Liars....all of us.

This morning on the radio I heard a small clip from a Canadian senator being interviewed which made me very angry.  This guy's name is Mike Duffy and he used to be a television journalist before being appointed to the Senate where the base salary starts at $130,000 per year and is an appointment for life.  Well, this guy, along with several other senators are being audited for housing expenses they have claimed.  You see, he claims to live primarily in the Canadian province of Prince Edward Island which enables him to claim over $20,000 per year housing allowance to cover the costs of maintaining a house in Ottawa, where he works.  The problem is that he rarely uses his PEI cottage, has lived in Ottawa for decades and doesn't have a PEI health card or drivers license.  So the facts certainly seem to show that his primary residence is in Ottawa and shouldn't be eligible for a housing allowance.

Today, he said he would pay back the allowance he has claimed....but not because he lied, simply because he made an accidental error in filling out a form and wants this attention to go away so that he can concentrate on his job.

In other words, he lied.

What really angers me is not this one situation of a public figure lying; it's the culture of lies that we see everyday.  Let's think back about the various recent scandals which involve public figures telling bold faced lies.

Canadian Gov't and Public People

Peter McKay lying about the details of the army's helicopter pickup from his fishing trip.

Ontario Liberal gov't lying about why they cancelled the construction of gas plants to win seats.

Bev Oda denying wasting gov't money.

The Robocall election fraud scandal which the government has vehemently denied any wrongdoing.

The CEO of Orng air ambulance service claiming he did nothing wrong.

Every single person testifying in the Charbonneau commission investigating corruption in Montreal's construction business.

Conrad Black lying about bilking his company out of millions.

US Gov't

The greasy Rod Blagojevich denying he solicited bribes for making political appointments.

CIA Director denying he was having affair.

Look back at the news highlights and you'll find a similar story for a different person every week.

Sports 

Lance Armstrong brazen lies about blood doping.

Tiger Woods' lies about affairs.

South African sprinter claiming he accidentally shot up his girlfriend.

It's all so predictable. A public figure gets caught doing something wrong, immoral or illegal.  They vehemently deny wrongdoing, despite all evidence to the contrary. They go through a lengthy trial or public shaming and, in the end, sometimes admit they lied, but usually claim innocence the whole way through.

How can people do this?  Does a person's word mean nothing any more?  How can a person lie over and over again and live with themselves? It all seems so immoral and fake. How do you explain this behaviour to your family? Do you simply lie to them too?

I have always tried to teach our children that a person's word should be gold. And if your word means nothing, then what are you worth as a person? If you say you are going to do something, then do it. Tell the truth....always. Why do you need to lie about things? Lying turns your entire life into a game of memory, where the challenge is to keep track of which lies you've told to which people, and which future lies you'll need to tell to cover up previous lies. You also need to be prepared with fresh lies in case you are caught out, which requires some real fancy fabrication.

Why make your life so complicated? Life is complicated enough without a never ending stream of lies to keep track of.

I can say that I have never lied to my children or my wife (except maybe hiding a birthday surprise...). For example, the kids have asked me if Santa Claus exists. Well, I doubt it, but do I know for sure? Is it possible? I don't know, maybe it is, and that is what I tell them. I certainly like to believe magic may exist. In fact, the 90% of the worlds population who follow a religion believe that magic exists. If you can tell me to my face that when you die you are transported to an eternal paradise where you live in everlasting joy, as long as you followed a few rules when you were on earth....then I'm pretty comfortable telling you that it's possible there is a Santa Claus. In fact, I think my story is just as likely as yours. But that's another blog.

I wish that once, just once, when a public figure gets caught out, they would appear publicly and simply tell the truth, and ask forgiveness, suffer the consequences, then not do it again. Is that so hard? Better yet, don't steal or cheat in the first place.

So Mr. Duffy, try this line and see how it feels:

"I knowingly claimed false housing expenses to earn another twenty grand on top of my already generous salary and benefits. I did it because I was greedy and didn't think I'd get caught and felt okay doing it because lots of other Senators do it. Now that I'm caught I will pay the money back. If you want me to resign my seat in the Senate, I will, because I don't deserve your trust any more. But if you want me to stay, then I will never steal again and will strive to try and root out corruption in the Senate and prevent others from doing such things."

That wasn't so hard, was it?

2012 Lake Erie Sailing Trip – Day 15, Friday

We awake to another sweltering hot day, have a shower, then made a nice bacon and eggs breakfast in the yacht club kitchen, which is fully stocked, clean and cool.  We then head downtown for a long, slow coffee at the gourmet roasters, then browse the fancy shops, where Ana finds a selection of divine purses but miraculously does not purchase one, likely because it’s full retail price, and this does not jive with her bargain hunting ways.

Around noon we climb a very old cobblestone street and find the Ashtabula marine museum, which is full of interesting marine artifacts, boat models, newspaper clippings, a somewhat functioning pilothouse from a freighter, a replica of the work yards including a functioning model train, lots of local history books and a bunch of other stuff I can’t even remember.  One of the older gents working there was an encyclopedia of marine knowledge and happy to share, so we spent at least an hour and a half there listening to his stories and poking around.  We then returned to the boats and were invited over to Endeavour for happy hour.  I mixed myself a perfect gin and tonic walked over to Andrew’s boat, stepped over to his boat, completely missed the boat, and did an immediate four foot drop headed for the mucky waters of Ashtabula channel.  Fortunately, as I slid down the side of his boat, my speed was restrained by my leg skidding down the fibreglass, and then actually halted by my elbow catching the edge of the boat.  My main thought throughout the disastrous collapse was to save the gin and tonic, which I did, minus a single large splash and lemon wedge which hit Endeavour’s carpet.   But I really should have seen this coming, you see I have a habit of spilling things on Andrew’s carpet and thus far in the trip I had spilled nothing so I was definitely due. 

After a soothing drink and some ice bags applied to leg and arm, we decided it was time to head home, as the weather was good and we just felt ready.  We prepped the boats and at 5:30 we left the Ashtabula dock, and we would arrive back in Port Dover exactly 23 hours later, exhausted from the overnight sail, but happy to be home and once again feeling very fortunate to experience such adventures right on our backyard.

2012 Lake Erie Sailing Trip – Day 14, Thursday

When we were planning our trip this year I told the gang I’d like to visit Ashtabula, which is a harbour town between Erie and Cleveland.  We have passed it many times, and from the lake it looks like nothing more than a giant coal pile, a post industrial wasteland.  As expected, I was made fun of, and expected nothing less.  But the last laugh was to be mine.

We left Cleveland shortly after 5 am and had a nice, smooth sail all the way to Ashtabula, stopping only for a mid morning swim and bath in the lake, which was highly enjoyable, and something we hadn’t done nearly enough of this trip, mainly because of the rough water conditions.  Andrew whizzed past us at some point and arrived in Ashtabula first, organized dockage for us and sent a slightly humbling email suggesting the town was “nicer than expected”.

Arriving into Ashtabula harbour is gritty indeed.  On the right, after passing the harbour entrance and rustic lighthouse, is the said giant coal piles and giant loading machines which are as black and dirty as the coal that feeds them.  To the left is a network of railway lines and hundreds, if not thousands of rail cars, some of which were being connected to engines which produced startling crashing noises whose vibrations could actually be felt through the boat.  After about a mile of this you round a corner to find a lift bridge and a cute downtown area.  We wait a few minutes then watch the lift bridge engage and rise up high into the air, giving us plenty of room to pass beneath.  Our docks are at Ashtabula Yacht Club, just a couple hundred metres past the bridge.  We get tied up, plugged in and get the air conditioning system humming, which is welcome as it’s turned into a scorcher of a day.  We then wander into town and find a charming little historic waterfront area, which is full of cool restaurants, bars, and the kinds of shops often frequented by “ladies who lunch” selling items such as fancy jellies, antique furniture, history books, soaps which look and smell edible, classy walking canes, statuettes made of stone, expensive purses, gourmet coffee and cutlery and plates which look much too nice to actually eat with.

The men and kids find a nice chophouse, called Briquettes, to enjoy a premium beer, and after reviewing the menu, which included smoked brisket, St. Louis ribs, homemade coleslaw and corn bread, decide to unilaterally veto the originally decided upon dinner plans (cook ham and potatoes in sailboat oven, resulting in dirty dishes and a boat interior hot enough to melt steel) and return for genuine US style barbeque.

After a visit to see the lift bridge close up, which is nothing short of amazing, and a short break back at the boat, we return for a delicious dinner, then stagger back to the boats, have a quick nightcap and pack it in for the evening.

2012 Lake Erie Sailing Trip – Day 13, Wednesday

Woke up to a gorgeous morning, something we’ve definitely become used to on this trip, and decided to rent a car and do some exploring around Cleveland.  The Enterprise rental car folks picked us up at the marina, which was a great service, and after doing the required paperwork we headed off in our black Toyota Yaris towards the Cleveland Museum of Art, which is several miles east of the downtown area.  As we arrived we were surprised to find a beautiful suburban park with all sorts of interesting sites, such as the art museum but also the Museum of Natural History, a botanical garden, a large number of university buildings and the home of the Cleveland Symphony.  We first visited the art museum, whose centerpiece was a large collection of armour and weapons, tracing the historical development of armour construction and warring techniques.  They also had a large collection of Rodin sculptures, including two different sizes of The Thinker.  There were many parts of the museum under construction, but regardless of that, we still didn’t have time to see everything, but what we did see was excellent.  And like many museums in the US, it was completely free to visit, which is rarely the case in Canada, and I really don’t know the reason for that.  Perhaps there are more benefactors in the US, or people are more willing to leave money to cultural institutions?  What I do know is that every time we visit Ottawa we spend a small fortune on entrance fees to the museums and galleries there, which is sort of a shame as it does make it inaccessible to many citizens that can’t afford it.

After the art museum we scarfed a quick round of hot dogs in the park then visited the natural history museum, which the kids loved, as it had an outside section with a good selection of live animals, sort of like a mini-zoo.  Ana and I enjoyed the displays on the evolution of humans, and after better understanding the effects and results of evolution, it makes perfect sense that my family came from monkeys.  Though we’ve managed to shuffle off the cro-magnon man protruding eyebrow bones, we have certainly not moved much past the monkey like behavior.

We then drove back through downtown to see the West Side market, one of the oldest public markets in the US.  It was a perfect place to stock up on fresh vegetables and fruits, which was well needed as our vegetable selection back on the boat was down to potatoes, and I don’t even think those count as vegetables.  We could have spent hours there buying all sorts of delicious foods, but since the boats and our stomachs have limited food storage capacity, we dragged ourselves away and headed back to the boat.

After a lovely and refreshing swim we prepared a delicious supper on the charcoal grills, which were just beside the pool, overlooking the harbour where there were dozens and dozens of sailboats out racing.  Though we don’t often cook on charcoal, we managed to get it just right and the food came out perfectly, the main course being rib steaks and the sides including fresh tomato salad and green beans, roasted potatoes, and garlic toast, all done on the grill.  This was one of the best meals of the trip and we ate slowly, tasting and enjoying every bite, while appreciating the privilege we enjoy in being able to spend time in such lovely paces on such an amazing lake.

We finished off the evening with a trip downtown and explored Eest Fourth street, a pedestrian only area full of bars and restaurants, as well as the new Horseshoe Casino and Tower City, a high end downtown shopping mall.  We have seen a whole new side of Cleveland this trip and have a new appreciation for the city and what it has to offer.

2012 Lake Erie Sailing Trip – Day 12, Tuesday

Now well into our homeward bound stretch, we awoke at 5 am and threw off the lines for Cleveland.  The wind cooperated and we cruised down the lake, enjoying a nice ride most of the way.  As we approached Cleveland the wind picked up and a few nasty gusts rocked the sailboat, but she handled it well and before long we were safely tied up at dock at the Edgewater Yacht Club, one we had visited the year before, and had pledged to visit again, mainly because of the large pool which was being constructed.  Well, the pool was all done now, so after getting registered we went down and enjoyed several hours basking in the loungers and playing in the cool water.  I actually crashed out on a chair and, not being much of an afternoon napper, felt absolutely terrible when I woke up.  I took me a couple hours and a nice gin and tonic to snap out of it, after which we had a quick pasta meal then piled into Endeavour for a ride into downtown Cleveland to visit Shooters – the last remaining restaurant/bar from the heydays of the Flats, where the area was stacked with bars, clubs and, sadly, rampant crime which eventually forced the city to close down the entire area.

We enjoyed a few drinks at Shooters, and as we sat were treated to the arrival of a thousand foot freighter slowly and carefully navigating the small channels, which is especially impressive for onlooking boaters, knowing how difficult it can be for moving even small boats around in tight waterways.  After this we went on a nice walk around the area, admiring the amazing infrastructure, from the lift bridges, to the raised highways, to the railway lines, to the winding channels.

After Shooters, we cruised back to the marina, had a nice cocktail and retired for the night.

2012 Lake Erie Sailing Trip – Day 11, Monday

We decided to keep enjoying the easy pace and stayed another day in Vermilion.  After a wonderful bacon and egger in the clubhouse, we walked into town, checked out the marine stores, thrift stores, grocery stores, had coffee, had beers, returned to the boat for dinner, then returned to Linwood to sit on the beach and enjoy the most amazing sunset.  We then walked back downtown and enjoyed drinks and appetizers at an intriguing restaurant called Steak and Lube, an eatery devoted to the worship of all things powered by gasoline – race cars, motorcycles, airplanes, snow machines....and boats.

Very fitting.

2012 Lake Erie Sailing Trip – Day 10, Sunday

Spending three nights in the same marina was a record for us, so we were ready to move on.  We took off around 9 am, en route for Vermilion, Ohio, which was about a three hour ride.  We had a nice wind and good sail and shortly before arriving at our destination, we pulled the sails down and stopped for a nice lake swim.  Andrew passed us along the way so had the docks organized for us, at the Vermilion Yacht Club.  We got tied up and headed directly for the beach, as it must have been 35 degrees outside, so we were ready to hit the lake.  The club had access to a semi-private beach, which was clean and great for swimming so we spent a few hours soaking up the sun, then returned to the boats to get cleaned up before dinner.

The clubhouse had excellent kitchen and bbq facilities so we hauled our gear there and made a delicious meal.  While waiting for things to cook, we sat on the Adirondack chairs on the front lawn facing the channel watching the boats go back and forth.  Vermilion is probably the most scenic boating town on the entire lake as is consists of a network of channels weaving through the town and is home to many marinas.  To give an indication of the boating culture in this town, the central water tower, which rises high in the middle of downtown, has emblazoned on it the letters “Vermilion Sailors” and an image of an anchor.

After dinner we took the advice of a local boater and walked down to the beach to an area called Linwood, which featured an ice cream shop which quite literally propelled you back in time.  They served malts, old fashioned ice cream, had candy jars with prices varying from 25 cents right down to 2 cents, red upholstered booths, soda jerks, Slush Puppy machines and prices that were simply way too low to be believed.  Outside the shop was a big park which had many kids play apparatuses and a covered area with four lighted alleys of shuffleboard.  And everybody looked to be well off, happy and pretty much exclusively white.  The whole place had this strange, but warm, out of place feel, which started to make more sense as we worked our way through the park and found an iron gate barrier locking out the rest of the city living in present day from this enchanted forest.  As we exited the gates there was a giant sign identifying this as Linwood Private Family Park with access available to members only, or guests of members.  As guests of the yacht club, we were allowed access, but I guess it wasn’t available to the general public.  We talked about this a lot after the experience, and it certainly seems to be the rule that if you have money or status in the US, you get the good stuff.  If you have no money and no status you get the crap.  An ugly truth or just a misguided perception?  All I can say is, I feel lucky we were on the good side of the gate, at least for a little while.