empty rhetoric

how much more of it will we be bombarded with before real reductions are made?

PRIME MINISTER HARPER ADDRESSES UN CONFERENCE ON THE CONVENTION ON BIOLOGICAL DIVERSITY

May 28, 2008
BONN

Prime Minister Stephen Harper today addressed the 9th Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity. The Prime Minister was invited to speak at the Conference by German Chancellor Angela Merkel, and both leaders were presented with awards recognizing their nations' contributions to the protection of biodiversity by the Executive Secretary of the UN Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity.

In his speech, Prime Minister Harper congratulated delegates on their constructive efforts during the Bonn conference. He also described the work that Canada has done to preserve and protect biodiversity at home and around the world.

"Over 10 per cent of Canada's land mass, an area greater than the size of France and Germany put together, and three million hectares of ocean waters have been protected by federal, provincial and territorial governments," Prime Minister Harper said, as a collage of spectacular photographs of Canadian parks and natural landscapes appeared on large screens inside the conference venue. "These large protected areas include famous national parks like Banff, Fundy, Gros Morne, and Nahanni, of which our government announced a significant expansion last summer."

The Prime Minister noted that his Government has undertaken several new initiatives to further protect Canada's biological diversity, including:

Establishment of the Lake Superior National Marine Conservation Area, the world's largest freshwater protected area.

Working with the local aboriginal community to establish a huge new national park on Great Slave Lake in the Northwest Territories.

Investing in more than 1,000 projects to protect habitat under our Habitat Stewardship Program.

Significant investment to protect the Great Bear Rainforest in Northern British Columbia, home to the majestic white Spirit Bear.

And providing funds for the 13 biosphere reserves that UNESCO has designated in Canada.

Prime Minister Harper noted that climate change represents one of the greatest threats to global biodiversity, and a particular threat to Canada's Arctic. "That's why we have made the development of a comprehensive regulatory plan to fight against climate change one of the highest priorities of our government," said the Prime Minister. "We have to get past the empty rhetoric and take real action to require Canadian industry to make real reductions in greenhouse gas emissions."

Glory Without Guts

This is exciting, to say the least, from a technical standpoint. But whats the impact to personal responsibility for one's actions? or to social responsibility for the government's actions?
What will happen to guilt and honour when sacrifice is reduced to inconvenience? http://www.cnn.com/2008/HEALTH/05/26/regrowing.body.parts/index.html

reality bites...

... for an opposition party that becomes elected and accountable all of a sudden.
... for consumers having to pay more at the pumps.
... for the government to have so little ability to affect the price of gasoline.
... for Canadians to have a PM with such obvious contempt for democracy ongoing.

Then And Now: Gas Tax
Image: Brian Gable / The Globe and Mail.

role models?

funny, harper keeps referring to the US and Israel as role models, with exemplary records... they are obviously not using the same metrics.
http://cnews.canoe.ca/CNEWS/World/2008/05/20/5617071-ap.html

Pro Valore

nice touch, repatriating the highest military honour. a little ominous, mind you.

GOVERNOR GENERAL AND PRIME MINISTER UNVEIL CANADA'S VICTORIA CROSS

PM HAILS NATION'S HIGHEST MILITARY DECORATION AS NOW 'TRULY CANADIAN'

May 16, 2008
Ottawa, Ontario

Prime Minister Stephen Harper and Governor General Michaëlle Jean today unveiled Canada's newly minted Victoria Cross medal at a formal ceremony at Rideau Hall.

Until now the Victoria Cross, Canada's highest military decoration, was minted in Britain. All future medals awarded to Canadians will be minted in Canada. Though the design is faithful to the original design commissioned by Queen Victoria in 1856, Canada's Victoria Cross includes a number of small but significant Canadian design and content features. "Today the Victoria Cross becomes fully, truly Canadian," Prime Minister Harper said.

The original inscription, "For Valour," has been changed to the Latin "Pro Valore," on Canada's Victoria Cross. "We are using the ancient language employed by our English and French ancestors to express the universal ideal that they shared," said the Prime Minister. Other uniquely Canadian elements include metal from the 1867 Confederation medal, as well as metals from each of Canada's regions.

Ninety-four Canadians have won the Victoria Cross for displaying extraordinary courage, endurance and sacrifice in battle. The last living recipient, Second World War veteran Smoky Smith, died just over a year ago.

Every day, in military missions at home and abroad, Canadian soldiers, sailors and airmen are putting their lives on the line for us", said Prime Minister Harper. "Someday, somewhere, one of those men or women will do something so brave, so gallant, so exceptional, that he or she will join the legendary cadre of the Canadian Forces who wear the pride of a nation on their chests".

Canada's Victoria Cross was produced through a collaboration of the Departments of National Defence, Veterans Affairs, and Natural Resources, the Royal Canadian Mint and Rideau Hall.
The Prime Minister's Office - Communications

all hail king Garth!

I was just watching CPAC. Garth Turner (now liberal) was asking why the finance minister was sitting back idly watching mfg jobs evaporate. Naturally, the neo-con stand-in for the finance minister gave the default response (he avoided the subj and attempted to discredit him by saying "the only job you're worried about is your own") [he crossed the floor some months ago after saying that any MP that switches parties should automatically force a byelection - needless to say, that didn't happen]. After a few more minor exchanges, Garth pointed out that [to the best of my memory] "the average working Canadian family income is $60,000(?) after years of training, but the Finance Minister's speech-writer makes $300,000 and the only pre-req is to be a Conservative."

not bad, if you can get it. job may be a little insecure, however, but heck, that's FIVE TIMES the average family income. If cabinet ministers surround themselves with people in that kind of salary bracket(!), is there any wonder they don't think there's a problem?

Anyway, thanks for pointing that out Garth, keep it up!

tipping point

Cartoon creator Mike Adams www.NaturalNews.com

"[...]the collapse of honeybee populations is just one sign of many that humans have pushed Earth's ecosystems over the edge. We've polluted the skies, the land and the waters. We've raped the planet of its minerals, slashed and burned its rainforests, depleted its soils and devastated its wild animal population. We've dumped chemicals, radioactive waste and endless mountains of trash into the oceans and waterways. And then we balk when nature hiccups. We scratch our heads, wondering why some element in nature that we've exploited for so long suddenly stops behaving in the way we want. Why are the ocean fish populations collapsing? Why are our food crops nutritionally depleted? Why are infectious diseases now threatening to unleash a new pandemic? Why are honeybees going on strike?

The answer, of course, is because humans have turned planet Earth into a toxic world. We've poisoned the one thing in the universe that openly and unselfishly offered to give us so much for free. Yet instead of appreciating Mother Nature, we've chosen to betray her. We've turned what was once an Eden into a toxic world, and it's only a matter of time before the destabilizing, harmful practices we've adopted to feed an expanding human population come back to haunt us in a devastating way."

CANADA FIRST DEFENCE STRATEGY

"Beyond strengthening our security at home and abroad, the Canada First Defence Strategy will deliver significant economic benefits for tens of thousands of Canadians," said Prime Minister Harper. "Moreover, by investing in new military equipment and technologies, the Strategy will benefit Canada’s knowledge and technology industries, which will produce lucrative civilian commercial spin-offs," said Prime Minister Harper.

Uhm, this doesn't seem to have paid off for the Americans for the past 20 years, why does Harper think it'll work for us now? Could it be the American industrial-military complex is looking to expand its power-base oops I mean market?
http://www.pm.gc.ca/eng/media.asp?id=2095

ray of grim reality

WHO SHOULD MDs LET DIE IN A PANDEMIC? REPORT OFFERS ANSWERS
By Lindsey Tanner
Associated Press in Physorg.com
May 5, 2008
"Now, an influential group of physicians has drafted a grimly specific list of recommendations for which patients wouldn't be treated. They include the very elderly, seriously hurt trauma victims, severely burned patients and those with severe dementia.
The suggested list was compiled by a task force whose members come from prestigious universities, medical groups, the military and government agencies. They include the Department of Homeland Security, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Department of Health and Human Services.
The proposed guidelines are designed to be a blueprint for hospitals "so that everybody will be thinking in the same way" when pandemic flu or another widespread health care disaster hits, said Dr. Asha Devereaux. She is a critical care specialist in San Diego and lead writer of the task force report."
"To prepare, hospitals should designate a triage team with the Godlike task of deciding who will and who won't get lifesaving care, the task force wrote. Those out of luck are the people at high risk of death and a slim chance of long-term survival. But the recommendations get much more specific, and include:
-People older than 85.
-Those with severe trauma, which could include critical injuries from car crashes and shootings.
-Severely burned patients older than 60.
-Those with severe mental impairment, which could include advanced Alzheimer's disease.
-Those with a severe chronic disease, such as advanced heart failure, lung disease or poorly controlled diabetes."
The full article can be found at: http://www.physorg.com/news129180991.html

Coming soon to a government near vous

or can I say "tu?" never quite sure. must be that darn American influence.



http://newquebec.blogspot.com/2008/05/bloc-qubcois-party-wants-to-block.html

ruling like a king

and tasking the real sovereign's representative. anyway, where better to send the GG than out of reach of canadian media during Quebec's quadricentenial? is he worried she'll say something unscripted and inconvenient to his political ideals?

PRIME MINISTER HARPER ANNOUNCES STATE VISIT TO FRANCE BY THE GOVERNOR GENERAL

May 4, 2008
Ottawa, Ontario

Prime Minister Stephen Harper today announced that Her Excellency the Right Honourable Michaëlle Jean, Governor General of Canada, will represent Canada on an official visit to France from May 6 to 10, 2008.

The Governor General will travel to France to highlight the 400th anniversary of the founding of Québec City and participate in celebrations commemorating Victory in Europe Day, May 8, 1945. The Governor General will visit Paris, Ouistreham, Bény-sur-Mer, La Rochelle and Bordeaux.

This visit will provide an opportunity to highlight both the historic ties that unite the two countries and their common values, which include respect for freedom, democracy, human rights and the rule of law.

France is an important partner on the international stage. 2008 is a significant year for the bilateral relationship, with the 400th anniversary of the founding of Québec City, but also Canada's hosting of the Francophonie Summit and the Canada-European Union Summit, coinciding with France's presidency of the European Union. The Prime Minister's Office - Communications

royal visit

harper seems to be wading (ahem) pretty deep into provincial jurisdiction here...

PRIME MINISTER STEPHEN HARPER TOURS FLOODED AREAS IN NEW BRUNSWICK

May 2, 2008
Ottawa, Ontario

Prime Minister Stephen Harper today was joined by New Brunswick Premier Shawn Graham and Veterans Affairs Minister Greg Thompson to view some of the worst-hit flooded areas in the St. John River valley. The Prime Minister saw firsthand the flood-ravaged region from the air aboard a Department of National Defence Griffon helicopter. The Prime Minister also made stops at Maugerville and Edmunston N.B., two of the hardest-hit communities, where he met with flood victims and volunteers.

"The combination of heavy rains and melting snow have created some of the worst flooding Fredericton, Maugerville, St. Anne, Edmunston and other communities in this region have seen in thirty years," Prime Minister Harper said. "Hundreds of families have been forced to leave their homes and scores of houses and businesses have been inundated by the near-record floodwaters. This is a very difficult situation, and our Government is working closely with local and provincial authorities to minimize the damage, monitor the continuing threat, and provide shelter and support for flood victims."

Federal government support for the flood response and relief effort so far includes:

Tents, heaters, tables, chairs, off-road vehicles and an engineer barge from CFB Gagetown.

Rescue craft and landing barges and crews from the Department of Fisheries and Oceans and the Coast Guard.

Pollution monitoring and meteorological data from Environment Canada, including Dash-8 aircraft from Transport Canada for pollution monitoring.

National Emergency Stockpile System (NESS) depot in Ottawa put on stand-by.

"Fortunately the river did not crest at record levels in this region as had been feared," noted the Prime Minister. "But the threat remains high for the Saint John region in the south and we are monitoring the situation closely."
The Prime Minister's Office - Communications

Time to Stop PMs from Ruling Like Kings

Stephen Harper has taken the government to a 'new level of centralized command and control,' he's the latest in a line of prime ministers to pull power to the centre. The shift, however, has so profoundly redefined the roles and relationships of Parliament, cabinet, political parties and public servants that Donald Savoie, a leading scholar on public administration, argues it's time for a public debate over what they should be.

http://www.canada.com/ottawacitizen/news/story.html?id=42acc6a7-2523-42ff-8b27-5abeb908f633&k=64398&p=1

Good racket to be in, if you have no morals

Once upon a time in a village, a man appeared and announced to the villagers that he would buy monkeys for $10 each.

The villagers seeing that there were many monkeys around, went out to the forest, and started catching them. The man bought thousands at $10, and as supply started to diminish, the villagers stopped their effort.

He further announced that he would now buy at $20. This renewed the efforts of the villagers and they started catching monkeys again.

Soon the supply diminished even further and people started going back to their farms. The offer increased to $25 each and the supply of monkeys became so little that it was an effort to even see a monkey, let alone catch it!

The man now announced that he would buy monkeys at $50! However, since he had to go to the city on some business, his assistant would now buy on behalf of him. In the absence of the man, the assistant told the villagers. 'Look at all these monkeys in the big cage that the man has collected. I will sell them to you at $35 and when the man returns from the city, you can sell them to him for $50 each.'

The villagers rounded up all of their savings and bought all the monkeys. Then they never saw the man nor his assistant again, only monkeys everywhere!



Now you have a better understanding of how the stock market works.

Stop junk mail

http://www.ambysoft.com/ideas/reduceJunkMail.html

Only YOU can prevent deforesting for flyers!

we're gonna need the BFG for this one

It's worse than i thought.
All this time I've been optimistic, thinking society is finally coming to its senses. Meanwhile, Christian fanatics have been multiplying quietly in the sidelines like cockroaches in a closet, and with the internet, somebody finally opened the door. What a mess.

---------- Forwarded message ----------


http://www.godtube.com/view_video.php?viewkey=1b5bd6e3e034d00b4f73

neo-con process manual

step 1: ride the wave of disgust fueled by the previous government's inquiry into the twice-previous government's mismanagment of keeping the country together.
step 2: clamp down, hard, on all party members and what can say (to who, when and where).
step 3: run national campaign over budget, then compensate by breaking (sorry, "reinterpreting") election law.
step 4: rename the previous government's accountability bill, sneak in a few nasty changes, and tout as own.
step 5: run into problems with Elections Canada? if stonewalling fails, launch personal credibility attacks and/or distracting lawsuits.
step 6: run into problems with public support? if smearing the opposition fails, return the favours of a few reporters (whose professional ethics may be questioned) who have been friendly to the party - handpick them for a secret by-invitation-only press conference. attack the personal credibility of any challengers.
step 7: have the house leader declare this "a positive step in transparency."

http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20080422/ad_scheme_080422?s_name=&no_ads=

Beware of cultural undertows

Canadian Islamic Congress launches human rights complaints against Maclean's
http://www.macleans.ca/article.jsp?content=20071130_111821_7448

Scope and mandate for Human Rights Commissions need to be revisited - pronto.

forever a pair

Huh. I just noticed how I usually use two labels together: polirant (no good that the neo-cons are up to) and integrity (the minimum standard I hold a government to).

some of the sheen is finally wearing off

http://www.cbc.ca/canada/story/2008/04/15/rcmp-tories.html?ref=rss

Pfah. The Conservatives - what a sorry bunch of crooks. What a disgrace how their banana-republic, dictatorial, above-the-law attitude has led the federal parties into lawsuits!

Let's play spot the differences

Canada's Chief of Defence Staff, Gen Rick Hillier, announced his retirement yesterday. Some conflict about the announcements that came through by email today:

From the CDS' email to all DND and the CF (emphasis added):

"I have chosen to retire from the Canadian Forces and end my tenure as your Chief of the Defence Staff in July of this year. [...] I will continue to serve as your CDS until relieved of my duties by my successor, to be named in due course by our Prime Minister."

From the Prime Minister's [propaganda] Office (emphasis added):

"Prime Minister Stephen Harper issued the following statement on the planned retirement of General Rick Hillier as Chief of the Defence Staff:"

What's wrong with this? On the one hand, we have a surprise announcement (as far as timing goes, anyway) from the CDS, saying he has "chosen" to retire. On the other hand, we have the PM's communications office saying it was a "planned" retirement. But, if it was planned (at least by the PM's office), and the PM is responsible for naming the successor, shouldn't they already know who the successor will be? I suspect this is yet another example of the PMO (Propaganda Minister's Office) trying to colour the facts in their favour.

conservative secrets

Insightful response from a socio-political junkie law clerk friend of mine:

Sorry it took so long to get back to you.
In addition to everything else that "conservatives" have in common, one
strand is a belief in the need for secrecy. And this manifests in many
forms. Conservatives tend to be more religious, for example, and so tend to
believe in universal "mysteries." Conservatives tend to be stricter in
terms of crime and punishment (both at home and on the society-wide basis),
which includes as part of the approach a fundamental belief that authority
(god, state, or leadership) really should not be questioned. To me, there
is a direct relationship between this mindset and the themes discussed in
the article (which, I should say -- and I am sure you picked up on this --
is the same charge constantly leveled at the Bush administration). It
comes down to a belief that those in power have certain knowledge that is
special and out of reach except on a need-to-know basis.
I should also add that American conservatives (Republicans) have hit on a
very easy lever with which to deflect or diminish criticism of this
ultra-secrecy: simply claim that disclosing the information would either
directly undermine national security in a time of war, OR that disclosing
the information would be the equivalent of weakening the special powers of
the executive, which cannot be allowed to happen because this is a time of
war and the executive needs to be all-powerful to confront the "enemy of
the 21st century." In other words, we have power and we will be secretive,
and if you challenge that, you are undermining national security: you are a
traitor.
Can you say "slippery slope"?
My second point flows from the maxim that all politics is local. The
article mentions that the Harper government denied that a conversation
occurred between the prime minister and the president of Mexico, whereas
the Mexican government released a detailed summary of the conversation in
question. This merely reflects political considerations unique to each
country. My bet is that there was nothing to be gained by the Canadian
government admitting that the conversation happened, whereas the Mexican
authorities are always trying to convince Mexicans that they matter, that
their leaders are on an equal footing with foreign leaders, and so on. In
other words, it benefits Mexican politicians to "tell all" when it comes to
talking to foreign leaders. Not so, the reverse.
SPQR aeternum!

Subject: curious to know what you make of this:

PUBLICATION: The Toronto Star
DATE: 2008.04.07
EDITION: Ont
ILLUSTRATION: Allauddin Khan AP file photo Canadians have an
interest in what isgoing on in Afghanistan, says assistant federal
information commissioner Suzanne Legault. ;
BYLINE: Richard Brennan
SOURCE: Toronto Star
COPYRIGHT: © 2008 Torstar Corporation
Government keeps public in the dark, critics warn; Canadians denied
information to which they are entitled
Canadians are increasingly being kept in the dark by the federal government
and its agencies on matters ranging from the war in Afghanistan to the most
routine information, experts say.
Critics are alarmed at the growing trend to deny basic information that
Canadians are entitled to, especially in the two years since the
Conservative government came to power with a promise to be open and
accountable.
Suzanne Legault, assistant federal information commissioner, says that
government and its institutions have to "move from disclosing information
on a need-to-know basis to disclosing information on the right-to-know
basis."
Legault said the John Manley-led panel report into the Afghanistan mission
"hit the nail on the head when it said the government has to understand
that Canadians have an interest in what is going on in Afghanistan and
various issues that the government is tackling."
"The government has to do a better job at disclosing information," she told
the Star last week.
Former Ontario Liberal MPP Sean Conway, who spent 28 years in politics
before leaving in 2003, said the simple truth is that Canadians have a
right to know.
"It is one of the assumptions of a democratic society that its citizens are
going to be provided with timely, relevant and understandable information,"
said Conway, a former cabinet minister and now special adviser at Queen's
University.
Conway said when governments frustrate that flow of information "they are
doing something quite destructive to one of the key pillars of democratic
society."
During its more than two years in power, Prime Minister Stephen Harper's
Conservative government has often been criticized for being unnecessarily
secretive.
Just recently, Harper's aides refused to confirm whether the Prime Minister
talked with Mexican President Felipe Calderon. But Mexican officials
released a page-long news release not only confirming the two leaders spoke
but providing highlights of the topics they discussed.
Meanwhile, Legault said Canadian should not have to resort to using the
Access to Information Act to get information that should be readily
available.
"The Access to Information Act should only kick in as an exception. It
should not be the norm," Legault said.
"The norm should be that we proactively disclose information."
Legault noted that complaints filed under the Access to Information Act
have doubled in the past year, to 2,164 from 1,050. But she is quick to
point out that 70 institutions, including the Canadian Broadcasting
Corporation, are now subject to the act, as a result of changes included in
the Conservative's Accountability Act.
Legault said the Office of the Information Commissioner of Canada is
investigating additional layers of approval needed before information is
released that are creeping into the process, as well as the routine
applications for extensions.
Critics say the access to information act is also proving to be less and
less useful.
National security and other exemptions are cited to deny the release of
information. And even when Canadians are lucky enough to pierce the wall of
secrecy, the information is either so heavily edited that it is virtually
useless, or is so dated because of delays that it's no longer timely.
The Conservative government promised during the last election campaign that
it would be more accountable and transparent in the wake of the Liberal
sponsorship scandal.
Recent stories by The Canadian Press show the lengths the government or its
agencies will go to restrict information.
The national wire service found that government refused to release
information on compensation paid to Afghan civilians or their families for
accidental deaths or injuries.
The Canadian Press' access to information request was returned almost
entirely censored.
The agency also discovered through another access to information request
that the RCMP is now refusing to release information on the use of Tasers
that must be recorded each time an officer draws the electronic weapon.
The information - such as whether the person on whom the Taser was used was
armed or injured - used to be released, but the national police force
unilaterally decided to stop.
Taser report forms obtained under the Access to Information Act show the
Mounties have used the weapons more than 4,000 times since introducing them
seven years ago.
"In the last 15 years, as governments advertise great openness often
through legislated mandate like freedom of information and other such
policies, ... citizens get less information," Conway said.
On Parliament Hill, access to Harper and his cabinet has been so restricted
that it's a standing joke among reporters. The Hill Times recently carried
a story on how Harper goes to great lengths to avoid reporters by taking
the freight elevator and slipping out the back door.
Harper runs a very tightly controlled government where MPs are expected to
toe the line and where permission must be granted in many cases before they
are allowed to talk to reporters.
Conway said he has been struck by Harper's reluctance to make himself
available.
"Mr. Harper, now Prime Minister for over two years, has certainly made no
bones of his desire to run a highly centralized government and ... intends
to give the Canadian public such information as he thinks they should have
at that particular time."
With files from Bruce Campion-Smith and Tonda MacCharles

Greenwashing exposed at Enbridge

Submitted a small rant to Enbridge today. They're our natural gas supplier, and they've been promoting their eBill service as "Easy. Convenient. Environmentally friendly." Pfah.

MAKE EBILLS ECOFRIENDLY
Your marketing people may claim that your new (since end of January) ebill format is more visually appealing, but it's anything but "environmentally friendly." In fact, it is unnecessarily wasteful of resources and abusive of my pocketbook.
-- Cut the eBill down to two pages so it can be printed on a single sheet, double-sided. I can save paper AND storage space in my filing cabinet that way.
-- Also, remove the colour backdrop - it looks fancy, but it burns through my ink like there's no tomorrow!
If not, I'm going to cancel eBill and have the fancy printing and mailing done at YOUR cost!

I think everybody should wake up from the matrix and take the time to call a spade a spade - and take back some control!

Drop the penny, support Bill C-531

Sent this to my MP, the Honourable Gordon O'Connor:

Sir,
I fully support the withdrawal of the one cent coin ("penny") from circulation. The good people in your department could calculate the exact numbers for you, but purchasing power of the dollar today is less than one-twentyfifth over the past 130 years or so; it therefore doesn't make any sense to continue squandering financial and environmental resources to support its production and distribution. No sense throwing good money after bad, so to speak.
The rounding method proposed for section 8 subsection 2 is reasonable. The resistance from the Royal Canadian Mint (and their spin doctors' attempts to control the damage the results of their November study inflicted upon them) is understandable, and the nostalgic value of the penny should be acknowledged, but as will all things, there comes a time when we must let go. The time has come to recognize that the penny has become obsolete, merely a heavy, expensive reminder of days gone by when you could actually buy something with it.
The only logical alternative would be to enact a "new canadian dollar" worth ten of today's dollars. Then the penny would be worth a dime, and worth fighting for.

Sincerely,

post-existence

In the end, nobody goes to a heaven or a hell except in the hearts and minds of those whose lives they've touched.

Heaven being that place in our hearts where we preserve the memories of loved ones who have moved on; hell is that place where we shackle our spirits to memories of those who have crossed us.

religion and the survival of mankind

Humanity is blessed with enough different religions, each effective to varying degrees against any particular threat, that, on the whole, allows it (humanity) to survive any and all threats to its existence. The power they (religions) will enjoy will ebb and flow over time in response to perceived threats. Meanwhile, the conflicts between them are necessary to keep mankind's skills, wits and swords sharp and groups cohesive; ready to fight for a common objective, if ill-aimed and (generally) misunderstood.

Religion, in that sense, is the ideological codification of knowledge and the ritualization of survival tips and tricks that have enabled the tribe/race/species to perpetuate itself thus far, and that, ultimately, allow it to carry its part of the greater Knowledge so that one day, It can all be put together again.

head shaker

ugh.
Dems vs Republicans today, ballers/crips tomorrow.
The future is in great hands alright!

http://www.thedenverchannel.com/news/15851207/detail.html

oil prices

mmm... is it time we adopt the gold standard again? or some other more stable commodity? apparently the authority of the US dollar is being threatened.

Iran to OPEC: Stop selling Oil in US Dollars
Monday, 2008-04-07

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is urging OPEC members to form a joint bank and stop pricing oil trades in U.S. dollars.

According to the Iranian government's Web site, Ahmadinejad told OPEC Secretary General Abdalla Salem el-Badri the cartel "should establish a joint bank as well as having joint currency."

Oil is priced in U.S. dollars on the world market, and the currency's depreciation has concerned producers because it has contributed to rising crude prices and eroded the value of their dollar reserves.

Iran has repeatedly urged OPEC members to shift sales away from dollar. But Iran's proposal to trade oil in a basket of currencies is not supported by enough OPEC members, which include staunch U.S. allies such as leading producer Saudi Arabia.

http://macedoniaonline.eu/content/view/693/52/

rights shmights

The thing that bothers me most, is that the public doesn't seem to care, that they almost seem relieved of being able to delegate their fundamental democratic authority to people working in some neogothic tower with secret passageways and exits. Meanwhile, people are busying themselves with meaningless stuff like redecorating, installing big screen HDTVs, bigger fancier cars, and Hollywood starlets leading the craze of self-destruction.

The Toronto Star, 2008.04.07, page A13
COPYRIGHT: 2008 Torstar Corporation
Government keeps public in the dark, critics warn; Canadians denied information to which they are entitled
Canadians are increasingly being kept in the dark by the federal government and its agencies on matters ranging from the war in Afghanistan to the most routine information, experts say.
Critics are alarmed at the growing trend to deny basic information that Canadians are entitled to, especially in the two years since the Conservative government came to power with a promise to be open and accountable.
Suzanne Legault, assistant federal information commissioner, says that government and its institutions have to “move from disclosing information on a need-to-know basis to disclosing information on the right-to-know basis.”
Legault said the John Manley-led panel report into the Afghanistan mission “hit the nail on the head when it said the government has to understand that Canadians have an interest in what is going on in Afghanistan and various issues that the government is tackling.”
“The government has to do a better job at disclosing information” she told the Star last week.
Former Ontario Liberal MPP Sean Conway, who spent 28 years in politics before leaving in 2003, said the simple truth is that Canadians have a right to know.
“It is one of the assumptions of a democratic society that its citizens are going to be provided with timely, relevant and understandable information” said Conway, a former cabinet minister and now special adviser at Queen’s University.
Conway said when governments frustrate that flow of information “they are doing something quite destructive to one of the key pillars of democratic society.”
During its more than two years in power, Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s Conservative government has often been criticized for being unnecessarily secretive.
Just recently, Harper’s aides refused to confirm whether the Prime Minister talked with Mexican President Felipe Calderon. But Mexican officials released a page-long news release not only confirming the two leaders spoke but providing highlights of the topics they discussed.
Meanwhile, Legault said Canadian should not have to resort to using the Access to Information Act to get information that should be readily available.
“The Access to Information Act should only kick in as an exception. It should not be the norm” Legault said.
“The norm should be that we proactively disclose information.”
Legault noted that complaints filed under the Access to Information Act have doubled in the past year, to 2,164 from 1,050. But she is quick to point out that 70 institutions, including the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, are now subject to the act, as a result of changes included in the Conservative’s Accountability Act.
Legault said the Office of the Information Commissioner of Canada is investigating additional layers of approval needed before information is released that are creeping into the process, as well as the routine applications for extensions.
Critics say the access to information act is also proving to be less and less useful.
National security and other exemptions are cited to deny the release of information. And even when Canadians are lucky enough to pierce the wall of secrecy, the information is either so heavily edited that it is virtually useless, or is so dated because of delays that it’s no longer timely.
The Conservative government promised during the last election campaign that it would be more accountable and transparent in the wake of the Liberal sponsorship scandal.
Recent stories by The Canadian Press show the lengths the government or its agencies will go to restrict information.
The national wire service found that government refused to release information on compensation paid to Afghan civilians or their families for accidental deaths or injuries.
The Canadian Press’ access to information request was returned almost entirely censored.
The agency also discovered through another access to information request that the RCMP is now refusing to release information on the use of Tasers that must be recorded each time an officer draws the electronic weapon.
The information - such as whether the person on whom the Taser was used was armed or injured - used to be released, but the national police force unilaterally decided to stop.
Taser report forms obtained under the Access to Information Act show the Mounties have used the weapons more than 4,000 times since introducing them seven years ago.
“In the last 15 years, as governments advertise great openness often through legislated mandate like freedom of information and other such policies, ... citizens get less information” Conway said.
On Parliament Hill, access to Harper and his cabinet has been so restricted that it’s a standing joke among reporters. The Hill Times recently carried a story on how Harper goes to great lengths to avoid reporters by taking the freight elevator and slipping out the back door.
Harper runs a very tightly controlled government where MPs are expected to toe the line and where permission must be granted in many cases before they are allowed to talk to reporters.
Conway said he has been struck by Harper’s reluctance to make himself available.
“Mr. Harper, now Prime Minister for over two years, has certainly made no bones of his desire to run a highly centralized government and ... intends to give the Canadian public such information as he thinks they should have at that particular time.”
With files from Bruce Campion-Smith and Tonda MacCharles

Why should Canadians allow HIM (or anyone, for that matter) to decide when we're ready for the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth?

getting to know him

link http://today.reuters.com/News/ArticleBlog.aspx?type=technologyNews&w1=B7ovpm21IaDoL40ZFnNfGe&w2=B82x9Ksc5UNVzDjpITcIrRbi&src=blogBurst_technologyNews&bbPostId=BziAjE8MY3PgCz2P2YKp38ce1B8Tb2JsJxBsYCz4lhZZqYUFsv&bbParentWidgetId=B9TtxIkobbLVBgDsLF1sak8
Could be an icebreaker, or simply a game of peekaboo with the USA prez.

bubbles speak

How to stir things up a bit - reclaim the corporate advertising space for our own collective benefit!
(disclaimer: i do not endorse vandalism, so don't do it. but if you already see an ad desecrated with a blank bubble, the ice has obviously been broken already so no foul if you add to it!)

---------- Forwarded message ----------
There was a Canadian documentary about this on TV a long time ago, but recently I read that a guy in NYC is also doing it. He just puts blank stickers on advertisements and lets people write in their own comments. I like the "street bubbles" ones in the politics & social commentary.
http://www.thebubbleproject.com/01.Bubbles/BubblesFrameset.htm

morning poetry

was talking about raelians with a colleague this morning. he asked if they were the ones that committed mass suicide a few years ago - i said, no those were the sun cultists (temple of the sun?), or some other group of lemmings blindly following a self-ordained leader into annihilation.
i don't know what inspired that particular bit of prose... maybe the lecture about creationist "science" and biblical "facts" in my carpool this morning? Universe only knows.

convenience or democracy?

given that a truly democratic society needs a well-informed and empowered electorate;

given that, when one has too many choices in front of them, they cannot easily commit to a particular option confident that they will be satisfied with it ("embarras du choix");

knowing that humans, as investors and consumers, will wait until the dust has settled and a clear winner can be announced (or at least confidently predicted) (examples beta vs VHS, blu-ray vs hd-dvd) before investing heavily in a particular technology and/or buying that equipment;

knowing that once investors and consumers converge on a particular technology, it becomes the de facto standard and the people behind it are propelled into high financial/social/political status (which enables them to suppress/oppress the competition even more);

I am starting to understand that entrenching freedoms of speech, religion, etc were deliberately applied in the constitutions of our fine countries to ensure that no one interest group could gain a power advantage over another. with so many groups competing for our interests, our support and/or our allegiance, we generally ignore them and carry on with our own merry ways, content in waiting for the dust to settle before having to choose sides (at which point it may be a matter of life or death). the multitude of social options protected by our laws have effectively been a societal paralyzer (we have no single-recognized system of lords, kings, princes, marshals, bishops, etc in our society). This paralysis is fundamental to an effective democracy where all can thrive side by side as equals, without fear of retribution, competition nor profound compromise.

Bill C-10, currently before the Senate, threatens that social harmony.

Bill C-10 originated years ago under the Liberals and was carried forward by the Conservatives. It will allow the Heritage minister and/or a secret group of political appointees (unknown to, and with no accountability to, the people) to withdraw eligibility for tax credits for a television or movie production deemed "against the public interest" at any time, without justification. Examples cited in its defence are extreme violence, pedophilia, or other such "senseless" content that is not educational and threatens "our good tastes."

Seemingly harmless at first glance. But what are the ramifications on the entertainment industry? Producers need private investment, and private investors need a certain degree of confidence in the projected numbers before parting with their money. Bill C-10 puts those projections, and therefore private funding, at risk. Removing that lever will oblige producers to rely a lot more heavily on ticket sales. Resulting productions will therefore be lower-budget, less appealing, and a whole lot more conventional. (just look at what happened when the evening news, which the networks once provided as a public service, were forced to be at least revenue-neutral: they had to cater to an disinterested public in order to generate the required advertising revenue, and voila, today's info-tainment industry).

Bill C-10 will have a similar effect: anything even perceived to be controversial (at least the kind of controversial that encourages consideration of alternate viewpoints, intelligent debate and generates informed discussion) or even potentially inconvenient politically, will be avoided, and democracy will be starved of yet another pillar.

Social paralysis resulting from an excess of available philosophical options is a threat - but only to groups with delusions of grandeur, private agendas and an insatiable appetite for power. To the ordinary people like you and I who want to live and let live, there is no greater ally. The arts industry should not be subservient to government pollsters. C-10 must be amended to reflect that.

People get what they are willing to pay for, and ultimately, what they deserve.

Those who give up freedom in favour of security deserve neither and lose both.

parking like an a-hole

print and pack your own parking notices:
http://youparklikeanasshole.com

in case you see others like these:
http://www.flickr.com/groups/93742085@N00/pool/

(edited to add hyperlinks to please some people)

more Neo-Con rhetoric exposed

IN RECENT MONTHS, the standard mantra of Canadian defence analysts has been that NATO is not "stepping up to the plate" in southern Afghanistan. As most European countries are unfamiliar with the rules of North American baseball, this phrase has undoubtedly left our maligned allies somewhat confused.

What would leave our NATO partners even more perplexed would be Canada's claim that as a nation, we are "punching above our weight" in the international defence ring. This assessment has been so oft espoused by retired generals and tub-thumping historians that even the esteemed former Liberal deputy prime minister John Manley has begun to believe this mantra.
Included in Manley's independent report on extending Canada's commitment to Afghanistan was the caveat that NATO needed to furnish another 1,000 combat troops to reinforce our contingent in Kandahar. While most other NATO countries have declined Manley's request as though Canada were offering them the Ebola virus, France has hinted that it may provide an additional 700 soldiers.

Although this reinforcement has yet to be officially announced, the minute the rumour began circulating that the French troops would be heading into the less volatile eastern provinces and not Kandahar, the tub-thumpers hastily renewed their "bash France" chorus. "Shirkers!" shouted the chest-beating Colonel Blimps, while other commentators pointed at the massive manpower of France's armed forces as further proof that they should be doing more to help us.
One enraged reader wrote to me recently to opine that after more than 100,000 Canadians lost their lives in two world wars fighting for France, "we shouldn't have to beg them for support."
As this whole issue has obviously touched a nerve within our defence community, perhaps it is time to take a little of the emotion out of the debate and replace it with rational argument.

First of all, for comparison purposes, I think it is necessary to establish some common groundwork. France has a population of roughly 64 million people, while there are just over 33 million residents in Canada. Although not exactly scientific, if collective defence is to be borne by nations' citizens on an equal basis, France would be required to roughly double Canada's contribution to international security.

So let's have a look at how we actually stack up against those "shirking Frenchies." First of all, France maintains a standing regular force of 348,000. To match that output, Canada should field 174,000 full-time troops instead of the paltry 62,000 we have enrolled.

In 2007, France spent US$59.6 billion on their defence budget. Half of that would be $28.8 billion, but Canada only spent 50 per cent of that total (roughly $15 billion) on our military last year.

France spends 2.4 per cent of its GDP on its military. Canada has a faster growing economy and one-third of France's international public debt, yet we spend just 1.2 per cent of our GDP on national defence.
Based on these numbers, as a nation, we are, in fact, punching well below our weight.

So let's narrow the focus down to our admittedly much under-sized military. Given the fact that we have 2,900 troops deployed overseas on international missions, this must put those "shirking Frenchies" to shame. With all those retired Canadian officers pointing the finger of guilt at France, surely our troops can take pride in the fact that they are shouldering a bigger burden of responsibility than their French counterparts.

Once again, we need to examine the numbers. Given their former colonial responsibilities in the Caribbean, Africa and Middle East, France has more than 33,000 troops deployed abroad at all times. While the tub-thumpers will be quick to point out that some of France's missions are not currently considered "hot," at least 11,000 of those troops are in fact engaged in stabilization missions. France also maintains a surge capability to manage unforeseen crises such as the one that erupted in Lebanon in 2006.
By contrast, Canada has all of its deployable military eggs in one basket labelled Afghanistan.
As Defence Minister Peter MacKay heads to the NATO summit next month, he needs to remember that the self-inflating propaganda and rhetoric that plays out so well at home is not substantiated by fact.
Canada has been a lightweight within the NATO alliance for decades. That, coupled with the fact that we didn't just ask for Kandahar but demanded it, makes us look even more foolish now that we're in over our heads and demanding support. )
Scott Taylor, editor-in-chief of Espirit de Corps magazine

city never sleeps, but time does stop in New York

I love it - wish I had the time (and genius) to do that kind of stunt here too.

What greater gift can we offer, but to break people's routines and make them wonder?

> http://current.com/items/88830919_time_stops_at_grand_central

mint madness

http://www.boingboing.net/2007/10/05/canadian-mint-we-own.html
that's just plain stupid. I sincerely hope that's made up.
Anyway, 2008 marks the 150th year of the penny in Canada, you might have seen the posters at bus stops and such. From wikipedia: "The first Canadian cents were struck in 1858..."
The penny, strike that, the "one cent piece," SHOULD BE ABOLISHED.
Why are people still attached to this shinny copper (coloured) coin? Is it because they think they'll get ripped off by vendors who round up? Well, let them read the following about inflation and Canadian history:

While consumer price data prior to 1914 are unavailable, a broader measure of inflation, the gross domestic product (GDP) deflator, is available back to 1870 (Leacy 1983). While the CPI and GDP
deflator can diverge, they tend to move together over time. Since 1870, with annual GDP inflation averaging 3.6 per cent, the Canadian dollar has lost more than 96 per cent of its value. Again, this is equivalent to saying one Canadian dollar in 1870 would have the purchasing power of roughly $26.70 in today’s money.

So, for those who are attached to the penny, don't understand inflation, and can't do math quickly, let me paraphrase that to say that in today's prices, the smallest coin back in 1870 was worth more than the 25c piece today. Working it the other way around, today's penny was worth about .04cents back then. They obviously didn't feel anything that insignificant was necessary back then, so why should we?
Meanwhile, taxpayers are payrolling the lawyers suing the city of Toronto, and the advertising campaign for the 150th year of the coin. And you're worried about being shortchanged at the till for the rare cash transaction? ha! literally penny-wise pound stupid.

telephone number conventions

with 10-digit dialing, why do people/business still write the area code in brackets? the reason why it was put in parentheses is because it was optional. Guess what? NOT ANY MORE. sheesh. use a hyphen (or even a dot if you insist) but fergoshsakes, drop the parentheses already!

Open letter to my employer

frustrate[1,transitive verb]

Pronunciation:

\ˈfrəs-ˌtrāt\

Etymology:

Middle English, from Latin frustratus, past participle of frustrare to deceive, frustrate, from frustra in error, in vain

(1): to make ineffectual : bring to nothing (2): impede, obstruct b: to make invalid or of no effect

Thanks, Mr. Employer, for your gross negligence in submitting an old, non-compliant resumé on a bid to extend my current position, instead of the up to date one that I tailored specifically for this purpose. If you wish to contact me, I'll either be in the unemployment line or begging at the heals of your competition.

things that make you go hmmm...

If knowledge is the key to freedom, why is thinking also called "de-liberation" ?

economic or gag stimulus?

You wouldn't have seen this type of spin vs reality journalism when the Cons first took power:

[When asked if he would match the $130-billion US stimulus package being adopted in the United States,] Flaherty said the government has already done enough to stimulate the economy. He said tax measures introduced by the Conservatives since coming to office in January 2006 - estimated to be worth $190 billion by 2012 - [... are ] "a huge stimulus to the Canadian economy, much more than what our American colleagues are thinking of doing in the United States. We've already done it in Canada."
The two initiatives are difficult to compare, however, because the Canadian measures include tax reductions and other initiatives already in place and some that will come into effect as late as 2012, while the U.S. package is targeted for immediate relief.
http://www.cbc.ca/canada/story/2008/02/06/flaherty-budget.html

Glad to see the media are overcoming their fear/awe/courtship with the neoCons.

PS. a $130-billion stimulus package for the US economy? seriously? I wonder if that contravenes NAFTA and other trade agreements... even if it is I doubt the Harper government will challenge it...

haute politics

Like in haute cuisine, O'Brien seems to be big on presentation but short on substance.
Urging business leaders to turn out the lights Saturday from 8 to 9pm is a great statement, but really, what effect will it have on compliance? most businesses (whom I expect already shut off most of their lights during non-business hours) are closed during that time, except for retail where utter darkness doesn't really encourage consumer spending or deter crime that well. If the city was really serious about climate change and the environment, he would encourage higher electricity prices. THAT would balance out the cost-benefit ratio of energy saving initiatives a whole lot more effectively!

Mayor O'Brien joins chorus of cities turning out lights
Jake Rupert, Ottawa Citizen
Published: Thursday, January 31, 2008

The City of Ottawa has joined a world-wide initiative aimed a bringing attention to climate change, and municipal officials want all businesses and residents to get behind the cause.

The initiative, called Earth Hour, is sponsored by the World Wildlife Fund. It will see people from around the world in cities from Copenhagen to Sydney turn off all their lights from 8 p.m. to 9 p.m. on Saturday, March 29.

Thursday morning, during a speech to members of the Greater Ottawa Chamber of Commerce, Mayor Larry O'Brien urged the city's business leaders to get behind the event and pledge to shut off the lights in their buildings.

"I'm calling on you to pledge support for this," he said. "It will show the City of Ottawa, its business leaders, and its people are serious about climate change and the environment. I'm proud of our accomplishments in these areas, but there's a lot more work to be done and this will show our commitment."

Science, Evolution, and Creationism

Downloaded this book from
http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=11876.
total of 89 pages, with lots of pretty pictures. I look forward to reading it in my "free time."

deep thoughts

Education is the key to freedom but for the burden of awareness it brings.

not out of the woods yet

http://www.cbc.ca/world/story/2008/01/22/afghan-journalist.html

The drug of combat

I have never actually been there, but this rings instantly true to me:

Dr Kevin Patterson is a critical care specialist from Nanaimo, B.C. who served (as a civilian) with our Multinational Medical Facility at Kandahar Airfield in February and March of 2007. He has written a book on the Canadian mission in Afghanistan entitled "Outside the Wire." LGen (ret'd) Romeo Dallaire, a Canadian senator, has written a foreword to the book which is excerpted below.

http://www.nationalpost.com/news/canada/story.html?id=238274

The drug of combat
In a new book, Canadian soldiers and aid workers deliver eyewitness tales from Afghanistan. In its forward, excerpted below, Romeo A. Dallaire explains how their experiences will change them - in good ways, and bad Romeo A. Dallaire, Special to the National Post Published: Tuesday, January 15, 2008.
In account after account from the trenches of Vimy, the front lines of the liberation of Holland and outside the wire in Afghanistan, we struggle -- soldiers struggle -- with how to convey the real reality. Sometimes even with what is the real reality.
In Afghanistan, experiencing the intensity of battle; being the cause of the destruction of villages; being able to do little to address the extreme poverty and deprivation of the children; witnessing the burden and abuse of women in this male-dominated social order; hearing the suffering and cries of the wounded, civilian and military alike; seeing the cold and cruel face of death on your enemy as well as on your comrade: These are some of the realities veterans carry back to Canada.
When they arrive home, other realities may shock them: the unseemly opulence of our country; the debates and posturing of politicians wanting to grab the next headline without knowing much about the war; the air of security that envelops civilians as they go so earnestly about their daily routines, detached from any sense of the threat encountered daily by their nation's representatives abroad; the consuming fervour and stress generated by our keen work ethic in this industrialized society; being able to hit the off switch on the remote when the tube projects too much hurt and agony. Is this the mindset the veterans of Afghanistan, and so many of their predecessors, are expected to slip into once again?
The reality of combat in Afghanistan or the reality of life back home -- which one does the young warrior most have to grapple with? Which actually comforts him most? Which one does the doctor cling to as she faces the passage of wounded through the Kandahar military hospital? Which does the battlefield humanitarian clutch to his breast to weather the moral and ethical dilemmas of service?
As the adrenalin high of the war zone recedes ever so slowly, the hurt rises in your stomach and buckles your shoulders under the weight of grief and sorrow. You're surprised to feel the deep ache of lonesomeness as you sit once again at your family dinner table -- where you longed to be. Though you deny it to the people who love you, the people in your home life who rely on you, you long for extreme emotions: the pounding of your heart in your throat so strong you nearly choke; the perverse exhilaration of defying death time and time again; the intoxicating spasm of raw power you experience among the explosive lights of bursting projectiles, with their
acrid smell and deafening blasts; the climax of battle, which leaves you drowning in sweat and relieved to be alive.
How can we -- how can they -- stay off that drug of combat, that rush into temporary oblivion that has absolutely no equal in the human experience? I can think of no civilian equivalent where one's job is to offer up life and limb for a mission, a cause, a buddy, another human being who is just as human and vulnerable as you. In the aftermath of combat, forever burnt into the wiring of a combatant's brain is another reality, which invades everyday life with a clarity and speed that can surprise, disillusion, depress and elate all at once. In my experience, no amount of time can dampen this impact on a soldier's psyche.
Aptly, some of the writings in this revealing explode and pierce the reader with an unbridled energy and clarity that pulls at the heart and drives right to the soul. Reading these pages is like hearing voices from the beyond, like seeing ghosts wandering the recesses of all the world's battlefields.
A reader will also encounter the kind of soldiers' stories that wars always produce but that often remain unheard, unread: statements that come out so spontaneously and so to the point. In the field hospital at Kandahar airbase, young Corporal Ryan Pagnacco, having been severely wounded in action, wakes up from his drug-induced torpor to the sound of rocket and mortar fire nearby. As he lies helpless in his bed, the nurse throws a blast blanket over him, and he asks: "Are we being attacked?" The reply comes immediately with calm and serious intent: "Yes ... go back to sleep." Can one imagine a more suitable response from a caregiver to an anxious patient
fresh from the front?
Many serve and so few are recognized or even receive a word of thanks. Often
the intensity of the battle prevents its leaders from noticing a fait d'armes of heroic proportions. At other times, the leaders themselves are wounded or killed and are not there to pass word up the line of a warrior's feat committed by a private. At other times, the cohesiveness of the group brings about a victorious outcome or a disciplined withdrawal under fire: All are truly heroes, yet all simply feel that they just did their jobs.
It is only when the tired, dirty, hungry and thirsty combatants find a moment of rest that the vividness, the adrenalin rush and the steady vise-grip on their stomachs catches them by surprise, replaying in slow motion the rage, fear, sorrow and extraordinary high of facing death head-on and surviving.
The anecdotes and jokes, the technical and emotional descriptions, the blood-curdling and sad exposes: All are present in these letters home from the battlefield in a far-off land. The human dignity and sorrow, as well as the elation of victory and the emptiness of loss, are laid out in the participants' own innocent, lively and clear prose -- the richness of which is incalculable.
-Romeo Alain Dallaire is a Canadian senator. In 1993 and 1994, he served as
Force Commander for the UN peacekeeping force in Rwanda. Excerpted from
Outside the Wire. Copyright C 2007 Kevin Patterson and Jane Warren.
Reproduced by arrangement with Random House Canada. All rights reserved.
This foreword copyright C 2007 Romeo A. Dallaire.

Night Shot

This isn't my typical post - there's no rant.
Here's a pic that I took in Florida last month; I'm particularly pleased with its serenity.
(well ok, maybe just a little rant: there's a plastic water bottle on the beach bottom centre - What in the world would possess people to toss garbage into such an otherwise pristine environment? sheesh!)

leader of the free world

..but for how long? (the "free" part, that is)

>
> Comedian or just NTB???
>
> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ijz1CdUj5fg
>
>
>
> Caught off guard?
>
> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VCvqXXnxLZw
>

pay now, pay later to a whole new level

zero tax increases --> city cutting back its social presence --> religions fill the social vacuum and before you know it, sharia is alive and well here too. taxes and the city services they fund are the only weapons we have to defend ourselves against people with whom you can't debate because they do things in the name of some supreme deity, who conveniently delegates authority only to a few "chosen" individuals.

This is how you get courts sentencing women to 200 lashes and six months in prison after being abducted and gang-raped by seven men.
http://www.torontosun.com/News/Columnists/Worthington_Peter/2007/11/28/4691235.php

CMAJ accuses drugstore chain of 'poaching' African pharmacists

Shoppers Drugmart is getting a little greedy... bad on them.

TORONTO - Canada's top medical journal is calling for a boycott of the country's largest chain of drugstores over the "unethical" practice of "poaching" pharmacists from South Africa.
In an editorial titled "Shoppers Drug Mart or Poachers Drug Mart?" the Canadian Medical Association Journal accuses the national chain of contributing to a health disaster by luring workers from the AIDS-ravaged country, a scheme it describes as "foreign aid in reverse."
"Those who poach deserve to lose business," the editorial says, citing figures from the KwaZulu-Natal province, in which three-quarters of government-funded pharmacist positions were unfilled.
The editorial suggests Shoppers should fund pharmacist training programs in South Africa, rather than exploiting the education system of a poverty stricken state.
"Shoppers has a legitimate need for workers, but it's not solving that need by bearing the cost in some way, by sharing the cost of training those workers," said Amir Attaran, Canada Research Chair in law, Population Health, and Global Development Policy at the University of Ottawa, who co-wrote the editorial.
"The South African taxpayer bears the cost in large part, and the worker is pulled away to Canada, where Canadians get the benefit. The lack of equity is obvious."
John Caplice, the company's senior vice-president, treasurer, investor relations and corporate affairs, refused to be interviewed yesterday, but said in an e-mail: "We are familiar with the editorial ... and strongly disagree with what is implied by its contents. Shoppers Drug Mart has in the past recruited a select few pharmacists from South Africa, as well as from other English-speaking nations. It is not our intention to 'poach' or damage the health care system of any other country."
The editorial, to be published in the forthcoming issue, contrasts the fair practice of "passive enticement," such as advertisements, with unfair, active "poaching." Mr. Attaran said Shoppers crossed the line by actually going to Africa and making company lawyers available to help with immigration hurdles. The company also pledges to reimburse the cost of Canadian licensing exams for successful recruits.
"In other words, they're facilitating the decision, not simply offering the option. It's the facilitation that is the problem," Mr. Attaran said. "I think we would feel very hard done by if American corporations were actively poaching away our graduates, and yet that's what a Canadian corporation is doing. And bear in mind, we don't have 19 per cent of adults with HIV; the South Africans do."
The editorial was prompted late last month when Wendy Lack, manager of associate recruitment for Shoppers, contacted Roderick Walker, dean elect of the faculty of pharmacy at Rhodes University in Grahamstown, South Africa, with a personal invitation to a recruiting drive that began yesterday.
Mr. Walker spread the word to colleagues, and co-wrote the editorial, which represents the views of the entire CMAJ board.
Ms. Lack was in Pretoria yesterday for the recruiting drive, which continues Thursday in Johannesburg, and next week in Durban and Cape Town. She did not respond to requests for comment.
For individual South African pharmacists, the question of emigration is often a dilemma that pits the welfare of their homeland against that of their families, with predictable outcomes.
"It's a good opportunity for Shoppers to be there because of the bad situation for pharmacists at the moment. ... The whole profession is under threat," said Wilhelm Venter, 40, a pharmacist who left South Africa five years ago and now owns and manages a Shoppers Drug Mart in Toronto's financial district.
He said his profession is poorly supported in South Africa because, unlike in Canada, doctors can dispense drugs as well as prescribe them. He said legislation has been changed for the worse in the last couple of years, with the effect of "bankrupting a lot of pharmacists," and so the interest in emigration is now at a peak. But he said a lack of doctors and facilities, and the high cost of medication, are far worse problems.
"Unless you have an actual private drug plan, which very few people can afford, most people can't even afford to buy medications from a pharmacy, so the pharmacist's role is pretty limited," he said. "They're going out of business. That's why they're leaving."

battlefield deciders

"Some of the best weapons for counterinsurgency do not shoot," Nagl's counterinsurgency manual says. Instead, it advises troops to get to know the locals — both individually and as groups — and gain their trust. The locals generally know which of their neighbors are insurgents and which aren't; they're already plugged into the communal network. "Arguably," the manual says, "the decisive battle is for the people's minds."

From Wired.com, ironically enough. I believe this is as important in a city like Ottawa, struggling for public confidence in its ability to provide effective and efficient needs. Retreating into service-cutting "0% tax increase" modes is counterproductive. Instead, the city should be an integral part of the community - if not, you leave the door open for other organizations to fill the void, organizations that you typically can't discuss with rationally because [god] is on their side.

the mayor speaks

There's no way in a hundred million years that the (1500?) staff at City Hall can match the intellectual capacity of the 877,000 people of the City of Ottawa.

-Larry O'Brien on a telephone interview with BOB FM this morning (26 Nov 07 around 6:20am) on municipal budget consultations.
Wow.
Akin to the 2004-11-20 Dilbert where Alice is outwitted by PHM during a performance review ("inability to handle criticism ... and you argue with people much smarter than yourself.")
Evidently, in this first-past-the-post election system, his conscience is guided by a public opinion weathervane.
Personally, I think dissing your staff in order to flatter the electorate and gain public support for overriding staff recommendations is a cheap trick. I guess he also considers having the guts to say and do stupid things that nobody else would dare as "leadership."
My only consolation is that, as time goes on, the backward slides into conservativism, the reactionary shifts between left and right, are getting shorter-lived as people start realizing neither is the panacea for public ills. Part of me is beginning to look forward to the next quantum change that resets the public's frame of reference. Isn't 2012 the year the Mayans think this (particular iteration of the) world ends?

lost in a golden age?

This is stupid. Why remove a book because it is controversial? Better thing to do is take your heads out of the sand and ask the students to discuss what they think makes it controversial. Oh but wait, that would lead to free thought...
shortlink
http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20071123/compass_books_071123/20071123?hub=Canada

"The trouble is that all too often in human history, churches and priesthoods have set themselves up to rule people's lives in the name of some invisible god (and they're all invisible, because they don't exist) -- and done terrible damage," Pullman writes on his website.

"In the name of their god, they have burned, hanged, tortured, maimed, robbed, violated, and enslaved millions of their fellow creatures, and done so with the happy conviction that they were doing the will of God, and they would go to Heaven for it."

honorary titles

interesting factoid:
"In the United States, the form "Excellency" was specifically denied to the President"
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Excellency

well, interesting from a historical p.o.v: this obviously stems from an anti-british monarchy/peerage system sentiment, which is interesting to me because the best definition for Canadian is "not american."

A friend of mine suggested Dubya would prefer "Your Omnipotency." If we were to use "Your Inepotency" instead, would the spelling error distract him from the thinly-veiled attack?

Why exactly is Hollywood on Washington's radar?

I never imagined that the American government would concern itself over leftist Hollywood, that persistent thorn in the side of absolutist intentions, other than, perhaps, to serve as a convenient catchment area for social laxism and vice. Is Washington then afraid that such an attack might allow the communist "disease" to break out and infect the rest of the country? Or are they afraid that without Nicole and Britney and the anorexic twins, the media will have to start talking about the real world again and people will start paying attention to Washington and the rest of the world again?

EXPERTS FAULT U.S. PREPARATION FOR ANTHRAX ATTACK
Will Dunham
November 14, 2007

WASHINGTON, Nov 14 (Reuters) - The United States has done too little to prepare for another potential domestic anthrax attack six years after spore-laden mail killed five people, a former CIA director and other experts said on Wednesday.
[...]
The report illustrated the threat by laying out three scenarios involving an anthrax attack: spreading spores on New York's subway system, killing thousands; dispersing a smaller amount of the spores in a Minneapolis movie theater, Las Vegas casino and California theme park, killing hundreds; and an attack at the Academy Awards ceremony, killing famous actors.
"Congress needs to get much more involved right now. The administration needs to put this on the front burner," Livingstone said.
[...]

no words can describe this

somebody's spending not enough time with the rest of society (which in this case might be a good thing for the rest of us):
http://www.churchofmoo.com/half-mad/teevee/teevee.html

checks-and-balances: statement of the obvious

If you cannot find a leader that inspires faith that you will succeed, you have to settle for a manager that can inspire confidence that you will at least not fail.

No wonder we have multicameral governments and heavy bureaucracies!

objective science vs guided religion

Faith picks up where confidence leaves off; the fight between atheists and theists is where to draw the line.

abuse of power

I was almost digging this release, until I got to the last sentence.
Harper's abusive arrogance has no limits; who the hell does he think he is? Why should we accept such clear partisan shots from Canada's PM when its not even campaign season? What an ass.

-----Original Message-----
PRIME MINISTER HARPER PRESENTS NEW MINISTRY
August 14, 2007
Ottawa, Ontario

Prime Minister Stephen Harper today presented a new Ministry which will continue to lead Canada's New Government through the next phase of its mandate.

"We did what we said we were going to do and now it's time to keep moving forward," said the Prime Minister. "To seize the opportunities that lie before us; and rise to the challenges that confront us."

In particular, Prime Minister Harper pointed to continued strong leadership on the economy, and defence and foreign affairs.

The Prime Minister said the new Ministry would continue to provide the same strong and decisive leadership that Canadians have come to expect from Canada's New Government.

"As our record over the past eighteen months demonstrates, we have a proven capacity to get things done for all of Canada's families."

Prime Minister Harper said the new Ministry would continue to:

Assert and defend Canada's sovereignty;

Keep the economy strong and taxes low;

Vigorously tackle crime;

Preserve and protect the environment; and

Strengthen the Federation at home and abroad.

"This new Ministry presents Canadians with a clear choice; a choice between strong leadership that is moving Canada forward or a weak opposition that would set families and taxpayers back," concluded Prime Minister Harper.

The Prime Minister's Office - Communications

different gears for different fears

say what, "prima facie" evidence?
this obviously wasn't written by the usual propaganda-writers.
Still, they never miss a chance to take a vindictive stab. Even if factually not incorrect, such statements are inappropriately partial for the PM's office.

I also wonder just how "independent" this third party is going to be. The USA political system has that going for it, at least: the Senate must scrutinize and can veto each presidential appointee! Maybe Harper is worried that a properly reformed Canadian Senate will diminish his dictatorship reign quest for absolute rule?

-----Original Message-----

STATEMENT BY THE PRIME MINISTER

November 13, 2007
Ottawa, Ontario

Prime Minister Stephen Harper today issued the following statement on asking the third party to advise the Government on terms of reference for a public inquiry:

"On Friday I announced that I would be appointing an independent and impartial third party to review what course of actions may be appropriate given Mr. Schreiber's new sworn allegations. These allegations remain unproven and untested in a court of law and arose in a private lawsuit. There are however now issues that go beyond the private interests of the parties in the lawsuit.

Many have called for a public inquiry, including most recently Mr. Mulroney.

Given the conflicting information and allegations (including what appears to be some conflicting information under oath) and the extended time period over which the events referred to in various documents and allegations surrounding this matter have occurred, I have decided to ask the third party to advise the government on appropriate terms of reference for a public inquiry.

If in reviewing material, the independent party finds any prima facie evidence of criminal action he or she will identify this and advise how this should be handled and what impact, if any, it should have on the nature and timing of the inquiry.

A public inquiry is a major step and one that should only be taken when it addresses Canadians' interest, not those of the various parties, whether Mr. Schreiber, Mr. Mulroney or political parties. That is why it is important that we engage the necessary independent expertise and take the time to ensure that the terms of reference meet that test."

The Prime Minister's Office - Communications
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ECO 92 RJ - Severn Suzuki

unprecedented

Wow, this is the first time that I ever notice the PM announcing his availability for questions since I subscribed to this service (shortly after the election). at the press theatre, and taking questions even? what's going on?

-----Original Message-----

Public event for Prime Minister Stephen Harper for today, November 9th is:

4:00 p.m. - Prime Minister Stephen Harper will be available to take questions from the media.

Press Theatre
National Press Building
150 Wellington Street
Ottawa, Ontario

*Open to media*

The Prime Minister's Office - Communications

Rememberance Day Thanks

Joint missive from the Ministries of Truth and Peace:

> -----Original Message-----
>
> REMEMBRANCE DAY MESSAGE
>
> As Minister of National Defence, I have had the privilege of meeting with many of you. I find myself humbled by the bravery and the professionalism of the fine men and women who work for Canadian Forces.
>
> In Afghanistan, you are continuing the noble role that Canada has always played in the world. You are giving hope to millions of people in need of assistance. You are acting as a cause for good in an unstable world. This is also true of Canadian Forces members who are deployed under Operation ALTAIR and Operation SEXTANT; our sailors, soldiers, airmen and airwomen who are stationed around the world; and the personnel who are protecting North America.
>
> Like generations before you, many of you have left your homes in Canada to confront an extremist ideology on foreign soil. Many of you have risked your lives to defend Canada and Canadian values. Without doubt, your sacrifices are building a better world.
>
> Now, more than ever, I appreciate Canada> '> s very proud tradition of military accomplishments. As communities across Canada think and pray of the sacrifices that brave men and women have made on their behalf this weekend, they will also pause to think and pray for you.
>
> Canada will forever remember those Canadians who fought in past conflicts and those Canadians who served the cause of peace.
>
> To all soldiers, past and present, thank you.
>
> Lest we forget.
>
> Peter G. MacKay
> Minister of National Defence

I emailed this earlier today:

Mr. Sterling,

Before I start, I'd like to congratulate you on your recent re-election. The overall election results were rather surprising, though in hindsight, not entirely unexpected. I also want to thank you for the pressure you are keeping on the Carp Dump situation.

I recently brought a small crate of unwanted electronics to a local "Take It Back" program participant for proper disposal. I was prepared to pay the "small handling fee" they had verbally quoted at $35.

I was stunned, however, when they gave me a receipt for $30, plus GST and PST. Shocked. Why have the federal and provincial governments not tax-exempted waste diversion/recuperation services? I could have easily sent them to landfill with the rest of my garbage for free (well, through municipal taxes), but, mindful of future generations, I chose to dispose of them properly at my personal time and expense. Had I known about the upcoming amnesty day for electronic components, I would have waited a few more weeks and at least saved my money.

The Ontario government already has several excellent incentive programs, aimed at what consumers bring into their homes (PST-exempt EnergyStar qualified appliances and a cost sharing program for packaging materials, for example). When will the government extend their attention to address what goes OUT of consumer's homes, by shouldering more waste diversion program costs, or, at the very least, exempting compost bins, rain barrels, electronic recuperation programs, and the like from the PST as well? Certainly this would make diverting toxic trash from the Carp dump more palatable, even more accessible, and help secure a clean environment for our children to grow into the strong and vibrant workforce of tomorrow.

Bottom line is, we should not be taxed for our greenwill.

abuse of communications

have you seen the PM's website lately?
His name in big letters, underlined with "strong leadership, a better Canada."
Seems to me this website belonged to the OFFICE of the Prime Minister. I'm quite ok with it trumpeting priorities and achievements of the government, but I have a big problem with his personal use of it as a campaigning device.

putting errors behind us... with new ones

I'm all for protecting the way of life of aboriginals who choose that path, and affording those who choose to strike off on their own a comfortable place in our society. However, I am concerned these campaign-style promises will result in a culture of fence-sitters that want their cake and eat it too. Either separate and preserve, or integrate and merge. Can't have it both ways.

PRIME MINISTER HARPER OUTLINES THE GOVERNMENT'S ACHIEVEMENTS FOR ABORIGINAL CANADIANS
Halifax, November 2, 2007

In an address to the annual general assembly of the Congress of Aboriginal Peoples (CAP) today, Prime Minister Stephen Harper outlined the Government's actions for Canadians of native ancestry. The Prime Minister noted that Canada?s rapidly growing Aboriginal population increasingly lives off-reserve in urban communities.

"The Congress of Aboriginal Peoples, in many ways, represents the future of our country," said Prime Minister Harper. "Your membership constitutes the fastest growing segment of Canadian society. The "Forgotten People," as you call your members, cannot be forgotten or ignored any longer. On the contrary, I believe you will play a pivotal role in the prosperous future that beckons for all Canadians."

Prime Minister Harper also discussed the numerous initiatives undertaken by the Government to create equality of opportunity and improve the lives of on-reserve and off-reserve Aboriginals. These include:

Implementation of the Indian Residential Schools Agreement.

Legislation to repeal section 67 of the Canadian Human Rights Act to ensure Aboriginal people on-reserve have the same human rights protections as other Canadians.

Extensive national consultations to establish matrimonial real property laws on-reserve to protect the rights of Aboriginal women.

A plan to expedite the Specific Claims resolution process, including the creation of a new independent tribunal.

A plan to improve drinking water quality standards and training on-reserve.

A $105-million investment in the Aboriginal Skills and Employment Partnership.

A strengthened focus on the Urban Aboriginal Strategy.

Providing $300 million for Aboriginal off-reserve housing.

"Our Government, in conjunction with able organizations like yours, is working very hard with aboriginal communities on- and off-reserve to address the problems that need to be fixed. In our first 21 months, I think you?ll agree we've made a very good start," said the Prime Minister.

What we are

Dance monkey Dance!

justice system: time to revisit the social contract?

Interesting concept of justice described to me a few days ago in the carpool:
In small simple agglomerations (e.g., tribes or villages), peace and order was maintainable through personal relations (peer pressure and/or threats of emotional and/or physical harm, e.g., lynching). Organized religion is a natural outgrowth of that phenomenon as agglomerations grew in size and complexity.
Today's "western" society is too highly complex, anonymous yet interdependent, and educated for religion (through promises of heaven and hell) to work effectively. The responsibility for maintaining social harmony is transfered to the state in what is called a "social contract."
If we feel (fear?) that violent crimes are getting out of hand today, it may be time to review the terms of the social contract we have with the justice system (incl law enforcement and correctional services).

mgmt hypocrisy

I'm a contrator/consultant/temp/etc. The (client) department I work for is under strong pressure to keep headcount down so they hire contractors/consultants/temps/etc like me, then impose restrictions on our job conditions to avoid appearance of employer/employee (ER/EE) relationships, which could put them on the hook for benefits/pensionable time etc. Avoidance of ER/EE rel'ps is also advantageous to independent contractors who pay taxes at corporate (as opposed to personal) rates. I'm not independent so that doesn't apply to me.

A few weeks ago the directorate sent an email asking all EEs to submit their personal contact info for emergencies. I ignored it believing that it wouldn't apply to contractors, and if I complied, it would counter efforts to avoid ER/EE relationship appearance. I thought it was in the managers' best interest and left it at that.

Yesterday my boss' boss blasted an email at three of us contractors (cc: our bosses) accusing us (inappropriately strongly) of not being team players and inconsiderate because if we're in an airplane that crashes they will phone the body shop and hit a machine after hours so they won't be able to inform our families.

WTF? Besides the fact that scenario is stupid for a number of reasons, my boss, all my colleagues and the boss' boss' secretary all have my personal coordinates.

And today I find out that in 5months time it won't matter anyway because rather than contracting with one or two body shops to provide a team of professionals, they will prequalify a number of body shops and award each individual position to the lowest bidder.

So they give us shit for playing by their own friggin rules, with a patronizing note stating we've caused "very deep disappointment" because we're "not team players." Meanwhile, they've been secretely crafting a new structure for a follow-on professional services contract that will make it very difficult to get re-hired as a team.

Double WTF.