Applying for a very humble job with the local city council.

To the administrators and elected officials at __________,

My involvement in municipal politics began when I was still a university student in Toronto: I started attending and participating in city council plenary sessions, and my name's appearance on the hansard was, for many years, the first search result that popped up when my name was put into google.

My reasons for studying political science at that time, my reasons for volunteering at city hall, and my reasons for applying for this job, right now, have always been to make the positive difference that I can make: most members of my generation are preoccupied with grandiose fantasies of political change on a huge scale, or in faraway places (there is, for example, always more interest in Syria and Afghanistan than there is in municipal politics).

What I learned, as a teenager, was that focussing your energy and effort on the difference that you CAN make is much more important than the differences you CANNOT make (however inspirational or grand).

In the years since my youthful attempts to make the world a better place in Toronto, I've lived and worked all over the world, before settling in Victoria (where I returned to university at UVic), and I've lent my efforts to a variety of political and charitable causes (from Cambodia to Saskatachewan, in brief).

I understand that I may be overqualified for this position (that only requires a high school education, etc.), but I'm volunteering for it with the same sincere interest in the positive difference I can make, on however humble a scale, here and now.

Eisel Mazard (Mr.)

You cannot learn from snow: you learn from walking in other men's footsteps in the snow.

 

Alec:  Why is handwriting such an important skill to you? Isn't handwriting almost obsolete?

Eisel Mazard:  Is it better by means of the hand to train the mind, or by means of the mind to train the hand?  People will readily admit that there is no training of the hand without training of the mind; but they are eager to imagine they can train the mind without the training of the hand.  You cannot learn from snow: you learn from walking in other men's footsteps in the snow.  These are the footsteps.

Chinese handwriting practice, and ETYMOLOGY practice, I suppose.

 

A brief Q&A on my (stated) alienation from Canadian culture.

[Question from a viewer:] Why do you feel more connected to a poverty-stricken country like Cambodia, rather than your birthplace, Canada, when you share next to nothing with the inhabitants of said poverty-stricken country? (language, culture, beliefs about a better society etc.)

What makes you think, that you wouldn't develop a kind of resentment towards the people and culture of Cambodia, similar to that, which you have for Canada, if you tried to get involved in their political processes? ————— [My reply.] Switzerland is not built on genocide. Canada is. Canada has a third-rate imitation of European culture, painted over the failure of British Empire colonization —and the "success" of British Empire slavery and genocide. That's not what Switzerland is, that's not remotely comparable to the historical forces (and cultural accumulation) that produced Swiss culture as it now is. You can repeat this paragraph with "Laos" instead of "Switzerland".

[Yes, BTW, I made that graphic and posted it as part of the reply.]

[This Q&A arose in response to the following video that briefly (and bluntly) states that I'm extremely alienated from Canadian culture, political institutions & society:] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5GlYcmf6dxU

Love is a way of living with other people, not a way of living FOR other people.

This is the denouement to my old video (that I can't believe anyone finds controversial… it's only two minutes long!), "When your gf dumps you because you're not vegan."  Link: https://youtu.be/KQuhGUuWgLg

Books I'm reading, and books I'm NOT reading…

A peculiar snapshot: I have very little time to read (in English)… and the tension of feeling that I ought to be studying Chinese (if not French, also) with all available time is symbolized, to some extent, in that first image, above.

Censorship for reasons blatantly untrue has become part of the drumbeat of daily life.

The Point of a University Education (vs. "The Vegan View")

Where there's a desk and a desk-lamp…

Yeah, BTW: I quit Twitter.  Forever.  Ages ago.

à-bas-le-ciel responds to his harshest critics (re: the "raw" policy statement).

[This is directly following up on the discussion already posted to this same blog as two immediately-prior text postings.]

Zdan ~  8:08 PM

As per what Eisel wrote above - I do not think that is needed here. This space focuses on something I deem unrealistic for the majority of people. If people manage to live that sort of life Eisel proposes - more power to them. They are clearly better human beings than myself. My interests lie elsewhere. I will still watch Eisel because I find value in his videos and approaches. That is all.

[…]

kovy_17 ~  8:12 PM

Regarding some of the stuff Eisel said above , I definately don't think it is good to have an overly positive attitude when discussing things, but at the same time it seems like a lot of people will be completely turned off to the conversation if you don't. But I think you can still at least attempt to be "polite" if you will ( lay off personal insults for example ) and still be very hard on your critique of someone . But yeah as it's his space so it's his call .

(Regarding "coddling" )

[…]

Azihayya ~  8:26 PM

@a-bas-le-ciel (Youtube name) Eisel--if you're holding yourself to a high standard, then I'd ask you to uphold the qualities of grace. As much as you might know, as much as you might have experienced, you aren't except from treating people with kindness or understanding. If to change people's hearts is truly your goal (as is mine, to change your heart), then I'll let you know: there's a better way than yours.