http://afielding.tigblog.org/ What's on the minds of young leaders from around the globe? en-us http://afielding.tigblog.org/post/331299
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BHEO_fG3mm4]]> Wed, 06 Feb 2008 00:20:00 EST http://afielding.tigblog.org/post/331299 48.4333333 -123.3548.4333333-123.35 http://afielding.tigblog.org/post/250321

]]> Mon, 17 Sep 2007 03:18:00 EDT http://afielding.tigblog.org/post/250321 48.4333333 -123.3548.4333333-123.35 http://afielding.tigblog.org/post/172947

http://littlegreenfootballs.com/weblog/?entry=24924only

The response of the President says it all. He doesn't even know who is speaking, then feebly attempts to refer to the "UN Watch" while refusing to take any responsibility and threatening to strike dissent from the record. This is the UN, not China. This Council is a joke - whatever position you take on the Middle East conflict, the fact that it passes resolution after resolution condemning Israel while silent on Darfur, Chechnya, the Congo, Uganda and Tibet is shameful.

When I was working at the UN in Geneva (low staff morale would be an understatement), people would always ask why the bright young interns with fresh ideas wouldn't stay. This makes it pretty obvious. Diplomat's kids get cushy jobs, accountability is nonexistent and bureaucracy wins the day. The Secretary General is chosen for his unique lack of a spine (Ban Ki-Who?), while worthy candidates like Shashi Tharoor are left apologizing for organizational failures. But it's not just the UN, it's the member countries who function by nothing more than naked self-interest. Oh and in case nobody has noticed, there's a genocide taking place in Darfur. ]]> Tue, 27 Mar 2007 23:46:00 EDT http://afielding.tigblog.org/post/172947 48.4333333 -123.3548.4333333-123.35 http://afielding.tigblog.org/post/44367
Churches were attacked in the West Bank, there have been demonstrations, and the Pope reviled as another Hitler or Mussolini, despite his numerous apologies and calls for talks with Muslim envoys.

I don't support preaching intolerant messages, I don't support the US-backed Israeli policy in the Middle East (from 'security barriers' to bulldozing homes to the excessive use of force) and I definitely don't support the Pope or the Vatican. But why should Islam be immune to such attacks that can be launched at all other world religions? Christians and Jews are often criticized in less than flattering terms as infidels, crusaders or worse.

The way to fight such intolerant ideas is not to pretend they don't exist and ban these "taboo areas" from freedom of speech and the public domain, but to allow them to enter the free marketplace of ideas where they will be rightfully denounced, criticized and eventually discredited. This doesn't mean minimizing the offence taken, which is entirely justified and shouldn't be overlooked. But reason and peace must win the war over unchecked passion and violence. Just look at Martin Luther King, Gandhi or Nelson Mandela's struglle against apartheid - the hearts and minds of the world were won over by mass demonstrations, largely peaceful resistance and a patent sense of injustice.

Truth has nothing to fear. There are so many Muslim scholars are calling for exactly that - openness, reform, renewal and self-questioning. Indeed, if Islam is to be a religion of peace, it will win over hearts and minds by truth, reason and debate, not violent reprisals in the street.]]> Sun, 24 Sep 2006 17:21:00 EDT http://afielding.tigblog.org/post/44367 48.4333333 -123.3548.4333333-123.35 http://afielding.tigblog.org/post/43613
The beauty of fantasy is purity. The naked reality is complicated, messy, even ugly. To exist in a hypothetical, waiting in a transfixed dream-like purgatory, while outwardly reassuring, is to thirst for unquenchable satisfaction. Peeling off your salty past into purity. As turmoils of life perpetuate the illusive anomaly, drifting as we noiselessly fall. To a comforting, yet wanting place.

Where 100 years of solitude is, in a perverse way, rich and meaningful – comfortably numb, yet awakened by something deeper than exists. The greatest generosity towards the future consists in giving all to what is present.
]]> Mon, 18 Sep 2006 23:04:00 EDT http://afielding.tigblog.org/post/43613 48.4333333 -123.3548.4333333-123.35 http://afielding.tigblog.org/post/41320 Bangkok. Pulsating paradox. Noisy Zen. Buddhist monks in the ultimate red light city. Traffic temples. Modernity and globalization to the point of excess. Khao San Road backpackers madness, ubermalls, thai 'massage', tuk-tuk daredevils, redlighters battle nightmarket pirates for supremacy amidst ancient temples. Long live the mighty king Bhumibol, 60 years in, billboards more Mao than Mao.

But scratch deep beneath the grit and smoke. Spiritual beauty. I am farang, hear me roar. Conspicuous consumer.

Koh Samui. Spa, cleansing, peace. Full circle from original isolated beaches to beach resorts to nightraves and back to health sanctuary. White beaches. Zen and the art of motorcycle maintenance on the backroads. Enfin.

Cairns. Soulless drunken brit orgy. Tourism gone mad but no yanks down under. 'Irish' pubs, 'euro'trash clubs, back to an 18 year olds rebellious paradise. But beyond the madness there is a reef, living, breathing, wondrous in the world. Ancient sea turtles, laughing clownfish, pink cucumbers, splendiferous corals and oblivious sharks.

Cape Tribulation. Wow. Reef meets rainforest in unique moment in time. More tree species than Europe and North America. Humid huts by white sands. Cairns' anti-Christ. Escape.

Whitsunday Islands. Struggling against a tourist crusade, tranquil beauty remains. For now. Snorkelling paradise.

Noosa. Melbourne's oceanfront. Europosh, French obsession, cafes, parks and beach culture. Surfing virgins devour breakers, stanDing. Fraser Island, UNESCO's baby, the beach is the road, the park is the island, the tide is god and the dingo reigns supreme. Babies beware.

Brisbane. Brisvegas. Brisneyland. Brizzie. Either nouveau posh or alternative music buffs. Festival lights. So glitzy. Big city noise hurts deaf ears.
]]> Fri, 28 Jul 2006 23:56:00 EDT http://afielding.tigblog.org/post/41320 48.4333333 -123.3548.4333333-123.35 http://afielding.tigblog.org/post/40523
Best o' Sydney

1) Beaches: Big, brash and sunny, this city's salvation lie in its beaches. Bondi, Bronte, Coogee and Watson's Bay served up incredible surfing waves and spectacular views. Best beaches I've ever seen and the easy-going culture that goes along with it is distinctly Sydney.

2) Lingo: New additions to the Aussie dictionary:
Fair dinkum (Really? or Damn straight)
Strewth (Nice. or Word, for the homies)
Chuck a ewie (sp?): Pull a U-turn
Milk bar: Convenience store
Justice Gooner (after six tries, this is all the girl behind the bar could offer to my desperate pleas for a bloody pint, who is this famed judge you ask? Beats me, but after pointing out sizes for midis, pots and schooners, I determined her strange vernacular to mean Just a Schooner?)

3) Harbour and Opera House: Explains the confident attitude - amazing landmarks and they know it. Saw a weird Ausified contemporary Romeo and Juliet at the Opera House, with cricket bats, local lingo and everything, somehow pulled it off. Opera House was 14 years and about 11 times over budget, but worth every penny, esp considering it was built in the 60s. Amazing.

Worst:

1) If Melbourne is continental Europe, Sydney is something different. OK, I admit my bias here, I loved Melbourne's city, cafes, shops and culture so I found Sydney to be more like London or North America with fewer nice cafes, less of a music/arts scene and more of the characterless massive bars and pubs for sportsfans, and some harbourfront development is right out of Florida. But hey, beaches and landmarks and the people still make the city great.

2) Rough and tumble folk. Almost got in a fight whilst playing pool with some scary looking biker dudes challenging for the table, got out OK but made mental note to avoid drunk bikers in seedy pubs.

3) Public transport: Buses run by different companies than trains and monorail (Sydney shares this distinction with no one else but Springfield for your Simpsons buffs). So passes are transferable, buses don't arrive on regularly or on time, and there a NO MAPS of bus routes at any stops. One last example of Sydney's transport logic: there's a traffic problem on this road, so they build a mutli-million dollar tunnel to replace it, except they charge 14 bucks a time to pay for it. So nobody takes the tunnel and makes traffic worse and accidents increase. Genius.

Only hours from the beautiful game we've all been waiting for in a very emotional tournament, so Forza Italia for the storybook ending!]]> Sun, 09 Jul 2006 04:47:00 EDT http://afielding.tigblog.org/post/40523 48.4333333 -123.3548.4333333-123.35 http://afielding.tigblog.org/post/40207 Nick) and then Thailand and beyond (with Tomislav), but fear not, I will do my best to avoid boring details of many sites seen and unseen on the tourist trail.

Melbourne: More Euro than Europe

Modelled after the best of Europe, since Melbourne has far fewer landmarks than rivals Sydney, they try a helluva lot harder: arcades right out of Brussels, a new Federation Square much like Potsdamer Platz in Berlin, a mirror image of London's Southbank (but better) and the uber-Italian restaurants and cafes that are absolutely everywhere. Nick says all better than the real Euro equivalents, right up to the Cab Sav (Cabernet Sauvignon).

It's a bit of a mystery where this luxurious city gets all its money without any big industries (other than mining) but huge personal debt (Aussies love to spend to eat, drink and dress European), rich Asian students en masse and corporate headquarters (for mining of course) give it more overt displays of wealth than Canada could ever muster.

Aussie Rules Footy: Lingo of the Dingo

"Crikey mate, these daggie drongos are shocking. C'on Roos!" Yes, all words heard at the Aussie Rules Football between the North Melbourne Kangaroos (see picture) and Essendon Bombers game I saw last night.

Brief translation into Canadian: Holy sh*t dude, these hosers suck the big one. Give 'er Kangaroos!

Translation into English: Gor blimey mate, these manky wankers are dodgy. Come on lads!

Aussies shorten everything so Moraitis is Morrie, Come on is "C'on", Kangaroos are Roos, Fielding is, well, Ding and so on. Oh yes, and the team songs for Aussie rules are priceless, here's the Roos official song (in a strange polka-meets-dixieland 1950s style). Best to listen to all its glory here.

Now imagine 50-90 thousand sports-mad Aussies singing it 4-5 times over after a win, it's right out of the 50s and the product of a sport so isolated that the word cheesy just didn't figure into the equation. Gotta love it.

Off to Sydney today for a week where Nick is moving in to the Spanish Apartment and then Queensland and the Great Barrier Reef. People are incredible, weather is damn cold but starting to love this bizarro world down under. ]]> Fri, 30 Jun 2006 21:23:00 EDT http://afielding.tigblog.org/post/40207 48.4333333 -123.3548.4333333-123.35 http://afielding.tigblog.org/post/39822 Franziska's flat which has been great. Hamburg is much like Amsterdam with their very own Reeperbahn - over the top red light district, club district and flashing neon signs where cheesy does not enter the Hamburger (Hamburger? Hamburgite? Hambourgeois? Hambirgit?) vocabulary.

Amidst the rain, all seemed like a ghost town until we found the fan fest where thousands from around the world have come together for the simple love of fussball. So alike many UN Summits (country pavilions, cultural shows etc), yet so different and so much more genuine (just replace the bureaucrats with berts). Will try the 12 a side foozball table (where Bert might actually win), the life size foozball game (tie you up to the rows and boot the balls at Dutch faces) and the massive screen of course. Holland - Argentina for all the hype, was 6 degrees below ordinary.

Hilarious video of Brazil - Zaire in 1974 (9-0 for Brazil), when on a Brazil free kick...well you'll see what I mean.

Today is the day. If Italy loses, they're almost definitely out. If they draw, they play Brazil in the seond round (if impressive Ghana beats the US). But if they win, the thousands of Czechs will go home, hopefully without too much hell-raising along the way for Canadians dressed as Italians.

It seems the Czechs outnumber the Italians 10 to 1 but I suspect it's because the Italians are far too suave to be caught in (horror of horrors) football jerseys when it's not game day. Bert will stick to Prada, you know, just in case Rolling Stone Hamburg are doing a photo spread on the wurstel-eating inspired youth from Italy.

The sun is shining, Totti is playing, lil' Bert is pissing his pants, but we win today. Date with destiny. Pictures to follow... ]]> Thu, 22 Jun 2006 03:09:00 EDT http://afielding.tigblog.org/post/39822 48.4333333 -123.3548.4333333-123.35 http://afielding.tigblog.org/post/38841 Bert and it was like nothing I'd ever seen before - guitar bows, light/video shows and stimulating all the senses in more of a massive musical circus cabaret than a live gig.

Listen. away from distraction. http://emichrysalis.co.uk/players/sigurros/photostream/ ]]> Wed, 24 May 2006 07:00:00 EDT http://afielding.tigblog.org/post/38841 48.4333333 -123.3548.4333333-123.35 http://afielding.tigblog.org/post/36515
So the deeply intelligent, opportunistic, affable, often gentle and ever devious Slobodan, whom Clinton envisioned sharing a few whiskies, wins even in death. With the latest reports of Milosevic’s letters to the Russians claiming he was being poisoned, conspiracy theories playing into the hands of Serb nationalists will abound.

But who would want him poisoned? The Hague, thus depriving them of their verdict? No. The majority of the Serbian people, who want to join Europe and be free of the embarrassment of Milosevic? Not likely. Perhaps Slobodan himself, to die a martyr before justice was served and deal the final, cruel blow to the tribunal he was hell-bent on discrediting.

We can only hope that in the cases of other suspects like Mladic, Karadzic and the over 60 others can build on the legal legwork done in the Milosevic case to provide that vital precedent in international criminal law. But in our emotional reactions to evil Slobodan, we must also remember that in our vilification of Milosevic in the West, countless other Bosnian Muslims and Croats were guilty of similar atrocities in the bloodiest war to reach Europe since World War II. Finding, indicting and delivering a verdict for Mladic and Karadzic is not business as usual for the Hague, but so important to their very legitimacy and to the future of international criminal law.

What a shame, a bloody shame, that his devious smile is the image we are left with…
]]> Sun, 12 Mar 2006 08:32:00 EST http://afielding.tigblog.org/post/36515 48.4333333 -123.3548.4333333-123.35 http://afielding.tigblog.org/post/36446
An alarming number of these cases remain unsolved

Federal authorities acknowledge that 177 state officials had acted negligently. Not one of them has been brought to justice

International pressure works. Period. No government wants to be shamed on the global stage. So join the mothers of the disappeared and Amnesty International and turn up the volume on Mexican President Fox: http://noise.amnesty.org/actforwomen

Everyone who takes actions and tells their friends are entered into a draw for Make Some Noise prizes]]> Fri, 10 Mar 2006 08:58:00 EST http://afielding.tigblog.org/post/36446 48.4333333 -123.3548.4333333-123.35 http://afielding.tigblog.org/post/34811 Make Some Noise project, Amnesty International's latest campaign around music with a message and would love to see some more links and banners. All ya gots to do is cut and paste the HTML code after clicking on Banners here. Easy way to make an impact for human rights.

Guitar Soldiers



Barbed Wire Record:



More buttons, emails signatures, flash banners and all that shtuff is on the Downloads page. All proceeds go to support Amnesty's work to protect human rights worldwide so check it at www.amnesty.org/noise]]> Wed, 01 Feb 2006 07:27:00 EST http://afielding.tigblog.org/post/34811 48.4333333 -123.3548.4333333-123.35 http://afielding.tigblog.org/post/33249 here You can email your answers to Virgin Digital too. But if you're lazy and want the answers, check them out at http://weblog.sinteur.com
]]> Mon, 19 Dec 2005 12:17:00 EST http://afielding.tigblog.org/post/33249 48.4333333 -123.3548.4333333-123.35 http://afielding.tigblog.org/post/32976 Make Some Noise a mix of music, celebration and action in support of Amnesty International. Something actually cool to promote, and it should really take off as we launch new tracks throughout the year.

The idea is to use music and technology to engage a new generation in Amnesty and human rights. The Cure, Black Eyed Peas, Postal Service and Snow Patrol (with more to come) all recorded these tracks which you can buy - all proceeds going to Amnesty's work.

I've been working on this website and the content for a few months now in the Amnesty International web team and after many marathon days, crash-courses in coding, it's live! Lots of cool videos, very little text, far far away from the old Amnesty so check it out at www.amnesty.org. Also good to finally have a media story that writes itself.

Crazy journey, coming to London more for the fact that Nick, Alberto and Alice are here than anything else, and decided to postpone Law School for this thang. And London is...London.

So check it out and preview/download a track to help protect human rights worldwide
]]> Sat, 10 Dec 2005 07:53:00 EST http://afielding.tigblog.org/post/32976 48.4333333 -123.3548.4333333-123.35 http://afielding.tigblog.org/post/32809
Ah, but the people you say? C'est vrai: Bert, Nick, Terri, Maja, Titi, Adam, Jarra, Jen, Mike, Sush, Andrew, AtotheLam, Melina, Marouen, the Hustler, Maitreyi, Franziska, Master Pintilie, Sofya, Tom/ThomasTomislav, Eman, Mustafa, Tim, Abdallah all would not have crossed paths with Mister Camrose if not for the almighty hand of the WSIS.

But new fun awaiteth (amnesty.org/noise) far from the grasp of THE LAW. Oh yes, and someone wanted these lyrics so in lieu of recording devices, here's the words to the Youth Caucus Anthem, Part Deux.

Here's the story of the Youth Caucus
From the start to its fateful end.
It starts in Toronto, 2001
When Nick's still online at 3 AM.
With the backing of TakingITGlobal,
He meets Terri from IISD.
Enter Pearl, Maja and Alberto
We gots YCDO with the GKP.

Hey, hey, hey
Listen to what we say
Cuz the Youth Caucus
Will rock us today, today... [refrain]

With Maitreyi and 'Gbenga from PrepCom 1,
The Youth Caucus is taking shape.
With some weirdos and wackos along the way,
Phase I did turn out great.
Events, awards and national campaigns
And over 100 members in tow,
With a superfly paragraph, just on youth
We rocked the Geneva show

[refrain]

Enter phase two with a new cast and crew,
We gots Titi, Robert and Tom.
Bigger campaigns, youth awards and more,
And a brand spankin' new song.
Marouen's got things ready in Tunis.
With a new, improved Youth Hub space
With a little bit o' bling and a whole lot of blang,
We be bringin' it from outta space

[refrain]

(Freestyle, hip-hop, funk-jive medley)
Tunisia will please ya, you'll never wanna leave'a
When you be sipping that tea and smoking the sheesha
Have you seen the Hub? Can you feel the love?
We the Youth Caucus we can never get enough.

We gots DJs, and dinners, we demandin' some change
In a language, that only the youth can explain
So take your diplomats, bureaucrats and send'em to their habitats
Cuz we the Net generation, yo can you handle that

[refrain]

(slow, nostalgic, chris-isaak style denouement)
Now we come to the end of the road,
I gotta tell y'all the truth
You gotta find yourselves, a brand new caucus
For washed up, has-been youth

[refrain]]]> Mon, 05 Dec 2005 16:04:00 EST http://afielding.tigblog.org/post/32809 48.4333333 -123.3548.4333333-123.35 http://afielding.tigblog.org/post/32024
The good:
1) Youth Hub Space. Hot damn, the posters, presentations, videos, murals and panels look so slick and it's always teeming with energy.
2) World Summit Youth Award Gala. Yes, shameless plug, but it was a full house with some great flash videos of the winning projects, live DJing from Tom Middleton and a chance for WSYA winners - Tom Dawkins (vibewire.net), Ammu Irivinti (www.patentbattles.com) and Wilson Masaka Magambo (nairobits.org) - to rock the house. Despite some the voice-over not working, it went smoothly, and was good to recognize everyone behind the WSYA.
3) Side events. A full-slate of workshops and panels, in the Youth Hub and as parallel events, have been great, telling the stories of the inspiring members of the Caucus
4) A great Tunisian cultural night with local music, dancing (hilarious to see the macho guys dancing with each other!), sheesha (yeeha) and the rest. Once you get away from the Summit madness, there are many so hidden beauties in Tunis!

The bad:
1) Lack of A/C in the ICT4All space, notably the sweltering Youth Hub
2) General feeling of wasted money and resources, when you see a 200,000 dollar stand from Sudan as people starve, and the millions more spent for a three-day trade show which will all be taken down and thrown away. Sometimes seems more like a big fancy spectacle to show off your country/org/business, than a real desire to harness ICTs for development. But, I guess it's what you do in that framework and the National Campaigns and other partnership opportunities really salvaged the tech summit.
3) Missing some key people in the Youth Caucus, like Alberto Nardelli, our Communications Coordinator who had a work conflict at the last minute but had organized all of the media work in advance, Maitreyi Doshi who's been involved since the start, Terri back in Winnipeg (understandably so) and the scores of others who have worked tirelessly but who can't be here to celebrate!

The ugly:
1) The four-hour odyssey from the airport to the hotel. After being sent to register in the middle of nowhere which was closed when we arrived, we waited for 45 minutes for a shuttle bus to central Tunis. Then a 3 hour whirlwind tour trying to find the proper hotels (driver got lost, apparently wasn't "from the area", great), amidst the tightest security I've ever seen. Even the side roads are policed by scary military dudes with massive guns, which is great when your bus driver leaves and they come in to question you. Why didn't I just get a cab you ask? Well, the driver wouldn't let me and insisted on finding his way. So I get in at 2:30 AM to find my room has been given away and I'm forced to bribe my way to a new room. Welcome to Tunis!
2) Clampdown on human rights. Subtle but pervasive stifling of human right groups (Tunisian League for Human Rights), hassling the Citizen's Summit on the Information Society (counter-summit organized by the HR Caucus), and the general feeling of high security everywhere you go. What are we so afraid of?

Will try to snag a Ben Ali poster they've plastered the city with as a propaganda souvenir, and then take off on the weekend to see the Tunisia outside the capital. TIG Dinner tonight, tons of events today and then the closing reception tomorrow, so off to day two...

Alex]]> Thu, 17 Nov 2005 05:12:00 EST http://afielding.tigblog.org/post/32024 48.4333333 -123.3548.4333333-123.35 http://afielding.tigblog.org/post/27868 www.makecoldplayhistory.org and save thousands of unsuspecting music listeners from an hour of blah and a handful of cash.

That's what this website is about. Join the band of people who are taking action to make coldplay history. It only needs to take you a matter of minutes every month by downloading their music. And then deleting it. But it will help us to literally change the world.

MakeColdplayHistory is a DingBert Communications production.]]> Sun, 14 Aug 2005 14:38:00 EDT http://afielding.tigblog.org/post/27868 48.4333333 -123.3548.4333333-123.35 http://afielding.tigblog.org/post/27107
The network is offering short-form programming: 15-second to five-minute segments throughout the day, exploring the people, places and issues of relevance to young adults across the U.S. The channel is also allowing viewers to contribute their own content. Viewer content set to air on the network include Current International: Iran Underground, a look at the lives of young adults in Iran; and Current Video: Jumper.

Also on the schedule is GoogleCurrent, 30-second to three-minute segments on the topics that online Google users are searching for. Also shows on subcultures, spirituality, cultural trends, style, relationships, parenting, movies, travel and more, as well as programming dealing with news and protests worldwide.

For a generation shaped by the participatory nature of the Internet and new media, the idea is that Current TV will tap into what youth today are expecting when it comes to news, entertainment and current events. It also marks a key change in how mainstream media outlets see youth. No longer passive consumers of information, the interactive nature of Current TV recognizes a new information society.

If Current TV proves successful, it could open the door to many other youth-focused initiatives in government (what about a Minister of Youth?), print media (national paper focused on youth issues, or regular columns in established daily papers on youth), education (more interactive global learning using technology) and radio, to name a few.

So bravo to Al Gore for a long overdue youth television network that is innovative, interactive and current. I hope it’s a sign of things to come.
]]> Wed, 03 Aug 2005 06:09:00 EDT http://afielding.tigblog.org/post/27107 48.4333333 -123.3548.4333333-123.35 http://afielding.tigblog.org/post/25790 Mon, 04 Jul 2005 18:58:00 EDT http://afielding.tigblog.org/post/25790 48.4333333 -123.3548.4333333-123.35 http://afielding.tigblog.org/post/24184
From a rough beginning drowning in this completely new way of reasoning (think taking your brain outta your head, flipping it upside down and shoving it back in again) serious self-doubt, things did get better. Though the law will always have an element of dryness, I really believe it to be a powerful, concrete and tangible knowledge in a screwed up world. Whether it be human rights, international dispute resolution, policy, advocacy or simply defending the rights once trampled on, the ends really do justify the means.

That said, it's really the people who got us all through it. The University of Victoria Law School is said to be the most progressive in Canada, full of bright, committed and socially aware students. The atmosphere of collaboration, activism and solidarity is antithetical to the standard competitive law school environment. I'm gonna miss these folks...

Good to reunite with the inspired youth policy wonk himself Adam Jantunen from TIG internship/WSIS days as roomies and fellow politics geeks.

Off to London towne this summer to chillax with Alberto and Nick, far far away from the long arm of the law. So if y'alls gots some job connections, let me know. Or I could just end up busking in the streets]]> Sat, 23 Apr 2005 21:05:00 EDT http://afielding.tigblog.org/post/24184 48.4333333 -123.3548.4333333-123.35 http://afielding.tigblog.org/post/22037
Empires rise and fall, love waxes and wanes, passions come with pains, til nothing else remains. Belief in the unbelievable, unquestioning soldiers of a foreign being, watching without seeing, listening not hearing, existing only in fearing, in terms so very endearing. Confusion, self-doubt and continual madness until we allow ourselves to feel, believe and be generous towards the future by giving all to what is present.

Courage to peek out of the mold, climb into the cold, as the should takes hold. Embrace the unknown, have faith in what can't be explained, follow the heart and focus on the who. Find the right people and hold on to them too. over. and out.

]]> Fri, 28 Jan 2005 14:30:00 EST http://afielding.tigblog.org/post/22037 48.4333333 -123.3548.4333333-123.35 http://afielding.tigblog.org/post/20478
How can ignorance, blind faith and fear trump the rational minds of the American electorate? What else could dubya have really done wrong?

The economy is a disaster, unemployment rampant and a soaring deficit with no end in sight. Iraq is complete anarchy drenched in blood, again with no end in sight. Military spending deprioritizes health, education and social security. Osama and Al-Qaeda are at large. The environment is being destroyed at a breathtaking speed (rememer that Kyoto thing?). The UN, International Criminal Court, NATO, and multilateralism itself are threatened.

Four more years, but this time on a real mandate, and a fearless incumbent President with nothing to lose. Fasten yer seatbelts and just have faith, as blind as it is.

George Orwell was right; the best way to keep a population in check is to maintain a state of permanent warfare and paralyze people with irrational fear. Us against them, either you're with us or against us, national security, defiance in the face of danger, terror, terror and more terror. God help us...]]> Sun, 07 Nov 2004 18:53:00 EST http://afielding.tigblog.org/post/20478 48.4333333 -123.3548.4333333-123.35 http://afielding.tigblog.org/post/19136
Easily spoken, doled out as advice and rationalized to ourselves. Subtle decisions shaping everything but the ones we must make. Taking every possible road but the one we must take. Meaningless crossroads we pass each day, convinced of our melodrama and basking in its artificial passion. Sitting in the grass looking around thinking, where am I? Analyzing our salty past and convincing ourselves of a new purity. We should really delete the word "should" from our vocabulary and simply follow what we believe, what we feel. Should have will be stricken from the record, and history will not repeat itself. We will awake from the dream that is history and see things for what they are, not what we're told.

Emotion blurs the lines, obscures the objective history and speaks truth to power, truth to Truth. And if I end up in retrospect sitting in that blurry garden, at least it'll have been worth it.]]> Thu, 02 Sep 2004 05:05:00 EDT http://afielding.tigblog.org/post/19136 48.4333333 -123.3548.4333333-123.35 http://afielding.tigblog.org/post/17173
Strawberry fields, nothing is real. Understanding the issues? Pious recklessness ruins long lost hope, amidst the ruin that is humanity. We ask ourselves the questions we cannot answer, until the glaring response becomes our reality. We live in a mess of jambalaya, unable to separate fantasy from reality, CNN from truth. We are cogs in a system of an unintentional system that rules all, serves all, until we drown in sea of eternal enigma.

Circular, unending patterns of mathematical consistency, logic rules our waking minds, until nothing is real, everything is left to chance, destiny becomes hollow, and we are nothing more than ants on a log. Follow the leader, follow it to its logical conclusion. Roger. End. That's a wrap. Free as a bird...
]]> Fri, 04 Jun 2004 22:33:00 EDT http://afielding.tigblog.org/post/17173 48.4333333 -123.3548.4333333-123.35