Year: 2019

If you believe in the science of climate change but recognize the spirit of humanity, we’re doomed

A couple of codicils and some memories

1. I was born at the end of WW2. I remember some of the ways things were done in the late 40s and early 50s.
2. I’ve known (although peripherally) some very independent people.
3. I’m as much to blame as many.

My family came from farms and farming communities. My uncle plowed with a team into the 1960s. His income was such that all his family went off to earn higher education. It is possible to survive on smarts and actual work

Well into the 1970s, I witnessed working farms cropping with horses. One was in the Bay of Quinte area and I understand was just too tight to spend money on a tractor. The other was working an alfalfa crop and the field was a bit damp. Apparently horses were a better MO for the conditions.

A couple of old bachelors I met did a lot of work we now rely on machines to perform but they did it by hand.
• one lived in a one room residence
• He built himself, walked the 3 km (2mi) to town for supplies.
• He split his wood with an axe.

• the other lived in a small house
• He trimmed his lawn with a grass scythe. It was at least as neat as mine after a couple of days.

Now none of us can scythe (nor even use a reel mower). Unless we live on a newer city lot, we most often have riding mower. Any of us still using wood most likely have a gasoline powered splitter and put up 7 to 10 chords.

I consider myself a red Tory from Bob Stanfield’s era. I remember back when before global warming became climate change and we called the problem the North (first world) South (third world) Divide. A red Tory (Joe Clark) said that in order to put things back into balance, the “north” would have to take a reduction in standard of living. That reduction was not small. It was suggested that a 30% reduction was needed to start setting things right.

Have we done that? No. We’ve actually increased our consumption of things in an attempt to supposedly increase our standard of living.

Will we give up our standard of living? Sorry, I doubt it.

We’re doomed

The Plaidneck

I was born at the end of WW2. As such, I’ve heard Rock music from basically the beginning. My take on this genre is that it is and should be a bit rough, a bit on the edge and fun

Listen to Big Mama Thorton’s “Blue Hound Dog,” Little Richard’s, “Tutti Frutti,” Jerry Lee Lewis’ “Whole Lotta Shakin’,” Ray Charles’ “What’d I Say” and Bo Diddley. Good hooks, great rhythm and definitely an edge.

Even Doo Wop, a less rough style of music still had an edge and was definitely fun.
The Marcel’s “Blue Moon,” the Coaster’s “Charlie Brown,”

However, it didn’t take long before the producers started to meddle. The music became sweeter, the musicianship had its rougher edges honed with orchestration and strings and extra voices added to smooth out the vocals.

Buddy Holly (from “Rave On” to “It Doesn’t Matter Anymore”) and Elvis (“Jail House Rock” to “It’s Now or Never”) both got orchestrated.

New groups came onto the scene; much more produced; The Supremes, Sonny and Cher, Beach Boys and etc. Smooth and produced. It was time for a return to rough

Then came the “British Invasion” which brought back simpler less produced arrangements (early Beatles, Stones, Animals). Although there were soft groups, we again had a bit of edge to popular music.

Unfortunately, producers again started to add more orchestration, but things also changed quicker (or at least there were parallel streams of rock). Think of the edge in groups such as the Clash and Ramones and the clean sound of the Stray Cats.

I enjoy many of the bands that are now played as Classic Rock, loud and although well rehearsed with a bit of an edge. Unfortunately, today’s bands of that ilk find it difficult to gain air time. We seem bombarded with show and dance numbers featuring a big name “star,” traveling studio musicians and very choreographed numbers.

Coupled with this are some unfortunate “revivals” of 3 score and 10 plus former performers being trotted out well past their prime.

My version of Rock has returned to the smaller bands with clean but edgy sound. Bands are out there if you look. Try some of the on line independent radio stations and look for yourself. A few years back, The Head and the Heart from Seattle had the sound. Today, I kind of like Beaches from Toronto, Middle Kids from Aus. and Wolf Alice out of UK

The Plaidneck

PS. It’s been 50 years since Woodstock so I’ve listened to some of the recordings of the day. Yup that was rough.

My mother was born and raised in Lanark County Ontario not too far from Perth. She had the Lanark accent and because of summers at her home place, I picked up a couple of area distinct pronunciations.

My parents moved a couple of times and I was born and raised along the eastern shores of Lake Ontario. Time eroded most of my Mom’s idiom, but some of my friends always detected the valley in her speech.

Perth had a very distinctive idiom. A memory I have from quite a few years back, when families watched TV together and Canada had a “reach for the top” type of show, we watched as Perth Collegiate took on another highschool. All the PCI students had the Lanark/Perth accent. One; however, had a very distinct variation.

My mother said she knew exactly where he came from. She named the corner so had the Concession and was within a few lots.

Places had their way of pronouncing words, expressing ideas with some distinct phrases

One of the stories I heard (from my great-aunt) was about my grandparents. The grandmother’s family was a bit leery of my grandfather and his family because “they talked funny.” The two families were raised probably less than 10 km apart.

Unfortunately this local flavour is disappearing. A few years back I was just outside Perth with a group of business friends. There was a group of young men from Perth nearby. Only one sounded even close to the sound of my mother’s family.

Today, there was a CBC radio interview of a young man from Perth. He said he was born and raised in Perth. I detected no accent at all. I may still miss some of the subtleties because of childhood acculturation, but contend that there was no Lanark in the man’s speech.

Radio. Tv and people from outside the area have pretty well wiped out a distinctive and pleasant sound from another part of rural Ontario.

I for one miss the diverseness.

The Plaidneck