Are we ready for the BIG one?

Is Newfoundland ready to handle an oil spill like the one in Louisiana? That’s a question being asked by environmentalist Stan Tobin. In a CBC story, Tobin is quoted as saying, "I don't think we have the capacity, I don't think we have the technology, or I don't believe we have the know-how to cope with something like that if it happened. We're running on a song and a prayer even though I'm sure the people that operate out there are careful." Of course CAREFUL and READY are two entirely different concepts. The oil pumping out of those deep sea wells is providing the fuel for the economic engine in Newfoundland but are we anywhere near ready to deal with a massive oil spill? On the scale of the Exxon Valdez? Perhaps this is one scenario that Danny Millions needs to take charge of personally to ensure that we are ready. There’s a fine balance in resource management and now is the time to see that the management plan is working rather than having a list of important telephone numbers to call in the event of a massive spill.

What is it with politicians?

The news has been full of stories lately about politicians from Torbay to New Brunswick to Ottawa padding their own pockets while pleading that the budgets they control are in poor shape. Don’t they understand the hypocrisy? Do they think that voters’ memories are so short that we won’t remember this the time for another election comes along or do they depend on the voters’ apathy? In Ottawa, almost a year ago, the Auditor General Sheila Fraser formally asked two committees for permission to audit Parliament's expenses, including the expenses of MPs and senators. She still hasn't received a reply. Silence equals no. Basically, they don’t want the Auditor General and through her, us, to know what’s going on with the books. I know there are honourable politicians out there and over the years, I’ve had the privilege of knowing some, but they must understand that this sort of behavior paints them all with the same brush. Would that we all could vote ourselves an increase in pay!

I use crystal glasses every day

Someone sent this to me in one of those chain e-mail things the other day.  Usually, I completely ignore them, but this one caught my attention and so I thought I would share it with you.  Not a recipe for life, but maybe an appetizer ...

A friend of mine opened his wife's underwear drawer and picked up a silk paper wrapped package:

'This, - he said - isn't any ordinary package.'

He unwrapped the box and stared at both the silk paper and the box.

'She got this the first time we went to New York, 8 or 9 years ago. She has never put it on, was saving it for a special occasion.

Well, I guess this is it.

He got near the bed and placed the gift box next to the other clothing he was taking to the funeral house, his wife had just died.

He turned to me and said:

'Never save something for a special occasion.

Every day in your life is a special occasion'.

I still think those words changed my life.

Now I read more and clean less.

I sit on the porch without worrying about anything.

I understood that life should be a source of experience to be lived up to, not survived through.  

I use crystal glasses every day.

I'll wear new clothes to go to the supermarket, if I feel like it.

I don't save my special perfume for special occasions, I use it whenever I want to.

The words 'Someday...' and ' One Day...' are fading away from my dictionary.

If it's worth seeing, listening or doing, I want to see, listen or do it now.

The reputation management tool kit

When is an apology not an apology? In a recent cartoon in the New Yorker magazine, a woman is standing over her sad-looking husband. “I don’t want your apology,” she says. “I want you to be sorry.” This came to mind when I read a story today about a fellow in New York who apparently literally planted himself in a park with a sign apologizing to his girlfriend for some indiscretion. Turns out that both of them are actors and some believe it was a stunt to gain attention. It points out the public manipulation aspect of many of these so-called apologies. In the last few years, we’ve seen any number of governments issue public apologies for various acts committed in the past; famous celebrities have done the same in such numbers that it’s hard to keep track of who’s apologizing for what. Hockey players are sorry they nailed another player in the side of the head; politicians are sorry they lost their temper; actors are sorry they got drunk; televangelists are sorry they got caught fooling around with another woman (or man); car manufacturers are sorry for the way they handled problems. The list goes on and on and on and on. The question is do these high-profile, media intensive apologies carry any weight? Are the apologizers truly sorry? Doubtful. These are stage-managed acts of public contrition which are now as much a part of the reputation management tool kit as happy family pictures used to be. The press asked whether the event in New York in the park was an apology or a stunt. Same could be asked of just about all of the others too.

From warm fuzzy to frightening - the Internet experience

I had actually intended to write a warm, fuzzy piece today talking about the wonder of the Internet and how the social media are evolving into a new kind of community that replaces the traditional form. The Townie Bastard blogger got me thinking about it with some of his reflections yesterday about the Facebook phenomena; others have said much the same thing. So, I was going to reflect on the wonderful diversity in the blogosphere and how rich is the content on the blogs which belong to Stephen Eli Harris' Newfoundland Blog Roll. Then, I read this story about death threats being made against British Columbia Member of Parliament Ujjal Dosanjh and quite frankly, I felt a shudder as I read it. One line quoted in the story says someone posted this on the Facebook page, "It'd be much more appropriate to pierce him with bullets, not compassion.” I realize there are nut cases in every community and the Internet tends to attract them by the millions, everything from perverts to terrorists. It’s why organizations such as CSIS and the NSA in the States maintain such careful monitoring of the Internet. But whereas before the nut cases had an audience in the tens; now those audiences are potentially in the millions. There are very dangerous and very influential people on the Internet, many of whom prey on those for whom information discernment is not a skill. I never heard of the Integrated National Security Enforcement Team before but right now, I feel glad these people are on the job. In the meantime, send some positive energy towards MP Ujjal Dosanjh – it’s probably not the first time he’s had threats made against him, but it has to be very unsettling for him and his family.

Donne would be mortified

Want to try an interesting experiment sometime? Walk down the street or walk down the corridor in a public building and try to engage people with just a look, a smile or a simple hello. See how many will immediately look away or won’t even look at you in the first place. My theory is that they’re scared to engage you. It’s true for both men and women and the younger they are, the less likely they will even look at you. I don’t mean teenagers, I mean people in their 20s and 30s. It seems to be getting worse. There are times when I will deliberately speak in a louder voice and say hello to someone and it’s as if they don’t know how to respond. There’s almost a look of panic when you intrude into their space … and God forbid if they have their iPod running or something. That is a clear sign they are in their own universe and visitors are not welcome. I wonder how many remember the line in John Donne’s Meditation XVII, “No man is an island, entire of itself; every man is a piece of the continent, a part of the main.” I would guess most have never heard of it or at least have no idea about what it means. Is there a better reason as to why there is so much violence in the world when we are so detached from one another? If we do not value the people around us, why should we value their existence or their well-being? Donne would be mortified.

Memories ...

Always used to enjoy the Woolworth lunch counter ... open booths around an open grill with some of the best fries in town and, when you could afford it, a hamburger with the works!  "Those were the days"!  (Archie & Edith, we miss ya)  :-)

What’s wrong with speaking only English?

It seems quite a lot if you’re looking for a job with the federal government – whether as Governor General, Supreme Court judge or clerical person in some far flung office of l’empire. It appears unilingual anglos are disqualified immediately because they don’t speak French regardless of what other qualifications they might have. A recent column in the Ottawa Citizen caught my attention when it said this: “The consequence of mandatory bilingualism is as obvious as it is unmentionable in the polite circles of Official Ottawa: the top jobs often won't go to the best people. Former Supreme Court justice John Major -- his tongue liberated by retirement -- has been blunt about this. Make bilingualism mandatory for Supreme Court judges and you'll still get good people. But you won't get the best.” So far, here in Newfoundland, it seems that being unilingual English is not a major impediment to employment … yet.

The new Rash Limburger of the American political right

Looks like the Sarah Palin phenomenon is continuing to develop a head of steam. To me, it’s probably the best argument for marketing I’ve seen in a long time. Remember the K-Tel patty-stacker? You didn’t need one but after watching a couple dozen of their commercials, you bought one anyway. Same thing with Palin. She’s not very bright, seems to have the depth of a stream in the Serengeti, writes her crib notes on her hand but still pulls a crowd. Of course, there is a “like attracts like” theory operative there as well. Assisted by some talented marketing managers, some good writers and a bevy of stylists, Palin is the new Rash Limburger of the American political right, i.e. you don’t have to know what you’re talking about as long as you’re loud, speak in words of less than three syllables and stick with the hockey mom metaphors and apple pie stuff. Anyone who remembers the Couric interview will recall the deer-in-the-headlights look that Palin had when asked some pretty easy questions. Remember the “drill baby drill” quote? I thought Americans would have had enough of the bush-league. Guess not.

There’s almost no anonymity on the Internet

There’s a story developing in Halifax that could have long-range consequences for those who choose to post anonymously on the Internet, myself included. My rule-of-thumb has always been is that as long as you stay away from libel, slander and defamation of character, there is no reason you should not be permitted to post anonymously. That rule apparently has been broken in Halifax. Contributors to a website maintained by the Coast newspaper allegedly crossed that line in a discussion involving some members of the regional fire department. Lawyers for two members of the fire service went to court asking that the identities of those who had posted the material be made public. The judge told Google Inc. to give up information about a person who had used a G-mail account to disseminate allegedly defamatory information about senior fire officials and she also ordered The Coast, an alternative weekly, to give up personal information about people who used the newspaper’s website to post allegedly defamatory information about the men. While the case itself will play out in the court, the larger question is with regard to online freedom of expression and the dampening effect that this case could have. There are many valid and legitimate reasons people choose to post anonymously on the Internet; if they are forced to argue those reasons in a public forum, then the anonymity becomes a moot point. Coast editor Kyle Shaw said the paper would hand over names and e-mail addresses of the online commentators. “The Internet is a world where everything is tracked and people think there’s anonymity, but there’s almost no anonymity on the Internet,” he told reporters. “If anybody thinks it’s utterly free and anonymous and untraceable, they are mistaken.” An important thing to remember the next time you decide to pen a few words in cyberspace. Scribe beware!

It’s stuff like this that breeds intolerance

How often do we hear people talking about the “two systems of justice” in this country – one for the rich and one for the poor? It’s not only the rich/poor divide though – it’s also the native vs. non-native divide. Consider, if you will, the illegal slaughter of about half of a protected caribou herd in the Joir River area of central Labrador when, in March 2009, dozens of Innu hunters from Quebec travelled to the area and hunted caribou. Hunting in that area is forbidden because it is also home to the endangered Red Wine caribou herd, which mingle with other caribou species. Turns out that only ONE of those hunters is being charged. The Innu said they did it as a political act to assert their rights. Hmmm … I wonder what would have happened if a group of white hunters from Goose Bay had gone in and done the same thing? Regardless of the reason, the RCMP and the Forest Rangers would have swooped down and arrested the whole lot of them, taken their asses to jail and they would be facing either jail time or serious fines. But, it appears as long as you can wave the treaty rights flag, that sort of justice doesn’t apply. Not surprisingly, Newfoundland’s Natural Resources Minister Kathy Dunderdale is not commenting on the hunt, citing an ongoing investigation. I guess the Minister doesn’t have the depth to see the moral/ethical issue here. For me, the political bullshit on both sides is intolerable. Here, you have a group of Innu hunters who loudly profess their solidarity with Mother Nature and at the same time, kill 50 endangered caribou to assert their treaty rights. It’s stuff like this that breeds intolerance whether these idiots understand it or not.

Ka-ching

Where does your hard-earned money go when you donate to a national charity in Canada? Well, at least part of it may be going to extremely high salaries for some top officials. A report in today’s Globe & Mail says some of Canada’s largest and best-known charities are paying top officials more than $300,000 annually, government filings show. That’s three hundred with a whole bunch of zeroes behind it. Top earners include executives at Plan International Canada Inc., Heart & Stroke Foundation of Ontario, York University Foundation and five hospital foundations. Those charities all paid their chief executives more than $300,000 last year. Some interesting ones: the head of the Salvation Army Territorial Headquarters in Toronto pulled in nearly a quarter of a million last year. The head of Plan International Canada (formerly Foster Parents Plan) hauled between 300-350 thousand dollars. Now, I understand that you need good talent, but it strikes me that a charity that raises its funds a dollar at a time or in a kettle at Christmas should not be paying its top dogs that much. Makes me even less inclined to consider Foster Parents Plan as a target for donations. Charity doesn’t have to end at home, but it can certainly begin here.

Depends on which end of the shovel ...

What’s the old expression … all is fair in love and war? Guess it depends on which end of the shovel you find yourself. Take for example a US Army helicopter attack on a group of people in Iraq. The stark Apache helicopter gunsight video of the July 12, 2007, attack has been widely viewed around the world on the Internet since its release on April 5. US Defense Secretary Robert Gates criticized the Internet group Wikileaks on Tuesday over its release of the video showing the Apache helicopter attack that killed a dozen people in Baghdad, including two Reuters news staff. "These people can put out anything they want, and they're never held accountable for it. There's no before and there's no after," Gates said. One thing for certain, for the people on the ground, there was definitely NO AFTER. Watch the video for yourself and draw your own conclusion.

Death one shake at a time.

Are you like me and reach for the salt shaker before even tasting your food or assume that unless you add salt to the food while it’s cooking, you’re not doing a good job? Or look at a bucket of salt meat and think how good it’s going to taste? If so, you’re with the majority of the Canadian population. The amount of sodium consumed by Canadians is currently estimated at 3400 mg per day, on average. Now consider that a kidney specialist told me the other day that we should be consuming no more than 1200mg per day! Many of us are doing three times that OR MORE. A diet high in sodium is associated with an increased risk of high blood pressure. High blood pressure is a major risk factor for stroke, heart disease and kidney disease. Using that 1200mg/day as an indication, I grabbed three cans out of the cupboards this morning. Here’s what I found: Chef Boyardee Lasagna (Pasta with beef in tomato sauce) 425g – for the can 1460mg sodium; Compliments Cut Green Beans 398ml - for the can about 540mg sodium; Graves Beans with Pork in molasses 540ml – for the can about 1880mg sodium. There was no particular reason to pick those cans – they were simply at the front of the shelf. The results are simply mind boggling. The kidney specialist asked me if I was watching my salt intake … I am now. (Here’s a possible resource for you).

It's all about ME!

There are a lot of wonderful people in this country who offer for public life, but then there are the DUDS. Helena Guergis is one example. Yesterday the Prime Minister tossed her out of cabinet and then out of the Tory caucus in Ottawa for questionable behaviour. Guergis and her husband, former Tory MP Rahim Jaffer were once called a “power couple” in Ottawa. Looks like it went to their heads. Now the RCMP is investigating, at the Prime Minister’s request, whether Guergis did anything wrong. You can sense their power draining faster than a punctured tire. The other story comes out of PEI where Finance Minister Wes Sheridan is accused of using some very offensive language and elbowing female opponents during a charity hockey game. In both cases, the politicians are guilty of extremely poor judgement and an obvious lack of common sense. Goes back to what I was saying about the “me” syndrome earlier – they give the impression that they are the only ones who matter. Very disappointing behaviour from those who are supposedly elected to serve – us, not themselves.  (Check out John Meaney's cartoon - sums it up very well)

Thumbs down to MUN choice for honorary degree

Memorial University is giving an honorary degree to Princess Anne. The only question I have is why? Frankly, I’m about as anti-monarchist as you can get. The monarchy is a complete and total waste of time and money. Princess Anne is being acknowledged for all the charitable work that she does. I suppose it’s easy to do when you don’t have to work – get a few million pounds a year to use for spending money and can fly around the world at other people’s expense. You can be darned sure that when she comes to Canada she won’t be paying for the airfare out of her pocket. She’s coming as the colonel-in-chief of the Royal Newfoundland Regiment (RNR) to present new colors to 1RNR. MUN would be far better off giving a degree to some of the men who fought for freedom in Europe so Annie and the rest of her family can continue to live in public housing at Buckingham palace. It’s a waste of money – simple and sweet. Such a contrast that a similar degree is being given to Stephen Lewis who has done so much for humanitarian relief around the world, especially in Africa. I think giving one to the so called “princess” (their word – not mine) diminishes the degree being given to Lewis.

Kudos to the city of St. John’s

Kudos to the city of St. John’s for deciding to donate $50 thousand to the Hands Across the Sea orphanage and mission in Haiti. The orphanage and mission are run by Karen Huxter from Steady Brook, NL. The city wanted to donate money to a specific need in Haiti and learned of this orphanage which is located in Deschappelles, about 40 kilometres outside Port-au-Prince. HATS website says, "Hands Across the Sea helps children and their families in Haiti. HATS includes an orphanage, a school serving children from preschool to grade 9, serving 230 children, many of whom are sponsored by individual donors in Canada and the U.S. The children receive a high-quality nutritional drink and a hot lunch each school day. Finally, HATS-Haiti provides ongoing support to families in the community with financial aid in times of crisis, nutritional support, clothing distribution, and assistance with medical costs at the nearby hospital." Director Karen Huxter says the money will come in very, very handy. If you want to donate to HATS, visit their website here.  (The picture of the little boy came from the HATS website)

Bottom line: go home Duceppe

Gilles Duceppe brought his separation roadshow to St. John’s today. The Bloc Quebecois leader, whose sole purpose in life is the break-up of Canada, says it's up to Newfoundland whether it wants to leave Canada. Isn’t that mighty fine of him to offer us that choice? Of course, when you think about that, you have to remember that Duceppe is an elected member of the House of Commons, that MOST Canadian of all federalist institutions … AND … that he, Stephane Dion and Jack Layton were ready to form a coalition government not that long ago. A coalition government? With a man who has vowed to break up Canada? Wow … glad I didn’t buy a used car from him. Bottom line: go home Duceppe and take your pseudo-communist separatist crap with you.

7th rate celebrities get to dance

What is it with these multiple-birth mommys that suddenly turn into some sort of celebrity? (I'll betcha there are hundreds, if not thousands of outport moms who have these dazed folks beat many times over.)  I had a chance to watch a little bit of Entertainment Tonight on NTV and lasted until they did a feature bit on Kate Gosselin. Because she’s had eight babies, was featured in a second-rate (at best) “reality” TV show and got a divorce, she now qualifies to appear on “Dancing With The Stars”. Of course, she’s right alongside everyone’s favourite plastic surgery/botox queen Pamela Anderson, who is looking very much like that guy that has had waaaay too much sun. Are we in such desperate need of entertainment that this is what scores the ratings now? What a fascinating comment. By the way, speaking of comment, if you want an interesting commentary on how to reduce hospital wait times, check out Charlie’s Hash.

Is Canada a serious country?

The extent to which we waste time and money in this country on the most trivial of issues continues to amaze me. None is more amazing than the so-called human rights tribunals set up across the country. In their origins, the tribunals were a wonderful idea … now they have become a repository of some of the most bizarre allegations and charges, all brought by individuals who, in another place and time, would be told to suck it up. Rex Murphy has a great column in this weekend’s National Post entitled Please don't call it 'human rights'. An excerpt: “Is Canada a serious country? Do we staff close to a dozen offices, provincial and federal, spend nearly $200-million across the great expanse of the country, to explore the human rights implications of rude heckling in comedy clubs? Or, the human right to undress in the locker room of your choice? For this, did the great armies of the West storm the beaches of Normandy? For this, did Solzhenitsyn and Sharansky endure their endless nights of hell in the gulag?” It’s worth a read.

Happy Easter!

Should we be allowed to choose when we die?

Should we have the right to die at a time and place of our own choosing? Two recent articles have prompted me to think about this. The first is a wonderfully written piece by fellow blogger wisewebwoman on her blog “The Other Side of Sixty”. Entitled “Voyage” the story is about a man who apparently one day decides to end his life in the ocean. The second article is in the current edition of Macleans magazine and is entitled “Maclean’s Interview: Bernice Packford” and features an interview with a 95-year old BC woman who wants to be able to legally choose the time and place of her death, assisted by a physician. My question in both instances is why not? The Charter of Rights and Freedoms guarantees many rights for us in Canada, but this one fundamental right is not addressed. As a culture, we have difficulty with death, especially in someone who we feel has not reached the natural end of his/her life. And yet, for so many who live a painful, tortured existence, death would bring peace and an end to their pain. Who are we as a society to tell them they should not do that?  (Further reading can be found at the Death with Dignity National Center website.)

What's good about Good Friday?

I remember as a kid, once I learned what Good Friday was all about, wondering why it was called “good” instead of “bad,” “lousy,” “depressing” etc. It wasn’t until a few years later that I realized the significance of the “good” in Good Friday. We all have a purpose to our lives and for Jesus Christ, today commemorates the moment when he achieved the purpose in his earthly life – to die for us. When that sinks in, as it did for me as a teenager, we realize what our faith is all about and why we call this Good Friday. As I read on the web within the last little while, Good Friday falls between two triumphs - when Jesus rode into Jerusalem and his resurrection on Easter Sunday. Understanding the significance of that is a powerful moment. Have peace on this day.

Charges dropped against Rev. James Beaton of Norris Arm

The RNC needs an investigation into its investigative techniques. For the second time in a week, the Crown Prosecutor has been forced to abandon charges against a man charged with sexual assault because of “no reasonable likelihood of a conviction”. Over a year ago, Rev. James Beaton of Norris Arm, was charged with sexual assault and sexual exploitation. Both charges have now been dropped. Seems that someone within the RNC needs to take a long hard look at how the police force investigates sexual assault charges. Earlier this week, the same thing happened to Rick Babstock. It speaks of sloppy investigation or a rush to lay charges – or both. Both of these men have had their reputations ruined, their standing in their respective communities damaged beyond belief and I’m sure they both have gone through living hell. This calls for more than a simple apology, as if one were to suddenly appear; instead, they need to be compensated well for their grief and the police force has to take a serious look at how it does its job. At the moment, it’s not getting a passing grade.