Thursday, 28 May 2015
Growing older and wiser? Depends who you ask I guess.
About a year ago one of those stupid Facebook threads that you comment on and then given a topic to share forward was going around. So against my better judgement I commented on it (normally I stay far away from those silly mindless things) and was given the letter P. So I posted it and a longtime friend replied with "Political" and then followed up saying I have become much more political since moving out East.
At first I was defensive because Rick and I had always spoken about politics over daily routine coffee sessions when I lived in Edmonton. Issues ranging from teachers unions to Provincial budget, to heritage Trust fund, to really anything in news that day. Really the only difference being now was that we had access to much much much more information happening around the world thanks to the internet. Back then, while we both were very active in computers in our own right, the internet still wasn't the sounding board it would turn into. So most of our information still came from The Edmonton Sun newspaper and what we heard on radio and word of mouth.
So with limited information coming in, the discussions were less focused and less defined on our part as we simply did not have the mounds of information available to us today.
So in that sense I still maintain I have not become more political then I was back then. I just have more issues regarding politics to speak about now. More access to greater amount of content always means greater time spent on content.
That was my initial response to the claim.
But its stuck in my head, back of my mind, nagging at me since then.
Had I become more political as I grow older and why?
And in truth I very well may have.
See in Alberta in the 60s, 70s, 80s, even 90s you lived in a bubble. You knew your opinions (speaking mass population generality here) were different then those of rest of Canada. What you did not know or perhaps did not understand is how much different they were. And THAT part might have been the big eye opener for me when I moved out East and very well might drive my recently fueled interest in politics.
I always tell this story to people out here when they ask me how different was Alberta compared to Toronto...
"My very first time ever in Toronto I was entering the now gone Worlds Biggest Book Store with my mother. I grabbed door and held open as my mother went through and right behind us were a elderly couple, so as I was raised to do in Alberta, I held the door open for them as well.
Well they stopped and stared and even glared at me, not moving through the door, I held for couple more seconds and since they made no attempt or movement towards the door I shrugged and went through myself. Later I asked my mother "what the hell was that all about" and she just shrugged it off and casually said "Probably thought you were going to mug them, people don't hold doors open for others out here"
Yes Toto, we are not in Kansas any more.
To me that one encounter was (until very recently) the best way to describe the difference between East and West,
Now you take that mindset and apply it to politics and suddenly you are dealing with a MUCH MUCH MUCH different beast. One I honestly had never seen before until I moved out East.
Take the most recent Alberta Election for example. Couple great examples come from that.
1) The NDP win in Alberta is misleading when you look at it from a east / west viewpoint. Truth is Notley wouldn't even be able to run that platform in the East as a NDP. Its far far far to moderate for Ontario or Federal NDP objectives and agendas. While they share a few common ground issues, Notley would have probably had to cross floor to Liberals (normally) to run on that platform. But with current state of Ontario and Federal liberal party she would have found much more in common with the Ontario PC party and Harpers conservatives.
Now I'm sure any NDP voter in Alberta is up in arms and calling me every word in book over that last statement. But its the truth. The Alberta NDP present themselves as more moderate in their nature on most topics (climate change and unions being the only 2 real sticking points where they continue to go hard leftist policy wise) then their federal and Ontario counter parts. And thus would find themselves siding currently with federal or Ontario conservatives because they are the only party even remotely close to the center right now politically. Now of course that's all a smoke screen to get elected out west. Truth is Notley and her followers are every bit as left wing as the rest of the party. They just couldn't say that until after the election.
Alberta residences (not those that moved there to get employment because the Liberal and NDP governments of their old provinces killed all the jobs and employment...which always makes me shake my head that they now AGAIN voting Liberal and NDP after moving their families across the country for employment because of the NDP and Liberals) do not understand this massive difference between west and east politics. What is left in Alberta very well might be viewed as a red conservative in Ontario or even a blue liberal.
2) Alberta had the backbone and dignity to do the right thing this past election. Lets forget the whole Left vrs Right, socialist vrs conservative stuff and focus in on the message sent by Alberta in this past election.
Redford had been caught red handed misusing public money. The amounts are actually very minor in the grand scope, it was the deceitful and corrupt manner in which it was done. And then when she was finally drove out for her actions, Prentice came in as an arrogant, obnoxious, no regret follow up.
Alberta said "NO WAY NO HOW" and rightfully tossed the Alberta PCs from power.
Well done, that's the way it should be done.
That's the West way.
Now lets look at Ontario provincial election.
Prior to Wynne we had Dalton McGuinty. The man broke his first political promise on day 2 of his first term raising taxes after campaigning on no tax increases for months. Under McGuinty there was endless broken promises, endless tax and cost increases, and the scandals were endless as well amounting to over 2 billion dollars (some eventually being criminally investigated).
FINALLY like Redford he resigns in shame and Wynne takes over
Exactly like Prentice Wynne is arrogant, obnoxious, no regrets (she goes so far as leading a Dalton Dalton, Dalton chant on multiple occasions) . The scandals dollar figures (and she has been tied to the 2 billion with McGuinty) rise to well over 3 BILLION dollars in corruption.
And Toronto (note, not Ontario, just Toronto) gives her a majority government anyways.
EXACTLY the opposite message that Alberta sent to their provincial political figures.
So one can only take away from that that in the west, accountability and integrity matter far more in politics then in the East (can say East because Wynne not the only eastern political figure under criminal investigations out here. Liberals wracking up quite the dirt sheet municipally and provincially out east, last number of years).
So that was the change in culture for me.
Out here politics is not so much about the message and what good you can do
Politics is about spinning the message and getting the media to lobby for you (which the Liberals out here are masterful at). What you actually do after being elected seems to matter little out here in Ontario. Its all about public image and the photo ops and NOT about who has the best ideas and is proven most trustworthy.
So for me, growing up as I did, this all flies in my face as unthinkable.
So when something is unthinkable, you speak out against it.
And as I explained at the start, now I just have so much more content to speak out against.
Take the media for example.
I could literally supply 10000s of links to showcase how the news out here is not reported. Its manufactured, designed, targeted.
The media in the east (though it does seem to have seeped into western media as well now as a few Alberta stations are very suspect in how they ignore one story but push another, rather then reporting both equally) is not interested in journalism, reporting, fact gathering.
those are things of the past which restricted them, in putting forth the articles they really wanted to write.
Out here now, the media no longer interested in people making up their own minds, they much more interested in making up the minds for the people.
Case in point: other day was a news story of a mother suing a airlinebecause it landed the plane to have her and her 15 year old autistic daughter removed for being unruly.
It was the news story of the day and I had read it on multiple different sources.
So imagine my surprise (not really) when I clicked on radio to hear "Toronto Talk show host" of certain radio station in Toronto trying to riled all his listeners up over this.
Only problem was he was intentionally leaving out half the FACTS to the story to make people side with mother and daughter.
He constantly stated the mother just wanted a hot meal for her daughter when in the radio show just before him (ON THE SAME STATION no less, and in clear print in any article you read) they told everyone that the airline did in fact get the girl a hot meal from the first class area (they were not in first class) in an attempt to calm her down.
He must have stated the hot meal thing 10 times despite it being in direct conflict with what the radio talk show host before him stated.
Where they reading different press clippings?
Doubtful
Or was this once again a case of Toronto media trying to control the message and direct public opinion in a certain direction?
Far more likely
He went on and on about how the staff was not trained for this and mishandled the incident. When in fact the staff did have minor training (not specific to autism which imo is completely out of whack to think they would get) in these types of situations and from most passenger reports afterwards the staff handled the situation beyond professionally and properly. There was a few who disagreed but mostly its reported the airline staff were very professional and tried their absolute best).
For almost a hour he continued to hammer away leaving out facts and reports so he could paint the picture the way he wanted to paint it.
And that's exactly how Toronto media handles politics, but they get even more bias and even more partisan.
Did you all hear about Trudeau in House of Commons stating "Helping everyone is NOT FAIR" the other day?
I'm betting unless you follow The Rebel on Facebook you never saw the quote even once. I know, despite following 10 different media outlets, The rebel was the ONLY ONE to report on this rather important statement by the would be country leader on that day. I saw couple more the next day but mainstream mostly ignored it.
How many of you saw the Australian Town Hall 4 years ago destroy Gore/Suzuki Climate Change theories with the same scientists that Gore and Suzuki point to, to this very day still, as evidence supporting THEIR THEORY of climate change.
None of the Canadian press carried it except Sun Media. And this wasn't some partisan group of conservatives attacking Suzuki and his "science", it was the very same political figures the endorsed his theories 8 years earlier but had come to see the folly of their ways.
Hey did you hear Obama, after rejecting Keystone Pipeline because of environmental concerns is expected to approve new drilling in the arctic which is projected to have massive negative environmental results that dwarf the projected "possible" environmental concerns over Keystone Pipeline?
Amazing how one can flip flop so massively on environmental concerns but ONLY part of the story hits the Eastern press rounds (I actually found out this one from a left wing American news station. Ontario press that ran almost daily anti keystone articles didn't even make a peep about this.....and still have not) .
But any way, those just a few of the reasons for my higher interest in politics.
I watch friends and acquaintances and strangers all jump through hoops to support the latest fad, the latest party, the latest personality in politics. "lets just give them a chance" they say .....because the media has neglected to report and inform them that these same ideals and policies have been tried numerous times before to disastrous results.
But for me its about the truth. I really don't care what party it is about, I want the truth. I want the story and the facts that the media will no longer inform us about.
I learned pretty quickly that I do not have much patience for political spin. Unfortunately in Canada the mainstream media is only going to give you spin, if they judge a story news worthy at all. So for myself, I read numerous different media outlets (though I must admit the Toronto Star and CBC are just way to pro left wing bias to read, just simply have no credibility in my eyes now. They might get a story here and there correct but that doesn't excuse the 100 other stories that are incomplete or out right lies) so you are forced to look at a number of different sources and try to piece together the full story. Some times its easy as they all basically agree. Other times its not so easy as many of them choose not to report that news story. But most of the time you read 10 articles and each article gives a tidbit of fact and its up to you to play scrabble with the facts until you have a full story.
And when you are bombarded daily with bias and incomplete media coverage. Well you either tune them out completely, or you get active to find the truth yourself.
Was a time, really not that long ago, when you turned on the news or picked up a newspaper and they presented the story, the whole story, they presented the facts and let the reader/viewer decide for themselves based off the facts.
Now a days a story from the mainstream media is more likely to have more facts omitted then it will have in the story. Or at worse the entire news story was pre-written by some union official or political party spin doctor.
And lets not even start on Anonymous sources. Woodward and Bernstein did it right with the Watergate Investigations. The got information from their source and then went out and proved that information independently before putting it in print. Now, you're more likely to see the anonymous source just be quoted as fact, with zero investigation into claims credibility, then you are to see a reporter actually do some homework and investigation.
Here is a case in point for people to see censorship, spin, lies at its very most obvious.
There is a Senate investigation going on. Numerous Senators have been questioned and charged. The most common one being Conservative Senator Mike Duffy. He misused $90,000 of taxpayer money in fraudulent expense claims. He deserves to be in jail.
BUT
A Liberal Senator Marc Harb is being charged for fraudulent expense claims of over $230,000 dating back years and years and years, long before Duffy even entered the Senate.
Yet if you were to look at the press coverage of these two figures there is easily over 100 articles on Duffy for every 1 article on Harb.
Personally I think both should be in prison but that still doesn't begin to explain the massively unbalanced coverage by the media.
In fact you will find Mike Duffy in print MORE OFTEN (again by easily 100-1 ratio) then you will read about Ontario Kathleen Wynne and her apparent ties to over 3 BILLION (thats 3,000,000,000.00) in politically motivated and wrongful spending.
But here is the really obvious one.
The biggest critic of both the Conservative and Liberal senator expense scandals is Thomas Mulcaire, Leader of the opposition NDP. He simply will not shut up about Duffy. Even to this day, while Duffy is in court on criminal charges, Mulcaire tries to make political hay outta this $90,000.00 fraud.
But until yesterday I never actually heard about a story where the NDP owe tax payers $4,000,000.00 for their own election fraud spending. With Mulcaire himself owing over $400,000.00 of that figure. Imagine the gall and arrogance to complain about a figure in a criminal trial happening at the same time while you use every dirty move and political side step to try and avoid paying back over $400,000.00 of fraudulent election expenses.
All those media outlets and not a peep from any of the mainstream media on this 4 million owed.
Thank god one outlet did run a story on it http://www.therebel.media/ndp_keep_spotlight_on_duffy_but_they_owe_taxpayers_nearly_4m
and apparently people saw it as the next day CTV ran a story on it (claiming they broke the story but no word why that break didnt seem to get much coverage by them or any of the other main stream media outlets) http://www.ctvnews.ca/video?clipId=622620&playlistId=1.2393920&binId=1.810401&playlistPageNum=1&binPageNum=1
If you watch those two clips, I don't care what party you naturally support.
The NDP come off looking guilty, desperate, and really immature and arrogant
Why am I more political?
Because honestly I find the lack of ethics and morality displayed by the mainstream media and most of the political personalities in Canada to be beyond revolting.
About a year ago one of those stupid Facebook threads that you comment on and then given a topic to share forward was going around. So against my better judgement I commented on it (normally I stay far away from those silly mindless things) and was given the letter P. So I posted it and a longtime friend replied with "Political" and then followed up saying I have become much more political since moving out East.
At first I was defensive because Rick and I had always spoken about politics over daily routine coffee sessions when I lived in Edmonton. Issues ranging from teachers unions to Provincial budget, to heritage Trust fund, to really anything in news that day. Really the only difference being now was that we had access to much much much more information happening around the world thanks to the internet. Back then, while we both were very active in computers in our own right, the internet still wasn't the sounding board it would turn into. So most of our information still came from The Edmonton Sun newspaper and what we heard on radio and word of mouth.
So with limited information coming in, the discussions were less focused and less defined on our part as we simply did not have the mounds of information available to us today.
So in that sense I still maintain I have not become more political then I was back then. I just have more issues regarding politics to speak about now. More access to greater amount of content always means greater time spent on content.
That was my initial response to the claim.
But its stuck in my head, back of my mind, nagging at me since then.
Had I become more political as I grow older and why?
And in truth I very well may have.
See in Alberta in the 60s, 70s, 80s, even 90s you lived in a bubble. You knew your opinions (speaking mass population generality here) were different then those of rest of Canada. What you did not know or perhaps did not understand is how much different they were. And THAT part might have been the big eye opener for me when I moved out East and very well might drive my recently fueled interest in politics.
I always tell this story to people out here when they ask me how different was Alberta compared to Toronto...
"My very first time ever in Toronto I was entering the now gone Worlds Biggest Book Store with my mother. I grabbed door and held open as my mother went through and right behind us were a elderly couple, so as I was raised to do in Alberta, I held the door open for them as well.
Well they stopped and stared and even glared at me, not moving through the door, I held for couple more seconds and since they made no attempt or movement towards the door I shrugged and went through myself. Later I asked my mother "what the hell was that all about" and she just shrugged it off and casually said "Probably thought you were going to mug them, people don't hold doors open for others out here"
Yes Toto, we are not in Kansas any more.
To me that one encounter was (until very recently) the best way to describe the difference between East and West,
Now you take that mindset and apply it to politics and suddenly you are dealing with a MUCH MUCH MUCH different beast. One I honestly had never seen before until I moved out East.
Take the most recent Alberta Election for example. Couple great examples come from that.
1) The NDP win in Alberta is misleading when you look at it from a east / west viewpoint. Truth is Notley wouldn't even be able to run that platform in the East as a NDP. Its far far far to moderate for Ontario or Federal NDP objectives and agendas. While they share a few common ground issues, Notley would have probably had to cross floor to Liberals (normally) to run on that platform. But with current state of Ontario and Federal liberal party she would have found much more in common with the Ontario PC party and Harpers conservatives.
Now I'm sure any NDP voter in Alberta is up in arms and calling me every word in book over that last statement. But its the truth. The Alberta NDP present themselves as more moderate in their nature on most topics (climate change and unions being the only 2 real sticking points where they continue to go hard leftist policy wise) then their federal and Ontario counter parts. And thus would find themselves siding currently with federal or Ontario conservatives because they are the only party even remotely close to the center right now politically. Now of course that's all a smoke screen to get elected out west. Truth is Notley and her followers are every bit as left wing as the rest of the party. They just couldn't say that until after the election.
Alberta residences (not those that moved there to get employment because the Liberal and NDP governments of their old provinces killed all the jobs and employment...which always makes me shake my head that they now AGAIN voting Liberal and NDP after moving their families across the country for employment because of the NDP and Liberals) do not understand this massive difference between west and east politics. What is left in Alberta very well might be viewed as a red conservative in Ontario or even a blue liberal.
2) Alberta had the backbone and dignity to do the right thing this past election. Lets forget the whole Left vrs Right, socialist vrs conservative stuff and focus in on the message sent by Alberta in this past election.
Redford had been caught red handed misusing public money. The amounts are actually very minor in the grand scope, it was the deceitful and corrupt manner in which it was done. And then when she was finally drove out for her actions, Prentice came in as an arrogant, obnoxious, no regret follow up.
Alberta said "NO WAY NO HOW" and rightfully tossed the Alberta PCs from power.
Well done, that's the way it should be done.
That's the West way.
Now lets look at Ontario provincial election.
Prior to Wynne we had Dalton McGuinty. The man broke his first political promise on day 2 of his first term raising taxes after campaigning on no tax increases for months. Under McGuinty there was endless broken promises, endless tax and cost increases, and the scandals were endless as well amounting to over 2 billion dollars (some eventually being criminally investigated).
FINALLY like Redford he resigns in shame and Wynne takes over
Exactly like Prentice Wynne is arrogant, obnoxious, no regrets (she goes so far as leading a Dalton Dalton, Dalton chant on multiple occasions) . The scandals dollar figures (and she has been tied to the 2 billion with McGuinty) rise to well over 3 BILLION dollars in corruption.
And Toronto (note, not Ontario, just Toronto) gives her a majority government anyways.
EXACTLY the opposite message that Alberta sent to their provincial political figures.
So one can only take away from that that in the west, accountability and integrity matter far more in politics then in the East (can say East because Wynne not the only eastern political figure under criminal investigations out here. Liberals wracking up quite the dirt sheet municipally and provincially out east, last number of years).
So that was the change in culture for me.
Out here politics is not so much about the message and what good you can do
Politics is about spinning the message and getting the media to lobby for you (which the Liberals out here are masterful at). What you actually do after being elected seems to matter little out here in Ontario. Its all about public image and the photo ops and NOT about who has the best ideas and is proven most trustworthy.
So for me, growing up as I did, this all flies in my face as unthinkable.
So when something is unthinkable, you speak out against it.
And as I explained at the start, now I just have so much more content to speak out against.
Take the media for example.
I could literally supply 10000s of links to showcase how the news out here is not reported. Its manufactured, designed, targeted.
The media in the east (though it does seem to have seeped into western media as well now as a few Alberta stations are very suspect in how they ignore one story but push another, rather then reporting both equally) is not interested in journalism, reporting, fact gathering.
those are things of the past which restricted them, in putting forth the articles they really wanted to write.
Out here now, the media no longer interested in people making up their own minds, they much more interested in making up the minds for the people.
Case in point: other day was a news story of a mother suing a airlinebecause it landed the plane to have her and her 15 year old autistic daughter removed for being unruly.
It was the news story of the day and I had read it on multiple different sources.
So imagine my surprise (not really) when I clicked on radio to hear "Toronto Talk show host" of certain radio station in Toronto trying to riled all his listeners up over this.
Only problem was he was intentionally leaving out half the FACTS to the story to make people side with mother and daughter.
He constantly stated the mother just wanted a hot meal for her daughter when in the radio show just before him (ON THE SAME STATION no less, and in clear print in any article you read) they told everyone that the airline did in fact get the girl a hot meal from the first class area (they were not in first class) in an attempt to calm her down.
He must have stated the hot meal thing 10 times despite it being in direct conflict with what the radio talk show host before him stated.
Where they reading different press clippings?
Doubtful
Or was this once again a case of Toronto media trying to control the message and direct public opinion in a certain direction?
Far more likely
He went on and on about how the staff was not trained for this and mishandled the incident. When in fact the staff did have minor training (not specific to autism which imo is completely out of whack to think they would get) in these types of situations and from most passenger reports afterwards the staff handled the situation beyond professionally and properly. There was a few who disagreed but mostly its reported the airline staff were very professional and tried their absolute best).
For almost a hour he continued to hammer away leaving out facts and reports so he could paint the picture the way he wanted to paint it.
And that's exactly how Toronto media handles politics, but they get even more bias and even more partisan.
Did you all hear about Trudeau in House of Commons stating "Helping everyone is NOT FAIR" the other day?
I'm betting unless you follow The Rebel on Facebook you never saw the quote even once. I know, despite following 10 different media outlets, The rebel was the ONLY ONE to report on this rather important statement by the would be country leader on that day. I saw couple more the next day but mainstream mostly ignored it.
How many of you saw the Australian Town Hall 4 years ago destroy Gore/Suzuki Climate Change theories with the same scientists that Gore and Suzuki point to, to this very day still, as evidence supporting THEIR THEORY of climate change.
None of the Canadian press carried it except Sun Media. And this wasn't some partisan group of conservatives attacking Suzuki and his "science", it was the very same political figures the endorsed his theories 8 years earlier but had come to see the folly of their ways.
Hey did you hear Obama, after rejecting Keystone Pipeline because of environmental concerns is expected to approve new drilling in the arctic which is projected to have massive negative environmental results that dwarf the projected "possible" environmental concerns over Keystone Pipeline?
Amazing how one can flip flop so massively on environmental concerns but ONLY part of the story hits the Eastern press rounds (I actually found out this one from a left wing American news station. Ontario press that ran almost daily anti keystone articles didn't even make a peep about this.....and still have not) .
But any way, those just a few of the reasons for my higher interest in politics.
I watch friends and acquaintances and strangers all jump through hoops to support the latest fad, the latest party, the latest personality in politics. "lets just give them a chance" they say .....because the media has neglected to report and inform them that these same ideals and policies have been tried numerous times before to disastrous results.
But for me its about the truth. I really don't care what party it is about, I want the truth. I want the story and the facts that the media will no longer inform us about.
I learned pretty quickly that I do not have much patience for political spin. Unfortunately in Canada the mainstream media is only going to give you spin, if they judge a story news worthy at all. So for myself, I read numerous different media outlets (though I must admit the Toronto Star and CBC are just way to pro left wing bias to read, just simply have no credibility in my eyes now. They might get a story here and there correct but that doesn't excuse the 100 other stories that are incomplete or out right lies) so you are forced to look at a number of different sources and try to piece together the full story. Some times its easy as they all basically agree. Other times its not so easy as many of them choose not to report that news story. But most of the time you read 10 articles and each article gives a tidbit of fact and its up to you to play scrabble with the facts until you have a full story.
And when you are bombarded daily with bias and incomplete media coverage. Well you either tune them out completely, or you get active to find the truth yourself.
Was a time, really not that long ago, when you turned on the news or picked up a newspaper and they presented the story, the whole story, they presented the facts and let the reader/viewer decide for themselves based off the facts.
Now a days a story from the mainstream media is more likely to have more facts omitted then it will have in the story. Or at worse the entire news story was pre-written by some union official or political party spin doctor.
And lets not even start on Anonymous sources. Woodward and Bernstein did it right with the Watergate Investigations. The got information from their source and then went out and proved that information independently before putting it in print. Now, you're more likely to see the anonymous source just be quoted as fact, with zero investigation into claims credibility, then you are to see a reporter actually do some homework and investigation.
Here is a case in point for people to see censorship, spin, lies at its very most obvious.
There is a Senate investigation going on. Numerous Senators have been questioned and charged. The most common one being Conservative Senator Mike Duffy. He misused $90,000 of taxpayer money in fraudulent expense claims. He deserves to be in jail.
BUT
A Liberal Senator Marc Harb is being charged for fraudulent expense claims of over $230,000 dating back years and years and years, long before Duffy even entered the Senate.
Yet if you were to look at the press coverage of these two figures there is easily over 100 articles on Duffy for every 1 article on Harb.
Personally I think both should be in prison but that still doesn't begin to explain the massively unbalanced coverage by the media.
In fact you will find Mike Duffy in print MORE OFTEN (again by easily 100-1 ratio) then you will read about Ontario Kathleen Wynne and her apparent ties to over 3 BILLION (thats 3,000,000,000.00) in politically motivated and wrongful spending.
But here is the really obvious one.
The biggest critic of both the Conservative and Liberal senator expense scandals is Thomas Mulcaire, Leader of the opposition NDP. He simply will not shut up about Duffy. Even to this day, while Duffy is in court on criminal charges, Mulcaire tries to make political hay outta this $90,000.00 fraud.
But until yesterday I never actually heard about a story where the NDP owe tax payers $4,000,000.00 for their own election fraud spending. With Mulcaire himself owing over $400,000.00 of that figure. Imagine the gall and arrogance to complain about a figure in a criminal trial happening at the same time while you use every dirty move and political side step to try and avoid paying back over $400,000.00 of fraudulent election expenses.
All those media outlets and not a peep from any of the mainstream media on this 4 million owed.
Thank god one outlet did run a story on it http://www.therebel.media/ndp_keep_spotlight_on_duffy_but_they_owe_taxpayers_nearly_4m
and apparently people saw it as the next day CTV ran a story on it (claiming they broke the story but no word why that break didnt seem to get much coverage by them or any of the other main stream media outlets) http://www.ctvnews.ca/video?clipId=622620&playlistId=1.2393920&binId=1.810401&playlistPageNum=1&binPageNum=1
If you watch those two clips, I don't care what party you naturally support.
The NDP come off looking guilty, desperate, and really immature and arrogant
Why am I more political?
Because honestly I find the lack of ethics and morality displayed by the mainstream media and most of the political personalities in Canada to be beyond revolting.
At first I was defensive because Rick and I had always spoken about politics over daily routine coffee sessions when I lived in Edmonton. Issues ranging from teachers unions to Provincial budget, to heritage Trust fund, to really anything in news that day. Really the only difference being now was that we had access to much much much more information happening around the world thanks to the internet. Back then, while we both were very active in computers in our own right, the internet still wasn't the sounding board it would turn into. So most of our information still came from The Edmonton Sun newspaper and what we heard on radio and word of mouth.
So with limited information coming in, the discussions were less focused and less defined on our part as we simply did not have the mounds of information available to us today.
So in that sense I still maintain I have not become more political then I was back then. I just have more issues regarding politics to speak about now. More access to greater amount of content always means greater time spent on content.
That was my initial response to the claim.
But its stuck in my head, back of my mind, nagging at me since then.
Had I become more political as I grow older and why?
And in truth I very well may have.
See in Alberta in the 60s, 70s, 80s, even 90s you lived in a bubble. You knew your opinions (speaking mass population generality here) were different then those of rest of Canada. What you did not know or perhaps did not understand is how much different they were. And THAT part might have been the big eye opener for me when I moved out East and very well might drive my recently fueled interest in politics.
I always tell this story to people out here when they ask me how different was Alberta compared to Toronto...
"My very first time ever in Toronto I was entering the now gone Worlds Biggest Book Store with my mother. I grabbed door and held open as my mother went through and right behind us were a elderly couple, so as I was raised to do in Alberta, I held the door open for them as well.
Well they stopped and stared and even glared at me, not moving through the door, I held for couple more seconds and since they made no attempt or movement towards the door I shrugged and went through myself. Later I asked my mother "what the hell was that all about" and she just shrugged it off and casually said "Probably thought you were going to mug them, people don't hold doors open for others out here"
Yes Toto, we are not in Kansas any more.
To me that one encounter was (until very recently) the best way to describe the difference between East and West,
Now you take that mindset and apply it to politics and suddenly you are dealing with a MUCH MUCH MUCH different beast. One I honestly had never seen before until I moved out East.
Take the most recent Alberta Election for example. Couple great examples come from that.
1) The NDP win in Alberta is misleading when you look at it from a east / west viewpoint. Truth is Notley wouldn't even be able to run that platform in the East as a NDP. Its far far far to moderate for Ontario or Federal NDP objectives and agendas. While they share a few common ground issues, Notley would have probably had to cross floor to Liberals (normally) to run on that platform. But with current state of Ontario and Federal liberal party she would have found much more in common with the Ontario PC party and Harpers conservatives.
Now I'm sure any NDP voter in Alberta is up in arms and calling me every word in book over that last statement. But its the truth. The Alberta NDP present themselves as more moderate in their nature on most topics (climate change and unions being the only 2 real sticking points where they continue to go hard leftist policy wise) then their federal and Ontario counter parts. And thus would find themselves siding currently with federal or Ontario conservatives because they are the only party even remotely close to the center right now politically. Now of course that's all a smoke screen to get elected out west. Truth is Notley and her followers are every bit as left wing as the rest of the party. They just couldn't say that until after the election.
Alberta residences (not those that moved there to get employment because the Liberal and NDP governments of their old provinces killed all the jobs and employment...which always makes me shake my head that they now AGAIN voting Liberal and NDP after moving their families across the country for employment because of the NDP and Liberals) do not understand this massive difference between west and east politics. What is left in Alberta very well might be viewed as a red conservative in Ontario or even a blue liberal.
2) Alberta had the backbone and dignity to do the right thing this past election. Lets forget the whole Left vrs Right, socialist vrs conservative stuff and focus in on the message sent by Alberta in this past election.
Redford had been caught red handed misusing public money. The amounts are actually very minor in the grand scope, it was the deceitful and corrupt manner in which it was done. And then when she was finally drove out for her actions, Prentice came in as an arrogant, obnoxious, no regret follow up.
Alberta said "NO WAY NO HOW" and rightfully tossed the Alberta PCs from power.
Well done, that's the way it should be done.
That's the West way.
Now lets look at Ontario provincial election.
Prior to Wynne we had Dalton McGuinty. The man broke his first political promise on day 2 of his first term raising taxes after campaigning on no tax increases for months. Under McGuinty there was endless broken promises, endless tax and cost increases, and the scandals were endless as well amounting to over 2 billion dollars (some eventually being criminally investigated).
FINALLY like Redford he resigns in shame and Wynne takes over
Exactly like Prentice Wynne is arrogant, obnoxious, no regrets (she goes so far as leading a Dalton Dalton, Dalton chant on multiple occasions) . The scandals dollar figures (and she has been tied to the 2 billion with McGuinty) rise to well over 3 BILLION dollars in corruption.
And Toronto (note, not Ontario, just Toronto) gives her a majority government anyways.
EXACTLY the opposite message that Alberta sent to their provincial political figures.
So one can only take away from that that in the west, accountability and integrity matter far more in politics then in the East (can say East because Wynne not the only eastern political figure under criminal investigations out here. Liberals wracking up quite the dirt sheet municipally and provincially out east, last number of years).
So that was the change in culture for me.
Out here politics is not so much about the message and what good you can do
Politics is about spinning the message and getting the media to lobby for you (which the Liberals out here are masterful at). What you actually do after being elected seems to matter little out here in Ontario. Its all about public image and the photo ops and NOT about who has the best ideas and is proven most trustworthy.
So for me, growing up as I did, this all flies in my face as unthinkable.
So when something is unthinkable, you speak out against it.
And as I explained at the start, now I just have so much more content to speak out against.
Take the media for example.
I could literally supply 10000s of links to showcase how the news out here is not reported. Its manufactured, designed, targeted.
The media in the east (though it does seem to have seeped into western media as well now as a few Alberta stations are very suspect in how they ignore one story but push another, rather then reporting both equally) is not interested in journalism, reporting, fact gathering.
those are things of the past which restricted them, in putting forth the articles they really wanted to write.
Out here now, the media no longer interested in people making up their own minds, they much more interested in making up the minds for the people.
Case in point: other day was a news story of a mother suing a airlinebecause it landed the plane to have her and her 15 year old autistic daughter removed for being unruly.
It was the news story of the day and I had read it on multiple different sources.
So imagine my surprise (not really) when I clicked on radio to hear "Toronto Talk show host" of certain radio station in Toronto trying to riled all his listeners up over this.
Only problem was he was intentionally leaving out half the FACTS to the story to make people side with mother and daughter.
He constantly stated the mother just wanted a hot meal for her daughter when in the radio show just before him (ON THE SAME STATION no less, and in clear print in any article you read) they told everyone that the airline did in fact get the girl a hot meal from the first class area (they were not in first class) in an attempt to calm her down.
He must have stated the hot meal thing 10 times despite it being in direct conflict with what the radio talk show host before him stated.
Where they reading different press clippings?
Doubtful
Or was this once again a case of Toronto media trying to control the message and direct public opinion in a certain direction?
Far more likely
He went on and on about how the staff was not trained for this and mishandled the incident. When in fact the staff did have minor training (not specific to autism which imo is completely out of whack to think they would get) in these types of situations and from most passenger reports afterwards the staff handled the situation beyond professionally and properly. There was a few who disagreed but mostly its reported the airline staff were very professional and tried their absolute best).
For almost a hour he continued to hammer away leaving out facts and reports so he could paint the picture the way he wanted to paint it.
And that's exactly how Toronto media handles politics, but they get even more bias and even more partisan.
Did you all hear about Trudeau in House of Commons stating "Helping everyone is NOT FAIR" the other day?
I'm betting unless you follow The Rebel on Facebook you never saw the quote even once. I know, despite following 10 different media outlets, The rebel was the ONLY ONE to report on this rather important statement by the would be country leader on that day. I saw couple more the next day but mainstream mostly ignored it.
How many of you saw the Australian Town Hall 4 years ago destroy Gore/Suzuki Climate Change theories with the same scientists that Gore and Suzuki point to, to this very day still, as evidence supporting THEIR THEORY of climate change.
None of the Canadian press carried it except Sun Media. And this wasn't some partisan group of conservatives attacking Suzuki and his "science", it was the very same political figures the endorsed his theories 8 years earlier but had come to see the folly of their ways.
Hey did you hear Obama, after rejecting Keystone Pipeline because of environmental concerns is expected to approve new drilling in the arctic which is projected to have massive negative environmental results that dwarf the projected "possible" environmental concerns over Keystone Pipeline?
Amazing how one can flip flop so massively on environmental concerns but ONLY part of the story hits the Eastern press rounds (I actually found out this one from a left wing American news station. Ontario press that ran almost daily anti keystone articles didn't even make a peep about this.....and still have not) .
But any way, those just a few of the reasons for my higher interest in politics.
I watch friends and acquaintances and strangers all jump through hoops to support the latest fad, the latest party, the latest personality in politics. "lets just give them a chance" they say .....because the media has neglected to report and inform them that these same ideals and policies have been tried numerous times before to disastrous results.
But for me its about the truth. I really don't care what party it is about, I want the truth. I want the story and the facts that the media will no longer inform us about.
I learned pretty quickly that I do not have much patience for political spin. Unfortunately in Canada the mainstream media is only going to give you spin, if they judge a story news worthy at all. So for myself, I read numerous different media outlets (though I must admit the Toronto Star and CBC are just way to pro left wing bias to read, just simply have no credibility in my eyes now. They might get a story here and there correct but that doesn't excuse the 100 other stories that are incomplete or out right lies) so you are forced to look at a number of different sources and try to piece together the full story. Some times its easy as they all basically agree. Other times its not so easy as many of them choose not to report that news story. But most of the time you read 10 articles and each article gives a tidbit of fact and its up to you to play scrabble with the facts until you have a full story.
And when you are bombarded daily with bias and incomplete media coverage. Well you either tune them out completely, or you get active to find the truth yourself.
Was a time, really not that long ago, when you turned on the news or picked up a newspaper and they presented the story, the whole story, they presented the facts and let the reader/viewer decide for themselves based off the facts.
Now a days a story from the mainstream media is more likely to have more facts omitted then it will have in the story. Or at worse the entire news story was pre-written by some union official or political party spin doctor.
And lets not even start on Anonymous sources. Woodward and Bernstein did it right with the Watergate Investigations. The got information from their source and then went out and proved that information independently before putting it in print. Now, you're more likely to see the anonymous source just be quoted as fact, with zero investigation into claims credibility, then you are to see a reporter actually do some homework and investigation.
Here is a case in point for people to see censorship, spin, lies at its very most obvious.
There is a Senate investigation going on. Numerous Senators have been questioned and charged. The most common one being Conservative Senator Mike Duffy. He misused $90,000 of taxpayer money in fraudulent expense claims. He deserves to be in jail.
BUT
A Liberal Senator Marc Harb is being charged for fraudulent expense claims of over $230,000 dating back years and years and years, long before Duffy even entered the Senate.
Yet if you were to look at the press coverage of these two figures there is easily over 100 articles on Duffy for every 1 article on Harb.
Personally I think both should be in prison but that still doesn't begin to explain the massively unbalanced coverage by the media.
In fact you will find Mike Duffy in print MORE OFTEN (again by easily 100-1 ratio) then you will read about Ontario Kathleen Wynne and her apparent ties to over 3 BILLION (thats 3,000,000,000.00) in politically motivated and wrongful spending.
But here is the really obvious one.
The biggest critic of both the Conservative and Liberal senator expense scandals is Thomas Mulcaire, Leader of the opposition NDP. He simply will not shut up about Duffy. Even to this day, while Duffy is in court on criminal charges, Mulcaire tries to make political hay outta this $90,000.00 fraud.
But until yesterday I never actually heard about a story where the NDP owe tax payers $4,000,000.00 for their own election fraud spending. With Mulcaire himself owing over $400,000.00 of that figure. Imagine the gall and arrogance to complain about a figure in a criminal trial happening at the same time while you use every dirty move and political side step to try and avoid paying back over $400,000.00 of fraudulent election expenses.
All those media outlets and not a peep from any of the mainstream media on this 4 million owed.
Thank god one outlet did run a story on it http://www.therebel.media/ndp_keep_spotlight_on_duffy_but_they_owe_taxpayers_nearly_4m
and apparently people saw it as the next day CTV ran a story on it (claiming they broke the story but no word why that break didnt seem to get much coverage by them or any of the other main stream media outlets) http://www.ctvnews.ca/video?clipId=622620&playlistId=1.2393920&binId=1.810401&playlistPageNum=1&binPageNum=1
If you watch those two clips, I don't care what party you naturally support.
The NDP come off looking guilty, desperate, and really immature and arrogant
Why am I more political?
Because honestly I find the lack of ethics and morality displayed by the mainstream media and most of the political personalities in Canada to be beyond revolting.
Wednesday, 6 May 2015
Toronto Stock Exchange drops nearly 200 points in early trading
Several of Canada's biggest oil and gas companies were down about four per cent in heavy trading
The Toronto stock market started Wednesday with a triple-digit drop, with energy stocks leading the decline.
The S&P/TSX composite index was down 198.46 points at 14,975.48 about half an hour after the market opened.
The market's energy sector was down the most, with a three per cent decline.
Several of Canada's biggest oil and gas companies were down about four per cent in heavy trading.
Colin Cieszynski, chief market strategist at CME Markets Canada, says investors are reacting to the uncertainty stemming from the change in government in Alberta, where the NDP won a majority.
The NDP campaigned on a number of promises including corporate tax hikes and a review of the province's royalty regime.
The Toronto stock market's decline Wednesday morning follows a 193.53 point plunge on Tuesday.
The loonie was doing much better, up more than half a U.S. cent Wednesday morning.
The Canadian dollar was worth 83.40 cents US, up 0.56 of a U.S. cent from Tuesday's close.
- See more at: http://www.newstalk1010.com/news/2015/05/06/toronto-stock-exchange-drops-nearly-200-points-in-early-trading#sthash.1y3Z9xZu.dpuf
Source Newstalk 1010
So that's interesting.
Federally business has faith in Harper and Cons and dollar rebounded with a strong rise but in that one area of Canada the market lost faith almost instantly over night
but yet the Left Wing media and NDP supporters will call this Right Wing scare tactics (which by teh way is why I am linking to a ultra left wing radio station report)
Tell me again how the NDP is going to help Alberta and no one really thinks they are anti business.
The Toronto stock market started Wednesday with a triple-digit drop, with energy stocks leading the decline.
The S&P/TSX composite index was down 198.46 points at 14,975.48 about half an hour after the market opened.
The market's energy sector was down the most, with a three per cent decline.
Several of Canada's biggest oil and gas companies were down about four per cent in heavy trading.
Colin Cieszynski, chief market strategist at CME Markets Canada, says investors are reacting to the uncertainty stemming from the change in government in Alberta, where the NDP won a majority.
The NDP campaigned on a number of promises including corporate tax hikes and a review of the province's royalty regime.
The Toronto stock market's decline Wednesday morning follows a 193.53 point plunge on Tuesday.
The loonie was doing much better, up more than half a U.S. cent Wednesday morning.
The Canadian dollar was worth 83.40 cents US, up 0.56 of a U.S. cent from Tuesday's close.
The S&P/TSX composite index was down 198.46 points at 14,975.48 about half an hour after the market opened.
The market's energy sector was down the most, with a three per cent decline.
Several of Canada's biggest oil and gas companies were down about four per cent in heavy trading.
Colin Cieszynski, chief market strategist at CME Markets Canada, says investors are reacting to the uncertainty stemming from the change in government in Alberta, where the NDP won a majority.
The NDP campaigned on a number of promises including corporate tax hikes and a review of the province's royalty regime.
The Toronto stock market's decline Wednesday morning follows a 193.53 point plunge on Tuesday.
The loonie was doing much better, up more than half a U.S. cent Wednesday morning.
The Canadian dollar was worth 83.40 cents US, up 0.56 of a U.S. cent from Tuesday's close.
Source Newstalk 1010
So that's interesting.
Federally business has faith in Harper and Cons and dollar rebounded with a strong rise but in that one area of Canada the market lost faith almost instantly over night
but yet the Left Wing media and NDP supporters will call this Right Wing scare tactics (which by teh way is why I am linking to a ultra left wing radio station report)
Tell me again how the NDP is going to help Alberta and no one really thinks they are anti business.
Wednesday, 6 May 2015
And you get money, and you get money, and you get money, and you get well er sorry were out of money, blame big business
So its no big surprise I think that I still follow Alberta politics and have a personal interest in the province doing well. I have family there. I have friends there. I even still to this day "had" planed to move back there at a certain point (this election might effect that in the long term but to early to tell on that front). Alberta has always been my home.
Until yesterday that is.
Now I am truly fearful of the future for my family, friends, even acquaintances because the REAL HISTORY regarding the consequences for the foolish actions of last nights election have been widely ignored by very ill informed (or out right uninformed) voters.
Alberta entered the election to RIGHTFULLY punish the PC Party who had maintained power there for 44 years. The PC party under Redford was at worst corrupt, or at best incompetent, either way she had to be removed. But when she was removed, what replaced her was arrogant, delusional, and also held no loyalty to the ideas and concepts of the past PC parties who grew and maintained the province so well.
Make no mistake, the Alberta PC party needed to be sent a message. A loud message. A clear message. A wake up call to get your house in order and stop with all the bullshit and self entitled corruption and arrogance that had been on display over the last number of years since Ralph Klein handed over the reigns of a very healthy and out of debt province.
But in sending that message the voters of Alberta seem to have lost their collective minds because they gave a majority to the very party who holds the least amount in common with Alberta traditions and values and whose federal Party Line has always been to destroy the very industry that allowed Alberta to profit and grow and become "A HAVE PROVINCE".
Personally I just do not get it. If I'm against Animal Cruelty, I don't protest a shelter becoming a kill shelter by going out and killing and abusing a bunch of animals. OF COURSE NOT. No sound mind would make that leap from one end to the other out of protest. I protest that shelter specifically while not abandoning my values and beliefs and Morales.
But in effect that's what Alberta did, they mortgaged their long term future and well being by electing the very party that wants to go out and abuse the very industries that allowed Alberta to become successful.
And they did so while FALSELY claiming they knew and understood what they were doing.
They might have thought they knew what they were doing (I read a ton of false, fictional, and outright misleading propaganda coming from NDP supporters over last little while, so maybe they thought this fantasy crap was legit, I really do not know), but they were very wrong.
And believing falsified propaganda does not make one educated or informed.
Sadly it makes them anything but educated and informed.
Anyways, that's not exactly what I wanted to talk about. There was a TON of chatter last night as blind NDP supports cheered the NDP win (seriously read some of the stupidest claims made last night by those cheering the NDP. ) and anytime anyone mentioned the predictable reaction of industry in Alberta. They all (like mindless lemmings all under one strange mind control spell) would arrogantly respond with how industry will not move from Alberta and NDP will not go after industry
Seriously people, did you even READ the NDP platform????? Part of their platform was
"Sharing a greater portion of the Oil revenues through higher corporate taxation and operating fees"
News flash folks, that's been tried before and failed spectacularly.
And not only did it fail, it drove industry out of that province until the leader and his party were completely removed from the equation causing economic disaster for the province during the duration.
But you would know this if you truly were INFORMED (as some claimed to be)
"In 1996, Tobin resigned from federal politics to succeed Clyde Wells as leader of the Liberal Party of Newfoundland. The Liberal Party won a large majority government later that year. During his time as premier Tobin pursued tough negotiations with out-of-province companies seeking to export resources for refining and smelting elsewhere. He insisted that the resources will never be mined unless Newfoundlanders received secondary manufacturing and tertiary service spin-offs. A similar tough stance was taken in seeking to develop the Lower Churchill River" Taken from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brian_Tobin
The Alberta NDP platform on how it will share the wealth and stick it to big business is almost word for word copy from the Brian Tobin Liberal era in Newfoundland.
and as mentioned, industry there just shrugged at his demands and closed up shop (or minimized to a point they were not a issue anymore) until he was out of the equation. At the cost of jobs, security, over all well being.
"Newfoundland ends Voisey's talks indefinitely
MICHELLE MACAFEE
TWILLINGATE, Nfld. (CP) - Premier Brian Tobin won't be sending his
negotiating team for further talks with Inco to develop the Voisey's Bay nickel
project, a move that could see the development shelved indefinitely.
Tobin said Thursday he has notified Inco chairman Michael Sopko that further
discussions are pointless until the company is willing to "bring a far more
progressive" package to the table.
"Quite frankly, Inco now needs to report in a full and forthright way to its
board of directors and receive a new mandate for negotiations to take place,
or take steps as a company to put the project on hold," Tobin said during a
tour of rural Newfoundland.
"There is no tolerance or acceptance within government, or outside it, for the
kind of proposal now on the table."
Inco's board of directors are scheduled to meet Monday.
Tobin said he wants to make sure the directors have a complete and accurate
picture of the project's status.
This latest move by Tobin is a stronger assertion of comments he made last
week that suggested an agreement could not be reached based on Inco's
current proposal.
It was also learned Thursday that the Newfoundland government is exploring
the legalities of taxing Inco based on a "fallow-field" principle - essentially
charging them for every year they leave the rich ore deposit untouched.
Confidentiality agreements have prevented either side from specifying what the
stumbling blocks to a deal are.
But Tobin said negotiations can't begin again until it's clear Inco sees a future
for itself in Newfoundland.
The province also refuses to budge on its pledge that 100 per cent of the
smeltering and refining be done in the province.
Inco, which is struggling with slumping nickel prices, has said it can no longer
afford such an option and would prefer to process at least part of the ore at its
existing facilities.
"In our view, it's time for a reality check," said Tobin.
"If this means the project is held up for one year, two years or 25 years, it's a
price the people of Newfoundland are willing to pay."
The news that talks could be suspended for such a time will be a blow to the
communities set to reap the employment and spinoff benefits of the mine and
mill in northern Labrador, and the smelter-refinery complex in Argentia, Nfld.
Tobin said Inco has grossly underestimated the patience of Newfoundlanders,
who have learned from past mega-projects that short-term job gains are not
worth long-term economic losses.
"We're getting on with life," said Tobin. "There are many other projects and
many other partners."
c The Canadian Press, 1998"Copied from http://www.siliconinvestor.com/
There seems to be this delusional mindset from NDP followers (and Tobin followers back in 1998) that private business in some way owes them money or some type of living increase, just for being successful. Its pure socialism Bullshit of course. The only people a private industry owes is its investors and stock holders. Beyond that its just got to operate under legal standards. And when those legal standards become to cumbersome and effect the business profit margin, they up and move to more friendly settings that will welcome them. You can see it playing out first hand in Ontario right now as the Auto sector, once a staple of the Ontario industry and overall health, closes up and moves back to USA and Mexico.
The Ontario Liberals and Unions have been hammering the auto sector for a decade + now with higher operating costs, higher taxes, forced unionization increases, and finally its hit its breaking point and Ontario auto industry is in shambles and a shell of what it once was. Alberta Oil and gas industries are now posed to follow the same direction.
Oh and I'm sure the NDP, like the Ontario Liberals, will blame everything on the federal government. And some weak minded souls will believe it probably. But for everyone else, we seen this routine before. We seen this dance before. It always plays out the same way.
To quote Albert EinsteinInsanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.
At what point do people start to wake up to the economic cost of embracing far left wing socialism agenda? I mean the evidence is out there there if you just open your eyes and read it. The only partisan articles are the ones you all keep posting to defend the left wing socialists (and that's because THEY WROTE THE FREAKING ARTICLES YOU QUOTING)
A friend on Facebook recently said it best in regards to Alberta,
But personally I think it applies to politics in general
And hes bang on the money (In regards to Canada in general in my opinion)
But both the socially Liberal and fiscally Conservative need to both have one foot solid in the CENTER / MODERATION.
The NDP in Alberta, the Liberals in Ontario, the Tobin Liberals in 1990s could not even begin to spell the word CENTER or MODERATE, much less govern from there socially or financially.
And that's ALWAYS when problems occur.
The next 4 years will be hard on Alberta.
I hope my friends and family do not feel the effects to harshly
MICHELLE MACAFEE
TWILLINGATE, Nfld. (CP) - Premier Brian Tobin won't be sending his
negotiating team for further talks with Inco to develop the Voisey's Bay nickel
project, a move that could see the development shelved indefinitely.
Tobin said Thursday he has notified Inco chairman Michael Sopko that further
discussions are pointless until the company is willing to "bring a far more
progressive" package to the table.
"Quite frankly, Inco now needs to report in a full and forthright way to its
board of directors and receive a new mandate for negotiations to take place,
or take steps as a company to put the project on hold," Tobin said during a
tour of rural Newfoundland.
"There is no tolerance or acceptance within government, or outside it, for the
kind of proposal now on the table."
Inco's board of directors are scheduled to meet Monday.
Tobin said he wants to make sure the directors have a complete and accurate
picture of the project's status.
This latest move by Tobin is a stronger assertion of comments he made last
week that suggested an agreement could not be reached based on Inco's
current proposal.
It was also learned Thursday that the Newfoundland government is exploring
the legalities of taxing Inco based on a "fallow-field" principle - essentially
charging them for every year they leave the rich ore deposit untouched.
Confidentiality agreements have prevented either side from specifying what the
stumbling blocks to a deal are.
But Tobin said negotiations can't begin again until it's clear Inco sees a future
for itself in Newfoundland.
The province also refuses to budge on its pledge that 100 per cent of the
smeltering and refining be done in the province.
Inco, which is struggling with slumping nickel prices, has said it can no longer
afford such an option and would prefer to process at least part of the ore at its
existing facilities.
"In our view, it's time for a reality check," said Tobin.
"If this means the project is held up for one year, two years or 25 years, it's a
price the people of Newfoundland are willing to pay."
The news that talks could be suspended for such a time will be a blow to the
communities set to reap the employment and spinoff benefits of the mine and
mill in northern Labrador, and the smelter-refinery complex in Argentia, Nfld.
Tobin said Inco has grossly underestimated the patience of Newfoundlanders,
who have learned from past mega-projects that short-term job gains are not
worth long-term economic losses.
"We're getting on with life," said Tobin. "There are many other projects and
many other partners."
c The Canadian Press, 1998"Copied from http://www.siliconinvestor.com/
There seems to be this delusional mindset from NDP followers (and Tobin followers back in 1998) that private business in some way owes them money or some type of living increase, just for being successful. Its pure socialism Bullshit of course. The only people a private industry owes is its investors and stock holders. Beyond that its just got to operate under legal standards. And when those legal standards become to cumbersome and effect the business profit margin, they up and move to more friendly settings that will welcome them. You can see it playing out first hand in Ontario right now as the Auto sector, once a staple of the Ontario industry and overall health, closes up and moves back to USA and Mexico.
Friday, 23 January 2015
So the end of another great TV series has come.
The Newsroom was a really smart and entertaining Semi political drama by Aaron Sorkin. The mastermind behind amazing series like The West Wing and Movies like The American President, A Few Good Men, and much much more.
The basic premise of the show was a bored but highly educated and intelligent TV anchor (moderate politically with right wing leanings) who has made a career of being liked rather then being about substance has his world woken up and shaken by a liberal (democrat) activist who steps in as his shows producer.
In the real world now a days that would most likely end up as a bitter name calling yelling match (and to Sorkins credit he did add abit of that in to make it more realistic) but mostly you are met with characters who are passionate about what they believe in and are willing to out think you to make their point (I know I know, you will not find that in modern journalism anymore. Its a TV show, you gotta suspend some disbelief).
The show wasn't perfect mind you. After an amazing first season they devolved into the 2nd season being very preachy and sadly very one sided politically as it attacked the Republican Tea Party. Now I'm not going to sit here and stick up for the Republican Tea Party as even here in Canada we get to hear some really wacky stuff coming from them.
I often liken the Republican Tea Party is to the Right what the Liberals (federal and provincial) are to the left in Canada. Both go way to far to their ideological extreme.
And I know far to well that Aaron Sorkin writes stuff based in facts so its pretty easy to believe much of the demonizing is true and well deserved. But I also pay attention to daily news and know he passed up allot of flub's on the left during that time to focus solely on The Tea Party. So while his second season may be factually correct (in a artistic way of writing), its also very narrow minded and that's probably why the 2nd season was not as well received over all. The mastery of his work on The West Wing was always that he could write for his democratic characters while never really attacking their republican counter parts.
In season 2 of The Newsroom he lost that balance and the work suffered for it.
But that was just the stuff about the Tea Party, otherwise his writing even in season 2 was masterful.
As was his writing in Season 1 along with the greatest 8 minutes ever for opening a series (Take a look, you will not be disappointed).
But for me it was episodes 5 and 6 of season 3 that really hit home for me.
I live outside Toronto, Ontario, Canada and I also am politically moderate with right leanings.
So for the last 4 years I have watched the left wing media and political figures attack Toronto's old mayor (Rob Ford) with accusations after accusations after accusations. Every single day it was something new. Some eventually stuck and brought Rob Ford down. Many how ever failed to stick and were dropped for a new accusation the next day and so on and so on and so on. And I watched from outside Toronto with horror and disgust as the Left Wing media of Toronto worked togather to bring down a man they disagreed with politically.
90% of those accusations came from "anonymous sources", which to me means "someone with an ax to grind". Oh the Left Wing media would try to justify their "anonymous sources" but comparing them to Watergate and how Deep Throat played a huge role in Nixon being brought down. But what they always refused to accept or admit is Deep Throats accusations were never taken as biblical fact. He gave the lead and then Woodward and Bernstein would independently VERIFY the information before reporting it.
The Toronto Left Wing Media forgot about that little bit and just ran the gossip as fact. When it was disproven they didn't recant or apologize, they just moved onto the next "anonymous source" gossip.
And this went on for roughly 4.5 years until Ford withdrew from running for re-election due to health issues (cancer) and had his brother take over.
So I'm watching the final 2 episodes of The Newsroom and one of their opening scenes is the journalists are arguing in a room about how they report on celebrities and gossip rather then news. Specifically saying "We spent 30 minutes reporting on Toronto Mayor Rob Ford rumors and only 2 minutes reporting on the financial collapse of Detroit as they ran out of money and entered bankruptcy" (sorry could not find clip of scene) and WOW did that hit home. Everything I had been complaining about regarding media ignoring news to present unchecked gossip.
But The Newroom was not finished there. The followed that scene up with an amazing remake of a famous Jimmy Kimmel (sitting in for Larry King) interview with Gawker (sorry no link as I refuse to link to that trash site).
The Newsroom Interview (fictional)
The Gawker/Kimmel Interview (really happened)
There just is not writing of that degree on TV anymore.
Aaron Sorkin has that rare ability to look at both sides of a issue and understand both sides.
And when something is clearly wrong (as is modern journalism/media and these gossip rag sites) hes not afraid to call them out on their BS.
Its so refreshing in a modern landscape of over political correctness BS.
Great series.
Not as good as The West Wing
But still great in its own right.
PS: And WTF was Jeff Daniels thinking in not resigning to do this role in this series but instead doing garbage like Dumb and Dumber 2 (again no link because it simply doesn't deserve a link).
It was a role of a lifetime and he tossed it away to ... well honestly I'm not even sure what to call his next role with Jim Carey.
What a waste of talent.
And I know far to well that Aaron Sorkin writes stuff based in facts so its pretty easy to believe much of the demonizing is true and well deserved. But I also pay attention to daily news and know he passed up allot of flub's on the left during that time to focus solely on The Tea Party. So while his second season may be factually correct (in a artistic way of writing), its also very narrow minded and that's probably why the 2nd season was not as well received over all. The mastery of his work on The West Wing was always that he could write for his democratic characters while never really attacking their republican counter parts.
Friday, 20 June 2014
Getting back to trying Tai Chi
So I think shoulder loose enough for me to restart my Tai Chi Beginners course.
Just a simple 8 minute work out to get in the move of Tai Chi
I'll find more advanced routines on YouTube in time but for now this is the perfect low impact work out for me.
And you can really feel it working areas like hips (my left hip has significant Arthritis) and upper body.
Not lifting weights type work out but just a slow stretch and breath work out.
Reminds me allot of yoga to be honest but my guess is as you advance it starts looking and feeling more like martial arts and less like Yoga.
Anyways, anyone interested in giving Tai Chi a try.
The above link is a really good starting point I find.
13 Hours Of Hell
So decided to get a security camera for my deck so I could video and take pictures of all the activity that goes on back there at night.
Little did I know the HELL I was walking myself into!
So I goto Best Buy and was looking for a day/night, wireless, motion sensor security camera
OUCH, $450.00+
Lets downgrade to just Day/Night and wireless
ahhhhh $129.00 +tax, much better
OUCH, $450.00+
Lets downgrade to just Day/Night and wireless
ahhhhh $129.00 +tax, much better
So get home and open it all up and sure enough first thing I notice is no CD to install the software
This is a BAD SIGN as it means you have to goto the Website and download the software,
and to be quite honest that’s NEVER a good sign of things to come.
This is a BAD SIGN as it means you have to goto the Website and download the software,
and to be quite honest that’s NEVER a good sign of things to come.
So what ever, lets get this camera mounted and set up
hmmmm, no place for batteries, need to have power-line attached.
Maybe my version of wireless differs from theirs but wireless to me means NO WIRES
I mean what good is a security Camera if any Tom, Dick, or Raccoon can wander up and unplug it?
OK need to get a extension cord
Lets mount camera first and then get extension cord
hmmmm, no place for batteries, need to have power-line attached.
Maybe my version of wireless differs from theirs but wireless to me means NO WIRES
I mean what good is a security Camera if any Tom, Dick, or Raccoon can wander up and unplug it?
OK need to get a extension cord
Lets mount camera first and then get extension cord
HUH? Don’t have the right size drill bit either
Off to Home Hardware I go
Get right drill bit and outdoor extension cord
Off to Home Hardware I go
Get right drill bit and outdoor extension cord
OK lets drill in
hmmmm, drill bit way to small for the plastic plug you put in before screwing in
Actually don’t have a large enough drill bit for that plug
good thing I have my own which I do have drill bits for
hmmmm, drill bit way to small for the plastic plug you put in before screwing in
Actually don’t have a large enough drill bit for that plug
good thing I have my own which I do have drill bits for
So pull in extension cord and goto drill
No power
WTF?
Change plug in
No power
No power
WTF?
Change plug in
No power
Go downstairs and check breaker
All good down here (but flip to off and then on anyways to be sure)
nope, no power
move extension cord to inside house
POWER!!
All good down here (but flip to off and then on anyways to be sure)
nope, no power
move extension cord to inside house
POWER!!
*signs* just another thing to fix now
So drill in and get plugs in and get all mounted
So now the extension cord I bought useless as only 15 feet and now I gotta run from somewhere else.
Welp not using long cord anytime soon for grass so use it
Run outta upstairs spare room, down side of house, to camera
Hook it up,
GOT POWER
Welp not using long cord anytime soon for grass so use it
Run outta upstairs spare room, down side of house, to camera
Hook it up,
GOT POWER
Time to do computer portion
So head upstairs, read manual (which is like 3 pages and light on anything you would call INFORMATION)
They say goto website, run start up, skip the router connection part and goto wireless network part
They say goto website, run start up, skip the router connection part and goto wireless network part
So I run set up
Stage 1: Connect to Router
Stage 2: Network
Stage 1: Connect to Router
Stage 2: Network
Problem, there is no way to skip Stage 1 to get to stage 2
Maybe its possible if you have the CD
But my product didn’t come with the install CD
Maybe its possible if you have the CD
But my product didn’t come with the install CD
Couple hours later I’m livid with anger as there is NO WAY to skip stage 1
Which means to reach the wireless portion you first have to be wired
ANYONE ELSE SEE THE STUPIDITY IN THAT?
Which means to reach the wireless portion you first have to be wired
ANYONE ELSE SEE THE STUPIDITY IN THAT?
ANYONE?
So head to Future Shop for Ethernet cable, need 30 feet
“uhhhh we only have 50 feet but its only $80.00+ tax”
I walk out of Future Shop and head to Best Buy
“uhhhh we only have 50 feet but its only $80.00+ tax”
I walk out of Future Shop and head to Best Buy
Now let me say I have been more then pleasant and cheerful with all workers up to this point
So go in Best Buy and wait for my turn
Worker comes to me and I explain the situation and what I’m looking for
He takes me to the cables and they have 50 feet for $50.00+tax ($30.00 better then Future Shop but still to much) or 30 feet for $40.00
*sighs* I take the 30 feet and then ask
Worker comes to me and I explain the situation and what I’m looking for
He takes me to the cables and they have 50 feet for $50.00+tax ($30.00 better then Future Shop but still to much) or 30 feet for $40.00
*sighs* I take the 30 feet and then ask
Me: Do you still carry Ethernet remote plug ins?
BB: Sure this way, here you go
Me: Ummm that’s a power supply, not Ethernet
BB: what are you looking for?
Me: A remote Ethernet plug in, you plug it in and your router can wirelessly communicate with the normally not wireless hardware
BB: Sure right here *pointing at same thing he did last time*
ME: NO, *pick up box and use finger as pointer of what I’m reading* This is POWER SUPPLY. See its got a normal electrical jack plug in. I am looking for a remote Ethernet *holding up the Ethernet cable end to show the plug* plug in that will communicate with my router with out running the cable
BB: Yes right here *and again points at power supply*
Me: *Hangs head and starting to shake in anger* Can I see your manager please
BB: Sure this way, here you go
Me: Ummm that’s a power supply, not Ethernet
BB: what are you looking for?
Me: A remote Ethernet plug in, you plug it in and your router can wirelessly communicate with the normally not wireless hardware
BB: Sure right here *pointing at same thing he did last time*
ME: NO, *pick up box and use finger as pointer of what I’m reading* This is POWER SUPPLY. See its got a normal electrical jack plug in. I am looking for a remote Ethernet *holding up the Ethernet cable end to show the plug* plug in that will communicate with my router with out running the cable
BB: Yes right here *and again points at power supply*
Me: *Hangs head and starting to shake in anger* Can I see your manager please
Manager comes and asks whats the problem
I go through whole story again
Manager: Oh you dont need this stuff, sorry about that, follow me
*manager takes me to the CAMERA SECTION, not the security camera section I was standing in*
Manager: This is so and so, shes a expert on Cameras
Me: Hi *tell story AGAIN*
BBM#2: Is this for a security camera?
Me: Yes
BBM#2: Oh you want over here *takes me back to where I was originally standing*
Me: This is the model I bought
BBM#2: Reads box and tries 3 or 4 times to catch me being wrong
*but I keep explaining what they say on box and what they say in directions are 2 completely different things*
I go through whole story again
Manager: Oh you dont need this stuff, sorry about that, follow me
*manager takes me to the CAMERA SECTION, not the security camera section I was standing in*
Manager: This is so and so, shes a expert on Cameras
Me: Hi *tell story AGAIN*
BBM#2: Is this for a security camera?
Me: Yes
BBM#2: Oh you want over here *takes me back to where I was originally standing*
Me: This is the model I bought
BBM#2: Reads box and tries 3 or 4 times to catch me being wrong
*but I keep explaining what they say on box and what they say in directions are 2 completely different things*
Finally BBM#1 says: have you tried hooking it up with the cable, getting it all set up, and then moving it to the mount?
Me: No, I followed directions and the camera mounted into Brick (Ok I lied, is only in wood right now but I was getting really really angry by now).
Me: So you want me to drive across town yet again, un-mount the Camera from the crick wall, initialize it in my computer room with the cable, and then take cable off and remount it on brick and hope the wireless working then?
BBM#1: *sheepishly now hearing all the extra steps being asked* Yes
Me: And if that doesn’t work, what then?
BBM#1: Well we can send a tech to your house but you will have to pay for visit
Me: No, I followed directions and the camera mounted into Brick (Ok I lied, is only in wood right now but I was getting really really angry by now).
Me: So you want me to drive across town yet again, un-mount the Camera from the crick wall, initialize it in my computer room with the cable, and then take cable off and remount it on brick and hope the wireless working then?
BBM#1: *sheepishly now hearing all the extra steps being asked* Yes
Me: And if that doesn’t work, what then?
BBM#1: Well we can send a tech to your house but you will have to pay for visit
Have you ever reached your breaking point where you just want to hit someone and they know it?
No, I didn’t hit the BBManager, but I’d be lieing if I didn’t say the image of him laid out unconscious on the floor didn’t dance through my head when he suggested I would have to pay for a tech visit because the product THEY SOLD ME wasn’t working as advertised.
So seeing this was going no where I said fine and came back home
Took Camera off post
Brought upstairs and found new power cord (the one I had outside Id duct tapes flat to deck so no animals could chew on it)
Hooked it all up and started the process
Turns out this worked (and not a single step of this process is listed in the manual, on the website, nothing)
Took Camera off post
Brought upstairs and found new power cord (the one I had outside Id duct tapes flat to deck so no animals could chew on it)
Hooked it all up and started the process
Turns out this worked (and not a single step of this process is listed in the manual, on the website, nothing)
So Best Buy done, now its Bells Turn to drive me nuts
So I get to stage where Ive initialized the camera and now have to remove Ethernet cord and initialize the wireless
I remove the Ethernet cord….all good
I hit the WPS button on Camera……all good
I goto hit the WPS button on Bell Router…. doesn’t have a WPS button. My old router had a WPS button
I remove the Ethernet cord….all good
I hit the WPS button on Camera……all good
I goto hit the WPS button on Bell Router…. doesn’t have a WPS button. My old router had a WPS button
Its about this time I also notice my wireless light on router is not on
*sigh* call Bell
Go through the 1000 button automated selection service that I am 100% positive is designed to piss people off and make them hang up before speaking to anyone
Go through the 1000 button automated selection service that I am 100% positive is designed to piss people off and make them hang up before speaking to anyone
Get Jose
Me: Hi Jose, I’m trying to install a wireless security camera and cant find the WPS button on your modem/router you forced me to use.
Jose: Ours doesn’t have a WPS button
Me: So how am I suppose to do wireless, you guys told me this was a wireless router
Jose: It is
Me: So what do I do then?
Jose: Were not trained in that so I cant help you
Me: You got to be kidding, tell me your making a bad joke here
Jose: No were not trained in this, all I can do is give you the network name and password
Me: Fine Ill figure it out, whats the numbers
*write down the network name and pw*
Jose: Ours doesn’t have a WPS button
Me: So how am I suppose to do wireless, you guys told me this was a wireless router
Jose: It is
Me: So what do I do then?
Jose: Were not trained in that so I cant help you
Me: You got to be kidding, tell me your making a bad joke here
Jose: No were not trained in this, all I can do is give you the network name and password
Me: Fine Ill figure it out, whats the numbers
*write down the network name and pw*
Start to install the wireless network for camera
*let me just say about now DLink has the WORST online instructions I’ve ever seen for a install. I’d literally get to this stage and there was NO DOCUMENTATION or ANYTHING to tell you where to go from there.*
So having no Idea I hit a selection and it was wrong
So back to scratch I go, go through the wired install, shift over to network and
*let me just say about now DLink has the WORST online instructions I’ve ever seen for a install. I’d literally get to this stage and there was NO DOCUMENTATION or ANYTHING to tell you where to go from there.*
So having no Idea I hit a selection and it was wrong
So back to scratch I go, go through the wired install, shift over to network and
My network code no longer an option
Call Bell again and get new guy
Go through entire process
New guy replies
Bell: When you inputted your Network code and password it automatically changes to a 12 digit password (rather then the 26 I had been using) and requires you to make your own network code
Me: LOL, last guy didn’t say anything about any of this other then hes not trained to do it
Go through entire process
New guy replies
Bell: When you inputted your Network code and password it automatically changes to a 12 digit password (rather then the 26 I had been using) and requires you to make your own network code
Me: LOL, last guy didn’t say anything about any of this other then hes not trained to do it
So finally we make a new network
New password
New password
13 hours of hell is finished and complete!
and 6 Raccoons been sitting on my deck for last 2 hours just waiting for me to take their pictures!
and 6 Raccoons been sitting on my deck for last 2 hours just waiting for me to take their pictures!
So here are first pics of my deck at roughly 10pm to 12 midnight
*Camera is slow to take pictures still as haven’t tweaked it all yet so didn’t get any pics of the whole herd together….yet*
*BTW: Turns out the Camera does have motion sensor option and sound*
*Camera is slow to take pictures still as haven’t tweaked it all yet so didn’t get any pics of the whole herd together….yet*
*BTW: Turns out the Camera does have motion sensor option and sound*
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