CommPost

2009-09-22T08:47:00.000-07:00

Words that need speaking:

While not completely factual there are many words here that have needed speaking by a leader of a national party for 3.5 years. I'm glad to see someone saying them!

http://www.liberal.ca/en/michael-ignatieff/speeches/16309_canadian-club-of-ottawa-canadas-place-in-a-changing-world

http://www.liberal.ca/en/michael-ignatieff/speeches/16363_speech-to-the-toronto-board-of-trade

My personal favourite line is this and I think summs it all up pretty well:

"President Obama is putting six times more per capita into clean energy and research than Stephen Harper. We’re investing less in renewables than the State of Alaska.

When it comes to clean energy, Stephen Harper isn’t just behind Barack Obama. He’s behind Sarah Palin."

Ouch... but true.

Last I leave you with one of the best speeches on climate change I've ever read and that includes the ones I've written in the past. Its Pres. Obama's address to the UN high level meeting on climate change this morning.

http://www.ottawacitizen.com/business/Stop+catastrophe+Obama+climate+change+speech/2019706/story.html

Cheers,

2009-09-17T07:56:00.000-07:00

WHO'S COALITION?

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/harpers-reluctant-coalition/article1290594/

So the PM has been raging about the liberals and their 'coalition' friends ruining democracy (even though coalition governments are perfect valid under the constitution).

Regardless, as the liberals pulled their support for the tories there were assumpitons:

1) That the the government would fall because now that the liberals have changed tRack (due to failed EI consultations and generally bad government) there were no opposition parties willing to support the government. Jack and the NDP as well as to a lesser degree the Bloc have trumpeted their lack of support for the government since day one.

- In reality the NDP and the Bloc have thrown their support towards Harper's tories making it clear that their 'principled' stand against the government over the past few years was only because they were sure the liberals wouldn't cause an election. This is about as principled as Italy's switch to the alllies after they had already lost WWII. Good on ya Jack way to lead.

2) That Harper would never get into bed with any proposals from the NDP or Bloc to keep his government afloat given his poll numbers, and would make lots of noise about the spectre of a liberal/ndp/bloc coalition simliar to last year.

- In reality Ignatieff has made clear that he will not be courting another coalition and never really liked the one Dion assembled. Further, the only thing preventing an election is the cooperation between the Tories, the ndp and teh bloc. So, wait, sorry, the tories are accusing the liberals of secretly negotiating a coalition while the Conservatives and Mr. Harper are flagrantly in cahoots with the ndp and the bloc? Who's secretly developing a coaltion with "socialists and seperatists"? Not the liberals... not the greens... but yes... THE TORIES!

Sad sad sad.

2009-09-01T12:39:00.000-07:00

HERE WE GO AGAIN... MAYBE...

The liberals have said they will no longer prop up the conservatives. We could be in our fourth election in five years (granted no one much noticed the process or results of the last one).

I'm not sure I or any other Canadian really wants another election campaign at the moment. However, Ignatieff's comments give me some hope that an election this fall might be actually fought over what type of country we want:

“Our job as liberals is to give Canadians a choice,” he [Ignatieff] said. “We can choose a small Canada – a diminished, mean add petty country. That's Stephen Harper's Canada.”

Or, he said, Liberals can choose “a big Canada” that is intelligent, environmentally conscious and worldly.

“We can do better,” he said. “We can be the smartest, healthiest, greenest, hardest-working, most open-minded country there is – but only if we choose to be.”

Now i'm not sure the current Liberal crop are the people who can build a Canada like this, but I KNOW Harper and the conservatives are not.

This might be an interesting one to watch.

Cheers,

2009-08-26T10:29:00.001-07:00

PORK... THE ONE YOU LOVE

This was just a fascinating article on the gowing repertoire of Bacon in culinary circles...

Sarah Boesveld

From Wednesday's Globe and Mail
Last updated on Wednesday, Aug. 26, 2009 09:22AM EDT

You'd thought you'd seen it all when the Bacon Explosion, that hunk of sausage wrapped in two pounds of bacon, hit the scene with all the sizzle of a crispy fried strip. And then the Turbaconducken, a whole chicken stuffed in a duck stuffed in a turkey and enveloped in bacon, commanded every glutton's attention.

But these gratuitous ventures into bacon bliss have simply ushered in a new wave of cured-pork mania. Today, bacon's in everything from desserts to liquor - and it's not just adventurous foodies lapping up the grease.

As chocolate-soaked bacon is served up at the Canadian National Exhibition in Toronto this week and International Bacon Day approaches

on Sept. 5, it's time to say bye-bye bacon-wrapped scallops and hello bacon baklava.

Sweet, sweet meat

Bacon nestled next to a stack of maple-syrup-soaked pancakes is no culinary eureka, so it's natural to salivate over a maple-glazed doughnut adorned with two strips of bacon, no? The Bacon Maple Bar is a top seller at Voodoo Doughnut in Portland, Ore., says its account manager, Kimberly Litkie. The shop serves up "at least a thousand" daily.

Their formula is simple, yet genius: "We took two pieces of thick-cut bacon, put them on a maple bar and magic happened," she says.

Earlier this month Bob Blumer, Food Network Canada's Surreal Gourmet, won top honours at an Austin, Tex., ice-cream-making competition. His winning flavour? Maple bacon crunch. Bacon has also slipped its way into cookies, brownies and cinnamon rolls. Artisan candy-makers have even whipped up maple bacon lollipops. And, fittingly, the creators of Bacon Today, a cured-pork news website, recently dressed a colleague's birthday cake with strips.

THE BACON CUPCAKE MARRIAGE

Cupcakes are a huge trend, bacon is a huge trend - it's only natural to put the two together, says Scott Kveton, CEO of Bac'n, a shop for bacon lovers in Portland, Ore. And - alas - a quaint little bakery on Toronto's Queen Street West has put the bake in bacon. Yummy Stuff owner Morag Cleeveley introduced Chocolate Oatmeal Cupcakes with Maple Bacon frosting in March, luring snackers into her shop to devour the tiny delights made with bacon-lard icing and crowned with crumpled bacon.

While pork-loving Canadians have been slower on the bacon-cupcake uptake than their American counterparts, Ms. Cleeveley says she's won over some very skeptical customers. "I would say 50 per cent of people try it just out of curiosity and 50 per cent of people are returning, loving it, wanting more."

BACON CARNIVALE

Janet Vu was wary as she dipped her plastic fork into three strips of bacon in a pool of chocolate sauce. "It's ... interesting" she said after a taste and a long pause Sunday at the Canadian National Exhibition. But the 18-year-old offered tentative praise after finishing the last strip of hickory-smoked bacon from the Sweet Treats concession stand. "I like it well enough."

Chocolate-covered bacon has become a favourite at U.S. state fairs, which spurred the CNE's food manager to introduce it at the Ex, says vendor Scott Skinkle. On Saturday, the stand sold more than 25 bacon dishes at $5 a piece. A rush of early birds bought it for breakfast Sunday, adds co-vendor Vicky Skinkle. "Most people that come up here are going, 'Ew! Bacon dipped in chocolate? What does that taste like?' " It's a simple combo of the two, she explains - nothing to be afraid of. "Then they taste it and say, 'Yes, it's really good.' "

CARNIVOROUS COCKTAILS

"I'll have a shot of Bakon please!" Canadians will be hollering this at bars by next summer if all goes well for Sven Liden and company. "We started testing with bacon-infusions a few years ago and decided that it was so good in a Bloody Mary that we wanted to make it a commercial product," says the business manager for Black Rock Spirits in Seattle. The first bottles of Bakon Vodka hit American store shelves this May. Pretty soon Mr. Liden and his colleagues were comparing it with high-end vodkas in taste tests - of course, the bacon-flavoured liquor came out on top.

Can't wait for it to hit the Canadian market? Making bacon-infused vodka at home is possible, but an ordeal (one must skim off the pork fat and strain it until the booze adopts a slight bacon taste). Better to copy bars that have employed bacon-flavoured salt to craft BLT cocktails and meatier Bloody Marys.

If hard liquor isn't your thing, earlier this month Brooklyn Brewery in New York added a bacon-flavoured brew on tap. "It's almost terrifying how much the malt smells like bacon," brewmaster Garrett Oliver told The New York Times.

We'll have another round, please.

******

Streaky spinoffs

The bacon innovation never stops: A sample of favourite products created in ode to bacon mania.

Bacon-shaped adhesive

bandages

Bacon-flavoured lip gloss

Bacon-scented air freshener

Bacon-striped bifold wallet

Bacon-flavoured floss

Bacon-print neck ties

Bacon flavoured gumballs

Bacon-print slip-on shoes

Bacon-scented soap

Bacon-flavoured bubbles

Pig "Smells Like Bacon" pajama pants for men

Sources: Bacontoday.com,

Meat-o-matic.com

2009-08-20T13:53:00.000-07:00

NEW DRIVEWAY!

So its done. My ratty, cracked, old and ugly driveway with teh weeks and gravel on the side is no more. The even uglier gravel/clay/weeds mix at the entrance to my backyard is also gone. In their place is a single, new, and glorious strip of asfalt which goes right up to my house on the side and grades water away (good for my leaky basement!) and goes right up to the grass in my backyard!

HURRAY! Not only will this create a space to put in a baseketball net, but will also signficantly (I hope) increase the value of my home!

I never thought shiney new rennovations to the house would make me as happy as travelling but they do! Speaking of which, I really do want to hit up Greece again, and Japan!

Cheers,

P

2009-08-16T20:00:00.000-07:00

THEY PRINTED MY ARTICLE PART II

So the latest issue of Vanguard www.vangaurdcanada.com is out and true to the word of the editor they've printed the article they asked me to write back in May.

http://www.vanguardcanada.com/ClimateSecurityPeaceQuealey

I'm fairly thrilled about this!

Cheers,

P

2009-08-12T11:36:00.001-07:00

THANK YOU

Thanks to everyone who made it out on the weekend to Liz's baby shower and the man pow-wow in the back. There was great food, good drinks and lots of good catching up.

Thanks also to everyone who either gave us, or sent us, a gift for our upcoming little one. Liz, I and the little guy loved and appreciated everything!

The only downside was that we didn't get enough time to actually sit and catch up with people. Oh well hopefully we'll see most if not all of you soon!

A special thanks to those folks who came a long way to see us. Especially you Isaac since you live in far-away scarborough and don't have a car!

Cheers,

P

2009-08-07T08:33:00.000-07:00

R.I.P Mr. Hughes

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/world/director-john-hughes-dies-of-heart-attack/article1243777/

Very sad. The man was able to craft film that while not sophisticated in a 'cannes film festival' sort of way, was able to touch and shape the current generation when they were in their most influenceable developmental stages of life.

We've lost a unique and important artist and social engineer.

Cheers,

P

2009-08-04T12:02:00.000-07:00

FEAST OF ESSENCE - RECAP

So this was a particularly excellent Feast! In short these are the funtastic dissapointment washing away activities that were included

- Roadtrip down to NY state
- Awesome ferry ride across to vermont
- Ben and Jerry's ice cream factory
- Green Mountain Coffee HQ cafe and info centre (and it was in an old train station to boot!)
- Two night stay in Lake George NY, one of my favourite places on earth. Yes its kitchie but fun
- Found an awesome patio at a new pub in LG where they served a bunch of good microbrews
- Did some shopping when it rained and found some h'awesome deals (two pairs of designer pants for $30 each, three sweet ties for under twenty each, and two great shirts, two for $60. All of this of course is far cheaper than I'd find here at home.
- A pretty good BBQ restaurant
-Reading my book poolside
- two great rounds of mini-putt
- a quite hour at night sitting with Liz by the lake and a great sunny drive home yesterday.

HAPPY FEAST!

Cheers,

P

PS i leave you with a quote from today's Ottawa citizen "The BIA's board decided last August against supporting the gay-village designation, and opted instead for a "bottom up" policy" Well then, bottom's up to all!

2009-07-31T06:53:00.001-07:00

HAPPY OF FEAST OF ESSENCE

http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Feast%20of%20Essence

Have a great time this weekend whatever you choose to do. Be safe but have fun washing away those yearly dissapointments!

Cheers,

P

2009-07-30T12:31:00.001-07:00

ITS ALMOST THAT TIME AGAIN....

The Feast of Essence weekend is nearly upon us. If anyone wants the whole sordid history of this grand event please feel free to let me know and I'll shoot you an email. The long and short of it is that its a weekend at the end of July to do whatever one wishes to 'wash away the dissapointments of the past year'.

In preparation for this year's Feast I thought I'd post a few quirky stories that might help get folks ready for festivities.

William Shatner makes fun of Sarah Palin's farewell speech in spoken word poetry as only he can..

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z0VpFP3FRMM

Next... the most royal sandwich, and a short history of the sandwich.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1203283/Crumbs-11th-Earl-Sandwich-demanded-thousands-pounds-takeaway-used-name.html

Cheers,

P

PS if the links don't work automatically just cut/paste them into your browswer.

2009-07-27T11:22:00.000-07:00

SUN... PLEASE... SUN

I can't handle the rain and grey anymore. We've got enough grey and rain in late fall, early winter, and early spring. I simply cannot handle how wet and grey its been this "summer". Please I don't care if its 10C, Just please make the sun come out!

That is all

P

2009-07-23T19:49:00.000-07:00

CAR SHOPPING

Its amazing how difficult it is to shop for a car without one....

Sigh, oh well. At least I made the papers today.

http://www.ottawacitizen.com/technology/Wildlife+gardens+life+before+council/1818035/story.html

Cheers,

P

2009-07-20T12:53:00.000-07:00

FUN SUMMER

So besides the fact that its rained nearly ever day since the end of may this summer has been pretty fun. Especially with the acts and reasonably priced tickets of Ottawa so called 'bluesfest'. Don't let the name fool you, this is not just a blues festival. It is a full on eclectic summer music festival. This year the line up included such diverse acts as KISS, Ludacris, Cake, Styx, Ani di Franco, Los Lonely Boys, STP, Ice Cube and many others. I was only able to take in Cake, Ani, STP and Blue Rodeo and the last song from los lonely boys but they were all good shows! I wish I had gone to the Kiss and Styx show but ah well there's always next year.

I hope the rest of teh summer is as fun. Also need to get a new (used) car. Hopefully soon. I'm getting tired of lugging groceries home.

Cheers,

P

2009-07-14T07:31:00.000-07:00

ECON 101

There were some stupid comments made by the PM during a recent interview while at the G8 regarding taxes. Apparently he doesn't believe any taxes are good taxes. Now there are myriad reasons why this is an unbelievably ignorant statement (not even Bush said something that dumb) but I honestly just shurgged it off to 'yeah well... thats Stevo'

Apparently Jeff Simpson at the Globe decided that these comments merited a spirited editorial. I enjoyed it so much I'm positing it here. Its really one of his best pieces I think.

---------------
"Jeffrey Simpson

Last updated on Tuesday, Jul. 14, 2009 08:57AM EDT

You know, there's two schools in economics on this. One is that there are some good taxes and the other is that no taxes are good taxes. I'm in the latter category. I don't believe that any taxes are good taxes.

– Stephen Harper, July 10

This assertion, from an interview the Prime Minister gave The Globe and Mail after the G8 summit in Italy, is one of the most stunning, revealing and, frankly, ignorant statements ever made by a prime minister, let alone one who keeps purporting to be an economist, despite doing so many things that economists deplore.

Think about it: The prime minister of a country is saying, “I don't believe that any taxes are good taxes.”

There is no “school,” to use Stephen Harper's word, anywhere in economics that says “no taxes are good taxes.” Not even Milton Friedman and the Chicago school think that. Nor do Mr. Harper's former mentors at the University of Calgary.

They, like right-wing politicians, might think taxes are too high, maybe way too high. They might think the private sector can do lots of things better than the public sector. They might believe taxes should be lower. But anyone who says “no taxes are good taxes” and “I don't believe that any taxes are good taxes” is wrong economically, and very, very scary socially and politically.

Only libertarian anarchists believe that all taxes are bad, and that society can get along without them. But who will pay, if not citizens, for the military on which the Harper government is lavishing billions of dollars? Who will pay for the police, the courts?

Who will provide, if not the taxpayers, the revenues to pay for the two services that even the most right-wing ideologues agree only public authorities can provide: the defence of the realm, and law and order?

Maybe the Prime Minister misspoke. Maybe he was just using a figure of speech, although he could have said something like “all taxes are a necessary evil.” But even that “necessary evil” idea is different from saying all taxes are bad, because the “evil” of taxation is “necessary,” as indeed it is in any civilized society.

Presumably, there lurks inside the Prime Minister an anger about much of contemporary society that has been built with taxpayers' money, an anger contained by the political reality that the Prime Minister can't do much about this state of affairs.

Indeed, the comment harkens back to Mr. Harper's days shilling for the National Citizens Coalition and early years with the Reform Party, when he believed that just about everything governments were doing was bad and wasteful and led to huge deficits. Since then, and especially as Prime Minister, Mr. Harper has shelved many of those views, since a distinguishing characteristic of his government has been a reluctance to cut government spending.

Not a single major government program has been eliminated since he took office, perhaps because of minority governments, or perhaps because political reality has shackled Mr. Harper's deep instincts that all taxes and, by extension, the programs for which taxes pay, are bad.

His governments cut taxes, which is in line with the Prime Minister's ideology, the problem being that the GST was the wrong tax to cut, as almost every qualified economist in the country has underscored.

Now, with deficits burgeoning, Mr. Harper insists again (the ideology returns) that he will never raise taxes, even though future deficits are going to be much larger than his government has forecast.

The Parliamentary Budget Officer and TD Economics have both destroyed the government's rosy deficit projections (and much else) in recent reports that show deficits stretching well beyond 2013-2014, when the government insists the budget will be balanced.

By ruling out tax increases, and refusing to indicate that big spending cuts will be needed, the government is shackling Canada with deficits stretching into the distance, with more accumulated debt - a strange state of affairs for a nominally conservative government.

Politically, of course, this aversion to tax from a prime minister who believes “no taxes are good taxes” has terrified the Liberals, who are afraid of being honest by telling Canadians that resumed economic growth alone will not restore Canada's balanced budget."

2009-07-09T14:22:00.000-07:00

Breakfast with the Emperor.

Ok so this was really very cool. Earlier this week when the Emperor of Japan was in town on his first visit ever since he took the throne (first visit to Canada since 1953) they let us mere employees stand along the red carpet to welcome him in.

It was pretty impressive to see a sitting head of government, and currently the only one in the world to have the title of Emperor up close and personal. To have eye contact, wave and bow. Pretty sweet.

Tax problems, paternity leave arrangements, and car problems are less fun; but I didn't trouble the Emperor with these mundane problems:)

XO
P

2009-07-03T08:00:00.000-07:00

OH CANADA

This is a great editorial from the Globe. If you don't read it, it basically says while we are a pretty good country over the past few year's we've become a bit too in love with ourselves to the point of thinking we are models for the world and things at home are great!. That is one perspective but I can tell you I agree with Simpson, that while we do a lot of good things we have a long way to go before we're world class again and make a difference. We also harm our own ability to critically look for improvements in our society by thinking we're 'the best in teh world'. There is a lot that needs improving in this country.

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/opinions/yes-we-love-our-country-but-best-in-the-world-get-real/article1204650/

Its worth the read.

Cheers,

P

2009-06-23T14:06:00.001-07:00

THE RETURN!

I know. I haven't posted in over a month. Not ever sure anyone still reads this. At any rate things over the past month have been very very busy. Catch up after my vacation ended in aparil; a business trip to geneva to prepare for an attend; catch up afterwards; a very busy may; preparations for two weeks of meetings at the UN in NY; most of June so far has bee catch up from that. I am now in a very rare few days where I can actually get caught up and reconnect.

Will definately try to post more often but if that proves impossible I might just shut down and leave well enough alone. Let's see how it goes.

Cheers,

P

2009-05-12T11:27:00.001-07:00

PREGNANT WOMEN ARE SMUG

I don't direct this at any one pregnant woman and certainly not my wife but I thought some of the men and women out there who are either experiencing pregnancy now or who have indirectly experienced by being close to those who are might appreciate this

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20090512.wlsmug12art1832/BNStory/lifeFamily/home

I particularly like the line in the article

"Pregnant women are revered in our society, they're this sacred thing. Everyone says 'They're glowing and they're beautiful,' but there's this elephant in the room,"

Enjoy the video

Cheers,

P

2009-05-07T14:36:00.000-07:00

Wow... I mean really... wow...

http://tinyurl.com/dc4cg6

Cheers,

P

2009-05-06T07:33:00.001-07:00

ECONOMIC TRANSFORMATION

http://business.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20090506.wfordelectric0506/BNStory/Business/home

This is an excellent story about how Ford, (the only of the Big Three remaining anything close to solvent) is trying to get ahead of existing trends. They are retrofitting one of their old truck plants to make smaller energy efficient cars. This is the sort of management decision that will help lift us out of recession and put us on track for a 21st century economy.

Let's hope Canadian companies follow suit.

Cheers,

P

2009-05-05T11:28:00.001-07:00

COMMON SENSE IN ONTARIO'S SCHOOLS

For once common sense seems to have prevailed. It only took a walkout by 400 students and lobbying by numerous people in the community.

As many of you know a few weeks ago a Korean kid in a small town near barrie was verbally assaulted and punched before he reacted in proportional self defence which resulted in the bully getting a broken nose.

This article by Margaret Wente pretty well goes through the stupidity of the entire situation and how getting parents involved and keeping things out of the courts really has led to good, common sense solution far more in keeping with the situation

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20090504.wcowent05/BNStory/specialComment/home

I just don't get how our education policy has gotten so far removed from reality. Even when I was in high school, if you hit someone regardless of the reason you were suspended. Now the kids who usually cause the trouble don't care if they get sustended which is why they do stuff like that. Clearly their parents don't either. Now the kids facing the bully's or others usually only strike back after ongoing and intense mental and physical assault.

Personally, I find nothing wrong with throwing a puch to let some jack-ass know you'll not be bullied. I do find something horribly wrong with punishing the victims. Walking into a school and stabbing someone is a felony. Protecting yourself is just that, self-defence. This should have been quietly sorted out between the students and their parents without any suspensions or police involvement from the get go.

Thankfully, in this case. Common sense prevailed. I fear in all to many other cases it does not.

Cheers,

P

2009-04-15T08:20:00.000-07:00

SPACE TALK SHOW

As I'm sure you've heard Colbert won the race to have the new ISS module named after him. As it turns out that won't be the case but he's still up there in name... I for one really must take a spin on my COLBERT more often as summer is approaching!

http://www.ottawacitizen.com/Entertainment/NASA+names+space+station+treadmill+after+Stephen+Colbert/1498597/story.html

Cheers,

P

2009-04-12T16:06:00.001-07:00

BACK

I've been away in Singapore, Malaysia, and Bali over the past two weeks. Lots of fun and relaxing and only a little business.

More later.

Cheers,

P

2009-03-21T10:47:00.000-07:00

SAD DAY

This article from last week's economist about the death of the view master almost made me shed a tear for this revolutionary and ubiquitous toy/tool.

Here's to the memories!

Economist print edition March 12th.

"A PIECE of the American experience has faded away. Fisher-Price, the toy company that used to market them, has just eliminated almost all the View-Master titles that have been a staple of young lives for almost 70 years.

The boxy binocular-style viewers remain; but the circular reels that brought three-dimensional images of the world to millions have now been cut back to a handful of children’s titles. Long before the internet, or even before most people had colour televisions, View-Masters gave millions a full-colour, three-dimensional view of the world.

View-Masters were introduced at the 1939 New York World’s Fair and became an overnight sensation. During the second world war the armed forces produced training reels for identifying enemy and friendly aircraft and ships. After the war View-Masters became household items, as common as frozen food. Thousands of businesses promoted themselves using custom-made View-Master reels. Recently the University of Missouri football programme promoted its candidate for the Heisman trophy by giving away viewers moulded in the college colours and a reel of highlights from the season. Medical students used View-Master to study a 3D atlas of human anatomy. In all, more than 1.5 billion reels have been produced, every one of them to the same size and format, and usable in every model of viewer ever made.

The gutting of the View-Master comes just as 3D is experiencing a renaissance. Improved technology has made 3D films much easier to produce and view, allowing them to progress far beyond the gimmicky thrusting of objects into the audience seen in films briefly in vogue in the 1950s. The Jonas Brothers, the latest boy band for teenage girls, recently released a concert film in 3D and also appeared on a 3D magazine cover. Several commercials aired during the Super Bowl, the climax of the football season, were broadcast in 3D. George Lucas is said to be toying with the idea of re-releasing the “Star Wars” saga in a retrofitted 3D format; recent blockbusters, including “Kung Fu Panda” and “Beowulf” have appeared in 3D versions at special cinemas, with many more to come. But the experience of 3D in your hand, which the View-Master made possible, is now a thing of the past."

2009-03-17T07:46:00.001-07:00

A NEW VERSION OF THE OLD

http://business.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20090317.wjapan17/BNStory/Business/home/?pageRequested=3

This is really interesting. Whether you think the current economic crisis has hit bottom or just begun this article on the effects its having in Japan certainly looks like a distinctly 21st century way of living through 'economic depression'. In stead of lining up factories and soup kitchens people live in internet cafe's and look for cheap noodles.

Cheers,

P

2009-03-16T10:41:00.000-07:00

VACATION

Off on vacation soon. Less than two weeks! Liz and I get to make up for lost time two years ago. Can't wait!

Cheers,

P

2009-03-09T06:55:00.000-07:00

WEEKEND

So this weekend marked the first time since October/Nov that the temperature got up to around 10C. I walked around, I BBQ'd, I had good belgian stlye beer from Quebec, had a lovely cigar and enjoyed some good music all in the comforts of my own back deck! It was fantastic!

Then monday happened. Snow, ice and ick. I'm taking a vacation...

Cheers,

P

2009-03-03T13:19:00.000-08:00

PLAYING BY CONVENTION

This is very cool. As the ongoing debate about the role of video games and other media in leading its users down the path to anarchy and mayem (for those who buy in to that crap) this is an interesting way of having your cake and eating it too. Play the games but do so in line with international norms.

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20090303.wlvideogame03/BNStory/lifeFamily/home

Also is everyone else just about as bloody fed up with those damnable Wendy's North Pacific Cod-wich commercials! GAH ENOUGH ALREADY. WE GET IT. ITS FISH, ITS COD, ITS FROM THE NORTH PACIFIC. NOW SHUT THE BLOODY HELL UP ABOUT IT ALREADY!!!!

Cheers,

P

2009-02-17T10:05:00.000-08:00

IS THIS WHAT A SOVEREIGN QUEBEC WOULD LOOK LIKE?

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20090217.wPOLabraham0217/BNStory/politics/home

Historical revisionism, threats and violence again educators and historical reinactors? Is this what a sovereign Quebec would look like? A place where only views that glorify the ethnic majority are welcome? A place where history and fact are as subjective as philosphy? A place where anger, intolerance and violence are promoted to keep out 'undesirable' points of view and cultures?

I think the reaction by the seperatist establish clearly demonstrates why Quebec does not have the maturity or intellectual capacity to be a stable country in good standing with the international community. It would however, be a great candidate for a North American version of Zimbabwe.

The fact that elected officials and public bodies are letting extreme nationalist wing-nuts dictate policy and programming is as outrageous as it is dangerous.

Disgusting.

Patrick

2009-02-13T12:21:00.000-08:00

TOO COOL NOT TO POST

And its Canadian

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-1143262/H2Whoa-Jetpack-launches-users-30ft-air-powered-water-pressure-unveiled.html

Especially check out the You Tube clip at the bottom of the article This is so freakin' sithum!

Cheers,

P

2009-02-12T14:11:00.000-08:00

FEWER UPDATES

I know I haven't been posting as much as I have. Not really sure why. I think i'm getting busier with stuff outside of work but I'll try to keep people updated as much as possible.

Cheers,

P

2009-02-02T13:34:00.000-08:00

THE STRIKE IS OVER

Yes its true after nearly 52 days without public transit the city and union agreed to binding arbitration as the Feds were getting ready to produce legislation that would have forced the drivers back to work and let an arbiter sort out the details.

This strike has shown the absolute worst and best of Ottawa. There can be no doubt of the acts of kindness that were generated between citizens to help each other out through a christmas and holiday season with no busses, getting to work during the coldest part of the year and helping students get to exams.

However it also revealed for all to see the short sighted way decisions happen up here. The Union, represented by Andre Cornellier, was callous, insenstive to the plight of the public and was probably more aggressive than they needed to be. The city under the leadership of the mayor largely ignored that teh strike was evening happening as it saved the city 3.4 million a week. Even after all the compensation measures are factored in teh city still ended up saving a net of 5 million dollars.

The option for arbitration was discussed weeks ago. Why both parties needed the treat of legislation 3 weeks after this, to get them to agree on a reasonable solution already proposed just shows you the type of people we're dealing with. Self-interested, short sighted and completely uncaring about the impact the strike had on the public they both serve. If this was any other city in any other country citizens would have been picketing the mayor's house and the union leader's house until a resolution was found. This being ottawa, people helped each other out and didn't squeak too much.

Ultimately there were no winners in this strike. The union looked really bad. The mayor looked indifferent and the citizens were left in the cold. At this point in time we really need to rethink how we approach labour relations. We cannot nor should we remove protections workers have fought for for so long. At the same time the old Union/Management game has lost its lustre and its effectiveness. We need something new.

Personally I woudl propose joint labour/management committees for all unionized employees. The committees must agree, by consensus, on terms for contracts, labour disputes and other such things. This would prevent strikes and also the animosty current in place as management and labour exist in two unhelpful solitudes

Cheers,

P

2009-01-19T21:42:00.000-08:00

TWO YEARS!

Today marks two years since Liz and I were married. Since we weren't together on our 1st anniversary we've decided to go away for a day or so. It should be nice to get away even if its fairly close by.

Cheers,

P

2009-01-09T07:00:00.000-08:00

HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ALL

It was a good christmas season if a bit sad to start as Liz's grandmother passed away. But here we are in 2009 and ready to go!

As a nice start to the year a big shout of support to the workers at the Transcona train yards in Winnipeg. Keep fighting for your flag guys!

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20090108.wflagflap09/BNStory/National/home

Cheers,

P

2008-12-28T08:02:00.001-08:00

MERRY CHRISTMAS AND THE BEST FOR THE NEW YEAR!

Cheers,

P

2008-12-16T10:32:00.000-08:00

Good review of the 'New Bond'

I think Daniel Craig has much potential but I agree with Andy Cohen below that this new bond is just another action star. Not the James bond we've come to know and love.

"The spy who failed me

By Andrew Cohen [Ottawa Citizen] December 16, 2008

The Arctic is melting and the automakers are collapsing. Afghanistan is failing, malaria is rising and governments are fiddling.

Canada is last or near last in the world on the environment and in early childcare. We are not as competitive, productive or healthy as we were a generation ago. We may not win our traditional seat on the UN Security Council next year.

For all that, though, can we talk of James Bond? Can we ponder whether his demise reflects a world in free fall? Could they not have spared us his unfortunate makeover at the moment we need him most?

Flee to the multiplex to escape the bad news and you find no relief in Quantum of Solace, the 22nd Bond film. If you are looking for the James Bond you used to know -- like Christmases past -- good luck. You won't recognize him; if you do, you won't like him.

That's because James Bond has been reinvented. He hasn't heard that the greatest menace facing the world today is not Iran, Korea or al-Qaeda. It is his metamorphosis into a poster boy for 21st century angst, revenge, psychosis, even love.

Now he's a brooding, clinical killer who dispatches everyone who crosses him with wordless efficiency. He badly needs a course in anger management and sensitivity training.
Poor guy. They killed him to re-create him. He's the victim of identity theft. It's the end of everything for those who loved James Bond, whoever played him, as a paragon of elegance, brio, wit, savoir faire, grace, and detachment. Not to mention shaken martinis, creaseless dinner jackets, expanding wristwatches, exploding fountain pens and bountiful décolletage.
The remaking of James Bond began in Casino Royale. It wasn't just that Daniel Craig, who succeeded the superb Pierce Brosnan, was blonde rather than dark. We could live with that. It's that this Bond is without irony or humour. Worse, he's vulnerable.

Yes, vulnerable. James Bond has driven into walls and fallen through glass and leaped off dams. He has been seared, bruised, and gouged. But he has never been seriously hurt. In Casino Royale, Agent 007 is tied to a chair and tortured. He suffers. This isn't right.
Worse, he's hurt by a woman. Quantum of Solace is about avenging the death of his lover, Vesper Lynd, whom he lost in the last watery scene in Venice in Casino Royale. So he kills everyone in his way so successfully that his masters in London recall him.

For Bond, women have always been bedmates, not soulmates. This was how Ian Fleming saw the sexes when he wrote the stories in the 1950s.

Now women matter. Indeed, Bond is a monk with fashion sense, no longer a Lothario with a licence to kill. In Quantum of Solace, there is some hope for the normally voracious Bond when the fetching Agent Fields appears, but she doesn't last long.

Women are not the only problem with the new Bond.This James doesn't really care what he eats or drinks. It is incomprehensible that Daniel Craig would be able to order a Pinot Noir 1973 or choose the right fork to use with fish. Or know the seasonal run of the tides off Bangladesh or the history of the frescoes of every church in Sienna.

This is the élan that made James Bond. It was also exotica (sea to desert to forest to city), gadgetry (cars, cameras, attaché cases), villainy (odd, grotesque) and femininity (spies as sexpots).

Sure, Bond still looks good in a dinner jacket. There are cars in Quantum of Solace, as well as boats, trains and planes, and action in one scene after another. Presumably, this is the rush of adrenalin today's audiences want.

Years ago, they turned James into Jimmy and it diminished the franchise. Today, they have turned James Bond into Jason Bourne, and it has changed the franchise.
Today's Bond is troubled, consumed and obsessive, like Bourne. He is dark, lugubrious, mirthless. In his trilogy of thrillers, Jason Bourne is either searching for himself or running from himself.

But the problem with the new James Bond is more basic than that. Where is the eccentric, white-coated Q, or a worthy successor, to show an insouciant Bond the latest toys from his laboratory? Where is the Bond who could happily drive a tank through city streets with a Winged Victory lodged on its turret, or pilot a speedboat into the Thames, go under, come up, knot his tie, spit out a fish and keep driving?

Now, that was Bond!

As a child, James Bond enchanted us. Seeing From Russia With Love for the first time was a rite of passage. Today, Bond is so explicit -- violence, not sex -- that you can't bring a child under 13.

Ah, Bond. Quantum of Excess.

Andrew Cohen is the author of Extraordinary Canadians: Lester B. Pearson."

2008-12-15T14:46:00.000-08:00

SAD DAY

Things are not good today. Liz's grandmother passed away on sunday. Its not that it was unexpected but it is still a sad day.

There has also be an incident with a co-worker that I can't talk about. Just to say, keep a few good thoughts, positive mojo, and prayers that everything is ok.

Cheers,

P

2008-12-10T10:08:00.000-08:00

AT HOME

So Ottawa's first major snow storm of the year hit yesterday (the system stretched from michigan diagonally up to cape breton and from northern NY state to Sudbury. This thing was huge. We got by my driveway measurements about 2 feet of snow. At least.

Making things worse the Ottawa Transit system is on stike. So given these two things I'm opting to work from home today.

Its a much nicer place to be than the office. But I am still getting work done when the system isn't booting me off.

Cheers,

P

2008-12-08T13:18:00.000-08:00

THIRD WORLD POLITICS

Canada's government has gone loopy.

On the one hand you have the PM who refuses to give up power even though a majority of elected MPs were ready to form a government. Then you've got our Governal General who is letting the PM shut down parliament to retain power he is now has no legitimacy to weild.

As a result of this the leader of the opposition made a fool of himself trying to shore up support for the coalition with a video statement that looks like it was shot by a 5 year old with a cell phone and delivered 1 hr late to TV networks. As a result he has now resigned.

The coalition is now in jeopardy, the liberals are trying to get one of their leadership contenders 'appointed' interim leader with little regard for the other candidate. Truth be know I think I'd prefer Ignatieff to Rae but the point is that the liberals are becoming quite harper-esque in their pursuit to appoint a leader before the convention in May.

Politics in this country now seem beyond uncivil and risk become undemocratic and unconstitutional. Worse, no one seems to care provided the politicians stay far away from us. When will Canadians demand better of ALL their politicians.

Cheers,

P

2008-12-04T11:48:00.000-08:00

BAD DECISION

The GG has agreed to grant the request of the PM to prorogue parliament despite the fact that the house of commons has lost confidence in the government and despite the fact that they have formally agreed to govern as a coalition.

I really don't understand this. Rather than accepting the lack of confidence and a democratically elected coalition the GG has decided to allow the government to survive (despite no confidence), without democratic parliamentary proceedings.

So as a result we now have a government that consists of a cabinet, suspended parliament and an ignored offer to form a coalition (and keep parliament working) of democratically elected members.

This is not good. Jan 26th can't come soon enough. At that point we'll have another attempt at a coalition which I hope the GG will have the sense to accept this time, or the coalition will fall apart leading to harper continuing in aminorty situation or an election.

Time will tell but the GG made a bad call on this one.

Cheers,

P

2008-12-01T11:18:00.001-08:00

GETTING CLOSER!

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20081201.wPOLcoalition1201/BNStory/politics/home

Provided this coalition lasts at least 6 months and none of the coalition partners do anything to truly stupid things are looking up. Harper will finally be sent packing and maybe some common sense will return to running the country. Although that has yet to be seen. Still, its worth a shot after too many years of neo-con rule.

Cheers,

P

2008-11-28T08:23:00.001-08:00

GO COALITION!

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20081128.wPOLcoalition1128/BNStory/politics/home

If the children in parliament can agree to grow up, share and be civil to each other a coaltion of opposition parties would be fantastic! OUT WITH THE TORIES!

Cheers,

P

2008-11-18T13:01:00.000-08:00

UNKIE HERB IS REALLY PEDRO MONAGAS

or

The world has finally invented the simpsons' baby monitor

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-1086785/A-baby-monitor-tells-WHY-hes-crying.html

Cool...

Cheers,

P

2008-11-17T11:59:00.000-08:00

GOOD WEEKEND

Despite some recent difficult times my recent orlando trip and this past weekend have been a lot of fun. This weekend consisted of getting a lot of nice fresh groceries (very different from orlando), and doing some minor kitchen renovation.

Now this sort of thing still annoys the crap out of me but... the difference now is that its kind of fun to see how your personal labour can yeild good results for your home. We moved some kitchen cabinets around to make enough room to stack our washer and dryer. This all went reasonably well until the $2.99 stacking kit that was supposed to have come with the washer/dryer did not exist. What was worse is that not future shop, the bay, or sears had the damn kit which consists of 2 10 cm. brackets to help hold the dryer in place. Its so basic and simple that we assumed everyone would have it.

Now we have moved everything we need to move but can't stack the washer and dryer until we get these stupid brackets!

Nonetheless it was a lot of fun. As was the games night at glenns and just relaxing and watching desperate housewives.

Cheers,

P

2008-11-12T13:32:00.000-08:00

ORLANDO

So Liz and I took off for a long weekend to Orlando. The deal couldn't be beat which is why we ended up there. $638 USD for flights and hotel (for both of us!).

We hit up disney's animal kingdom, the magic kingdom and universal's islands of adventure theme park which was bloody fantastic.

The highlights were meeting Liz's friend mark, the Everest adventure coaster at animal kingdom, duelling dragons coaster at universal and finally getting on space mountain at disney. I also thouroughly enjoyed splash mountain which had a brier rabbit theme. We went on this one twice!

Anyway on the down side there weren't that many good deals at the Orlando outlet malls, and the planning/design of orland is very much like that of a potemkin village. All facade and no content or character.

That said we did have a lot of fun and hope to go back for more mini golf, the sky diving simulator, air boat rides and other stuff.

Cheers,

P

2008-11-04T21:19:00.000-08:00

NEW BEGINNING

The outcome of the US election tonight was what many had predicted recently. However, despite the recent predictions let us not forget that in any other time the result achieved tonight would be impossible.

Four years ago people thought I was crazy to hope for a bush win. Which I did. I hoped for a bush win because I fully believed that transformative change in the US would not happen without hitting rock bottom which has undoubtedly happened under Mr. Bush.

We now have transformation and renewal which overshadows even the transformative Kennedy win in 1960.

No. Obama will not be able to shoot lighting from his eyes or fireballs from his arse, in short one man cannot quickly change all the world's evils. But... BUT! he will change the tone of how the world is run. He will bring understanding where there has been only arrogance. He will be able to bridge the quiet but very real european arrogance with the expectations of real results by the developing world. He will, in short revitalize American greatness and leadership in the world.

Perhaps more importantly is that Obama has the ability to do what is needed almost more than anything else, to heal the division in the US and create a truly 'united' states.

I could not be happier with the result and cannot wait until Canada gets its own obama or at least our next trudeau!

Cheers,

P

PS as for John McCain as many of you also know I am a very big fan. I was a supporter of McCain in 2000 before Bush and co. won. Until Obama was nominated I was fully behind Mr. McCain. Tonight was no doubt a disappointment on an otherwise glorious and productive career. However, McCain the maverick was corrupted by McCain the republican nominee. John McCain's concession speech tonight was more the real McCain than much of his campaign. He was gracious, conciliatory, and left the door wide open for cooperation with the new administration to promote US leadership. McCain has always put his country first and tonight was no exception. Let no one, NO ONE say he is a loser or failed stateman. He is neither this simply was not his time. His time was 8 years ago and he was screwed by his party and by the now worst president in american history. My full respect and admiration to John McCain. I would still love to have a drink with him.

2008-11-02T20:51:00.000-08:00

GO OBAMA

Now for those of you who know me you'll know that I am and have been a rather large fan of Sen. McCain, especially 8 years ago when he was running against W for the R nomination. This has not changed. I have an enormous respect for Sen. McCain and still feel that he, not that monkey in a suit, should have been president over the past 8 years.

However, the McCain of 2008 is not the same McCain as 2000. Sen. Obama has so impressed me since his address in 2004 that I not only hope he wins but feel history demands that he will win. It is his time and time that the world look for hope rather than fear, peace of mind rather than anger. He offers these things where McCain seems to offer nothing but the same GOP nonsense.

I cannot wait for Tuesday!

Soon I hope Canada will have a strong alternative to the governing Conservative Party which has laid the foundation to ruin our nation. It has spat on arts and culture, reneged on legally binding provisions of international law, continued to allow our health care system to degrade, provided simple cuts to the sales tax without helping anyone but those already able to afford material goods (good lord, cut income tax if you want to help people you idiots - your leader claims to be an economist but I can't see any evidence of that unless it was a degree from corn flakes university), fired independent civil servants for doing their jobs while branding them partisans which is completely without fact, and taken the easy road on softwood lumber rather than the right road among many other bloody stupid decisions over the past 2 years.

I long for the day when we can get the CPC out via as good an alternative for Canada as Obama has been for the US.

Perhaps our next election will yield such a result.

Cheers,

P

2008-10-20T09:38:00.000-07:00

PAYBACK

I always wondered when and if Colin Powell would get back at the W administration for how they treated him... well I guess now we know...

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20081019.wcampaign-ibbitson20/BNStory/Front/home

Well done General... well done.

Patrick

2008-10-15T14:09:00.000-07:00

HAPPY ELECTION RESULT DAY!

Well the results were exactly as expected (more or less), and the election itself uncessary, dull and insignificant.

That said I think there are quite a few interesting things on the horizon. Change in leadership of the liberal party, a strong harper minority that might try to bite off more than it can chew and a country with a growing lack of direction from individuals to the broader collective just waiting to be given a modern, clear and useful direction again.

Lets see where the road takes us.

Cheers,

P

2008-10-10T09:30:00.000-07:00

HAPPY THANKSGIVING

And a great weekend to all.

Cheers,

P

2008-10-08T09:19:00.000-07:00

GO FOR A SODA!

It was fantastic. Kim Mitchell in concert in a barn with no more than 200 people. This happened last Sunday in the wee town of Metcalf Ontario at the metcalf agricultural fair. There were rides, and carnival games, and antique tractors competitions and a horse pull, lots of fair ground fare and of coure the man himself.

Kim put on a glorious concert of abotu 2 hrs and rawked the house. It was great!

Cheers,
P

2008-09-25T07:35:00.001-07:00

WOW... I FIND MYSELF IMPRESSED WITH MAGGIE ATWOOD

"To be creative is, in fact, Canadian

Mr. Harper is wrong: There's more to the arts than a bunch of rich people at galas whining about their grants

MARGARET ATWOOD

From Thursday's Globe and Mail
September 24, 2008 at 11:00 PM EDT

What sort of country do we want to live in? What sort of country do we already live in? What do we like? Who are we?

At present, we are a very creative country. For decades, we've been punching above our weight on the world stage - in writing, in popular music and in many other fields. Canada was once a cultural void on the world map, now it's a force. In addition, the arts are a large segment of our economy: The Conference Board estimates Canada's cultural sector generated $46-billion, or 3.8 per cent of Canada's GDP, in 2007. And, according to the Canada Council, in 2003-2004, the sector accounted for an “estimated 600,000 jobs (roughly the same as agriculture, forestry, fishing, mining, oil & gas and utilities combined).”

But we've just been sent a signal by Prime Minister Stephen Harper that he gives not a toss for these facts. Tuesday, he told us that some group called “ordinary people” didn't care about something called “the arts.” His idea of “the arts” is a bunch of rich people gathering at galas whining about their grants. Well, I can count the number of moderately rich writers who live in Canada on the fingers of one hand: I'm one of them, and I'm no Warren Buffett. I don't whine about my grants because I don't get any grants. I whine about other grants - grants for young people, that may help them to turn into me, and thus pay to the federal and provincial governments the kinds of taxes I pay, and cover off the salaries of such as Mr. Harper. In fact, less than 10 per cent of writers actually make a living by their writing, however modest that living may be. They have other jobs. But people write, and want to write, and pack into creative writing classes, because they love this activity – not because they think they'll be millionaires.
Every single one of those people is an “ordinary person.” Mr. Harper's idea of an ordinary person is that of an envious hater without a scrap of artistic talent or creativity or curiosity, and no appreciation for anything that's attractive or beautiful. My idea of an ordinary person is quite different. Human beings are creative by nature. For millenniums we have been putting our creativity into our cultures - cultures with unique languages, architecture, religious ceremonies, dances, music, furnishings, textiles, clothing and special cuisines. “Ordinary people” pack into the cheap seats at concerts and fill theatres where operas are brought to them live. The total attendance for “the arts” in Canada in fact exceeds that for sports events. “The arts” are not a “niche interest.” They are part of being human.

Moreover, “ordinary people” are participants. They form book clubs and join classes of all kinds - painting, dancing, drawing, pottery, photography - for the sheer joy of it. They sing in choirs, church and other, and play in marching bands. Kids start garage bands and make their own videos and web art, and put their music on the Net, and draw their own graphic novels. “Ordinary people” have other outlets for their creativity, as well: Knitting and quilting have made comebacks; gardening is taken very seriously; the home woodworking shop is active. Add origami, costume design, egg decorating, flower arranging, and on and on ... Canadians, it seems, like making things, and they like appreciating things that are made.

They show their appreciation by contributing. Canadians of all ages volunteer in vast numbers for local and city museums, for their art galleries and for countless cultural festivals - I think immediately of the Chinese New Year and the Caribana festival in Toronto, but there are so many others. Literary festivals have sprung up all over the country - volunteers set them up and provide the food, and “ordinary people” will drag their lawn chairs into a field - as in Nova Scotia's Read by the Sea - in order to listen to writers both local and national read and discuss their work. Mr. Harper has signalled that as far as he is concerned, those millions of hours of volunteer activity are a waste of time. He holds them in contempt.

I suggest that considering the huge amount of energy we spend on creative activity, to be creative is “ordinary.” It is an age-long and normal human characteristic: All children are born creative. It's the lack of any appreciation of these activities that is not ordinary. Mr. Harper has demonstrated that he has no knowledge of, or respect for, the capacities and interests of “ordinary people.” He's the “niche interest.” Not us.

It's been suggested that Mr. Harper's disdain for the arts is not merely a result of ignorance or a tin ear - that it is “ideologically motivated.” Now, I wonder what could be meant by that? Mr.
Harper has said quite rightly that people understand we ought to keep within a budget. But his own contribution to that budget has been to heave the Liberal-generated surplus overboard so we have nothing left for a rainy day, and now, in addition, he wants to jeopardize those 600,000 arts jobs and those billions of dollars they generate for Canadians. What's the idea here? That
arts jobs should not exist because artists are naughty and might not vote for Mr. Harper? That

Canadians ought not to make money from the wicked arts, but only from virtuous oil? That artists don't all live in one constituency, so who cares? Or is it that the majority of those arts jobs are located in Ontario and Quebec, and Mr. Harper is peeved at those provinces, and wants to increase his ongoing gutting of Ontario - $20-billion a year of Ontario taxpayers' money going out, a dribble grudgingly allowed back in - and spank Quebec for being so disobedient as not to appreciate his magnificence? He likes punishing, so maybe the arts-squashing is part of that:

Whack the Heartland.

Or is it even worse? Every budding dictatorship begins by muzzling the artists, because they're a mouthy lot and they don't line up and salute very easily. Of course, you can always get some tame artists to design the uniforms and flags and the documentary about you, and so forth - the only kind of art you might need - but individual voices must be silenced, because there shall be only One Voice: Our Master's Voice. Maybe that's why Mr. Harper began by shutting down funding for our artists abroad. He didn't like the competition for media space.

The Conservative caucus has already learned that lesson. Rumour has it that Mr. Harper's idea of what sort of art you should hang on your wall was signalled by his removal of all pictures of previous Conservative prime ministers from their lobby room - including John A. and Dief the Chief - and their replacement by pictures of none other than Mr. Harper himself. History, it seems, is to begin with him. In communist countries, this used to be called the Cult of Personality.

Mr. Harper is a guy who - rumour has it, again - tried to disband the student union in high school and then tried the same thing in college. Destiny is calling him, the way it called Qin Shi Huang, the Chinese emperor who burnt all records of the rulers before himself. It's an impulse that's been repeated many times since, the list is very long. Tear it down and level it flat, is the common motto.

Then build a big statue of yourself. Now that would be Art!"

2008-09-23T08:48:00.000-07:00

BBQ RESULT

The first public fundraiser for the Ottawa Sustainability Fund was an unmitigated success! We raised $725 over the course of 5 hrs selling hot dogs and hamburgers! Thanks to all who were involved and I hope we can do this again some time!

Cheers,

P

2008-09-17T11:44:00.000-07:00

BBQ

If Any of you happen to be in Ottawa this Saturday between 10-4pm why not stop by the Old Ottawa South Arts and Music Festival where my Charity the Ottawa Sustainability Fund will be cooking burgers, dogs and veggie dogs to raise money and spread awareness of our presence as a local environmental endowment fund.

http://www.oosartfestival.ca/

Cheers,

Patrick

2008-09-09T07:35:00.000-07:00

POLITICS

So first off please see an article of your very own independent candidate for Calgary West your friend and mine Kirk Schmidt. http://www.metronews.ca/calgary/local/article/109474

We all wish him the best of luck!

On another matter what a bloody disgrace this country's media is. They wouldn't know democratic rights if it bit them in the face. ELIZABETH MAY SHOULD PARTICIPATE IN THE LEADERS' DEBATE!

The Greens have canddiates in all 306 ridings, they have one sitting MP, and have consistently polled above 5% (lately closer to abover 10%). I would remind those suits at the 'media consortium' who make these decisions that Duceppe only has representation in 1 province and is allowed in both the english and french debates.

DISGRACE!

Cheers,

P

2008-08-28T12:58:00.001-07:00

MAN OF THE PEOPLE

“People talk about a technical recession. Even if that's true, I don't think it's a real recession,” Mr. Harper told a news conference in the Arctic town of Inuvik, without confirming whether growth did in fact come in negative for two quarters.

“Somebody said a recession is when people start losing their jobs, and when your neighbour loses his job. There are job losses, but overall employment is pretty stable,” Mr. Harper said."

From today's globe and mail online.

Wow I can just feel the compassion and the concern can't you?

Further I get the impression he's hard at work trying to mitigate the impacts of an only 'technical' recession... Stupid thing to say before you launch into an election, stupider thing to say in such a callous and cold way.

Cheers,

P

2008-08-27T08:20:00.001-07:00

THE ETERNAL POUTINE

Caught this article in the globe today. For anyone who enjoys poutine this will be a fascinating read!

"INGRID PERITZ
From Wednesday's Globe and Mail

August 27, 2008 at 4:11 AM EDT

MONTREAL — Mixing fries and gravy together under a heap of cheese curds in Quebec is
known as the recipe for poutine. It also turns out to be a recipe for a good old-fashioned dispute.
The debate over who invented poutine, perhaps Quebec's best-known dish, doesn't quite compete with history's biggest paternity debates. But a festival in Drummondville this week devoted to the humble poutine has reawakened a real, if good-natured, rivalry between two cities that each lay claim to the culinary creation.

To the organizers of the Festival de la Poutine de Drummondville, the two-day celebration of music, curds and cholesterol is meant as an ode to a home-grown concoction that has emerged from its low-brow origins to become a culinary icon.

"Poutine was long considered junk food, but now people are reinterpreting it in new ways. It's being taken more seriously," said Simon Proulx, the lead singer with a popular Quebec music group, Les Trois Accords, whose Drummondville-born members decided to launch the festival.
Enlarge Image

Musician Simon Proulx, organizer of Le Festival de la Poutine in Drummondville, Que., poses with a dish of poutine in Montreal this week. Christinne Muschi for The Globe and Mail
Their gathering will feature music as well as tastings of poutine - from the classic variety to Italian poutine with spaghetti sauce, and the latest, high-brow versions using foie gras.
But it is the organizers' claim that they are first to hold a festival devoted to poutine that is stirring up a controversy.

Over in Warwick, only 50 kilometres from Drummondville, the town proclaims that it first held a poutine festival in 1993. It lasted two years before morphing into the annual Warwick cheese festival, which organizers say is the largest of its kind in Canada.
The two towns, virtually neighbours in Quebec dairy country, can't see eye to eye over which is the rightful birthplace of poutine.

The city of Drummondville says it first mixed fries and cheese in the 1960s, when Jean-Paul Roy, proprietor of Le Roy Jucep, added cheese curds to fries and gravy at the request of his restaurant customers.

He later claimed the name came from mixing the word "pouding" with the nickname of one of his cooks, Ti-Pout; the establishment proclaims on its website that it invented poutine, and even shows off a certificate in the restaurant declaring "inventor of poutine" as a registered trademark.

Over in Warwick, however, a restaurateur named Fernand Lachance claimed to have invented poutine in 1957, when a customer asked for cheese curds to be added to his usual order of fries. Mr. Lachance put the ingredients in a wax-paper bag and threw in some salt and vinegar.
Mr. Lachance said he declared the concoction a "maudite poutine" - a damn mess.
"The people of Drummondville can try to claim the title of inventors of poutine. We won't sue them," the mayor of Warwick, Claude Desrochers, said from his dairy farm yesterday. "But they are performing acrobatics with the truth."

Mr. Desrochers says he is too busy to attend Drummondville's festival, which begins on Friday.
"I wish them good luck. I don't want to go to war over poutine," he said. "But you have to do unto Caesar what is Caesar's. Poutine is a very good dish that was created in Warwick in 1957."
The very existence of competing proprietorship of the dish suggests that poutine, at once publicly scorned yet secretly enjoyed, is gaining a certain kind of cultural status among a younger generation.

Charles-Alexandre Théorêt, author of the 2007 book Maudite Poutine!, says the dish was looked upon with a certain amount of disgust by his parents' generation. Now, younger Quebeckers enjoy debating where to come by the best version of the dish.

"It's not a symbol everyone is proud of. It's a dish that isn't elegant or chic, and is has zero health content," he said. "But it's an icon of junk food cuisine - Quebec's answer to the hot dog."

As for which town can claim to have put the dish on the map, that remains the subject for an eternal debate.

"It's an old rivalry, like the one between the Toronto Maple Leafs and the Montreal Canadiens," Mr. Théorêt said. Just a little messier. "

2008-08-15T10:30:00.001-07:00

PAST LIVES

I found this really interesting

http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20080814/child_spy_080814/20080814?hub=Entertainment

Just the sheer number and variety of people involved in the OSS. They really new how to do things back then!

Cheers,

P

2008-08-15T10:30:00.000-07:00

2008-08-14T12:35:00.000-07:00

NO SHIT

"Teens misjudge risk of injury and death, study says"

http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20080814/teens_injury_080814/20080814?hub=Health

Wow... I really hope taxpayers didn't spend too much on this 'groundbreaking' report. What next, reports on the fact that high calorie food makes you fat or perhaps that LA is earthquake prone.

Good lord...

P

2008-08-11T11:37:00.000-07:00

PRINCE CHUNK

I nearly fell out of my chair...

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/worldnews/article-1043011/Chubby-feline-gets-clean-health-homeless-New-Jersey.html

Cheers,

P

2008-08-07T11:06:00.001-07:00

WANTED

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/worldnews/article-1042629/Crackers-New-Zealand-police-Robbie-Coltrane-wanted-poster.html

I can only imagine a Canadian version of this...

Don Cherry is not the burglar but picture him 60 years younger, with a pot belly, long hair, and a proper suit. Yeah... that's going to help me identify a theif...

Wow... Kiwis are a strange strange lot.

Cheers,

P

2008-08-06T08:10:00.000-07:00

CUSTOMER DISSERVICE...

This is an excellent article on the decline of customer service. As I've experience many of the situations or similar described in the article I thought I'd share

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20080805.wservice06/BNStory/National/home

Cheers,

P

2008-08-05T12:29:00.000-07:00

DER FLUGTAG!

http://www.redbull.ca/en/ArticlePage.1209671566661-850082600.0/htmlArticlePage.action

This was absolutely awesome! Liz and I hope to get some folks together next year and enter a flying contraption ourselves!

Cheers,

P

2008-07-31T07:26:00.000-07:00

THE KNICKERS OF EMPIRE!

Wow... a 55 inch waistline. No doubt the comfort and space helped her rule britannia for the duration of her reign.

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20080731.wbloomers31/BNStory/National/home

Cheers,

P

2008-07-28T07:17:00.000-07:00

A NICE ARTICLE

I thought this was a rather nice piece by the Achbishop of Canterbury (head of the anglican church) Rowan Williams on the importance of balancing growth with social and environmental well-being.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2008/jul/26/climatechange.religion?gusrc=rss&feed=environment

Cheers,

Patrick

2008-07-25T20:04:00.000-07:00

HAPPY FEAST OF ESSENCE!

As Tom pointed out in the comments of the previous post its Feast of Essence time!

Get out there, enjoy yourselves and wash away the year's disappointments! HUZZAH!

Cheers,

P

2008-07-24T12:58:00.000-07:00

AND THIS IS WHY OBAMA WILL (and should) WIN

"people of the world – the scale of our challenge is great. The road ahead will be long. But I come before you to say that we are heirs to a struggle for freedom. We are a people of improbable hope. With an eye toward the future, with resolve in our hearts, let us remember this history, and answer our destiny, and remake the world once again."

Check out the full text of his speech in Berlin here:
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/24/us/politics/24text-obama.html?pagewanted=4&_r=1

Cheers,

P

2008-07-22T10:57:00.001-07:00

AND ANOTHER ONE BITES THE DUST....

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20080722.wkaradzic0722/BNStory/International/home

It took far too long to capture him... However, he will likely be on trial or in prison for the rest of his life. I'm happy enough with this.

And in other news... this has to be a darwin award if I've ever seen one

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1037177/Polish-tourist-killed-urinating-750-volt-electric-railway-line.html

Cheers,

P

2008-07-18T09:54:00.000-07:00

CITY CHASE

Its that time again. Mitubishi City Chase is on tomorrow and we are ready and able to take on what ever tasks are thrown at us... zip lines over rapids, no problem, photo challenge old hat son, finishing in six hours.... easy as pie!

I'll let you know how it goes.

Cheers,

P

2008-07-11T11:19:00.000-07:00

YET ANOTHER WEDDING...

Its great that so many of our friends are getting married this year but man... it sure does take a toll in time and gas and weekends!

I'm looking forward to this one as much as the last few (which is to say I am actually greatly looking forward to it) but I also hope next summer is a bit quieter!

Cheers,

P

2008-07-09T06:15:00.000-07:00

BRILLIANT!

http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,1820886,00.html?xid=rss-topstories

I wish I lived in San Fran just so I could have signed the petition and vote in favour of it in November!

Reminds me of us trying to rename the new giant crater which was to become the new coop building at waterloo after a particularly useless and unhelpful student president.

I really hope this petition passes!

Cheers,

P

2008-07-07T13:35:00.000-07:00

INAPPROPRIATE

http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20080707/bush_harper_080707/20080707?hub=World

YO' BUSH... addressing heads of state and government like this (whether Blair, Harper or other) is about as appropriate as calling over a gang members by saying "pardon me my good sir, might you spare a second and come hither"

IDIOT. It was bad two years ago and its still bad. The fact that this ignoramous is the head of state of the United States is just astonishing.

I cannot wait for November.

Cheers,

P

2008-07-03T09:30:00.000-07:00

GO COLOMBIA!

As many of you will remember I was very impressed with Colombia when I was on vacation there a few years ago. THe people the state of development and the progress that has been made to make the country just that much safer and that much more stable (despite the fact that it is still a fairly unstable and violent country).

I read this http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20080702.0702colombiahostages/BNStory/International/home
today in the globe and was even more impressed. I think it speaks to, not just a very good president, but an entire country/society that has had its fill of instability and violence and death.

I think we can expect great things of colombia in the coming years.

Patrick

2008-06-30T13:11:00.001-07:00

HAPPY CANADA DAY

Cheers,

P

2008-06-26T08:07:00.000-07:00

AND THIS IS WHY I "LOVE" OTTAWA

http://www.canada.com/ottawacitizen/news/city/story.html?id=7a01a4ae-3c2a-438e-bd9d-d8679c5deaac

Enjoy its all true.

Cheers,

P

2008-06-25T11:49:00.000-07:00

DRIVIN' ALONG....

http://www.mariokart.com/wii/launch/

This is the best thing ever!!!!!

Cheers,

P

2008-06-23T11:20:00.000-07:00

RIBFEST....

The best fest so far this year was RIBFEST which took place on sparks street over the past week. I was able to get to it twice both with good company. I did not find the ribs or pulled pork sandwiches as good as last year but still thought it quite good if somewhat pricey. Its also just nice to see that many people out in a pedestrian space in ottawa with music blaring, families, couples and friends out together. Sparks street needs more of this sort of thing and it would also be a bonus to keep stores open longer to try and attract more business.

Anyway it was a great weekend. Mark was up and had a great weekend. Liz and I also went Strawberry picking and now have some fantastic strawberries in our fridge which I doubt will last very long.

Anyway cheers for now.

P

2008-06-20T11:42:00.000-07:00

BACK

After three long weeks away, I'm finally back. New posts to follow

Cheers,

P

2008-05-23T10:52:00.000-07:00

EYE TO EYE ACROSS THE ATLANTIC

This is just awesome! It gives me faith that there are still people out there who appreciate inventiveness for its own sake and not just how ideas can be marketed as sold.

Have a... look

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-1021258/The-amazing-telescope-lets-New-York-Londons-Tower-Bridge.html

Cheers,

P

2008-05-21T13:36:00.000-07:00

LOVELY WINNIPEG

Had a great time at Donny's wedding in Winnipeg this past weekend. It was great seeing so many people I haven't seen in a long time and exploringa city I haven't really been to since I was 5 or so (the 1 hr I spent walking around outside the train station in 1998 really doesn't count).

We were also lucky enough to catch the fireworks down at the forks on sunday night. The resto where we were sitting had a great gimmick, instead of heat lamps outside (which are pretty lame to me) they had individual firepits with roaring bonfires. This is the complete antithesis of lame.

Anyway all to say it was great time and I wish Donny and Marika the best!

Cheers,

P

2008-05-14T11:10:00.000-07:00

CLIAMTARCHEOLOGY

With the ongoing drought in spain, lower water levels have revealed and old church. This is really cool
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/worldnews.html?in_article_id=566368&in_page_id=1811

Cheers,

P

2008-05-12T11:30:00.000-07:00

GOOD WEEKEND

All I can say is that any weekend where you get a good road trip, a lot of good savings at US outlet malls, and a fine 'down home dinner' at cracker barrel restaurant in New York states is a great weekend!

The only thing that was missing was mini golf, but we can do that later this summer.

Cheers,

P

2008-05-07T14:07:00.000-07:00

OK HARPER... THIS IMPRESSED ME

“Four hundred years ago in Quebec City our country was born,” the Prime Minister said. “The foundation of Quebec City is also the foundation of Canada. The Governor-General is the successor of Samuel de Champlain, the first governor of Canada.

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20080507.wquestionperiod0507/BNStory/National/home

Too bad he's so focused on so called 'open federalism' which will only serve to fan the flames of
nationalism, regionalism and provicialism.

Cheers,

P

2008-05-05T06:50:00.001-07:00

ANOTHER GREAT CANADIAN PASSES

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/LAC.20080505.OBCACCIA05/TPStory/?query=caccia

I knew Charles over the past four years working on Ottawa's municipal Environmental Adivsory Committee. He could be smart, rude, witty, obnoxious, collaborative, divisive and hyper-intelligent.

However his desire to work for a better world never stopped, nor did his work. He should be an inspiration to all of this and newer generations of the importance of hard work and passion to create a just, sustainable, prosperous and happy world. I fear his kind are rarer and rarer these days. People of principle and passion. The young... indeed all of us can learn much from his memory.

Cheers,

P

2008-05-02T08:03:00.001-07:00

LESBIAN OR LESBIAN

"My sister can't say she is a Lesbian," said plaintiff Dimitris Lambrou. "Our geographical designation has been usurped by certain ladies who have no connection whatsoever with Lesbos."

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20080502.wlesbos02/BNStory/International/home

This is just comical for so many reasons.

Cheers,

P

2008-05-02T08:03:00.000-07:00

LESIBAN OR LESBIAN?

My sister can't say she is a Lesbian," said plaintiff Dimitris Lambrou. "Our geographical designation has been usurped by certain ladies who have no connection whatsoever with Lesbos."

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20080502.wlesbos02/BNStory/International/home

This is just comical for so many reasons!

Cheers,

P

2008-04-28T12:57:00.000-07:00

THE REAL INDY?

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/news.html?in_article_id=562487&in_page_id=1770

Very interesting fellow!

Cheers,

P

2008-04-23T11:01:00.001-07:00

WEIRD

http://www.cbc.ca/world/story/2008/04/23/balloon-journey.html

Of all the ways to dissapear or die, this has to be, now, included on my top ten list.

Cheers,

P

2008-04-16T13:15:00.000-07:00

A NATIONAL LOSS

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20080415.whillierstatement0415/BNStory/National/home?cid=al_gam_mostview

With the resignation of Rick Hillier comes the loss of something this country desperately needs, real leadership. Gen. Hillier was the pinacle of leadership in a sea of partisan baffoons (on all sides of the political spectrum) and silent bureaucrats.

Let us hope that his successor is cut from, if not the same, a similar cloth. As such let us hope his replacement is Lt. Gen. Leslie. I've met Gen. Leslie a few times and truly believe he will continue Gen. Hillier's legacy of leadership.

Cheers,

P

2008-04-14T14:18:00.000-07:00

AMERICA'S BITTER PILL

Only in America would Barack Obama's comments below be considered controversial:

[He was trying to explain his troubles winning over some working-class voters, saying they have become frustrated with economic conditions:

"It's not surprising, then, they get bitter, they cling to guns or religion or antipathy to people who aren't like them or anti-immigrant sentiment or anti-trade sentiment as a way to explain their frustrations." ]

He's 100% right. This has nothing to do with being elitist, anti-god or anti-gun. This is an honest statement about how people, downtrodden and forgotten by successive US governments feel. I think, based on his comments, he's the most 'in-touch' of the US Canadidates. Makes we wish I could vote for him!

Instead of saying to people who do feel put out and bitter 'its ok, its just the american way' and continuing with business as usual (ie Clinton and probably McCain), Obama has said it like it is and isn't talking down to people.

I hope now more than ever he gets elected!

Cheers,

P

2008-04-02T12:12:00.000-07:00

INCAPACITATING AND DELICIOUS

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/news.html?in_article_id=552028&in_page_id=1770

Amazing what curry can do.

Cheers,

P

2008-04-01T08:28:00.001-07:00

ANOTHER EXAMPLE OF CONSERVATIVE 'LEADERSHIP'

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20080401.wflag01/BNStory/National/home

This is a disgrace.

There is no other word for it. Something tells me that if anyone should be taken off the list its senators and MPs not workers, firefighters, or military personnel. After all its not MPs and Senators who actually make this country what it is, its everyday people who make extra ordinary sacrafices. That is what should be recognized.

P

2008-03-25T07:40:00.000-07:00

WHEN THE PHONE RINGS...

Do you want someone who speaks like this in the Whitehouse when the red phone rings...

"“I went to 80 countries, you know. I gave contemporaneous accounts, I wrote about a lot of this in my book. You know, I think that, a minor blip, you know, if I said something that, you know, I say a lot of things – millions of words a day – so if I misspoke, that was just a misstatement,” she said." - Hillary Clinton

Give me McCain or Obama. Either have a much better shot of pulling th US out of its current funk.

Cheers,

P

2008-03-17T12:59:00.000-07:00

REPLACE THE WORD 'WHITE' WITH THE WORD 'OTTAWAN's'

http://stuffwhitepeoplelike.wordpress.com/full-list-of-stuff-white-people-like/

Too perfect.

Cheers,

P

2008-03-14T09:59:00.000-07:00

2011

So Parliament finally did some work and passed (rightly) the extention of Canada's mission in Afghanistan until 2011. This is the right decision. The challenge now will be to bolster the troop, diplomat and aid worker number in the south and indeed across the entire country.

Canada has been on the front lines for longer than its entire involvement in WWI and it is time NATO as an alliance of some 26 countries. It is completely unacceptable that only 4 or so are doing the real work. Hey Germany hey Italy, hey Spain where are you? Getting other countries to take a turn at the front is now our biggest challenge.

Cheers,

P

2008-03-06T10:05:00.000-08:00

VISITING

Back in a week! Although it will be nice to see an old friend again whom I haven't seen in about 5-6 years.

Cheers,

Patrick

2008-03-03T19:31:00.000-08:00

MORE OF THE SAME

So I leave for a week and come back to more accusation of scandal, vote rigging and generally badness in parliament. This time its not liberal envelopes full of cash but conservatives offering live insurance for elections.

Look I'm all for investigating problems like this, however this is the job of the RCMP not parliament. Parliament has other things to worry about like creating good laws to keep us all safe, fixing the environmental problems that plague this country, or maybe how to deal with a crumbling health care system along with provinces, ditto municipal infrastructure oh and there is also a matter of that little afghanistan problem.

All to say we pay our politicians to deal with real issues not potential criminal goings ons, that's why we pay the police.

Shameful.. all of them... shameful.

Cheers,

P

2008-02-24T12:37:00.001-08:00

AWAY AGAIN,

See you in a week.

If you want more info please email.

Cheers,

P