MENSCHlife interview (Starts at about 25 minutes)

MENSCHlife - August 10, 2010 - Barbara Kay & Howard Jerome Gomberg from David Grossman on Vimeo.

Only 100 days left until the vote, do you know who your mayor will be?

As we enter the countdown to election day, I am increasingly concerned about the immediate and long-term consequences of our choice for mayor. While my respect for each of the front-running candidates has grown, my hope has shrunk.

The fact that each of the candidates has stepped forward and is willing to be subjected to intense scrutiny, criticism, attack and ridicule has won my appreciation but not my vote. The complete absence of imagination, creativity and inspiration is appalling. What we are being offered for this office is a collection of lawyers, accountants, bureaucrats, and professional politicians.

I want more. I want my mayor to inspire me. None of the hopefuls does that. This is the 21st century but the campaign might as well be taking place in the 19th. The complexity of the times calls for a new way of thinking, new ways of seeing, new ways of being.

These times may require a person who can see from the mountain top which way the terrain flows. A person who can anticipate where problems may arise and harness the wisdoms which make Toronto their home. 

I have spent all my adult life exploring who we are and what we may yet be. Our creativity and potential is enormous but we accept so little from ourselves. My challenge to you my fellow citizens is to see a much bigger view of our city. Open your minds, be brave, and dare to dream about the kind of city you can be proud of. Join me in the New Mind Campaign and let's have some fun along the way.

Please tell your network about this, the city is too important to be turned over to these small minds.

A New Press Release

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touching the elephant

Hail citizens! I attended the front runner candidate's debate at OISE. The subject was what to do about the homeless situation in Toronto. Hosted by Habitat for Humanity. As i listened to each candidate make their points, I was reminded of the old wisdom story of the blind men and the elephant: a group of blind men come upon an elephant. Each one touches the elephant and tries to describe what the elephant is. One grabs the tail, and says an elephant is like a rope. Another touches the leg and declares it is like a tree. Another touches the belly and says it is like a wall, and so on. Each one was correct. The meeting was like this, but in the description of the elephant of homelessness, none had the whole picture.

It seems to me that if we can get beyond our egos, we may actually be able to do something effective in regards to the situation. What we need is a mayor who is not afraid to say "your idea is better (or more complete) than mine, and for the sake of our city I welcome your input."

Keynote speeches

That Channel Interview

I'm on starting about 90 minutes in:

Another Press Release....

please click on the image for the larger version!