Category Archives: Civilization

What they Don’t Tell You

Posted on April 22, 2016 by Raymond Alexander Kukkee
©2016 by Raymond Alexander Kukkee  

 It's a good thing you dropped into reality, Alice                                                           What they don't tell you, Alice...

 

Uninformed? What They Don't Tell You

Do you ever get the feeling you are going through life  uninformed?  Playing catch-up? Suffering from a lack of information?  The remediation for being left in the dark   and  discerning what they don't tell you (for whatever reason)—should be quite simple.  Clarify known  facts. Recognize and classify  observable anomalies and contradictions. Develop alternative models , including  an understanding of all relevant facts within reason. Question everything —as advised by Albert Einstein, then draw conclusions and re-question both the effectiveness of the deductive process and the value of the answer.  Repeat as necessary...yada yada.  Simple? No.

We wish it was simple to accurately discern and discover what they don't tell you,  but logic suggests deeper issues may be involved;  seemingly insignificant but nagging  little white lies of convenience, half-truths,  secrets,  and  fast-growing deceptions...all  of which may be selective wool drawn over your eyes, manipulation, coverups,  or attempts at avoidance meant to interfere with progress or mess with your mind.

The Path to Discovery

The path to discovery and enlightenment may be long and arduous  enough on the straight and narrow, but with adequate dilly-dallying  it seems  wide, wandering and easy  paths  more closely describe the typical status quo.  What they don't tell you  is that even  otherwise intelligent, resourceful people meander, glance this way and that, accepting,  adding and even promoting fanciful,  constructs of their own in their sketchy attempts to relay information to you, the lost.

A simpler approach  should be: Ask. Discover. Use logic.   Deduce.  Listen to honest folks only. Follow the straight path to discovery. Truth is just around the corner behind the white picket fence.   Let us try, but, alas...gaze down the rabbit-hole, Alice.

Wishes, Lies

With  a bird's-eye view  you now optimistically  dream up the right question.   Do facts line up within logic? Was the apparent response honest, or  clearly suspect?  If so, ask again.  Creative liars and miscreants and crooked politicians become nervous when questioned.  Complex webs of creative lies may have already been  proffered in a state of panic—a moth-eaten blanket full of holes,  further details of deception essential to hide the truth.   'What they don't tell you'  may soon become an inescapable quagmire of perpetuated  lies and distorted facts. Not simple to  remember or escape from, 'half-truths' become essential prompts.

Half-truths:  A plague

Interestingly, half-truths, political correctness and  'what they don't tell you'  are all signature fallout from the  modern  degradation of honesty.  Our  compromised,  deceptive but slick world suggests ' a plague of half-truths' and practiced political correct euphemisms are now more acceptable  than truth, as long as  feel-good 'success', status and wealth are achieved.  Half-truths are  manipulative  tools,  twisted fact, deception with  intent,  and imagined, childish  justification —the means to any devious agenda and further decay.  

Revelations of societal decay should not surprise;    traditional values are ignored; sterling values are increasingly seldom taught, are even less frequently practiced, and now, upon occasion, may no longer even be expected by anyone.

In an observable, vicious cycle, offspring  quickly learn  lessons of instantaneous gratification as opposed to being carefully required to observe, learn and understand values.  What have they not been told?    The young may not have been advised  that learning,  morals,  hard work, independent thought, charity, understanding and tolerance are essential.  Blind acquiescence to  the media, corporate power, greed,  and the dark side of human nature with  instant gratification are default lessons—at any cost.

What they don't tell you   is that  we have willfully failed to stem the flow of genuine humanity, wisdom and civility from our veins. We are complicit as we cheer and  emulate the 1% and somehow vote for  future generations of devious feel-good social manipulators, even the corrupt. In the media, we  listen spellbound to insatiable,  greedy, thoughtless, powerful, destructive,  and short-sighted ideologues posing as potential leaders.  What they don't tell you is changing everything for their benefit.

Perfection?

As we know , perfection  in humanity is not possible, nor is it simple.  We get that.   But why? What they don't tell you, Alice...may also be the ultimate answer you seek...

Is it any surprise  they don't tell you to think for yourself?

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Is that Incoming I hear?

Posted in Civilization, Ethics, Humanity, Life, Reflections, The Human Mind, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Epic Failure Cut Canada in Half

Posted on January 14, 2016 by Raymond Alexander Kukkee
©2016 by Raymond Alexander Kukkee [caption id="attachment_3684" align="alignnone" width="1024"]The Nipigon River Bridge The Nipigon River Bridge (rendering Credit MTO/MRC)[/caption]      

 "Why is there only one Trans-Canada route?"

An Epic Failure Cut Canada in half?  Too Easy!

 

Unbelievable! No, this is not fiction.  An epic failure cut Canada in half. For a short time, the failure of the brand new, Nipigon River Bridge  cut Canada in half. Unbelievably, this bridge is the ONLY link between eastern and western Canada.  The bridge transfers $100M in goods across the Nipigon River every day of the year, hauled by thousands of transport trucks and other vehicles in both directions.  In addition, Canadians cross this bridge daily, emergency vehicles, tourists, every bit of traffic across Canada MUST use this bridge, so how could a project, critical infrastructure,  so incredibly important to a nation —be allowed to fail?

Do politicians recognize how vulnerable this leaves Canada and Canadians?  Does the increasingly-demonstrated-incompetent Wynne government even realize the implications of  what has occurred?

Why is there only one Trans-Canada route? Let us ask that question again!

Why is there only one Trans-Canada route?

Bridge Design by Ego instead of Logic?

The  EPIC failure of the new,  ego-generated,  'state of the art'  cable stay (suspension-type) bridge on the TransCanada Highway (Highway 17)  just east of Nipigon, Ontario,  cut Canada in half instantly  on January 10th, 2016  without any prior notice.  Get that?

People were stranded on both sides in sub-zero winter conditions.  Emergencies were declared. Local c0mmunities responded by taking in travelers.   Worth repeating, Highway 17, the TransCanada highway, is the ONLY highway link between east and west.  It must be asked again, and again, if necessary,  "Why is there only one Trans-Canada route?"

Was this bridge considered suitable for Canada's extreme climate? Wind?  Was the bridge designed by ego and hot air instead of logic? The Nipigon suspension bridge is the only one of its design in Ontario.   "It will be a major tourist attraction, blah, blah, blah, "  is heard from politicians constantly.

How important. Political egos, apparently, are more important than safety, reliability and the transport of essential goods and services...

The Epic Failure: by bad design and Inept Engineering, or Failed, CHEAP IMPORTED materials?

The first half  (with only two of the planned three pylons and one deck, presently consisting of two lanes,  the future westbound lanes) of the bridge was in use. The  bridge had only been opened to traffic (used temporarily for both directions)  in November, 2015.  

The disastrous, epic failure resulted in one end of the bridge being heaved up about 2 feet (60cm) unevenly above the roadway, leaving the bridge inaccessible and temporarily unstable.   Huge structural bolts snapped.  

The bridge deck reportedly raised  about a half meter and settled back down, —but not back into place, leaving the bridge deck about 2' above the abutment ends and the highway grade. 

So —questions MUST be asked:

  • was this disastrous failure a result of bad design and inept engineers unfamiliar with the extreme weather in Northwestern Ontario
  • was wind a factor?
  • were improperly-tested, cheap imported materials from China used?
  •   Did the steel cables shorten in the extreme cold unevenly, putting undue pressure on the abutments, creating an upward slingshot effect when the bolts snapped? 
  • Why are the cable spans uneven (different lengths, on east and west?)
  • Were the cable webs tensioned improperly or unevenly? Is the design unbalanced?
  • Was it an on-site construction or engineering error?  
  • Even if the bridge is repaired, will the same thing occur with the substantially colder and more severe winter conditions of Northwestern Ontario? 
  • Why was the bridge designed with three pylons—to ultimately carry  traffic both eastbound and westbound on the same vulnerable structure,  —at the same vulnerable location —when completed?   To save cost?
  • Is the bridge even safe to use?
  • Is public safety now to be a major, long-term issue with this construction at this essential river-crossing?
  • Who will be held responsible for this epic failure? The Wynne government, which approved this project?
  • Why is a complete twinning of the Trans-Canada highway NOT a major infrastructure project of the Federal government?
 

The severing of the Trans-Canada highway, the ONLY link across Canada  is unacceptable by any stretch of the imagination.  Action is required.

Here at IncomingBytes we suggest that the FEDERAL government must, of necessity, become involved in the construction of an all-weather, fully-accessible alternative bridge link across this POTENTIALLY-DISASTROUS  choke point in Canada —and investigate the handling of the whole project.

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*update:  Single-lane traffic is now crossing the bridge slowly,  alternating directions in turn, being led by a "pilot vehicle".   Perfect. Traffic is delayed BOTH ways for an undetermined period of time while engineers and politicians alike scratch their heads to determine 'what went wrong' with this fancy piece of under-engineered  ego...... and how to REPAIR the famous, failed  bridge which cut Canada in half, —at a cost of $106 million dollars.  Yes, $106M of taxpayer loot.  Your loot.

How typical. 

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Is that Incoming I hear?

Posted in Business, Civilization, Economic issues, Life, Major Issues, Politics, Uncategorized | 4 Comments