Yearning Mice on Fire

The Cadidates for SD&G.

2011-03-28T12:37:00.003-04:00

For the riding of Stormont—Dundas—South Glengarry here are the current candidate in the 41st Canadian Federal Election on May 2, 2011:

Bernadette Clement our liberal hopeful. Hopefully that you're campain will get underway soon and the liberal.ca website might have your bio posted.{sigh}

Mario Leclerc, our NDP Candidate. Interesting to read his comments in the seaway valley news, but alas, no website that I can find yet. At least you have as many signs up as your con-petition. Ouch, not punny.

Wyatt Walsh will be running for the greens in our fair county. Looking forward to hearing some alternative ideas for Canada, maybe even a vision of the future that is bright?

And let's not forget Guy Lauzon, appearing by special order of her Majesty's secret Harper government. I don't suspect that anyone will notice the lack of getting things done around here, or just what the massive corporate tax cuts and resulting deficit will do to Cornwall. Hard to tell the differencebetween election website and government website since the HARPER government turned everything blue and posts pictures of HARPER all over it.

More will come as the candidates have to be nominated by April 13th!

The 2011 Conservative Budget Election

2011-03-24T13:02:00.000-04:00

As the last post indicated, sure there were some bones thrown to seniors and others in the budget this week.

For a more in depth look at the budget take a look at Canada's 45 Minute Budget from the Centre for Policy Alternatives. They point out a few things to not like in the budget but the one I really picked up upon were the unknown poison pills. Those unspecified budgetary cuts to make up shortfalls. What do you think the cons might want to cut?

I can make guesses but do you really want to just give them a blank cheque? Assume that things will be wonderful in 6 months? I don't care which party you might support, I'm sure you want things to be spelled out.

Here is a thought, principal, and purpose. Give me some of those and stick to them and I'll vote for you!

2011-03-23T08:17:00.000-04:00


Some perspective on Conservative Priorities #cdnpoli #bdgt2011 http://twitpic.com/4c8biw

The 2011 Canadian Election is going to be an interesting one. Will the crumbs thrown to people not interested enough to pay attention help the conservatives?

Will years of balance budgets, and good tax policy in the 90s ever count again, or will simple take with one hand but give back a little with the other hand win the day?

Tax and spend conservatives will tell you it is the other guys fault, but just how much more of this idiocy can we take? Maybe if the cons had a plan, a vision, a direction to the future but all they seem to want is to tear apart Canada and set us up as a corporate welfare state.Beyond dismantling everything but what they think might protect them from pissing in their pants, do they have any plan for Canada? The economy is all we hear them talking about, but really what they have done for the economy is made profits easier to get on the backs of Canadians.

At least the cons could do something radical and propose an elimination of tax on corporations and a flat tax on everything else. Of course, they won't. Stevie is too concerned about his own power, his own little world.

Canadian Tire - Bait and Switch Sale

2010-10-25T13:24:00.004-04:00

Saturday we headed into town to pick up a few things including tarps. When the TSC first came to town it was the best place to get decent, heavy duty tarps for a good price. For some reason the last 6 months the TSC has gone from a farm store to trying to compete with Canadian Tire. We needed a farm store, instead we get a clone of our local not so great Canadian Tire.

Since TSC didn't have the size or strength tarps we needed, we decided to stop at CT to see if they, on the absolute off chance, had any heavy duty tarps. They didn't but they did have tarps on sale. Not great tarps but cheap. We head for the tarp aisle to find that they haven't bothered to actually stock the tarps that are on sale. They have a lot of the really crappy expensive tarps on the shelf but none of the ones on sale.

We're not the only people looking for these tarps so a stock person is contacted. Boy is he pissed that he has to come out and do any work. OF course the first thing he does is go through the pile of incorrect size tarps as if we, the customer, were to stupid to check there first. He finally gets out his inventory checker and declares yes there are some in the back, then he huffs off to check for them.

Ten minutes later he comes out with 1 tarp for us and another for the other customer. We tell him we need two more. God, if looks could kill. Another ten minutes and a different, younger man, comes out with 8 of the correct size tarps and stocks the shelf, after giving us the other two we needed. Which means that for a 3 day weekend sale they now have a grand total of 6 tarps on the shelf.

While looking for ice trays we over heard another stock person telling another customer that they didn't have any of another sale item in stock. Who's brilliant idea is it to put something on sale that you either don't have in stock or have a very low number in stock. I think it is a form of bait and switch. Put something on sale and hope the customer buys a different, higher priced item, when it turns out there is none of the sale items in stock.

Somebody, somewhere, must think this is a great way to promote sales. I think it is cheap, lousy, and considering the attitude of the stock people a really poor idea. I just hope it back fires and these companies finally wake up and start offering good customer service.

The Morans of Bruce County

2010-08-20T08:23:00.001-04:00

Just finished listening to a CBC radio news report from Bruce County an area here in Ontario. I must say the anti-wind crowd gets more desperate not to see wind turbines every day.

A word of warning, using health concerns to block a project that only affects your visual appeal or property value is an extremely dangerous game to play. We already have issues with drugs that may not work. Workplace safety that is costing tonnes of money through people using it to get back at employers. (That one is a particular pet peeve of mine where the loudest people miss the point of a safety committee)

Don't forget we do have legitimate concerns regarding things like BPA, pandemics(even if the last one was a bust) and antibiotic resistant bacteria! To get back to topic, how about the fact that the world is melting and we are seriously screwed for fresh water in most of the world?

Let's take a look at some of the paraphrased quotes from the report:

Monstrous 2.5 KW generators

Let's see, that sounds like someone concerned more about the size of the generator than any so-called health effects for his constituents. One wonders if he has family related to the folks in Cape Cod? You know the ones, the ones with 10 million dollar homes who might have to see a turbine 5 or more miles away, or perhaps on the other side of an island? Yea, they get none of my respect either.

These are the kind of people who are happy to convert their home to natural gas because it is cheaper for them. Luckilly they don't get their water from above a natural gas fracking site. Actually, the fracking process itself actually does sound like "An air plane constantly taking off." which is the same line you seem to see in a lot of the comments from the unhappy 10%. Wonder if they all read from the same script?

Dalton in his infinite wisdom

Well, this seems the definition of moran to me. The councillor has an axe to grind with those hippy earth loving types. The current provincial government has to look to the future and make Ontario competitive with the world. But just perhaps he is also concerned with the fact that global warming is happening and when his grandchildren ask him why he didn't do anything about it, he wants to have an answer.

Chapter 7 of the charter of rights and freedoms superceeds the province and we created a by-law that basically says "We have to protect the safety and health of our constituents.

Uhhh, yea. The follow up question was telling: "Aren't you afraid that this by-law will require you to police fast-food or cars because they produce smog?" His answer, a very definitive "No! This has proven scientific facts behind it." Riiiight, and smog doesn't hurt anybody and there has been no link between fast food and the harm of heath. Once again, another short sighted politician, much like my favourite Harper, who is doing for today that will screw up tomorrow. I wonder if, before the interview, this question ever occurred to him? Moran, I call him!

Our medical officer found 10% of folks near a local wind installation report effects.

Okay, so, what I suspect is an anecdotal study, finds 10% of people in the area around the wind farm, who are already pissed off because their NIMBY (Thats Not In My BackYard) efforts have not paid off and they got a windmill installed near them. Hmmm, wouldn't every ache and pain be attributable to the windmill?

Let's see if I can find the article. Hmmm, strange, Medical Officer of Health Dr. Hazel Lynn, seems to be an active antagonist to the wind farm, outside of her duties.

Oh, and if you do a google search for "scientific proof of wind farm problems" that site is the first to come up. It is a little confusing so let me make this clear, I checked about half of the "sciencey" type papers there. Anything where the title did not make clear that it was speaking about how to hook this stuff up to the grid and not health effects. This site, who has claim to the top ranking from google, has NO proof of anything bad happening to anyone. Lots of those "It sounds like a jet plane" comments though contained in the many opinion pieces.

I cannot help but be amused. I've lived under a flight path, beside a rock quarry and currently beside the 401. You can't drowned out the noise with a "fountain", yet let me quote one more time from the cape cod:

Described as alternating between the "sound of a hovering jet that never lands" and a pronounced "whooshing" noise during periods of higher winds, Neil Andersen said he wears noise-reducing headphones while in his yard and has installed fountains in his garden to drown out the noise from the turbine.

These people are truly morans.

Oh, an example of why anecdotal evidence is problematic, last night, again on CBC I was listening to a documentary on Electro Convulsive Therapy. The gentleman from the CMA outlined a case he was involved in, where he had given ECT to a patient. Many years later, this patient was complaining that she couldn't remember her way around the city she grew up in and blamed the ECT. Some memory loss does occur with ECT particularly around the worst times of mental disease but it is not supposed to be a permanent effect. A court case was pending until her file was examined and as it turns out, the memory loss was actually a symptom of her depression. She had reported the exact same thing a few years before the ECT when she had a particularly bad episode.

High Fructose Corn Syrup

2010-08-10T14:18:00.001-04:00

You know, it is a shame, a real shame, that we let it get here.

That the pursuit of the dollar got us here.

All that high Fructose corn syrup you've been eating (Yes, you likely do eat pre-packaged foods as they are so ubiquitous and "easy" to use.) only aids and abets cancer cells which can use the fructose better than the sugar.

Cancer Cells Slurp up Fructose.

I am a big believer in technology and the study of weird and wonderful things in an effort to both understand the underlying principals and just for the sheer fun of figuring stuff out. The universe is neat.

The question I often ask though is, why are we radically changing how we survive in a way that is fragile, that we do not understand the consequences of and in the way other empires have destroyed themselves with? Some say it was the marvellous hydrolic engineering and the resultant lead poisoning that ended the Roman empire. I wonder what will be our downfall?

Will the oil and hence the food run out, or will we figure out that pumping ourselves full of "good fats" destroys the laying down of proper nerve linkages?

I'm not sure, but if there is a buck in it, I'm sure we'll try it out.

Kellogg's Nutri-grain Bars

2010-07-03T13:17:00.004-04:00

A waste of money and a terrible waste in packaging. Even on sale at 5 for $10 you would be better off buying a pack of Strawberry Newtons.

Another Reason Why your Rights are Important

2010-06-28T11:25:00.004-04:00

This video from Rabble is interesting. I believe the young man in question and you should too. There is no reason to suppose he is a liar just because he happened to be in a particular geographic location.

http://rabble.ca/rabbletv/program-guide/2010/06/features/exclusive-eighteen-year-old-toronto-g8g20-detainee-recounts-

Can we say inside Job?

2010-06-27T10:08:00.003-04:00

The news headlines scream violence as G20 protesters damage and vandalize police cars but there is something fishy here. Yesterday over at Pogge there was a link to a video of the police hassling a guy with a back pack. It is a 10 minute video but it is worth the watch. The upshot is they forcibly remove his back pack, search it, and remove his swim goggles. But the protesters who did the vandalizing yesterday were all wearing black balaclavas.

Does that make any sense at all? They are going to illegally search and seize a pair of swim goggles but they let a bunch of people wearing combat boots and all black clothing to keep their balaclavas? I don't know about you but I've got to ask just who in the hell is in charge?

So WTF government? You want to justify your expenditures on this ridiculous fiasco so you employ a similar tactic to what happened in Montebello, seed the crowd with your own people to incite them into rioting? Then use the excuse "they changed clothes the blend in" to try to provoke a peaceful group of protesters by pushing, shoving, and generally acting like the crowd is already threatening violence. I knew Canada was following the USA in its slippery slope to a police state, I just didn't realize it was already there.

Olives

2010-06-21T14:34:00.001-04:00

When shopping for those great, or not so great deals, at the grocery store the buyer most definitely has to be aware of sly little tricks on the parts of the grocers and manufacturers. The most common tricks, seen to date, is the same price for a slightly smaller size. You know the 596 ml bottle of pop, selling for the same price as the 600 ml used to. Or my favourite, NOT!, the 4 litre containers of vinegar or salad oil, only when you look at the size it is actually 3 litres now.

Well, Friday night I discovered a new and less obvious way of tricking the buyer. We needed some black olives and the store stocked two brands, Unico and Irresistibles. In the past we would have grabbed the Unico, a name brand here in Canada, even though it was $.10 more expensive than the other. Recently though, we have been trying to stretch our budget as much as possible and so have taken to buying the cheapest item as long as it is the same size. In this case we're good as they are both 375 ml.

Luckily, I have also taken to reading ingredient labels. I've found certain chemical additives really disagree with my body in various ways so I am careful to check the labels of any new brand we purchase. So I checked the label of the Irrisistibles Black Olives and see "Water, Olives, salt, ferrous gluconate". Ok, so far so good. Just to verify I check the Unico label and see "Ripe Olives, water, salt, ferrous gluconate."

Did you catch that? I almost didn't. In fact I read it three times before some part of my brain remembered that the order of the ingredients indicates what the product has more of in it. Mostly I see it in cereals, pet food, and other processed foods so I guess I can be forgiven for not immediately cluing in on the importance of order listed in the case of a can of olives.

You see the Irrisistibles can of olives has MORE WATER in it than olives. So even though you are paying less, a very small amount less but less, you are still paying for more water than olives. Just to verify I shook that cans and sure enough the Unico can had a lot more olives in it than the other brand.

So buyer beware. Read the labels and see what ingredient is listed on what order for both your options. It may very well be that the $.10 your are saving isn't really a savings at all.

A Question Asked and Now Answered

2010-03-24T10:26:00.008-04:00

HFCS additives to our food are helping make us fat. What is HFCS you ask? It is something you can find in almost every processed food product in the United States and many food products in Canada as well.

High Fructose Corn Syrup(HFCS) is a sweetener used in place of many other forms of sugar due to its high sweetness and low relative cost. Oh, and if you are eating low fat anything I can almost guarantee that your intake of this substance has gone up as you eat less fat.

The question which I refer to in the title is, "Why are we becoming so fat?"

The answer is never just the obvious and oft repeated, “Cause you are lazy!” Give me a break. An entire generation of your children are getting fat and that is the best you can come up with? You don’t think something might be going on? It may not be as obvious as boys getting big ol’ breasts but come on people!

I'm okay with carrying an extra 20-30 pounds above my BMI (currently at 36.3) as the weight at which I'm supposed to be sounds just a trifle unhealthy. I also do not do sports or a lot of heavy aerobic exercise although I take the stairs everywhere, walk the dog three times a day and make an effort to exercise without wasting an hour on the treadmill.

Along comes a new study in rats,found here, which shows that if you eat HFCS, even if you eat less of it calorie-wise than regular sugar, you will put the weight on by eating more in other ways!

The answer is that we are making ourselves fat not through inaction, our bodies should be able to self regulate, but by eating the cheapest crap we can put into our bodies. That is really the only reason to use HFCS, cheapness.

Oh, and modified milk ingredients, CBC MarketWatch did an expose "Product of Canada, eh?" on October 24, 2007 and one little tidbit I picked up about modified milk ingredients:

Others[ice creams] use only cheaper imported butteroil-sugar blend (modified milk ingredients mixed with sugar)...

What is butteroil-sugar blend? It was invented to get around tariffs on imported milk ingredients. Because it is 51 percent sugar, it is legally classified as a confectionery product, not a dairy one. There is no limit to the amount of butteroil-sugar blend that can be imported into Canada.

MarketWatch Story.

The news story from the Business Insider is embedded below for your reading pleasure.

Not Quite Unhinged: Real Estate Insanity

2010-02-13T15:58:00.000-05:00

Not Quite Unhinged: Real Estate Insanity

This is what it means when I say that the real estate market is completely unreasonable and that it is no longer in our ability to plan for any of our futures. A crash has to come.

Scary, very scary, undercurrents!

2010-02-10T13:14:00.006-05:00

Something that I thought would take a few more decades has happened already. While it is not likely to be permanent at this time it really should make you wonder where we are going to end up.

The gulf stream, the whole reason northern Europe is considered a fairly good farm land and has a whole bunch of people living on it, has for the first time in recorded history shifted to join with the West Greenland current. See the image to get an idea of what has happened.

That red line should be hitting the UK smack dead on.

One of the consequences of global climate change is the melting of the Greenland Ice sheet. This leads to the desalination of the North Atlantic. This leads to the stopping of the Gulf Stream, which leads to a really shitty set of circumstances for almost every western nation as N. America goes desert, and Europe goes cold. As with anything in climate, it isn't quite that simple, but I didn't expect this to happen for a while yet.

Have a happy set of holiday at this time of the year!

2009-12-24T11:17:00.001-05:00

Happy holiday wishes and all that there stuff!

Keep safe!

The Real Inconvient Truth

2009-12-22T10:49:00.005-05:00

In an article of the same name, Diane Francis of the Financial Post, points out something that has been depressing me for about two years now. No matter what else we do if our growth is exponential, as it has been to date, the remedies for the earth and our survival must be exponential as well.

No matter how much you believe in technology, how much science fiction you read if you believe that there will come a time when the costs of technology will overcome the losses of technology, you are sadly mistaken.

Population is the key to being able to save the world. Everything, let me say that again, EVERYTHING comes down to this in the end. How many wind turbines do you need? Oops, that was yesterday's estimate, we now need more. How much CO2 can we output per person? Whoops, gotta reduce that, your neighbors just had another kid.

Every "green" solution, especially those that rely on us consuming differently, always have to be scaled up. When the scale is increasing exponentially, what then?

I'm happy to spend some money to develop the third world, my only condition is to limit births. We already do it here due to our good luck and we need to do it more!

I'm guessing that is why I've been so bummed out about the world around me lately. The realization that I've already done the only thing that counts and the world isn't going to join me.

David Warren - Professional moran.

2009-12-16T20:18:00.003-05:00

So, David Warren in his aptly titled The Scare Tacticians starts off by describing how all those old environmental problems were hoaxes that he hardly had time to describe in his limited space. You remember things like the "acid rain hoax" and the "CFC hoax" right? I mean, all reasonable thinking people believe that those things were hoaxes perpetrated by the money hungry environmental movement.

Contrary to Lomborg’s Litany thesis, environmental groups often employ success stories to encourage a dispirited public to understand that change is possible. The crisis of eutrophication in the Great Lakes has been dealt with through regulating phosphates in detergents. The scourge of acid rain has been substantially, though not entirely, addressed through legally mandated reductions in SO2 emissions. The threat of ozone depletion has been largely averted through the Montreal Protocol and global restriction on the manufacture and trade in ozone depleting substances. Similarly, I know of no environmental scientist or organization that would dispute that economic growth has created unprecedented levels of wealth, that more people in industrialized countries enjoy a much longer expected life span than a century ago, that infectious disease claims fewer lives (again in industrialized countries) or that air pollution in London has decreased since the killing smog of 1952 killed over 4,000 in a week.

from Canadian Business Law Journal, Spring 2002 as quoted from Elizabeth May's facebook Dec 2, 2009.

Gee, that was posted on Dec 2, 2009. Which means that a prominent Canadian figure was talking about acid rain and other environmental success stories as he reads his ideologically narrow web pages. It was actually amusing to see 60 minutes described as a liberal and that it was nice to see them talk about the "acid rain hoax". Here is what a reputable resource is saying:

Environment Canada has released the 2004 Canadian Acid Deposition Science Assessment which shows that despite Canada's success at reducing acid causing emissions, acid deposition is still affecting our environment.

Gee, ya think that controlling the emissions prevented the worst of the predictions from happening? The fact that we took fairly massive, yet fairly inexpensive, action to ensure emissions of SO2 Ya think? David Warren, you got a computer? I mean, Environment Canada man! Just add the word Canada to the end of your search string!

Remember having to put new stuff in your car air conditioner? I bet you were one of those guys who just vented the refrigerant to the open air to save the 15 buck collection fee. Those efforts have helped, but not cured the ozone hole too.

I'm tired of you morans getting in the way with unproven assertions, lies, ignorance, and selfishness. The big "environmentalist money grab" just does not happen. No matter what, the environmentalists will not be the ones making the real money in the end which ever way global warming goes.

A video for today

2009-12-12T13:52:00.002-05:00

Some of you may have seen this before. I think it needs to be spread as it is something I hope the US deals with before the crazy spreads any further. This girl has a clue....

As predicted.

2009-12-04T10:31:00.003-05:00

Well, in a follow up to yesterday's post we see this in the Globe and Mail:

The Harper government is warning that tough decisions lie ahead as its attention shifts to phasing out the stimulus and tackling the billions in red ink created by its two-year spending spree.

Just remember, if it were not for massive real-estate sales and a cool extra billion for selling off rights to the electromagnetic spectrum in Canada, both one time things, we would have been well into deficit BEFORE the credit crisis hit. It was predicted on many a blog that this would be coming when conservatives, who dislike government, got a hold of the reigns. It is a typical ploy to make government as inefficient as possible to justify what you want to do all along; namely, cut programs you don't like.

Expect the opposition to be blamed because the cons will say that they didn't actually want to spend the money but their hands were forced. Remember, it is never a conservatives fault. Sober second thought is never given, not even in hindsight.

Do you recognize the country now?

2009-12-03T14:30:00.000-05:00

The last several elections we of the left we accused that we kept claiming that Harper had a hidden agenda. Well, first off we never said it was hidden, it was all out in the open. We did claim that we "wouldn't be able to recognize Canada when they were through!" Well, I can hardly recognize it now. In the last six months I've had to rebut this e-mail chain letter three times.

It is no longer a matter of dispute. Facts, information, measurements; these bar no idea from the head of a conservative. We have already seen this in the US with their great tea bagging nation rising up and claiming old campaign photos as proof that Palin's book is well received, or pictures of the million man march used to support the 100,000 number claimed for the teabaggers march on Congress. What did it turn out to be, maybe 10k?

Canadian conservatives have been doing this for a lot less time I hope, but they have been infected with it since about 2006. The Stephan Harper party of Canada will say or do anything, break the law, attack the weak and prevent the weak from protecting themselves, hide torture, destroy Canada's image in the world and here.

The latest from the hill, in open debate, and on the public record is this piece of tripe:

Mrs. Cheryl Gallant (Renfrew—Nipissing—Pembroke, CPC):
Mr. Speaker, on the weekend I had an opportunity to speak to a soldier from Canadian Forces Base Petawawa who had served several rotations in Afghanistan. He urged me not to go forth with an inquiry on this issue. He said that every time the Afghan deployment is debated in Parliament, it puts the lives of our soldiers in theatre at greater risk. He recounted that when the motion to withdraw from Afghanistan or to end the combat mission in 2011 was before Parliament, they were in a operation where they heard the insurgents on the radio saying to each other that they should kill as many Canadian soldiers as possible because we were debating this in the House of Commons and that when Canadians saw the caskets of soldiers coming off the plane it increased public pressure. They wanted the MPs to vote to get out of Afghanistan as quickly as possible.

I asked him if they listened to Al Jazeera while they were fighting at the front, so to speak, and he said, “No, ma'am. We heard this chatter on our coms”. So they had heard Taliban talking to one another, urging each other to kill as many Canadian soldiers as possible. He credits the leader of the NDP directly for the death of his best friend as a consequence of that.

Seriously? They heard chatter on their comms? In English/French? While I'm sure the Taliban leaders a well educated why would they speak to each other in English?

Not to put too fine a point on it but I think this is a made up conservative talking head. A sock puppet by any other name...

If she didn't lie about the soldier, then the "comms" that were overhead were MEANT to be overheard. You know, psychological warfare. The kind the troops should have been trained to realize was being targeted at them. To say that the "enemy" didn't want to kill them until they heard about some debate in Canada is pretty damn ridiculous.

The original title of this post was "Conservatives, they lie, all the time." It goes much further than that. Montreal Simon says it well.

HatTip to : Creekside via Stageleft

I get hate mail.

2009-12-03T14:05:00.003-05:00

Just to make it clear, I will not put up with shit like this. This hate mail graced my business inbox a little while ago and I felt I should post it here for all to see, plus the rebuttal.

Subject: Wow! What a letter to the editor........
Written by a housewife in New Brunswick , to her local newspaper.

This is one ticked off lady.
'Are we fighting a war on terror or aren't we? Was it or was it not started by Islamic people who brought it to our shores on September 11, 2001and have continually threatened to do so since?

Were people from all over the world, not brutally murdered that day, in downtown Manhattan, across the Potomac from the nation's capitol and in a field in Pennsylvania?

Did nearly three thousand men, women and children die a horrible, burning or crushing death that day, or didn't they?

And I'm supposed to care that a few Taliban were claiming to be tortured by a justice system of the nation they come from and are fighting against in a brutal insurgency.

I'll start caring when Osama bin Laden turns himself in and repents for incinerating all those innocent people on 9/11.

I'll care about the Koran when the fanatics in the Middle East start caring about the Holy Bible, the mere belief of which is a crime punishable by beheading in Afghanistan.

I'll care when these thugs tell the world they are sorry for hacking off Nick Berg's head while Berg screamed through his gurgling slashed throat.

I'll care when the cowardly so-called 'insurgents' in Afghanistan come out and fight like men instead of disrespecting their own religion by hiding in mosques.

I'll care when the mindless zealots who blow themselves up in search of nirvana care about the innocent children within range of their suicide bombs.

I'll care when the Canadian media stops pretending that their freedom of speech on stories is more important than the lives of the soldiers on the ground or their families waiting at home to hear about them when something happens.

In the meantime, when I hear a story about a CANADIAN soldier roughing up an Insurgent terrorist to obtain information, know this: I don't care.

When I see a wounded terrorist get shot in the head when he is told not to move because he might be booby-trapped, you can take it to the bank: I don't care.

When I hear that a prisoner, who was issued a Koran and a prayer mat, and 'fed special' food that is paid for by my tax dollars, is complaining that his holy book is being 'mishandled,' you can absolutely believe in your heart of hearts: I don't care.

And oh, by the way, I've noticed that sometimesit's spelled 'Koran' and other times 'Quran.' Well, Jimmy Crack Corn you guessed it, I don't care!!

If you don't agree, then by all means hit the delete button. Should you choose the latter, then please don't complain when more atrocities committed by radical Muslims happen here in our great Country!

And may I add:

'Some people spend an entire lifetime wondering if they made a difference in the world. But, the Soldiers don't have that problem.'

I have another quote that I would like to add, AND.......

One last thought for the day:

Only five defining forces have ever offered to die for you:

1. Jesus Christ
2. The Canadian Soldier.
3. The British Soldier.
4. The US Soldier, and
5. The Australian Soldier

One died for your soul, the other 4 for your freedom.

The amusing rebuttle which I stole from I do not know where:

I Received this E-mail from my wife she was taken a back by it and said this one will get you fired up, and it did. I found it to be a manifesto written in the heat of passion based on an ignorant understanding of Islam, America, Foreign Policy, the Middle East, and Christianity. I doubt that it was written by a housewife expressing her grievances, possibly, but there is to much rhetoric in this one for me to believe that. The aim of this was to encourage readers to support the War in Iraq and The War on Terror by pulling on the guilt strings entrenched in modern Christianity. So with no further ado:

Written by a housewife from New Jersey and sounds like it! This is one ticked off lady.
(This woman should run for president)

As you read this ask yourself do you really want someone who is so rational in their thinking to run for president.

"Are we fighting a war on terror or aren't we? Was it or was it not started by Islamic people who brought it to
our shores on September 11, 2001?

We are fighting a war on terror as ridiculous as that is:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/War_on_Terrorism
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/5279743/
http://www.rand.org/commentary/020304SFC.html
http://www.nytimes.com/2004/12/05/weekinreview/05cohe.html

However truth be told we aren't even doing that, we are fighting a war in Iraq not a War on Terror. All the War in Iraq has done has increased terrorism and if you really evaluate it the longer we fight a war on terror we will just breed more terrorist it is similar to fighting a Hydra, and as we have proven so far we are no Hercules.

If we try to determine the starting point of the War on Terror we will undoubtedly find ourselves caught in a quagmire of historical follies. Contrary to popular belief 9/11 is not the cause of the War on Terror. If we are truly honest we must realize that we the West (most notably the U.S.) have done our fair share to make the mess we are now caught up in. We aided Saddam Hussien to power. We gave nuclear assistance to Iran prior to 79. Interestingly enough Dick Cheney and Donald Rumsfeld were some of Ford's advisers, convincing him to make the deals. Finally it was the west who ignorantly carved the Middle East into countries that followed no natural ethnic lines.

Every time we get involved in the Middle East it is without their request and we leave it worse off than when we found it, and then we wonder why they hate us. How would you feel about somebody from another city who came to your house and defecated in your yard.

If you want to affect a dramatic change start fighting a war on poverty when we start eliminating poverty you will see a dramatic decrease in Terrorism

Were people from all over the world, mostly Americans, not brutally murdered that day, in downtown Manhattan , across the Potomac from our nation's capitol and in a field in Pennsylvania ?

Yes they were and instead of focusing on bringing the perpetrators of that crime to justice we are fighting a war in country that was not involved in the 9/11 attacks committing our resources to that rather than focusing on bringing Al Qaeda, the Taliban, and Osama Bin Laden to Justice. Yes I know we are fighting "Al Qaeda in Iraq" but they did not exist prior to our invasion and a product of our ill advised venture there.

Did nearly three thousand men, women and children die a horrible, burning or crushing death that day, or didn't they?

No one will argue that, but we fail to think about the civilian casualties in the Iraq war which are estimated somewhere between 60,000 - 80,000 did they deserve to die in a war they neither started or asked for. Bear in mind those numbers do not included the permanently scarred or maimed Iraqi Civilians. If you were them who would you be mad at the people who invaded your country and through poor planning were unable to secure it and enabled the civil war that has filled the vacuum?
http://www.cbc.ca/news/background/iraq/casualties.html

And I'm supposed to care that a copy of the Koran was "desecrated" when an overworked American soldier kicked it or got it wet?...Well, I don't. I don't care at all.

For a Christian it is paramount that you forgive and care about others regardless of what they believe... remember turn the other cheek?

I'll start caring when Osama bin Laden turns himself in and repents for incinerating all those innocent people on 9/11.

So why aren't you enraged that the bulk of our military is stuck fighting a war in Iraq instead of searching for and bringing to Justice Osama bin Laden?

I'll care about the Koran when the fanatics in the Middle
East start caring about the Holy Bible, the mere possession of which is a crime in Saudi Arabia

I'll care when these thugs tell the world they are sorry for hacking off Nick Berg's head while Berg screamed through his gurgling slashed throat.

I'll care when the cowardly so-called "insurgents" in Iraq come out and fight like men instead of disrespecting their own religion by hiding in mosques.

I'll care when the mindless zealots who blow themselves up in search of nirvana care about the innocent children within range of their suicide bombs.

I'll care when the American media stops pretending that their First Amendment liberties are somehow derived from international law instead of the United States Constitution's Bill of Rights.
The Bill of Rights does not supersede International Law.

In the meantime, when I hear
a story about a brave marine roughing up an Iraqi terrorist to obtain information, know this: I don't care.

When I see a fuzzy photo of a pile of naked Iraqi prisoners who have been humiliated in what amounts to a college-hazing incident, rest assured: I don't care.

When I see a wounded terrorist get shot in the head when he is told not to move because he might be booby-trapped, you can take it to the bank: I don't care.

When I hear that a prisoner, who was issued a Koran and a prayer mat, and fed "special" food that is paid for by my tax dollars, is complaining that his holy book is being "mishandled," you can absolutely believe in your heart of hearts: I don't care.

And oh, by the way, I've noticed that sometimes it's spelled "Koran" and other times "Quran." Well, Jimmy Crack Corn and-you guessed it-I don't care !!
If this is your view point Then you fail as a Christian, Christ forgave all despite their atrocities toward him and other Christians... even those who nailed him to the cross are you any better than he?

If you agree with this viewpoint, pass this on to all your E-mail friends. Sooner or later, it'll get to the people responsible for this ridiculous behavior!

Pass it on but before you do check to see that you really agree with it or are you just mad about a situation that is out of control and is fostered by people spouting of angry rhetoric like this rather than finding a way to heal old wounds and forgive. Never say I will forgive when the other guy does because as long as you can't then neither can the other guy.

Remember the people that are responsible for this are not Muslims, they are radical Terrorists who profess to follow Islam but fail miserably and the politicians that have given up on Peace, and Justice and are fighting a war for their own purposes and have been for years whether or not it has been officially declared or not. Peace comes from Diplomacy, Negotiation, and Forgiveness.

If you don't agree, then by all means hit the delete button. Should you choose the latter, then please don't complain when more atrocities committed by radical Muslims happen here in our great Country!

Very few atrocities have occurred here in U.S.A. at the hands of radical Islamists compared to the atrocities that occur in Middle Eastern countries as a result of our failed Policies.

And may I add:

"Some people spend an entire lifetime wondering if they made a difference in the world. But, the Marines don't have that problem." -- Ronald Reagan

Making a difference is only good if the difference you make is good. This is a great quote... but it amounts to nothing more than propaganda.

I have another quote that I would like to add AND.......I hope you forward all this.
"If we ever forget that we're One Nation Under God, then we will be a nation gone under." Also by..Ronald Reagan

I have already argued this :

http://forwardfodder.blogspot.com/2007/11/god-and-jay-leno.html

Contrary to popular belief the Founding fathers never intended the U.S.A. to be a Christian country.

http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.jsp?articleId=281474977224140&nav=Namespace

They intended it to be a country where religion and politics were separate so that everyone could practice their religion regardless of what that was.

One last thought for the day:
In case we find ourselves starting to
believe all the Anti-American sentiment and negativity, we should remember England 's Prime Minister Tony Blair's words during a recent interview. When asked by one of his Parliament members why he believes so much in America , he said: "A simple way to take measure of a country is to look at how many want in... And how many want out."

The United States of America is a great place, but as a country we are not above making mistakes, and what will make us better is when we are willing to own up to it and make restitution for them. As we did with Civil Rights, and Women's Rights.

Only two defining forces have ever offered to die for you:
1. Jesus Christ
2. The American G. I.
One died for your soul, the other for your freedom.
YOU MIGHT WANT TO PASS THIS ON, AS MANY SEEM TO FORGET BOTH OF THEM.
AMEN!

And to the Author of this E-mail I would recommend you start acting more like Number 1. and if you are so adamant about the War on Terror enlist, strap up head to the battle front and act like number 2.

I hope the links still work!

Dunning Kruger Effect

2009-11-01T10:30:00.001-05:00

Dunning Kruger Effect

Why the news media morally has to make the effort to actually explain things.

It is also why they do not as it would affect their profits.

Thanksgiving

2009-10-12T11:30:00.001-04:00

Carl Sagan - 'A Glorious Dawn' ft Stephen Hawking (Cosmos Remixed)

Just because we all have to be thankful of something.

A short flight home

2009-10-10T07:48:00.001-04:00

I've been in Calgary for work this week. It has been an exciting week for me as I got to visit with old friends of the equine persuasion. My ex-boss from my time in university welcomed me back to the farm I worked at. We had some nice long chats and I got to fill a pale of water and groom some horses.
It was definitely odd being in the barn without chores to do. The problem being that I didn't know who got what or what was left to be done.
Oh, don't get me wrong, I knew deep down in my bones what needed to be done and what I would do. The problem was that it wasn't mine to do.
Jana and Donna are doing well, as is Janic. The rest have passed on which saddens me. Old Tiff, that bag of bones always brought a smile to my face.
The work part went as well as can be expected. The problems I've been trying to circumvent since October really had an impact this week. Maybe the boss is right that it still would have been more expensive if we had just done the right things from the start.

Quiet Anger.

2009-09-13T12:40:00.001-04:00

I've been quiet lately on the blogging front. It is not that I have nothing to say but that when I say it, try to put my feelings into words, I feel an anger building in me that is unnecessary and I suspect damaging.
A small Canada, that is my problem. I hate to agree with liberal partisanship, but

I have a feeling that the liberal media machine has my number... Of course, that too make me angry. I want sober second thought, I want discussion with people who disagree with my ideas if not my vision, that too is Canada! I do not like Iggy's position on a lot of things and I like it worse that everything seems second to winning.

Yet, and yet.... How do you argue with people like this?

Often called low information people they do not want discussion outside of the talking point releases from their religious leaders, talking heads and fox news. They don't ask the questions I do when I read, say, a news story. The basic "Why?" would someone do this or that?

These are the same people who thought that Canada needed to get on the "world stage" by killing people, blocking international progress on the environmental front and shorting the world nuclear isotopes used to save peoples lives.

An election looms and I have to do something. I can not let the Harper government go about using MY money to tell us to stay the course and vote for them in the guise of hawking their ill-thought "economic action plan." I have no objection to the government advertising its programs, not one, but when a political message starts getting mixed in I wonder who is next to sue the conservative party.
I guess that means I'm back and will be posting more often to counter the lies, yes, outright lies, I see coming from the Conservative Harper government.

Thanks to impolitical I have a new slogan to work with:

Two Weeks because I'm reminded that life is a journey.

2009-09-07T12:11:00.002-04:00

This weekend has been a very special and relaxing one. I'm so happy to have taken that extra day off and slide into the long weekend, such perfect weather, just the way I like it, sunny but not real hot. It has been a beautiful weekend.

Two Weeks - Grizzly Bear from Gabe Askew on Vimeo.

H/T to Montreal Simon

Raitt Apologizes

2009-06-11T12:31:00.002-04:00

Or did she. If you read the Full Statement she is apologizing that we the people were offended. That is about as sincere as a rapist saying "I'm sorry she was in the wrong place, and got raped." Pretty insensitive if you ask me.

And what was Harper's response to all this scandal? Well, he is going to take his ball and go home. He is phasing out the Chalk River facility and the government is getting out of the Isotope business. This move puts added stress on the already over stressed medical community and it means Canada will have to rely on the good will of the profit hungry private sector for its supply of the world's medical isotopes.

Cheap Politics

2009-06-10T13:14:00.002-04:00

The conservatives start screaming "Cheap Politics" every time someone questions one of their MPs on something they said or did that is obviously questionable. Cheap politics? What about the fact that the conservatives have been running Attack / Election ads since they took leadership? I guess that isn't CHEAP but it sure is dirty.

Here's an idea...Since the conservatives obviously have a huge surplus of cash in their election funds why don't they throw it at the leaky budget and cancel some of that proposed deficient that just gets bigger every time Flaherty opens his mouth?

Another denier myth tested...

2009-05-14T06:23:00.003-04:00

Go read.

Add to the coolness factor that it is some Canadian research. I guess the question is, what is our young earth creationist, climate change ignorer (he cannot deny it anymore for fear of his job) minister responsible for science going to do to cut the funding to these guys? How about his boss?

Tory Times are Tough Times

2009-04-01T09:46:00.001-04:00

Just in case you don't remember far back enough to the last time the Conservatives were in power a new "video blogger" reminds you. Check out theGritGirl's other stuff too.

Harper and Mulroney: Two Conservative leaders in the news.

The Godless Bus

2009-02-12T13:01:00.004-05:00

I would describe myself as scientific but not godless.

Nevertheless I must stop and point out that the atheists have just as much right to buy bus ad space as everyone else. Personally, I think their ads do not go far enough.

I speak of this because, before any one has tried to get a contract with them, the Cornwall bus service has decided that they will not place any such ads. I assume a petty bureaucrat with some sort of shaky faith heard that the atheists are coming and wanted to pre-empt the ads.

How dare they?

Well here is one for you:

Judge me will you? Tell me that I'm going to hell or cannot possibly be "good" without a mouldy old book that was re-written by sexually repressed old men? Bah, you are getting what you deserve from the rabid atheists; enjoy the fruits that you sowed.

h/t to Bruce at http://canuctude.blogspot.com/

UPDATE:

It appears that TVO is doing a panel show with a noted right-wing blogger of ill-repute tonight. I wonder, after reading her blog, why TVO would put someone like that on air?

India makes sure US did actually land on the moon.

2009-01-12T12:24:00.001-05:00

Desi in Toronto points out that the world just keeps on spinning. In my mind I add "as the west fades into darkness".

Imagine if humanity could work together, where would we be now?

Quote of the Day

2008-11-05T16:51:00.001-05:00

TI-Guy hits the nail on the head in his comment here.

I don't know: I'm starting think most publications, not just The Western Standard are addicted to controversy since everyone's pretty much run out of stimulating ideas.

To sell papers. That is it. That is all they want.

This is why you do not know the real costs of the things the government has done for you or to you. This is why when the city council cuts costs all you hear about is hockey rinks.

They know what you will respond to.

I'm glad you read blogs. At least you might be pointed to something intelligent and thoughtful occasionally.

Too many hours of work

2008-11-04T07:37:00.004-05:00

H/T to Angry Bear.

So, get this, after an extensive study of what happened in the 19th century an award winning economist decided to take a look at the way in which hours of work affect productivity. Guess what, working less didn't create less productivity.

Then he goes on to suggest that there are several reasons for why, against our and our employer's best interested, we would not work less.

Favorite quote from this work reviewing the theory:

Chapman arrived at this conclusion after reviewing a mass of evidence from the 19th century that reductions in the hours of work had not led to proportionate declines in output. From that evidence, he inferred that workers required more leisure time to fully recover from the fatigue of work as industrial methods became progressively more intensive. Thus when the hours of labour were reduced, the better-rested workers were often able to produce as much or more in the shorter hours than they had previously in longer hours.

Worth a read - On Worship

2008-11-02T11:49:00.001-05:00

Go read.

Happy Halloween!

2008-10-31T12:06:00.006-04:00

I love Halloween. I think it is one of the best holidays in the entire Calendar! It is second only to, perhaps, Canada Day although it would be hard to call the race.

Recently, on several blogs I’ve been reading how much more superior the belief in “The ONE true god” is oh so much better than all that polytheism, whichever of the many one true gods happens to be in vogue at the time. This my god is better than your god is really amusing but let us take this down the slippery slope of reason.

If one god is better than many gods, what is the logical next step?

No god.

I am not an atheist, nor a monotheist. These pseudo-logic tautologies by people who know neither logic nor much about anything at all from their own written statements are starting to get on my nerves. It is true that you can get people to believe things that are endlessly repeated, just look at all the old political wives tales and ask any marketing company what repetition is worth. Repetition is worth a lot. Repetation is worth so much that people pay billions of advertising dollars to repeat themselves over and over again and again.

The old gods, as much as many old things in life, are often the best gods. The blanket knit 100 years ago by great-grandma will keep you warmer than any box store thin as a sheet blanket you can find.

On another Halloween note a little definition I've been working on: Communism where you have the right to meaningful work but may not be able to consume things like food or shoes. Capitalism where you have the right to buy as many iPhones as you like, but you had better scrape and grovel to the boss and hope there is a profit in selling you food.

Economics has always been dressed up for Halloween.

A Letter to Stephane Dion

2008-10-21T17:50:00.004-04:00

A letter of support to Mr Dion, and another suggestion that he take his support to a new party.

Mr Dion,

It is a shame that you have been pressured into leaving the Liberal Leadership at this time. You, your honesty and persistence, are something the Liberal Party lost a long time ago. It was because of you and you alone that I voted Liberal in the 2008 election. The Conservatives spent that last six months campaigning and telling Canada
how to perceive you and your policies, even before the official election was called. It is a shame that they have won, and further reduced the Liberal Party to one of backroom deals and back-stabbing attacks on their own members.

Since the other Liberal members have seen fit to start blaming you for their shortcomings so soon after the election, perhaps you should move to another party, and take as many of your supporters with you as you can convince to leave. Perhaps your support for green initiatives can be applied and put to use in one of the other Federal Parties. Your ideals for the future of Canada fit nicely in with the ideals presented by the Greens in this last election. Even the NDP have admitted that we
need to start thinking about the future of Canada, and the World.

Please, do not let your ideals, policies, and love of this Great Nation be wasted on those who do not care.

A Supporter,

Ontario

This just in: Stephen Harper really good guy!

2008-10-17T07:44:00.004-04:00

I feel the need to address the argument that since Harper did not destroy Canada, and all the laws he did pass were so good for Canada, we should trust in Harper. It is explicit about half way through this opinion piece but is pervasive in the background of many opinion pieces written.

Let us take a look at the long string of Harper's successes, hmmm, odd, the list is no more. I wonder why? Luckily, someone copied it into a forum somewhere, thank google! Okay, let us take a look at a long list of not so successes.

That is an awful lot of accomplishments for a paralized parliament. Just what is it that he could not get done? I never have heard an example.

My recommendation is, continue to be watchful.

The Habit of Compromise

2008-10-16T21:41:00.007-04:00

Apparently my search kung-fu is not great today. I wanted to read an interview from CBC's radio one with the editor of "Le Press" He certainly sounded like he had at least thought about Canada's problems and how Quebec fits both as a nation onto itself and as it fits into Canada.

Quebecers and, I think, most of the rest of Canada has lost the habit of compromise as Andre Pratt stated today in that CBC radio interview. This got me thinking about how much Gille Duceppe impressed me on the leader debate. Calm, rational, passionate yet not unyielding. I also have been thinking about the laws and by-laws that I've come across in my investigation about living in Quebec. There are so many progressive values to be found in the Quebec that I've come to know. They are a diverse people with their share of idiot racists and the language laws should be their shame, not their pride, but I can see just what the rest of Canada could be in what I've seen in Quebec. A place passionate about itself, progressive and attempting to help each other along while encouraging self expression.

Imagine a Canada like that. Partisanship, an expression of ideas and views without the automatic screaming down of any other view. Canadian arts and culture in which we can express the pride of being Canadian without having the naysayers constantly complain that by expressing ourselves we are "dis"ing Americans.

I expressed my idea that what we need is a new party in a previous post but I've began to wonder if what we need is compromise. The knives are out for Dion. I hope he stays but I cannot imagine that he can. If he is ousted, I hope that as his last act as a sincere liberal he stages a coup. Leave the party and ask your faithful to follow, merge your faction with the green party and learn to compromise. With your strength and conviction join the greens with no strings attached and work with them. Their processes are open so far.

Pick up your work with Elizabeth May. Talk to Gille Duceppe. Even invite Jack to dinner. For Canada's sake will you all please learn the habit of compromise. I can clearly see that the liberal insiders cannot. They cannot even agree with other liberals. I have hope for the rest.

Could we agree that we cede Quebec to the Bloc and use their progressive policies for the rest of Canada in the form of a united Red Green party? Put the compromise in writing with the understanding that one key areas of disagreement, like federalism each party goes its own way but on key areas of agreement, the parties will hammer out policy together?

Could we?

Seemed appropriate.

2008-10-15T08:01:00.001-04:00

The 2008 vote in Eastern Ontario

2008-10-14T05:58:00.002-04:00

The time is upon us and I hope that you all go and vote.

According to the election prediction projects I posted before over half the voters in this district will support Guy Lazon again. I'm not sure why people think getting mean when they are having tough times, and Cornwall has been having tough times for a while, helps their own situation.

That being said, I am also surprised that I could have told you this three weeks ago. The on-line prediction tool and polls seem to have stalled way back then.

I'd like to wish our local Green Candidate, David, good luck. If all the information is to be believed, it is time to vote with your hearts and with your heads. The question before you is what kind of Canada do you wish to have going on into the future.

Read the conservative party platform. They are giving us back our own money in dribs and drabs but not enough to make any difference to anyone, don't fall for that. They want to divest federal power even more to local provinces in a divide and conquer philosophy they have accepted as fact from the great "capitalists" of the world. You know, they ones who get trillions of dollars in bailouts every decade or so.

Go vote.

The Galloping Beaver: A thought to ponder for the weekend

2008-10-12T10:26:00.000-04:00

The Galloping Beaver: A thought to ponder for the weekend

The Rev. Paperboy is often right, as he is now.

Harper panics, takes Dion's advice on the economy.

2008-10-10T11:44:00.002-04:00

Harper finally does something, anything, to the markets but he is not panicking by doing a complete reversal of his own statements in 24 hours and stealing from the Liberal Platform Oh no, I'm sure it was a calm rational well thought out process like his promise on income trusts, cutting the "inefficient arts", going after Insite no matter what the studies show, denying global warming until it was obvious most voters wanted him to do something, going after people who own MP3s and want to listen to them anywhere, back door abortion legislation (I don't care if you are pro or against, slipping fetus rights into a bill to increase criminal time for violent crimes is not the way I want my government to work), publishing a "how-to" manual on disrupting house of commons commissions you ideologically do not like but disrupting, intimidation, and other invalid means.

If you want links to these things, please ask in comments there is so much that I decided not to put any links here.

A vote for Harper is the vote of someone not paying attention.

A Human for Prime Minister

2008-10-10T11:06:00.004-04:00

My first embedded video(H/T Montreal Simon)is of an interview of Dion which in any other news show would have hit the editing room floor. Why? Well, it shows Dion being human. I've been there, I've had to clarify a question repeatedly both for myself and because the questioner thought he was asking a clear question.

I especially like the pre-video clip show exclaiming how from the bottom of thier sweet saccharine hearts they had to delve the depths of their souls to decide whether or not to show this clip. Then, because it is so clear as to what is happening on the video, they have to describe how perfectly clear the question was and how apparently confused Dion is. Looking at Dion I see frustration as the question is not clear, the interviewer asks "What would you have done 2.5 years ago, then upon Dion's asking for clarification he repeatedly says "Today!" as if that was an explanation.

Let me get this straight, I laugh at Jack's Moustache but I think he is an okay guy and has his heart in the right place. May has interesting and exciting ideas and seems like the person next door. Duceppe, philosophically, is very different from me but educated, earnest and willing to discuss ideas. Dion, I characterise as closest to my political, philosophical, educational background. Harper, I feel, has a core of hatred, religious mania, and a distinct lack of emotions.

More locally, the NDP candidate Darlene Jalbert, and Guy Lauzon conservative do not seem to connect with the people at all this year. Dwight Dugas is a one issue candidate and has not thought outside the box to other issues, but is earnest enough. Galganov is scum, unable to see anything but himself. Denis Sabourin, the Liberal, is unknown to me except from the debates, he seems well thought out, but also a little less than energized. My favourite candidate, for the Greens, David Rawnsley seems the most motivated but does not perform well in short bursts just like May. Strange that complex ideas required discussion and clarification eh?

So, why would, outside of laughing at him, Dion repeatedly asking for clarification so he could understand a question be a bad thing in a prime minister? Why would CTV, Conservative TV, decide they just had to play up this video with a long explanation of how bad it is? Especially since they agreed that at the time, it was nothing and would not air it? Who on the editorial board suddenly decided to try and make more news?

You decide.

Election prediction

2008-10-09T08:13:00.002-04:00

Is it just me or have all the election prediction websites seem to have frozen at Day 28 of the campain?

Democratic Space
The Election Prediction Project

I keep looking for updates and to see new news but everything online seems freeped and there are simply no discussions outside of the various blogs.

The silence is almost scary.

Simply Canada:Another new party?

2008-10-08T07:18:00.004-04:00

There is so much wrong with Canadian politics today that I'm honestly not sure that I have much more to say about it as it is now.

It amazes me how complex everything is made as people try to get around the rules that have been established for peace order and good government. That's everyone from the guy up the street who owns a small brush clearing service asking for "cash only" to cut down a tree in your backyard up to the multi billion dollar traders.

Capitalists, and your neighbour do not have your best interest at heart, and so laws get made, then modifications to those laws, then rules about the laws and so on until just putting up a solar panel, wind turbine, or clothes line in your backyard are a matter of federal politics.

At his point, I'm thinking about starting another new political party, neither left nor right of center. A party of how we, as Canadians, want to live. How we respect each other. How we try to solve our own personal problems and understand that sometimes we all need help. A party that attempts to weigh the good with the bad. Makes decisions not on passionate ideology of the right or the left but on what our own best collective interests are in balence. Asks the ultimate question, "Would it be okay if someone did this to me?" What else is government for?

Something to take your mind off the election

2008-10-01T19:59:00.001-04:00

For those of you who might like to spend a little time away from the election, try this web based game called Gladiatus where you can work your way up through the Roman Gladiator ranks to stardom.

After all, there really hasn't been much actually issue talk during this election. Sure, I read the platforms and such, but we simply have not talked about anything this election. We all have our basic ideas, never get truly challenged, and end up none the wiser for the 400 million spent on the election.

game, web game

David Rawnsley and "non-events"

2008-09-29T21:24:00.004-04:00

David Rawnsley is the green candidate in SD&G. His blog reads well and he is looking to going to be holding "non-events" at many places in our riding.

The above is a statement I've made about one of the two candidates I am currently considering voting for.

The statement holds, but as David pointed out, perhaps an explanation is in order. I make reference to the way the Greens are doing business. Like the last candidate, David is going out of his way to be green, go figure. Having local "offices" set up by people who are willing to pass on information. Doing more than one thing with every trip. Inviting people to talk rather than rallying the troops.

I think he has some interesting ideas and I for one wonder, especially here in Lancaster, why anyone could get elected to city council or the federal government on a business plan of "let's get the traffic off the 401 to stop here for 15 minutes." Seriously, that IS the plan for Lancaster:
• Residential Destination.
• Truck Stop Destination.
• Tourism & Retail Destination.
• Industrial Destination.
• Agriculture-Tourism Destination
Although I see from the list above they are at least considering that people might want to live here this year.

We have so much potential, here in Lancaster, so many people of many unusual backgrounds. Why are we not doing more? I think the business doublespeak has soaked into our brains. As a class, business men are not particularly creative, don't have your or my best interest at heart, nor should we trust them with government money. Only some business people have any of those characteristics going for them. For example, I regularly buy from Tom Manley's business of organic feed and food. I've talked to him a few times although I'm sure he wouldn't remember me, but in addition to the marketing, I believe he sincerely has a plan that will better his community.

As a people, a town, or a province it is up to us to do something. Let the businesses catch up later. When they smell money they will without the government handouts. Let us build something, almost anything except more random big military. (Peacekeepers excepted, and yes, I do support the troops if not the war).

I think David has a vision, and I think that his will make the local towns a much better life than more directionless tax cuts, or even the NDP's blue collar factory in every pot. As for the green shift, it could work, not sure if it will.

The Cadidates for SD&G.

2008-09-28T13:58:00.001-04:00

For the riding of Stormont—Dundas—South Glengarry here are the current candidates with an interesting addition:
Dwight Dugas for the Canadian Action Party, their platform is here. I've never had the ability to vote CAP before, I'll have to consider him.

Guy Lauzon is running for the PC, he's the incumbent.

Denis Sabourin for the Liberals chosen shortly after the drop of the writ.

Darlene Jalbert for the NDP. She seems a little too Facebook Enabled for my taste so far.

David Rawnsley is the green candidate in SD&G. His blog reads well and he is looking to going to be holding "non-events" at many places in our riding.

Howard Galganov has also joined the race, with a complaint that the little guy just can't get any breaks. You can campaign, by the way, M. Galganov, you just are not nominated at this time. I guess idiocy plays to your base.

Finally, The Christian Heritage Party was hard to find so I declare them too whacked to get elected anyhow.

Enjoy your 40th election Canada.

Canadian Action Party, CAP, politics, SD&G

Canada Destroyed?

2008-09-27T14:45:00.002-04:00

I'm going to point you to Thwap's Schoolyard and his comment on The Western Standard's recent post.

This isn't about imagined fears of the hidden agenda. The agenda has never been hidden.

A future Liberal government won’t have the guts, the time, the wherewithal, or the money to recreate them all at once. Sell the land and the buildings. Shred the records. Disperse the staff. It’s easier to destroy than it is to create.

I would point out that they have started this process already. Selling government land, offices, removing officials, and so on. Canada is not perfect and will never be, but it is a damn sight better than it could be.

conservative, politics, Canada

NDP. Why not Thou?

2008-09-26T17:28:00.000-04:00

In a comment on this post over at The View from Elsewhere I had a comment that I think deserves posting too. I will not elaborate on it today, as I think it stands pretty well on its own.

You know, I've been thinking about why I do not find it in me to vote NDP. 20ish years ago I voted liberal believing that Trudeau's party was still partly alive. My natural inclination is to go even further left but I thought they were balanced.

Why not the NDP? Most of their policy seems pretty good, I've only met a few people, all on the net, who out progressive me. Heck, of the two candidates I've met for a federal election in person, both have been NDP and we had a nice little chat each time.

So, why do I figure I'm going to vote Green again? I'm concerned that the social side of the Greens is a little, or a lot, conservative.

I think that it is leadership, not the one person party leadership, but the party as a leader.

These elections are so much about TV sound bites and eye candy anymore that it is always about the person. Dion's greatest mistake was to think he had to be electable, he just had to head the party which was electable. Everyone needs to look back at what a true leader is, of any persuasion, and try to bring that back to our political process.

NDP, New Democratic Party, Jack Layton, Canada, Canadian Politics

Organic vegetables in the SD&G area.

2008-09-20T11:37:00.005-04:00

For those of you living in the Stormont, Dundas and South Glengarry area who are looking for a source of locally grown organic vegetables. I would like to recommend a new business I've found.

Love Those Weeds!

Their season is coming to a close at the moment, but I'll point them out again next spring, you can also find them on my sidebar.

Good eating to everyone.

organic, vegetables, eastern, ontario, stormont, dundas, glengarry

Harper lectures about economics.

2008-09-19T07:28:00.009-04:00

Harper complains that Dion is going to run a deficit? What is he, an economist? Well, as a matter of fact he is, so I'm wondering if he knows something?

The conservative record; nothing if not broken!

Whee, more Harpernomics, the selling of Canada is how we keep out of deficit.

To offset the losses in the first quarter:

An element in the government's favour is the $4.25 billion it raised as part of the recent auction of wireless spectrum. Analysts say some of that money could be used to keep the budget in the black.

We're not in deficit, not at all, with all the spectrum we can sell off. At least those cell phone plans will get cheaper, right?

I'm only going to say this once.

2008-09-19T07:28:00.005-04:00

They laugh while your parents and children die.

H/T to Montreal Simon for the image.

Drugs you ought to know are there.

2008-09-18T09:28:00.004-04:00

Well, this study reported by Reuters says that BPA, which is an estrogen like compound, can be linked to heart disease, cancer and diabetes.

Obesity epidemic anyone? Estrogen is responsible for putting curves on half of the population. Could it be that something else, or even BPA might be causing a good portion of this problem? Is it possible that the lowest cost crap that we buy is slowing changing our endocrine system?

Hey, last night on CBC they mentioned a study came out about the St. Lawrence just outside of Montreal. Estrogen, and two synthetic versions of the hormone at 100 times the levels that were thought in the past.

More endocrine problems?

Do you think it is easy, Mr. Harper, to get clean drinking water?

Mr. Harper, quit whining about other people's spending habits.

2008-09-18T06:16:00.001-04:00

Your proposals are modest and prudent?

You friends at the Slash and Cut, that would be the Canadian Taxpayer's Federation, think you are the spendiest candidate so far!

Just look.

canada, politcs, conservative, CPC, Spending, promise

Conservatives fund report showing Carbon tax will not affect economy significantly.

2008-09-15T07:36:00.007-04:00

Far and Wide comments on this story being released by the Greens.

You see, apparently Stephen Harper went and commissioned a study to prove that Carbon taxes will kill the economy. When the report came back, he learned to his horror, that the tax will not really reduce the GDP, just shift it as it is intended to do.

On a related note, let us talk about the history that I pointed out here about how the American economy goes with politics.

The Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives always has such interesting ideas about what we can do other than the status quo. Their document has some interesting facts. After several attempts to get excel to create a pretty graph, I'm going to give you the table and let you take a look. I'd love it if someone had a good graphing program which they could direct me to.

The low scores are mostly conservative governments, and they remain the low scores even when you factor the time in.

We can also look at this press release from Sept. 10, 2008 which states quite simply:

Canadian productivity declines for third consecutive quarter

Harper government first in Canada to oversee negative productivity growth

OTTAWA—The Harper government has become the first elected federal administration to experience a decline in average national productivity during its entire term in office since Statistics Canada began gathering productivity data in 1961, says a study released today by the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives (CCPA).

Now, I'm sure that everyone will ring their hands and say, "It's the economy, stupid!" To them, I say, "No, it's the policy's interaction with the economy, stupid!" Canada simply cannot stand the conservative way of doing business. If working for a living has taught me anything it is that we desperately need checks and balances inside corporations as well as imposed on the economy from the outside.

I'm Spartacus?

2008-09-12T09:03:00.002-04:00

Here, here, Here, and here comment on Buckdog's idiot post.

You got duped and believed what you wanted to for partisan gain, Buckdog.

The real issue is this threat. Take a listen to the video and see if you think it accurate. Is May saying "Canadians are stupid"? or that "They think Canadians are stupid"?

I COMEPLETELY support his right to be duped, to post about it, and for the Greens to point out that what May said was actually something different. I even support the use of the lawsuit, once this was done politely, and if they felt it was mis-representation serious enough.

That did not happen, I am writing to the Greens, and my local Green candidate to express my concern that this not the coalition building that should be happening. That legal action against a Canadian blogger, of little import, should never have been threatened.

I am sure, much like the FACT that Layton was part of a low-income housing co-op on an MP salary, this will continue to be brought up for ever more. Just one thing, the context of Jack's housing, the co-op was designed to have low-income and "full" income people living together and Jack did not "exclude" a low-income person by taking their place he was supporting them. That context, it is messier than a sound bite.

Letter and any response to be posted later today.

A response to my e-mail.

2008-09-10T18:46:00.001-04:00

The Liberals responded to my e-mail with an acknologement of the mail not worth posting, but I thought it fair to post this from the CCed NDP.

Thank you for taking the time to register your views regarding the televised Leaders’ debates.
This afternoon Jack went on record stating, "As long as Stephen Harper is there, I don't care who goes." Jack’s statement is in line with our focus to fight the Harper agenda.
With the consortium’s decision to include Ms. May in the debates, we are now able to focus on other issues of concern to Canadians – the economy, health care, and the environment – and above all, hold Stephen Harper accountable for his record.
It is worth noting that Canada's New Democrats have long advocated for electoral reform and a proportional system of representation that would improve the chances of smaller parties - like the Green Party - of gaining federal seats. This remains our position today.
In this 2008 election, New Democrats are proposing real change. We will stop tax cuts for companies who don’t need them or who ship jobs overseas. Instead, we will invest that money to provide training and innovation in the new energy economy. We invite you to visit our website at www.ndp.ca to learn the latest about our team of New Democrats and the campaign.
As always, we appreciate the time you have taken to write.
Sincerely,
Jack Layton’s New Democrats
Putting you and your family first.

I agree, Jack Layton's New Democrats. Let's hope all the leaders stick to putting forth their policies in contrast to the other guy, as opposed to making this about the other guy.

politics, ndp, new democratic party

The Candidate round here.

2008-09-09T06:07:00.009-04:00

The 2008 Stormont-Dundas-South Glengarry Candidates as I know them:
Guy Lauzon is running for the PC
Denis Sabourin for the Liberals chosen yesterday,
Darlene Jalbert for the NDP who is a little too Facebook Enabled for my taste so far
~~Elaine Kennedy is once again the Green party nominee, choosen almost a year ago, well done Greens. (She was NDP last year as my wife reminded me.)~~
Finally, The Christian Heritage Party was hard to find so I declare them too whacked to get elected anyhow.

Update: Howard Galganov has also join the race, with a complaint that the little guy just can't get any breaks. You can campaign, by the way, M. Galganov, you just are not nominated at this time. I guess idiocy plays to your base.

'nother Update: Apparently David Rawnsley is the green candidate in SD&G. His blog reads well and he is looking to going to be holding "non-events" at many places in our riding.

Enjoy your 40th election Canada.

The leaders debate?

2008-09-08T19:09:00.001-04:00

An open letter:

To: dions@parl.gc.ca
CC: layton.j@parl.gc.ca
G'day M. Dion,

I write to encourage you to withdraw from the leaders debate unless the leader of the Green Party is allowed into the debate.

It has been an unfortunate fact of Canadian political life that corporate news media has had a strangle hold on what is some very expensive TV time to use for the candidates that it chooses. To stand by your opinion, to show that you are the strong leader I believe you to be, please stand by your principals to include all national parties.

PeterC

I expect all I'll get is a automated thank you and spam mail. Now to decide if I'm watching the debate or not.

A vote for the NDP is a vote for....

2008-09-08T10:06:00.007-04:00

Go over and read this G&M piece.

My favourite part, the opportunistic NDP who are so MMP enabled that

"the Conservative Party and the NDP have expressed strong reservations about her participation in the debate."

Yea, you want electoral reform so long as it benefits you.

The thing about principals, you got to try to stick to them. I think that this is truly why I've never been able to force myself to vote NDP. I've voted everything else on the "left" side of the spectrum when I've had the opportunity.

I do not believe that strong leaders make a good party, they make a good party win. I blame Jack for doing a little too much strategy.

Update: Apparently the BQ have joined both of them.
Update#2: Well, it seems that the NDP and BQ may have said they would back Harper. They would support his tantrum by also not showing if Harper did not show. An interested bit of theater. I've yet to see the quote everyone says is going around that Dion said as much as well.

Dion is a leader and offers a vision

2008-09-08T08:04:00.003-04:00

I get e-mails every morning from "Google Alerts" and recently as middle of last week just added two new searches of blogs and the net, "Stephen Harper" and "Stephane Dion" expecting that there would be an election. It is interesting to see how fast the Globe and Mail decided to print up dozens of stories about how Dion is not a leader, and Harper has won a majority.

Go try for yourself, type those two names in the G&M's search box and see what stories come back. It is amazing for the first day of a campaign with no issues to see just how many stories have been written. As has been pointed out elsewhere there are elements of style involved in this election. What kind of Canada do we want to have?

Do we attack people who appear weak? Hasn't worked out well for us so far.

Do we want new ideas that might shape Canada to be the kind of place we love all the more? That might be an idea...

I'm impressed with the amount of coverage, on day one, that is telling me that a vote for Dion is hopeless. I actually find this sad, but encouraging. I suspect that Canadians will not like being told how useless their vote is and expect to see more people turn out than expected. The harder Harper pushes his party and Canada, the more will slip through his fingers.

If you truly love some thing, you have to set it free.

I love Canada.

Now you go vote on Oct. 14th, 2008; no matter who you are voting for.

Instant Update: Ahh, the Sun media, instead of reporting what is going on in the real world: "Harper says he will be attacked by Libs"

Sexism: Alive and Well

2008-09-03T17:40:00.002-04:00

Swompdonkey

Just because she lies, cheats, probably steals, is a small minded book banner, has political views from the inquisition, increases taxes, gives the money back to buy votes then borrows money to do what the taxes were for, and etc.

I would like to make it perfectly clear that I dislike her not for any reason of gender, and I've considered her family only on how it projects on her social conservative beliefs.

I truly thought I would get away without posting anything about the American election, especially since we were getting one of our own but I think the e-mail that James over at Swompdonkey posted bears repeating.

Sexism and Sarah Palin
'We will defend Sarah Palin against misogynist smears not because we like her or support her, but because that's how feminism works.'

Last update: 4:27 p.m. EDT Sept. 2, 2008

SAN FRANCISCO, Sept 02, 2008 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ -- As part of its Stop The Silence on Sexism campaign, WomenCount sent this email to its members today:

It started Friday afternoon with John Roberts on CNN, and then in a slow build over the weekend it became clear what the leading sexist charge would be against Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin: Is it appropriate for her to accept the vice presidential nomination given the magnitude of her current family responsibilities?

The question came not just from members of the media but also from voters around the country who wrote in to news organizations and on blogs.

The obvious retort is whether anyone would ask the same question of the father of a four-month-old with Down Syndrome and a pregnant teenager. We think not.

Radio talk host Ed Schultz on CNN Monday night took things even further by declaring that Palin would not be able to focus on her job given her family distractions.

And Washington Post columnist Sally Quinn wrote: "Of course, women can be good mothers and have careers at the same time. I've done both. Other women in public office have children ... but ... a mother's role is different from a father's."

The message? Sarah Palin: bad mother.

On that count we have no doubt these accusations would never be made about a man. In that sense, Sally Quinn is right -- and that's why things have got to change.

The very notion that Sarah Palin should not have accepted this nomination because she is a mother with demanding challenges underscores just how far we have to go.

Throughout the weekend, we have been asked about WomenCount's views on Sarah Palin as the Republican nominee. It is important to distinguish between the broader issue of sexism and the ideology of an individual. WomenCount was born of the passion its founders had for Hillary Clinton's clear view of social issues and progressive values. We cannot pretend that Governor Palin meets any standard of progressive politics or social values.

Regardless of the candidates' ideology, we will work to stamp out sexism when we see it on the campaign trail. To paraphrase the words of one blogger who said it best over the weekend: We will defend Sarah Palin against misogynist smears not because we like her or support her, but because that's how feminism works.

WomenCount PAC was created to ensure that the 51 percent of American citizens who are women have their values and votes counted in the political process. So far in the 2008 election cycle, WomenCount has run a series of ads related to the presidential campaign and made contributions to several women candidates for Congress.

Contributions to WomenCount PAC are not tax-deductible. Contributions will be used in federal elections, and are subject to federal law regarding prohibited sources and limits. Contributions to WomenCount PAC are limited to $5,000 per calendar year and contributions from corporations and labor unions are prohibited. Federal law requires us to use our best efforts to collect and report the name, mailing address, occupation and name of employer of individuals whose contributions exceed $200 in a calendar year.

Paid for by WomenCount PAC

I googled, but couldn't find the direct link.

Update: Collony Collapse Disorder

2008-08-28T09:00:00.000-04:00

A story over on commondreams.org suggests that perhaps the colony collapse disorder I spoke of here is directly related to a pesticide sprayed on crops.

The colonies are still collapsing at the 30 to 35 percent rate and we can expect it to continue. Of course, there are people arguing how nothing any human has ever done has ever harmed a bee over at Common Dreams. Which really misses the point if there is a causal link in Germany as the article suggests. Why are the sales not stopped so we can see if the colonies recover?

Canadian Cynic: Bill C-537: You can run ...

2008-08-22T08:40:00.003-04:00

Canadian Cynic's "Bill C-537: You can run ..." points out another piece of anti-choice propaganda disguised as a bill in our parliment.

I especially like this part of Bill-537:

“human life” means the human organism at any stage of development, beginning at fertilization or creation.

I might not even have a problem with the bill if it also required the health care practitioner to identify alternate health care professionals who would provide the service.

When you read the bill you actually come to realize that it is a bill about employee relations (including education and professional association membership) which take the possiblity of refusing to hire, as an example, an employee who will not hand out contraceptives at a contraceptive clinic!

The stupid, it burns. Also see this post for similar stuff.

Finally, action from the Canadian Medical Association

2008-08-21T08:48:00.007-04:00

The CMA has a new president, Dr. Robert Ouellet, and he is going to take action. Interesting that they downplay a press release about this new president who is yet another private medical business person like the last president. Yet, the press release I've linked to is all about how it is time for changing Canada's health care. It says that anyone who does not agree it is time can't accept change, are prejudiced(against capitalism?), and are unable to rising above differences of opinion. For now, keep in mind that the CMA as a business association when you hear them make announcements.

Speaking of hearing from them, in an interview on CBC radio this morning Ouellet was asked about his plans to privatize medical care. Note that, as his company proves, anyone who wants to go into private health care can supply services to public institutions. All I heard this morning was that health care is "broken", "expensive" and needs to be fixed and fixed fast. The standard talking points we can expect from anyone who wants to make a profit off of sick people. Realistically, these are now almost an unstated assumption going into the debate of private health care.

Hmmmm, I keep hearing the "horror stories" of medical care too but lets think about this a minute.

First, in a completely unscientific poll of the people I know everyone who had to use the medical system, or had to help a loved one through the system said they were treated relatively quickly, and efficiently when they had something seriously wrong. I would also note that everyone also knew of an Aunt Fanny who had a problem and took years to get it resolved, but they also were unable to give details as they personally were not involved. Okay, my first impression of the medical system in Canada seems to be upheld, I do not see a problem, have not had a problem, and can find no one who can tell me they had a problem. Included in my survey are cancer survivors, people who required surgery for sports related joint problems, and a heart patient. Okay, so much for the hearsay of real Canadians.

One of the things that I heard from Dr. Ouellet this morning was the cost of our healthcare is far and away the highest of the G8 and our level of service is lowest. I'm going to assume per capita as we have a small population and I'm also going to neglect the fact that we have a huge country with such a small population as a mitigating factor of those costs. In other words, for the G8 nations, do we really cost so much?

Because it is easy, and the table is quite thoroughly referenced here is what Wikipedia has to say of quality and cost of Canadian health care, above average care for above average cost.

Hmmm, that seems pretty acceptable to me. I do not mind paying if I'm getting the service.

The biggest problem seems to be a shortage of physicians. Perhaps if we did not live next to a private healthcare system with the bright lights and high salaries that tempt doctors to cross the boarder we would have more of them.

Could that be the issue that the CMA has with public healthcare? That the price is not right for them? The CMA keeps talking about efficiency but to quote a comment I recently read about government program cutting: “efficiency is not effectiveness” It may be efficient to go lowest bid every time, but if every time you do you run into missed deadlines, how effective is it?

Oh, and to those costs that everyone loves to talk about, I would like to point out that if we compare the cost of health care BEFORE its funding was gutted in the mid-90s the comparison is even more favourable! We are using figures here which include the budget increases required to “catch us up” to the most modern levels of service after we neglected healthcare for ten years and had an ideological war on healthcare here in Ontario.

Also, do not forget that I excluded the fact that to provide service to every little town for medical care in a large country such as Canada with a small population is just plain going to be more expensive than say France, or any other more densely populated location.

Yearning Mice wordle!

2008-08-19T15:30:00.005-04:00

Courtesy of http://wordle.net/ a word map of our RSS feed.

A Conservative Fable (No Moral)

2008-08-18T14:02:00.000-04:00

Canadian Cynic: A Conservative Fable (No Moral)

This story is an interesting one.

Unprecedented: that word is very important in this context. Exactly who is not allowing government to work?

The rest of the site is work unfriendly and certainly not otherwise courteous. They seem to like it that way, so you’ve been warned.

P.S. No update yet on the School for Attawapiskat.

What can we afford?

2008-08-08T07:58:00.003-04:00

You know, I do not generally get caught up in causes. However I have always been a big believer in education. Any kind of education! These kids deserve not only a break but enough respect to be allowed to learn.

The liberals promised and did nothing. The conservatives sorta promised and tried to buy helicopters. It is beyond time to build a school.

Here is a question though. What are WE going to do about it? Let us harrness the power of the internet and get these kids a school. Screw ineffective government parties playing politics with people's lives. As someone else commented, next time someone sees a aboriginal blockade and compains; I'll say "Yea, they should play by the rules and get nothing just like the folks at Attawapiskat."

Wow, lots of posts recently and I'm only getting busier in the rest of my life. It always seems to work that way!

H/T to the The Galloping Beaver Crew

The coal has arrived!

2008-08-06T11:31:00.004-04:00

Woohoo! My coal has arrived.

I've been using charcoal so far in my forge, and while it works, and works well. It is expensive and I burn through it quite fast. So now I have some Bituminous coal to give a try too. If it isn't raining to hard I'll do that tonight.

Just the facts

2008-08-05T13:12:00.010-04:00

Just the Economic Facts

This is a quick post in an attempt to get back in the swing of things.

I'm a member of a union. I never really thought I would be having grown up in Alberta and learn all about the lazy, no good, good for nothing union people.

I was always progressive and left leaning in that crowd and when I got my current job part of what came with it was the union. Unions, being constructs of people, are by no means perfect.

Unions have had to adjust with the times. Mine is looking better and better to me every day when dealing with the professionalism of the brothers and sisters. Trying to think of way to make union people the preferred choice to get a job done. In the end, they still have to prevent what I would call abuse of workers. If you do not have a union, perhaps you are a lucky employee where the boss values you. If you are one of the unlucky ones, get the union, no matter whatever else happens you will be better off for it in the long run.

Posted above is a chart that the IBEW puts out every now and again. Across the chart is time, broken into republican and democrat presidents. The other axis shows several economic indicators. There is more there than just one man can do to a country, but I have always found this chart to be striking. I post this as a public service to any Americans who might read the blog.

Why does the chart not reflect pre 1971? In previous years the debt was unchanged vs. the deficit.

What you do with the information is up to you.

UPDATE: Hmmm, an interesting read here. I think it applies somewhat to the graph above.

International Blacksmith Day

2008-05-26T16:26:00.010-04:00

This is what I did to celebrate International Blacksmith Day. The blueprints are reader "suggestions" at www.iforgeiron.com.

It all started the day before when I cut a nice stump from a tree that fell last fall. It was the perfect width for the anvil and I cut it to about 20.5" to give me a nice height to the anvil. I can rest the iron I am using on it with only a slight bend to the elbow.

Once I was done with the morning chores on Sunday I went out and fabricated up the 2'x2' base out of some 2x8 pressure treated scraps. The anvil I acquired from a friendly local smith a PW (0 3 23) at 107# for about 2.50 a pound. The forge was a find in an antique shop, and only required a case of beer to get the blower welded back together.

I had the setup above under my chestnut tree completed pretty quickly and poured the coal into the forge. Hmmm, how much I wonder? There was a layer about 2" deep all the way around the pan by the time I was through pouring, it looked good and blacksmithy. Of course, it was anthracite coal, so very hard and in larger chunks than I had thought it would be.

So, I set about to light this puppy. Two balls of paper as per the blueprints, careful now, pump the blower some, not too much air, scoop some coal over, a little air now, pump. Nope.

Okay, the wife carves and has been saving the hardwood chips for kindling, a ball of paper and some kindling, just like that other blueprint said. Careful now, not too much air, scoop some coal over, little air now pump the blower, more air, oh, pump pump, oh! Nope.

Hrrrm. I read a suggestion on the web somewhere that a blowtorch might do the trick. Out comes the small plumber’s butane torch that I have. Five minutes of blowing with the torch, is this thing even warm yet? I pick up a piece of coal from the middle and hold the torch to it. Barely gets warm, so nope, that ain't going to work either.

Now what? Well, I'm going to push that coal to the side; I was iffy with it anyhow since it was anthracite. I have been saving all the charcoal from my wood heater for the last year and read that traditional medieval smiths used it. So, paper balls again, a little wood kindling, and a mountain of charcoal over the top of it all. Light her up, careful now, just a little air. Good, good, pump a little harder, give it more air. Very good, the charcoal is catching. Pump my boy, pump! Slowly, almost imperceptibly, a low roar starts in that forge. It grows and grows as the coals turn orange, then white. Did I mention that Anthracite has to be heated thoroughly to 900F to catch? Yep, one blacksmithing type fire, with a nice cheery glow, and some music too it.

Whew, luckily, I knew this was going to be the really tough part.

I take my 18" long 3/8" rod and put it in the fire, letting the first 3" get up to a nice orange colour. Says here in my book, think while in the fire and drawing out is the basis for most other smith work. Okay, so how do I draw this thing out? Out of the fire, impressed that I can easily hold the other end of this glowing orange rod in my hand. Tap bang tap tap bang KLUNK bang tap. Okay, hammer control, exactly what is this medium hammer strike they talk about. I think it's about a bang, but I also begin to realize that my hammers are a little big for the work I'm doing. Oh well, only got the three hammers. Flip it over quick, before it cools, draw out the other side and make it straight again. Couple of quick taps to make it flat and back into the fire. Pump pump pump.

Whew, okay, think in the fire. Well, that was kinda neat, actually, more fun than I thought it would be. The metal is so plastic on the anvil I almost imagine grabbing it and forming it like play-doe. The feel of it through the hammer and in my hands is not what I expected. Next step, draw out the 90degree face so I have a point.

Out of the fire, and ting ting clank! Xxxxx, hit to close and not over the edge of the anvil, least I still hit the now bent work. Straighten it out, tap tap, over the edge, ting ting, flip, ting ting ting tang tang. Heat is leaving, it is getting too red.

Okay, really pump that blower, think in the heat, get it good and hot and I'll neaten it up and put a curve in it over the horn. Too much thinking.... ooooh sparkler! A little too hot, good thing this is just plain steel and nothing special.

Flatten, flatten, start the curve, WOW that curved a lot and quick, invert, uncurve, over the horn and volia, a nice little curvy end. Let's see if I can get some of the hook curved with this heat. Nice, wonder if I can tap on the end there, sizzlesteamsteamsizzle into the slack bucket with the end. Nope! Too thin going to have to hammer that open again, but at least the hook is looking good, back to the fire.

Pump pump, think in the heat, the curved end will have to wait now, let’s get the rest of the hook done. Just two more hits on the horn ought to do it, then a flip over the edge and make the 90 to go into the wall.

Bang bang, flip, bang bang. Darn, wasn't paying attention, the 90 is too low. No problem back into the fire....

Ummm, fire? Hello, pump pump, why won't you heat my metal anymore? Oh well, I'll fix her up next time. I'm still happy with how this all went.

Hope you enjoyed reading my first experience!

National Pride vs Greed

2008-05-22T12:07:00.005-04:00

I suffer from a great deal of National Pride. I get misty eyed when I hear "Oh Canada". I fly a flag year round. I vote in every election. I am an immigrant and my heart bubbles with pride when I remember the day I took the Oath of Citizenship and sang, badly, our national anthem. I even have a great deal of respect and pride for the athletes that compete in the Olympics, regardless of whether they win or lose.

Unfortunately, the Olympics are not what they used to be. Slowly, over the last few years the Olympics have gone from a source of pride to another corporate money grab. I was scandalized when they allowed professional hockey and basketball players to compete in the Olympics but I am disgusted by the corporations who bank on Canadian National Pride as away to increase profits.

The Bay, the official outfitters for our Canadian Olympic Team, is providing team clothing and selling a line of "replica" athletic clothing which was produced in China rather than in Canada. GM is currently advertising an SUV as the "Official Team Car for the Canadian Olympic Team"and for a limited time the purchaser can get the "Official" Olympic Symbol on the car to show your national pride. This isn't pride, this is money grubbing at its finest.

What happened to supporting the Olympic Team to promote Canada as a nation?

A link you should read if you are Canadian

2008-05-08T07:43:00.003-04:00

You can find here on Dark Daughter's Blog a something that every Canadian should read. We have heard some information about this in the news recently, but it is often toned down.

I have called myself a proud Canadian but this is one of many things we have to address to remain proud.

Her blog is considered not work safe although I don't know what all the fuss is about. It is the ideas that might cause "real problems", not the pictures or words.

Communication

2008-04-10T14:03:00.006-04:00

At work, I have recently become a part of of a "focus group" on improving the employee engagement. Yes, the engagement that Dee described so very accurately.

In the end, the problem boils down to communication on both sides of the equation.

Communication. Free of assumptions, perceptions, reactions and the expectation of being right. Being part of a team, making decisions that only further the team's goals or enable others to do the same. I do not see my bosses looking at it from this perspective. They want us, the employees, to be a team without them. Well, not perhaps without them, they still want to captain the galleon but have us row.

They just do not get that we are all in the same boat, we all row, and we are all on the mystical "team" that will solve our problems. How do you make a team? This brings us back to communication. Both sides have to say what they mean, how they feel, what they want, but more importantly actively listen. An example, one of my co-workers gets down right angry, you can tell by his tone of voice and flush of face, when his ideas are challenged or something he does not like is said. I listen to his objections and answer or agree with them while pointing out that he is getting angry. He modifies his behaviour more now, and has been getting better at it.

The real point that struck me today though was, just how long have we been at this communication thing, ten thousand years? How many businesses are in the middle of just this problem? Why are all the bosses Dilbert PHBs? Why are we all just angry now? Not every manager was good, but my feeling is that we had better managers, in general, in the past.

I think that when everything gets reduced to a business, to an accounting entry, it starts to wear on people. Maybe we could account for everything someday, Isaac Asimov's Foundation novel suggests we might. Unfortunately, right now our accounting system is flawed as the green movement has shown too elegantly. Money is nothing it was always about what we did with it.

It is important to a business's bottom line to create an atmosphere of enjoyment.

Communication, real, heart felt, honest, and risky communication, is the only way to do that. Not more rules, telling people to improve, or look within themselves. Not "team building" exercises. All that can come after the communication starts.

Here is hoping that I can communicate.

Eco-Freaks and Hot Air Merchants

2008-04-03T07:14:00.005-04:00

It occurs to me that the right wing are all freaky about carbon trading. For example, how much it is going to cost, that those dirty poor people might get some of our wealth, or that it is ineffective..

Well, I'm pretty sure most people on the left are also all freaky about it because it is a grand pyramid scheme which signifies that our leaders are still fiddling while the earth burns.

Yet I can not help but notice, around the world, that people are blaming us damn dirty lefties for creating this problem.

If we had been left to our own devices I am sure "we" would have found an innovative solution that would have completely shifted the economic realities around the world to something new.

This is the inherent problem of the "eco people" referred to as freaks. They are generally unafraid of the future. Conservatives do not want the change, and stand up against changes to great extremes. For a change to even think about getting implemented once they get their hands on the idea it must undergo a bastardization to prevent any actual change.

So, I am sorry, but I'm not going to take credit for an idea that only exists because of the opposition and my attempts to compromise so something gets done. I will accept that I should not have compromised my ideals to get a consensus and that, in the long run, this will be the true legacy of the left. Their willingness to get consensus that will never happen, to try to be inclusive, to try and consider both sides of the story will end up causing us so many problems.

These “lefty” values are good. They assist in solving social problems that the "lock up and throw away the key" method only makes worse. What the "left" has to realize is that we have to draw a line, to what point do we bend but no further when it comes to action?

By-election Results

2008-03-18T07:30:00.009-04:00

These by-elections have been a very close kept secret. The news reports have been very understated and I am sure the results will be spun by every party. I recommend Idealistic Pragmatist for a fairly balanced view of the comings and goings and what it might mean.

I am really quite surprised to see how much the PC party gained in these by-elections. I think this is perhaps because I am very focused on getting my political news from non-TV sources. This bothers me. The main stream media, owned wholly by "people of power and influence," has such a drastic effect on public opinion.

For example, I followed some of the Mulroney happenings on TV and was very amused how most TV journalists defended having a lock box full of money with no clear source as to where it came from. A little investigation by CTV turns up the fact that the explanation that was provided is not supported by the people who supposedly paid the money. Could you imagine just how shrill the pundits would be if it was suggested that someone with 20 oz. of pot and up on dealing charges because of the amount not his actions had a similar amount of money stashed away?

Enough of that, I think one of the real stories of these by-elections is how the Greens grow. Considering that Greens are a socially conservative party their inroads into the rural vote are next to non-existent. I think there are a few reasons for this which I'd like to enumerate.

First, there is the local and provincial meddling with farmers. Often done in the name of environmentalism and often necessary. This includes new food restrictions, restrictions on the amounts and types of land use, the threat of higher gas prices, and finally water conservation policies which always seem to leave the golf courses green and lush.What does a person in a rural riding see here? They would see people coming to spoil their way of life, take what they believe is rightfully theirs, and cost them more money. Of course, none of these policies can be applied to a city, the land there is already ruined, right? Imagine how that might feel to you if it happened to you.

Second, the green image is of hippies in cities. In reality, the most dedicated greens are people close to the land, farming it themselves, using technology with great consideration for the impact on both their own lives and the surrounding environment. Many small farmers already do this as a matter of choice. They do not look to the big city and big screen TVs as the best of everything. (Let us leave factory farming out of this for the current discussion) Each year it seems harder and harder to pull it off without more and more chemicals, seeds, or other outside purchases from fewer and fewer companies. Check out the Ontario Federation of Agriculture or peruse the Canadian Small Farm Magazine and you will see natural allies for the Greens.

Third, maybe tied to my second point a little, is the love hate relationship between the Greens and NDP. The NDP are all about the green revolution so we keep hearing, even more than the greens themselves. Unfortunately for the rural voter this brings a lot of "progressive" baggage that the typically socially conservative rural vote can not stand. I think the Greens must, in the rural ridings, make a point of talking about their non-environmental policy. They are definitely a moderate party and right of middle when you examine policies in detail. This is the typical position of most Green parties in the world as they are the environmental party for the "rest of us."

In the end, I would not consider myself right of middle at all. Yet there is just something about Jack and his party that I do not trust in the least. On several occasions I have had a chance to listen to Dion talk, and unless it has been turned into a sound bite I like what he has to say. I do not see any follow through.

In the end, I will likely vote Green again in the future and work from the outside of the party to make it a left of middle, environmentally responsible, idea filled party.

Just some thoughts today from someone who does not fit in any party and can only watch the by-elections go past hoping to give the Conservative Party of Canada the boot.

(Wow, in re-reading this, I had an extra bad spelling night. :)

This bears repeating

2008-03-16T07:27:00.001-04:00

I do not want to be watched. I do not think that being safe is always better than being sorry. When I say these things people look at me and think "You have something to hide." Often they even say as much.

Possibly. I certainly do not want you to know about my business and make inferences or assumptions about me that are incorrect. I do not want you to look at a small part of my life and make it my entirety. I am extremely complex. Just ask the wife and she will tell you just how annoying I can be. Sometimes I operate on a plain completely separated and above everyone, sometimes, I'm the most debased son of a bitch there is and you can not get any lower. I think we are all like that, especially in our private moments.

But in the end I have never been able to find a suitable argument against the Circumstantial Ad Hominem implied in "You must have something to hide". Let me tell you, pointing out fallacies is not the way to win, or even break even in most arguments with living breathing people.

So here is what I am going to be borrowing from IOZ from now on to explain why I feel the way I do.

I fear a surveillance society not because I think that the government will actually catch me in my subversion, but because I fear that it will think that it's caught me in my subversion. The pressure to "produce results" leads to the issuance of too many traffic tickets. Imagine what it will do when someone has to justify spending a bajillion dollars on some kind of algorithmic AI that's supposed to psychohistorically predict when a new 9/11 will change everything all over again forever. The more I order from Amazon, the kookier its recommendations for me. Entrail-reading isn't science, no matter how much one wishes it were so.

h/t to POGGE

Waking Dreams and Night Mares

2008-03-08T19:33:00.004-05:00

I wake, as if from a dream into a dream.

The farm house stands lonely away from the bustle of the barns. Row upon row of rough wooden and steel pens. Most are filled with large cattle and the occasional horse.

In a dream, long ago, I brought a horse to a place like here. In some sense rescued her, I think, from certain death. Uncertain then, more and more certain now.

This place smells. Unkempt like the women leading me. Mixtures of feces, urine and quite some fear assault me in those barns. That women, greasy, hungry looking, pimpled face and no manners. Those dark shifty eyes making me more and more certain now.

I see her now, the reason I expose myself to this again. The only reason I could ever be in a place like this. She is beautiful in her horsey way, this mare. Row after row of torture making me want to kill this place; so unlike so long ago. But no, focus on her, you are here for her.

"This is the mare.", she says with the contempt of the master who deep down knows life is out of her control. I nod. I watch the mare, see her ears toward me, then back, hard against the skull for the women.

"Give me your hoof pick." I say, trying to say nothing. Foolish, been away so long, I do not have even that for her. "Back up.", I order the women so I can have space, the very air crushing me in this place.

The mare, ears still forward, turns her nose away from me so she can look at me. As the mare looks at me I return the gaze, a beautiful chestnut with a white snipe on her nose. Her coat surprisingly glossy and clean for this place. Her mane is tangled but not her tail I see as it lazily swishes after a fly. I hold out my hand, palm down, near her muzzle and the mare sniffs three times and blows. I am amazed, it can not have been easy for her here. How to trust after so long? I now know I will not let her stay here.

The greasy women yells at some offence only she sees in the pens. Useless effort, it will not make her feel better for not knowing herself and will not stop the caged animals from behaving like caged animals.

I step toward the mare and run my left hand down her neck, over her shoulder and down her front leg. I make a show of it, tapping at her hoof. Once described to me as the crescent moon with a heart shaped bull frog sitting in it. My shoulder gentle rests against her side, letting her know where I am at all times. Putting the hoof down gentle I stand up running my hand up her side and over her back and rump, down her leg again, gently tugging on her fetlock so she picks up her hind hoof for me herself. I support it with my thigh as I again tap tap tap.

I return to her head and reach my right arm under her throat to grab a bit of her tangled mane. Holding her mane for a halter I detach the lead rope while the woman exclaims, "Hey!".

The mare, as I expected, leads well this way as I walk her up the row. I use her bulk as a shield from the pens and would keep walking this way and away if I could. I turn with her and do my best to shield her from this place we are in. I return her to the side of what was once her pen. I clip the lead back to her halter.

I gently cup her muzzle with my hands and open her lips to see her teeth. I almost laugh at both how her lips flap at my hands and how straight the woman suddenly stands. I may have been away but I never forget. At least four years older than the woman told me. She, I stare hard at, giving moments of uncomfortable thoughts and all I can do to repay some of the torture. She knows she lied, she knows I know, and she knows that she can not say anything or loose her desire, money.

I do not care for money and I know I cannot risk calling the bluff. The insane react oddly to being challenged.

"Deal." I say, trying to say nothing. She smiles, beady eyes flashing with greed. Happiness she counterfeits for me. But also for the women as the next mark moves into her sights. Money her crack, getting her everything and nothing.

I untie the lead rope and walk again along the rows of pens with their caged animals. I will shield her from all of this now, as best as I am able. Take her home to my stead and my wife. The mare will have work to do, nothing in this life is ever free, but it will be good work. Work that builds a strong home. Work that feeds you.

Bill C-484

2008-03-06T07:40:00.006-05:00

I thought I'd post on this particular bill C-484 because it seems such a sneaky little thing. We have talk about the "Harper Hidden Agenda" during the last election. We have had many examples of this not so hidden agenda over the last two years, too many to list.

Unfortunately, Bill C-484 is a sneaky little "hidden" bill. It's supposedly about getting tough on criminals. Heck, anyone killing a pregnant women deserves more jail time, right? Double it in fact! Right on!!!! Of course, the bill does not actually do that as I understand it. It does not add ANY time to ANY sentence involving the death of a pregnant women. Truly, the "hidden" in plain sight message is here:

If you harm a child, through omission or commission of an act even before it is born, you can be charged with murder.

Hmmm, doesn't that sound a little like places south of the border where women can and have been charged for having an abortion? But remember, this bill isn't about that, it's all about being tough on crime!

To be perfectly clear, my position is that the decision between birth and abortion is between a women, her doctor's MEDICAL opinion, and perhaps the father if he remains more than a sperm donor.

Oh, as I understand, this bill has made it past TWO readings and is now in committee. Did you know about it before I posted? Seems a pretty big issue to be shuffled in under the radar as a private members bill. Harper voted for, and Dion was missing, btw.

Bringing Silence to the Mind

2008-02-03T14:45:00.000-05:00

If there is anything I think would help Canadians remember who they are is for them to sit and not think. It really is amazing how much not thinking about an issue can make your ideas clear and your path the surest route to success.

I'm not saying that intellectual discovery or curiosity is bad. I certainly wouldn't be the person I am without it and it is an activity I enjoy to no end. The problem with it is that we can get all caught up in nothing.

I fear many of us have.

One of my dreams is to have a piece of property with a few hand tools a forge and some raw materials carve myself out a place. In this place I envision the hammering of metals, the chopping of wood, the building of sheds from raw materials. The goal isn't the shed itself, the chopping of wood, or the bashing of metal but the simple getting out of my thoughts and allowing the brain to work at its own pace. I know I also neglect the body for the mind; so I hope that this will also give me a fitter body.

What is so good about not thinking?

The hard part about todays world is understanding what is important, not the gotta pay the mortgage important, the kind of soul searching why the hell should I continue living important. When you concentrate on a problem, any problem, you mind is filled with that one thing. You have no ability to see the big picture when you concentrate. It is far to complex to look or understand so you have to allow your mind to "gestalt" it. Heinlein called it "grokking" or the total understanding of something. Literally, the drinking of it.

Don't think about THAT for a minute.

In Praise of Slow

2008-01-25T21:03:00.001-05:00

I think there is a book by that name(yes, here it is) which describes the so called "Slow Culture".

To me, it seems a concept that is the antipathy of what I feel I must do every day. Rush to work, rush to the store, rush to the appointment, rush to the classroom, rush to the meeting, and rush through the repair. Everyone seems caught up in the rush. I never seem to have time to be. Sure I sit and watch TV, that isn't me being. That's me trying to avoid rushing. At the end of the day, even what is a short one by most considerations, I'm just too tired to bother doing anything else. I'm left fractured and of many a mind about a dozen different topics. (That, by the way, is why I don't seem to post, my thoughts have been fractured of late, and I've been prone to get angry at the world.)

So, what about the slow. What does it mean? Perhaps to me it is simply taking the time back. I just washed the dishes, by hand, with towel and water and soap and everything. We don't even have one of those new fangled contraptions. It took about 30 minutes but you know, it kept my body occupied while I was thinking. I even wonder if that is why you are reading this right now. I don't feel deprived of time, although I am tired still as I was at the end of my work day.

I enjoy helping my wife cook dinner. It may take an hour and a half of us standing, chopping, stirring and what have you. Imagine, every day, spending at least an hour with your mate doing something that doesn't involve loud music, speakers overriding conversation, the annoying and petulant whirring of a computer fan. Could you possibly afford an hour out of your schedule? Can you really afford not to?

The "slow culture" is one where this concept is taken outside of just your personal space and applied to everything around you. Do you need to travel 105 on the highway or is 100 or God forbid 95 good enough. Can you just walk to the corner store? If you do can you take someone with you and walk a little farther to your local grocer?

Have you signed anything other than a contract or a cheque lately? A letter, perhaps to an old friend?

Don't get me wrong, I am overly punctual for appointments always trying to arrive 10 or 15 minutes earlier than necessary. I just do it by leaving earlier and making sure I have what I feel is enough time. Even when my employer doesn't like it and wants me to make appointments after work so I have to rush to meet their schedule. My contract says I don't have too, although I always do when it is not inconvenient, regardless of how pushy my boss is.

In the end, if you are slow enough, I think you will come to this realization: "A Man's a Man". Thanks again all of you at POOGGE, for writing my thoughts even those they are a hundred odd years old. Happy Robbie Burns night, it's enough to make a Scotsman out of anyone. Scroll up a bit, the videos are excellent.

P.S. Did I ever tell you about the snowball fight I had crossing into Scotland? No? I guess I was typically Canadian and just couldn't resist....

P.P.S I'm tired now and I'll sign off without much proofing. Forgive the spelling.

Don't not give a cow, man!

2007-12-07T10:23:00.000-05:00

Being the season and all, I thought I would pass along this message from over at "The Galloping Beaver".

Heifer International is a charity I've heard of before and have only heard good things about. The idea is, if you send a person a steak they have one good meal, if you send them the cow he can start feeding his neighbours too.

We've not decided what we are giving yet, but I think both I and the wife will put up a bit of the green stuff this christmas season to a good cause.

Please donate here to the Canadian Bloggers gift registry.

h/t Dana

Informed Dissent

2007-11-15T07:54:00.000-05:00

I've been quite lax in posting recently, but I found that talking about what I think has made me quite angry, or perhaps frustrated, with how the world is. My partner in crime is encouraging me to post more and she is right.

I read this over on The Galloping Beaver and have to wonder exactly how it is I get my news. What bias does it come with? Can I see sides to it that were not expressed?

Not any more. Each day I find myself asking, "Is this really news?"

Even when it is important news we seem to report only on the people talking about it, what the committee said, and then what the pollster said about what the committee said and not about the issues involved.

With Infotainment, and not information, we cannot make the normal decisions about what we need to do, and where our country needs to head. We gave this up collectively to special interest parties and no longer think anything intelligent on so many topics.

Yet, we argue about whether or not Brian Mulroney should be investigated for the $300,000 cash he received and didn't pay taxes on. Isn't that a no brainier amongst many others? How much talk has been wasted on this already? One of many political issues from this and past governments which should never be in public debate. We need to debate our future, not Brian's.

Perhaps decisions should lead to actions?

What decision have you made today that you can action?

Sugar, Sugar

2007-11-07T10:37:00.000-05:00

For the most part I try to eat healthy whole grain based cereals with little or no sugar added. But sometimes I just want something a little sweeter than raisins. In the past I have always been able to rely on Kelloggs Frosted Flakes to be sweet without being stupid sweet. Apparently, that is no longer true.

The last box of Frosted Flakes we purchased was as sweet as any of the super sweet, chocolaty, strawberry, or otherwise disgusting cereals. When I discovered this I went to look at the calorie listing only to find that Kelloggs has increased the sugar content but shrank the serving size down to maintain the impression that they are still better for you because you aren't eating so many calories.

This is a disturbing and rather sneaky trend in the food and snack industry. Not long ago there were scores of commercials going on about Cadbury's new 100 calorie chocolate bar. Only when you looked a little closer it was simply a smaller amount of chocolate spread out to make it appear as if it was a full size bar. The small individual yogurt containers used to be the serving size but if you look on the back you'll see that the serving size is about half of the small container.

So people think they are eating better by buying the "Health Conscious" product. Instead they are eating the same thing they always have eaten but in smaller amounts, if they follow the serving size guide for each product. But how many people eat half a small container of yogurt? How many people can eat a half cup of sweet cereal for breakfast and be able to make it to lunch without snacking? Not many.

What is the solution? Some people would say Government Regulation. I would prefer if people took a little more personal responsibility for their own health. Make informed and conscious decisions on your diet, stop being swayed promises "Good for You" snacks. Think for yourself and use common sense.

Employee Engagement

2007-09-22T05:52:00.001-04:00

Employee engagement. It is the latest and greatest corporate buzz phrase, at least for the corporation I work for. But what does it mean?

If you ask the company it is a quotient based on what an employee says about the corporation, their strivings to do for the company, and whether the employees are staying with the company over the longterm or not. If you ask the employee, especially the ones who have been deemed "not engaged", it is the level of abuse you are willing to put up with for the salary and benefits you receive.

Just like the abusive parent who sits at the table with the liquor and smokes while moaning that their children just don't love them, the corporation's board of directors spends a great deal of time wondering where it all went wrong. Surveys are done and staff meetings are called to go over the results. The presenter always says the same thing, "We just don't know why you're not engaged." Anyone who tries to explain it to them is quickly shut up and shuffled out the door.

You've probably guessed by now that I am "not engaged" at work. It's hard to care about the corporation when the corporation has made it clear that they don't care about you. Programs put into place to benefit the employee are used instead to control and manipulate them. Incentives are used to create tension and discord between employees. The contract is interpreted and re-interpreted constantly until very few of us are even sure what the words mean anymore. Information in place to be used by all employees is instead withheld and/ or requests for information are instead funnelled to your manager who berates and threatens you. Pride in a job well done has been twisted to mean that we must give 150% effort in 50% of the time and for 30% of the costs. Family be damned. Health be damned. Sanity be damned.

We were informed at 2:30 yesterday that three positions have been surplussed. In other words, the work being done by 10 people last week, must be done by 7 people next week. And there will be hell to pay if overtime, response times, or sick days increase at all. This move was done for no other reason than to "bring the department more in line with other departments across the nation.", even though else where in the nation the work done by our department is actually performed by two separate departments under two separate branches of the corporation.

So, like the child of an abusive parent, I lay awake at night and listen for the sound of my doom. I cringe whenever my name is called, fearing that some how I have done something wrong again. I wake in tears each morning, dreading another minute in the shop. Is my workbench clean enough? Will I be able to meet the deadlines assigned to me? Am I going to get confronted by the manager and have to justify my task and schedule? How can I possibly be in two places at once, regardless of what the schedule says? Will they actually give me the help required for heavy lifting, when I ask them? Or, like last time, will I be told "At the end of the day, the job has to get done."?

Where has my compassion gone?

2007-09-11T08:37:00.000-04:00

Every weekend I go to a local truck stop and enjoy a nice breakfast of poached eggs, crisp bacon, tasty fries and some brown toast with peanut butter. Yum. This last weekend though I was stopped by a man asking for help getting something to eat.
It really disturbed me because my response was "I don't think so." and I moved on to enjoy my breakfast.

That's not like me at all.

The last time this happened I took the gentleman to the grocery store that I was heading to and told him to get what he needed to feed his kids. Unfortunately, he didn't really need anything and bought about 20 bucks worth of stuff, thanked me, and moved on to another store where he continued to panhandle with the story about his poor kids. I'm pretty sure he didn't expect to be taken up on his request and was hoping for money. Whatever, my good deed was done.

Now, the truck stop that I eat at has a counter at the front with loaves of bread, meat, peanut butter and so on. I knew this, why didn't I buy this guy 5 bucks worth of edibles which would have kept him fed well enough for 2 or three days?

Unfortunately, I think that I'm just jaded from all the people asking for stuff, all the time. The united way at work, the SPCA, commercial after commercial on TV and the 'net showing starving children in some hot country. I don't think I believe any of it anymore. I was also extremely angry that someone invaded my personal space to beg and I think that is an extension of the number of times I get calls or door knocks when I'm in the middle of something at home. I'd have to say that well over 50% of my interaction with people outside of work is saying no. I don't give at the door, I don't give over the phone. I do give, to the local food bank/thrift store (Agape Centre) less recently to the OSPCA although they and a few other charities get a donation every month.

I think, really, the reason I had to post was that I don't like what this society is making me. I feel on the defence in everything that I read, listen to, watch, and even walking down the street. Defend from what? The next onslaught of marketing in commercial, charitable, or any other form.

Does everyone lie, all the time?

A test post!

2007-08-19T18:56:00.000-04:00

Does this thing ever work?

Compulsive Sign Obeyer!

2007-08-18T18:38:00.000-04:00

What are your reactions to signs? When a sign says "Alarm will sound if you open door!" do you believe it and go out the "right" door or do you give it a push? Do you come to a complete stop at every stop sign, even the ones where you can see for miles in all directions and know that no one is coming? How about all those little city by-laws?

You see, my name is Peter and I'm a compulsive sign obeyer.

It is a habit I am trying to break. Many of those signs lie. Many of those by-laws are not meant to be enforced except under circumstances where people are exceptionally stupid. To give you an example take backyard fires. Several of my neighbours have large fires in their backyards every year. The by-laws say that you are not supposed to have open burns without permits, safety equipment, and supervision. You know, most of our neighbours are smart folk and haven't burnt down their house yet, and I know they are not following the rules although I'd like to see some do a little more supervision of their fires. We have this one neighbour, he burns almost everything and almost every night of the summer there is some fire in his backyard. Unfortunately, he is the guy the by-law is made for. Thick columns of white smoke often float across his neighbours houses and I know more than once he has had to talk to the by-law officer about how to be courtesy to his neighbours. I suspect that he has been fined for not having a permit among other things. So why does this matter? I, myself, can not have a spontaneous fire in the backyard because I know that these rules exist. So I got to work on being a compulsive law obeyer, use some common sense.

Signs lie. Have you ever been to a restaurant where all the doors are "alarmed" only to have a worker go right through those alarmed doors to get out for their smoke break? You know, the door that would let you not spend a great deal of time getting rained on to get to your car. The sign is there to prevent dine and dashers, not the actual use of the door.

Anyhow, I envy the people who think signs and laws don't apply to themselves. They have much more freedom.

Here and back again

2007-08-16T14:24:00.000-04:00

Just a quick note to all my many many fans that I am still here posting, but have had a vacation. I intend, among other things, to try to catch up my several started posts and add a new flavour to the blog this weekend about blacksmithing, brewing, and mysticism. Hopefully I can bring the three together!
For now, go ahead and read Dave Pollard's post here. He sometimes hits the nail right on the head.
PeterC

"The Universe from Your Backyard"

2007-07-23T14:44:00.001-04:00

The Universe from Your Backyard by David J. Eicher(link here) is "A guide to deep-sky objects from Astronomy Magazine". Despite the very dry subtitle this is the number one book I recommend to people interested in astronomy who want to go a little further than the traditional guides take you but who do not really want to learn what an M number is, or spend time aligning a telescope to the north celestial pole.

I credit this book with how I learned to truly appreciate astronomy as the art of looking deep into the universe. It consists of a series of well written articles, each from the back of Astronomy magazine in the 80s, which highlight a constellation, describe some of the interesting history and most importantly shows you what is there in the sky for all to see. These three things are what truly make this a book worth cherishing.

A little bit of sky lore for each constellation not only lets everyone without any tools enjoy the sky but it will imprint each constellation in your memory as you go out under the stars. The atlas is in shades of blue which will allow you to read the maps under a red "night light" which protects your night vision. Different from many atlas' of the sky this book is good for the naked eye as well.

Once you learn your way around the stars you can dig a little deeper and see objects like NGC 457 which is also known as the "Owl Cluster". The Owl Cluster is one of my favourite items to view in the sky. The picture I linked just does not do it justice as the bright starry eyes of the owl are beautifully shaded and the wings are much more visible when you view it yourself. A really good pair of binoculars or a small store telescope(with a wide angle eyepiece) show it off best.

If you find yourself bitten by the astronomy bug and go buy a big scope this atlas grows right along with you and will be a lifetime friend. When trying to find quasars(kinda boring really) or the dimmest of galaxies; all the important objects for you to see are in here. It is not a comprehensive guide to be sure, it is not intended to be. It just contains objects you simply will not want to miss.

One last praise for this cherished book; this book contains not one page of "technical guide". It is true that it uses all the technical jargon, space can be a complex place, but most often the articles give you a starting place to learn, for example, what a magnitude 5 star really looks like "in the wild" and then star hops you to more interesting deep sky objects with which you can compare to. No nasty math for those of you who don't like that sort of thing.

Enjoy!

Thursday Thirteen #5

2007-07-12T07:33:00.000-04:00

Thirteen Things about what I did rather than reading blogs this week!

Created an evaluation strategy!
Kept up with an exercise program!
Drove to Kingston!
Took a cool picture of lightning(will add it to the post tonight)
Helped a little in the matter of a table staining!
Picked peas!
Picked more peas!
Shucked peas and more peas!
Cooked Mac and Cheese with a baking component!
Took over 140 pictures!
Shopped!
Pick up some glass donated to freecycle!
Thought about a true conspiracy and wondered how many theories are close to the truth!

Links to other Thursday Thirteens!
1. (leave your link in comments, I’ll add you here!)

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The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others comments. It’s easy, and fun! Be sure to update your Thirteen with links that are left for you, as well! I will link to everyone who participates and leaves a link to their 13 things. Trackbacks, pings, comment links accepted!

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Friday Cat Blogging

2007-07-06T06:04:00.000-04:00

I'm in yur picture,

stealing your chrominance.

Thursday Thirteen #4

2007-07-05T06:25:00.000-04:00

Thirteen Reasons

1. It is too hot out.
2. Today I'm feeling great!
3. It's only 5 bucks.
4. I can always do it tomorrow.
5. I thought it sounded like a good idea at the time.
6. It was only thirty volts, how bad could that be?
7. It wasn't going to rain for a week.
8. It was looking old and grimey.
9. He pulled right out in front of me.
10.I thought I would surprise you!
11.It's small, but maybe everyone will do something small to save the planet.
12.It just felt right.
13.I will regret not doing this 30 years from now.

Hopefully you too can use some of these reasons to do or not do the things you need or don't want to do!

Links to other Thursday Thirteens!
1. (leave your link in comments, I’ll add you here!)

Alike

2007-07-04T18:39:00.000-04:00

This post started as a comment on this thread here , Cerberus: Canadians and Americans more alike than different, but took on a life of its own.

It occurs that ever time we try to celebrate Canada we have the pundits telling us just how like the Americans we are. That's how they phrase the debate and I have been thinking about this a while now, having married an American and all that. If you phrase the argument in a comparison, you will always come to the real truth, we, the human race, are more similar to each other than we like to think.

But hold on a second, just how different are we from, say, the British, the French, the Swedes? Are we more or less different than them, and if so, define how.

We do have our own culture, regardless of how many people keep trying to prove we do not. I remember when the NFB was great, when we had Canadian content, foreign ownership controls, sovereignty over our resources. All these were good things and encouraged OUR culture. I even understand why we had to, and should continue to, support airports north of sixty for those communities there. I think you can trust that it really had nothing to do with flying people to and from the north, like the railroad and train travel west, that was just a fringe benefit. Oh, by the way, the train travel thing worked out pretty good for Canada.

Ever since the 80s, and even before then I'm sure, I've seen little men with no vision whittle away at what Canada could be. Why? Because of this question of how like the Americans we are. Who cares? Have you ever asked an average American what his national culture is? He'd look at you dumbfounded that you are asking the question, but would be unable to give any better answer than your average Canadian. You'd hear about the melting pot(Hmm, a Canadian would talk about multiculturalism), the revolution (Hmm, didn't Canada peacefully remove itself from that yoke?), the wild west(we got some mounties).

Tired old analogies about siblings aside, we may be more alike than different but what a difference those differences have made.

Dirty Bombs make Dirty Politics

2007-07-03T19:14:00.001-04:00

I find it amusing that the culture of fear continues unabated the weekend after ~~our~~ the aboriginal peoples of Canada have a one day peaceful protest to draw attention to ~~still~~ unsettled land claims among other things. For some comments from the wingnuttery on aboriginals see here and here but be careful, it is pretty nasty if you follow it in too many links. Either we finish committing genocide or not, you guys can figure that out. I know where I stand.

No, today I really want to comment on the articles about dirty bombs.

First off, we have Day saying... "Boy, those terrorists love explosives.... but what about nuclear explosives?" We know he isn't the roundest pea in the pod but with a statement like that I'm left to wonder if he knows that it would be a much smaller explosion than the one which took out one or two other cities almost 70 years ago.

Regardless, look out for the boggie man! Those terrorists, yea, those ones, are all out stealing nuclear stuff just to put into bombs for the CN tower. Heck, the people who's job it is to protect you from them, CSIS, say so and they also claim that we are way overdue for just such an attack. The only reference to a potential dirty bomb attack I could find through all the "there might be an attack any day now" google hits was wikipedia, here.

Now, think about this for a minute. Many of the tools referred to in the CTV and TO STAR articles above use solid radioactive metals for specific purposes. Take a look at the applications for Americium and its isotopes. A smoke detector and, to translate for those of you not blessed with a physics background, a high powered, deep penetrating "X-ray" machine. Whoooo, scary! So, what do we have, a metal that must be dispersed in an almost aerosol consistency through an explosion of C-4. Well, a chunk of mailable metal is not going to do that despite what you see on TV. That means it has to be prepared. Without extraordinary precaution you will contaminate all around you and you will die yourself, perhaps really fast if you inhale your powder or whatever it is you create. If I were a terrorist the last thing I'd mess with is anything nuclear or biological. Just bomb the occasional bus, train, elementary school. It would not take much to really put a dent in what people do and how they do it.

The one thing I did not read in this whole mess is who commissioned the report and when it was commissioned. Did our mostly new but a little worn out government, the one who blued up Canada Day, want something to release to distract us? Did the previous government, the one who sometimes said no to Bush out of principal commission it? I could never google up a link to it so I don't know. We so desperately need journalists, not stenographers, at our papers it is not funny!

A friend tells me he does not read the paper because it only brings him down. I think it is designed to. Oh, I don't think there is any great, or at least conscious, conspiracy to keep us afraid except perhaps among some politicians. I do think that if you can get someone addicted, you can count on their money. Fear is the number one or number two most addictive substance I've encountered, it is right up there with sex. Do not let them use your addictions against you. They are there for your own fun!

Friday Cat Blogging and a Wet Squirrel

2007-06-29T06:28:00.000-04:00

A regal Woogie!

A zonked Pokey Sue

A recent exhausted visitor to our pool. But not a cat.

Thursday Thirteen #3

2007-06-27T18:46:00.000-04:00

Well, they say that the third time is a charm, let's see if I can pull this off.

Thirteen Things I have used as a charm

A beautiful silver pentacle necklace given to me by my wife;
A cute little woggle legged horse plastic toy with a definate stereotypical mexican cast to his looks;
A magic wind turbine fire starter(lighter);
A stuffie horse from long long ago;
My first telescope;
A dollar coin from before Canada had our own;
Books, books and more books;
My Tilly hat;
Two horse chestnuts;
A swiss army knife;
A lock of horse hair;
A red LED Star Wars watch which was a very bad charm for me;
Two polished stones, picked up to give me clarity and find a voice.

Links to other Thursday Thirteens!

The Human Herd Mentality

2007-06-25T18:43:00.000-04:00

What is it about humans that they have to sit next to their own kind, regardless of where, when, or how annoying they are? Seriously, there are 50 other tables to choose from and they have to sit next to me. If they have rowdy children it is a good bet they will sit at the table next to me and between me and the exit.

I was peacefully eating my lunch in a serve yourself cafeteria. I always choose the seat as far away from the other people in the place as possible and out of direct contact with anyone entering the lunchroom. The very next group of people to get their lunches sat at the table directly in front of me leaving maybe three feet between themselves and my table. They weren't quiet eaters either. They coughed, sneezed, blew their noses, slurped, and in general sounded like a herd of pigs feeding at the trough.

The next group was a family unit with a cranky, noisy, irritable child. Did they sit on the other side of the lunchroom so they wouldn't disturb the other dinners? Hell no. They sat one table over from me effectively blocking the aisle with their stroller and hand bag, so I had to wait for them to leave before I could get up and leave myself.

By the end of the lunch break I was so disgusted that I wanted to do nothing more than go home without enjoying the rest of my scheduled day. And people wonder why I don't join in on the voluntary staff parties and picnics. I am definitely not a herd animal and prefer to eat my lunch or dinner in the peace and quiet of the home I call my cave.

Poisons in the house

2007-06-25T10:41:00.000-04:00

This post reminds me of all that is wrong with "modern society." The strange thing is that it really stems back far, far before our modern times.

First, let us look at the numbers. From the Toronto Star article referenced above we have simply doubled the amount of cancer since 1960. If that does not rock you back in your boots and put some of the modern is better assumptions you have on shaky ground I don't know what would. Oh, by the way, the rate in 1960 was a record high.

So much for the numbers, but what is the cause?

I'm going to suggest that vanity is the number one cause of Cancer. From the chemicals we use to wash our hair, body, dishes, food, cars and dogs to the chemicals we spray to make us smell nice, brush on to keep our walls white and form our carpets from we are surrounded by toxics. Things that are toxic in the parts per million will still have an effect on you and yours in the parts per billion. Seriously, look up the term LD50 and realize that they just back it off a notch to put it on your walls or two notches to put it in your food.

The question though, as I alluded to in my first paragraph, is why do we put this stuff all around us? Take a simple example: white bread. To make white bread you put in a lot of processing energy to make it less nutritious. Why on earth do you do that? Because, long ago, it was a sign of kings to be able to afford to do so. You also had the money to buy import goods to replace the nutrients you lost by making white bread. Same thing for white sheets, if you could afford the time or to pay someone to clean your white sheets so they stayed white you were saying something about your status.

Next time you choose bread to buy, remember brown is the new green. Next time you wash your sheets, remember brown is the new....err... why not just use cold water? Your sheets might just be a little greyer but you are not royality.

h/t to Kuri