Fringe Musings

24.1.17

Video?

27.8.16

Thoughts On A Brief History of Seven Killings by Marlon James

Introduction to my “Thoughts on…” Series:

Before I get into the real meat (or kale for the vegans out there) of this post I’d like to introduce a new series of articles that I’d like to start here on fringe musings. I won’t call it a book club because I hate clubs, but basically on the concluding Sunday of every month I’m going to write down (and subsequently type up) my thoughts on a book that I’ve read that month. At the end of each article, I’ll introduce the book for the following month with a convenient link for where to purchase the book should you be so inclined. I invite anyone and everyone to join in reading these books, and would love to hear YOUR thoughts about the novel in the comments at the end of this post. Thanks for reading and enjoy!

Rating: 4.75/5

You’ll Like This If: you're interested in the social and political climate in Jamaica in the 1960s-1980s and how this shapes the lives of the people living there and/or if you generally enjoy beautiful writing and captivating character studies.

The inaugural book in this series of posts is A Brief History of Seven Killings by Jamaican author, Marlon James. In order for you to get a sense of how much I really loved this book, I’ll point out that I actually had planned on writing about Vladimir Nabokov’s Lolita today, thinking that perhaps it would be wise to begin with a classic, something that is fairly universally loved and is wholeheartedly brilliant. While I’m not claiming that A Brief History is superior per se, I will say that it had a considerably more profound effect on me, thus leading to my last-minute decision to discuss this book instead. Following the stories of a sizable cast of characters (you’ll find a four page character list that prefaces this book), this book is often touted as depicting the events surrounding the 1976 attempted assassination of Bob Marley (referred to as “The Singer” in the text), although it more accurately concerns the stories of several characters connected to the Singer in some way over two decades. The reader is subjected to brutality, violence, drugs and even the brief glimpses of hope as experienced by all points of view, during which we are immersed in life on the streets of West Kingston through James’ clever use of Jamaican dialect and slang throughout the novel. The majority of the characters are rival gang/posse members with connections to one of the two major Jamaican political parties, the Jamaican Labour Party (JLP) or the People's National Party (PLP). We watch the effect that these affiliations have on street life in Kingston, and more generally how corruption and desperation for power shapes the events that unfold over the course of many years. While the Singer and those closest to him represent a source of peace and hope, not everyone involved stands to benefit from the unification of the ghetto, leading to a clash of ideals even within factions.

You’ll hear some people say that this book can be difficult to get into and a challenge to make sense of initially, and while I disagree, I do see where they might be coming from. The litany of characters can make it onerous to follow, and without things being explicitly explained it can be hard at first to put together all the pieces of this fabulous puzzle. That being said, I would not call this a difficult read, and although some chapters were slow in that the plot was not necessarily furthered significantly, the beauty of the writing and the depth of character development were more than enough to carry you through the less eventful moments. If you are not one for depictions of violence and crude language perhaps leave this one on the shelf, but I would in that case, strongly recommend that you get over yourself and just read this stunning book.

This novel was not only an enjoyable and captivating read, it also makes you think deeply about the situation that one is born into and how this so radically defines who they are and what they do.

But in another city, another valley, another ghetto, another slum, another favela, another township, another intifada, another war, another birth, somebody is singing Redemption Song, as if the Singer wrote it for no other reason but for this sufferah to sing, shout, whisper, weep, bawl, and scream right here, right now.

- Marlon James, A Brief History of Seven Killings

Up Next: The Sympathizer by Viet Thanh Nguyen

What are your thoughts on A Brief History of Seven Killings? Any suggestions for future books?

21.8.16

Diary of a Lazy Graduate Student: Part 1

As it turns out, I really hate to work. I didn’t grow up thinking I’d be lazy, but then I really should have; all the telltale signs were there. I very easily abandon unfinished tasks without so much as a shred of guilt, all the while reminding myself that I am perfectly capable of finishing said tasks and am simply choosing not to out of some sort of obligation to a new, more important, undertaking. During my undergraduate degree I switched majors several times, in the end returning to my original venture as it turned out to be the one easiest to finish in the shortest amount of time. And because I was too imperceptive to realize my own personal shortcomings, I found myself in a postgraduate degree where hard work is a fundamental requirement. It is true that for the first year or two into my doctoral degree I drifted along without the threat of impending degree requirements, trying out various dead end ideas and dropping them when I realized that they weren’t going to work out immediately; but several years in and the reality of going over time looming over me like a dark, rain-swollen cloud had me going insane. “This just isn’t for me,” I would tell anyone who was suckered into listening, “it’s not that I can’t do it, it just isn’t going to help me get to where I want to go”. “And what is it that you want to do?” some of the more astute listeners would ask me; to which I would respond with a shrug and a knowing smile as if I’ve got it figured out. And so here I am, faced with the biggest dilemma I’ve reached yet: do I quit the most elaborate, expensive, time consuming “project” I’ve started to date? Or do I actually finish something for once?

I’ve been told that every Ph.D. student stumbles across this question at some point in his or her degree. This doesn’t make it any easier. I’ve been told that a steep, spiraling descent towards depression is normal at this stage; and while this may ease the pain for a brief moment, it certainly doesn’t make me any happier. I’ve been told that regardless of what I choose to do with the rest of my life a doctorate will be an ‘asset’ in the real world as it “demonstrates a series of important skills and a good work ethic”. To these people I force out a laugh and say that it merely demonstrates my poor decision making skills. This is where I find myself. Every morning waking up wondering what would happen if I just said “Fuck It” now. I imagine myself dramatically sweeping all the unread papers from my desk in a blockbuster-worthy performance, and walking out amongst the falling papers with a knowing smile on my face that implies I know I’m going to great things with my life despite my failed Ph.D. But let’s be real, we both know I’m not going to do that. First of all, I would almost certainly get a paper cut with all my dramatic paper throwing and whatnot, and what’s more, the incredible shame associated with quitting a degree like this four year in is enough to keep me treading water in this shit swamp for at least a little bit longer.

So now the real question is: why write this? That’s a great question, dear reader (notice the singular). I have no advice for similarly struggling students; no words of wisdom for how to cope with failure; no consolation for my fellow lazy adults who want to hear that we too can succeed (with minimal effort of course). My best answer is that I started writing it, and I wanted, for once in my life, to actually finish something.

26.2.16

To America With Love: American Politics Through the Eyes of a Canadian

I’ll preface this by saying that I’m not, and have never been, a political science major. I’m not even one of those people who’s “always been interested in politics”; I’ll shamefully admit that I’ve had to Google ‘libertarianism’ more times than I’m proud of. They say you should write what you know, so I guess things are really going off the rails here. Despite all of these, very good, reasons for why I probably should NOT be writing this; here we are.

First of all, if you are Canadian watching American political debates for the first time, get ready because it’s fucking wild. This is not going to be three relaxing hours of Mulcair’s seemingly Valium-induced smiles at the camera (I maintain that this is what cost him the damn election). It’s not even going to peak with some older men talking over each other in slightly elevated voices, trying to talk about key issues (I know, could it get any worse?!). Seriously, buckle up, because unless you are from Alberta, this is quite literally your first rodeo and you’re about to be thrown off that bucking bronco in the most violent, exhilarating ride of your life. Maybe that’s an oversell.

To an outsider, our prime ministerial debates largely consist of friendly-looking middle-aged people saying things like ‘Sir, I’m sorry, but you are wrong’ and similarly damaging insults. As Canadians, we know that beneath those harsh looks and gentle hand waving, there are very real issues that candidates differ on. This past election saw some truly exciting political action; being the longest in Canadian history - a whopping 78 days, a colossal waste of money – we had ample opportunities for embarrassing missteps and expensive (I’m looking at you, Conservatives) attack ads. And quite honestly, for me, this was quite enough drama. Though exciting, I take it as a good sign that we have not become a nation so divided that the major political parties have to differ so dramatically that half of the country’s population feels entirely unrepresented (I know that many people feel this way, but I assure you, by American standards things are just peachy). We need only to look to our southern neighbours to see the effects of this alienating, divisive brand of politics, that quite honestly, we inched closer to in our last election. Fortunately for many of us, we overwhelmingly chose the progressive option (if we consider Liberal and NDP to be the major progressive options), definitively denouncing the very thing that America is still entertaining. And really, most importantly, Canadians have the good sense to ensure that the election is finished before the hockey season really gets going, and we simply cannot concentrate on anything as silly as politics.

Now, I have no desire (that’s not true, I very much have the desire, but in this case I will bite my virtual tongue) to weigh in on who I would vote for in the election, much less the primaries, but as a concerned outsider looking in I sincerely hope that citizens are not being fooled by petty name-calling and ridiculous personal attacks. Creating a political campaign based on fear, racism, and hate should NOT be entertained, even if there are (few) sound ideas buried in the platform. It is quite frankly disgusting, and wholly alienates a large portion of law-abiding, hard-working citizens. Unfortunately, voting is harder than ever for this population thanks to measures put in place to prevent non-existent voter fraud. This is where, short of simply changing the rules that target the most vulnerable, making sure people are aware of any changes and requirements becomes all the more important, especially long before election day.

So please, dear neighbours – or ‘neighbors’ if you, like Microsoft Word, do not recognize Canadian spelling – we (mostly) love you, and don’t want to see you go down this road. I, and the majority of my fellow countrymen/women, hope that you make the choice to denounce these politics of fear and racism, become informed, and help to inform those who might not have access to the appropriate resources. There is still time.

And finally, in true Canadian fashion, I’d like to preemptively apologize to anyone who might be offended by my opinions here, and I’ll leave you with this as consolation:

19.2.16

Lead in Water: Why? Where? and What Can We Do?

By now we’ve all heard about the tragic water situation in Flint. To very briefly summarize, after a switch in water sources in Flint, Michigan, there was an increase in leaching of lead from old pipes in flint into the water, resulting in a massive exposure to dangerous levels of lead across the area. Unfortunately, for many of this a situation like this could hit closer to home than we realize, with many older homes containing lead in the pipe infrastructure that, depending on the situation, could/is leaching lead.

What’s the Problem with Lead?

Most of us (hopefully) know that lead is not good for us. According to the WHO, lead poisoning at its worst attacks the central nervous system and can, in extreme cases, be fatal. Even relatively low levels of lead exposure can cause adverse effects, particularly in young children, including complications in brain development that can lead to permanent intellectual and behavioural disadvantages. Even doses that were previously thought to be benign are now recognized as being biologically toxic by most regulatory bodies, leading to the ultimate cease in use of lead in various products such as paint, gasoline, and water pipes and fixtures. The unfortunate truth, however, is that the once pervasive use of lead has made it extremely difficult to eradicate existing lead-containing structures. The latest case of lead-related disasters that has caught media attention is the lead found commonly in pipe-fittings and solder connections for municipal water systems. While this inclusion of lead in and of itself is not necessarily problematic, (the leaching of these lead compounds into most water running through the pipes is low under ‘normal’ conditions) chemical and/or physical properties of local water supply can lead to increased lead leaching from old pipe fittings, leading to unsafe lead in drinking water as evidenced by the situation in Flint, Michigan and other cities across North America.

Why Did We Even Use Lead In The First Place?

Despite being biologically toxic, lead is/was actually pretty useful. Leaded-paint was widely used until the 1970s owing to its unique ability to decrease drying time, resist corrosion, and generally preserve appearance. Believe it or not, the use of lead in pipes is so historic that the term ‘plumbing’ was actually derived from the Latin word for lead - ‘plumbum’ (I personally can’t believe I never picked up on this). Lead was likely the material of choice for so long due to its easy-to-manipulate malleability combined with its long-lasting durability, making it a great long-term choice for large-scale water distribution systems. As was alluded to earlier, the use of lead in pipes is not necessarily detrimental, although certain water chemistries, namely presence of certain dissolved salt species and acidity/alkalinity, can increase leaching of lead from pipes, resulting in unsafe concentrations in tap water for some homes.

How Much Lead is Safe?

As with almost anything in chemistry, concentration matters. Despite the high toxicity of lead, we are all likely exposed to very low concentrations of lead, with no negative biological impact. In fact, test almost any municipal water sample and you’ll find that although the lead concentration is not identically zero, there is often little cause for concern. The most significant (and troublesome) source of exposure to lead through water is through the aforementioned water distribution infrastructure. According to Health Canada, the maximum concentration of lead deemed acceptable in drinking water is 0.01 mg/L, a concentration thought to be high enough to induce negative effects particularly in young children.

Unfortunately, there are places, even within Canada, where lead levels in drinking water from taps is higher than the national acceptable maximum due largely to the use of old lead in pipes and water fixtures installed pre-1950s.

So What Can We Do?

While the most attractive solution for everyone is to simply remove all lead-containing infrastructure from water service lines, this is a complicated feat. Many cities have put plans in place to replace lead pipes on city owned land; however, when it comes to private property, this responsibility falls into the hands of the homeowner; a task that is far too expensive for many. In light of this, municipalities have resorted to chemical addition tactics for reducing lead leaching from the existing pipes. These so-called ‘corrosion control plans’ vary by region and can range from phosphoric acid addition to the water supply thus producing a protective orthophosphate coating on pipe interiors, to pH increases by addition of NaOH known to decrease leaching ability. The choice of appropriate course of action (ideally) depends on inherent water properties in the region, as lead solubility is affected significantly by water softness and acidity.

Quite unfortunately, though not unexpectedly, this chemical addition has received backlash in some areas due primarily to lack of public knowledge about the chemical means of decreasing lead exposure. Public retaliation of this kind threatens to delay implementation of such measures, exposing thousands of people to dangerously toxic lead levels on a daily basis. Although I am certainly not one to believe in blindly trusting government officials, the fact is that years of science have gone into decreasing lead leaching, and what’s more, any addition of tiny quantities of (very safe) chemicals to your local water supply will most certainly be less harmful than the very real threat of lead poisoning. We can only hope that what we are currently witnessing in Flint will, if nothing else, help us to reconsider any reservations about current and upcoming chemical measures put in place designed to protect us, and motivate those that can to replace lead pipes.

References and Further Reading:

Health Canada: Minimizing Exposure to Lead

British Colombia: Resources Inventory Committee

City of Toronto: Drinking Water

12.2.16

Valentine's Day Gift Guide

5.2.16

Move Over Pluto: There's a New Planet 9 in Town

29.1.16

Our Collective Loss of Academic Integrity

Academic integrity is important. Obviously. You’d be hard pressed to find someone who would argue otherwise. Unfortunately, our collective loss of academic integrity is ever-growing and more commonplace than you might expect. Let me explain. Whether it is intentional or not, a lack of academic integrity is overlooked by your peers, teaching assistants, and even professors everyday. I’m not talking about forgetting to reference something in your report or essay. This, albeit careless and erroneous, is not an act of moral negligence in my opinion. The academic integrity I’m concerned with is the overall loss of interest in learning and knowledge in general that evidently compels students to commit mild (or not so mild) forms of academic dishonesty.

The truth is that the majority of students don’t want to be in school. Whatever external force is driving them to seek out an undergraduate education, it isn’t enough to make students WANT to learn. Most students have become so focused on the end result – the mark, the degree, the job – that they seem to have lost the desire to learn something they are interested in, independent of what they might gain from it.

Unfortunately, this sentiment likely sounds familiar to most of us. This attitude is, sadly, mirrored at the level of top scientific researchers, where the intense competition between coworkers over publication number and the impact factor of those publications breeds animosity and in some cases, even leads to questionable research practices. It is entirely about receiving sufficient funding, which only comes with publications, which only come with doing science that ‘works’. Do you see what I’m getting at here? The same problems that plague our whiny, mark-grubbing undergraduate students are also affecting the very professors that complain about them.

The sad truth is that with the dwindling job opportunities for researchers finding themselves in areas of “unpopular” science, it’s no wonder that students, even at the undergraduate level, are focusing their energy on getting a leg up on everyone around them. What good is it to learn about something interesting that ultimately will not be profitable when you are putting yourself in debt to do it? For most of us, this isn’t a financially sound option; how can we blame anyone who is ultimately going to need a career from which they can support themselves? Unfortunately, there is no obvious remedy. There will likely never be a turn of events where professors, and ultimately students, can be free to explore science and seek knowledge about something that they actually care about, barring a massive influx of funding for fundamental research of course. The real shame is that the best, most innovative ideas often come from people who are just exploring a field of research that they love, and without allowing the next generation of students to do that, I honestly don’t know where we’ll be left in 50 years.

1.1.16

New Year's Resolutions I've Already Broken

1. Be Healthy

This one is really unique (!). Let’s face it, most of us probably have some intention of being healthier, becoming more fit, eating more vegetables (yuck), eating fewer pizzas (yum), etc. Unfortunately, as evidenced by the fact that I am currently eating my way through a tin of cookies, and indulged in a greasy hangover-curing breakfast, I’ve already failed at this one.

2. Drink More Water

I really struggle with this one. I don’t know why, but I really hate drinking water. The only reason I haven’t passed out from dehydration (recently) is the obscene quantity of tea that I consume regularly. However, I do notice a major difference in my skin and overall health when I make a point to drink actual water. This one is cheating a little bit, because I’ve not completely failed at drinking water, but that can be attributed solely to the hangover I’ve spent all day trying to cure.

3. Cut Back on Sugar Intake

Yes, this needs to be a category separate from #1 as my chocolate love and general addiction to sugar is a real and serious problem for me (and maybe for the world). You can, however, refer back to number 1 for evidence of this particular failure.

4. Consistently Write High Quality Content for Fringe Musings

Based on how this current post is going, I don’t think I need to explain how I’ve not managed to succeed with this resolution thus far.

5. Rediscover Reading

Up until I started grad school I always had my nose stuck in a book. For some reason (perhaps the soul-crushing stress of graduate school?) I’ve lost the desire to read as consistently since starting my PhD, and I hate it. I’ve noticed that whenever I do have time off I rediscover my reading obsession, but I certainly find it easier to binge-watch TV after a long day rather than read a good book. In 2016 I want to make a conscious effort to change this, and get back to a pastime that has been an important part of the majority of my life. All that being said, I haven’t read anything today…but the day isn’t over, so I won’t say I’ve completely failed at this resolution yet.

In the end, we are only one day into 2016, and one day won’t make or break any resolution (unless your resolution is to do something every single day in 2016, but why would anyone ever make such a resolution…).

Bonus: I have also resolved to spend less money in 2016, which I have achieved by not having the strength to leave the house today. So there’s that, I can accomplish something after all!