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Saturday, July 10, 2004
Wednesday, July 07, 2004
My Vote a Waste??
So, the election in Canada is over and now we get to listen to the thoughts of people on how they think the election went and what they think will happen. I like this part of the election; finding out who voted for what party and what their reasons were. The July 1, 2004 edition of the Inuvik Drum had an editorial and an article that went too far and that I took offence with. In his Editorial Jason Unrau says: “There were a lot of disappointed NDP supporters in the Western Arctic riding Tuesday morning as NDP candidate Dennis Bevington missed toppling incumbent Liberal candidate Ethel Blondin-Andrew by a mere 52 votes.“ He then continues “Blondin-Andrew must be secretly thanking her lucky stars that the Green Party chose to run a candidate in her stronghold, as several NDP backers in town cursed the same party Tuesday for the same reason. Though it's true that the Green Party's existence makes for a more fruitful democracy, a cursory glance at the party's platform may make the average voter wonder what really separates it from the NDP.“ He then goes on to throw his opinion around with “While some may feel good about throwing their vote away or making a statement by casting it for the NDP's younger sibling, feeling good about oneself and making statements is not going to change things in this country if your party doesn't have a hope of winning a seat.“ This is the type of garbage we are forced to listen to and read in the north and it really started to bug me. To make matters worse he interviewed some of those NDP supporters he made reference to. One of the NDP supporters had this to say this about those supporters of the Green Party “I have no understanding of people's inate stupidity to miss an opportunity like this. People were living in a dreamworld if they thought their vote for the Greens was going to matter one bit here. What a waste.“ Enough is enough already. I had to fight back. The following is my letter to the editor which I hope is published in its entirety in this Thursday's edition of the Drum.
In your editorial of July 1, 2004 you stated that anyone that voted for the Green Party was “throwing their vote away”. Since when is it your job to tell us who we should be voting for? Is it not the job of the media to inform readers of the platforms of each party that is running a candidate? I for one voted for the Green Party and am not ashamed that I did and I surely don’t think that you have a right to say that I threw my vote away. How dare you tell me that my vote in our democratic society was a waste. If my vote was thrown away then I guess that everyone who voted for the Conservatives in the Western Arctic also threw their vote away. I mean if 100 of their voters hadn’t of thrown their vote away too and voted NDP instead then Dennis Bevington would have won. Maybe you should have said that too. For that matter, you also imply that those who voted Liberal threw their vote away too as they obviously haven’t done anything for the Western Arctic and a change needs to be made. You as a journalist should not use your paper to tell us who we should have voted for and that we wasted our vote. My vote is wasted? HOW DARE YOU!!!
To those voters that you talked to at the Café Gallery, one individual in particular who called my vote stupid, a waste - and who said that I am living in a dream world - you too need to check your wrath at the door against anyone who got out and voted no matter who they voted for. I can accept your opinions you need to accept others. That is what makes this a democracy. We don’t have to understand the reasons others have for voting the way they do but everyone has the right to vote for who they want and everyone’s opinions count. I take offence with you on behalf of the other 582 Green Party voters in the Western Arctic that you called stupid; but yours is just one person’s opinion. The Drum also didn’t seek out anyone who voted for any of the other parties for their take on the election results. Shame on you for that.
All of you who are upset with the fact that the NDP lost to the Liberals in the Western Arctic by 52 votes should be taking the time to find the 52.5% of the voters that did not vote in the Western Arctic. That’s right! Only 13,471 of the 28,335 eligible voters in the Western Arctic even voted. Maybe you Mike, or you Jason, should be talking about those nearly 15,000 non voters and how they lost the election for the NDP. The Liberal supporters should be finding out why those 15,000 also didn’t vote. If they had voted for you then maybe you wouldn’t have been chewing your nails all night waiting for the final results. Next time you want to vent make sure it is at the right people and for the right reason. I voted for who I wanted; I am a Canadian. And I have that right.
This low turnout was not just in the Western Arctic although the rate here was considerably lower than other ridings. Only 60.5% of eligible voters across Canada even voted. This was the lowest turnout in Canadian history. The major parties are obviously not doing something right. To have this many Canadians not bother to vote means something and the parties better get out and find out what it is that keeps these voters away from the polls, and they better do it quick. With a minority government in place we will probably be doing this all over again within the next 2 years.
I was obviously not alone in my feelings voting for the Green Party. Over half a million people across Canada voted this way. Enough in fact that they will now get federal funding for advertising next time we have a federal election. Maybe the fact that the major parties continue to screw us no matter who is elected is getting Canadians frustrated and they are turning to the other parties. The next election will prove if the Green Party has indeed made strides to becoming a viable party or whether they just got lucky for one election. I for one think that the strides will continue and that the Liberal, Conservative and NDP representatives who were elected better watch out. The Green Party may not win any seats next election either but they can sure influence who does get elected as this election has proved. Give me your comments.
In your editorial of July 1, 2004 you stated that anyone that voted for the Green Party was “throwing their vote away”. Since when is it your job to tell us who we should be voting for? Is it not the job of the media to inform readers of the platforms of each party that is running a candidate? I for one voted for the Green Party and am not ashamed that I did and I surely don’t think that you have a right to say that I threw my vote away. How dare you tell me that my vote in our democratic society was a waste. If my vote was thrown away then I guess that everyone who voted for the Conservatives in the Western Arctic also threw their vote away. I mean if 100 of their voters hadn’t of thrown their vote away too and voted NDP instead then Dennis Bevington would have won. Maybe you should have said that too. For that matter, you also imply that those who voted Liberal threw their vote away too as they obviously haven’t done anything for the Western Arctic and a change needs to be made. You as a journalist should not use your paper to tell us who we should have voted for and that we wasted our vote. My vote is wasted? HOW DARE YOU!!!
To those voters that you talked to at the Café Gallery, one individual in particular who called my vote stupid, a waste - and who said that I am living in a dream world - you too need to check your wrath at the door against anyone who got out and voted no matter who they voted for. I can accept your opinions you need to accept others. That is what makes this a democracy. We don’t have to understand the reasons others have for voting the way they do but everyone has the right to vote for who they want and everyone’s opinions count. I take offence with you on behalf of the other 582 Green Party voters in the Western Arctic that you called stupid; but yours is just one person’s opinion. The Drum also didn’t seek out anyone who voted for any of the other parties for their take on the election results. Shame on you for that.
All of you who are upset with the fact that the NDP lost to the Liberals in the Western Arctic by 52 votes should be taking the time to find the 52.5% of the voters that did not vote in the Western Arctic. That’s right! Only 13,471 of the 28,335 eligible voters in the Western Arctic even voted. Maybe you Mike, or you Jason, should be talking about those nearly 15,000 non voters and how they lost the election for the NDP. The Liberal supporters should be finding out why those 15,000 also didn’t vote. If they had voted for you then maybe you wouldn’t have been chewing your nails all night waiting for the final results. Next time you want to vent make sure it is at the right people and for the right reason. I voted for who I wanted; I am a Canadian. And I have that right.
This low turnout was not just in the Western Arctic although the rate here was considerably lower than other ridings. Only 60.5% of eligible voters across Canada even voted. This was the lowest turnout in Canadian history. The major parties are obviously not doing something right. To have this many Canadians not bother to vote means something and the parties better get out and find out what it is that keeps these voters away from the polls, and they better do it quick. With a minority government in place we will probably be doing this all over again within the next 2 years.
I was obviously not alone in my feelings voting for the Green Party. Over half a million people across Canada voted this way. Enough in fact that they will now get federal funding for advertising next time we have a federal election. Maybe the fact that the major parties continue to screw us no matter who is elected is getting Canadians frustrated and they are turning to the other parties. The next election will prove if the Green Party has indeed made strides to becoming a viable party or whether they just got lucky for one election. I for one think that the strides will continue and that the Liberal, Conservative and NDP representatives who were elected better watch out. The Green Party may not win any seats next election either but they can sure influence who does get elected as this election has proved. Give me your comments.
Canada Election 2004
So this years federal election is over and there were some interesting results.
The first interesting item was that the Liberals won with a minority. This will be the first minority government in Canada since 1979. This will be a good thing for Canada. Before the recounts are completed the Liberals have 135 seats, COnservative have 99, The Bloq Quebecois 54, NDP 19 and Non Affiliated 1. The Liberals are not going to be able to ram legislation through parliament and are actually going to have to listen to the opposition. All it will take is once trying to get a bill passed without the agreement of the other parties and we will be going back to vote. The Liberals will not get their way in government the way they have for the last 11 years. There is now a tight leash put on them and all parties will have to work together to make this work.
The second interesting item is also a disturbing item. The turnout for this election had only 60.5% of eligible voters go out and exercise their democratic right to vote. The right that men and women have given their lives fighting for. This number is the lowest in history in term of percentage since 1867. Why is this? Everyone knew that this election was going to be close. It appears that the age group of 18-25 seems to be where a big part of the problem is. In the last election in 2000 only 25% of eligible voters between the age of 18-24 voted. Why? Why? Why?
It appears that the younger generations have had things too easy. While politics is not near the top of my interest list I still make time to learn about the parties and the important topics of the time. I don't think that the younger generations of today do that. Even when I was that age group I took the time to listen and be informed. Many of the people now figure that one vote will not make a difference. This election has proved that wrong. Every vote counts!!! The other part of this lack of voting goes to the way society is today. Most of the non-voters don't care who the government is. Healthcare will exist, roads and bridges will be maintained, taxes will be paid; life will go on as it is. So who cares who is Prime Minister; it doesn't make a difference. This is a bad attitude to have and shame on anyone who feels this way.
For those of you that didn't vote I have one thing to say to you. By not voting you have lost your ability to complain about anything that the government does that you don't like. By not voting you have told the government that everything is ok with you. If you don't vote you can't complain; that right doesn't belong to you anymore.
So when the Liberal minority receives a vote of non-confidence and we go back to the polls for another election remember to get off your ass, take a bit of interest in what is happening around you and go VOTE. For those of you with provincial or municipal elections this year the same goes for you. VOTE! VOTE!! VOTE!!! It is your right.
Leave me your comments on this topic as I am really interested in who votes and why and who doesn't and what their excuses are.
The first interesting item was that the Liberals won with a minority. This will be the first minority government in Canada since 1979. This will be a good thing for Canada. Before the recounts are completed the Liberals have 135 seats, COnservative have 99, The Bloq Quebecois 54, NDP 19 and Non Affiliated 1. The Liberals are not going to be able to ram legislation through parliament and are actually going to have to listen to the opposition. All it will take is once trying to get a bill passed without the agreement of the other parties and we will be going back to vote. The Liberals will not get their way in government the way they have for the last 11 years. There is now a tight leash put on them and all parties will have to work together to make this work.
The second interesting item is also a disturbing item. The turnout for this election had only 60.5% of eligible voters go out and exercise their democratic right to vote. The right that men and women have given their lives fighting for. This number is the lowest in history in term of percentage since 1867. Why is this? Everyone knew that this election was going to be close. It appears that the age group of 18-25 seems to be where a big part of the problem is. In the last election in 2000 only 25% of eligible voters between the age of 18-24 voted. Why? Why? Why?
It appears that the younger generations have had things too easy. While politics is not near the top of my interest list I still make time to learn about the parties and the important topics of the time. I don't think that the younger generations of today do that. Even when I was that age group I took the time to listen and be informed. Many of the people now figure that one vote will not make a difference. This election has proved that wrong. Every vote counts!!! The other part of this lack of voting goes to the way society is today. Most of the non-voters don't care who the government is. Healthcare will exist, roads and bridges will be maintained, taxes will be paid; life will go on as it is. So who cares who is Prime Minister; it doesn't make a difference. This is a bad attitude to have and shame on anyone who feels this way.
For those of you that didn't vote I have one thing to say to you. By not voting you have lost your ability to complain about anything that the government does that you don't like. By not voting you have told the government that everything is ok with you. If you don't vote you can't complain; that right doesn't belong to you anymore.
So when the Liberal minority receives a vote of non-confidence and we go back to the polls for another election remember to get off your ass, take a bit of interest in what is happening around you and go VOTE. For those of you with provincial or municipal elections this year the same goes for you. VOTE! VOTE!! VOTE!!! It is your right.
Leave me your comments on this topic as I am really interested in who votes and why and who doesn't and what their excuses are.
Saturday, June 05, 2004
Canadian Election: Silly Side of Things
Well, we are into the “promise the sun and stars” phase of the election campaigns. But I will get to that in another posting. I was reading about something this week that needs to be addressed first. We are in a campaign where not every recognized political party in Canada is treated equal. Somewhere a decision was made by the broadcasters that not everyone is equal in this election. Exactly when was a consortium, composed of five broadcast executives, ordained with the right to determine which Canadian political parties should participate in the leaders' debate? How dare they? Shouldn't the voters of Canada have the right to listen to every party who has a point to make? Especially a party, like the Green Party, that has a candidate in every riding in Canada. Who made them the all-knowing, all-seeing, all-wise group to decide who and what should be included?
Some may say that since they are not an official party they shouldn't be included. To be an official party you must have 12 seats in parliament. This can't be the reason. Equally, since 1993, the NDP, Bloc Québecois, the Progressive Conservatives and the Reform Party have all been invited to participate in the debate without holding official party status. In fact, in 1993 the Reform Party held only one seat and the Bloc was not officially recognized in the House of Commons, its members and only elected MP sat as independents. The Bloc, with only 75 candidates, participates in both the English and French debates, despite the fact that voters in 233 predominantly English-speaking ridings cannot even vote for their candidates.
And then some may argue that the debates are not that important anyway. Green Party of Canada leader Jim Harris has other thoughts. Here are some of his quotes on this matter. "Do Canadians really believe that five executives meeting on a conference call should arbitrarily decide the political choices for over 22 million voters?" He then added "The importance of the leaders' debate cannot be overstated. There is widespread agreement that televised leaders’ debates are defining moments in Canadian elections. The latest Ipsos-Reid poll shows support for the federal Green Party at 5 per cent federally and 14 per cent in B.C. Based on these polls, over 640,000 Canadians are ready to vote for the Green Party. To these and other Canadians, the consortium is saying, your issues and concerns will not be debated.“
The question of time constraints and the number of participants has also been mentioned as the reason for not including the party. Well unfortunately this can't be the reason that the broadcasters don't want to include the Green Party. You see, since 1993 there has been 5 parties included in the leaders' debates. This year there are only 4 parties invited. Inviting the Green Party to the debate would only fill an existing seat. So what gives? Maybe it is time for the CRTC to get involved. It is their duty as the federal regulator of everything radio and television in this country to say that the broadcasters don't have the right to chose who we can and can't listen to...especially when it comes to something as important as the running of our country for the next 4 to 5 years.
I think that the consortium's decision to exclude the Green Party and other registered parties discourages voter participation. It’s clear that voters want to see more and hear more of the other alternatives to the big 4 parties. In the last election, over 8.2 million voters disapproved of the political choices available to them and instead chose "none-of-the-above" by not voting. Polls indicate that the alternative parties draw the most support from voters between the ages of 18 and 35. This is also the demographic least likely to vote based on the 2000 returns. These are also the same Canadians who feel particularly disenchanted with the old-line parties and are willing to listen to what the alternatives have to say. So I say give all parties a chance to speak their points in front of a national audience at the same time as every other party gets to make their points. If they are given a chance to speak and what they say doesn't make sense then the Canadian voters can show them at election time. This should go for all parties. Are you listening voters of Ontario and Quebec?
Some may say that since they are not an official party they shouldn't be included. To be an official party you must have 12 seats in parliament. This can't be the reason. Equally, since 1993, the NDP, Bloc Québecois, the Progressive Conservatives and the Reform Party have all been invited to participate in the debate without holding official party status. In fact, in 1993 the Reform Party held only one seat and the Bloc was not officially recognized in the House of Commons, its members and only elected MP sat as independents. The Bloc, with only 75 candidates, participates in both the English and French debates, despite the fact that voters in 233 predominantly English-speaking ridings cannot even vote for their candidates.
And then some may argue that the debates are not that important anyway. Green Party of Canada leader Jim Harris has other thoughts. Here are some of his quotes on this matter. "Do Canadians really believe that five executives meeting on a conference call should arbitrarily decide the political choices for over 22 million voters?" He then added "The importance of the leaders' debate cannot be overstated. There is widespread agreement that televised leaders’ debates are defining moments in Canadian elections. The latest Ipsos-Reid poll shows support for the federal Green Party at 5 per cent federally and 14 per cent in B.C. Based on these polls, over 640,000 Canadians are ready to vote for the Green Party. To these and other Canadians, the consortium is saying, your issues and concerns will not be debated.“
The question of time constraints and the number of participants has also been mentioned as the reason for not including the party. Well unfortunately this can't be the reason that the broadcasters don't want to include the Green Party. You see, since 1993 there has been 5 parties included in the leaders' debates. This year there are only 4 parties invited. Inviting the Green Party to the debate would only fill an existing seat. So what gives? Maybe it is time for the CRTC to get involved. It is their duty as the federal regulator of everything radio and television in this country to say that the broadcasters don't have the right to chose who we can and can't listen to...especially when it comes to something as important as the running of our country for the next 4 to 5 years.
I think that the consortium's decision to exclude the Green Party and other registered parties discourages voter participation. It’s clear that voters want to see more and hear more of the other alternatives to the big 4 parties. In the last election, over 8.2 million voters disapproved of the political choices available to them and instead chose "none-of-the-above" by not voting. Polls indicate that the alternative parties draw the most support from voters between the ages of 18 and 35. This is also the demographic least likely to vote based on the 2000 returns. These are also the same Canadians who feel particularly disenchanted with the old-line parties and are willing to listen to what the alternatives have to say. So I say give all parties a chance to speak their points in front of a national audience at the same time as every other party gets to make their points. If they are given a chance to speak and what they say doesn't make sense then the Canadian voters can show them at election time. This should go for all parties. Are you listening voters of Ontario and Quebec?
Wednesday, June 02, 2004
Canada's Party???
So the Canadian election has been called and I figured I would go read the various party sites and see what bull they are offering us, the poor voting public, to try and buy...I mean bribe...I mean convince us into voting for their candidate. So I started off by visiting the Conservative Party of Canada web site. I discovered that the party doesn't consider the NWT part of Canada. At least we are not listed in their database. Put in the postal code for Inuvik and you get “The postal code you entered was not found in our database. Please check it and try again.” Now how can a party (and one that I support) forget to make sure that the entire postal code listing for Canada is in the database. Come on guys...get with it or my vote might have to go somewhere else (not Liberal).
I decided that if the Conservatives had this problem then maybe some of the others might also forget we are here. I checked the Liberals web site. Nope, they think we are part of Canada. But then again they should. The one vote from the NWT always goes to the Liberal candidate Ethel Blondin-Andrew. So next I checked the NDP web site. Damn, they too know who we are. Next on the list was the Green Party of Canada. They too know who we are. Well surely the Canadian Action Party doesn't know who we are. Wrong, they do too. There is no candidate for the riding but they want to know if I want to be their candidate. hmmm...Let me think on that. Anyway, do all the other parties know who we are? Let's continue to push on. Next it was on to the Canadian Heritage Party website. They don't have a postal code search that I could find but at least they have the Western Arctic riding listed even though they don't have a candidate. They don't however want to know if I want to be their candidate. That's okay, I really don't know their platform (if they have one). On to the next one on the list. Aha!!! Surely those red/pinko commies don't know we are here. Sure enough. The Communist Party of Canada doesn't have a search and only have listed ridings where they have a candidate. That's good to know. No chance of a comrade MP from the NWT. Next I checked out the stoners party known as the Marijuana Party. Yes you read that right. Joint central of Canada. Damn...no chance of a stoner MP as it appears they only run candidates in Ontario and Quebec. Hahaha, that figures. I knew the stink coming out of Ottawa at times couldn't be from the Liberals (or could it). Next it was on to another pinko commie party. The Marxist-Leninist Party of Canada. No way could they know who we were. Well after looking at this horrible site for 5 minutes I couldn't find any place to search for candidates...I couldn't even find a list of ridings or candidates. I assume they won't have an NWT candidate, at least I hope not. Continuing my journey it was on to the Progressive Canadian Party. This is the bunch of sore losers who didn't want to join the Conservative Party of Canada when the Progressive Conservatives and the Canadian Alliance Parties joined last year. They too don't have a search or list of candidates. Last and least there was the Bloc Quebecois. oops, maybe I should say Bloc Québécois. I guess I better spell it correctly as not to offend anyone. I checked the site even though we knew that they only had candidates from Québéc and really don't care about the rest of Canada. Checking proved us correct.
Well it appears that most of the larger parties knew who we were or where we were at least. Hopefully the nasty e-mail I sent to the Conservative party will wake them up and have them include us in their database. If they don't do it soon I may have to look for an alternative choice. Green Party anyone? Keep checking for more insight into the Canadian election and afterwards as we look forward to the US election.
COMMENT
I decided that if the Conservatives had this problem then maybe some of the others might also forget we are here. I checked the Liberals web site. Nope, they think we are part of Canada. But then again they should. The one vote from the NWT always goes to the Liberal candidate Ethel Blondin-Andrew. So next I checked the NDP web site. Damn, they too know who we are. Next on the list was the Green Party of Canada. They too know who we are. Well surely the Canadian Action Party doesn't know who we are. Wrong, they do too. There is no candidate for the riding but they want to know if I want to be their candidate. hmmm...Let me think on that. Anyway, do all the other parties know who we are? Let's continue to push on. Next it was on to the Canadian Heritage Party website. They don't have a postal code search that I could find but at least they have the Western Arctic riding listed even though they don't have a candidate. They don't however want to know if I want to be their candidate. That's okay, I really don't know their platform (if they have one). On to the next one on the list. Aha!!! Surely those red/pinko commies don't know we are here. Sure enough. The Communist Party of Canada doesn't have a search and only have listed ridings where they have a candidate. That's good to know. No chance of a comrade MP from the NWT. Next I checked out the stoners party known as the Marijuana Party. Yes you read that right. Joint central of Canada. Damn...no chance of a stoner MP as it appears they only run candidates in Ontario and Quebec. Hahaha, that figures. I knew the stink coming out of Ottawa at times couldn't be from the Liberals (or could it). Next it was on to another pinko commie party. The Marxist-Leninist Party of Canada. No way could they know who we were. Well after looking at this horrible site for 5 minutes I couldn't find any place to search for candidates...I couldn't even find a list of ridings or candidates. I assume they won't have an NWT candidate, at least I hope not. Continuing my journey it was on to the Progressive Canadian Party. This is the bunch of sore losers who didn't want to join the Conservative Party of Canada when the Progressive Conservatives and the Canadian Alliance Parties joined last year. They too don't have a search or list of candidates. Last and least there was the Bloc Quebecois. oops, maybe I should say Bloc Québécois. I guess I better spell it correctly as not to offend anyone. I checked the site even though we knew that they only had candidates from Québéc and really don't care about the rest of Canada. Checking proved us correct.
Well it appears that most of the larger parties knew who we were or where we were at least. Hopefully the nasty e-mail I sent to the Conservative party will wake them up and have them include us in their database. If they don't do it soon I may have to look for an alternative choice. Green Party anyone? Keep checking for more insight into the Canadian election and afterwards as we look forward to the US election.
COMMENT
Tuesday, May 25, 2004
Election Call Canada
Spring has finally come to Inuvik and it is about time. This past long weekend was nice and I finally got to wash the Pilot. I also got to plant our vegetable garden at the Inuvik Community Greenhouse where we decided to rent a plot this year. We helped Kimmi look after the plot for the high school last year and we really wanted to grow our own fresh vegetables this year. Anyway, in the middle of this nice weekend, Prime Minister Paul Martin decided to call a federal election for June 28th.
So we in Canada have to chose a new Prime Minister. Unlike the US who know they are going to have their elections in November every 4 years, the Canadian Prime Minister can call an election anytime within their 5 year appointment. This is usually done when the current Prime Minister is leading in the polls and has little chance of losing. The proof of this is the fact that the liberals have won the elections and held power 61 out of the last 83 years. Only 4 times in the last 108 years have non-Liberals held office for more than 4 years. So is there any point in voting?
There is one main reason to vote. If you don't vote then you can't complain when the government does something you don't like. Voting gives you that right. If you don't vote you are telling whoever wins that whatever they do is fine with you.
Does anyone really think that the Liberals are going to lose? The biggest problem with Canadian politics in the last 20 years is that it has been tough to chose which idiot leader you want as Prime Minister. Canada hasn't had a real leader since Pierre Trudeau. Now don't get me wrong, there were several things that PET did as Prime Minister that sucked, especially if you were a westerner. But the fact is that everyone respected him. There were never any rumors of kickbacks, payoffs or other improprieties. Since his departure in 1984, every government has had its scandals. The current government has been going through adscam, and before the current Liberal government, the Conservatives lead by Brian Mulroney had their own similar scandal. The problem is that the people of Quebec and Ontario are to chicken to give the power to another party as most Liberal leaders are from that area of Canada. The Liberals have never had a party leader born west of Ontario. None of them have ever lived in the west. They have no idea what problems happen in the west. At least with the Conservative party there have been leaders from the west and from Atlantic Canada. People who know what happens in other parts of Canada.
Current Conservative Party of Canada leader Stephen Harper, while being born in Ontario, has spent a great deal of his adult life in Alberta and knows what it is like to live in the west. Now this is not an endorsement of the Conservative Party as you have to decide who is best suited to represent your riding, but it is more a question of whether we have let the liberal party screw us too much over the last 11 years. The current Liberal party has blown billions of dollars with the current adscam fiasco, the continuing joke called the federal gun registry, the failure of promises to end the GST and many other numerous incidents. But those are things that you have to weigh when you make your decision.
Whether you chose to vote for the Liberals, Conservative, NDP, Rhinos, Bloc it is important to make sure you vote. June 28th...get to the polls and VOTE!!! Many men and women have died for you to have that right. Make sure you are part of the democratic freedom we enjoy. VOTE!!!
COMMENT
So we in Canada have to chose a new Prime Minister. Unlike the US who know they are going to have their elections in November every 4 years, the Canadian Prime Minister can call an election anytime within their 5 year appointment. This is usually done when the current Prime Minister is leading in the polls and has little chance of losing. The proof of this is the fact that the liberals have won the elections and held power 61 out of the last 83 years. Only 4 times in the last 108 years have non-Liberals held office for more than 4 years. So is there any point in voting?
There is one main reason to vote. If you don't vote then you can't complain when the government does something you don't like. Voting gives you that right. If you don't vote you are telling whoever wins that whatever they do is fine with you.
Does anyone really think that the Liberals are going to lose? The biggest problem with Canadian politics in the last 20 years is that it has been tough to chose which idiot leader you want as Prime Minister. Canada hasn't had a real leader since Pierre Trudeau. Now don't get me wrong, there were several things that PET did as Prime Minister that sucked, especially if you were a westerner. But the fact is that everyone respected him. There were never any rumors of kickbacks, payoffs or other improprieties. Since his departure in 1984, every government has had its scandals. The current government has been going through adscam, and before the current Liberal government, the Conservatives lead by Brian Mulroney had their own similar scandal. The problem is that the people of Quebec and Ontario are to chicken to give the power to another party as most Liberal leaders are from that area of Canada. The Liberals have never had a party leader born west of Ontario. None of them have ever lived in the west. They have no idea what problems happen in the west. At least with the Conservative party there have been leaders from the west and from Atlantic Canada. People who know what happens in other parts of Canada.
Current Conservative Party of Canada leader Stephen Harper, while being born in Ontario, has spent a great deal of his adult life in Alberta and knows what it is like to live in the west. Now this is not an endorsement of the Conservative Party as you have to decide who is best suited to represent your riding, but it is more a question of whether we have let the liberal party screw us too much over the last 11 years. The current Liberal party has blown billions of dollars with the current adscam fiasco, the continuing joke called the federal gun registry, the failure of promises to end the GST and many other numerous incidents. But those are things that you have to weigh when you make your decision.
Whether you chose to vote for the Liberals, Conservative, NDP, Rhinos, Bloc it is important to make sure you vote. June 28th...get to the polls and VOTE!!! Many men and women have died for you to have that right. Make sure you are part of the democratic freedom we enjoy. VOTE!!!
COMMENT
Thursday, April 15, 2004
Photo of the Week
The utilidors travel all through Inuvik carrying the water and waste to and from each building. For more pictures visit EclecticBlogs
Back to the 1970's???
The big debate that was raised in the 1960's and 1970's about the culling of baby harp seals has again come to light. Pushed by the cod fisherman who are claiming that the increase in the harp seal population has seriously affected the cod stocks, the Canadian government has agreed to increase the numbers of young seals that are slaughtered. The increase this year to 350,000 animals from the approximate 15,000 that it has been was due in part to the fact that harp seal populations have increased to 5.2 million from the 1.7 million of the early 1970s. A management plan announced in 2003 by Ottawa will see up to 975,000 harp seals to be taken by 2005.
While the seal hunt has been a long-time tradition in Atlantic Canada, it has come under the scrutiny of many people, groups, organizations, and governments. The Canadian government claims that the commercial seal hunt is humane and well regulated, but animal rights groups and journalists who scrutinize the seal hunts and document the happenings often delivering evidence of probable violations of various regulations. Some fishermen, fisheries and politicians claim that culling more harp seals will help the recovery of the Atlantic cod stocks. Both the debate and the seal hunt continue.
In Toronto this week, the International Fund for Animal Welfare screened graphic videos they say were taken late last month. Rebecca Aldworth of IFAW said she has monitored hundreds of hunts on the ice floes and was especially disturbed by what she saw this time. IFAW has been campaigning against the hunt for decades. IFAW accuses Ottawa of allowing the hunt to gain political support in the Atlantic provinces. Some have argued the exploding seal population is one reason why the cod population hasn't recovered off Newfoundland, but IFAW claims fish only forms a small proportion of a seal's diet.
For some additional facts on the seal hunt visit here.
Am I in favor of the seal hunts? I am not really sure. I mean if they are hunting young seals to reduce the numbers and this reduction will help to raise the cod stocks, then I am in favor of it. There is much information out there both proving and disproving this point and I guess that this is something that needs to take place for several years in order to see the results. If the results don't prove out then we should outlaw it or reduce it again. I am also not in favor of the government subsidizing this killing. $15 million to the hunters for this? Aren't they already subsidizing the fish industry in the Atlantic provinces? I am sure the federal government has better places to use this money. It took them almost a year to announce relief funding to the beef farmers after the loss of business from last years “Mad Cow Disease“ fiasco yet they seem not to have problems subsidizing the fish industry because of the low cod stocks. The other thing that bothers me about this is the way that the hunts are conducted and the way the hunters deal with their catch. It has been described that the hunters are more worried about the numbers they hunt rather than making sure that their prey is killed in a humane way. Several onlookers described hunters as dumping a load of still moving seals so that they could go out for more. This is disgusting and needs to be better regulated by the federal government.
I guess this will be something that will be debated for a long time. Tell me what you think. Comment
While the seal hunt has been a long-time tradition in Atlantic Canada, it has come under the scrutiny of many people, groups, organizations, and governments. The Canadian government claims that the commercial seal hunt is humane and well regulated, but animal rights groups and journalists who scrutinize the seal hunts and document the happenings often delivering evidence of probable violations of various regulations. Some fishermen, fisheries and politicians claim that culling more harp seals will help the recovery of the Atlantic cod stocks. Both the debate and the seal hunt continue.
In Toronto this week, the International Fund for Animal Welfare screened graphic videos they say were taken late last month. Rebecca Aldworth of IFAW said she has monitored hundreds of hunts on the ice floes and was especially disturbed by what she saw this time. IFAW has been campaigning against the hunt for decades. IFAW accuses Ottawa of allowing the hunt to gain political support in the Atlantic provinces. Some have argued the exploding seal population is one reason why the cod population hasn't recovered off Newfoundland, but IFAW claims fish only forms a small proportion of a seal's diet.
For some additional facts on the seal hunt visit here.
Am I in favor of the seal hunts? I am not really sure. I mean if they are hunting young seals to reduce the numbers and this reduction will help to raise the cod stocks, then I am in favor of it. There is much information out there both proving and disproving this point and I guess that this is something that needs to take place for several years in order to see the results. If the results don't prove out then we should outlaw it or reduce it again. I am also not in favor of the government subsidizing this killing. $15 million to the hunters for this? Aren't they already subsidizing the fish industry in the Atlantic provinces? I am sure the federal government has better places to use this money. It took them almost a year to announce relief funding to the beef farmers after the loss of business from last years “Mad Cow Disease“ fiasco yet they seem not to have problems subsidizing the fish industry because of the low cod stocks. The other thing that bothers me about this is the way that the hunts are conducted and the way the hunters deal with their catch. It has been described that the hunters are more worried about the numbers they hunt rather than making sure that their prey is killed in a humane way. Several onlookers described hunters as dumping a load of still moving seals so that they could go out for more. This is disgusting and needs to be better regulated by the federal government.
I guess this will be something that will be debated for a long time. Tell me what you think. Comment
Saturday, April 10, 2004
Eating Ourselves to Death!
It was reported in March by the Centres for Disease Control in the U.S. that obesity is quickly catching tobacco as the leading cause of preventable deaths. There has been talk that governments need to levy higher taxes on junk food and fast food meals. They have also talked about regulating food ads and making sure that restaurants print the nutiritional values of all of the items on their menus. But somehow I think that the governments are making the same mistake that they made and continue to make with cigarettes. We all know that eating those carrot or celery sticks are healthier for us than that creme filled donut or that bag of chips or those fast food french fries, but most of us still eat those unhealthy items as a choice. Raising taxes on cigarettes hasn't really worked that well to prevent smoking...if you want to you will. The same thing applies to increasing taxes on junk and fast food. If we want that donut we are still going to buy that donut. It's the plain and simple truth. Are regulating food ads going to work? I don't know about you but I don't go to the fast food restaurant or donut shop because of the ads I see on TV or in magazines. I go because that is what I want to eat at that time. What about printing the nutiritional value of menu items? Ya right...I really care how many calories or how much fat the donut or french fries that I came to eat and enjoy have. But what is the solution?
Maybe the solutions that need to be considered with both the cigarette and obesity related health problems are through our health care system. Maybe those that have to go to the doctors or hospitals because of these problems need to pay more to the health system that they are continuing to deplete. Maybe it requires those people to pay higher premiums than the rest of the people. Maybe it will require mandatory yearly or bi-yearly physicals to ensure we are healthy and not smoking. I am not sure how this would work but I think that those people who are taxing the health system need to pay higher stakes. Maybe it is a combination of higher taxes on the cigarettes and junk food and higher health care costs to those that use the system because of preventable diseases. The ultimate solution lies there somewhere. There has to be a way to change the bad habits of the chain smoker or couch potato (or both). Making both cigarette and junk food expensive through taxation may work in helping us curb our bad habits. Knowing it is going to cost us or our loved ones a huge price to fight our sicknesses might also help. Maybe the combination of both will help. Maybe subsidizing healthier items such as fruits, vegetables, fitness centres etc. is also part of the solution. It is obvious though from all the reports we read, if we don't find a solution to preventable diseases soon and change our lifestyles and choices, we will kill our health care system. And the last thing we want is a health system that is available to only those that can afford it (assuming anyone can after we pay the increased taxes on our cigarettes and junk food). And don't get me wrong...I fit into the bad choices when it comes to eating so I am at fault as much as anyone.
What do you think??? Leave me a comment
Maybe the solutions that need to be considered with both the cigarette and obesity related health problems are through our health care system. Maybe those that have to go to the doctors or hospitals because of these problems need to pay more to the health system that they are continuing to deplete. Maybe it requires those people to pay higher premiums than the rest of the people. Maybe it will require mandatory yearly or bi-yearly physicals to ensure we are healthy and not smoking. I am not sure how this would work but I think that those people who are taxing the health system need to pay higher stakes. Maybe it is a combination of higher taxes on the cigarettes and junk food and higher health care costs to those that use the system because of preventable diseases. The ultimate solution lies there somewhere. There has to be a way to change the bad habits of the chain smoker or couch potato (or both). Making both cigarette and junk food expensive through taxation may work in helping us curb our bad habits. Knowing it is going to cost us or our loved ones a huge price to fight our sicknesses might also help. Maybe the combination of both will help. Maybe subsidizing healthier items such as fruits, vegetables, fitness centres etc. is also part of the solution. It is obvious though from all the reports we read, if we don't find a solution to preventable diseases soon and change our lifestyles and choices, we will kill our health care system. And the last thing we want is a health system that is available to only those that can afford it (assuming anyone can after we pay the increased taxes on our cigarettes and junk food). And don't get me wrong...I fit into the bad choices when it comes to eating so I am at fault as much as anyone.
What do you think??? Leave me a comment
Thursday, April 08, 2004
Is Technology Harming our Children???
I have been reading lately about the many risks of children watching TV. How can this be you ask? TVs are safe these days, not like the old days when they gave off a small amount of radiation so how can the idiot box be harmful? Well, according to a recent study done in the US as little as 1 hour of TV for those children aged 1-3 can have harmful effects.
This most recent study found that 1-year-olds and 3-year-olds who watched just one hour of television daily had a 10 percent greater risk of attention problems by the age of 7 than children who watched no television at all. And the more television watched, the greater the risk. One year olds who watched three to four hours of television had a 30 percent to 40 percent increased risk of attention problems compared to children whose parents kept the TV off. How can this be?
Previous studies cited detrimental aftereffects of excessive television viewing, including violent behavior and obesity. Now add to that attention problems. This recently published study of 1 year olds and 3 year olds demonstrated that it wasn't the content of the programming that was causing attention span problems rather it was the unrealistically fast paced images on the screen. Those images, the researchers suggested, may alter normal brain development in very young children. Apparently the television has lasting negative effects on the developing brain and may actually permanently "rewire" youngsters’ brains with all the fast paced imagery. They went on to say that children 2 years of age and younger should not be allowed to watch any TV. Their brains aren't developed enough to handle what they are seeing.
So what can we do about this? First of all parents need to stop using the television as a babysitter. Up until the last 10 years or so most families only had the 1 or 2 TVs in the house along with the stereo and possibly a VCR and those were in the livingroom or family room. Recent studies have shown that 26% of parents are putting TVs, VCRs and DVD players right into their children's bedroom. This is not acceptable. How are children's brains supposed to develop when all they do is watch TV? The children should be allowed to free play to stimulate their brains, they should be read to in order to enhance their imagination. These are the things that we were allowed to do as children. Many children now are just plunked down in front of the TV. This is all that many children know. How are they supposed to develop properly?
ADD or ADHD are attention problems that have increased astronomically in the past 15 years amongst school age children. Much of this is probably due to the increase in television watching of toddlers. Many children are being prescribed Ritalin and other drugs to help control these problems. You know we look at mothers who drink while they are pregnant and whose children are born with FAE or FAS as irresponsible mothers. Same with mothers who do drugs while pregnant or parents who do drugs around their children. This even borders on criminal at least in my mind. So why are these things bad when they affect the mental growth of our children yet it is fine for us to damage our childrens brains and let them watch endless hours of television? Is society that 2 faced or do we not understand the damage we are doing? Dammit people, these children are the future of our society and if we continue to damage their brains how is our society going to succeed?
It is high time that we turn off the idiot box for our children and spend quality time with them. Instead of turning on the tube when we get home from work, talk to your children as you make supper or do the dishes or whatever. Read stories in the evenings instead of watching that television show. Instead of buying that DVD player or TV for the kids bedroom, buy them books to read or imagination stimulation toys such as Lego to build those brains. Any toy or book that allows the imagination to do its' thing within the child's brain will benefit them more than you know. And spend some time talking and asking about their play. Get to know what they like to pretend, even get involved with it and play pretend with them. Also, since most families have both parents working, do your research when chosing a daycare. Make sure that they are stimulating your child too, you don't want to take them to a place that is just going to plop them in front of the TV either. These are your choices...let's make the right one's for our children.
Let me know what you think about this. I am always interested in the views of others. Leave a comment at EclecticBlogs.
This most recent study found that 1-year-olds and 3-year-olds who watched just one hour of television daily had a 10 percent greater risk of attention problems by the age of 7 than children who watched no television at all. And the more television watched, the greater the risk. One year olds who watched three to four hours of television had a 30 percent to 40 percent increased risk of attention problems compared to children whose parents kept the TV off. How can this be?
Previous studies cited detrimental aftereffects of excessive television viewing, including violent behavior and obesity. Now add to that attention problems. This recently published study of 1 year olds and 3 year olds demonstrated that it wasn't the content of the programming that was causing attention span problems rather it was the unrealistically fast paced images on the screen. Those images, the researchers suggested, may alter normal brain development in very young children. Apparently the television has lasting negative effects on the developing brain and may actually permanently "rewire" youngsters’ brains with all the fast paced imagery. They went on to say that children 2 years of age and younger should not be allowed to watch any TV. Their brains aren't developed enough to handle what they are seeing.
So what can we do about this? First of all parents need to stop using the television as a babysitter. Up until the last 10 years or so most families only had the 1 or 2 TVs in the house along with the stereo and possibly a VCR and those were in the livingroom or family room. Recent studies have shown that 26% of parents are putting TVs, VCRs and DVD players right into their children's bedroom. This is not acceptable. How are children's brains supposed to develop when all they do is watch TV? The children should be allowed to free play to stimulate their brains, they should be read to in order to enhance their imagination. These are the things that we were allowed to do as children. Many children now are just plunked down in front of the TV. This is all that many children know. How are they supposed to develop properly?
ADD or ADHD are attention problems that have increased astronomically in the past 15 years amongst school age children. Much of this is probably due to the increase in television watching of toddlers. Many children are being prescribed Ritalin and other drugs to help control these problems. You know we look at mothers who drink while they are pregnant and whose children are born with FAE or FAS as irresponsible mothers. Same with mothers who do drugs while pregnant or parents who do drugs around their children. This even borders on criminal at least in my mind. So why are these things bad when they affect the mental growth of our children yet it is fine for us to damage our childrens brains and let them watch endless hours of television? Is society that 2 faced or do we not understand the damage we are doing? Dammit people, these children are the future of our society and if we continue to damage their brains how is our society going to succeed?
It is high time that we turn off the idiot box for our children and spend quality time with them. Instead of turning on the tube when we get home from work, talk to your children as you make supper or do the dishes or whatever. Read stories in the evenings instead of watching that television show. Instead of buying that DVD player or TV for the kids bedroom, buy them books to read or imagination stimulation toys such as Lego to build those brains. Any toy or book that allows the imagination to do its' thing within the child's brain will benefit them more than you know. And spend some time talking and asking about their play. Get to know what they like to pretend, even get involved with it and play pretend with them. Also, since most families have both parents working, do your research when chosing a daycare. Make sure that they are stimulating your child too, you don't want to take them to a place that is just going to plop them in front of the TV either. These are your choices...let's make the right one's for our children.
Let me know what you think about this. I am always interested in the views of others. Leave a comment at EclecticBlogs.
Thursday, April 01, 2004
March Blizzard and Today's Aftermath
This is the result of yesterday's blizzard. This is a picture of the side of my driveway. There is actually a commercial garbage bin under that drift somewhere. To view more pictures of the blizzard or the aftermath visit the gallery.
Wednesday, March 31, 2004
March...Out Like a Lamb???
March came in like a lion...unfortunately it went out like a lion as you can see what it was like in Inuvik today.
Tuesday, March 30, 2004
Good Work Microsoft
$53 billion in the bank, fighting with the US Department of Justice, fighting with the European Union; Microsoft is used to playing big games with the big players. But Microsoft does do some good things for the little people. Their charitable foundation gives away millions every year in computers, software and other products and services to schools and those technologically challenged individuals that they can help. Now the big Microsoft machine is going to make its products in the Inuktitut language of the Eastern Arctic Inuit.
Nunavut, home to the Inuit, played host to some Microsoft representatives who were up taking a look at how they can make their product for the aboriginal language. Creating software in Inuktitut is going to be an extreme challenge for developers. Inuktitut is a language that is made up of symbols and consonants. It also doens't have words for many technical terms used in the computing world. The task for software engineers is to find words and concepts in the Inuit language that is applicable to computers. Concepts such as e-mail, shutdown, networking don't exist. Computers are a new idea to many Inuit; their culture has been passed down with storytelling, drum dancing and their skills consisted of hunting and fishing. “It is very important to us to make sure the composition of the words is acceptable to the community,” said Mina Gharbi-Hamel, Windows international programme manager to Microsoft Canada. The development of product will represent a substantial boost for a language, which like other ancient and native tongues is suffering from the global onslaught of English.
Microsoft says they are developing a so-called language interface pack, to be available as a free download. That means menus will drop down with Inuktitut commands. Applications from e-mail to databases will be available in Inuktitut. Inuktitut speakers will be able to use Windows and all its features in their own language. This is a good public relations coup for Microsoft. If this works out then this is something that they should be looking at for other aboriginal languages. Good Job Microsoft. If you would like to leave a comment please visit EclecticBlogs
Nunavut, home to the Inuit, played host to some Microsoft representatives who were up taking a look at how they can make their product for the aboriginal language. Creating software in Inuktitut is going to be an extreme challenge for developers. Inuktitut is a language that is made up of symbols and consonants. It also doens't have words for many technical terms used in the computing world. The task for software engineers is to find words and concepts in the Inuit language that is applicable to computers. Concepts such as e-mail, shutdown, networking don't exist. Computers are a new idea to many Inuit; their culture has been passed down with storytelling, drum dancing and their skills consisted of hunting and fishing. “It is very important to us to make sure the composition of the words is acceptable to the community,” said Mina Gharbi-Hamel, Windows international programme manager to Microsoft Canada. The development of product will represent a substantial boost for a language, which like other ancient and native tongues is suffering from the global onslaught of English.
Microsoft says they are developing a so-called language interface pack, to be available as a free download. That means menus will drop down with Inuktitut commands. Applications from e-mail to databases will be available in Inuktitut. Inuktitut speakers will be able to use Windows and all its features in their own language. This is a good public relations coup for Microsoft. If this works out then this is something that they should be looking at for other aboriginal languages. Good Job Microsoft. If you would like to leave a comment please visit EclecticBlogs
Sunday, March 28, 2004
Photo of the Week
Inuvik Landmark "The Igloo Church"
For more Pictures visit my friend at EclecticBlogs or Sports Guru
NASA Does Something Good
So I have done a bit of slamming on NASA and several governments mostly the US lately with regards to wasting money on the space program. But I find myself backing down somewhat today. Yesterday's test of the new experimental plane seems to me to be a good way to spend money. This new plane set a new speed record topping out at about 8000kph (5000mph). The X-43A as it is called may expand the evolution of the jet aircraft. The experimental flight lasted about 11 seconds and covered a distance of about 15 miles. By comparison, a little more than 100 years ago the Wright Brothers flew their new plane for 12 seconds for a distance of 120 feet.
The new engine is called a scramjet which is a cross between a jet and a rocket. The major difference is that while a rocket must carry its fuel load and oxygen load in order for the rocket to propel, the screamjet only has to carry its fuel load and can pull the oxygen out of the atmosphere. This step forward will help save on fossil fuels and make air transport faster. A flight that now takes 15 hours to complete could be completed in as little as 2 hours. While the commercial use for this is still many years off it is still a step in the right direction and if it helps the environment it will be well worth the pricetag. NASA plans another test later in the fall of 2004.
The new engine is called a scramjet which is a cross between a jet and a rocket. The major difference is that while a rocket must carry its fuel load and oxygen load in order for the rocket to propel, the screamjet only has to carry its fuel load and can pull the oxygen out of the atmosphere. This step forward will help save on fossil fuels and make air transport faster. A flight that now takes 15 hours to complete could be completed in as little as 2 hours. While the commercial use for this is still many years off it is still a step in the right direction and if it helps the environment it will be well worth the pricetag. NASA plans another test later in the fall of 2004.
What Were They Thinking??
Did you hear about the 38 year old woman in Berlin, Germany who lost her purse. She made a report with the police and was so overjoyed when she received a call from them that she hopped right into her car and drove to the station to collect it. The problem with doing this was the she was totally intoxicated and did nothing to hide it. She parked out front of the station and stumbled in to collect her belongings. The police promptly gave her the purse and immediately asked her for her license back along with her car keys. She was charged with DUI and lost her license for a year.
Then there is the case of the 69 year old Brooklyn man who tossed his bowling ball off of his 17th story apartment balcony. The problem with this is that the ball landed on the sidewalk below narrowly missing a parole officer and 2 police officers. The man was arrested and charged with attempted murder, reckless endangerment and criminal possession of a weapon.
A Houston man went to police after seeing Mel Gibson's controversial film "The Passion of Christ" and confessed to murdering a 19-year-old woman who was pregnant with his child. Police had thought the woman had hanged herself, but the man went to the police on March 9 to admit that he had killed her. The man wanted to seek redemption after talking to a friend and seeing the movie about the last hours of Christ's life. He mentioned to authorities that speaking with the friend and seeing the movie 'The Passion of Christ' made him feel remorse.
An Oklahoma couple were surprised when they woke up and found a drunk burglary suspect asleep in bed with them. The couple from the Oklahoma city of Ardmore called police, ran out of their house and watched officers arrest the man who was still sleeping in their bed despite the sirens and commotion. The police said in the arrest report that the man was so intoxicated that it took them 2 or 3 minutes to arouse the man. The guy must have thought he was Goldilocks and instead of porridge found the bottle of booze that was just right.
To leave comments visit EclecticBlogs.
Then there is the case of the 69 year old Brooklyn man who tossed his bowling ball off of his 17th story apartment balcony. The problem with this is that the ball landed on the sidewalk below narrowly missing a parole officer and 2 police officers. The man was arrested and charged with attempted murder, reckless endangerment and criminal possession of a weapon.
A Houston man went to police after seeing Mel Gibson's controversial film "The Passion of Christ" and confessed to murdering a 19-year-old woman who was pregnant with his child. Police had thought the woman had hanged herself, but the man went to the police on March 9 to admit that he had killed her. The man wanted to seek redemption after talking to a friend and seeing the movie about the last hours of Christ's life. He mentioned to authorities that speaking with the friend and seeing the movie 'The Passion of Christ' made him feel remorse.
An Oklahoma couple were surprised when they woke up and found a drunk burglary suspect asleep in bed with them. The couple from the Oklahoma city of Ardmore called police, ran out of their house and watched officers arrest the man who was still sleeping in their bed despite the sirens and commotion. The police said in the arrest report that the man was so intoxicated that it took them 2 or 3 minutes to arouse the man. The guy must have thought he was Goldilocks and instead of porridge found the bottle of booze that was just right.
To leave comments visit EclecticBlogs.
Saturday, March 27, 2004
The Lighter Side of Photos
In the middle of all this serious discussion it is nice to find some things that make you smile or go hmmmmm. My friends have started a photo gallery of funny photos that will hopefully make you smile.
For more pictures visit our friends at EclecticBlogs or the Sports Guru.
For more pictures visit our friends at EclecticBlogs or the Sports Guru.
Friday, March 26, 2004
NHL Tonight 03-26-04
After a win on Monday and an overtime point on Wednesday they were up to 7th place on the playoff yo-yo. Last night both St. Louis and Nashville won and the playoff yo-yo dropped them to 9th. A win against Los Angeles had the yo-yo rise to 7th again. Fernando Pisani, Ryan Smyth and Petr Nedved all scored for the Oilers as they beat the Kings by a score of 3-1. Ty Conklin made 18 saves in earning his 16th victory of the season. Petr Nedved's goal was the 300th of his NHL career. Fernando now has 5 goals in his last 5 games. Oates, Bergeron, Dvorak and Torres all had assists. Ian Laperriere had the lone goal for LA. The loss leaves LA 5 points out of a playoff spot with 5 games to go. Our friend the Sports Guru has the three stars tonight as:
*Ryan Smyth
**Roman Cechmanek
***Ty Conklin
For information on the other games tonight in the NHL visit our friends the Sports Guru and the SportsPundit
*Ryan Smyth
**Roman Cechmanek
***Ty Conklin
For information on the other games tonight in the NHL visit our friends the Sports Guru and the SportsPundit
Thursday, March 25, 2004
Mars vs. Earth
I wrote a little while ago about whether or not it was worth sending missions to Mars. I questioned if it was really worth it. I received responses about how there are always better places to spend money, that the knowledge we gain is worth the money and that there may be metals or rocks not available on Earth that can benefit us. But after reading a whole month's worth of news on the Mars trips, future space plans and other programs under way I still must wonder if this is the right thing to be doing. Being a Canadian I realize that these are not my tax dollars that are being used for space exploration. But are the American people happy with spending their tax dollars this way?
Lets look at some of the facts. The cost to send the 2 current rovers to Mars was over $800,000,000. The current government has $5 trillion dollars earmarked for the space program over the next 10 years. There are many thousands of jobs associated with NASA and its many projects. We typically think of the Americans that live in south Florida and Houston as those who are affected by employment. In Florida alone there are over 23,000 employees working for over 200 businesses with payrolls of $4.5 billion. The new project that has started to build a new shuttle replacement vehicle is expected to cost $6.6 billion over the next 5 years. But it spreads further than that. There are the Canadian engineers who developed the Canadarm and there is a small company in Whitehorse, Yukon by the name of Icefield Instruments that has been hired by NASA to develop a drill for use in a future trip to Mars. But still is it worth it?
The quest for knowledge that comes from space travel is imense. And the value can be immeasurable. James Burke, the British author, host, and narrator of the acclaimed television series Connections, is fond of saying that any time humanity's view of reality is changed by new knowledge, reality itself is changed. This statement is very true and the missions to Mars have definitely increased the knowledge of humanity. The new findings that Mars once had flowing water and saltwater are huge discoveries and will help scientists better understand the evolution of Mars. They may or may not find minerals on Mars that don't exist on earth. This make several more trips with more specialized equipment. But what does it mean to us?
Then we have news from NASA that they have found a 20 year old problem on the space shuttles. A potentially disastrous problem with the space shuttles rudder went undetected for two decades. The defective gear was installed in the top position on the tail-mounted rudder, where it was subject to the least force. However, the faulty gear could not have handled the most extreme forces during landing if it had been in the bottom position. This error in the gear being installed backwards could have disabled the rudder by jamming it open or closed. The loss of the rudder speed brake would have meant the loss of vehicle and loss of crew. So let me understand this correctly...NASA can spend billions on their space program annually yet the best engineers in the world can't catch a potentially disasterous error for 20 years? Maybe they need to spend their money fixing the current space program before they expand it.
The lack of collaboration on the Mars program is also disturbing. No less than 5 space agencies have sent space vehicles to Mars in the last 6 months. Why are these space agencies not working together to accomplish what they are all trying to do seperately? This added waste of money is in the high billions.
We have many problems in the world today. There are wars. Money though can't end the wars. Most of the wars are related to religion, nationalities and politics. Money can't help that. But the money being spent on the space program can help other problems on earth such as drought, food shortages, housing shortages, health care issues, education issues, global warming and pollution. If the money spent on the space program was spent on trying to make a dent on the problems back on earth we would all benefit from it. Think about it...what is the good of exploring Mars and the rest of space when we have serious problems at home. What good is this exploration going to do if we continue to kill Earth with greenhouse gasses and pollution. Will it make any difference that water “was” on Mars when our own planet is destroyed and uninhabitable? You know what also troubles me? We built a space ship in the 1960s that could go to the moon, land and return to earth. We can build shuttles that can go into orbit, deploy satellites and then return to earth to be used again. We can build a space station that can orbit the earth and give us a place to do scientific experiments and exploration. We can build a spacecraft to take rovers to Mars and be able to control them from Earth. We can do all that but we can't build more energy efficient vehicles for travel on earth? Maybe if the kind of money being spent on space was spent on developing energy efficient vehicles we could be severely cut the amount of greenhouse gases that are currently destroying the ozone layer of our atmosphere. I am sure if the money was spent on developing new food sources and building homes for the homeless and cleaning up the pollution we are creating that we would generate equivalent numbers of jobs that are currently employed in the space program. Let's consider solving the problems at home before we solve the problem of Martian life.
If you would like to leave a comment on this posting please visit EclecticBlogs and give me your thoughts.
Lets look at some of the facts. The cost to send the 2 current rovers to Mars was over $800,000,000. The current government has $5 trillion dollars earmarked for the space program over the next 10 years. There are many thousands of jobs associated with NASA and its many projects. We typically think of the Americans that live in south Florida and Houston as those who are affected by employment. In Florida alone there are over 23,000 employees working for over 200 businesses with payrolls of $4.5 billion. The new project that has started to build a new shuttle replacement vehicle is expected to cost $6.6 billion over the next 5 years. But it spreads further than that. There are the Canadian engineers who developed the Canadarm and there is a small company in Whitehorse, Yukon by the name of Icefield Instruments that has been hired by NASA to develop a drill for use in a future trip to Mars. But still is it worth it?
The quest for knowledge that comes from space travel is imense. And the value can be immeasurable. James Burke, the British author, host, and narrator of the acclaimed television series Connections, is fond of saying that any time humanity's view of reality is changed by new knowledge, reality itself is changed. This statement is very true and the missions to Mars have definitely increased the knowledge of humanity. The new findings that Mars once had flowing water and saltwater are huge discoveries and will help scientists better understand the evolution of Mars. They may or may not find minerals on Mars that don't exist on earth. This make several more trips with more specialized equipment. But what does it mean to us?
Then we have news from NASA that they have found a 20 year old problem on the space shuttles. A potentially disastrous problem with the space shuttles rudder went undetected for two decades. The defective gear was installed in the top position on the tail-mounted rudder, where it was subject to the least force. However, the faulty gear could not have handled the most extreme forces during landing if it had been in the bottom position. This error in the gear being installed backwards could have disabled the rudder by jamming it open or closed. The loss of the rudder speed brake would have meant the loss of vehicle and loss of crew. So let me understand this correctly...NASA can spend billions on their space program annually yet the best engineers in the world can't catch a potentially disasterous error for 20 years? Maybe they need to spend their money fixing the current space program before they expand it.
The lack of collaboration on the Mars program is also disturbing. No less than 5 space agencies have sent space vehicles to Mars in the last 6 months. Why are these space agencies not working together to accomplish what they are all trying to do seperately? This added waste of money is in the high billions.
We have many problems in the world today. There are wars. Money though can't end the wars. Most of the wars are related to religion, nationalities and politics. Money can't help that. But the money being spent on the space program can help other problems on earth such as drought, food shortages, housing shortages, health care issues, education issues, global warming and pollution. If the money spent on the space program was spent on trying to make a dent on the problems back on earth we would all benefit from it. Think about it...what is the good of exploring Mars and the rest of space when we have serious problems at home. What good is this exploration going to do if we continue to kill Earth with greenhouse gasses and pollution. Will it make any difference that water “was” on Mars when our own planet is destroyed and uninhabitable? You know what also troubles me? We built a space ship in the 1960s that could go to the moon, land and return to earth. We can build shuttles that can go into orbit, deploy satellites and then return to earth to be used again. We can build a space station that can orbit the earth and give us a place to do scientific experiments and exploration. We can build a spacecraft to take rovers to Mars and be able to control them from Earth. We can do all that but we can't build more energy efficient vehicles for travel on earth? Maybe if the kind of money being spent on space was spent on developing energy efficient vehicles we could be severely cut the amount of greenhouse gases that are currently destroying the ozone layer of our atmosphere. I am sure if the money was spent on developing new food sources and building homes for the homeless and cleaning up the pollution we are creating that we would generate equivalent numbers of jobs that are currently employed in the space program. Let's consider solving the problems at home before we solve the problem of Martian life.
If you would like to leave a comment on this posting please visit EclecticBlogs and give me your thoughts.
Tuesday, March 23, 2004
Global Warming???
You know I have been reading a lot of articles lately about global warming. I got up yesterday and I was going to write about how true this was. I mean, it was -4 outside and we had freezing rain and a light snow falling. -4 at this time of year is unheard of. The normals for this time of year for us are lows of -29 and highs of -18 so -4 is unbelievably warm. It must be global warming.
I read that carbon dioxide levels (greenhouse gas) are at the highest levels ever. The new data from the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration also suggests that the rate of increase of the gas may have accelerated in the last two years. Carbon dioxide emissions, mainly from burning fossil fuels, are thought to be a principle cause of global warming. The increase in 2003 from 2002 was 2.5ppm (parts per million) where the average over the last 10 years has been 1.5ppm yearly increase. According to scientists, if we continue to increase at this rate then by the time the year 2100 comes about the average temperature will have risen by 6 degrees. That kind of increase is going to cut into the polar ice caps and decrease their size dramatically. It will also be enough to take already dry areas of the world and make them deserts. It will seriously hamper our ability to grow the food required to sustain life.
African-based scientists are calling for governments in the region and around the world to do more to prepare for the effects of global warming, in a bid to minimise the potentially devastating results. African countries are expected to be the hardest hit by climate change because they have the least resources to adapt. The difference between impacts on developing and industrialized countries is clear-cut. In industrialized countries one speaks of loss of property and income, whereas in developing countries one speaks of loss of life and livelihood. The more I read the more it starts to worry me. Do I want to leave this earth kinowing that I didn't do my part to help and that my great granchildren might not be able to survive as I have?
Then I got up this morning and it was -32 again, and it didn't warm up much during the day either. Global warming? Maybe somewhere else but not here today. Give me yout thoughts. To leave your comment visit my friend at EclecticBlogs.
I read that carbon dioxide levels (greenhouse gas) are at the highest levels ever. The new data from the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration also suggests that the rate of increase of the gas may have accelerated in the last two years. Carbon dioxide emissions, mainly from burning fossil fuels, are thought to be a principle cause of global warming. The increase in 2003 from 2002 was 2.5ppm (parts per million) where the average over the last 10 years has been 1.5ppm yearly increase. According to scientists, if we continue to increase at this rate then by the time the year 2100 comes about the average temperature will have risen by 6 degrees. That kind of increase is going to cut into the polar ice caps and decrease their size dramatically. It will also be enough to take already dry areas of the world and make them deserts. It will seriously hamper our ability to grow the food required to sustain life.
African-based scientists are calling for governments in the region and around the world to do more to prepare for the effects of global warming, in a bid to minimise the potentially devastating results. African countries are expected to be the hardest hit by climate change because they have the least resources to adapt. The difference between impacts on developing and industrialized countries is clear-cut. In industrialized countries one speaks of loss of property and income, whereas in developing countries one speaks of loss of life and livelihood. The more I read the more it starts to worry me. Do I want to leave this earth kinowing that I didn't do my part to help and that my great granchildren might not be able to survive as I have?
Then I got up this morning and it was -32 again, and it didn't warm up much during the day either. Global warming? Maybe somewhere else but not here today. Give me yout thoughts. To leave your comment visit my friend at EclecticBlogs.
13 Games and Counting
The Edmonton Oilers continued their march to the playoffs with a nailbiting 2-1 victory tonight over the Los Angeles Kings in Los Angeles. It was the 13th consecutive game for the Oilers without losing in regulation and their season high 5th straight victory. During the 13 games the Oilers have picked up 21 of 26 possible points and are now within 4 points of 6th place Calgary and only 7 points behind Vancouver for 5th. While it is unlikely the Oilers can catch Vancouver, they should definitely have their sights set on the Flames. Wednesday's game against Dallas is again a big one as they all are for the rest of the season. The Oilers only have their trip home to enjoy this win before the work for Dallas begins tomorrow. Fernando Pisani in the first period and Ryan Smyth with a deflection against the flow of play nin the third period were the goalscorers for Edmonton while Josef Stumpel scored on a powerplay for Los Angeles. Luc Robitaille picked up an assist on the LA goal and with that point became the highest scoring left winger in NHL history with 1370 points surpassing the Boston Bruins great Johnny Bucyk. The Sports Guru and SportsPundit have the three stars in tonight's game as:
*Ty Conklin
**Ryan Smyth
***Raffi Torres
*Ty Conklin
**Ryan Smyth
***Raffi Torres
Monday, March 22, 2004
Players Policing Themselves?
” When it comes to gratuitous violence in hockey it is time for the player to police themselves” says Colorado Avalanche winger Teemu Selanne. With the Todd Bertuzzi hit on Steve Moore and the latest round of violence in the NHL, Selanne is probably right. On Saturday we saw Wade Belak take a 2 handed swing with his stick to the head of Colorado defenceman Ossi Vaananen. Yesterday it was Mark Messier spearing Pittsburgh defenceman Martin Strbak. Something has to be done with this violence. Now don't get me wrong, I'm not one of those bleeding heart liberals that believes fighting should be taken out of hockey. A good spur of the moment, face to face fight is a normal part of the game and I would much rather see guys get mad at each other and fight than swing sticks or sucker punch each other. Then you have the idiotic move that Calgary Flames coach Darryl Sutter pulled on Saturday night. With 3 seconds to go in the game and his team down, he chose to put Krzysztof Oliwa for the sole purpose of starting a fight. The game has no room for this type of action either. While I realize that it is each coaches perogative to play who he wants, it was quite obvious what Oliwa was out there for. The NHL is trying to do its best; suspending Bertuzzi for the rest of the season and possibly longer, suspending Wade Belak for 8 games, suspending Mark Messier for 2 games, suspending Krzysztof Oliwa for 3 games, suspending Darryl Sutter for 2 games and handing the Flames a $50,000 fine. The league so far this year has handed out 81 games in suspensions not including the Bertuzzi suspension. The problem with this is the players and coaches are not learning or don't care. The 2 game suspension to Mark Messier will cost him $44,444.44 in salary...big deal. His salary is high enough that the amount is just pocket change; it doesn't hurt him. Until the league hits the players where it hurts, substantially in the pocketbook, they will not be able to control the rise in violence. It is time that the players themselves and the NHLPA stand up and look after the situation themselves. Right now the players don't respect each other and until that happens the unnecessary violence will continue. Players must be held accountable for their actions. Until the players learn what respect for each other is larger suspensions and fines are how this is going to be controlled. Enough with the 1-3 game suspensions. Make it hurt them. Come on NHL, get some balls and get rid of the black eye the greatest game on earth currently has.
For more sports visit our friends at Sports Guru and SportsPundit.
For more sports visit our friends at Sports Guru and SportsPundit.
Same Sex Marriages
There has been a lot of news lately about same sex marriages. Quebec became the third province whose courts allow same sex marriages, following the lead of Ontario and British Columbia. We have all seen the news with Rosie O'Donnell marrying her same sex partner in San Francisco 2 weeks ago. The news has shown several ceremonies where same sex partners have gotten married. It has been big news.
The Quebec Court of Appeal yesterday upheld a ruling of the lower courts allowing same sex marriages. The appellate court made its judgment applicable immediately, lifting a two-year suspension set in the initial ruling to give the federal government time to redefine marriage. The latest decision goes even further, calling it improper that gays can marry only in the provinces -- Ontario, British Columbia and now Quebec -- where court challenges to the marriage laws have taken place.
Gay-rights groups cited the decision and the fact that same-sex marriages are now legal in the three most populous provinces in urging the federal government and the rest of the provinces to follow suit.
The institution of marriage has been in a state of conflict for centuries:
It was only after the civil war that Afro-Americans were allowed to marry in all areas of the U.S.
It was only after a U.S. Supreme Court decision in 1967 that mixed race couples could marry anywhere in the U.S.
But, until recently, same-sex couples could not marry anywhere in the world.
This final restriction was lifted during April, 2001 when Holland enlarged its definition of marriage to include both opposite-sex and same sex couples. Belgium followed suit during January, 2003. Next came Ontario, Canada in June, 2003. Finally, on July 9, 2003 same-sex marriage became permitted in both the provinces of British Columbia and Ontario. Lately in March, 2004 Quebec followed suit. Any adult couple -- same-sex or opposite-sex -- from any country can come to one of these two provinces, buy a marriage license and get married. Same-sex marriages are expected to be legal and available across the entire country sometime in 2004.
The government of Taiwan is drafting legislation to legalize gay marriages. It should be ready for parliamentary review in June, 2004.
Some political confines have special legislation that allows gay and lesbian couples to register their committed relationship and gain some benefits, however, they do not receive all of the advantages that opposite-gender couples automatically acquire when they marry. These areas include most of the Scandinavian nations, the state of Vermont in the U.S. (where the arrangement is called a civil union), a few other U.S. states, and a few provinces in Canada.
Many people believe that same-sex marriage -- or its equivalent under another name -- will eventually become available to all loving, committed adult couples throughout North America and western Europe, whether they be same-sex or opposite-sex spouses.
My personal take on all this is who cares? If 2 loving adults want to get married, let them get married. Who cares if they are a heterosexual couple, same-sex couple or an interracial couple? If 2 people want to be married that is their choice. My only problem with same-sex marriages is that I don't believe that they should be allowed in the church where the bible condemns homosexuality. The church marriage should be left for those opposite-sex couples that want religion as a part of their marriage. For all others it should be the Justice of the Peace.
What do the rest of you think? Give me your thoughts and comments on this current event. To comment go to EclecticBlogs and let me know you came from this link.
The Quebec Court of Appeal yesterday upheld a ruling of the lower courts allowing same sex marriages. The appellate court made its judgment applicable immediately, lifting a two-year suspension set in the initial ruling to give the federal government time to redefine marriage. The latest decision goes even further, calling it improper that gays can marry only in the provinces -- Ontario, British Columbia and now Quebec -- where court challenges to the marriage laws have taken place.
Gay-rights groups cited the decision and the fact that same-sex marriages are now legal in the three most populous provinces in urging the federal government and the rest of the provinces to follow suit.
The institution of marriage has been in a state of conflict for centuries:
It was only after the civil war that Afro-Americans were allowed to marry in all areas of the U.S.
It was only after a U.S. Supreme Court decision in 1967 that mixed race couples could marry anywhere in the U.S.
But, until recently, same-sex couples could not marry anywhere in the world.
This final restriction was lifted during April, 2001 when Holland enlarged its definition of marriage to include both opposite-sex and same sex couples. Belgium followed suit during January, 2003. Next came Ontario, Canada in June, 2003. Finally, on July 9, 2003 same-sex marriage became permitted in both the provinces of British Columbia and Ontario. Lately in March, 2004 Quebec followed suit. Any adult couple -- same-sex or opposite-sex -- from any country can come to one of these two provinces, buy a marriage license and get married. Same-sex marriages are expected to be legal and available across the entire country sometime in 2004.
The government of Taiwan is drafting legislation to legalize gay marriages. It should be ready for parliamentary review in June, 2004.
Some political confines have special legislation that allows gay and lesbian couples to register their committed relationship and gain some benefits, however, they do not receive all of the advantages that opposite-gender couples automatically acquire when they marry. These areas include most of the Scandinavian nations, the state of Vermont in the U.S. (where the arrangement is called a civil union), a few other U.S. states, and a few provinces in Canada.
Many people believe that same-sex marriage -- or its equivalent under another name -- will eventually become available to all loving, committed adult couples throughout North America and western Europe, whether they be same-sex or opposite-sex spouses.
My personal take on all this is who cares? If 2 loving adults want to get married, let them get married. Who cares if they are a heterosexual couple, same-sex couple or an interracial couple? If 2 people want to be married that is their choice. My only problem with same-sex marriages is that I don't believe that they should be allowed in the church where the bible condemns homosexuality. The church marriage should be left for those opposite-sex couples that want religion as a part of their marriage. For all others it should be the Justice of the Peace.
What do the rest of you think? Give me your thoughts and comments on this current event. To comment go to EclecticBlogs and let me know you came from this link.
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