A Memory from Customs at Narita Airport, Tokyo

I had quite the experience while proceeding through Japanese Customs in 2002. After having lifted away from the thick, hot air of Seoul, I landed at Narita dead tired from the previous evening in the capital of South Korea. My introduction to soju was swift.

Picture a 16-year-old blonde kid, surrounded by Koreans and Japanese businessmen and families. Here I am stepping off a flight from Seoul... alone. As I approached the Customs official, the last remnants of soju reminded me of how early the flight was. I stepped up to the desk and handed the big Japanese man my passport.

As he sized up my travel stamps, he saw that I had traveled from South Korea alone, and began to interrogate me about my travels. Being as calm as any 16 year old in a Customs line possibly could be, I explain that I was staying with a friend in Korea, and that now I would be staying with friends in Niigata. He continued to ask more questions, and I continued to give him several variations on the same theme.

After a few minutes of this, he told me he is opening my bag to check through my luggage, to which I agreed. He cut the tie-wrap sealing the zipper and began combing through my clothes and souveniers. I had some whiskey and soju to give as gifts in Japan, but I had already declared them. So that was no concern! But then all of a sudden, the officer lets out a gasp as he pulls from my luggage....

A Maxim magazine! Nani desuka??? The tension of the situation rose at a very... unreasonable rate. He began speaking over me in harsh tones, and entirely in Japanese. I was able to make out "pornography?" in his words. So as he was asking me a question, I tried to reply that it is not at all pornographic! It seemed almost silly at the time, as if I had been called into the principal's office at elementary school.

I offered to show him the contents of the magazine, in order to prove my point. Then I proceeded to flip through the pages, showing him articles and some very nice--non-nude--photos. I even got a smile on his face. By the end he was convinced that it's all ok, and that the magazine is not what he'd expected. With that, the officer decided I was free to go.


He still took the magazine though!

Three Years of IPSA - Article from De Wijzer, April 2011

When I was asked to write a bit about my experience in Leuven for De Wijzer, I knew exactly what I would be discussing: The International Philosophy Student’s Association (IPSA). I want to share some of the experiences I have had while working on making IPSA all that it has become. First, though, l want to put out the disclaimer that anything I might have done to establish and build this organization would have meant nothing if it weren’t for the great people around me. So a big shout-out is in order:

If it weren’t for their encouragement, I would never have started (thanks, Stijn and the ’08-‘09 NFK praesidium!).

If it weren’t for their hard work, I would never have been able to lead it where it went. (thanks, especially, to the IPSA ANGELS of ’09-’10, Dziugas, Liesbeth, Ryan, Thérèse, and every other person ever involved in organizing IPSA!)

If it weren’t for their support and inspiration, I would never have had the will power to step up during rough moments. (Thanks to NFK praesidia of all three years, the faculty at HIW, and the people at LOKO International!)

If it weren’t for their smiling faces showing up at our events, I would have had no reason to do it in the first place. (Thanks to you all!)

We have had some fantastic times together. And while at times our organization does not live up to its true potential due to lack of initiative among many of the students, there are still these magical moments that make it all worth it. Last year was filled with them. For me, perhaps the most magical of these moments was the theatre/rock benefit event at which we raised 200 Euros for an AIDS orphanage in Mombasa. I will always look back at that night and be filled with inspiration and joy, and I challenge you to organize a similar event! This year has not been without its own magical moments. Our colloquia have been thought-provoking and inspirational to everyone present. The IPSA/NFK coordinated Open Mic held in March of this year was a success, both in quality and quantity. It was wonderful to see old and new friends freely expressing themselves up on stage, and of course it was a pleasure to do so myself too!

There are so many experiences that have built up over these years with IPSA that it would be hard to do it any justice in a brief article. But I suppose that what would really do IPSA justice is to keep it alive, keep it growing, and let it flourish under the care of new students. It has been exceedingly difficult to pass leadership on, however. With new students coming in each year, with absolutely no idea about what IPSA is or even what Leuven is all about in general, it’s quite difficult to recruit a new group for leadership each year. I think what most directly contributed to last year’s success was the recruitment efforts taken at the very beginning of the year: along with Dziugas and Efe’s great help at student orientation, the help of the legendary party planner Matthew Barton gave way to an infamous start of year moustache party. What was it that got the most attention? FREE BEER!

Alas, my time in Leuven is coming close to an end, and with thesis work dominating my attention it is no longer possible for me to continue taking the lead. I can only hope that other students will see the value in organizing themselves around the IPSA name. If you want an amazing experience that will teach you more life lessons than you know, and if you want to get funding while you are at it, then just make it happen! All you need to do is get people’s attention at the beginning of the year, showing the potential of a good student group. Read here: throw a good party, and they will come! Then you’ve got to organize and delegate. People have parties, nights out, soccer matches, reading groups, and so on all the time… why not organize these officially with IPSA? Why not accept funding? The institute website advertises their International Philosophy Student’s Association, so why not embrace it? It is waiting to become whatever you want to make of it. Challenge yourself. You might be surprised at what you discover… I know I have!


JB

(Original article posted on page 10:Three Years of IPSA)

Throne Speech: Stop Harper

A big respectful shoutout to Brigette DePape, who risked her position as page to the throne to make her voice be heard. It's too bad that she had to break her word to the queen and parliament to do so. Here's to hoping we can find alternate means to better representation in our fine country's governance.

This post is my response to Gloria galloway's article "Senate weighs security overhaul after page’s ‘Stop Harper’".

A quote from this article:

“I don’t have to tell you what would have happened if she had something else inside her jacket instead of a poster,” Mr. Tkachuk said.

The most important point to me, Mr. Tkachuk, is the fact that there was nothing other than a poster inside Ms. DePape's jacket. The fact that this young, politically active Canadian was prepared to sacrifice her position as page to the throne--not to mention her own reputation in future public endeavors--is a testament not only to the will of young Canadians today, but also a testament to the basic values today's young Canadians stand for. But most of all, the fact that she chose such a non-violent method of revolt is testament to the great hope we young Canadians have in continuing our national legacy of peace and liberty.

In the article:

Ms. DePape, who has been working as a page in the Senate for about a year and who was immediately fired from her job after being led out of the chamber by the Sergeant-at-Arms of the House of Commons, said she staged the protest because she believes democracy was not served by the recent election. Mr. Harper’s Conservatives won a majority with just 40 per cent of the popular vote.

Ms. Depape acted on an impulse felt by many after this election: something has gone horribly wrong with the democratic process that we have come to take for granted in our country. She had lost faith in the basic mechanisms we have set up in order to ensure our own fair representation in the governance of Canada. Let me be one of may to tell you: she is not alone in this impulse. Democratic reform was a major issue for many Canadians in the 2011 election. Many feel that the current voting system needs to be reformed, and that proportional representation needs to play a greater role in the outcome of future Canadian elections.

Ms.Depape sacrificed something to stand up for her values and for her country. I for one, will remember her actions as a highlight in the Canadian story of democracy.

It was a clear act of “contempt” for the Parliament that Ms. DePape had sworn to serve, he added.

Let us remember that it was contempt that brought us into the 2011 election in the first place. And let us note that our current leading party went directly from contempt to a majority government. Above all, let us be concerned... if not for who is leading us now, then at least for how we will be able to choose who leads us in the future.

I ask anyone who reads this to learn more about democratic reform, and get active by spreading the word, and contacting your MP about your concerns regarding representation and democratic reform. Tell them that the time for change is now.

Brigette DePape, a hero to some.

A protester holds a sign reading "Stop Harper" is lead from the room as Canada's Governor General David Johnston delivers the Speech from the Throne in the Senate chamber on Parliament Hill in Ottawa June 3, 2011. REUTERS/Chris Wattie

The Costs of War: A response to the recent Canadian Forces press release re: "Canadian warplanes drop 240 smart bombs on Libya"

This is my response to the CP article found here.


The article recaps the Armed Forces press briefing in which it is revealed that "Canadian warplanes have dropped 240 laser-guided bombs on Libyan targets since March 31". The article goes on to say that "Military officials won't discuss how much those smart bombs cost taxpayers, or how much the entire mission has cost to date."


So naturally I started wondering about this, and began to speculate. So I began looking into it.


The "227-kilogram, laser-guided bombs" to which the article refers are most likely none other than the Enhanced Paveway II 500-pound GBU-49, which the Canadian Forces began using in 2009. Refer to this Raytheon press release.


Now, I had trouble finding a price tag for these things... I'm not exactly experienced in seeking out the prices for weapons... but I was eager to get some idea of just how much those 240 bombs have cost us over the past 26 days.


I couldn't find an official press release stating the exact price, but with the little time I've set aside for this, I was able to find this Danish article, which states: "The Tactical Air Command reports that around half of the ammunition used so far is 500-pound bombs of the GBU-49 type, which cost 300,000 kroner each."


I went to www.xe.com to see what that equates to in CAD. According to Mid-market rates as of 2011-05-25 21:01 UTC, 300,000.00 DKK = 55,388.22 CAD.


So, to put an approximate price tag on these 240 bombs dropped in the past 26 days:

240 x 55,388.22 CAD = 13,293,172.80 CAD



I admit that I don't have an authoritative source on the exact price of these bombs, but I hope that nonetheless this little note will give you an idea of just how much money is spent "behind the curtain" of war.

Sublime - New Realization (Cover by JB)

I can't stop playing this song over the past few days... so I decided to upload it. I wish I could get better quality from my laptop microphone, but this is the best it could offer. Nonetheless... enjoy!

The Prague Blog: Part 1, The Experience

How can I begin this blog, except by exclaiming, PRAGUE ROCKS!!!

Now that that's out of the way, let me tell you about my week long Prague experience. First of all, let me note that I chose to stay a week, instead of just a few days like many of the travellers I met there. There are many things you can see and taste in 3 days. If you were to search out some list of the top 10 spots in Prague, you could probably get pictures of all of them in 3 days. But...

If you really want to experience Prague, then you need to give it time to reveal itself to you. My experience became real for me on day 4 of the trip, which was one day after the dreaded Prague pub crawl, an essential part of any young tourist's visit. If that was the farthest one can get from the essence of Prague, my experience the next day was probably about the closest. I started the day off on facebook, where I began talking to a girl I met at the pub crawl. We decided we would meet for Czech food at lunch time. We found a beautiful restaurant in an old brewery building.

Drinking Pilsner Urquell, we order beef goulash with plain dumplings and bacon dumplings. Amazing food, completely cured any side affects of the previous absinthe-soaked evening. For the rest of the day, the heartiness of this meal spread to all of my impressions of Prague.

Afterwards we visited the Spanish Synagogue. The interior was beautifuly decorated with geometric designs and 'arabesques', but unfortunately we were asked not to take photos. You will have to visit for yourself. :)

After parting ways with my new friend, I went to an old church from the Twelfth Century. It is actually several chambers and a courtyard, which is near the Narodni Gallery. NOBODY was there, except for an employee at a gift shop at the end of a separating hall. I had the entire place to myself.

So I walked slowly through the halls and chambers, trying to feel the residual memories of almost a thousand years of human activity that has taken place within these walls. I set my jacket and camera aside, and sat down for meditation in the grandest chamber. Any small rustle of clothing would produce a loud and long echo, so I stayed silent. All alone, just me and this Bohemian princess from the 1200's. What a world.

After the peaceful repreive to my otherwise quick-paced and social experience of Prague, I went slowly walking until I reached the old city centre. I arrived just in time to hear the great astrological clock announce a new hour. It was already the fourth time I had seen the show. Beautiful, but I wonder how many of those crowded-in tourists noticed anything past the cameras they held over their eyes.

Here is a 500 year old clock that is in perfect working condition, and can tell you the position of the sun, the moon, the stars, and the day of the month. As a nearby guide pointed out... let me see your IPod function 500 years from now!

I ended the evening by spontaneously buying a ticket to see members of the Prague Symphony Orchestra perform a selection. The performance was a wonderful way to cap off a great day, and to really do the city justice. Here is a great cultural centre of the European world. It came as no surprise, therefore, that I found a comic-book bar to be my favorite evening hangout! The bar is called Batalion, and is covered in the comic artworks of Kaja Saudek. If you get a chance check it out. www.batalion.cz

What can I say after such a day but jsem šťastný (I am happy)! :)