Thursday, June 26, 2008
Wednesday, June 25, 2008
Willingdon Revisited
It is too early to approve or condemn the provincial initiative to re-open Willingdon as an institution for mentally ill and addicted people.
If managed sensibly and with understanding, commitment and compassion, this could be an immense help to all.
If run like most government bureaux, it will be warehousing of the worst kind, like the old Riverview operation.
Let's see who is running this and what they really know.
Public Fraud - Carbon Taxes and Carbon Trading
How bad is Gordon Campbell's Carbon Tax?
It took SIX imminent writers to defend it in yesterday's Sun.
Not only that but there are letters to the editor these days calling this program "courageous" and "necessary."
Of course, it is neither.
Of course, it will get not one driver out of his ride.
Of course, it is a crass money grab on a simple staple.
Let me draw your attention to the Bertrand Russell quote in the right hand margin of this page.
"If fifty million people say a foolish thing, it is still a foolish thing."
This issue is not about whether Carole James is an opportunist. James and the NDP are not relevant. This about a bad public policy at a bad time.
My little Mazda used to cost me $20 for a fill. Then, for many years it cost $40. The last two fills cost me $56.
The carbon tax, like carbon trading, is hokum, plain and simple.
Orga-Doll
"I believe that within five years people will be having sex with robots."
Where has this writer been all his life?
Millions of people can testify that their partners have been robots in bed for a long, long time.
Peel me a grape, Belinda.
La-Di-Da
Children found floating in pool.
As of yesterday, these two were on the critical list.
On the weekend, we were luxuriating at a resort on Okanagan Lake. The facility had 3 pools and 3 whirlpools.
Two little boys played by themselves, unsupervised, in a shallow wading pool.
Guess Mom and Dad were doing their own terrific thing, somewhere.
Last week, I watched Mr. Dad walk across a crosswalk during rush hour on a major artery while his less than 3 year old daughter toddled along 10 feet behind him.
It's a grand old life if you just don't LOOK AT THE IDIOTS AROUND YOU.
Close the Borders!
How paranoid has the Excited States become under the Bush regime?
Boy George is banned.
Talk about dangerous.
George has not been found guilty of anything recently, other than being Boy George.
Who is scarier? George or America?
This is the way we spend our bucks, spend our bucks, spend our bucks...
Hello from "The Welcoming and Inclusive Communities and Workplace Program."
This is a brilliant new initiative of the BC government.
Cost?
Only 10 Mil.
A pittance. Lunch.
I didn't even know that Wally Opaque was not only the Attorney-General, but that he is also the minister responsible for multiculturalism.
'splains a lot.
You can get your application for your own little grant at www.WelcomeBC.ca.
Pricey Bouquet
It's a Monet. It's signed. And it sold for $81 Million last night at Christie's big night out.
And you're thinking about getting new tongs for the barbie...
Tuesday, June 24, 2008
The Meltdown, Part Deux
The Shaw cable system, which powers both my TV reception and my internet, just came back on..now, at 11pm.
I was hoping to post the blog after dinner, but it was not to be.
So....I will try to get in as many items as I can tomorrow morning.
Off to dreamland, hope you are too...
Meltdown
Dear Bloggists,
Shaw Cable was out in my neighbourhood since about 5 am. Hence no TV no Internet. Hence no Blog posting this morning.
Please check back in from time to time over the afternoon and I will try to get caught up.
Cheers,
David
Monday, June 23, 2008
Plant Politics
The Molson Canada brewery on Burrard Street may be the biggest consumer of water in the region.
But equally important, it is the flat ugliest sight in town and why is it still sitting on the south end of the Burrard Bridge blocking the view and skyline to the water and the city?
I'm surprised that over the many years of development and change that this area has seen, no one at city hall has begun the "moving" conversation with Molson.
Maybe they have and maybe Molson has a great hold on the property that it is reluctant to abandon.
But that's what deal making is about. Give these folks a good reason to move and a good site ELSEWHERE to move to and we might have something more fitting in the core of our city.
Friday, June 20, 2008
Dear Bloggists
His Blogginess is heading for the hills today. Swim, tennis, eat, sleep, read. Thus, no posting (of this kind) Saturday and Sunday.
May the Farce and the Sun be with you.
NOthing Petty about Crime
In response to Jim Chu's call for more jail time for chronic offenders, Mildew and his editors both keep referring to minor crimes.
There is nothing minor about a crime when you are the victim. Being robbed, broken into, mugged and so on are traumatic and frightening experiences.
It is very nice for people to sit back in the comfort of their easy chairs and survey the vast scene before them and make pronouncements about small crimes.
Try living through one and then see how charitable you will feel about "petty" criminals.
There is an enormous psychological divide between citizens and thieves.
"There but for the grace of God" just barley begins to embrace the dilemma.
Lazy Politics
The gender politics posing as affirmative action in the provincial NDP is abhorrent.
It's not bad enough that husbands and fathers are the endless butt of every bad TV commercial (Women make the buying decisions so ad execs cartoon and lampoon the male of the household. If women are not as insulted by this simplistic and ugly mythology, they aught to be.), but the party won't allow a man to run in a constituency that needs a new candidate.
Women only is the rule.
How about, instead of a rude and exclusionary and self-defeating rule, you do the hard work of finding and encouraging and developing good women candidates?
Everyone is always looking for the magic bullet, the single sweep that will change the landscape.
Never was; never will be.
Commitment, work, effort.
Thanks again, Wall
We have Wally Opaque's assurance that "pressing trials" (those involving laundering, no doubt) will proceed in spite of the Great Sponge called 2010.
Ah...that's comforting.
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