Mike Pearson's Adventures on a Pale Blue Dot

  A Collection of News Articles About Sam Fitzpatrick's 2009 Death on a Kiewit Project Squamish Chief Newspaper https://www.squamishchief.com/local-news/squamish-man-dies-at-toba-inlet-3338076 The WorkSafeBC report on the Sam Fitzpatrick workplace death on Kiewit project http://thetyee.ca/Documents/2013/04/07/Toba Inlet Worksafe Report.pdf Sam Cooper/ The Province Newspaper https://www.pressreader.com/canada/the-province/20120513/281655367103737?srsltid=AfmBOoqo12MWnxyhX_L0rJuuBG2Sj0Bf1uA9_hpqJ3GAayAoEeIpXs1e Construct Connect https://canada.constructconnect.com/dcn/news/others/2009/03/kiewit-rock-scaler-dies-at-toba-inlet-project-dcn032848w The Tyee https://thetyee.ca.nmsrv.com/Analysis/2019/09/02/Death-On-Job-Criminal-Trial-Contractor/ CBC Bethany Lindsay https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/bc-sam-fitzpatrick-death-kiewit-eleventh-anniversary-1.5469468 Construct Connect https://canada.constructconnect.com/dcn/news/ohs/2021/09/timeline-the-case-of-kiewit-and-sam-fitzpa...

I wrote this song several years after my friend, Brian Fitzpatrick died. Press play in the above Youtube video. For my friend, Brian Fitzpatrick ( Fitz) by Mike Pearson Brian's son, Sam Fitzpatrick was killed on a Kiewit corporation project in the steep mountains of Toba Inlet in 2009. Fitz and I went into battle against the giant American corporation when they refused to take any responsibility for Sam's death. Fitz fought heroically, and with dogged determination. The battles with the WorksafeBC system...The very flawed WCAT appeal process all took a toll.All the challenges were met with intelligence, good humour and the belief that we were on the right side. After years of bureaucratic struggle, Fitz finally persuaded the RCMP to lay charges against the company and two supervisors, Tim Rule and Jerry Karjala. This was a game changer...nothing like this had ever happened with a workplace death in BC. Sam Cooper's 2012 article in the Province Newspaper....this story g...

A man's beverage choices ...a rambling tour of the unseen and invisible. Mike Pearson 2024 Which beer brand is acceptable for the working class adventurer?...at the edge of possibilities, on the brink of self discovery. Beer divisions...beer types... sipping craft prototype inventions, or throwing empty Bud cans at stop signs? Which spirited booze with which beer...? working class choices. Those with feet planted and tense jaw muscles making a fuss about what someone else drinks...But...its not your tongue, not your mouth, not your belly. Not your call. Good try though...trying to make the world smaller and more tightly bound. Experiments with taste vs social safety Social safety ( the opinion of the group) Social status level vs freedom to choose a beverage. Don't make beverage choices outside of your social circle...unsafe. ridicule and exile for drinking the wrong beer.  It's so important to drink what the group approves of...to fit in...to be seen and invisible at the s...

by Mike Pearson The 1970's man ..the game was on. The rules were flexible...lax or non existent.  The groove was on. We didn't know that of course..how could we?...it was just days going by. But..but.. as it turns out...in after thoughts and reflections...it was the unfiltered and straight cut ever loving 19 fucking 70's oh Lord yes it was. We burned fuel.... gas,diesel and jet fuel like it was candle wax on the alter of Jesus Christ himself. I'm pretty sure that sex and the pursuit of sex was the whole  point of the 19 fucking 70s thank you very much and please pass the prime rib special with mashed potatoes that the road diner is serving tonight..  and oh yes please please, pass the lemon meringue pie...  Cars still had carburetors, woman wore mini tight skirts, perfume and smoked gleefully. We drove motorized land yachts and loved every goddamned  minute of it and wished to God for more. Son of a magnificent bitch .we had Lynyrd Skynyrd and Carly Simon and Jo...

by Mike Pearson This is total bullshit said the spider to the fly...it hurts to walk, it hurts to sit, on spinning a web, it hurts to try. Mr Spider, my wings are old and weak and do not flap, cried back the fly. Age has us all become decrepit and weak. I'd like to laugh, but I think I'd die. Old friend Mr Fly, I will engage...time has passed I won't deny, but I did not bargain for pain and age. The order for slow death I will deny. Mr Spider you are wise...it suits one of many feet as me with many eyes...but age we must and death we greet. Well then...You first old friend... And Mr Spider reached over and bit the head off Mr Fly. The many eyeballs of Mr Fly popped and crunched like so many bubble wrapped Gummy Bears. The morning sun was up and felt good on Mr Spider's back. It was only 9 in the morning, and Mr Spider wondered what he would do with the rest of his day. Written while involved in Alfred DePew's writing course. West End, Vancouver 2011.

Mostly Photos...a bit of commentary if I have anything to offer. I worked on the Segment One section in West Vancouver ( by far the best section...makes me feel sad for the other guys ) I photographed Seg 2 and 3 highway construction but don't know the details of what's going on..or what the individual jobs were called. South end of Squamish Brittania Segment 2 office was on top of the hill The mud flow was from contractors working to improve the stream ( with permits ) we circled around a few times just irritate them...they stopped working and while we were there. I gave them a copy of the pictures later Seg 1 ..just north of Cut 10 Seg 1...Cut 10...the South crash wall Larsen Creek bridge Seg 1 Seg 1 Larsen Creek Bridge to Cut 5 Seg 1 Eagleridge Overpass Seg 1 Cut 10 Digging and wall construction Cut 10 Footing and walls MSE wall at north ...