Enough about the punks

I’m angry. Angry that a bunch of punks has managed to focus the country’s attention on their vandalism and property destruction in downtown Toronto. The YouTube video I posted here last night shows one example of that. There are many more. The legitimate demonstrators in Toronto have allowed their message to be taken over completely – who today knows what Maude Barlow or Ken Georgetti said yesterday? But most people are talking about the punks who for the most part probably couldn’t even write a coherent sentence. Talk about dregs.

While I still have serious questions about the amount of money being spent on this thing, I find myself agreeing with Jonathan Kay in the National Post after he travelled around downtown Toronto last night: “We’ve heard a lot of talk in the run-up to this event about the “intimidating” police presence. Well guess what: That “intimidation” prevented a potentially deadly confrontation at Queen and Spadina last night. It also saved an untold number of innocent storeowners from having their windows smashed and their inventory looted. The purpose of deploying legions of “intimidating” cops on the street isn’t to win a fight against protestors: It’s to make sure a fight never happens in the first place.”

We lost two more Canadian soldiers yesterday. Two medics are the latest members of the Canadian Forces to be killed in Afghanistan. Master Cpl. Kristal Giesebrecht of Wallaceburg, Ontario and Pte. Andrew Miller of Sudbury, Ontario were part of a unit dispatched to deal with a mine found in the doorway of a home when their vehicle detonated an improvised explosive device. Cpl. Giesebrecht, 34 and Pte. Miller, 21 were both medical technicians attached to the 1st Battalion, The Royal Canadian Regiment Battle Group. My thoughts are with Cpl. Giesebrecht and Pte. Miller’s comrades and families this morning. May they rest in peace.

Bring on the rubber bullets

Just saw this on YouTube. Picture from today in Toronto as one of the thugs smashed in the window of a Starbucks restaurant. What a brave, democracy loving man who cares about this country! Bring on the rubber bullets.

Will all G20 hell break lose today?

What’s happened to my country? That’s my question this morning when I read the Canadian Press headline: Fortress Toronto, a city on edge: Will all G20 hell break lose today? I’m a cradle Canadian and to see the images out of Toronto leaves me dumbfounded. We have spent billions of dollars on these three or four days and yesterday, as I watched some of the tin pot dictators from Africa arrive at the Toronto airport and read the story about the Saudi tribal chieftain set up at one of the hotels, I couldn’t help but ask – why are we having this “party” in the first place? I know maternal health care in the developing world is an issue, but if the most that comes out of this meeting is that Canada is contributing 7/8ths of the money to be spent on maternal health care in Africa, then these meetings have been an extraordinary waste on a colossal scale that I can’t even begin to comprehend. We could have sent Harper to Zimbabwe for a photo op with Mugabe.

Now, today, people in Toronto are worried that their city is going to suffer massive damage at the hands of roving bands of thugs who call themselves anarchists. They blend into the crowd, put on masks and then get their 15-minutes when they throw rocks and petrol bombs. And who knows who they are? Terrorists from extreme Islamist groups, Quebec police in disguise or just your local garden variety jerk still pissed about the spanking his mother gave him 15 years ago?

Is Steve Harper so out of touch with reality that he somehow feels that this bullshit will enhance his stature somewhere in the world? Is his self-esteem in need of such boosting that he will go to any cost to have the “family photo” in this country? Does anyone believe that this whole thing will make any difference – except maybe for the fencing contractor that got the job in Toronto and the Toronto police who got to buy those new sound cannons, the audio equivalent of the killer stun guns.

Hello VOCM and Goodbye CBC

I find myself increasingly frustrated with what passes for journalism in 2010. An article in theatlantic.com caught my eye today – more for this statement than for the content of the story: “The sad truth is that the Washington Post, in its general desperation for page views, now hires people who came up in journalism without much adult supervision, and without the proper amount of toilet-training.” Regrettably, it is reflective of a far broader collection of so-called journalism than just the Washington Post. I’m a long-time radio listener and this week changed radio stations, something that I do not do lightly. I had enough of the crap that passes for morning news on the local CBC St. John’s radio with its very obvious agendas and instead now listen to 590-VOCM. I don’t much care for music in the morning, but do like news and information. I don’t get as much news on VOCM but at least I know I’m not going to hear endless stories of dogs being abused or cats being flown from Afghanistan or whatever else the local PETA chapter deems appropriate news for the week. The VOCM newscasts are much more tightly written with a far better presentation and presented by experienced newscasters who know how to pronounce the word “news”. Once upon a time, the CBC used to pride itself on professional announcers, now professionalism is not apparent, neither is quality content. Peter Gzowski must be turning over in his grave. So, Hello VOCM and Goodbye CBC.

Sounds like a rip

I like Diet Pepsi. Matter of fact, I drink about a litre a day of the stuff. I’ve cut back from where I was a few months ago, likely downing about two litres a day. I know there’s all sorts of controversy about it, but it’s a choice I make. My point today is not about the health issues, but rather about the price. Yesterday, during the weekly grocery shopping expedition, I noticed the price at Superstore/Dominion at $2.17 for a two litre bottle of Diet Pepsi. This morning at Shoppers Drug Mart, in a Saturday-only special, it was going for 99₵ for a two litre bottle. That’s $1.18 in the difference and it was flying off the shelves. The Shoppers on Topsail Rd was nearly sold out of the Diet Pepsi by not-quite 9am … being a 24-hour store, they may have sold a lot through the night, but it was moving quickly. I know that Shoppers is using it as a loss leader to get you into the store, but just think … chances are they’re not losing much money selling it for 99₵ for a two litre bottle. Imagine how much Loblaws is making selling it for $2.17 for the same thing. Sounds like a rip to me. (One other point … when they invented the computer keyboard, why did they eliminate the cents symbol [₵]? I don’t use it a lot but it would be nice to have it there rather than having to go sort through the “insert symbols” menu.) Have a fun Saturday.

Bye bye monarchy

The “geriatric tour” is set to kick off in about ten days. I don’t mean the Rolling Stones, but it is two people from England - Elizabeth Windsor and Phillip Mountbatten, better known as “The Queen & Prince Phillip”. The two octogenarians land in Halifax and then embark on a trip across Canada and into the USA – no indication so far they’ll have to take off their shoes and pass through a metal detector although it would be cute if they somehow ended up on a no-fly list! As the so-called “royal” descendants of the German princely House of Wettin prepare for their visit to the colonies, a new survey shows the majority of Canadians believe the country should sever its ties to the monarchy once her job ends. (The only “royal” connotation to this visit may be if Crown Royal is offered as a beverage to Lil’beth, Phil and their entourage.) The Ipsos-Reid poll shows that six in ten Canadians (58%, +5) believe Canada should end ties to the monarchy when Elizabeth retires or dies. The majority (62%, +9) believes Canada’s head of state should be an elected governor general or some such, but not a queen. According to the poll, the strongest voices favouring abolishment of the monarchy in Canada come from Quebec, where eight in 10 people believe ties to the monarchy should be cut when Elizabeth is done, but 53 per cent think she has done a good job in her role as monarch. Most don’t think that her loutish bore of a son - the adulterer and his wife - the mistress, should have any role to play in Canada. I’m among the most. Here’s your hat … what’s your hurry.

Bottled water debate

Have you ever wondered about the apparent paradox in the bottled water business? It’s ok to buy bottles that have sat on the shelf for months, but if you take them home, don’t even think about refilling them to bring along with you to work or wherever. Part of me thinks it’s a scam just to get us to buy more bottles of water if that’s your choice. I enjoy Diet Pepsi and usually buy a case when it’s on sale at Piper’s or one of the other stores in town. Price per unit is about 75 cents. However, I don’t want to drink too much, so I alternate between a one litre bottle of DP and a water tap refill from home in a same size bottle. A few weeks ago, there was a lot of press about bacteria levels in the water … much uncertainty as to whether bottled water was safe. That seems to have resolved itself, but the refill issue remains contentious. Health Canada says this, “There have been claims that polyethylene terephthalate (PET or PETE) plastic used in single use water bottles breaks down when used repeatedly releasing cancer-causing chemicals. However, Health Canada has seen no scientific evidence to suggest that reusing PET bottles will contribute harmful levels of chemicals and toxins to the water.” For now, for me that’s good enough. Please note this post has nothing to do with the ethical issues involved … save that for another time.

Canada's pension woes

There’s going to be an interesting discussion starting today in Prince Edward Island. Canada’s finance ministers are meeting there and the top item on the agenda is what to do about Canada’s pension situation. The option federal finance minister Jim Flaherty is proposing is to increase the premiums paid into the Canada Pension Plan as a safeguard against the needs of an increasingly aged population. Predictably, the Canadian Federation of Independent Business is opposed. CFIB President Catherine Swift says the proposal is disgusting. Of course, Swift has a well-paying job and has few worries about the future when she’s old and needs special care. The main concern is that people who earn between $30-80k are not able to save for their retirement and instead spend their income on “present” needs. My guess is that across the country, very few of us have been able to put much away for retirement, so the change to the CPP premiums may be the way to go. Many of our seniors live in desperate situations, trying to make ends meet with the OAP and GIS. They deserve better and by paying a few extra dollars now, we might not face the same situation down the road.

Love it when a plan comes together

The A-Team movie opens this weekend. For those of us who were BIG A-Team fans back in the 80s (1983-1986) it was a weekly event you didn’t want to miss. (Quick aside: the complete series is now available on DVD for $110.00 at Amazon.ca). Haven’t had a chance to see it yet, but it is playing at both Empire cinemas in the St. John’s area. Will probably check it out some evening next week – want to avoid the mouthy ankle biters.

Brian Johnson from Macleans offers this commentary: “ … starts out as an origins story, showing how the quartet comes together as a brotherhood of former Army Rangers whose paths collide. The setting is updated, with the Iraq war providing the backdrop and a private military contractor named Black Forest—an obvious reference to the real-life mercenary army, Blackwater—serving as the villain. There’s even a dash of political content as Face greets the Black Forest operatives: ‘I thought you boys would be busy installing a dictatorship or overthrowing a democracy. . . You’re not soldiers, you’re assassins in polo shirts’.”

Two excellent actors are in the show. Liam Neeson and Sharlto Copley, who did such an excellent job as the star in District 9. Looking forward to seeing it. Here’s a trailer …

Abby Sunderland update

There's a report today from Abby's family that she has been seen and talked to rescuers in an airplane that flew over her.  She has not yet been rescued and apparently her sailboat lost its mast ... the rescue craft are still on their way.  So, it would appear she's not out of danger just yet.  Continue to pray for her.

ALONE!

Being a child of the ocean, whenever I hear of sailors in danger at sea, I connect with them and their families immediately, innately knowing the panic they must feel against the raw, brutal power of the ocean – your best friend and your worst enemy. Now, think of a 16-year old girl child alone in the same situation. When I first read the story of Abby Sunderland today, my first reaction was anger – at her parents and everyone else who let this child try to break some kind of record by sailing around the world ALONE. How stupid can they be. How much they must desire some sort of fame for themselves and for this child that they would allow her to undertake such a journey? The last signal from her indicated that she was more than 2,000 miles from both Africa and Australia. ALONE. My heart goes out to this child as ships and planes race to her last known location, placing even more people in unnecessary danger. Her parents describe her as tough and capable, but they fail to talk about the fact that she is still a child and should never have been placed in this situation. Her teenage brother appears to have become the family spokesman. Another case of incredible irresponsibility on the part of the parents who have organized this fiasco. What is it about these parents who push their children onto the stage dressed as tiny movie stars or who push them to fly around the world or climb Mount Everest? Are they living their own unsatisfied lives vicariously through their children? Do they hope, like the parents of the “flying saucer boy”, that they somehow will become rich by exploiting their children? As those who know and understand the ocean, the best we can do now is offer a prayer for Abby and a hope that she survives. Jail is the best destination for her parents.

Peewee bodychecking means 3X greater injuries

Interesting study on bodychecking in peewee hockey to be published in Wednesday's edition (9 June 2010) of the Journal of the American Medical Association. Basically, the study says that bodychecking more than triples the risk of injury and concussion in peewee hockey, according to the study conducted by the University of Calgary. Peewees are 11 & 12 years old and the study was conducted during the 2007-08 season on 74 boys teams from Alberta and 76 from Quebec. Those two provinces were chosen because Alberta allows peewee bodychecking and Quebec does not. Quebec is the only province that introduces bodychecking at the bantam level while the rest allow it in peewee. Saskatchewan, however, currently has a pilot project testing bodychecking in atom rep, the highest skill level for that age group. The study determined that there were 73 severe injuries and concussions in Alberta versus 20 in Quebec. A total of 14 severe concussions occurred in Alberta to four in Quebec. The study also found players in the bottom quarter in body weight were at a "significantly" greater risk of injury and concussion than other players. Opinions are mixed – some believe bodychecking should be allowed at the atom level; others say wait until bantam. I’m in the latter group.

Source: http://jama.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/full/303/22/2265

Zero percent interest isn’t going to buy me back

Sad news today that yet another car company has launched a massive recall for safety reasons. The Associated Press is reporting that Chrysler is recalling almost 600,000 minivans and Jeep Wranglers in the United States and another 100,000 elsewhere because of brake or wiring problems that could create safety issues. The braking problems could lead to a partial loss of brakes. The wiring problem could lead to a fire. Both of which could lead to accidents (or may already have) that could cause serious injury or death. You want to believe that when you buy an automobile that you can trust what you’re getting … but now with the Toyota recall and now this one from Chrysler that trust is fading fast. I don’t care what kind of price slashing or other incentives the companies use, I just wouldn’t feel safe in them – at any speed. Perhaps I’m still naïve enough to want to believe the companies when they tell me that their products are among the safest or whatever slogans they use in their slick advertising but it doesn’t cut it anymore. And frankly when you lose my trust, it’s gone for good. Zero percent interest isn’t going to buy it back.

Too much to hope for

I’m reminded of the song from The Sound of Music, “How do you solve a problem like Maria?” Only this time the phrase “middle east” would replace Maria. Watching the news unfold about the ship trying to run the Israeli blockade of Gaza makes one wonder about the propaganda on both sides. If the flotilla’s real objective was to bring aid to Gaza, then it would have done what the Israelis requested (and five of the ships did, by the way) and sail into Ashdod and the supplies were transported to Gaza. But there was one ship & crew that decided not to follow the rules and tried to force its way through. People were killed and injured when the Israeli soldiers boarded the ship. I remember seeing an interview with one woman who brought her infant son on that ship saying something about her son being in danger. Doh! Quite frankly lady – how stupid can you be? They don’t want to understand that for the Israeli government, NO means NO. I don’t agree with the blockade of Gaza but I also realize the Israelis are still fearful after the attempted elimination of the all Jewish people only two generations ago. Now, as Prime Minister Netanyahu has said many times, an extreme Islamic theocracy pledged to the destruction of Israel (anyone hear echoes of Hitler?) is getting nuclear weapons. The Israelis have every reason to be frightened … we would be too if we were in their position, but as armchair quarterbacks a million miles away, it’s easy to be critical. That’s what’s happening at the United Nations in New York - that safeguard of humanity in places like Rawanda, Darfur or Zimbabwe. If only the UN were able to speak with the same forcefulness of those situations as it routinely does against Israel. But that’s too much to hope for.

Service or exploitation?

I wonder when grieving became a public exercise? Once upon a time, people were left to grieve in the company of family and friends when a loved one dies – now it’s splashed across the pages and television screens of the nation. Just recently there have been some tragic deaths in Newfoundland and reporters have been assigned to go talk to the families, in some cases, before the dead person is buried. That’s followed by the heart-wrenching stories of how much the family misses the dead, the special moments, the little things the dead did for others. It’s the kind of reminiscence that once used to happen at the wake or at the reception after the funeral, but not until recently did it become a media exercise. How about the instantaneous tributes that pop up at the site of a death? Suddenly, there are flowers and teddy bears and notes about what a wonderful person so and so was. Consider as well when a student dies and the school is suddenly invaded by “counsellors” eager to provide their services to help the other students deal with their grief. TV cameras sit on the sidewalk to ask the students going into school “how they feel” or some other stupid questions. In some cases, it appears that it’s a catharsis for the survivors to be able to go on camera with tear-streaked cheeks to tell how sad they are. TV stations and newspapers do it over and over again because at essence, we are rubber-neckers, unable to pass by an accident on the highway without stopping to look and see. But when did we move from private grief to public grief? More importantly, why?