I need to get back to the business of creativity. I have all these wonderful plans, and only a few things left to stand in my way.

List of accomplishments:

a) alienate the arts community and stand on my own - check (I've done this before, and will probably do it again, and really feel that in order to create the bond and shackles of politics and non-profit funded groups have to be out of my life.)

• I stepped away from the conservatory teaching at my university because I really did feel (and still do) that it was just a club for people who think they are better than the average person. I am just as talented a teacher and performer as any one of them, and I have the degree to prove it. I pride myself on being an academic, and I will always attempt to stay away from the cliques and groups
• I stepped away from my university newspaper and gave it over to the next generation to run. The Quill has always been near to my heart, and I will always love the way it helped me get through some really tough times, but I've learned what I can from it, got some amazing experience dealing with a non-profit board, and managed to salvage a number of friendships that will last much longer than a copy of a university newspaper.
• I've alienated myself from the board of the local folk festival. I was an active member, I will never regret the time I spent there, but will ultimately always feel betrayed as those were the people who purported themselves to be 'different' than the classical arts community here in Brandon. It turns out, all groups, and all boards, whether they are they board of a university newspaper, student council in high-school or university, board of  the folk festival, or a group of private conservatory teachers are fundamentally a clique. I'm done with high-school When someone can show me a group of people who want to benefit the community more than themselves I'll join it. As long as it is non-partisan and people are willing to openly discuss opinions that may not be their own, but are entirely valid points.

b)maintain all the things I have already started - check

• this blog is back up and running
• my website www.naimeless.wordpress.com  is finished being designed, has some preliminary art work up there, and eventually will have videos and audio when I get all those pieces to their final stages of being music as well as visual/written art.

c) admit defeat

• I will never be good at Vegas - the editing software, but I have Derek, so it doesn't matter.

List of things yet to come

a) move - on June first

• paint before moving - walls stripped and plastered, now on to the painting part.

b) move piano to Brandon - hard to work without an instrument.
c) make enough money from art to work 3 days a week. (five year plan?)

ugh.

Clearing in the Trees

I have learned in the past, that people do not respect other people's opinions - even when it is made clear that it is an opinion. I'm not sure about anyone else from Canada, but I'm pretty sure opinions weren't outlawed, and it's part of my rights as a person to have my own opinion - even if it's wrong.

Case in point - I can like this article on a broken promise posted by Deveryn Ross, even if I don't like his politics. Just because I didn't vote for him when he ran for mayor doesn't mean I don't believe his opinions can be right from time to time; or that his columns may make people openly discuss the issues around public funding, politics and government spending. That said, that doesn't mean I agree with what he thinks are the correct ways to deal with said problems. That's the beauty of a free country, there are lots of opinions, and lots of solutions. Not everyone agrees, and not every choice is right IN FACT sometimes none of the choices are right or good and it is just a matter of choosing the least wrong one.

Here's an example, the way the mayor and city council have dealt with the flood. They've taken the stance of extreme caution, done evacuations and of utmost importance decided to keep those living in the area safe. They could have not evacuated the area of town most in danger, and as it turned out they all probably would have been fine. They closed the corral centre and evacuated businesses in an effort to lessen traffic around the dikes. This is all fine and good, makes sense to me. However, they are letting the corral centre back in on Tuesday (link here), and not the businesses north of them go back. When at a chamber meeting the council promised to be fair to all businesses in the area - what they've done, is allowed big box stores many of which are not privately owned, back in the area which will increase the flow of traffic, and 'the little guy' has to stay out for longer. Do I think this is right? Probably not. Is that just my opinion. Yes. Can I understand why small business owners like Patches and Memories are upset. Of course. Did the city council make the right decision? Who knows. That's what voters are for.

I've recently voiced my opinons on Ross's column and the Brandon Folk, Music and Arts Festival line up for this year. I'm not sure which got me unfriended on facebook, and I don't really care. I have an opinion. Is it right? Who knows, does it deserved to be talked about publically? Why not. Am I friends with a myriad of people from all political backgrounds? Yes. Do I have many of them on facebook? Yes. So excuse me if I enjoy discourse of a variety of natures. Excuse me if I voice my own opinion and all of my friends have other opinions. They may not be NDP, Conservative, Liberal or religious like you but they are my friends. I value their opinions because of the people they are, not because they are part of a particular group. So screw all of you who think I have to be of the same political or whatever stripe as you.

I am non-partisan, I am non-religious, and fairly anti-organized anything (this includes religion, politics and everything in between). It makes me extremely annoyed that certain people can't see past what is a suggestion, constructive criticism, and opinion. I believe that open discussions are useful and needed in every day life. I believe that people should be able to talk across a political divide.

This will not reach anyone who matters, and if it doesn't reach the cowards who can't see past their own skin, well so be it. I'll keep going, and my opinions, or the decision to even have opinions will not change. Neither will I. I am okay in my own skin and my own place in the world.

Recipes for Life

Here's the cover that won the elimination process.

Soon to be available at The Cinnamon Tree, Westoba and Crocus Credit unions in Brandon, as well as the tea room? in Forrest. It will also be available at the Relay for Life walk this year. $20.00 - and you get a piece of me (and 1000 recipes that will warm your heart - which is clearly the best reason for buying it). All proceeds go to the Brandon Cancer Relay for Life.

In other news - I get paint tomorrow, and then get to paint all weekend :D

Someone should pay me to have ideas

I saw an article on Slashdot about a prize for creating a real medical tricorder. . . which got me thinking. We totally already have all the tools necessary as a human race to do that, but just need someone to figure out how.

There are people employed by the CIC (formerlly the CIA) who wear body suits that are essentially one big computer collecting data on everything around them. It is simply the person's job to walk around and let the suit record everything. So theoretically, we already have a life size version of a tricorder as far as collecting data and 'scanning' are concerned.

Secondly, we have Google, and it's all about database ordering, which if you've noticed they're pretty good at. I and query a search term, and probably come up with both a) suggestions on what I'm looking for and b) relevant results that might actually be worth clicking on.

So with a simple interface similar to many iPad applications, or something like the amazon kindle - all we need is a satellite or Internet connection and the medical officer in the field has Gray's Anatomy (the medical text - not the show) and whammo, you have a tricorder. Now as far as interfaces go, that would be up to developers to create something that after scanning allowed the operator to put in visual observations that only a 'human' can see leading to a more accurate diagnosis.

It really is too bad that I don't know how to program because that would be a pretty great prize. Here's the link though if you're interested in reading more about the contest. Invent the medical tricorder-win 10 million dollars

I'll also say right up front there are some issues that my version doesn't address - yet.
A) In military zones, there's a good chance that Internet/satellite access wouldn't be available.
B) The contest doesn't say whether the tricorder is for diagnosis and treatment, or for treatment only. They do however compare it to star trek, in which case, I chose to go with The Original Series - which is a diagnostic tool only and the Doctor carries around a med kit anyway. The criteria do state that it would need to be as good as a 'panel of experts'. I think I've covered that by using an ordered database, and the ability to put in human observations. Also - even a panel can be wrong so the job statistically of my device would be to hold up to human error (in a truly mathmatical and statistical way)
C) This also touches on cloud computing as storing that amount of data on one device would be ridiculously hard - especially if non-western medicines are incorporated.

Anyhow. I want someone to pay me to just come up with the ideas, and the database ordering - which I'm totally capable of on an analytical level. Now, I just need a programmer.

Close to my Heart

I have to share this, simply because it is one of the kindest things I have seen done in a very long time.

My brother is getting married this July, and I'll be honored to sing at their wedding, which will mark my first public (ish) performance for a very long time. I had a dream about the song, so I'm singing "From this Moment" which is completely fitting of my brother and his wonderful wife to be Jamie.

This weekend, they had her bridal shower, and social (in true Manitoba style) in the middle of a blizzard, with half of the roads closed in Manitoba - to a great, heart-warming turn-out. Rather than raise money for themselves, they raised money to donate for a great cause, near to to many of our hearts. The money they raised last night will be donated to suicide awareness.

It hasn't been a great week. There were any number of things that went wrong - my tires got slashed, the other tire went flat, my windshield cracked for no apparent reason etc. etc. etc. I missed going to the social because of the weather, and my brother lost one of his groomsmen. His funeral was on Thursday, and rather than dwell on the sadness, they both chose to turn a really awful situation in to something more positive.

For a long time, I've followed and been a  member of To write love on her arms which is a suicide awareness/prevention non-profit organization. You can check it out at the link I've provided.

Thanks guys - for bringing more awareness to a really important cause.

Happy Beltane!

Well,

Here it is the first of May - and I've been a little lazy. I've also been busy (no excuses though).

It's -1 the first of May, and there's now a foot of snow on the ground. I drove to get coffee this morning from Tim's and was not surprised to see a mile of semi's two lanes long - blocking traffic on the Trans-Canada highway between 1st and 18th Street. So, I'm choosing to spend the day in-doors. (There wasn't really any choice involved :P).

As for the purpose of this post....I've been working on a cover for a cook book for the Brandon Cancer Relay for Life. It's reminded me again why I like designing :). So here below are some of the covers I've created as mock up's as possibilities for them.

Anyhow, I'm safe and warm - house sitting two lovely felines and reading to refresh my memory about Beltane (May day) Here's the wikipedia link - History of Beltane according to Wikipedia and here's an alternative article explaining it's history as a worker's holiday from the Marxists :)  worker's holiday in May

Happy reading!