review by Christy Lemire of the movie "Music and Lyrics" was the source. The review states, almost as an aside, concerning one of the characters in the movie, "Cora takes herself very seriously but has no idea what she is talking about."<br /><br />Eliminate the personal reference and you are in possession of a comment that surely has a broad application. Our world is one in which each individual's right to express their personal opinion is sacrosanct. And, ridiculous as that sometimes becomes, I have no desire to restrict it - even when people obviously do not know what they are talking about. However, it is often the arrogance and blustering that accompanies the expression of such opinions that causes them to lose their charm.<br /><br />When I encounter such pronouncements in the future perhaps I can save a little stress on my blood pressure by just muttering "Cora" under my breath.Robert J. Bernhardthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06440812607038012065noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9145317.post-1161017265271754102006-10-16T12:41:00.000-04:002006-10-16T12:47:45.290-04:00The Authority of the Printed PageI have just read another article by an academic lamenting the unreliable quality of much of the material on the Internet (“The New Literacy” by Rhonda Mullins, Concordia University Magazine, fall 2006, pp.12ff.). The article lauds a project Concordia Libraries have undertaken to create a “self-paced interactive online tutorial” to assist students in “finding useful information, evaluating it critically and using it ethically.”<br /><br /> Laudable, and necessary, as this project may be it begs at least a couple of questions. As an irresponsible smart mouth I might poke fun at this use of the Internet to avoid the evils of the Internet. However, being slightly more responsible than that, I must readily concede that those very skills were essential ones to responsible research long before the Internet was even a gleam in the eye of the military establishment. It is not immediately obvious to me that the challenge of exercising such discernment is any more difficult when applied to Internet sources than it is when applied to print ones.<br /><br /> Repeatedly I hear academics and voices from the academic community trumpeting caution. I would be more heartened if more of them were seeking more ways to distribute their peer reviewed articles and scholarly work via the Internet. The vaunted arguments about copyright and being paid for ones work are all ones that can be addressed equally well when it comes to publication on the Internet as when applied to print.<br /><br /> This is not a defence of the quality of what appears on the Internet. However, to merely focus on the unreliable quality of some Internet data is much like criticizing those who get their news from the tabloids - without doing whatever one could to establish a responsible press (but that is another story for another day).Robert J. Bernhardthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06440812607038012065noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9145317.post-1155057236053613312006-08-08T12:42:00.000-04:002006-08-08T13:13:56.110-04:00Demerit Points for AttitudeOne of the luxuries of retirement is the opportunity to linger over the morning paper, which would be a great experience if the daily press was a bit more reflective and edifying. But hey, who am I to complain, I am apparently easily fascinated with the curious and the mundane.<br /><br />This morning, for instance, I read the whole text of a relatively inconsequential article reporting on the activities of the Ontario Provincial Police in ticketing drivers on the province's highways over the recent holiday weekend.<br /><br />One anecdote caught my eye. It seems that a 50 year old grandfather was stopped for not wearing a seatbelt. Ticket #1. As it happened he was transporting an unrestrained six month old grandchild in a carseat. Ticket #2. Then, in a fit of rage, he tore up the two tickets that had been issued to him and threw them out the car window onto the ground. Ticket #3 for littering. Hats off to the officer for doing the right thing.<br /><br />It's almost unfortunate that there is not a ticket for "Having a Bad Attitude." This fellow was obviously a case of road rage just looking for a place to happen.<br /><br />On the one hand, this is just a story to read and laugh about. And, that's where I began in my response. But then I started to think about the six month old grandchild in the car seat. What did this infant do to deserve having an irresponsible grandfather. If he wants to risk his health and safety by driving without a seatbelt he is at least toying with his own destiny. What gives him the right to risk the child's destiny? The optimistic side of my personality hopes that perhaps the guy, when his passion subsided, would recognize and accept the error of his actions. The cynical, read "realist", side of my personality fears that he will simply be more determined than ever not to let anyone tell him how to live his life.<br /><br />The one positive side of it is that hopefully the grandchild, who is only six months old according to the report, will not have understood or remember what went on and will not be moved to emulate the grandfather's attitude in the years ahead.Robert J. Bernhardthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06440812607038012065noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9145317.post-1155055220425345072006-08-08T12:32:00.000-04:002006-08-08T12:41:26.663-04:00Seasonal Blogging DisorderEvery summer, round about early August, I get the urge to reactivate my blog. It is a very compelling experience. I try my best to dismiss it as unimportant to my life, but it keeps rising to the surface and demanding to be placated.<br /><br />The experience of the past is that the only way to requite this urge is to give in to it and whip out a couple of posts. Ironically, unlike submission to other urges in life, capitulating seems to quell the pang. Oh, if consuming food would only do that for the compulsion to eat! Anyway, here I am again.<br /><br />I am making no resolutions about constancy. In fact, I may only be attempting to still the demons, but here goes. Don't expect something consequential! Passing urges are not usually the inspiration for great craftsmanship and deep thought!Robert J. Bernhardthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06440812607038012065noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9145317.post-1125447375554523312005-08-30T18:19:00.000-04:002005-08-30T20:29:45.583-04:00All in the Interest of Justice or something ...<div align="left">I seem to possess an almost unerring instinct for homing in on these kinds of stories in the daily press and it frustrates me. On the one hand they are trite and usually unimportant and yet on another level they scream out in protest with the absurdidty they represent. Yet our world seems to have acquired the ability to absorb almost any absurdidty without so much as a blink.<br /><br />The most recent story to hit me between the eyes in this way was a short piece from Canadian Press that appeared in my local paper. It was the headline over it that caught my eye - "Pay equity case ending 28 years after."<br /><br />If the story is accurate these are the circumstances: Apparently some 28 years ago (that makes it about 1977) some 2,000 Canada Post employees filed a pay equity complaint. The complaint ended up before the Canadian Human Rights Tribunal. At first I thought that the problem was that the documents had simply gotten misplaced in someone's filing system, but the truth is much stranger than that.<br /><br />At least, if the complaint did get misplaced, it wasn't lost forever. No mention is made of the first 16 years or so of the complaints existence, but we are told that the case resulted in some 417 days of hearings between 1992 and 2003. The Tribunal has explained that the further two year delay in issuing its findings is due to the fact that two members of the Tribunal have had to spend time reading the documents following the hearings. However, do not fear an answer is forthcoming. A spokesperson for the Tribunal has just issued an assurance that the decision of the Tribunal will be released this fall (2005).<br /><br />Now, I trust that you are curious as to what great principle in pay equity was so fundamental to the Canadian work force that it deserved 417 days of hearings and some 28 years of research and preparation. Well, you will just have to go on being curious! As though it was a mater of national security, the Canadian Press article declines to offer even a hint. The original complaint related to pay equity and beyond that the article allows only that the case is "complex." Well, it is hard to argue with that. If it wasn't when it started one can be assured that after 417 days of hearings and 28 years of cycling through through the hands of a myriad of bureaucrats it is guaranteed to have become complex.<br /><br />But we are about to be rescued. A verdict will be issued. The world will be put straight and if any of the parties to the orignal complaint are still alive they can have the satisfaction of appreciating another benefit of longevity.<br /><br />No hurdle is too great to prevent the working out of justice in the bureaucracies of our great land.<br /><br />It is to be noted that there is a hint of confusion in the article about the actual duration of this ordeal. The headline clearly states 28 years though a spokeperson for one of the original complainants refers to waiting 22 years for a response. But what's six years when we are finally going to get the verdict of the Canadian Human Rights Tribunal.<br /><br />However, I am not considering the case to be finished just yet. The article doesn't go into it but I assume that there must be some appeal process available. After all, this is Canada!<br /><br />In my spare time I am presently working on a paper that proposes a modified "Gladiator" approach to the resolution of a myriad of conciliation and labour disputes. Each side in such a dispute would be able to select a Champion from amongst their number who would seek to defeat their chosen opponent in a best of three tourney. The jousters could be offered a choice amongst such endeavours as darts, ping pong, tiddley winks and even such assertive activities as arm wrestling. The winner of the toss gets to choose the event. Within an hour or two, in a public venue, right under the eyes of all the interested parties, the whole matter could be resolved.<br /><br />But it might not be resolved justly, you protest?<br /><br />Well, at least it wouldn't take 28 years, I reply!<br /><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">(The article in question appeared on page A12 of the Monday, August 29th., 2005, issue of the Hamilton Spectator.)</span></div><div align="justify"></div>Robert J. Bernhardthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06440812607038012065noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9145317.post-1124304813656502722005-08-17T14:48:00.000-04:002005-08-30T20:19:03.700-04:00Anybody for a Beer?<div align="justify">I feel like a real slacker. I just saw a picture in the paper of a fellow in Edmonton with this huge stack of crated beer can empties in his backyard. According to the caption the stack represents some eleven thousand plus cold ones. The proud owner of the empties, one Lonnie Rennie, is happy to have us know that he is a good guy who recycles and that he is just waiting for the truck to pick up the over 450 cases of empties from the beer consumed by he and his friends over the past year.<br /><br />My first instinct was to look to see if there was any sign of a catheter tube or plastic bag hanging from his belt. But that was before I began to get scientific about the whole thing and actually work the math.<br /><br />You see, I first saw the reference to one year and immediately, without even thinking about it, knew that represented 30.136986301 plus beers per day. However, objectivity began to filter in and I remembered the mention of friends. There appear to be five other individuals on the back porch of the house, way down at the other end of the long line of stacked up cases. Now with six consumers that brings it way, way down to only 5.0228 (again instantly computed) cans per person per day. Of course, that still means working at it seven days a week and no time off for holidays (though somehow I expect with these guys that consumption actually goes up on holidays).<br /><br />Now I got out my magnifying glass and strained my eyes to try to tell what these guys were drinking. It's a newspaper photo so resolution is a challenge. However, I could read a few labels on the ends of the cases in the foreground. There seemed to be quite a few cases of Canadian, some Ice, some Coors Light (gotta watch the waistline) and at least one case of Kokanee.<br /><br />I suppose that if someone insisted I could drink five cans of beer a day, but I am not at all sure that I would want to do it in the constant company of five other people who were also each drinking a minimum of five cans a day. Somehow I think that I would lose my party spirit by about the end of the first week.<br /><br />It seems obvious to me that these guys are in desperate need of a change of brand. I love beer. I really enjoy drinking it. However, for me the pleasure is in savouring it not swilling it. It doesn't really get better after the third bottle - you just think that it does.<br /><br />Anyway, if Lonnie or any of his friends want to e-mail me I would be happy to suggest any one of forty or fifty brands from around the world which have a capacity to satisfy before they stupefy.</div><div align="justify"></div>Robert J. Bernhardthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06440812607038012065noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9145317.post-1123514623477011072005-08-08T10:13:00.000-04:002005-08-08T11:32:07.023-04:00Much Ado About Nothing<div align="justify">Unemployed Y2K alarmists may be on the brink of another 15 seconds in the limelight.<br /><br />My recurring gripe about the way the media routinely tries to make alarmist news out of nothing has been triggered yet again.<br /><br />A headline on page 11 of my local paper today shouts, "Technology worries over time change: Earlier start to daylight time could pose problems." Then about 25 column inches are devoted to trying to whip up concern about the dire technological consequences that may flow after President Bush signs new US energy bill adjusting the starting and ending dates for Daylight Saving Time.<br /><br />Despite the bold headline the Associated Press article by Anick Jesdanun really fizzles. The five industry and technical sources quoted all fail to substantiate the headline. The bottom line is that come 2007 some poor souls who fail to manually reset their VCRs may, as a consequence, miss an episode of their favourite soap opera that they hoped to tape while they were out playing bingo. Big deal!<br /><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">(This AP article was carried in the August 8th. issue of the Hamilton Spectator.)</span><br /></div>Robert J. Bernhardthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06440812607038012065noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9145317.post-1123299804897082532005-08-05T23:35:00.000-04:002005-08-08T12:17:48.666-04:00"Full Restitution"<div align="justify">As one who favours restitution as part of the consequence for financial impropriety, I was grateful to see that justice was being done in the recent case of Kirk Shelton, former vice-chairman of Cendant Corporation.<br /><br />According to a recent Associated Press story U.S. District Judge Alvin Thompson not only sentenced Mr. Shelton to 10 years in prison he also ordered him to make “full restitution.”<br /><br />The unique feature of the story is that the accounting scandal that Mr. Shelton has now been found guilty of perpetrating was, at the time the charges were laid, believed to be the largest case of accounting fraud in the country. The total damages for which Mr. Shelton was found to be liable amounted to a whopping 3.27 billion dollars.<br /><br />Without batting an eyelash the Associated Press reported that “Judge Alvin Thompson ordered Shelton to pay $3.27 billion to Cendant, including an initial payment of $15 million by October and $2,000 a month once he is out of prison.”<br /><br />While the restitution may be "full" the payment plan is surely the easiest one ever devised. Assuming that Mr. Shelton meets his $18 million installment in October he then has relief until his jail term is over. Hopefully he will get out a bit early so that he can get on with the "full restitution" part of things. At $2,000 a month he will only be paying back $240,000 a decade. At that rate, with well over $3 billion to pay back by installments, the full restitution will not be complete until sometime well past the year 3250 A.D. (and that's without interest).<br /><br />Now the article didn’t happen to mention Mr. Shelton’s age but I hardly think that he is going to live long enough to make the final payment. What’s wrong with this story? Are the figures cited in the AP story wildly inaccurate? Did I get confused in the decimal places in trying to figure it all out? Or, is even to mention the words “full restitution” in the context of this case to turn the whole proceeding into a mockery of justice?<br /><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">(This AP story was carried in the August 4, 2005, edition of the Hamilton Spectator.)</span> </div>Robert J. Bernhardthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06440812607038012065noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9145317.post-1105390087708830372005-01-10T15:36:00.000-05:002005-01-10T15:55:35.106-05:00The Dangers of Being Too Negative<BR>
<br /><center><B>Join me in chuckling over this one!</B></center>
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<br />A sidebar in a story in today's edition of my local daily newspaper read this way: "Just because no one in your family or on your block doesn't do it, that doesn't mean you cannot or should not do it."
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<br />Now I think I know what this statement means, but I am not so sure that I understand what it says. As we have all experienced at one time or another, things written in haste sometimes just cry out for a little quick editing too!
<br />Robert J. Bernhardthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06440812607038012065noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9145317.post-1105385009540355562005-01-10T14:23:00.000-05:002005-01-10T15:35:13.920-05:00Thank You ! ! !<center><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/img/190/2353/1024/scan0014.1.jpg"><img style="BORDER-RIGHT: #000000 1px solid; BORDER-TOP: #000000 1px solid; MARGIN: 2px; BORDER-LEFT: #000000 1px solid; BORDER-BOTTOM: #000000 1px solid" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/img/190/2353/320/scan0014.1.jpg" border="0" /></a>
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<br /><div align="justify">This is the time to sit down and write some Christmas thank-you notes.</div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify">
<br />One of the presents I received this year has already provided me with a generous measure of blessing. My friends John and Vicky Joseph gave me a wonderful gift! "How Can I Keep from Singing" is a recently released CD produced right here in Hamilton. This CD is all the more special to them and to me because their daughter Felicia is one of the featured voices.</div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify">
<br />Locally produced CDs featuring church youth choirs don't usually rate too high on my musical expectation list. One often treasures them more for their personal and sentimental value. However, "How Can I Keep From Singing" is for me a real winner. I listened to it once the day I received it and then I immediately listened to it again. It has been played at least half a dozen times in our household over the holiday season and I know that it will be played many times more in the future. </div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify">
<br />This CD features the Youth Choir of Sts. Peter and Paul Roman Catholic Church here in Hamilton under the direction of Brenda Bianchi. This group of about forty young singers not only demonstrates musical talent but these young people bring to the varied selection of music they present a certain sincere and jubilant enthusiasm that is quite contagious. Thanks to the magic of electronics the ever so suitable instrumental accompaniment, which sounds like a small orchestra, is really all the work of the Choir's musician Gregory Ulrich.</div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify">
<br />The music is sparkling, uplifting and varied in mood and tone. It deserves to be noted that Director Bianchi is also the composer of two of the selections presented and responsible for the vocal arrangements for several of the other traditional selections in the collection. I think that this CD is a wonderful treat for anyone who is seeking a fresh sound in Christian music by and for youth.</div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify">
<br />The CD was produced by Bianchi and Ulrich and is distributed by Adoremus Records (50 Brucedale Ave. E., Hamilton, ON, L9A 1M8). I don't know whether or not it is being released commercially but if you are in the Hamilton area and you get a chance to purchase a copy - don't pass it up.</div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify">
<br />May I express my thanks to all who were involved in this production. Your work has brought me joy. It does indeed make me feel like singing!</div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify">
<br />My thanks to John and Vicky for their most thoughtful gift - and a special thanks to their daughter Felicia for her lovely presentation of "To You O Lord."</div><div align="justify"></div>
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<br />Robert J. Bernhardthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06440812607038012065noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9145317.post-1104991358504665062005-01-06T01:01:00.000-05:002005-01-06T22:20:42.850-05:00Will China Escape from Walmart?<div align="justify">The North American steel industry is suddenly starting to notice China. During the past year steel prices have been high. However, projections are that this will change and the marketplace may soon become much more competitive. Part of the explanation rests with China.</div><div align="justify"></div><BR><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify">Industrialization has been proceeding at such a pace in China that its needs for steel had significantly outstripped it's domestic production capacity. It was a welcome customer on the world market. However, two factors will soon change that situation in dramatic ways.</div><BR><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify"></div>On the one hand the explosive rate of industrial expansion in China is starting to level off. Added to that is the fact that the Chinese government has recently approved expenditures of 4.5 billion dollars (US) for the expansion of two of its major steel production operations. Guess what? China is about to go from being an net importer of steel to a major exporter of steel. </div><BR><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify">If the North American steel industry is surprised by this it shouldn't be! It is a natural development that was virtually inevitable.</div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify">When I was a kid everyone complained that low end consumer goods were all "Made in Japan." Well, that's not the case any more. Now Japan supplies us with electronics, industrial technology and automobiles.</div><div align="justify"></div><BR><div align="justify">Today people are complaining that everything in stores like Walmart is "Made in China." Don't worry about it. It won't last forever. I predict that though their reserves of cheap labour will gradually disappear that they will move on to bigger and better things.</div><div align="justify"></div><BR><div align="justify">I have many reservations about China's approach to civil rights and they face an immense challenge simply to feed and house their vast population adequately. However, I remain impressed by their industrial ingenuity and tenacity. I expect that before long China will escape from Walmart.Robert J. Bernhardthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06440812607038012065noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9145317.post-1104970845165645802005-01-05T19:20:00.000-05:002005-01-27T13:09:51.283-05:00National Whipped Cream Day<center>
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<br />Those who know me well are aware that I have a secret passion for whipped cream. I don't lust after the real thing whipped up with the beater - and certainly not that edible oil product that comes in plastic tubs. I crave that good old fashioned whipped cream that you spray out of a can! With considerable effort through the years I have worked to suppress frequent urges that would surely have turned my secret passion into a case of public infamy!</p><p align="justify">And, today is the day to celebrate. On this day (January 5th.) in the year 1914 Aaron Lapin was born in St. Louis, Missouri. As my bilingual Canadian friends will understand, he came to be known as "Bunny" Lapin. In 1948 this resourceful man, who had developed a valve for aerosal cans, unveiled his latest creation - Reddi Wip! Initially sold to housewives by milkmen in St. Louis it went national in 1954 and the rest, as they say, is history.</p><p align="justify">Since its introduction in 1948 about one billion cans of the stuff have been sold. Henry Petroski, an Engineering and History Professor at Duke University who is fascinated by inventions and new products, says of this one that it is "a little luxury that no one but the inventor deemed as needed but that all of us find indispensable once it is marketed." Lapin experimented with other aerosal products (cinnamon margarine & pancake batter to name two) but none of them caught on. But Reddi Wip not only survived it continued to thrive. As recently as 1998 it made Time Magazine's list of 100 greatest consumer products.</p><p align="justify">Incidently, there is also a Canadian hook to this story. Lapin, who died in 1999 at the age of 85, was married to a Toronto born woman. Sondra Metzger, whose father was Canadian Counsel General to Panama for over 20 years, continues to be a productive artist whose work is vibrant and colour filled. If you are unfamiliar with her you may want to visit her <a href="http://www.artbysondra.com/artist.htm">web site</a>.</p><p></p><p></p><p></p>Robert J. Bernhardthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06440812607038012065noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9145317.post-1103392214979233702004-12-18T11:44:00.000-05:002004-12-18T13:01:33.416-05:00Inappropriate??<div align="justify"><span>A nineteen year old Montreal resident has this week pleaded guilty to arson. In April he set fire to a religiously based children's school. Fortunately, there were neither injuries nor loss of life but the resulting fire caused damage of more than half a million dollars. A note left at the scene, which the guilty man admits writing, indicates that the fire was set as a direct retaliation for events in the Middle East. Indeed, the note promised further consequences if world events did not unfold in a different way in the future.
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<br />So, having confessed his guilt, what does the young man now have to say about his action? A Canadian Press story released this week exposes some very weak and pathetic responses.
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<br />First, the man says that his actions were "inappropriate." One wants to inquire as to just when intentionally burning down a school in Canada, or anywhere else for that matter, is "appropriate." When you belch audibly at a dinner party that is inappropriate! When you burn down a school that is called a criminal action.
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<br />To further explain his actions the man is quoted as saying, "I just showed my emotions in the wrong way." No! The truth is, he had the wrong emotions. No matter how aggrieved he may feel about events in another part of the world, attacking the persons or property of people simply because they happen to subscribe to the same religion as those he wishes to vilify half a world away is wrong. There is no right way to express hatred and the desire for revenge.
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<br />Apparently the young man's father told the presiding judge that "his son is a good person who made a mistake." What a sad commentary that is on things! I don't know what a parent can say in a situation like this, but this father's comment seems to demonstrate the same inadequacies as the son's. The son does not appear to be experiencing remorse. After all, what he did was merely inappropriate.
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<br />The maximum sentence for this crime is 14 years. The report indicates that the father is pleading that the son not be sent to jail but is asking that the judge "impose difficult conditions" concerning probation. OK. Perhaps he should start with paying for the damages to the school as well as the court costs.
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<br />Though they are part of the public record, I have chosen not to mention the religious affiliations of the respective parties in this case. The reality is that it doesn't matter who does it to whom! Hatred and and a spirit of revenge are not merely "inappropriate" they are morally wrong!
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<br />(This post is based on a Canadian Press story as published in the Hamilton Spectator on Friday, December 17th., 2004.)
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<br /></span></div>Robert J. Bernhardthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06440812607038012065noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9145317.post-1103233823961983872004-12-16T16:12:00.000-05:002004-12-17T01:30:37.696-05:00If At First You Don't Succeed ...Although his first novel <em>Lives of the Saints</em> won the 1990 Governor General's Award for Fiction, Nino Ricci has not always been viewed as a successful writer.
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<br />Now, let me make it clear, my intention here is neither to laud Ricci as a novelist nor to ridicule those who failed initially to recognize his talent. In fact, I will confess that though I have been conscious of his work I am not amongst the ranks of his readers. The point is simply this. When <em>Lives of the Saints</em> was finally published after being rejected by some major Canadian publishers, the public saw qualities in Ricci's work that some others obviously had not.
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<br />A recent interview with Nino Ricci disclosed yet another irony concerning his early efforts to establish himself as a writer. Way back when Ricci was still a first year student at York University he was asked to drop out of a creative writing workshop because his instructor did not believe that Ricci had the qualities to be a writer. Compounding the irony is the fact that the instructor concerned was none other than another acclaimed, award winning, Canadian author W. O Mitchell.
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<br />Now I am sure that not every reader of Ricci's several novels [which, in addition to <em>Lives of the Saints</em>, include <em>A Glass House</em> (1993), <em>Where She Has Gone</em> (1997) and <em>Testament</em> (2002)] are uncritical of his skills as a writer. However, his work has certainly been received with sufficient acclaim that no one would suggest that it doesn't deserve to be in print. Fortunately, as his life unfolded, Nino Ricci had enough confidence in his own skills and sufficient encouragement from other teachers and friends to persist with his writing.
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<br />(Note: The interview referred to appears in "Concordia University Magazine" (December 2004), the alumni publication of Concordia University in Montreal, from which Ricci received an M.A. in 1987.)
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<br />Robert J. Bernhardthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06440812607038012065noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9145317.post-1102440499499178192004-12-07T11:57:00.000-05:002004-12-07T12:28:19.500-05:00Civilization under the Microscope<div align="justify">Do-Gooders of all stripes (even Christian ones) always run the risk of beginning to consider those they are assisting as some sort of lesser being. That danger may be especially great when the persons concerned are part of a technologically less advanced nation or society.
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<br />However, advancements that we may label as "civilization" don't always bring with them an actual gain in human civility. A passing observation in a recent newspaper article really empahsized that fact for me. The time and place of this event are unimportant. It is sufficient to disclose that lines of people were awaiting life changing medical assistance from visiting health professionals. The number of people needing treatment was so great that when darkness fell many were still in line waiting for their turn. Those supplying the medical care observed that "as night fell, each person put down a rock to claim their place in line. Everybody returned the next day with no fuss at all."
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<br />Remembering to what lengths some parents in contemporary Canadian suburbia would go just to get their children enrolled in swimming classes at the local rec centre ahead of those of their neighbours, I am impressed. So, tell me, who really are the civilized people in this world anyway? </div>Robert J. Bernhardthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06440812607038012065noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9145317.post-1102309285276854722004-12-06T01:00:00.000-05:002004-12-07T01:53:18.846-05:00Caesarea: The Underwater Story<center>
<br /><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/img/190/2353/1024/AIRLAB.jpg"><img style="BORDER-RIGHT: #000000 1px solid; BORDER-TOP: #000000 1px solid; MARGIN: 2px; BORDER-LEFT: #000000 1px solid; BORDER-BOTTOM: #000000 1px solid" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/img/190/2353/320/AIRLAB.jpg" border="0" /></a>
<br />Aerial View of Caesarea
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<br /><div align="justify">I went to Caesarea on Saturday night! Well, not quite but almost. Even better still, the trip was free It was hosted by the venerable Hamilton Association for the Advancement of Science, Literature and the Arts. The tour guide was marine archeologist, and McMaster University Professor, Dr. Eduard Reinhardt.
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<br />Dr. Reinhardt presented an illustrated summary of the underwater archeological research at Caesarea in Israel in which he has shared since 1990. Researchers have been trying to reconstruct the history of the artificial harbour built by King Herod between 20 and 10 BC in the Roman city of Caesarea (about halfway between Haifa and Tel Aviv in modern Israel). This construction project was astounding in both its scope and in its utilization of new technology. The construction of a sizeable harbour on a stretch of exposed coastline required the most up to date engineering skills of that era including the use of hydrolic cement that hardens underwater. (And here I thought that cement was a new building material!) Ash from Mount Vesuvious in Italy was the "secret ingredient" that allowed the cement to set underwater. Regrettably the harbour at Caesarea, despite all its elegance only survived for a little over a century. Recent archeological work has been trying to determine whether the port was destroyed by an earthquake or a tsunami (a giant sea wave).
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<br />As I listened to Dr. Reinhardt's presentation I found myself thinking about how prominently the city of Caesarea figures in the events recorded in "The Acts of the Apostles" in the New Testament. It was thrilling to think that on at least two occasions the Apostle Paul had sailed from that very harbour.
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<br />Paul's first visit to Jerusalem after his conversion to Christianity was cut short when conspirators tried to kill him. His new Christian friends took him from Jerusalem to Caesarea where they secured passage for him on a ship sailing north up the coast to Paul's native city of Tarsus (Acts 9:30). Paul began another life transforming sea voyage from Caesarea near the end of his life when he set out from Caesarea, guarded by a centurian of the Roman Imperial Regiment, who was escorting Paul to Rome to present his legal appeal to Caesar.
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<br />King Herod built not only a harbour at Caesarea but an impressive city that included a palatial residence for the Imperial Roman Governor, an adminstrative headquarters including prison cells (in which Paul was a guest of the state for two years), a hippodrome for chariot races, and an amazing open air amphitheatre. As the Roman Governor of Judea, Pontius Pilate was in Jerusalem for the Jewish passover celebration and available to pass judgement on Jesus, but his regular place of residence was in Caesarea. </div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify">While touring in Israel in 1992 I had the opportunity to make a brief visit to Caesarea. One of the most visible remains today of Herod's ancient city is the Amphitheatre.
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<br /><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/img/190/2353/1024/Caesarea-01.jpg"><img style="BORDER-RIGHT: #000000 1px solid; BORDER-TOP: #000000 1px solid; MARGIN: 2px; BORDER-LEFT: #000000 1px solid; BORDER-BOTTOM: #000000 1px solid" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/img/190/2353/320/Caesarea-01.jpg" border="0" /></a></center><center>My own photo of Caesarea's amphitheatre (1992)</center><p align="justify">
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<br />The rounded Amphitheatre in Caesarea was constructed so well, as modern tourists are challenged to test for themselves, that even words softly spoken at the stage level can be heard in the upper reaches of the gallery.
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<br />In 1959 in the course of excavating the amphitheatre workers came across the first archeological confirmation outside of the New Testament concerning Pontius Pilate and his status in the Roman administration. The inscription, pictured below, is fragmented but has been deciphered to read, when translated, "Pontius Pilate, the Prefect of Judea, had dedicated to the people of Caesarea a temple in honour of Tiberius."
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<br /><span style="font-size:78%;">(Photo by RJB, 1992.)</span></center><center></center><div align="justify">
<br />Note: The presentation by Dr. Reinhardt that I attended was open to the public without charge as a courtesy of The Hamilton Association for the Advancement of Science, Literature and the Arts. You are invited to visit their website at <a href="http://nebula.on.ca/hamiltonassoc/">http://nebula.on.ca/hamiltonassoc/</a> for information about membership or news of their coming public lectures.
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<br /></div>Robert J. Bernhardthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06440812607038012065noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9145317.post-1102197692090157402004-12-04T15:47:00.000-05:002004-12-06T17:52:58.850-05:00Reading in Progress<div align="left"><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/img/190/2353/640/booksPicture.jpg"><img style="BORDER-RIGHT: #000000 1px solid; BORDER-TOP: #000000 1px solid; MARGIN: 2px; BORDER-LEFT: #000000 1px solid; BORDER-BOTTOM: #000000 1px solid" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/img/190/2353/100/booksPicture.jpg" border="0" /></a>
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<br /></div><div align="justify">It is always interesting to know what friends are reading. I thought that if I shared that information about myself from time to time it might help you to know me a bit better. <BR>
<br /></div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify">First, I must say that my reading, apart from that in my area of professional interest in theology, ranges rather widely. I usually have several books on the go at a time. When I know the context of the material I am not always intending to read a book from cover to cover. Often I want only to read a section or a few chapters to satisfy a particular interest. (Of course, this is all apart from my occasional binges of escapism into the realm of the mystery novel. When one of those moods hits me I will sometimes read half a dozen in a row until the urge passes.)<BR>
<br /></div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify">At the moment I am finishing up two books on Jazz (<em>Jazz 101: A Complete Guide to Learning and Loving Jazz</em> by John Szwed and <em>The History of Jazz</em> by Ted Gioia<em>).</em> I am not a musician. I read with genuine interest but I often find that the details do not stick well in my mind. Sometimes I mix up the horn players with the percussionists. Sometimes I remember fascinating biographical trivia only to realize later that I am no longer sure who the story was about. Oh well, I will keep at it. This interest is one I have acquired more recently than some others with which I also struggle.<BR>
<br /></div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify">In the realm of history I also have two books on the go. I am rereading <em>The Head of the Lake</em> by C. M. Johnston which chronicles the opening up of the western end of Lake Ontario for settlement. Originally published in 1957, and revised in 1966, this book, though interesting, has a dated air about it that is quite quaint. The other historical book that I have on the go is <em>Voice of the Vanishing Minority: Robert Sellar and the Huntingdon Gleaner, 1863-1919</em> by Robert Hill. This chronicle of the tensions experienced by the anglophone settlement in the Chateauguay Valley south of Montreal explores the roots of the language tensions that still predominate in that part of the world. The interest of this to me is that I grew up in Huntingdon, Quebec, and the Huntingdon Gleaner, still edited by members of the Sellar family, was the local weekly newspaper of my childhood.<BR>
<br /></div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify">For the past week or so I have also been reading the lengthy daily installments of "The Life and Death of Morris Lax" in the Hamilton Spectator. Authored by Hamilton journalist and historian Wade Hemsworth, this series explores the life and the unsolved 1992 murder of a Hamilton scrap metal dealer named Morris Lax. I didn't intend to read this series but I got drawn in by the first couple of installments that chronicled the torturous circumstances of Polish Jews before and during the Second World War. The story is a powerful reminder of how such events permanently shape the lives of those who experience them. (I am assuming that this material will, at some point in the future, be revised for book publication.)<BR>
<br /></div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify">My times for reading are inserted sporadically into a typical day. Some of my most enjoyable hours of reading are ones spent immersed in a hot tub of water in the quiet of the evening. The only condition for bathtub reading is that I select a book with an adequate sized print so that I can enjoy it without the need for glasses which are a nuisance in the tub. (We have this neat bathtub that on command gives forth with soothing jets of water. However, I rarely sample that feature because it creates far too much steam and the bubbling water soon splatters any book that gets anywhere close.)<BR>
<br /></div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify">What's next on my reading list? According to my moods probably one or more of the following that have been beckoning for awhile: <em>Political Visions and Illusions: A Survey and Critique of Contemporary Ideologies</em> by David T. Koyzis (who happens to be a member of the local community and a personal friend), <em>A Primer on Postmodernism</em> by Stanley Grenz (this would be a reread but I certainly didn't digest it all the first time through a couple of years ago), or maybe even <em>Writing the Modern Mystery</em> by Barbara Norville (perhaps as a prelude to dragging out that old mystery story outline that I take out and ponder before refiling every other year). Well, whatever it turns out to be, I have no lack of material from which to choose - nor is there much likelihood that all of a sudden I will give up on reading.</div><div align="justify"></div>Robert J. Bernhardthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06440812607038012065noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9145317.post-1102019437927690332004-12-02T14:54:00.000-05:002004-12-02T23:07:30.870-05:00Participants Not Spectators<div align="justify">One of my aspirations in establishing this blog is to create a community of regular visitors. However, I hope that many of those who visit this blog will soon choose to be more than mere spectators of what is happening here. Let me offer some suggestions as to how you can become an actual participant.
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<br />First, may I encourage you to return regularly. At the outset I know that "A Voice in the Village" will not be a terribly exciting place. I still have a great deal to learn in order to be capable of making it become the place that I dream of it being. I am looking forward to the time that it will serve as a gateway to many Internet sites that reflect my personal interests. Also, I hope that it will provide links to other web sites on which I will be posting longer articles on topics that interest me. I look foward to the time when I can post a selected list of other Blogs with which I feel some affinity and which may also be of interest to those who visit here. However, in the meantime, it looks rather sparse with only a few posts up and not even an archives of postings in which to browse. Added to that is the fact that my early posts will probably be so varied in subject matter that it will be difficult for a first time visitor to determine where I am going and if what I am doing is really of interest to them. However, don't give up on it simply because it is an infant site in its very formative stages. Bookmark it! Come back often enough to remain apprised of my progress towards these goals.
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<br />Another way to participate is to share information about this blog with your friends. If you think that a particular item may be of interest to someone you know, I encourage you to share it with them. At the bottom of each post is a small "envelope" icon. Clicking on that will allow you to send an e-mail to anyone you know advising them of the URL for this site and allowing you to add your own personal comments about it in a message to them.
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<br />However, the most direct and exciting way for you to participate in "A Voice in the Village" is for you to actually add your own comments, challenges, questions and suggestions. Clicking on the "Comment" tag at the bottom of each post will enable you to join in the discussion. Not only can other "Blogger" users add their comments but anyone who wishes can "Post Anonymously" and then type in, preview and publish their responses.
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<br />Note: At the risk of attracting a deluge of spam, I have also posted a personal e-mail address in my profile. If you have trouble using this site or want to offer comments and suggestions unrelated to the items that are posted, please do not hesitate to be in touch. I will do my best to answer promptly.
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<br />So, visit regularly and comment often so that the "Voice in the Village" will not just be one lonely voice but rather a lively conversation! </div>Robert J. Bernhardthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06440812607038012065noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9145317.post-1101941645137082142004-12-01T15:12:00.000-05:002004-12-02T22:51:30.843-05:00Noted in Passing: Pierre Berton <center>
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<br />Pierre Berton (1920-2004)
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<br />Pierre Berton is dead at the age of 84. Though I wasn't necessarily a huge fan it is hard to let his death go by without comment. I first remember him from the early days of "Front Page Challenge." (He was a permanent panelist on TV's longest continuously-runing panel show which aired on the CBC from 1957-1995.) He was not only comfortable on camera, he was made for the medium. Consequently, he appeared on a whole variety of TV public affairs programs and history specials through the years. If people didn't know him by name they certainly recognized his bushy white sideburns and ever present bow tie.
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<br />A journalist and prolific writer, he did much to make Canadian history popular and accessible to Canadians during the past fifty years. He authored at least 50 books in his lifetime. He was the winner of three Governor General Awards for Non fiction and was also awarded the Stephen Leacock Medal for Humour. His contribution to Canadian life and culture was acknowledged in his being named as a Companion of the Order of Canada.
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<br />Unfailingly outspoken, Pierre Berton was always provocative. In contrast with many Candian public personalities he was skilled at self promotion. Nevertheless, despite his national profile, he seemed to struggle with the reality that not everyone acclaimed him and he attributed a certain amount of this to religious bigotry. At the time of the release of his book <em>Marching As To War</em> in 2002 he is quoted as having said, "I was hated you know. I made no secret of the fact that I was an atheist." Personally, though I did not applaud his atheism, it certainly didn't provoke me to hatred. It was his apparent egotism that dampened my enthusiasm for his public persona.
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<br />Controversial to the last, only weeks before his death he acknowedged in a Toronto Star interview that he had been an occasional marijuana user since the 1960s. Never missing an opportunity to make his point, an obviously frail, though slyly smiling, Pierre Berton made a cameo appearance on Rick Mercer's <em>Monday Report</em> on CBC TV to demonstrate how to roll a joint. In response to those who suggested that all this might somehow tarnish his reputation he is reported to have quipped, "... I've reached the stage in life where I don't give a damn what I say or what people think."
<br /></p>Robert J. Bernhardthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06440812607038012065noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9145317.post-1101493209336241602004-11-26T13:58:00.000-05:002004-12-02T22:58:38.456-05:00Blogging? Why Blog?<div align="justify">Blogging is a new verb in the lexicon of the Internet. It refers to the activity of keeping an on-line web log ("Blog") or journal. This whole concept is very new. At the begining of 1999 there were literally only about 25 web sites in existence that could be described as blogs. However, starting in 1999 the scene changed dramatically. Software was created and released (much of it free) that opened the activity to those without technical web site creation skillls. Hundreds of blogs appeared almost immediately and by now there are tens of thousands of them.
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<br />Many of the early blogs served the function of helping people navigate the maze of the Internet. Now, unfortunately, the proliferation of blogs has made them a maze themselves. No doubt the fascination with blogging which presently is often immature and short lived will level off. Some blogs are created with the limited intention of fulfilling a personal or family diary type function. However, there is reason to expect that most of the remaining blogs that survive will do so because they manage to create a participatory community of regulars who share a common interest or perspective.
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<br />So, why on earth would anyone want to start a blog?
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<br />Any trip through the current blogging landscape exposes the traveller to a realm where teenage streams of conciousness, chronicles of disfunctional lives and blatent demonstations of illiteracy seem to predominate. If you think that I am being too harsh just click on "Next Blog" a few times to view the evidence.
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<br />So, why join the fray? For now, let me offer three reasons for my choice to begin blogging.
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<br /><span style="color:#000099;">First</span>, unappealing as the world of blogging may appear it is certainly one take on reality. And, amongst the mindless stuff there are some real gems. However, isn't that pretty much the way it is no matter where you sample reality? Frankly, the daily newspaper, though a bit more sophisticated, isn't always that much more edifying - to say nothing of trying to mine the ore from the dross of what North American television has to offer. This is the real world - like it or lump it. Participate or flee to an idealistic commune somewhere! To reject the blogging world simply because it is not always intellectually stimulating is just a bit more snobbish than I would care to be.
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<br /><span style="color:#000099;">Secondly</span>, of course, is the fact that there are amongst bloggers some really exciting and intellectually challenging people. Now, I certainly do not share the lifeview perspective of all of them - but what a treat to be able to read their stimulating comments and to be able to engage in direct communication with the authors. Isn't that what we often crave when we read a good book? If only we could ask the author a question or challenge them to clarify or enlarge upon some element of their presentation. In the world of blogging that immediate exchange is not only possible but generally expected. This is too rich an opportunity to miss.
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<br />And <span style="color:#000099;">finally</span>, as I hinted at the outset, I think that this is a dimension of communication that represents the way into the future. Blogging is global in scope. Anyone anywhere in the world with Internet access can read your blog. As any exposure to the scene will demonstrate, blogging is already an international activity. Blogging takes place in real time. Within seconds of composition a posted item is accessible to every potential reader. Within that same time frame readers can record and post their responses. Not only that, the material on a blog is archived and can be read or reread days, weeks or months later. What could be more versatile than that. These features really do give communication a whole new meaning.
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<br />To me it is exciting to contemplate having even a tiny part in such a future! </div>Robert J. Bernhardthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06440812607038012065noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9145317.post-1100798280632975292004-11-18T13:18:00.000-05:002004-12-02T23:15:02.466-05:00Relaxed But Interested.<center>
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<br /><b>My new view of the Global Village.</b> </center>Robert J. Bernhardthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06440812607038012065noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9145317.post-1100538893002826702004-11-15T12:01:00.000-05:002004-11-15T12:14:53.003-05:00Coming Soon!<div align="justify">I am absolutely new to blogging - though not to the Internet in general. I look forward to creating a blog that will have both eye and content appeal. First, of course, I have to learn some blogistics. I need to learn to use some new tools so that I can effectively shape this environment to reflect who I am. Then I need to learn the mechanics of maintaining a blog. Only then will I start posting regularly. If you happen to have found your way here during this interim period I hope that you will make a note of the address and drop back again in a few weeks to check on my progress.</div>Robert J. Bernhardthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06440812607038012065noreply@blogger.com0