Ok what I think about the Ukraine conflict.

     So being so very close to the problems in the Ukraine, and being a writer of military fiction it has been very hard to keep my mouth shut about what I think of the fighting. Having been a solider in a few different incarnations and an avid researcher of conflicts may not make me an expert in my mind but I am certainly better qualified than some of the talking heads CNN and some other media are parading around these days.

 
Jumping through hoops in Russia for my own registration and visa issues has also put me elevator close to some of the people being displaced by the fighting. These people have the razor edge look of someone barely holding it together. Children have the blank stares that only come with a shattered childhood innocence. Instead of girls playing hoops and boys playing war they were forced to comprehend something intelligent adults struggle with. They have been exposed to the horror of war.

This in itself is a failure of humanity and the basic beliefs put forward by civilized peace loving societies. To have exposed children in this way supercedes the who is right question. Shattering the lives of children and making them try to grasp why people want them dead are concepts past their ability. The Kiev government, shares this responsibility with the other combatants.
 
While the west, and by west I mean my country Canada as well, parades the evil Russia as the responsible party these atrocities continue. Claiming Russia is responsible is a sideline issue and one done to muddy the waters of understanding. Disagree? Ok let’s compare some facts.

Russia may have sold or provided weapons and military support to the breakaway territories in the Ukraine. While this isn’t a proven fact I will for the purpose of this article say it is so. The USA has provided Israel with far more sophisticated hardware and detailed military intelligence. So claims of support, are as I suggest a sideline issue, to stopping the hostilities and saving children from exposure to hate and fear.
  
Charging the USA with hypocrisy is akin to penalizing an elephant for being fat. Charging Russia for protecting its borders, and people are in the same vein. No country on earth paid a higher price than Russia did in the Second World War. A war simply referred to here as  “The Great War.” Is this because Russians  love war so much?  Nyet! It is a sign of respect and admiration to those that fought against incredible odds to protect their collective mother. Mother Russia. This pride and understanding are universal. Children are educated about Stalingrad, and other battles not in a glorification but in the lesson of costs. They learn what freedom cost them.

            If I were to include all of the issues of how this conflict began and try to finger point responsibility, it would probably get me more comments and page participation than misspelling participation. This is not my focus. While I encourage participation and want to stimulate you to look into all of these issues, from many sources, finger pointing is not my focus. My focus is to get you to ask if this is right or ever ok.

Humanity left unpracticed is just a stupid idea and the monsters win. We all know what the monsters are for us. For some, it may be Vladimir Putin or Barrack Obama while others may say the Illuminati. I will not judge you for your monsters. In the spirit of full disclosure, my monsters are the International Monetary Fund and the World Trade Organization. Our monsters are our own.  Just as our values and ethics or humanity are. So for me it comes down to Monsters Vs. Humans a classic fiction story arch.

            Basic humanity says it is never ok to use artillery shelling in civilian occupied areas.  Arguing to the contrary is like trying to justify tossing a grenade into a pool full of children to kill a pedophile. Yes, we universally hate pedophiles; they are accepted monsters in most societies. But only an idiot would try to say tossing a grenade into a pool, full of kids, to kill one was ok. So too is shelling a city full of people and claiming the rebels are hiding within populated areas.
 
Before you start pointing the fault finger, stop. It doesn’t matter remember? We aren’t interested in fault we are focused on stopping a child, or any other person for that matter, from growing up with hate and fear. Because if we don’t the monsters win and we have all seen enough movies to know what happens then.

Fear! Fear happens, the monsters don’t need to eat you or wrap you up in goo and plant chest bursting seeds in you. They just need you afraid; too afraid to travel, too afraid to watch, and too afraid to speak up. Fear destroys the mind and our superior minds are what separate us from the rest of this watery ball’s inhabitants.  Fear of terrorists allows the monsters to supercede or basic freedoms. It makes us think we are unsafe and need protection from the wonderful unknown.
  
I was embarrassed to read that Canadian planes were delivering supplies to the Kiev government to help with the war effort and doing nothing else. That our Conservative government had locked step and was contributing to the grenade tossing and doing nothing else. Why not load those huge, and now empty, transport planes with women and children and remove them from the fighting?

Is it now ok to brutalize women and children regardless of side and fault? Did the Canadians mission overseas switch without a vote? Did we change from one of the world’s preeminent peacekeeping forces to a puppet force of the USA without so much as a debate in parliament?  Has my countries value and ethics so drastically changed without so much as a murmur? Why are the Canadian people suddenly ok with this?

Sure it is only sleeping bags and cooking pots but these bolsters the armies’ morale. A morale that has been lacking because the regular soldiers, on the ground, have been deserting because they don’t want to be monsters.  No hero songs have ever been sung about the indiscriminate slaughter of children.

            I know I have simplified this issue a fair bit and I have only put two sides forward in a story like fashion but do I need to make it more convoluted? I believe that killing women and children in any war is not acceptable. I believe that we as humans have a debt and obligation to children to provide at the very least a safe childhood. I believe love and faith in the human race demand this of each of us and it is a personal responsibility owed to all of those in this world. I believe if we fail at this obligation couching our actions with words like practical and reasonable instead of the reality FEAR we make a choice. The choice is living with fear and not living with love and then the Monsters win. The monsters should know there are always bigger and more powerful monsters just waiting in the shadows to pounce the day humanity dies….

The first post from the other side of the Ring.

   So life is settling down to the regular pattern of things you have to do, things that you need to do, and things that need doing. Intermixed is the obvious stuff I should be writing. I have a great excuse my very old and most favourite Mac is having issues. I know what is causing it now but making the time to take it offline for a few days to get it fixed is an issue. I upgraded my HD to an SSD and they, whom in the past were awesome, spliced into one of my fan lines for power and so now I overheat and freeze. Makes it difficult to write. Frustration is not something you want during the creative process.

   Married life is treating me well. We are in a state of flux as plans call for a big move and downsizing of non essential stuff. Now downsizing isn't new for me at all. In fact I have downsized a great deal already. But like most things in life there is downsizing and then there is DOWNSIZING. I need to pack my life up into two 25 kilo cubes of very specific measurements. So it is a great deal different than moving from a house to an apartment. But if I am to be honest the experience is very liberating. What is a must keep, should keep, like to keep, and can't live without. Then evaluate and reengineer the space and start again. To say it is a exercise in being frugal is like comparing a Lambo to a Kia. Kind of not on the same planet. But it progresses slowly and this old 17 powerbook will be replaced by a new 13 inch soon and so that drops me x kilos....Daunting!

   Russian New Years. For those readers that are not Russian, suffice to say it happens at a different time but; "when in rome". So this celebration is held on the first like our own. But unlike ours it is most certainly a knock down drag out party. The sense is how you bring in the new year will dictate how your year will be. The better the party the better the year to follow. Follow? Ok so this event has pressure on it from the start. Well, it was an epic event. Full of drinking, dancing, and general wishes for an awesome year. Oddly it was spent meeting new people, with different customs all with the same goal. An accurate reflection of our year to come. It started at 6pm and went till 6am, time spent filled with food, vodka, brandy, friends, dancing, and culture. The only casualty of the evening was my under trained liver. Seems my abstinence of late left me woefully disadvantaged, and when I awoke it let me know it wasn't happy. But the liver is evil and should be punished!

   I got to see a good number of friends over the holidays and miss a great deal more. Time has always been a thief yet as things move quickly along it seems to be more of one. I try to keep up a little bit using the inadequate tools afforded us with social media. But I will endeavor to make more time to see everyone. Going to be a long trip to see anyone next year! So with that promise or perhaps resolution made I will leave you to your own lives.

  Have a great year everyone!

THE GRAND ELOPE

            So, Christmas is only a few days away and it has been an interesting time in my life. December has always been a great month for me. I was born in December and until I was about three always thought people were putting up lights for me. I do remember thinking “why don’t they decorate for the other kids?” I come by my ego naturally!

            I am happy to see that my Post on PTSD got lots of exposure. I think it is important that with the new healthy lifestyle choices a little focus gets turned toward mental health. I was slightly amused that some thought it was a cry for help and sprung into action. I appreciated the calls and if you just posted on Facebook, well that gives me an indication of you concern. I am not really sure how many people saw it on Facebook as I don’t trust their numbers. But suffice to say with over 150000 followers the exposure was large. I have received many private notes and messages from a great deal of people thanking me for having the courage to post such a personal story.

            Facebook. Hmmm, I recently reactivated my personal account for friends only. I had to take it down many months ago as the Facebook police flagged it as a duplicate account. It was right before the IPO, go figure! Anyway I reopened it and hopefully it skates by scrutiny. I don’t post much on it, just things for people that aren’t close by or in touch on a regular basis. I am blessed that most of my friends are in touch regularly and for the most part I see them weekly. I saw a t-shirt that kind of speaks to this. “My wish for you is that one day your life is as good as you say it is on FaceBook”. A more truthful and sad concise statement probably hasn’t been said since the Beatle’s epic “One is the Loneliest Number”. Cluttered life albums with old pictures of partners that don’t matter anymore. I mean sure they were part of your life, so some contextual images that mark a moment, a place, an idea. But single selfy’s? Really? Move the fuck on! Like the shit we buy to impress people we don’t know, and perhaps even dislike, it clutters you. It creates emotional clutter that, forces you to drag it forward. Like the oversized carry on you loaded at the outlet mall, you’re now trying to drag through airport screening! How do you get to Happily ever after, with all the clutter of the “my life sucked” past? Perhaps this is just my perspective. But, I am really at a loss at how to look at it differently. If you’re betting on a game and the team fails to win do you really care what gets said in the locker room after? As the old saying goes “You don’t have a horse in that race.”

            I said this to a friend recently, as we smoked a cigar and talked about life, the universe, and everything. A common topic while herfing (it’s a word) an expensive bit of Cuban Culture. Ever the sensitive sort he put forth a few observations:

“Perhaps it serves as a lesson”

“Perhaps it allows memories of a happier time”

“Perhaps they’re just lazy and don’t edit”

I thought about these while watching the smoke curl and the ashes form. This brought my mind around to a few different thoughts. Does the ash of this cigar serve as a reminder of how good it was previously? I guess in fact it does. However if I don’t leave it in the ashtray it will just drop all over my shirt and make me look like a slob. The lingering smoke, does leave a scent. It is reminiscent of happier times now grown stale with time, and the absence of additional cigars. Smoked cigars left in the ashtray do not grow finer with the passage of time. So the lazy host is condemning his friends to future herfs outdoors in the cold. I guess it is plain to see my mind, once made up is very hard to change. Perhaps a failing, but one thing is very clear with this mindset. I am exactly where I decided to be.

            To other things as we race towards Christmas. Remember even if your friend or partner is not suffering from PTSD or the Christmas Blues Love is the reason for the season. Corny perhaps but when we have the courage to let down our defenses we see the real gifts bestowed on us. Recently I had four friends put their lives on hold, rearrange schedules, and spend time and money to jet to Vegas to be part of my Grand Elope. Considering at this time of year the effort it takes to meet a friend for coffee between mall excursions and the cost with all the gifts to budget for this was quite a demonstration of LOVE. It wasn’t easy for any of them to make this happen and it wouldn’t have been the same event without them. So a public thank-you.

            The Grand Elope. Inga and I wanted to throw a celebration in the city we were introduced in. So we decided to get married in Vegas. Now I know Vegas sounds like a bit of a tacky place to get married and while I am sure it can be it doesn’t have to be. In fact I really believe having done reams of research that it will give you the most bang for your buck and eliminate a mile of headaches. Take limos as an example. Presidential Limousine probably moves more people in a week than a comparable Vancouver company. This gives the client a level of service that is tried and tested and second to none. Restaurants are used to groups and being slammed is not an excuse for poor food or service. To sum up they are set up to do large celebrations. Ours was no exception, it went off as planned and designed without a hitch with most of the arrangements made on the web, or phone text! I planned the whole thing and trust me it was as easy an experience as a wedding could ever be.

• 1400sqft Suite for champane and cake after reception reception
• Chapel, Photogrpaher, video, and officiant.
• Lamborghini (Inga’s fathers “white horse”)
• Limo tours and pick up.
• Reception in the Foundation Room, with the view Inga and I saw on our first date!
• Russian flower arrangements and Cake decorating

All of these projects arranged and completed without actually talking to a single person! This is the digital age.

            So this is life moving forward and MY life moving forward. It has been a challenge of late to complete writing projects and move the sequel along, but it is. Slowly and more tightly this time that will add to your reading pleasure. Some other large changes loom on the horizon and rest assured I will take you all along for the ride.

            Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, Best of the season. Enjoy this time with those you love and those that love you. Whatever your faith, beliefs, or delusions, remember Love is why we are all here and without love we will not be!  

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Dreaming about VEGAS

    Musing on Vegas is like daydreaming in Technicolor. Rarely does it happen, and when it does you really believe you should seek therapy. So can Sin City be therapeutic? Well,  I believe it can. I love Vegas, been many times, and it can be anything you need it to be. Like a good shrink it can challenge your heartfelt beliefs and shake your overconfidence, in a heartbeat. It can be the cruel Schoolmaster you need but never knew you did, or it can be a gentle caring Muse. Made garish and cheap with neon, but beautiful more in your ability to see past this distraction. Life is as such made up of these moments. The moments between the dashes, as I have heard it said. Scott D. Covey Born 1965----.

    I guess for me the most rewarding experiences or moments between the dashes are those we don’t expect, or see past the distracting obvious. I have had a great deal of obvious distractions. It is the reason I keep apologising for not keeping up with my blog. Life just gets in the way.  Perhaps more honestly the choices one makes end up getting in the way. When these choices end up getting in the way of experiences life takes a back seat to the reality of this choice.

    So amidst the ringing of bells and the cacophony of humanity the mind is forced to focus and in that focus, one can often discover an enlightened perspective impossible to find in normal life. Unless, I guess, you devote years to meditation and reflection. The plane ticket is easier or as I like to say more modernly efficient. But a warning is in order here, two to be precise. Within these Zen like and alcohol  enhanced states care should be applied in order to insure you don’t walk toward where you think you need to be; or get hit by a car along the way. So powerful are some revelations that they put you at grave risk whilst you roll about in them.

Vegas is a place where time doesn’t exist, in the same form, as it does everywhere else. It is a reflection of this time between the dashes. Scott D. Covey flight 287 arriving 1310---. But unlike life you know when the dash ends, your flight home.

    So within this reflection of life’s mirror and these musing about a fantasy oasis, we see a parallel. Some go to it to acquire money, while the wise go for the experiences, and wisdom she can share.