Mb Speaks
Ok, just shoot me. It’s way past my bed time and I’m still here working on this issue. My Buddah, what was I thinking resurrecting this Rag! Anyway, I’ll quit my whining and thinking only of myself. Let’s think about something else. I know! Let’s think about spending 9 million dollars to develop a huge hotel on a Little Lake on a tiny piece of land with a weeny parking lot across the road from some modest houses where people live and love looking at the lake. Ya, let’s think about why that might be an idea. I guess its as good as any idea when you don’t have too many. We could get our friends to draw a picture of what it might look like, call some other friends who build stuff and tell everyone we’re going to make them filthy rich. Afterall, money is everything, isn’t it? We could tell everyone we have plans to build the world’s largest petting zoo which will draw tourists from as far away as Oshawa and Port Hope...maybe even Toronto! They could ride our imaginary train all the way to the outskirts of town, pay $50 for a cab ride and be dropped off at the beach only to be told the water is too dirty to swim in. Afterall, we spent all the money polluting our landscape. No money left for the cleanup. No problem... Maybe we could build a waterslide or a pool and fill it with cream soda. I like cream soda, don’t you? If people don’t like our idea, we can convince them that if we don’t get our way, all their hopes and dreams will be dashed upon the rocks and banished to the land of wind and ghosts. Ya, that’s what I’m talking about. Afterall, it's a way better idea then building a crematorium there. Oh man, not enough sleep...
Keep the Faith
Mb
Georgia On My Mind by Bianca Bell
On August 8, 2008 a battle broke out when Georgia launched a large-scale attack against the break-away region of South Ossetia. During the night and early morning, Georgia launched a military offensive to surround and capture the capital of separatist Republic of South Ossetia, Tskhinvali[54] thus breaking the terms of the 1992 ceasefire and crossing into the security zone established. This was followed by a Russian counter-attack into Georgian territory. In five days of fighting, Georgian forces were ousted from both South Ossetia and Abkhazia.
The five, short and nasty day war left many Russian, Georgian and Ossetian dead and hundreds of thousands of people displaced. This conflict in Georgia seems to have many underlying issues, many of which may not have yet surfaced leaving us to consider the histories, ties and conflicts of these nations as well as our imagination.
The history of Georgia suggests that conflict and civil unrest is not uncommon as it has been separating and dividing, uniting and declaring independence for a long time. Initially absorbed into the Russian Empire in 1801 Georgia was hurled through numerous Russian wars with Turkey and Iran, one of the few positives being the annexation of several territories, one of which is now modern day South Ossetia (a pinnacle stress point during the passed months). After the Russian Revolution in 1917, Georgia enjoyed a brief 2 year independence until the Red Army rolled in to reclaim their property and among other things, officially create the government of the South Ossetian Autonomous province in 1922. Things went on as planned, peacefully as could have been expected until November 1989 when South Ossetia declared it's independence from the Georgian Soviet Socialist Republic. Three months of fighting ensued and Russian peacekeepers moved into South Ossetia. Once entrenched they began handing out Russian passports by the thousand which only increased the mistrust Georgia felt for their “motherland”. By December of 1990 Georgia refused the validity of referendums and elections held in South Ossetia and eventually abolished their autonomous status. Violent civil conflict broke out, thousands were killed, and valuable infrastructure was destroyed. Hundreds of thousands of refugees found themselves on the move entering North Ossetia, Russia and other parts of Georgia.
In 1992, Georgia accepted a ceasefire agreement in order to avoid a potentially catastrophic confrontation with Russia, and Georgia regained its independence from the Soviet Union for the first time since 1920. Things remained relatively stable for the next decade for the de facto autonomous region of South Ossetia. Their survival relied on North Ossetia (Russia) for electricity (Georgia had refused all power to them), petrol (Georgia also raised petrol taxes on South Ossetia to 116% in 1999) and for 60% of their revenue. South Ossetia only dreamed of the day they could cut ties with Georgia and be reunited with their Northern Ossetian partner.
Jump ahead a decade and in October of 2001, just one month after the September 11th attacks, Russia accused Georgia of harbouring Chechen rebels, a charge that Georgia instantly dismissed. In April 2002, US Special Forces arrived in Georgia to help train and bolster their “counterterrorist operations”. But, that wasn't enough and Russia, claiming that Georgia was not governing their territory on the Chechen border, laid out an ultimatum for the Georgian government on September 11th 2002: deal with the Chechen terrorists in your country, or face our wrath. In that same memo Putin also declared Russia and the US partners essential allies on the fight against terrorism. So, Georgia 'dealt' with the Chechens and diffused the situation by October.
With the terrorists issue seemingly under control, Georgia found a new way to catch the world's attention as they became part of the route of the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan pipeline from Azerbaijan to Turkey. In May 2003, the construction began and America's interest in Georgia peaked. The pipeline was ill-placed; a mere 55km away from the South Ossetian borders, borders which were a target and source of grievance for those Ossetian Separatist rebels. The pipeline, predominately sponsored and used by British Petroleum and American Interests, cost 4 billion USD to build and the investment strengthened the ties between the US/Britain, Azerbaijan and Georgia, seriously excluding America's so-called 'essential ally' Russia.
Soon, Georgia's economic future began to “look up”. With the bloodless ousting of Shevardnadze in November of 2003, Mikhail Saakashvili becomes the new President and instantly began cracking down on smuggling operations in South Ossetia. It seemed Russian goods were passing freely into Georgia through South Ossetia. Georgia claimed to have lost an estimated $1.6 bill USD in customs revenue to the black market and smuggling. The crackdown provoked the criticism and dismay of Russia, the military and the Russian mafia, a longstanding source of revenue and goods.
By 2007, Georgian military spending had increased dramatically and they claimed the highest economic growth-rate of any other country in the world. Georgia and America became key military partners and analysts began to suspect preparation for a US financed war on South Ossetia and Abkhazia.
To further increase tensions between Georgia and Russia Georgia made pro-western bid to join NATO in March of 2008. As Georgia's ambitions grew and with Kosovo's recent declaration, Russia's plan to recognize South Ossetia and Abkhazia as independent nations became all the more urgent for them. US and NATO troops in Russia's backyard wasn't something the Kremlin relished the thought of. With western control of the Georgian economy, and oil being pumped from the Black Sea to the European market, Russian oil interests became less viable to investors as they saw they market-share shrink. In a strategic move, perhaps Russia thwarted Georgia's NATO bid by increasing internal frictions therefore fostering internal civil conflict, a provision that discounts an inclusion into NATO's. In a American show of support, Condoleezza Rice warned Moscow that America would deny any Russian intentions of under minding Georgia's NATO bid and not let them “win” in Georgia.
And so, we find ourselves on the cusp of a hot war. At present, the conflict has ended with a ceasefire agreement and South Ossetia and Abkhazia has been recognized by the Kremlin as being independent, something the Brussels Summit has since condemned as “contrary to international law”. Georgia and the west haven't recognized any independence and has left the situation exactly where it was in the early ninties. And so the waiting game continues as two “super powers” struggle over land and resources that isn't theirs. What will come next only time will tell…
More Stuff About Fluoride
HOW FLUORIDE AFFECTS THE DNA REPAIR MECHANISM
Epidemiological evidence shows that fluoride causes cancer. It does this in several ways. It can actually cause the original lesion. In each one of our cells we have genetic material called DNA, and this DNA is double stranded, it has a helix shape and these two strands of DNA are held together by semi strong bonds called hydrogen bonds. Hydrogen bonds also hold proteins together. Fluoride goes in and breaks those hydrogen bonds, and consequently destabilizes DNA. It can't cause a lesion in the DNA itself, but if it is in a site of the cell that regulates cell growth, it will cause uncontrolled cell growth. A few minor modifications will give you first a tumour, and secondly an invasive tumour or cancer. So fluoride has the ability to actually cause the cancer. We have a marvelous system of repair and rejuvenation. Even if we go out in the sun, even if we have a lesion by fluoride itself, we have what is called a DNA repair enzyme system. So any lesion caused by the sun or ultra-violet light will be repaired. The DNA repair enzyme system will cut off the ends and use the complementary strand to repair itself and make intact genetic material. The unfortunate thing is that one part per million fluoride, the amount of fluoride that they use in the public water system, depresses the DNA repair system by 50%. So they have attacked us on the first defense of damage to our genetic material. Since people can get cancer from so many different causes, fluoride is just increasing our chances of getting cancer.
HOW DO WE GET RID OF IT?
Now that you understand that fluoride should be eliminated, what do you do? How about bottled water? Actually some bottled waters have more fluoride in them then you have in your regular tap. Since they are not required to label the amount, you have no way of knowing. The best way to make sure your bottled water does not have fluoride in it, is to make sure it says distilled on the label.
What about carbon filtration? By itself, carbon filtration will not eliminate fluoride, because the molecules pass freely through these filters with the water. All that carbon filters do is stop larger particles then water.
What about boiling water? Boiling water with fluoride concentrates the fluoride, rather then eliminating it. The reason for this is because the fluoride is heavier then water, and while the amount of water decreases through evaporation, the fluoride does not escape. So if you were to completely boil the water until there were none left, you would have only fluoride, and other heavier then water chemicals left on the bottom of the pot. If fluorine is added to your water, and you cook in aluminum, it will cause fluoride levels to actually rise 100 fold, because fluorine will dissolve the fluoride in your aluminum pots.
What about reverse osmosis? Yes, fluoride can be eliminated between 85 and 95 percent this way. But there are draw backs to this. One being that the less you use this system, the more chemicals pass through the thin membrane used to trap these particles. A couple of other draw backs to this are the price. It is expensive for a RO system. And it also wastes six gallons of water per gallon of usable water. That's 6000 gallons a year wasted.
The best way to get rid of fluoride, and all the other chemicals in water that I have found, is a combination of carbon filtration, and a home distillation unit. It is cost effective, it is safe, it is not wasteful, and it gets the job done. Now if you remember how in school, you were taught that the symbol for water is H2O, then you know water is hydrogen and oxygen, and nothing else. What the carbon filter does, is eliminate chlorine, and other substances that cause water to taste bad. It also cleans the water as much as possible before putting the water in the distiller. Once the water is in the distiller, it heats the water up to over 212 degrees, which kills bacteria, cysts etc., and causes the water to boil. Chemicals that are lighter then water are discharged through a vent, and heavier chemicals sink to the bottom of the tank. The clean water vapor condenses on coils, and drips out of a spout into a clean container for drinking. At this stage, you are as close to H2O as you can get.
Interview: George Olliver by Michael Bell
“The Blue-Eyed Prince of Soul” George Olliver rolls into Peterborough this month, making a return appearance at the Dobro. George’s career has spanned a few decades making a name for himself across the country as one of Canada’s premier soul singers. In the 60’s he sang and played keyboards with the legendary Mandalas, only to find himself fronting and garnering some US interest. The band opened up for some major acts statesside including the Rolling Stones and Wilson Picket. Their debut single 'Opportunity' was voted #1 Canadian single of 1966 by the Maple Leaf Awards and was quickly followed by another TOP 10 success with the soulful "Give & Take. In 1967 George left the group in frustration and formed his first solo band George Olliver and His Children, which toured extensively in the New England area of the U.S. The new group never recorded however, and Olliver subsequently recorded an album for Firebird Records with another musical creation of his called Natural Gas in 1969. The 70’s buzzed by in a haze of gigs and recordings only to find himself in the restaurant business by the early 80’s when he bought into Toronto’s legendary Bluenote Club and became it’s musical director and house band. It immediately became known as the "Home of Rhythm & Blues" in the city. He brought such greats as Sam and Dave, Solomon Burke, Martha Reeves, Wilson Pickett, Etta James, Mary Wells .... the list goes on. During this period George recorded Live at the Bluenote and Dream Girl, the latter of which was nominated for a Juno in 1987.Peddle ahead a few years and George develops a love for prayer and gospel music. His first recording as a gospel singer, “Live at Unionville Alliance” gave him a new direction, and while maintaining ties with his R&B roots, he began exploring his new sound and love of God. His latest Gospel CD “Look Up” has recently won album of the year at this year’s Maja Awards and he took home Gospel Song of the Year as well. With all that God in his life, it's a wonder he has time to pursue his R&B roots with the Gangbusters... but he has and you can look forward to some of the best in the country. I caught up with George by phone....
Mb: So you're up in Peterborough playing the Dobro this month and you've played here before.
GO: Ya we've played a couple of times before. Its a great place to play. Good sound. It's a wonderful club full of classic people that really enjoy our show.
Mb: So what else has been happening these days?
GO: Well, I just won gospel album and gospel song of the year at the Maja Awards, which I'm very pleased about. We've recorded a couple of albums. One was a live gospel album and the new one is a studio album. It's not all churchy music, its full blown R&B.
Mb: Are you out touring the album across the country?
GO: Not yet, but were getting ready for some extensive promotion.
Mb: I imagine you're looking to play states-side as well?
GO: Yes, gospel music is huge in the states and its becoming more popular in Canada as well.
Mb: You've been at this R&B deal for a long time George.
GO: Ya, a few years.
Mb: How many?
GO: I don't really like to count. I just say 20+.
Mb: Are you still enjoying it?
GO: Absolutely. I enjoy playing R&B and Blues and playing for audiences that appreciate it. We were up for a Juno for best R&B recording a few years ago. George Olliver and Gangbuster... we recorded a live album in the 80's....Live at the Bluenote.
Mb: So what do you do in the little spare time you have?
GO: I have a family, so that takes up a lot of my time. I have two teenagers and an older son in Montreal and I'm concentrating on building my career. Having a family has really lit a bit of a fire under my butt, if you know what I mean.
Mb: Are they musical as well?
GO: My oldest son sang on my gospel album a few years ago, he sang 'Amazing Grace". But I'm not trying to push them into music for a living because its a hard business these days.
Mb; Did you find it easier to make a living ten years ago?
GO: No doubt about it. We used to play 6 nights a week, now were lucky to play 2 or 3
Mb: Less venues to play or less venues willing to buy live music?
GO: There just aren't as many venues as there used to be. The economy is bad and lots of places go out of business.
Mb: So what's the answer?
GO: The economy has to improve so restaurants and clubs can stay in business and so people have more money to go out more often and see music. So people can go to places like Dobro 3 or 4 times a week... and so Kevin can expand his club from 150 seats to 300 seats!
Mb: Absolutely. So anything else you want to say before we sign off?
GO: I just want to say, I hope everyone comes out to see us and that they will get a real R&B show. I don't want people to think we're playing Gospel music, because we won't be. It will be George Olliver and Gangbuster which is a great band with some amazing musicians playing classic R&B and blues. |
