Mississauga Musings

Yes, I know --the Blog entries are getting thinner. Sorry but other priorities --and pressing ones. Then there's our self-imposed deadline for Mississauga Musings to change over to a new location and we're trying to accomodate this. It's more difficult for this Blog because once we move, our year and a half worth of videos will lose their "embed" feature within The Mississauga News. Not good...

There are so many issues in the last few Toronto Stars --Poverty, Nursing Homes and now CyberBullying.

And then this (lesser) one out of the blue from The Mississauga News.

Kariya Park visitors concerned as stream dries up

By: Joseph Chin

July 12, 2008 11:26 AM - The scenic stream that runs through Kariya Park is slowly drying up, and it appears the City can’t — or won’t — do anything about it.

ACCCCKKKK!

Joe Chin quotes Lorraine Mederos, a retired nurse and Kariya Park's "Water Watcher"

“They [The City] must know about it, because City staff comes here twice a day to lock and unlock the gates. I’m no engineer, but it seems the mechanical pump isn’t working.”

Mederos said she’s been visiting the park almost every day for the past six years, and she hasn’t seen the park in worse shape as it is this summer. It just isn’t maintained properly, she said."

ACCCCCKKKKK!!

And then I read the retired nurse stating:

"'Even before this problem, the water was very brackish. I don’t know if it has anything to do with it, but I’ve noticed there are no longer turtles living here. Before, there were dozens. '"

ACCCCCCKKKKKK!!!

But not ACCCCCCKKKKKK!!! for the turtles --for the Koi.

And Mederos confirms this:

However, Mederos’ concern at the moment is for the foot-long Koi that live in the main pond across from the pavilion.

“With the water so low and the weather so hot, they must be suffering. They’re certainly more sluggish than they normally are. I won’t be surprised if they start going belly up.”

I did read in yesterday's Star that the GTA was expecting a major downpour --complete with high stream warnings. So I hope that the water levels are better now for Kariya Nation.

Yes, Kariya Nation, that's what I call the Koi, Turtles (red-earred sliders, painted and "Nando" the resident snapper), squirrels, birds, etc.

If I were Ms. Mederos I'd think about limiting communications with The Corporation to emails --and keep each one. And if I were using the phone, I might consider audiotaping the conversation to avoid "I saids They saids" (just like The Corporation does, and of course, for the same "quality assurance purposes").

If Ms. Mederos is deeply-interested in Kariya Park, I encourage her to file Freedom of Information (FOI) and I'll be only too happy to coach her on what records/documents to request from The Corporation. I'd do it myself --save (as always) I'm currently "maxed out" on the FOI's.

SPEAKING OF TURTLES THAT DON'T HAVE PROBLEMS WITH WATER LEVELS...

As we've stated many times --we're researchers of sorts. We research sea turtles off the coast of West Maui, Hawaii. After our successful experiment recording whale songs back in January, this week we tried to see whether our underwater video camera could record human speech. That is, could an underwater videographer successfully "narrate" during a dive?

Video: TURTLE TRAX TALK TEST - underwater narration (5 min)

(Click here to go directly to the clip on YouTube or Google Video)

DREAMZ...

It's summer and I promised my sister that I'd "leave" Mississauga and focus exclusively on sea turtles. That's one reason, I'm only doing two Blog entries a week --a need to get away.

But last night I had the weirdest dream.

Everywhere I went --it didn't matter where, Andre Marin was there. Yes, the Ontario Ombudsman. And it really was Andre Marin because I attended the October 31, 2007 "Right to Know Conference" and he looked exactly like that in my dream.

He never spoke to me --he was just always everywhere I was. I remember thinking in my dream how crabby my sister will be when she finds out that I can't escape obligations even in my sleep.

I could've sat down beside Mr. Marin at any time during my dream and talked to him. I didn't. (I'm forever "The Observer".) I just watched others approach and speak freely to him. And dreams are funny things --in my dream he'd look at me and our eyes would meet. And it'd be The Look of he knew that I knew that he knew that I knew.

We exchanged The Look several times during my dream.

Maybe Mr. Marin showed up because of all the hate mail I've been getting of late --the "haven't you got anything better to do"'s and the "F*** *** B****"'s. (Donald Barber had warned me to expect them.)

Now, this morning, thinking about stuff, I think I know why Mr. Marin showed up everywhere I went in my dream... And I think I understand his Look. He knows that I know that he knows that *I* know.

And that surely means that him showing up in my dream is telling me that because *I* know, that I have a moral obligation to Not Give Up.

And so, I'll show two of the most important videos I've ever produced over again --this time reviewing them as much for myself as for new readers. To Not Give Up.

First, Dr. Ann Cavoukian Ontario's Information and Privacy Commissioner "Right to Know" speech and why Freedom of Information is key to defending our democracy.

Video: Ann Cavoukian Ontario's Information and Privacy Commissioner "Right to Know" (17 min)

(Click here to go directly to the clip on Google Video)

followed by

Video: Andre Marin --Ontario Ombudsman at "Right to Know" (13 min)

(Click here to go directly to the clip on Google Video)

Signed,
The (I feel like quitting at least a dozen times a week) Mississauga Muse
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"Big Brother has his hand firmly planted in our back pocket – government revenues his lifeline; unaccountability his refuge." (Andre Marin, Ontario Ombudsman --June 27, 2007)

"We must employ every possible tactic to dissuade those who try to silence us with fear" ---The Mississauga News Editorial (2007-03-24)

Want, or need to learn more?

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