Corporatism and Myth...

A society's myth is its collective memory. It is beyond constraints of time, it is outside logic and reason. The Haida referred to Myth time and Historical time. Historical time is the time we live in, the Haida defined this metaphorically as the village while myth time was the forest around the village. In this sense myth is external to our lives and yet it surrounds us at all times.

A while ago in university I was watching a documentary called The Cola Conquest. At one point in the film it referred to the story of the Mayan Indians in southern Mexico. Coca Cola has occupied a spiritual place in the collective myth high above that of a simple drink. For years, in religious ceremonies and spiritual worship the natives used their own black alcoholic broth made from corn as an offering to the Gods. It was their holy water and was used by Shamans in various ceremonies. Now, however, this has been replaced with Coke. The soft drink is now used as an offering to the Gods and as their communal holy water. The coke company, of course, has begun to market to this phenomenon.

When I first heard this I had an epiphany regarding my novel. The corporate already controls so much of what we think and how we order our lives. However, once they invade the realm of the spiritual and myth - they will have total control. How does one resist one's own communal memory and script of how things were when how things were is now in flux and melding with how things are?

It is the goal of any worthy corporation to penetrate as many aspects of our lives as possible. Subliminal advertising is already being put to use in Japan for pop. A person will walk past a vending machine and "hear" the sound of a cold pop being poured into an icy glass on a subliminal level. Myth is the final realm of conquest. It resists corporate co-opting because the corporate is very much a facet of historical time. However, how long before marketing execs conquer this? How long before our own myths and stories come complete with product placement? The transition has been smooth and complete for the Mayan Indians. Will it be the same for us?

Just some thoughts from a tired tree brusher on his last day off in camp.

The Bitter End...

Well, the day off after the 6-day shift from hell has arrived and things have taken a turn for the worse here in Ospika. The shift was fire hours (3:30 Am - 1:00 PM). But we disregarded that and worked multiple 12 hour days. I was beat, the bush has finally defeated me.

Justin arrived back in camp and I found out that I had been dropped a level, meaning I lose $10 a day. I was told by Pete that it had to do with my performance during the heli-block and the other Mackenzie block. All the levels are posted so all the camp knows, moreso after an incident a couple of days ago. I was cutting on a huge block and we were all rushing to finish. I'd actually been having a really good day: the temperature was good and so was my quality (stump height, herbicide application, etc.) We got to a point where we were flying through some brush rushing to complete the block for the day. Pat, a second-year French cutter was working treeline and he got stuck in some heavy brush, so I cut down and took over thinking I was helping. I was dog-tired and my quality wasn't good, I acknowledge that. When the day ended (we didn't finish the block), I was standing at the herbicide and gas cache getting ready to head back to the trucks. Pat marched down and proceeded to tear a strip off me saying my quality was horrible, that I'd been there for 3 years as a brusher, and that I was dropped a level. Right in front of all the brushers. It was completely humiliating.

I've always felt like an outsider on the brushing crew who connects with a few individuals. Now that sense of isolation is even moreso. He didn't have to ream me out in public and he didn't have to reemphasize my dropped level. He's an arrogant asshole whose pushing for manager in his next year. The guy's been on my ass all year with jibes here and there and I guess he finally had his opportunity to rake me over the coals.

So now I'm hyper-paranoid over my quality and how I operate on the line (we brush in a line). If there wasn't a completion bonus coming right up on the 31st I'd quit on the spot and fly out of this shithole.

There's just one 5-day shift left though and I'm just going to suck it up, remind myself that the brushing crew are not friends just colleagues, and finish this season when my contract's up. Earlier than I expected but I just can't stand things anymore, I need to get back to the city. I want to rock-climb with my new trad gear, I want to relax in Van, I want to see my family and Tracy and Emily, I want to start researching the article I'm going to write for Adbusters.

On a positive note - the one that keeps me going - things are really starting to role with the Africa preparations. Things are getting paid for and my flight is being arranged. Africa calls to me and I will be there soon camera in hand and notebook at my side should I be inspired.

Tired, filthy but relieved - signing off...

The Ospika bush-ballet continues...

Well, many things to report since my last post. We were working a ridiculously thick block here in Ospika (nothing but giant patches of gnarly and twisted alder and willow) about a week ago before we quit and drove out to Mackenzie for some other work. Before we left, when we were back in camp, I was taught how to use the quad. I rarely find myself taken with a completely macho boys' toy, but this thing kicks ass. roaring it up and down the Ospika runway was a ton of fun. I'll have to see if I can ride it again at some point.

In the way of books: I finished Ghost Wars a while back. It's incredible just how in bed Saudi Arabia and Pakistani Intelligence (the ISI) were with the Taliban and Al Queda. The back-room dealings in the book were fascinating. However, the sheer amount of bureaucracy and finickiness that kept the CIA from getting Bin Laden before 9/11 is incredicle. Considering how easily they funded assasinations and coups from WWII until Allende in Chile, it's quite a surprise to see them tied up in legalities when pursuing someone who's already attacked them a number of times. Judging by the recent terror arrests in London however, it looks like Musharaff [sp] has cleaned up the ISI to a great degree.

I've moved on to a book called Mountains of the Mind. It concerns itself with how mountains and their ascents have been looked at an perceived through the ages, it is quite interesting with many little tidbits that are grand. Consider this one: In the 1700s, I believe, Samuel Taylor Colleridge was hiking up England's second highest mountain. He chose a difficult and rocky route down and soon found himself hanging by his arms and dropping down onto steep ledges in his descent. After getting stuck for a while, and marvelling at the powers of reasoning, he descended a rock chimney and made his way down. It is generally considered the first rock climb. Colleridge! The first rock-climber - absolutely priceless.

So, as I mentioned before, we drove out of Ospika and went to the illustrious little outpost known as Mackenzie. It was nice to drive on soft pavement, see buildings and streetlights, and hear cars for a change after a month in the woods. It's interesting how marvellous the urban aesthetic, even if it was just Mackenzie, can be after seeing nothing but gravel roads and trees for so long. We finished a small block of fairly easy brush off the highway on our first day of work. The next two days we got to be flown into our block in a helicopter. The ride was very short but it was still fun and it broke up the monotony a little. The block was good cutting but steep in some areas, we only had 2 days to finish it so we pushed really hard. On the second day I must have come in contact with a bunch of stinging nettles and the left side of my hand is blistered up and burnt. I haven't been burnt by those since I was about 8 and I fell into a ditch on a forest walk in Qualicum. Nasty little plants to add to Satan's favorite plant which was in abundance (devil's club).

We drove back into Ospika today and I probably have 5 more shifts before I call it a season. It'll be long and hard work but I'm going to push hard, put my head down and just deal with it. Africa approaches and I'm already taking care of things at that angle.

Another thing, my full Cabinda article was printed in The Knoll. It's available for anyone to read at www.theknoll.ca . I've been mulling over in my head a good article I may be able to write in the coming year for Adbusters about the switch in world powers with the descent of America and rise of China seen through World Systems Theory Wallersteinian lenses. It's a project for the year to say the least. Right now I have to write an essay for school contrasting and comparing Mill's principle of utility with Habermasian consensus building. I really don't want to do schoolwork out here but it must be done. I've had some good thoughts about re-working the 4th chapter of my novel completely and I may start that out here as well.

Most of all, I have a lot of brush-cutting to look forward to for the next little while. The homestretch is not to far off and I'm starting to see the very dimmest glimmer of light at the end of the tunnel...