Saturday, May 31, 2008
NATURE'S BALANCER
Okay I am not sure if the person who sent me this link was trying to tell me something or not! Apparently sex is not just FUN but it is loaded with extra benefits. Apparently it is great exercise, boosts self-esteem, boosts immunity, relieves stress and helps you sleep better.
Which explains why I am cranky, sneezing, short tempered and my pants do not fit!
Which explains why I am cranky, sneezing, short tempered and my pants do not fit!
INNOVATIVE ARCHITECTURE
China's Great Wall is well known. It has been reported, falsely, to be visible from space; no lunar astronaut has ever claimed seeing the Great Wall from the moon. Apparently three million people died building it and over a million soldiers guardedly it.
This summer China hosts the Olympics. They have once again shown their command of architecture with the commissioning of a number of buildings for the event. The New Yorker features a portfolio of photography of the National Stadium and the National Aquatics Center.
This summer China hosts the Olympics. They have once again shown their command of architecture with the commissioning of a number of buildings for the event. The New Yorker features a portfolio of photography of the National Stadium and the National Aquatics Center.
THE DISTRACTIONS CONTINUE
While the Democrats wrestle with what to do with the Michigan and Florida delegates, a new poll shows that Clinton's support may be declining in big states like California.
The latest field poll shows that Illinois Sen. Barack Obama - who lost the Feb. 5 California primary to Clinton by nine points - is now the prime choice of the majority of the state's Democrats. Considering that Obama is pretty much assured to win the nomination, I am not surprised that polled Democrats say they support the perceived winner. Democrats are tired of the race, of the bickering and the internal dissent. They want to focus on the Republicans but as long as the race continues they cannot devote their full energy to the real enemy.
Of course this is all smoke and mirrors to try and undercut Hillary's message that she is the stronger presidential candidate. She may be, but she has lost the race. Fixing polls, or at least publishing polls that show Clinton losing the race for the hearts of Democrats who have already voted, does nothing to address whether Obama is able to win the swing states he needs in November. He needs Hillary for that!
The latest field poll shows that Illinois Sen. Barack Obama - who lost the Feb. 5 California primary to Clinton by nine points - is now the prime choice of the majority of the state's Democrats. Considering that Obama is pretty much assured to win the nomination, I am not surprised that polled Democrats say they support the perceived winner. Democrats are tired of the race, of the bickering and the internal dissent. They want to focus on the Republicans but as long as the race continues they cannot devote their full energy to the real enemy.
Of course this is all smoke and mirrors to try and undercut Hillary's message that she is the stronger presidential candidate. She may be, but she has lost the race. Fixing polls, or at least publishing polls that show Clinton losing the race for the hearts of Democrats who have already voted, does nothing to address whether Obama is able to win the swing states he needs in November. He needs Hillary for that!
THE THROTTLE DEFENSE
We've been quite clear all along that we don't examine the contents of what the packets contain, yet there are these applications being filed with the Privacy Commissioner alleging that we do. That's just an example. We actually welcome the opportunity the CRTC has given us to add facts to the record and the public discourse on this issue. - BellPublic debate continues over internet traffic shaping by Bell. The net neutrality issue was bound to become controversial as more and more people become internet savvy and begin to use peer-to-peer applications to download unpaid-for software, images, songs, tv shows and videos . Bell says the sheer volume of this activity is stressing out the company's infrastructure. The best solution, they claim, was to start slowing down certain applications at peak period.
The Canadian Association of Internet Providers has complained to the CRTC, who did not prevent Bell from continuing the practice. They did start a public inquiry. On Friday Bell filed its defense with the CRTC. It spells out why Bell feels it necessary to throttle traffic. The CAIP are not impressed with Bell's defense and say they failed to prove that throttling is needed.
The CBC posts an interview with Mirko Bibic, head of regulatory affairs for Bell, in a Question and Answer format. Does Bell have a point or are they full of crap?
INFORMING THE DEBATE
The need to ensure a public debate on the governments evolving plans for the Public Energy Corporation has some bloggers informing the debate. Ed Hollett over at the Bond Papers has responded by putting together a nice list of links to information on the Province's Energy Plan and the relevant legislation.
No doubt a solid debate, discussion in the House Of Assembly and in the public can only enlighten everyone. There are aspects of Bill 35 (the amended Energy Corporation Act) that do not necessarily jive with stated government policy. For example, the Government has indicated that as a regulated utility, Newfoundland and Labrador Hydro would continue to be subjected to the Public Tendering Act. Bill 35 does not provide for that. I have sought clarification on this point and a few others. The rationale for substantial changes in things like how future (and where?) subsidiaries are incorporated are worthy of examination.
While I firmly stand in the corner of building a world-class public energy corporation, the structure, governance and spirit of the government's proposals needs to be picked apart and discussed.
Opinions and interpretations of what individual clauses mean, or could mean, could lead to a good series of discussions. A broad and inclusive discussion can only be a good thing.
No doubt a solid debate, discussion in the House Of Assembly and in the public can only enlighten everyone. There are aspects of Bill 35 (the amended Energy Corporation Act) that do not necessarily jive with stated government policy. For example, the Government has indicated that as a regulated utility, Newfoundland and Labrador Hydro would continue to be subjected to the Public Tendering Act. Bill 35 does not provide for that. I have sought clarification on this point and a few others. The rationale for substantial changes in things like how future (and where?) subsidiaries are incorporated are worthy of examination.
While I firmly stand in the corner of building a world-class public energy corporation, the structure, governance and spirit of the government's proposals needs to be picked apart and discussed.
Opinions and interpretations of what individual clauses mean, or could mean, could lead to a good series of discussions. A broad and inclusive discussion can only be a good thing.
THE RIGHT APPROACH
Nova Scotia is looking towards Labrador generated energy as a probable solution to its energy supply needs. The President and CEO of Nova Scotia Power, Ralph Tedesco, says it may not mean lower prices for Nova Scotians but it will mean stability from the costs associated with burning fossil fuels.
The Lower Churchill project offers the most promising option because it could bring up to 600 megawatts of power to Nova Scotia by undersea cable. NSP and its parent, Emera Inc., are in negotiations with Newfoundland and Labrador Hydro.
The Lower Churchill project has the potential for a combined capacity of over 2,800 megawatts and could provide 16.7 terawatt hours of electricity per year.
Of course this does not even factor in the potential for wind energy. If the new Energy Corporation could establish a transmission route to get the energy to the American and Canadian markets without being held hostage by Quebec, they could partner with the private sector to harness the provinces world-class wind resource. Projects like the Height of Land Wind Park proposed by the Ventus-Métis partnership could be significant employers.
The cost of the entire project would be several billion dollars if the development costs of the generating facilities at Lower Churchill Falls are included and the entire transmission system to get it across from Labrador to Newfoundland underwater and then again to Nova Scotia are added in.
What an opportunity to finally go with the Anglo route and get into the American markets. Interconnection, market access, power purchase agreements, and technical integration issues would be resolved without having to negotiate with Quebec.
Once again world demand for energy makes energy resources a cornerstone of our future economic development. All the more rationale for developing a world class energy corporation that can better position our human and energy resources for the future.
The Lower Churchill project offers the most promising option because it could bring up to 600 megawatts of power to Nova Scotia by undersea cable. NSP and its parent, Emera Inc., are in negotiations with Newfoundland and Labrador Hydro.
The Lower Churchill project has the potential for a combined capacity of over 2,800 megawatts and could provide 16.7 terawatt hours of electricity per year.
Of course this does not even factor in the potential for wind energy. If the new Energy Corporation could establish a transmission route to get the energy to the American and Canadian markets without being held hostage by Quebec, they could partner with the private sector to harness the provinces world-class wind resource. Projects like the Height of Land Wind Park proposed by the Ventus-Métis partnership could be significant employers.
The cost of the entire project would be several billion dollars if the development costs of the generating facilities at Lower Churchill Falls are included and the entire transmission system to get it across from Labrador to Newfoundland underwater and then again to Nova Scotia are added in.
What an opportunity to finally go with the Anglo route and get into the American markets. Interconnection, market access, power purchase agreements, and technical integration issues would be resolved without having to negotiate with Quebec.
Once again world demand for energy makes energy resources a cornerstone of our future economic development. All the more rationale for developing a world class energy corporation that can better position our human and energy resources for the future.
Friday, May 30, 2008
EQUALIZATION FROM ONTARIO'S PERSPECTIVE
An editorial in the Globe & Mail today takes a look at the equalization program and Ontario's lonely war for change. The article looks at the issue from Ontario's perspective but does not address the fact that although our GDP is climbing up to the Canadian average, we still have huge social, health and infrastructure debts that must be addressed.
GET YOUR VOTES IN
Wow, where does the time go? The by-election to fill the vacancies created by Andy Wells' appointment to the Public Utility Board takes place this coming Tuesday!
Today is the last day to get your ballot in the mail. If you miss the deadline you can still vote at one of the designated voting stations on Tuesday June 3rd.
Kris and I got our votes into the mail at noon. We are not in Ward Three so we only had a couple of choices to make. The vote by mail kits have been sitting on the counter unopened with the junk mail until now.
I voted for Ron Ellsworth for deputy mayor and Marie White for Mayor.
Today is the last day to get your ballot in the mail. If you miss the deadline you can still vote at one of the designated voting stations on Tuesday June 3rd.
Kris and I got our votes into the mail at noon. We are not in Ward Three so we only had a couple of choices to make. The vote by mail kits have been sitting on the counter unopened with the junk mail until now.
I voted for Ron Ellsworth for deputy mayor and Marie White for Mayor.
UNCONTACTED
Lost in time. I was surprised to learn that there are still 100 "uncontacted" tribes worldwide, most of them in Brazil and Peru. People who have never been exposed to western civilization. It is amazing and almost too incredible to believe.The quest for logs and crop land is pushing forestry operations deeper into the jungles of the western Amazon and encroaching on the Ethno-Environmental Protected Areas where some of the last indigenous people in the world that have not had face-to-face contact with outsiders reside.
Brazil's National Indian Foundation took some pictures of members of one tribe while flying over the jungle near Peru. The foundation tries to ensure autonomy for the remote groups of indigenous people. The arrival of the outside world will be no different than an alien invasion.
ON THE LIGHTER SIDE
At my Lion's Club meeting last night one of the older ladies in the club shared a great joke with us. Considering it is Friday afternoon and a little cheer might go a long way, I will share it with you. Keep in mind the original source was not someone I expected to hear a joke like this from.
On his 65th birthday Joe Murphy headed down to the local federal government social security office to apply for his social security benefit. He filled out the paperwork and submitted the information to a worker who checked it over. She mentioned that she needed his birth certificate to verify his age. He responded that he did not have one with him but instead chose to unbutton his shirt and display a dense chest full of grey hair as proof of his age. The worker approved him on the spot.
That night at the dinner table he explained to his wife what had occurred. She smiled at him and said: You should have pulled down your pants, you would have been approved for disability as well.
On his 65th birthday Joe Murphy headed down to the local federal government social security office to apply for his social security benefit. He filled out the paperwork and submitted the information to a worker who checked it over. She mentioned that she needed his birth certificate to verify his age. He responded that he did not have one with him but instead chose to unbutton his shirt and display a dense chest full of grey hair as proof of his age. The worker approved him on the spot.
That night at the dinner table he explained to his wife what had occurred. She smiled at him and said: You should have pulled down your pants, you would have been approved for disability as well.
NDP TALK CARBON
The NDP have beaten the Liberals to the punch by rolling out their environmental policy ahead of Dion's carbon tax proposal. Jack Layton says the key to reducing greenhouse gases is putting a price on carbon, and he welcomes a debate on how best to lower carbon emissions.
The NDP would use an open auction to establish a set price for carbon emission permits -- likely to begin at $35 per tonne produced. An arm's-length agency would be established to regulate the allocation, auctioning and trading of permits. The party says revenues of $2.5 billion would be generated annually as a result, which would then be entirely reinvested in "green solutions" including renewables, public transit, retrofitting programs and job training.
The NDP would use an open auction to establish a set price for carbon emission permits -- likely to begin at $35 per tonne produced. An arm's-length agency would be established to regulate the allocation, auctioning and trading of permits. The party says revenues of $2.5 billion would be generated annually as a result, which would then be entirely reinvested in "green solutions" including renewables, public transit, retrofitting programs and job training.
IN THE NAME OF DISCIPLINE
“AS PART of their daily lives, children across Europe and the world continue to be spanked, slapped, hit, smacked, shaken, kicked, pinched, punched, caned, flogged, belted, beaten and battered in the name of discipline, mainly by adults whom they depend on.” Council of Europe
A consensus against hitting children is clearly gathering momentum in the developed, law-governed parts of the world. Some parents may still insist that their right to dissuade a toddler from doing very dangerous things is also worth protecting
In Canada children aged 2-12 can be struck, but not with objects or on the head: “minor corrective force of a transitory and trifling nature” is allowed. Social changes seem to be making parents cautious about smacking.
Kris and I try to be firm and consistent and I am guilty of an occasional "Minor corrective force". Kris is totally opposed. It is a hot topic and debate between parents, educators, grand parents and the courts.
This weeks Economist looks at the issue state of physical punishment in the name of discipline worldwide and finds it is in decline.
INVESTIGATING FUEL PRICES
The U.S. Commodity Futures and Trading Commission is investigating oil-rich sovereign wealth funds to determine if they are being used to artificially drive up oil prices.
The front page of the Globe & Mail's business section looks at the investigation. The allegation is that the oil rich nations that control the exports of oil are pouring money into energy futures, driving up the price of oil to the detriment of everyone but them.
The Commission also announced that it is conducting a U.S.-wide investigation into the crude oil and related derivative markets.
It is about time someone starting standing up for the average person and taking on the oil companies who are soaking us all.
The front page of the Globe & Mail's business section looks at the investigation. The allegation is that the oil rich nations that control the exports of oil are pouring money into energy futures, driving up the price of oil to the detriment of everyone but them.
The Commission also announced that it is conducting a U.S.-wide investigation into the crude oil and related derivative markets.
It is about time someone starting standing up for the average person and taking on the oil companies who are soaking us all.
CANADIANS HAVE HARPER FIGURED OUT
A new Toronto Star/Angus Reid poll shows that Canadians are unhappy with how the Federal Government informs the public about policies.
The survey concludes that the Harper minority government is far more secretive than the previous two Liberal administrations, but no more arrogant than that of Jean Chrétien! Ouch!
Pollster Angus Reid says the poll reflects "This guy's style of government is a big part of his problem. Clearly he is going to have to open up, (but) his natural tendency seems to be to do exactly the opposite of that. From a communications standpoint, everything they touch seems to blow up on them."
While the government and its supporters often blame the media for the Tories' lackluster showing in the polls, only 34 per cent of those surveyed believe the media is biased against the Conservatives.
The survey concludes that the Harper minority government is far more secretive than the previous two Liberal administrations, but no more arrogant than that of Jean Chrétien! Ouch!
Pollster Angus Reid says the poll reflects "This guy's style of government is a big part of his problem. Clearly he is going to have to open up, (but) his natural tendency seems to be to do exactly the opposite of that. From a communications standpoint, everything they touch seems to blow up on them."
While the government and its supporters often blame the media for the Tories' lackluster showing in the polls, only 34 per cent of those surveyed believe the media is biased against the Conservatives.
WELLS WAS NOT IN CONFLICT
Former Mayor Andy Wells, who is currently the CEO of the the Public Utilities Board, has been cleared of any breach of the conflict of interest legislation for his public endorsement of Mayoral Candidate Marie White as his successor.
The opposition had suggested that Wells may have broken the rules that govern how public servants may participate in politics. I am not surprised with the result of the investigation. He did not get involved in partisan politics and there was no substance to the allegations that he broke the conflict of interest laws. There is nothing to prevent him from sharing his opinions on municipal politics.
If the issue is that he will be biased for or against the City of St. John's when hearing cases at the PUB, one has to remember that he is a former Mayor and long term councilor. I am sure he will excuse himself from those hearings.
The Department of Justice cleared Wells earlier today after an advisory committee and lawyers with the government concluded that Wells did not violate any conflict of interest restrictions.
I still think he has shown some poor judgment by once again drawing attention and controversy to himself, the office he holds and the Premier who appointed him.
The opposition had suggested that Wells may have broken the rules that govern how public servants may participate in politics. I am not surprised with the result of the investigation. He did not get involved in partisan politics and there was no substance to the allegations that he broke the conflict of interest laws. There is nothing to prevent him from sharing his opinions on municipal politics.
If the issue is that he will be biased for or against the City of St. John's when hearing cases at the PUB, one has to remember that he is a former Mayor and long term councilor. I am sure he will excuse himself from those hearings.
The Department of Justice cleared Wells earlier today after an advisory committee and lawyers with the government concluded that Wells did not violate any conflict of interest restrictions.
I still think he has shown some poor judgment by once again drawing attention and controversy to himself, the office he holds and the Premier who appointed him.
THE METIS WIN: SCC SAYS NO TO PROVINCIAL GOVERNMENT
A big win for the Metis Nation in Labrador yesterday. The Supreme Court of Canada has refused to hear the provincial government's appeal of a Newfoundland Supreme Court decision that ruled the government must consult with the Metis on development in a contested land claims area.
The province was forced to consult with the Metis over the route of the last leg of the coast highway from Cartwight to Goose Bay. Both the trials and appeals divisions of Newfoundland Supreme Court ruled in favour of the Metis.
The Metis do not have a land claims agreement and say the ruling sets a precedent. The government disagrees.
The province was forced to consult with the Metis over the route of the last leg of the coast highway from Cartwight to Goose Bay. Both the trials and appeals divisions of Newfoundland Supreme Court ruled in favour of the Metis.
The Metis do not have a land claims agreement and say the ruling sets a precedent. The government disagrees.
Thursday, May 29, 2008
OVERKILL AND THE LACKADAISICAL
This is a list of the men whom Ms. Couillard has been respectively living with, married to, living with and involved with since 1993. There is nothing wrong with any of it, though it is perhaps noteworthy that the lady is, if not a widow-maker, certainly unlucky for those who fall for her. It is not a huge list for a woman of 38, but it appears just long enough that it seems to have precluded her from ever working on a career, or even getting a proper job. - Christie BlatchfordI had a call this week to discuss a person who once worked as a researcher for an office I was associated with. This person has used me as a reference before and I was glad to assist. This was no ordinary reference check. He had applied for a job in the Federal Government, specifically with the Department of Foreign Affairs.
Turns out they wanted me to discuss a bunch of issues that were not just about his job performance. They wanted to know more. When I was done answering the questions it occurred to me that they were thorough. If they are this diligent over the position and person in question how in the hell did they miss Julie Couillard and her trail of destruction. As Christie Blatchford pointed out in her column yesterday:
Ms. Couillard has moved from Gilles Giguère, a loan shark and biker associate who, upon his arrest in 1996 (he was found with an inconvenient stash of machine guns and weed) agreed to testify against the Hells Angels and then was murdered while awaiting trial, to Stéphane Sirois, a member of the Rockers bike club-turned-star witness whom she divorced in 1999, to Robert Pepin, a fellow convicted of possessing stolen goods in connection with truck hijackings and who later committed suicide, to Maxime Bernier, Canada's hapless foreign affairs minister whose association with Ms. Couillard led merely to the death of his political career.
The irony of it all dawned on me after I hung up the phone. Keystone cops. How did this administration that is so fixated on controlling access to government information become so lackadaisical towards the minister's girlfriend.
KNIGHTS OF THE BLIND
Our St. John's Health Care Lion's Club held its annual Charter Night tonight. A nice turkey dinner in the middle of the week is always a welcome treat. The guest speaker was a ophthalmic surgeon, Dr. James Whalen.
I was expecting a lecture about diabetes or macular degeneration but instead he spoke of the great things that Lions Clubs in Newfoundland and Labrador have done to assist the Heath Sciences Center with specialized equipment over the years. He told a story about how when he returned to practice in Newfoundland from Philadelphia that the clinic did not have a specialized microscope that he used for surgeries and the budget was not there to purchase it. The Lions came to his assistance and funded half and the provincial government matched it.
The Lion's SightFirst program has restored sight through cataract surgeries, prevented serious vision loss and improved eye care services for hundreds of millions of adults and children. In this province alone the Lions have injected over a million dollars into special equipment for the eye clinic on top of special programs for sight services, eyeglass recycling and other services to the blind and visually impaired.
He also told a story about a mission he undertook to train and assist doctors in Ethiopia. He and some fellow specialists had punched a tough couple of days seeing hundreds of patients in Addis Ababa. The clinic had been build and financed by Lions International.
It was great to hear and learn that the work of organization that one is part of is doing great things and making such a huge difference to millions of people.
I was expecting a lecture about diabetes or macular degeneration but instead he spoke of the great things that Lions Clubs in Newfoundland and Labrador have done to assist the Heath Sciences Center with specialized equipment over the years. He told a story about how when he returned to practice in Newfoundland from Philadelphia that the clinic did not have a specialized microscope that he used for surgeries and the budget was not there to purchase it. The Lions came to his assistance and funded half and the provincial government matched it.
The Lion's SightFirst program has restored sight through cataract surgeries, prevented serious vision loss and improved eye care services for hundreds of millions of adults and children. In this province alone the Lions have injected over a million dollars into special equipment for the eye clinic on top of special programs for sight services, eyeglass recycling and other services to the blind and visually impaired.
He also told a story about a mission he undertook to train and assist doctors in Ethiopia. He and some fellow specialists had punched a tough couple of days seeing hundreds of patients in Addis Ababa. The clinic had been build and financed by Lions International.
It was great to hear and learn that the work of organization that one is part of is doing great things and making such a huge difference to millions of people.
STIRLING PRESS TO CLOSE
According to Geoff Meeker there are some big changes coming over at Stirling Press. The company is going to be closing shop and the presses are going to stop rolling.
This is big news. A number of publications in the province rely on Stirling Press for their printing and the impact could be severe as Optipress will all but own the local market.
There have been rumors of late that NTV and OZ-FM are on the market. These rumors come and go all the time but in light of the news about Stirling Press could the Herald, OZ and NTV be next?
This is big news. A number of publications in the province rely on Stirling Press for their printing and the impact could be severe as Optipress will all but own the local market.
There have been rumors of late that NTV and OZ-FM are on the market. These rumors come and go all the time but in light of the news about Stirling Press could the Herald, OZ and NTV be next?
BOYCOTT NOT POPULAR IN CANADA
The cry for a boycott of the Chinese Olympics has all but fizzled. A recent public opinion survey by Nanos Research for Sun Media suggests barely 10 per cent of Canadians think our athletes should boycott this summer's Games in protest over Tibet.
The poll was taken before the earthquakes so one can imagine that the 10 per cent is even less now.
An Ipsos Reid survey that was taken in March at the outset of hostilities in the Chinese crackdown showed 37 per cent support for Canada boycotting the games.
Looks like Canadians have gone soft!
The poll was taken before the earthquakes so one can imagine that the 10 per cent is even less now.
An Ipsos Reid survey that was taken in March at the outset of hostilities in the Chinese crackdown showed 37 per cent support for Canada boycotting the games.
Looks like Canadians have gone soft!
MAD MAX AND THE BLACK WIDOW
The PM no doubt will ask himself the question a lot of people ask when Canadian governments are embarrassed. What is it about Quebec that turns its politics into The Black Widow of confederation?
Charles Adler's observations from the edge on Julie Couillard, former Conservative Foreign Affairs Minister Max Bernier and the role of Quebec in the federation.
While the piece is steeped in satire it does make some good points for consideration.
BIOFUEL BILL PASSED IN COMMONS
The Liberals and Conservatives worked together to ensure passage of a bill yesterday that will ensure all gasoline sold in Canada contains 5 percent ethanol by 2010.
The legislation would create demand for an estimated 2 billion liters of ethanol and 600 million liters of biodiesel.
There are currently three biodiesel plants with a combined capacity of 97 million liters, mainly using animal fats. A plant that would produce 225 million liters of biodiesel from canola oil is under construction in Alberta.
There are concerns that the move towards biofuels is creating other environmental problems like the loss of food crops which may lead to higher prices for staples. As well the loss of tropical forests to make room for corn crops may be undoing any benefits of the fuel by eliminating natural filters of green house gases.
The legislation would create demand for an estimated 2 billion liters of ethanol and 600 million liters of biodiesel.
There are currently three biodiesel plants with a combined capacity of 97 million liters, mainly using animal fats. A plant that would produce 225 million liters of biodiesel from canola oil is under construction in Alberta.
There are concerns that the move towards biofuels is creating other environmental problems like the loss of food crops which may lead to higher prices for staples. As well the loss of tropical forests to make room for corn crops may be undoing any benefits of the fuel by eliminating natural filters of green house gases.
BIOGAS
Yesterday I wrote a post about space sewage and another one about the escalating price of fuel. Today the New York Times has a story that marries those two topics together. Dozens of towns in Sweden have facilities that transform sewage waste into enough biogas to run thousands of cars and buses!
Let's face it, it must be nice to see a solid benefit from your personal waste. Apparently biofuel is cheaper than diesel and emissions are virtually odorless.
Chemically, biogas is the same as natural gas from fossil fuels, but its manufacture relies on a process where bacteria feed on fecal waste for about three weeks in an oxygen-free chamber. The result is two-thirds methane and one-third carbon dioxide, as well as a nutrient-rich residue that can be used as soil or construction material.
Once the methane is purified, it is pumped through a network of gas pipelines to specialized filling stations, where it is pressurized for delivery. Any car with an engine and tank configured for compressed natural gas can use biogas.
I have this image of a movie the kids like called Monster Inc. where Monsters generate their city's power by scaring children. In this case teams of people extract waste from people's toilets to power their cars and cities.
Let's face it, it must be nice to see a solid benefit from your personal waste. Apparently biofuel is cheaper than diesel and emissions are virtually odorless.
Chemically, biogas is the same as natural gas from fossil fuels, but its manufacture relies on a process where bacteria feed on fecal waste for about three weeks in an oxygen-free chamber. The result is two-thirds methane and one-third carbon dioxide, as well as a nutrient-rich residue that can be used as soil or construction material.
Once the methane is purified, it is pumped through a network of gas pipelines to specialized filling stations, where it is pressurized for delivery. Any car with an engine and tank configured for compressed natural gas can use biogas.
I have this image of a movie the kids like called Monster Inc. where Monsters generate their city's power by scaring children. In this case teams of people extract waste from people's toilets to power their cars and cities.
GOOGLE AND THE RED PLANET
I have been using Google Earth for a while now. I still get a kick out of zooming in on areas all around the world where I have lived, visited or want to visit.
If you're ready for something new, what about checking out an interactive map of mars? NASA, Arizona State University and Google have collaborated to bring us Google Mars!
Mars as a planet doesn't offer quite the diversity of satellite images provided by Earth's mountains, oceans, deserts, and plains. However markers indicating space craft landings, dunes, craters, and ridges are cool.
LEAKED DOCUMENT SHOWS FEDS ARE CLAMPING DOWN ON COPYRIGHT ISSUES
The federal government is secretly negotiating the Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement which could mean some radical changes for Canadians. The changes in international copyright could be approved and enforced without ever going to the House of Commons because federal trade agreements do not require parliamentary approval. Canada would join the United States and members of the European Union, to form an international coalition against copyright infringement.
The new agreements could make the information on Canadian iPods, laptop computers or other personal electronic devices illegal and greatly increase the difficulty of traveling with such devices. The devices could be seized and destroyed by customs officers who will have the power to determine what is and is not an infringement of copyright law. The security officials would be charged with checking laptops, iPods and even cellular phones for content that "infringes" on copyright laws, such as ripped CDs and movies.
The changes under discussion also propose imposing new sanctions on Internet service providers. It would force them to hand over personal information pertaining to "claimed infringement" or "alleged infringers" - users who may be transmitting or sharing copyrighted content over the Internet.
Big brother is clamping down. Be afraid!
The new agreements could make the information on Canadian iPods, laptop computers or other personal electronic devices illegal and greatly increase the difficulty of traveling with such devices. The devices could be seized and destroyed by customs officers who will have the power to determine what is and is not an infringement of copyright law. The security officials would be charged with checking laptops, iPods and even cellular phones for content that "infringes" on copyright laws, such as ripped CDs and movies.
The changes under discussion also propose imposing new sanctions on Internet service providers. It would force them to hand over personal information pertaining to "claimed infringement" or "alleged infringers" - users who may be transmitting or sharing copyrighted content over the Internet.
Big brother is clamping down. Be afraid!
Wednesday, May 28, 2008
GOVERNMENT STRIKING A BALANCE WITH ENERGY CORP
How can any reasonable person expect the new Energy Corporation to be subject to public disclosure on demand of commercially sensitive information? It is an unreasonable political ploy that might play well with the conspiracy theorists but does not reflect the realities of a major energy corporation.
The establishment of an Energy Corporation is a major step forward for our province, allowing us to participate to a greater degree in the development of our energy resources. It is a decade late in coming but will have many positive implications for our province for generations to come. It will provide a return on investment that is unparalleled for a government-owned corporation in this province and ensure us a place in the competitive global energy marketplace.
The corporation will be subject to access by the Auditor General, and the Access to Information and Protection of Privacy and Accountability and Transparency Acts will still apply. Newfoundland and Labrador Hydro will continue to be subject to the Public Tender Act. The corporation will be subject to similar reporting requirements as companies listed on a stock exchange. On top of this, the corporation will have to hold an open, public annual general meeting and provide a consolidated annual report and consolidated financial statements.
The government seems to be taking steps to ensure that the Corporation's competitiveness is not curbed while ensuring that the Auditor General has unrestricted access and oversight to the energy corporation and all commercially-sensitive information. The government has even established a remedy to ensure that accountability is in the hands of the Legislature if there is a conflict between the AG or the Privacy Commissioner and the Corporation over what is deemed commercially sensitive.
It would be nonsensical to establish a corporation that is expected to wheel and deal, pursue energy developments and negotiate deals, yet not be able to protect commercially-sensitive information. What company would enter into negotiations with a crown energy corporation if it was not guaranteed that sensitive information could be protected? What kind of commercial sense would it make to establish a corporation that will research and develop technology for export if that technology could be disclosed? I doubt Petro Canada or the PEI Wind Energy Company are subjected to full public disclosure of commercially-sensitive information.
This Government appears to have sought out a best practices framework that takes the Energy Corporation in the right direction and balances the public's right to know.
The establishment of an Energy Corporation is a major step forward for our province, allowing us to participate to a greater degree in the development of our energy resources. It is a decade late in coming but will have many positive implications for our province for generations to come. It will provide a return on investment that is unparalleled for a government-owned corporation in this province and ensure us a place in the competitive global energy marketplace.
The corporation will be subject to access by the Auditor General, and the Access to Information and Protection of Privacy and Accountability and Transparency Acts will still apply. Newfoundland and Labrador Hydro will continue to be subject to the Public Tender Act. The corporation will be subject to similar reporting requirements as companies listed on a stock exchange. On top of this, the corporation will have to hold an open, public annual general meeting and provide a consolidated annual report and consolidated financial statements.
The government seems to be taking steps to ensure that the Corporation's competitiveness is not curbed while ensuring that the Auditor General has unrestricted access and oversight to the energy corporation and all commercially-sensitive information. The government has even established a remedy to ensure that accountability is in the hands of the Legislature if there is a conflict between the AG or the Privacy Commissioner and the Corporation over what is deemed commercially sensitive.
It would be nonsensical to establish a corporation that is expected to wheel and deal, pursue energy developments and negotiate deals, yet not be able to protect commercially-sensitive information. What company would enter into negotiations with a crown energy corporation if it was not guaranteed that sensitive information could be protected? What kind of commercial sense would it make to establish a corporation that will research and develop technology for export if that technology could be disclosed? I doubt Petro Canada or the PEI Wind Energy Company are subjected to full public disclosure of commercially-sensitive information.
This Government appears to have sought out a best practices framework that takes the Energy Corporation in the right direction and balances the public's right to know.
ENCOUNTERING THE MEDIA
The Communications Branch in Executive Council provides strategic communications counsel and support to the Premier and Cabinet; manages Government's corporate communications function; and co-ordinates communications activities across government.
They also have a media policy in their Communications Guidelines that has been strictly enforced as of late, "The Minister is the Spokesperson for the Department"
At his/her discretion, the Minister may designate an official to comment. Employees may provide factual information regarding programs and services.
Yesterday we witnessed what can happen when the official spokesperson for the department misspeaks, or at the very least deals with policy that is beyond their comprehension to articulate in a factual and articulate manner. Ministers are political leaders. They have executives, senior managers and staff to deal with the "Meaty Stuff". Instead, this administration has relied on the "Official Spokesperson" to be the voice. Kathy Dunderdale's eight minute misspeak was just the most serious communication snarl in a long string of them. The runner-up was when Municipal Affairs Minister Denine would not grant the media access to the Provincial Fire Commissioner and attempted to answer technical questions that he obviously was unable to do. Denine looked and sounded stupid. He looked guilty. He looked like a man who was determined to hide something. That was the perception and in this game that is the reality!
Seriously. What's so hard about sitting down with your officials and your communications director and discussing how you're going to deal with an issue, and designating the right professional to address technical aspects while the Minister sticks to policy. It is a win-win for the media, the public and the government.
The Telegram editorial today makes some very valid points. Come on, it is starting to get embarrassing.
They also have a media policy in their Communications Guidelines that has been strictly enforced as of late, "The Minister is the Spokesperson for the Department"
At his/her discretion, the Minister may designate an official to comment. Employees may provide factual information regarding programs and services.
Yesterday we witnessed what can happen when the official spokesperson for the department misspeaks, or at the very least deals with policy that is beyond their comprehension to articulate in a factual and articulate manner. Ministers are political leaders. They have executives, senior managers and staff to deal with the "Meaty Stuff". Instead, this administration has relied on the "Official Spokesperson" to be the voice. Kathy Dunderdale's eight minute misspeak was just the most serious communication snarl in a long string of them. The runner-up was when Municipal Affairs Minister Denine would not grant the media access to the Provincial Fire Commissioner and attempted to answer technical questions that he obviously was unable to do. Denine looked and sounded stupid. He looked guilty. He looked like a man who was determined to hide something. That was the perception and in this game that is the reality!
Seriously. What's so hard about sitting down with your officials and your communications director and discussing how you're going to deal with an issue, and designating the right professional to address technical aspects while the Minister sticks to policy. It is a win-win for the media, the public and the government.
The Telegram editorial today makes some very valid points. Come on, it is starting to get embarrassing.
OLD BOARD GAME FOUND
As readers know, I am a bit of a board game fanatic. My wife tries to ignore my growing game collection but occasionally makes a comment.
My buddy Gerry out in Stephenville gave me a mint copy of the original Diplomacy Board Game which was released in 1959. Original board and wooden pieces. It's a beauty and the pride of my collection.
Imagine finding a century-old board mint board game? A Zimmer's Baseball Game has been found in a storage space in a servant's bedroom of an old estate in Montana. The game was made in 1893 and was sold at the Chicago World's Fair. There are believed to be only 10 copies of the game left in the world.
Other versions of the game have been auctioned off for as much as $27,000. I have to run and find something to wipe the drool off my face.
MP FIRES STAFFER OVER TICKET RESERVATIONS
Imagine if your boss fired you because he/she heard you were going to visit a nudie bar tonight or you were seen coming out of an adult video store with a brown bag in hand. What you do on your own time, within the confines of the law, should be your own business, right? It is between you and your god.
Well that's not the case. A staffer for a Conservative MP has been axed for booking tickets to to a provocative movie about the sex lives of young people. I would not have lasted long in that environment considering my frequent trips over to Hull in my youthful days on the hill. Yes I fear I staggered back to Ottawa a few times across the Champlain bridge after taking in some entertainment in Quebec.
MP Gary Goodyear fired Victoria van Eyk after his name showed up on the screening guest list for the movie Young People F---ing. MPs Patrick Brown, James Lunney and Carol Skelton were all listed as attending but say their names were listed in error.
CBC is reporting that a Conservative official who spoke on condition of anonymity said the assistant was fired for ordering tickets after specifically being asked not to. Which really confuses me as to what has occurred. Were the MP's invited to the screening and Goodyear declined but his staffer said yes so she could attend in his place? Did the staffer suggest to Goodyear that they should take in the movie and her boss said, no I do not want you going to see that? I am confused.
I do not see just cause for termination. In a clarifying e-mail to The Canadian Press, the staffer said she had in fact ordered the ticket for herself. I hope she isn't taking the fall for the member who has been caught by the puritanical police inside the Conservative Party.
Seems like a case of gross abuse of power and censorship of employees. Just imagine the abuse of power we can all look forward if this crowd ever managed to pull off a majority government.
Well that's not the case. A staffer for a Conservative MP has been axed for booking tickets to to a provocative movie about the sex lives of young people. I would not have lasted long in that environment considering my frequent trips over to Hull in my youthful days on the hill. Yes I fear I staggered back to Ottawa a few times across the Champlain bridge after taking in some entertainment in Quebec.
MP Gary Goodyear fired Victoria van Eyk after his name showed up on the screening guest list for the movie Young People F---ing. MPs Patrick Brown, James Lunney and Carol Skelton were all listed as attending but say their names were listed in error.
CBC is reporting that a Conservative official who spoke on condition of anonymity said the assistant was fired for ordering tickets after specifically being asked not to. Which really confuses me as to what has occurred. Were the MP's invited to the screening and Goodyear declined but his staffer said yes so she could attend in his place? Did the staffer suggest to Goodyear that they should take in the movie and her boss said, no I do not want you going to see that? I am confused.
I do not see just cause for termination. In a clarifying e-mail to The Canadian Press, the staffer said she had in fact ordered the ticket for herself. I hope she isn't taking the fall for the member who has been caught by the puritanical police inside the Conservative Party.
Seems like a case of gross abuse of power and censorship of employees. Just imagine the abuse of power we can all look forward if this crowd ever managed to pull off a majority government.
THE PPC BLUES
I got the Wednesday cost of living blues. I keep promising myself that I will start walking to work. I need the exercise and fuel prices are nuts. I think it is time to park the XL-7 for the summer at least. I could take the insurance off and save a small fortune in gas. But could my ego take being restricted to Kris's Ford Focus?
I like George Murphy. He is a decent guy but I think I am tired of hearing that gas prices are going up again. I am getting classic shoot the messenger syndrome. The Consumer Group for Fair Gas Prices has become the town crier for impending doom.
George says we can look forward to an increase in heating fuels but gas prices might not rise tonight. Of course I am convinced the crew at the Petroleum Pricing Commission try to undermine his credibility by doing things differently than he has predicted. For the life of me I am not sure why George Murphy has not been hired by them.
Time to put the pen to paper and work out how much I could save this summer by parking the rig!
I like George Murphy. He is a decent guy but I think I am tired of hearing that gas prices are going up again. I am getting classic shoot the messenger syndrome. The Consumer Group for Fair Gas Prices has become the town crier for impending doom.
George says we can look forward to an increase in heating fuels but gas prices might not rise tonight. Of course I am convinced the crew at the Petroleum Pricing Commission try to undermine his credibility by doing things differently than he has predicted. For the life of me I am not sure why George Murphy has not been hired by them.
Time to put the pen to paper and work out how much I could save this summer by parking the rig!
THOUGHTS OF HOOKIE
Liam is five, he is just about finished kindergarten. The boy, like most, is a big sponge. His mind a steel trap. He misses nothing.
For the past few months he has been hinting at playing hookie. He only attends school half-days and each month that rotates between mornings and afternoons. He hates mornings. On the drive to school he proposes with a wink and a childish innocence that he and I should skip school and go to a movie.
I have no idea where he learned the concept of hookie, nor did I think that it would be an issue before high school, but here it is staring me in the face. On one hand I think the idea of pipping off work and spending a day with just Liam would be fun. Our little secret. The problem is two fold. One he is incapable of keeping a secret and teaching him that it is okay to sneak off from work school would not be a good lesson.
I remember my one big day of hookie in Grade One. We were living in Ingersoll, Ontario and I decided I was not going to school. Mom waved us off the porch as we headed to the school bus. I doubled back, snuck down to the basement, ate my wagon wheels and raisins and had a wonderful nap. I woke up and ran upstairs. Threw my knapsack in the corner and went to my room. Mom rushed upstairs to check on me. Apparently my nap had lasted all of 20 minutes and school was not out for the day!
So I found a compromise. One of those loose parental things. I promised him that he could have July and August off. He was so pleased with me. Until this past weekend. His cousin Lorne was in and of course Liam had to blab that I was going to let him take two months of school. Lorne told him that July and August were his summer holidays and there was no school.
Liam says dad you're silly, you tricked me! So we are back to hookie again! How can it be wrong when it feels so right!
For the past few months he has been hinting at playing hookie. He only attends school half-days and each month that rotates between mornings and afternoons. He hates mornings. On the drive to school he proposes with a wink and a childish innocence that he and I should skip school and go to a movie.
I have no idea where he learned the concept of hookie, nor did I think that it would be an issue before high school, but here it is staring me in the face. On one hand I think the idea of pipping off work and spending a day with just Liam would be fun. Our little secret. The problem is two fold. One he is incapable of keeping a secret and teaching him that it is okay to sneak off from work school would not be a good lesson.
I remember my one big day of hookie in Grade One. We were living in Ingersoll, Ontario and I decided I was not going to school. Mom waved us off the porch as we headed to the school bus. I doubled back, snuck down to the basement, ate my wagon wheels and raisins and had a wonderful nap. I woke up and ran upstairs. Threw my knapsack in the corner and went to my room. Mom rushed upstairs to check on me. Apparently my nap had lasted all of 20 minutes and school was not out for the day!
So I found a compromise. One of those loose parental things. I promised him that he could have July and August off. He was so pleased with me. Until this past weekend. His cousin Lorne was in and of course Liam had to blab that I was going to let him take two months of school. Lorne told him that July and August were his summer holidays and there was no school.
Liam says dad you're silly, you tricked me! So we are back to hookie again! How can it be wrong when it feels so right!
MR ROOTER TO THE RESCUE
Space... The final frontier...These are the voyages of the Mr Rooter.
His continuing mission:
To explore strange new worlds...
To seek out new life; new civilisations...To boldly go where no plumber has gone before!"
Mr. Rooter's new mission is to go where no other plumber has gone before...the international space station, to repair a broken toilet.
The station's lone toilet is broken leaving the crew without a potty! NASA has jury-rigged a system for when the astronauts have to urinate. The Russian-made toilet hit the shitter when the motor stopped working. Russian engineers are not having a run of probable solutions. They have not been able to figure out the problem.
Help is on the way. The space shuttle Discovery is set to launch this weekend and it may bring some spare parts to the International Space Station. Adding new items to the shuttle is delicate business because the shuttle's payload weight is limited and balance carefully calculated. A last minute change is unusual.
I never really considered the problems presented by waste management on long missions in space. I am sure that all waste is recycled. That would be easy for air, water and clothing but what about garbage and sewage? Apparently they rely on partial cleansing, by removal of unpleasant chemicals and organic contaminants - feces -
from the water. These are rendered inactive (but not inert or "safe") and returned to Earth in suitable containers, for final processing and disposal. The waste water, however, is fully treated and recycled.Bagged and sealed and returned to Earth! I never really thought of the Space Shuttle as a glorified garbage truck before!
MESSIANIC PROPAGANDA
Add Jewish zealots to the list of fundamentalist crack pots. Police in Israel are investigating the burning of hundreds of New Testaments in a city near Tel Aviv, an incident that has alarmed advocates of religious freedom.
The episode has worried defenders of Israel's minority population of Messianic Jews, who consider themselves Jewish but believe in the divinity of Jesus, as do Christians. It also has concerned evangelical Christians in North America, Europe and Asia, who visit Israel by the hundreds of thousands.
Uzi Aharon, the deputy mayor, says he collected New Testaments that had been handed out in the city but that he did not plan or organize a burning.
Israeli law forbids the destruction or desecration of any religious icon or item that a group holds sacred and bans people from speaking publicly in a way that offends or humiliates a certain religion.
The episode has worried defenders of Israel's minority population of Messianic Jews, who consider themselves Jewish but believe in the divinity of Jesus, as do Christians. It also has concerned evangelical Christians in North America, Europe and Asia, who visit Israel by the hundreds of thousands.
Uzi Aharon, the deputy mayor, says he collected New Testaments that had been handed out in the city but that he did not plan or organize a burning.
Israeli law forbids the destruction or desecration of any religious icon or item that a group holds sacred and bans people from speaking publicly in a way that offends or humiliates a certain religion.
FEDERAL SHUFFLE IN THE WORKS
The resignation of Maxime Bernier as Foreign Affairs Minister has increased speculation that Prime Minister Harper will undertake a major shuffle of his cabinet in the next few weeks.
Harper has endured his share of embarrassing moments and the shuffle would provide a good opportunity to throw a few people out, rearrange the chairs around the cabinet table and bring in some new faces in the lead-up to the next election.
I would wager a coffee that Secretary of State Helena Guergis will return to the back benches for her less than stellar performance on the Brenda Martin file. Former Liberal David Emerson may stay on in Foreign Affairs, opening up his trade portfolio for someone else. Rumor has it that the two senior gyms could trade roles.
Is there any potential impact for Newfoundland and Labrador? I would think so. The Conservatives' nomination for the St. John's West - Mount Pearl has not been called. I am sure that ministers will be polled on their future intentions as this will most likely be the last shuffle before an election. Has Loyola Hearn decided his future plans? Could we see backbencher Fabian Manning getting elevated to the cabinet this time around?
Imagine watching Shawn Skinner and company sitting at the press conferences with the new federal minister, the former colleague whom they castigated so publicly. It would be worth the price of admission.
Harper has endured his share of embarrassing moments and the shuffle would provide a good opportunity to throw a few people out, rearrange the chairs around the cabinet table and bring in some new faces in the lead-up to the next election.
I would wager a coffee that Secretary of State Helena Guergis will return to the back benches for her less than stellar performance on the Brenda Martin file. Former Liberal David Emerson may stay on in Foreign Affairs, opening up his trade portfolio for someone else. Rumor has it that the two senior gyms could trade roles.
Is there any potential impact for Newfoundland and Labrador? I would think so. The Conservatives' nomination for the St. John's West - Mount Pearl has not been called. I am sure that ministers will be polled on their future intentions as this will most likely be the last shuffle before an election. Has Loyola Hearn decided his future plans? Could we see backbencher Fabian Manning getting elevated to the cabinet this time around?
Imagine watching Shawn Skinner and company sitting at the press conferences with the new federal minister, the former colleague whom they castigated so publicly. It would be worth the price of admission.
UNFATHOMABLE CHINA
Hollywood flasher, I mean actress , Sharon Stone has created a frenzy with her comments that the devastating May 12 earthquake in China could have been the result of bad karma over the government's treatment of Tibet.
The Chinese have banned her films from theaters in reaction to her comments during a Cannes Film Festival red-carpet interview with Hong Kong's Cable Entertainment News.
During mass last night we offered prayers for the victims of the disasters in Burma and China. I have given to the appeals. However, I am guilty of thinking last night about how the Tibetan issue was front and center leading into the Olympics and how this horrible tragedy has eclipsed that struggle for independence. The careful, well planned and executed public relations battle has been buried.
One minute, China is being roundly condemned for its appalling human rights record and its brutal suppression of the Tibetan people; the next, it is being showered with praise for its compassionate and well-disciplined response to the catastrophe in Sichuan. Compare the professionalism of the operation with the way the United States responded to Hurricane Katrina in 2005, which killed fewer than 1,000 people.
Now if only China could offer the same leadership on the international stage. The contrast between China's response and the criminal negligence of the Burmese junta after the Cyclone is stark. They could force North Korea to abandon the nuclear weapons program. Instead we have seen China take a back seat on issues like halting the carnage in Africa and the Balkans.
Of course the United States followed a staunchly isolationist orientation in the first few decades of the 20th century (prior to WWII), so in that sense China is following a well-worn path.
The Chinese have banned her films from theaters in reaction to her comments during a Cannes Film Festival red-carpet interview with Hong Kong's Cable Entertainment News.
During mass last night we offered prayers for the victims of the disasters in Burma and China. I have given to the appeals. However, I am guilty of thinking last night about how the Tibetan issue was front and center leading into the Olympics and how this horrible tragedy has eclipsed that struggle for independence. The careful, well planned and executed public relations battle has been buried.
One minute, China is being roundly condemned for its appalling human rights record and its brutal suppression of the Tibetan people; the next, it is being showered with praise for its compassionate and well-disciplined response to the catastrophe in Sichuan. Compare the professionalism of the operation with the way the United States responded to Hurricane Katrina in 2005, which killed fewer than 1,000 people.
Now if only China could offer the same leadership on the international stage. The contrast between China's response and the criminal negligence of the Burmese junta after the Cyclone is stark. They could force North Korea to abandon the nuclear weapons program. Instead we have seen China take a back seat on issues like halting the carnage in Africa and the Balkans.
Of course the United States followed a staunchly isolationist orientation in the first few decades of the 20th century (prior to WWII), so in that sense China is following a well-worn path.
THE TORMENT CONTINUES
"I'd rather arm wrestle a Cylon Centurion than endure such a long, torturous hiatus." - Don Williams, BuddyTV Staff WriterDid I mention that I am a big fan of the new Battlestar Galactica series! The two week interval between the last episode and this Friday's has been excruciatingly painful!
So who is the fifth cylon? When will we be told the origin and purpose of the Final Five? Who created them? What is their purpose? Do they have free will to follow or reject their programming (as some of the other models appear to have done)? Why is the fifth Cylon hidden? Does (s)he know who the four are---in fact is (s)he an omniscient Cylon who knows the answer to all questions?
If, at the end of the series, we say "of course, it all makes sense now" Galactica indeed may be the greatest science fiction series ever.
Now for the bad news. This mini-cliff hanger is preparation for another ridiculous wait. A seven month wait. I understood the series was going to wrap up this season and in short answer we would have the answers. After the June 13 episode, the show will disappear until late 2008 or early 2009!
The Sci Fi Channel has trapped us right where they want us. As an obsessive fan I will wait but that does not mean I am happy. It is is almost enough to make me decide to forget watching it weekly and pick up the DVDs later.
Tuesday, May 27, 2008
MEMORIES OF MY VIC-20
We never had an Atari or an intelevison growing up. As a matter of fact we did not even have a color TV until my dad purchased our first computer in 1980. My baptism into home computing was a Commodore Vic 20 and was it ever cool.
My dad was always fairly conservative when it came to spending money on things that did not serve a purpose. We never went without but he never over-indulged. He must have felt that the computer was the future because it was a substantial purchase of technology .
I wasn't the one drawn to the Vic-20. It was my dad, wallet in hand. I remember the day we bought it like it was yesterday, in a little computer shop in the new mall in Marystown near the Bay. The Vic-20 came with 5KB Ram + 16 KB ROM and a 8 KB Kernal. We got a dot matrix printer, a huge rotary dial commodore phone, a modem, a tape drive, a joy stick and a color tv to plug it in.
It was a family member of the monochrome PET machines we had at school, with better sound.
It also had a version of BASIC. It was Microsoft BASIC mostly written by a certain Bill Gates in the 1970s.
My brother Mike and I managed to convince mom to play a game called Cosmic Cruncher which she became addicted to. Seriously, we would come home for lunch and mom would be in our room playing this pacman clone. I am still convinced that she logged more hours on that machine than anyone else.
Omega Race and Lunar Lander were the other great games. I had bunch of games on cassette as well, like Star Trek. I can still hear the blip, blip of Omega Race and the thrusters of lunar lander.
In the end, the humble Vic-20 was superseded by the Commodore 64 and that is another story. I wonder what my kids would think of either game compared to something as simple as Conor's Leapster?
A GREENER APPLE
Apple has filed a patent to infuse their hand-helds and computers with a thin film of solar cells, paving the way for a new generation of gadgets with battery life boosted by the sun.
It will be interesting to see how the company deals with the consumer trend toward smaller gadgets considering that a large flat surface is needed for solar to have any degree of efficiency. There is also the issue of the impact of heat and sun on electronic equipment.
It's exciting news and I am sure Apple has some cool products in mind.
Of course I am not sure how efficient solar powered gadgets would be here with the amount of fog and rain we have had this spring.
THE PIXAR TOUCH
The Economist features a story this week about the rags to riches story of Pixar animation studio. They started out as a computer hardware business that made animations for other companies to support the original business plan.
Some of my kids' favorite stories are creations of Pixar like Toy Story, Finding Nemo and Cars. The animated shorts DVD is a must own and it gets lots of play around here.
In 2006 Disney bought Pixar for $7.4 billion, and promptly put the owners in charge of Disney's own animation unit.
Here is a link to an interview with David Price, the author of The Pixar Touch: The Making of a Company.
SMITH'S SNACKS IN CRISIS CONTROL
Smith's Snacks is trying to get a handle on the source of the problem that has resulted in two Canadian Food Inspection Agency health hazzard alerts about the company's products this month.
The Normans Cove Company has shut down production in an attempt to find and eliminate the problem. They are conducting testing but are not confident that they have found the problem. A company spokesperson told VOCM news that they hope to back in production next week.
The double trouble and the problems isolating the cause make the rebound from a recall even harder. While food recalls are a common disruption the damage to brand, reputation and sales can be severe. Smith's is doing the right thing by voluntarily suspending production. It is the first step towards re-establishing consumer confidence and regaining sales.
Consumers will need to be assured of quality assurance and safety if they are going to continue purchasing this Newfoundland made product. Smith's should talk to a public relations company about ways to rebuild their tattered image.
Let's hope they rebound soon and get back to production so those jobs are safe.
The Normans Cove Company has shut down production in an attempt to find and eliminate the problem. They are conducting testing but are not confident that they have found the problem. A company spokesperson told VOCM news that they hope to back in production next week.
The double trouble and the problems isolating the cause make the rebound from a recall even harder. While food recalls are a common disruption the damage to brand, reputation and sales can be severe. Smith's is doing the right thing by voluntarily suspending production. It is the first step towards re-establishing consumer confidence and regaining sales.
Consumers will need to be assured of quality assurance and safety if they are going to continue purchasing this Newfoundland made product. Smith's should talk to a public relations company about ways to rebuild their tattered image.
Let's hope they rebound soon and get back to production so those jobs are safe.
MINISTERS, POWER, WOMEN AND NATIONAL SECURITY
In 1963 the British Secretary of State for War, a chap by the name of John Profumo, resigned his post in the Macmillan government after he was caught in a lie about a relationship he had developed with a showgirl by the name of Christine Keeler. He was married and that might have been scandal enough but Christine was being shared by her high-ranking cabinet minister with a Mr. Eugene Ivanov, a senior naval attache at the USSR's embassy in London.The potential impact on national security propelled the affair into a public scandal that shook the political foundations of the country. How could a man with the intellect of Profumo be so stupid? How could this not have been picked up earlier? Had the UK's cold war security been compromised? Let's not forget that the extent of the KGB/NKVD infiltration of British Intelligence was fresh on the mind of Britain and her allies. Senior MI5 operative Kim Philby defected earlier in the year following a rash of other senior defections., collectively known as the Cambridge Five.
Profumo resigned because he had misled the House of Commons by saying he had not had inappropriate relations with Keeler.
Here we are 45 years later in Canada with a Foreign Affairs Minister who may have compromised Canada's security, and the security of its allies, by leaving top secret NATO briefing notes at his girlfriend's house. This girlfriend had connections to the Quebec Hells Angels and admits to having past lovers with ties to organized crime. She was also working on behalf of a company that was lobbying for airport security work.
Like Profum
o's, the defense was that Maxime Bernier's private life was not the business of the House of Commons. Despite concerns expressed for weeks by the opposition about national security, Prime Minister Harper defended his Quebec Lieutenant. What the PM did not know was that his minister had misplaced a top secret briefing book and five weeks later it was returned to government. It had been left at the minister's girlfriend's house.Julie Couillard has alleged that security experts have confirmed that her house was under electronic surveillance and a bug had been placed in her bed. Why, and under direction from whom? Was someone trying to recover the lost briefing notes in a clandestine mission to avoid damaging the country's international relations?
Why did the Prime Minister not call for a proper investigation to ensure that security breaches were not committed when the issue of the relationship first came to the attention of the House of Commons.
Is it possible that the government attempted to cover-up this mistake but failed to pull it off?
Mad Max's gaffs and the PMO's leak of sensitive information related to the position of Democratic candidates on the NAFTA agreement have made this country look like it is being run by buffoons.
There are many unanswered questions. The Prime Minister has a responsibility to this country to call a public inquiry into how his administration deals with confidential and secret information. Our allies need to be reassured that they can trust us.
Harper is beginning to look a lot like the besieged former British Conservative Prime Minister
Harold Macmillan whose credibility was permanently damaged by the Profumo Affair.
THE HEADLINES DO NOT TELL THE FULL STORY
Global Insight Canada says Newfoundland and Labrador's standard of living is on the rise. Been to any of the box stores or the Price Club as of late. The stores, checkout counters and carts are full. It would be appear that a lot of folks have money to burn. No surprise. Times are good for a lot of people and they are purchasing goods and services.
Rapid economic growth fueled by the energy industry, coupled with a shrinking population, has meant that the province climbed from “perpetual last place” at 71 per cent of the Canadian average in 1998, to 91 per cent of the Canadian average by 2003. Our economy has expanded by 54 per cent in the past 10 years.
Get this: by 2013 they are predicting that we will reach 100% of the national average. In five years we will be on par with the national average. It is great to be Canadian, hey!
Now back to reality. For those not so blessed with a 20% increase in salary, an offshore related job or prepared to do the Alberta shuffle times are not as good. The discrepancy between middle class and poor is growing. Poverty reduction programs are simply not doing enough to keep up with the need. More funding is needed. We need real action on programs that make dealing with, treating and preventing diabetes more successful. This simple investment will save us hundreds of millions in the future. The cost of housing, fuel and groceries is skyrocketing. Life on the margins has never been harder. Prosperity cuts both ways. We will be judged as a society by how we help those who are less fortunate.
Strategic investments now will pay big dividends later. Let's remember that this roller coaster is based on finite non-renewable resources. We have not had a great deal of new forward momentum or direction. We are living on the benefits gained through the past. We need to see new concrete opportunities to sustain our new standard of living and our new expectations.
We need to always remember that oil and ore will run out. We have seen what the mismanagement of our renewable resources has meant as the outports and forestry towns continue the long slide into oblivion.
Real leadership demands looking past the current headlines that decree good times and planning for an uncertain future. Taking credit for prosperity based on windfall profits driven by Terra Nova, White Rose, Hibernia, IOC, Voisey's Bay and Alberta while not moving us further will be an empty legacy.
So let's not get so caught up in the good signals as to forget those who are not getting dragged along but are falling into the abyss.
Rapid economic growth fueled by the energy industry, coupled with a shrinking population, has meant that the province climbed from “perpetual last place” at 71 per cent of the Canadian average in 1998, to 91 per cent of the Canadian average by 2003. Our economy has expanded by 54 per cent in the past 10 years.
Get this: by 2013 they are predicting that we will reach 100% of the national average. In five years we will be on par with the national average. It is great to be Canadian, hey!
Now back to reality. For those not so blessed with a 20% increase in salary, an offshore related job or prepared to do the Alberta shuffle times are not as good. The discrepancy between middle class and poor is growing. Poverty reduction programs are simply not doing enough to keep up with the need. More funding is needed. We need real action on programs that make dealing with, treating and preventing diabetes more successful. This simple investment will save us hundreds of millions in the future. The cost of housing, fuel and groceries is skyrocketing. Life on the margins has never been harder. Prosperity cuts both ways. We will be judged as a society by how we help those who are less fortunate.
Strategic investments now will pay big dividends later. Let's remember that this roller coaster is based on finite non-renewable resources. We have not had a great deal of new forward momentum or direction. We are living on the benefits gained through the past. We need to see new concrete opportunities to sustain our new standard of living and our new expectations.
We need to always remember that oil and ore will run out. We have seen what the mismanagement of our renewable resources has meant as the outports and forestry towns continue the long slide into oblivion.
Real leadership demands looking past the current headlines that decree good times and planning for an uncertain future. Taking credit for prosperity based on windfall profits driven by Terra Nova, White Rose, Hibernia, IOC, Voisey's Bay and Alberta while not moving us further will be an empty legacy.
So let's not get so caught up in the good signals as to forget those who are not getting dragged along but are falling into the abyss.
STRINGS ATTACHED TO PLEDGE PROMISE: ANOTHER CON-JOB
“Today, I am announcing that our government will match the contributions of Canadians to humanitarian organizations working in Burma and China”
- International Co-operation Minister Bev Oda, May 15
Sometimes you have to read the small print or lower your expectations. In the days after natural disasters caused horrific losses for China and Myanmar, the Harper Government announced that it would offer matching funding to humanitarian relief efforts. It turns out, like most things promised by this crowd, that the bulk of donations won't be matched at all.
The federal program comes with a few strings attached. The Canadian International Development Agency revealed the government will match only those individual donations received by aid groups between May 15 and June 6. The flow of donations is greatest within the first 72 hours of a disaster. The cyclone struck Myanmar on May 2, and earthquake shook China on May 12th.
The Red Cross reports that it collected nearly $1.6 million for both causes before May 15th. That money will not qualify for matching funding. Juxtapose this with the reaction to the 2004 Asian tsunami where the federal government pledged to match donations received by aid groups starting on the very day the tragedies struck.
Splitting hairs and not following up on an anticipated commitment is nothing new to this government. This is a new low.
Canada has been very generous to Burma and China with both direct and indirect aid. NGOs have to be pleased that the government has offered to pledge at all. The fact that every dollar donated will be doubled will be of great assistance.
However, for the sake of decency, do the right thing and make the plan retroactive to the dates of the disasters. What a stupid way to lose on a good initiative.
HILLARY'S FAILED LOGIC
The American Memorial Day holiday finds its origins in honoring those that died fighting the Civil War. This year HBO ran a made-for-television spectacular called "Recount" over the holiday to remind people of the political civil war in 2000.
I am still waiting for my torrent to download the full show, so I cannot pass any personal judgment on the program. What I have picked up from reading reviews is that it was pretty good and, on the whole, accurate. The White House was won by the team that was prepared to throw principles to the wind and employ pragmatic tactics, like getting into the mix in Miami-Dade County and shutting down the recount.
And of course the ongoing battle for the Democratic Nomination continues to be a divisive process for Democrats and Americans. The issue of how Michigan and Florida delegates will
be seated will be watched carefully. While Obama will remain the leader after the final primaries finish next week, there is no denying that both he and Clinton are nearly equally strong and share near equal support.
Hendrik Hertzberg has written a nice commentary for The New Yorker that looks at the divisive race, Clinton's improper logic and Obama's reach out.
Will she stay until the convention? I hope not, but one thing is for sure, Obama's win is tight and he needs the Clintons.
I am still waiting for my torrent to download the full show, so I cannot pass any personal judgment on the program. What I have picked up from reading reviews is that it was pretty good and, on the whole, accurate. The White House was won by the team that was prepared to throw principles to the wind and employ pragmatic tactics, like getting into the mix in Miami-Dade County and shutting down the recount.
And of course the ongoing battle for the Democratic Nomination continues to be a divisive process for Democrats and Americans. The issue of how Michigan and Florida delegates will
be seated will be watched carefully. While Obama will remain the leader after the final primaries finish next week, there is no denying that both he and Clinton are nearly equally strong and share near equal support.
Hendrik Hertzberg has written a nice commentary for The New Yorker that looks at the divisive race, Clinton's improper logic and Obama's reach out.
Will she stay until the convention? I hope not, but one thing is for sure, Obama's win is tight and he needs the Clintons.
MOLLY RETURNS HOME
"Help control the pet population; have your pet spayed or neutered"We took Molly to the vet hospital yesterday for a ovariohysterectomy. The boys were very concerned about their little kitten and were quite ecstatic on her return today. She arrived home much quieter than when she departed with loads of pain medication and anti-biotics.
Bob Barker
The kids' spin on things has been entertaining. Conor told Liam at breakfast that Lucky had all her babies taken out.
There is no evidence that a pet suffers from any personality or emotional harm by having their ovaries removed. The uterus is also removed to insure that it does not become a source of infection over a period of time.
Lucky, my cat of the past 15 years, was spayed but I never considered having her front claws removed. Of course in those days I had no children and another rip in my old furniture was not a concern.
Mohandas Gandhi said, "The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated."
Some communities are passing county ordinances requiring spaying or neutering for companion animals. The state of Rhode Island recently enacted a state law that will require cat owners, excluding farmers, to spay or neuter their cats by the time they are six months old... or face a fine if they don't.
Adopt from a shelter where many loving dogs and cats are seeking homes.
I never buy animals. Each time an animal is purchased from a pet store or breeder, a demand is created and more unhealthy puppy and kitten mill animals are bred and sold. Every animal bought at a pet store means one less adoption.
MAXIMUM EMBARRASSMENT
It was not his personal relationship with Julie Couilliard that cost him his job, well not exactly. Quebec Conservative super-star Maxime Bernier resigned his cabinet post as Minister of Foreign Affairs after acknowledging that he left classified documents at Couilliard's apartment. It was a mistake that cost him his job.
Maxime has been no stranger to gaffes since taking over the portfolio; he has done everything from addressing the President of Haiti incorrectly, to interfering with domestic politics in Afghanistan, to bringing Couilliard to his swearing in ceremony.
The Prime Minister could forgive him. After all Maxime was political manna from heaven in seat- rich Quebec. However when it was learned that a television interview with Couilliard would disclose more ammunition for the opposition parties the saga had to end.
She had a little baggage. A few ties to criminal bikers. That his ex-girlfriend was married to one biker and lived with another tied to the Hells Angels has been known for weeks. It had since been reported that a more recent boyfriend who ran a security firm committed suicide while he owed money to the Hells Angels. That was forgivable, after all she had done nothing wrong. She seemed nice enough when she and Maxime dined with Harper.
Last night she did a tell all interview on French-language television network TVA. In the interview she said that Maxime left some documents at her house last month which were returned to the Foreign Affairs department several days ago.
Now if we could just determine if Couilliard ever dated a Russian Naval attache we might be able to label Maxime as just another John.
Maxime has been no stranger to gaffes since taking over the portfolio; he has done everything from addressing the President of Haiti incorrectly, to interfering with domestic politics in Afghanistan, to bringing Couilliard to his swearing in ceremony.
The Prime Minister could forgive him. After all Maxime was political manna from heaven in seat- rich Quebec. However when it was learned that a television interview with Couilliard would disclose more ammunition for the opposition parties the saga had to end.
She had a little baggage. A few ties to criminal bikers. That his ex-girlfriend was married to one biker and lived with another tied to the Hells Angels has been known for weeks. It had since been reported that a more recent boyfriend who ran a security firm committed suicide while he owed money to the Hells Angels. That was forgivable, after all she had done nothing wrong. She seemed nice enough when she and Maxime dined with Harper.
Last night she did a tell all interview on French-language television network TVA. In the interview she said that Maxime left some documents at her house last month which were returned to the Foreign Affairs department several days ago.
Now if we could just determine if Couilliard ever dated a Russian Naval attache we might be able to label Maxime as just another John.
Monday, May 26, 2008
PIMPED OUT TREE HOUSES
When I was kid we loved to make forts, camps and tree houses. There weren't a lot of trees in the hills surrounding St. Bernard's that could support a tree house but you could nail a few pieces of wood together and connect a few trees.
The forts normally lasted as long as the friendship, or until a rival bunch of kids found it and rolled it over (another blog post).
I have fond memories of sneaking down behind Cyril Johnson's house and "borrowing" a sled load of wood every night while he attended mass. We would wait in the woods by Aunt Lill's house as the church bells rang and strike as soon as the coast was clear. Johnson had torn down a huge shed in his backyard and we helped ourselves to the tongue and groove lumber. Johnny Whittle and I would tow the wood out the bank and up over the path by Aunt Vera's to Aunt Becky's Garden where we stockpiled it.
Over the winter we scammed enough lumber to build a very cool two story fort. We lugged the wood further up into an area called the big mesh. We found a nice area for our fort, a little open space that was surrounded by trees. A good place to hide the fort. So we started building in early spring. It was an architectural marvel to us. We had bunks, a stove, cards, comics, candles and a couple of windows. Every day after school we raced up there, put a fire in and hung out.
As summer approached we realized that our fort was built on a marsh and it began to slowly sink and was overrun by red ants. Of all the camps we built it was the coolest by far.
Which gets me back to the purpose of this post - cool tree houses. Take a look at this link for some pimped out tree houses. Johnny and I could only have dreamed of something so extravagant. Richie Rich digs if I ever did see one.
FORGET THE ARCTIC LOOK TO THE SKY
The rush to define ownership of the arctic has heated up as global warming makes accessibility easier. The new land rush is a grab for shipping rights and the rights to the resources on the ocean floor.
Ownership of another prime piece of real estate is up for debate. This huge non-terrestrial landmass has a great view and little oxygen and to date no one has settled there for more than a few days at a time. That has not stopped one man from selling 300,000 acres of moon land over the past eight years.
Francis Williams founded MoonEstates eight years ago. He purchased a license to sell lunar land in the UK from American Dennis Hope, who claimed ownership of the moon in 1980. He claims he found a loophole in the 1967 United Nations Treaty that forbids countries from owning the moon but allows individuals to own it. He filed a declaration of ownership and has been selling moon land for 28 years.
CNN looks at the the issue of who owns the moon and what may be at stake in the future.
As proof of purchase, new property owners receive a silver tin containing a personalized "Lunar Deed" and a moon map with a tiny black X marking their tract's approximate location.
Ownership of another prime piece of real estate is up for debate. This huge non-terrestrial landmass has a great view and little oxygen and to date no one has settled there for more than a few days at a time. That has not stopped one man from selling 300,000 acres of moon land over the past eight years.
Francis Williams founded MoonEstates eight years ago. He purchased a license to sell lunar land in the UK from American Dennis Hope, who claimed ownership of the moon in 1980. He claims he found a loophole in the 1967 United Nations Treaty that forbids countries from owning the moon but allows individuals to own it. He filed a declaration of ownership and has been selling moon land for 28 years.
CNN looks at the the issue of who owns the moon and what may be at stake in the future.
As proof of purchase, new property owners receive a silver tin containing a personalized "Lunar Deed" and a moon map with a tiny black X marking their tract's approximate location.
MECHAPHILIA
Okay, I admit I have posted some strange articles about people's sexual fetishes from time to time. There was the guy and the picnic table and that British chap who got himself in trouble for having sex with his bike.
The Telegraph ran a story about a man who gets all revved up over cars. His current girlfriend is Vanilla - she is a white Volkswagen Beetle.
Edward Smith says he has never felt an attraction to men or women. Just cars. He first had sex with a car at the age of 15 and says that his most intense sexual experience was "making love" to the helicopter from the 1980s TV hit Airwolf!
He claims to have had sex with over a thousand cars. But he confesses that many of the cars he has had sex with have belonged to strangers or car showrooms.
He may not need a shot for STDs but he could use a tetanus shot. Guess who I am not leaving alone on my leather couch to watch the Transformers movie.
REPUBLICANS FALLING APART
"[I]f we were a dog food, they would take us off the shelf,"There is nothing worse than being a former Cabinet Minister, President or Prime Minister. All your power is gone and much of the feigned respect dissipates and, well, you're a former somebody. Perhaps there is one thing that is worse, being a lame duck leader.
-Rep Tom Davis
Welcome to the world of George Bush. He has an approval rating that is falling as fast as oil prices are rising. His administration is the vanguard of an unpopular war, the economy is sinking into recession and energy prices are going through the roof. The public want change.
The once-faithful Republican senators and other legislators are defying the Oval Office and voting against the President's positions. The Republican Party defection is in full panic. Republicans have lost three House seats following special elections in decidedly conservative districts. Republicans are trying to salvage local electoral chances in the fall and the sooner they cut ties the better those chances will be. Everyone wants to say they stood up to Bush.
The Republican Party is in search of reinvention and they are beginning to look a little desperate.
ANOTHER HUGE ECONOMIC HIT FOR WEST COAST
Another blow for the economy on the Province's West Coast. Island Aggregates & Ready Mix in Deer Lake is saying it can no longer afford to operate. 150 people have lost their jobs.
So far the only solution seems to be the oil patch in Alberta. The Horizons project alone is looking for 15,000 employees.
Not that I am counting but let's look at a few of the big closures on the West Coast over the past few years. The biggest by far was the closure of the Abitibi- Consolidated mill in Stephenville that eliminated 700 good-paying jobs; then the closure of the Lafarge gypsum wallboard plant in Corner Brook; layoffs at Kruger; and the loss of hundreds of jobs in the forestry sector from closed saw mills to laid-off loggers.
At the rate at which the municipal tax base is eroding the viability of many communities is in decline. I am not saying that someone is asleep at the switch but at the rate things are going there won't be much left when he awakes. It is time to roll out a comprehensive plan to address the diminishing opportunities in rural Newfoundland and Labrador.
So far the only solution seems to be the oil patch in Alberta. The Horizons project alone is looking for 15,000 employees.
Not that I am counting but let's look at a few of the big closures on the West Coast over the past few years. The biggest by far was the closure of the Abitibi- Consolidated mill in Stephenville that eliminated 700 good-paying jobs; then the closure of the Lafarge gypsum wallboard plant in Corner Brook; layoffs at Kruger; and the loss of hundreds of jobs in the forestry sector from closed saw mills to laid-off loggers.
At the rate at which the municipal tax base is eroding the viability of many communities is in decline. I am not saying that someone is asleep at the switch but at the rate things are going there won't be much left when he awakes. It is time to roll out a comprehensive plan to address the diminishing opportunities in rural Newfoundland and Labrador.
ANOTHER DAY ANOTHER GAFF!
"Consideration has even been given to pursuing an action against the federal government, who could've certainly intervened along the development of the Upper Churchill . . . and the people of Quebec who've received the benefit from the Upper Churchill"Danny Williams must wonder why he bothers to get out of bed in the morning lately. Last week he had to deal with a Deputy Premier who was bullying his Municipal Affairs Minister and his Services and Works minister. Tom Rideout quit before he could be fired. The Premier told the House of Assembly that he has confidence in his cabinet, particularly since Rideout was gone. After today, I am not sure he could provide the same answer.
- Kathy Dunderdale
Today his Minister of Natural Resources held a news conference to clarify how much money the department has been spending on the Lower Churchill Project. They had been quite critical of expenditures on this file by the previous administration and were facing a freedom of information request.
However, Dunderdale dropped a bomb. She announced that the Williams administration was looking at legal action against the federal and Quebec governments - in order to secure redress for the Upper Churchill Falls contract.
The Newfoundland government has launched legal actions before challenging the validity of the Upper Churchill contract. The claims were dismissed by the Supreme Court of Canada. Although there are a few people, like myself, who think that 92. A of the constitution, the 1982 constitutional Amendment on Resources, has not been tested and some judicial decisions would go a long way toward clarifying some doubtful issues.
92A grants provincial jurisdictions, in particular over non-renewable resources, forestry resources and electrical energy. It represented a change in the division of powers and legislative authority.
So when I heard the Minister's comments I thought, yes, about time. They are going to explore what 92 A might be able to do about the inequitable Churchill Falls arrangement. Of course in retrospect, giving what came next, Minister Dunderdale might well think 92 A is a combination platter at her favorite Chinese restaurant.
Turns out that Dunderdale misspoke at her press conference. It would appear that no legal challenge is forth coming. The Minister was accompanied by Justice Minister (enforcer) Jerome Kennedy to explain her mistake.
The Minister must have been reading the Innu position which is that 40 years ago the original project went ahead without consulting the Innu and they were not compensated for roughly 6,000 square kilometers of land. They stated last week that they are not prepared to sign on to a Lower Churchill Agreement until such a time as the issues from the Upper Churchill are addressed.
On days like this you can understand why the Premier's office seems to keep a tight rein on things. Let's see, a bully, two ministers who cannot stand up to a bully, a minister who cannot even follow her briefing notes and mistakenly announces a new policy direction on redressing Churchill Falls, and a Minister of Health who pulled a similar stunt to Dunderdale's a few months ago related to infrastructure issues with health care facilities.
Time to consider shuffling the cabinet. Confidence is waning in the Williams TEAM! I hear Ian Brodie is looking for a job. He knows how to deal with these situations.
BELL HAS TO JUSTIFY THROTTLING
The battle over the never-ending issue of bandwidth continues. We pay for highspeed but providers are throttling speeds to local internet providers, who then find it impossible to deliver the promised service.
The CRTC has not offered the Canadian Association of Internet Providers any immediate relief from throttling by Bell-Sympatico. The CRTC has launched a public inquiry into the throttling issue. The association and Bell Sympatico have until May 29 to give the commission comments and the public are invited to make comments up to June 2st.
I have experienced some slow down in service. I call to complain and get the run around about local infrastructure issues. I say but you billed me for ultra-high speed, and you're not able to provide it and on it goes. It seems to me that ISPs are careless with the truth when it comes to their networks and what they're doing with them.
The good news from the CRTC hearing is that Bell-Sympatico has to prove that the network is so congested that throttling is the only answer. Up to this point the carriers have denied they throttle Peer to Peer transfers at all. The CRTC appears to be taking the issue seriously.
I just want the service I pay for.
The CRTC has not offered the Canadian Association of Internet Providers any immediate relief from throttling by Bell-Sympatico. The CRTC has launched a public inquiry into the throttling issue. The association and Bell Sympatico have until May 29 to give the commission comments and the public are invited to make comments up to June 2st.
I have experienced some slow down in service. I call to complain and get the run around about local infrastructure issues. I say but you billed me for ultra-high speed, and you're not able to provide it and on it goes. It seems to me that ISPs are careless with the truth when it comes to their networks and what they're doing with them.
The good news from the CRTC hearing is that Bell-Sympatico has to prove that the network is so congested that throttling is the only answer. Up to this point the carriers have denied they throttle Peer to Peer transfers at all. The CRTC appears to be taking the issue seriously.
I just want the service I pay for.
PHOENIX LANDING
The Mars Phoenix Lander is functioning well after landing on the red plant on Sunday night. It was a rough landing but it touched down unscathed and is sending back some great pictures. I am impressed with the fact that we can send sophisticated equipment through space, land it safely and view pictures from Mars. More than half of all nations' attempts to land on Mars have failed.
Canadian technology is front and center. The Canadian-built Meteorological Station will monitor the planet's weather from the surface. The Canadian Space Agency and a team headed by York University — and including contributions from the University of Alberta, Dalhousie University, the Geological Survey of Canada and instrument-maker Optech — will oversee the science operations of the station.
Is the quest to understand Mars worth the money and resources? Ask the person who just got a heart-lung transplant if investing in technology is a waste of money. Space research is one big R&D programme. The results turn up in everything from welding to computers, to building materials and our clothing.
It is staggering that the USA is capable of such amazing things as landing a piece of metal on a distant planet that sends back imagery, and at the same time can be responsible for such horror, and death and destruction, wrought on countries they have no legal, moral, or political need or right to be in. Imagine what they could achieve if all their resources were put to good - imagine what could be done around the world, or in space exploration, with the $200 billion USD that has been spent on the Iraq war
Did I mention how cool the pictures are? The boys have some Mars Mission Lego and I overheard Liam and Conor exploring last night. A Mars Rover is in the works.
Canadian technology is front and center. The Canadian-built Meteorological Station will monitor the planet's weather from the surface. The Canadian Space Agency and a team headed by York University — and including contributions from the University of Alberta, Dalhousie University, the Geological Survey of Canada and instrument-maker Optech — will oversee the science operations of the station.
Is the quest to understand Mars worth the money and resources? Ask the person who just got a heart-lung transplant if investing in technology is a waste of money. Space research is one big R&D programme. The results turn up in everything from welding to computers, to building materials and our clothing.
It is staggering that the USA is capable of such amazing things as landing a piece of metal on a distant planet that sends back imagery, and at the same time can be responsible for such horror, and death and destruction, wrought on countries they have no legal, moral, or political need or right to be in. Imagine what they could achieve if all their resources were put to good - imagine what could be done around the world, or in space exploration, with the $200 billion USD that has been spent on the Iraq war
Did I mention how cool the pictures are? The boys have some Mars Mission Lego and I overheard Liam and Conor exploring last night. A Mars Rover is in the works.
GOOD ADVICE FROM NEW BRUNSWICK PATHOLOGY INQUIRY
"Step back; put aside personal agendas and consider the issues"
- Justice Paul Creaghan
Health scandals are popping up all over the country. The problems at the cancer lab here in Newfoundland and Labrador have forced many health authorities to review their own practices and take patient complaints more seriously.
New Brunswickers' confidence in their health care system has been shaken. Hundreds of people were impacted when the work of a long time pathologist came under suspicion. 23,782 diagnoses are under review. Dr. Rajgopal Menon had practiced for 45 years. He was stripped of his right to practice medicine by the N.B. College of Physicians and Surgeons following complaints about his work. It turns out that the original complaints were the tip of the iceberg.
Justice Paul Creaghan is heading an inquiry into mistakes in pathology services at Miramichi Health Authority. Prior to the official start of the inquiry on May 5th, he advised those involved to "step back". He went on to note that the inquiry is first and foremost an investigative process rather than a discovery process, meaning it is not a trial and not an adversarial process.
Lawyers George McAllister, Ray Wagner of Halifax and Ches Crosbie are preparing a class-action lawsuit against the Miramichi Regional Health Authority over work done by Menon.
The big question seems to be why the hospital did not have a system in place to catch problems earlier.
SPORTS FISHING IS DANGEROUS
A fishing mishap that claimed the lives of two men in their twenties over the weekend might have been prevented. RCMP say that neither of the men who were fishing for trout in Deep Bight Pond were wearing life jackets.
I want to offer my condolences to the friends and families that have been left behind. A few years ago a fishing mishap claimed the lives of two people that I knew well. Neither of them were wearing life jackets. Between them they left six children and two widows behind.
I grew up with a father who was a fisherman. Life jackets 30 years ago were clunky and they got in the way. Father had a suit of oil clothes on, three layers of clothing and rubber boots. I am not quite sure what would have kept him afloat. Over the years inflatable oil jackets and lighter vests have been developed to make safety less cumbersome. Type 5 inflatable jackets are no more bulky than a pair of suspenders.
Needless deaths due to preventable boating accidents seem like such a waste of vibrant life. Many of the boats involved in these accidents are small boats. This immediately puts one at risk as they are tippy.
For those of you that enjoy fishing you know how hypnotic and refreshing it is. The fact that you like to get out there and enjoy the outdoors shows the high regard you have for life and enjoying the outdoors. The sport of fishing is dangerous and you should have a life jacket on at all times.
Perhaps this tragedy will help convince others.
I want to offer my condolences to the friends and families that have been left behind. A few years ago a fishing mishap claimed the lives of two people that I knew well. Neither of them were wearing life jackets. Between them they left six children and two widows behind.
I grew up with a father who was a fisherman. Life jackets 30 years ago were clunky and they got in the way. Father had a suit of oil clothes on, three layers of clothing and rubber boots. I am not quite sure what would have kept him afloat. Over the years inflatable oil jackets and lighter vests have been developed to make safety less cumbersome. Type 5 inflatable jackets are no more bulky than a pair of suspenders.
Needless deaths due to preventable boating accidents seem like such a waste of vibrant life. Many of the boats involved in these accidents are small boats. This immediately puts one at risk as they are tippy.
For those of you that enjoy fishing you know how hypnotic and refreshing it is. The fact that you like to get out there and enjoy the outdoors shows the high regard you have for life and enjoying the outdoors. The sport of fishing is dangerous and you should have a life jacket on at all times.
Perhaps this tragedy will help convince others.
Sunday, May 25, 2008
19 YEARS LATER INDY STILL A WINNER
I took Aidan and Liam to see Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull on Saturday. Boy did it ever make me feel old. Indy looks old, which means I look that much older than I did when I saw the first one. 28 years older in fact.
The movie was great. Lived up to my expectations. I was not alone. The movie grossed an estimated $101 million from Friday to Sunday, plus $25 million from its opening Thursday, distributor Paramount Pictures said. The company expects it to earn another $25 million on Monday.
The boys want the video game for the Wii. The lego version of course!
The movie was great. Lived up to my expectations. I was not alone. The movie grossed an estimated $101 million from Friday to Sunday, plus $25 million from its opening Thursday, distributor Paramount Pictures said. The company expects it to earn another $25 million on Monday.
The boys want the video game for the Wii. The lego version of course!
OPINION LEADERS: LEVEL PLAYING FIELD
Last week I posted some comments about the impact that low lobster prices and high operational costs were having on the lobster fishery.
George MacVicar, editor of the Southern Gazette, raises some interesting questions about prices offered for product caught in Newfoundland and Labrador and prices offered on the mainland. For example, lobster fishermen in Nova Scotia are getting $1.50 a pound more for lobster than fishermen here. Surely transportation costs are not to blame. It has always been that way.
He argues, and I agree, that there are a lot of issues facing inshore harvesters and that they are not fairly represented by the FFAW, and he demands a fair playing field in the area of prices.
I have always argued that the province should enforce rules that ensure lobster fishermen are paid a set percentage of the Boston Price for Lobster and that the prices have to be posted by buyers daily. As the Provincial Government approves buyers licenses they can refuse to reissue one if the rule is not followed. It would create a level playing field for our harvesters and ensure parity with prices paid in the other maritime provinces.
George MacVicar, editor of the Southern Gazette, raises some interesting questions about prices offered for product caught in Newfoundland and Labrador and prices offered on the mainland. For example, lobster fishermen in Nova Scotia are getting $1.50 a pound more for lobster than fishermen here. Surely transportation costs are not to blame. It has always been that way.
He argues, and I agree, that there are a lot of issues facing inshore harvesters and that they are not fairly represented by the FFAW, and he demands a fair playing field in the area of prices.
I have always argued that the province should enforce rules that ensure lobster fishermen are paid a set percentage of the Boston Price for Lobster and that the prices have to be posted by buyers daily. As the Provincial Government approves buyers licenses they can refuse to reissue one if the rule is not followed. It would create a level playing field for our harvesters and ensure parity with prices paid in the other maritime provinces.
OPINION LEADERS: COUNTY GOVERNANCE NOT FAR OFF
An interesting editorial from Gulf News editor Mandy Ryan. She is speculating about the reemergence of the debate on regional municipal rationalization and the introduction of a county system. Apparently the provincial government has included monies in the latest budget to study county systems.
11 years ago the province put together a task force that toured the province to study the issue and make recommendations. Dr. Peter Boswell, Sam Synard and Freida Faour released a report encouraging regional cooperation.
The issue became a political hot potato, and an opportunity to implement a county system model that might have allowed incorporated and unincorporated areas to better coordinate their operations was lost.
One of the regions of the province where people were adamantly opposed to rationalization was the Codroy Valley. Mandy Ryan's editorial can be found here.
11 years ago the province put together a task force that toured the province to study the issue and make recommendations. Dr. Peter Boswell, Sam Synard and Freida Faour released a report encouraging regional cooperation.
The issue became a political hot potato, and an opportunity to implement a county system model that might have allowed incorporated and unincorporated areas to better coordinate their operations was lost.
One of the regions of the province where people were adamantly opposed to rationalization was the Codroy Valley. Mandy Ryan's editorial can be found here.
OPINION LEADERS: OFF THE BUS
All he succeeded in doing was revealing himself to be a politician who turns petulant when faced with the issues and questions he would rather not deal with.The editor of the Packet, which serves the folks in Bonavista, Trinity and Placentia Bay, has weighed in on the issue of David Cochrane's legitimate line of questioning and the premier's over the top reaction to being pinned down with an uncomfortable question.
Barbara Dean-Simmons
CBC reporter David Cochrane won't be on the PC bus next election.
Not unless Danny Williams either calms down, or decides he won't be on the next election bus himself.
Because it appears Cochrane has been officially added to the William's blacklist.
"Make sure he gets cut off," Williams said to his communications director as he walked away from Cochrane. At least that is how other reporters who were there recall it. Check out Geoff Meeker's blog, Meeker on Media, at www.thetelegram.com for further details.
Cochrane's sin that put him in the path of Williams' wrath?
Asking questions.
Read the rest here.
JUDGE CAMERON HAS THE LAST WORD
"It is clear that the concern of the applicant is not the right of Commission counsel to ask questions of a witness but the manner in which such questions are to be put, specifically, whether Commission counsel may ask leading questions,"
- Judge Cameron
To cap off a couple weeks of not-so-good press, the "Provincial Government's" request to clarify rules about the role of lawyers in cross-examining witnesses at the breast cancer inquiry has not gone in the government's favor.
Just days after Premier Williams and Justice Minister Kennedy publicly questioned the tone, cost and approach of the commission. Williams likened the "inquisitorial methods" of the counsel to a witch hunt"
Despite the fact that government has counsel at the hearings, another lawyer made an unexpected appearance at the hearings and asked Judge Cameron to revisit the rules she had laid down on cross-examination of wittinesses. The lawyer, Jackie Brazil, refused to state specifically on whose orders she was acting on, except to say it was the provincial government.
Judge Cameron quoted case law supporting the view that counsel must be prepared to ask probing questions, especially when a witness's evidence is inconsistent or evasive. Premier Williams told the House of Assembly that he only wanted "commission counsel to play by the rules." The rules are firmly understood now and the government's interpretation was shown to be without merit.
I find the comments section on CBC's website very interesting because of the number of critical comments made towards the government.
The government has done itself a lot of damage over the past few weeks. Not the least of which is former social crusader and current Justice Minister Jerome Kennedy who slammed Judge Gomery's opinion on the government's approach as "presumptuous" and called the comments an "uneducated opinion.
Suddenly motives are being questioned. This brings this sad chapter of the commission to a close. The government has a legitimate right to question costs but to publicly undermine the commission and than throw in a legal challenge only infuriated the public and hurt government credibility on the issue. Let the commission do its job, that's what everyone else wants.
HOT POTATO, HOT POTATO
Weekends are family time for the most part. As a result I do not get as much time to blog or follow the news. For example I missed that Prime Minister Stephen Harper's chief of staff, Ian Brodie, wasn't nailed as the source of the leaked information about U.S. Senator Barack Obama's plans to renegotiate NAFTA that caused such a fuss prior to the Ohio Primary.
Privy Council Clerk Kevin Lynch's final report on the issue did not finger the source of the leak but did indicate that Brodie had not disclosed any confidential information.
Lynch lays the blame at Canada's Foreign Affairs Department for incorrectly classifying a diplomatic document and distributing it to too many people. It was distributed to more than 200 government officials.
Some U.S. Democrats, as well as Canadian opposition parties, accused Harper's Conservative government of meddling in the U.S. primary elections. Canadian opposition parties demanded Brodie be fired.
The report concluded that Brodie had informal discussions with reporters from CTV News in February regarding attacks on the North American free-trade agreement made by candidates for the Democratic presidential nomination. However, he did not leak confidential information. The news agency dug deeper as did the Associated Press and the result was a story that Obama was just positioning on NAFTA and Canadian authorities did not have to fear a renegotiation if he was elected president.
Liberal Leader Stéphane Dion said yesterday that, "They [Brodie and Canadian Ambassador to Washington Mike Wilson] showed a lack of judgment and the report does not give any new light about that. The report just said it did not find any evidence to contradict their versions.''
New Democrat party leader Jack Layton says ""This was a report prepared by employees of Mr. Harper, about employees of Mr. Harper that concluded that nothing could be found that could be pinned on the employees of Mr. Harper in any definitive or final sense."
Brodie announced last week that he will be returning to his life as a university professor on July 1st.
Privy Council Clerk Kevin Lynch's final report on the issue did not finger the source of the leak but did indicate that Brodie had not disclosed any confidential information.
Lynch lays the blame at Canada's Foreign Affairs Department for incorrectly classifying a diplomatic document and distributing it to too many people. It was distributed to more than 200 government officials.
Some U.S. Democrats, as well as Canadian opposition parties, accused Harper's Conservative government of meddling in the U.S. primary elections. Canadian opposition parties demanded Brodie be fired.
The report concluded that Brodie had informal discussions with reporters from CTV News in February regarding attacks on the North American free-trade agreement made by candidates for the Democratic presidential nomination. However, he did not leak confidential information. The news agency dug deeper as did the Associated Press and the result was a story that Obama was just positioning on NAFTA and Canadian authorities did not have to fear a renegotiation if he was elected president.
Liberal Leader Stéphane Dion said yesterday that, "They [Brodie and Canadian Ambassador to Washington Mike Wilson] showed a lack of judgment and the report does not give any new light about that. The report just said it did not find any evidence to contradict their versions.''
New Democrat party leader Jack Layton says ""This was a report prepared by employees of Mr. Harper, about employees of Mr. Harper that concluded that nothing could be found that could be pinned on the employees of Mr. Harper in any definitive or final sense."
Brodie announced last week that he will be returning to his life as a university professor on July 1st.
THE BALANCE
Okay, today is Sunday. I find it the most stressful day of the week. It is the day for domestic catch-up. Except Kris works on Sundays, there is mass in the morning, I have a Knights of Columbus First Degree at 2:30 and I wanted to sleep in this morning.
Dirty laundry is piled in heaps from the laundry room up the basement steps. The kids are enjoying diving off the landing into the pile. Conor thinks it is more fun than jumping into piles of leaves in the fall. Each scream of excitement is a reminder that I have to start washing.
Did I mention that the fruit of our last big laundry day labour is scattered in laundry baskets throughout the bedrooms upstairs. They used to contain neatly folded, freshly cleaned clothing. It is still clean but it has been picked over and very little managed to get put away. It was a busy week, normally we keep a bit of daily rein on dirty clothes.
Dusting, cleaning, fresh sheets, groceries, baths and homework await. That and we promised to address the clutter in the workroom/storage room tonight. I feel like I am in an equestrian contest, hopping over barricades trying to get in and out of my bedroom.
I wonder if I will ever come to accept the fact that two of my primary parental duties are turning off lights and flushing toilets. Time to stop complaining and dig in!
Dirty laundry is piled in heaps from the laundry room up the basement steps. The kids are enjoying diving off the landing into the pile. Conor thinks it is more fun than jumping into piles of leaves in the fall. Each scream of excitement is a reminder that I have to start washing.
Did I mention that the fruit of our last big laundry day labour is scattered in laundry baskets throughout the bedrooms upstairs. They used to contain neatly folded, freshly cleaned clothing. It is still clean but it has been picked over and very little managed to get put away. It was a busy week, normally we keep a bit of daily rein on dirty clothes.
Dusting, cleaning, fresh sheets, groceries, baths and homework await. That and we promised to address the clutter in the workroom/storage room tonight. I feel like I am in an equestrian contest, hopping over barricades trying to get in and out of my bedroom.
I wonder if I will ever come to accept the fact that two of my primary parental duties are turning off lights and flushing toilets. Time to stop complaining and dig in!
WHERE ARE THE WEAPONS OF MASS DESTRUCTION
The simple fact is, Williams has thrown away an opportunity to argue this is a new style of administration that doesn't play pavement politics. Instead, he's turned Rideout's resignation into a fiasco that raises questions about the handling of this whole process.
- The Telegram - June 23rd
Newfoundland and Labrador's largest paper has shifted its editorial position on the Tom Rideout resignation issue. In the largest circulated edition, Saturday's, the paper looked at the comments and actions of the Premier and a couple of senior ministers in the wake of the deputy premier's resignation/firing.
I wrote a bunch of posts on the issue last week. It's a good thing it is only Tom Rideout; What is next for Tom Rideout; Rideout hung himself; and the Excommunication of Tom continues all point towards the bigger issue, that politics has not changed in this province, that the Premier's office seems to have become a carbon copy of the powerful Prime Ministers Office, that a calculated campaign to discredit Rideout was underway and that there are no good guys in this mess.
Now that war has been declared, how messy will it get beforethe guns are silenced. I have no doubt that Rideout is sitting on a few political Weapons of Mass Destruction of his own. Any hesitation to use his trigger finger surely has passed since the ministerial gang-up and the Premiers personal attacks in the House of Assembly.
One thing is for certain, politics is never boring here on the rock.
THE ASSASSINATION WORD
You just know how concerned Obama's team really is about his safety and how unsure they are that some racist Americans are prepared for a black president when Senator Clinton's harmless reference to time frames related to past Democratic races sets off a firestorm in the media and in Obama's campaign.
Clinton was merely pointing out that calls for her to withdraw are premature. She cited two examples of June races. "My husband did not wrap up the nomination in 1992 until he won the California primary somewhere in the middle of June, right? We all remember Bobby Kennedy was assassinated in June in California."
An assassination attempt on a black president or presidential candidate is a real probability in a nation where there are strong currents of hatred and intolerance for blacks. It is taboo to talk about it, as if by ignoring the reality some black hating psychopath will not think of the hateful action on his or her own. As if the slightest reference to the word assassination will encourage some deranged individual to consider violence.
If one considers that the assassination of Martin Luther King was the end of the civil rights movement, than there has been only forty years between than and now. In the span of history that is nothing. Slavery in America ended in 1865 and was in place for over 250 years.
Obama's election as president would be a cultural and social phenomenon that some intolerant groups would be unable to accept. Obama is more likely to be the target of an assassin because of his race. The Secret Service started protecting Obama more than a year ago — earlier than at any time in the history of that detail — because of specific threats to the candidate.
The phrase "assassinate Obama" is often one of the key top search terms on internet search engines. My search today with the phrase in three top search engines netted me thousands of hits. Is reporting on the issue a factor? How does the media responsibly cover the topic?
Clinton was merely pointing out that calls for her to withdraw are premature. She cited two examples of June races. "My husband did not wrap up the nomination in 1992 until he won the California primary somewhere in the middle of June, right? We all remember Bobby Kennedy was assassinated in June in California."
An assassination attempt on a black president or presidential candidate is a real probability in a nation where there are strong currents of hatred and intolerance for blacks. It is taboo to talk about it, as if by ignoring the reality some black hating psychopath will not think of the hateful action on his or her own. As if the slightest reference to the word assassination will encourage some deranged individual to consider violence.
If one considers that the assassination of Martin Luther King was the end of the civil rights movement, than there has been only forty years between than and now. In the span of history that is nothing. Slavery in America ended in 1865 and was in place for over 250 years.
Obama's election as president would be a cultural and social phenomenon that some intolerant groups would be unable to accept. Obama is more likely to be the target of an assassin because of his race. The Secret Service started protecting Obama more than a year ago — earlier than at any time in the history of that detail — because of specific threats to the candidate.
The phrase "assassinate Obama" is often one of the key top search terms on internet search engines. My search today with the phrase in three top search engines netted me thousands of hits. Is reporting on the issue a factor? How does the media responsibly cover the topic?
ONE FOR ALL AND ALL FOR ONE
Despite a poll earlier this week that showed Liberal Leader Stephane Dion still not registering with Canadians as the choice for Prime Minister, the Liberals are at least showing unity and singing from the same hymn book.
A report in yesterday's Globe & Mail indicated that senior organizers for Iggy and Rae have signed on to assist Dion to retire his leadership debt, raise money for the next election campaign and end the specter of a palace revolt.
The Liberals still face organizational challenges raising money in the wake of changes made to the rules governing fundraising by former PM Jean Chretien and current PM Stephen Harper. The party has traditionally been dependent on corporate donations, which are now banned. It has begun to raise money though telemarketing and direct mail but is far behind the governing Conservatives.
The Liberal leaderships race concluded about 18 months ago. Dion is the only leadership candidate that is expected to still be carrying a debt and the deadline imposed by Elections Canada to retire the debt is June 3rd. The figures will be available on Election Canada's website on June 4th.
Some pundits were saying that if Dion cannot even cover his own expenses, will he be able to raise money for the party? That criticism seems more muted these days as Liberal focus on his strengths and cite examples of past leaders who did not have an interest in the party machinery and raising cash.
Apparently Pierre Trudeau did not have a lot of patience for infighting and fundraising. He appointed individuals to handle those issues for him allowing him to focus on leading the party. I know that Premier Clyde Wells went through the motions when it came to party mechanisms as well. The politicking and internal wrangling were distractions from the fundamental issues of governing. Both liberal leaders offered great leadership to their respective parties.
A united party working together to form policies that inspire Canadians under a leader that exudes intellectual honesty can thwart the Conservatives when the next election does occur.
A report in yesterday's Globe & Mail indicated that senior organizers for Iggy and Rae have signed on to assist Dion to retire his leadership debt, raise money for the next election campaign and end the specter of a palace revolt.
The Liberals still face organizational challenges raising money in the wake of changes made to the rules governing fundraising by former PM Jean Chretien and current PM Stephen Harper. The party has traditionally been dependent on corporate donations, which are now banned. It has begun to raise money though telemarketing and direct mail but is far behind the governing Conservatives.
The Liberal leaderships race concluded about 18 months ago. Dion is the only leadership candidate that is expected to still be carrying a debt and the deadline imposed by Elections Canada to retire the debt is June 3rd. The figures will be available on Election Canada's website on June 4th.
Some pundits were saying that if Dion cannot even cover his own expenses, will he be able to raise money for the party? That criticism seems more muted these days as Liberal focus on his strengths and cite examples of past leaders who did not have an interest in the party machinery and raising cash.
Apparently Pierre Trudeau did not have a lot of patience for infighting and fundraising. He appointed individuals to handle those issues for him allowing him to focus on leading the party. I know that Premier Clyde Wells went through the motions when it came to party mechanisms as well. The politicking and internal wrangling were distractions from the fundamental issues of governing. Both liberal leaders offered great leadership to their respective parties.
A united party working together to form policies that inspire Canadians under a leader that exudes intellectual honesty can thwart the Conservatives when the next election does occur.
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