Monday, September 29, 2008
New Democratic Platform: First Impressions
New Democrat Platform: First impressions « Sean In Saskatchewan
The announced total cost of the policies included in the platform are
51.6 billion dollars. Promising a balanced budget, the New Democrats
announced that the needed money would come from a NDP government
repealing the 50 billion dollar Conservative business tax cuts
(supported by the Liberals) that were to take effect in 2009 and also
from the money saved by pulling out of Afghanistan immediately (a
so-termed “peace dividend”).
The announced total cost of the policies included in the platform are
51.6 billion dollars. Promising a balanced budget, the New Democrats
announced that the needed money would come from a NDP government
repealing the 50 billion dollar Conservative business tax cuts
(supported by the Liberals) that were to take effect in 2009 and also
from the money saved by pulling out of Afghanistan immediately (a
so-termed “peace dividend”).
Sunday, September 28, 2008
Saturday, September 27, 2008
Reason to switch
Accidental Deliberations: Reason to switch
What's more, with more Lib voters willing to switch, there's also a
higher upside to their actually following through. If the NDP can carry
all of its current support plus the Libs and Greens who would be
willing to switch, then its support would reach 35.42%. In contrast,
the Libs' similar best-case scenario would be 33.95% of the vote.
With the Cons likely stuck with a relatively poorly distributed support
level in the mid to upper 30s, that point and a half could make the
difference in determining whether the Cons remain in power - or whether
a minority NDP government is able to start reversing the damage done by
Harper over the past two and a half years. Which means that for voters
who are inclined to vote based on stopping Harper, there's another
strong reason to make the NDP their choice.
What's more, with more Lib voters willing to switch, there's also a
higher upside to their actually following through. If the NDP can carry
all of its current support plus the Libs and Greens who would be
willing to switch, then its support would reach 35.42%. In contrast,
the Libs' similar best-case scenario would be 33.95% of the vote.
With the Cons likely stuck with a relatively poorly distributed support
level in the mid to upper 30s, that point and a half could make the
difference in determining whether the Cons remain in power - or whether
a minority NDP government is able to start reversing the damage done by
Harper over the past two and a half years. Which means that for voters
who are inclined to vote based on stopping Harper, there's another
strong reason to make the NDP their choice.
[REC] - A horror movie I highly recommend
[Rec] (2007)
Scroll down and read the review. A truly scary movie. I watched it with a friend and she jumped and let out a very loud scream at one point.
Friday, September 26, 2008
Save the planet: Stop Harper!
Avaaz.org - The World in Action
For the last two years, the Harper government has done everything it could to wreck the world's efforts to fix climate change. At UN negotiations, Canada has been voted the WORST country in the world on climate change 3 times! Now,
it's election time, and we have to make sure that Harper pays the price
at the polls for his reckless and un-Canadian climate policy.
Avaaz is targeting 3 of Harper's top MPs (including Environment
Minister John Baird) where it will hurt them the most -- at the grass
roots.
For the last two years, the Harper government has done everything it could to wreck the world's efforts to fix climate change. At UN negotiations, Canada has been voted the WORST country in the world on climate change 3 times! Now,
it's election time, and we have to make sure that Harper pays the price
at the polls for his reckless and un-Canadian climate policy.
Avaaz is targeting 3 of Harper's top MPs (including Environment
Minister John Baird) where it will hurt them the most -- at the grass
roots.
Can the NDP realistically win?
Why Jack Layton Is About to Pass Stephane Dion in the Polls
Today's polling numbers re-confirm the trend that has been emerging
over the last two weeks: the NDP has the big mo' while the Liberal
campaign is falling on deaf ears.
Today's polling numbers re-confirm the trend that has been emerging
over the last two weeks: the NDP has the big mo' while the Liberal
campaign is falling on deaf ears.
Firm handshakes help land jobs
Handshake key to landing a job, scientists claim - Telegraph
A solid handshake was found to be more important than dress or physical
appearance as it set off the interviewer's impression of that person.
A solid handshake was found to be more important than dress or physical
appearance as it set off the interviewer's impression of that person.
Conservatives - soft on facts
The Conservative Mentality: Facts not required « Sean In Saskatchewan
In this instance Harper decided to ignore the strong and numerous FACT based studies conducted by those “ivory tower” experts that have continuously shown that stiffer sentences and punishments for crime do not reduce crime rates. One only has to look south of the border to see the effects that this approach has, over-crowded jail systems, billions of taxpayer dollars funneled to prisons, and no reduction in crime rates.
Facebook starting to ban people with odd names
Facebook bans those with funny names - The INQUIRER
The anti-social notworking site is suspending the owners of strange names without warning and holding personal information to ransom until you show them a government-issued ID.
Thursday, September 25, 2008
Poison food crisis shows Harper's contempt for government
Poison food crisis shows Harper’s contempt for government
'How many more people must die before the Harper government realizes that public health and safety must always transcend the boundaries of ideology?'
Experts say decisive and prompt action is crucial to saving lives
during a public health emergency. Yet from the beginning of the
listeriosis outbreak a peculiar paralysis took over within the most
senior ranks of the Harper government.
The first deaths occurred in June and by mid-August the problem had
been traced to the source. By Aug. 17, positive lab tests confirmed that
several deaths were directly linked to contaminated meat products made
at the Maple Leaf plant.
Yet the Harper administration failed to adequately warn the public
about the magnitude of the problem until Aug. 20. Then, instead of
announcing new resources and regulations to ensure public safety, we
had the spectacle of a series of cabinet ministers issuing blithe
quips and limp assurances that everything was under control.
This was followed by Harper himself, fretting about political fallout
on the eve of an election, promising an internal 'independent'
investigation, a move that amounts to no more than a political gambit
to shield the government from allegations of negligence toward public
health.
Finally, we learn that at the height of the crisis, during a
conference call with scientists, bureaucrats and political staff, the
federal agriculture minister trivialized the crisis, and insulted
victims, by making insensitive jokes. Yet Gerry Ritz remains a member
of the Harper cabinet.
The entire handling of this emergency demonstrates callous
incompetence. Worse, it reveals a lethal contempt by Harper for the
most basic role of government - ensuring public health and safety. It
also reflects a hostility of government as a constructive force in our
society.
Sadly, this comes as no great surprise. Harper has, after all, spent
his entire career denigrating government and public services. Why
would anyone be shocked now that a government run by him should fail
to rise to such an occasion?
Since his first days in office in 2006, Harper has steadily cut
funding for food safety programs and inspectors, shifting ever greater
responsibility to the food companies themselves.
According to current Treasury Board of Canada forecasts, funding for
food safety programs will have declined by almost 30% from $359
million in 2006-07 to $254 million in 2010-11 under Harper's watch.
At the same time, a secret government document recently brought to
light by a government employee reveals that the government has been
planning to let the foxes further guard the henhouse by expanding
industry self-policing of food safety.
The listeriosis crisis is reminiscent of the poison water scandal that
rocked Walkerton, Ont., in 2000. That disaster was caused in large
part by government cutbacks and a deliberate weakening of provincial
inspection and safety procedures by the Ontario regime of Conservative
Premier Mike Harris.
Harper's cabinet now includes some of the same ministers who were part
of the Harris government, ministers who should have learned the
obvious lessons of the Walkerton tragedy.
That they did not makes an even more chilling point: the ineptitude
now apparent in Ottawa is not merely a failure to learn the lessons of
Walkerton. It bespeaks an ideological contempt for anything and
everything that government can do to better society.
How many more deaths?
The listeriosis outbreak is an especially deadly lesson in why
effective and rigorous government oversight and action offers the best
guarantee of public health and safety. But how many more people will
die before the Harper government realizes that public health and
safety must always transcend political ideology? NUPGE
'How many more people must die before the Harper government realizes that public health and safety must always transcend the boundaries of ideology?'
Experts say decisive and prompt action is crucial to saving lives
during a public health emergency. Yet from the beginning of the
listeriosis outbreak a peculiar paralysis took over within the most
senior ranks of the Harper government.
The first deaths occurred in June and by mid-August the problem had
been traced to the source. By Aug. 17, positive lab tests confirmed that
several deaths were directly linked to contaminated meat products made
at the Maple Leaf plant.
Yet the Harper administration failed to adequately warn the public
about the magnitude of the problem until Aug. 20. Then, instead of
announcing new resources and regulations to ensure public safety, we
had the spectacle of a series of cabinet ministers issuing blithe
quips and limp assurances that everything was under control.
This was followed by Harper himself, fretting about political fallout
on the eve of an election, promising an internal 'independent'
investigation, a move that amounts to no more than a political gambit
to shield the government from allegations of negligence toward public
health.
Finally, we learn that at the height of the crisis, during a
conference call with scientists, bureaucrats and political staff, the
federal agriculture minister trivialized the crisis, and insulted
victims, by making insensitive jokes. Yet Gerry Ritz remains a member
of the Harper cabinet.
The entire handling of this emergency demonstrates callous
incompetence. Worse, it reveals a lethal contempt by Harper for the
most basic role of government - ensuring public health and safety. It
also reflects a hostility of government as a constructive force in our
society.
Sadly, this comes as no great surprise. Harper has, after all, spent
his entire career denigrating government and public services. Why
would anyone be shocked now that a government run by him should fail
to rise to such an occasion?
Since his first days in office in 2006, Harper has steadily cut
funding for food safety programs and inspectors, shifting ever greater
responsibility to the food companies themselves.
According to current Treasury Board of Canada forecasts, funding for
food safety programs will have declined by almost 30% from $359
million in 2006-07 to $254 million in 2010-11 under Harper's watch.
At the same time, a secret government document recently brought to
light by a government employee reveals that the government has been
planning to let the foxes further guard the henhouse by expanding
industry self-policing of food safety.
The listeriosis crisis is reminiscent of the poison water scandal that
rocked Walkerton, Ont., in 2000. That disaster was caused in large
part by government cutbacks and a deliberate weakening of provincial
inspection and safety procedures by the Ontario regime of Conservative
Premier Mike Harris.
Harper's cabinet now includes some of the same ministers who were part
of the Harris government, ministers who should have learned the
obvious lessons of the Walkerton tragedy.
That they did not makes an even more chilling point: the ineptitude
now apparent in Ottawa is not merely a failure to learn the lessons of
Walkerton. It bespeaks an ideological contempt for anything and
everything that government can do to better society.
How many more deaths?
The listeriosis outbreak is an especially deadly lesson in why
effective and rigorous government oversight and action offers the best
guarantee of public health and safety. But how many more people will
die before the Harper government realizes that public health and
safety must always transcend political ideology? NUPGE
Fresh meat in prison
Rusty Idols: "Fresh meat"
WINNIPEG - A Winnipeg judge warned two violent young offenders Monday that they face bleak futures - which could include being raped in federal prison - if they don't turn their troubled lives around.
"Next stop is Stony Mountain," provincial court Judge Ronald Meyers told a 17-year-old boy, who along with a 15-year-old pleaded guilty to three armed robberies of Winnipeg businesses.
"I don't know whether you're prepared to consider yourself the girlfriend of some guy in there. But that's what awaits you. An 18-year-old fresh face comes in and it's fair game. Think about that."
The Canadian Press OTTAWA --
The Supreme Court of Canada has awarded $140,000 to a B.C. man who
suffered sexual abuse at the hands of a jail guard -- reducing the
amount awarded by a lower court by almost half. ...Zastowny is one of dozens of prisoners MacDougall allegedly preyed on.
"He
targeted younger inmates, inmates who had been sexually abused in the
past and/or inmates who had little experience in jail,'' according to
one statement of claim.
Bad Math
unrepentant old hippie: Bad math
So 14 is old enough to get gang-raped in prison, but not old enough to have consensual sex with a 21-year-old girl or boyfriend -- that sound about right? Because to me, something about this doesn't quite compute.
So 14 is old enough to get gang-raped in prison, but not old enough to have consensual sex with a 21-year-old girl or boyfriend -- that sound about right? Because to me, something about this doesn't quite compute.
Wednesday, September 24, 2008
Stonehenge - 9,000 years of visits
Mega Archaeology: People Have Been Visiting Stonehenge for 9,000 Years, Say Archaeologists
A new dig at pagan holy zone Stonehenge in England has revealed that people have been flocking to the spot for at least 9 millennia. Researchers determined this by dating rocks chipped by human hands, as well as the remnants of fires.
Dead Girl movie
Rant: Zombie Feminism
In a new indie horror flick called Deadgirl, two high school
guys find a naked zombie chick tied up in the basement of an abandoned
insane asylum, so they invite their pals along to gang rape her. Hailed
by critics as one of the best horror movies of the year, Deadgirl generated tons of buzz at the Toronto Film Festival for its unflinching look at male bonding run amok.
Let's kill Canadians by removing the health inspectors - Remember the Harris government and Walkerton? Now we have the Harper government and Listeriosis
Liberals try to steal NDP votes.
Dipper Chick: An appeal to progressive Canadians
Where I live, voting NDP not only beats a Conservative, but it elects a strong New Democrat who gives me and my fellow East Van residents a real voice against Stephen Harper and his Conservatives, unlike a Liberal MP who would have abstained or voted with Harper when it really counted in the last parliament.
Disgusting Apartment
» World’s Most Disgusting Apartment Is In Houston
I've seen worse .... no, wait ... okay, this is gross. I've seen almost as bad. There's clutter, and then there is gross.
Unconvinced that you shouldn't vote Conservative - Here are 100 reasons to NOT vote Conservative
100 Reasons
This is a great bit of resource material listing 100 reasons to not vote Conservative. If you are thinking of voting for them, read this first!
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