Drop them here.
Support? Forget About It!
Simple really, no decent human can ever claim to support another if they don’t consider the dreams, aspirations, thoughts, and philosophies of that person. In other words, you can’t claim to support the soldier, when you leave the soldier out of the equation. To do so is incredibly paternalistic and insulting … yet so perfectly leftist.
They’re not as poor as we were lead to believe
So… Which provice has been fingered by both RBC and the BMO to lead the rest of the country in economic growth this year? Hint: it’s not Alberta.
Celery and Sidewalk
Angus Reid says that Canadians want the Green Party to win a seat in Parliament:
Many adults in Canada would like the Green party to have representation in the House of Commons, according to a poll by Angus Reid Strategies. 58 per cent of respondents think it is important for the country to have a Green party member of Parliament. — AR
This may be the case, but I’m pretty sure it’s only for the entertainment value. Elizabeth May is such a complete whackjob that she probably has plenty of older Canadians feeling nostalgic for the Rhino Party.
Artificial Silk
On the horizon – the Ultimate Wonderbra and a vehicle tow rope you can carry in your wallet;
The black widow spider’s dragline silk is a standout compared to other spider silks because of its superior strength and extensibility, a combination which enables black widow dragline silk to absorb enormous amounts of energy. These properties suggest that synthetically-produced silk might find applications as diverse as lightweight super-strong body armor, components of medical devices and high-tech athletic attire.
The researchers — Associate Professor of Biology Cheryl Hayashi, postdoctoral researchers Nadia Ayoub and Jessica Garb, and graduate students Robin Tinghitella and Matthew Collin — report their findings in the June 13 online edition of the journal PLoS ONE. In the article, they describe their work to identify the genes encoding the two key proteins, named MaSp1 and MaSp2, and determine the genes’ complete DNA sequences. The UCR Office of Technology Commercialization has filed a patent application on the gene sequences.
There are currently no products on the market based on the dragline silk of spiders. “There’s nothing quite as good yet as natural dragline silk, but we should get a lot closer now that we have the full genetic recipe,” Hayashi said.
With the ingredients and their genetic blueprint now known, it may be possible to synthetically produce the proteins by inserting the genetic sequences into host organisms such as bacteria, plants or animals, she said. Once the pure proteins are harvested, a manufacturing challenge will be spinning them into silk fibers that have the same remarkable properties as spider spun silk. But several advances have recently been made in artificial spinning methods.
This is certain to be followed by environanny demands for mandatory government regulation forcing manufacturers to label their products with “genetically modified material spider allergy alert” warning stickers.
the childrun R are Fewchur
Reader Tips
Reader tips thread.
Tommy Douglas: Not Fat Enough
So what number do you dial to call a fatty wagon over to your house? 1011? 1TON?
Just curious.
Got A Minute?
Child Advocate Pans Group Homes
Institutional-style group homes across the province should be replaced with more family-oriented foster care, says a new report by the province’s child advocate.
Judy Finlay, who leads the Office of Child and Family Service Advocacy, is recommending that the “family-like” system be expanded to replace the group homes, which have been operating for years with numerous complaints and no standards forcing them to give good care.
“We have to re-examine group care – it does not work,” Finlay said in an interview.
The group home system in Ontario has had long-standing and well-documented problems. There have been reports of children in group homes being tied up or restrained for emotional outbursts, police being called to handle minor disputes, and an overall structure more institutional than family-oriented. — The Star
When I was growing up I had a friend from a nearby group home. He had a new (and very fashionable) winter jacket every year. He had a new bike every year. He went to Disneyland every year with the other kids from the group home. He got to eat good food every night (they BBQed lots of steaks and chicken breasts, as I recall).
I, in the meantime, was being raised by a single, unwed mother on assistance. My “previously used” winter jacket was half silver from the amount of duct tape needed to keep the remaining down from escaping. My bike was built from other bikes I salvaged from dumpsters. I’ve yet to visit Disneyland. I remember eating puffed wheat with skim milk from powder for weeks at a time because it was the only food in the house. When we did occasionally get meat, it was usually something along the lines of pork hocks (which made those dusty three year old tins of escargot that came in the food bank hampers look pretty exotic to me).
I would respectfully suggest that when Ms. Finlay is done investigating group homes she should start investigating single unwed mothers and the effect they have on their offspring. I’m guessing that what she finds will make the whole group home thing look pretty tame.
CWB Leaving Money On The Table
A new report analyzing the value that the Canadian Wheat Board insists it delivers to Prairie farmers offers “instant absolute proof” to the contrary, says its author.
Far from maximizing returns back to producers, the board is actually leaving an “astounding” amount of money on the table, costing farmers and the Prairie economy as a whole, said Rolf Penner, the report’s author and agriculture fellow at Winnipeg’s Frontier Centre for Public Policy.
According to Penner’s “apple-to-apple” analysis, western Canadian farmers on June 14 were getting at least $1 less per bushel for their hard red spring wheat, depending on the contract, than farmers just across the border in the U.S.
For the average Prairie producer growing 200 hectares of spring wheat, the price difference translates into a minimum loss of $20,000, he said. Factored over the 6.8 million hectares of spring wheat planted in western Canada this year, that translates into an economic loss of between $585 million and $1.2 billion for the Prairie economy, Penner said. — Calgary Herald
“A blur on the radar of the British Coast Guard”
Loyalty
Looks like I’m not the only one who thinks Canada should stand by Bert Tatham in his time of need. BGen Tim Grant, Canada’s top soldier in Afghanistan, seems to think loyalty should mean something as well, and has publicly put his support in writing.
I’ll take that kind of company.
Not a CAIR in the world
Fred Thompson:
CAIR’s dues-paying membership has shrunk 90 percent since 9/11 — from 29,000 in 2000 to only 1,700 last year. CAIR’s annual income from dues plunged from $733,000 to $59,000. Clearly, America’s Muslims are not supporting this group — and I’m happy to hear about it.
Of course, every silver lining seems to have a cloud; and this cloud is that CAIR’s spending is running about $3 million a year. They’ve opened 25 new chapters in major cities across the country even as their dues shrank to a pittance. The question is; who’s funding CAIR? — ABC Radio Networks
Things that make you go “hmmm”.
Reader Tips
Reader tips here.
So much for “innocent until proven guilty”
Nice:
Cars adapted for street racing can be seized and destroyed, even if charges haven’t been laid and a race has not taken place, Ontario Attorney General Michael Bryant said Wednesday.
Bryant warned potential racers that all it takes is a tip from police to seize and destroy their cars. Car junkies who pour thousands of dollars into their vehicles to make them as fast as possible are wasting their money, Bryant said.
“If we can establish someone has parts and they’re juicing up their car — obviously for the purpose of street racing — then we can seize those vehicles,” Bryant said.
“We will seize it and you will never see it again. We will crush your car, we will crush the parts.” — cbc.ca
I miss the old days where we actually waited for someone to commit a crime before we punished them. I suppose this is to be expected in a country where we enjoy less protection of our private property than a citizen of communist China does.
2nd Annual SaskBlogs BBQ in Regina
July 8, 2007 (noon) at Goose Hill Park (Science Center).
Krydor has suggested we make an effort to “go green” this year, so even though I’ll have paper plates/cups/napkins/plastic utensils on hand, please feel welcome to bring your own reusable tableware. There may be carpooling opportunities, so if you’re looking for a ride from Saskatoon, or can offer one, leave a note in the comments here.
In that spirit, I’m suggesting we have a gopher derby – so please feel welcome to bring your guns and garden hoses!
(More details at the link.)
Comments are back — for now…
Was There An Election Last Week?
[This column originally appeared in “Knots of Thoughts” by Dave Bruha in the June 20th edition of the Consort Enterprise. It is reproduced here with Dave’s permission.]
Last week, Albertans in two provincial constituencies went to the polls to elect a new representative. Ralph Klein’s old seat in Calgary/Elbow was claimed by the Liberals with the support of 16% of eligible voters. The PCs held onto Drumheller/Stettler with Jack Hayden getting approval from 19% of the electoral count. The outcome is not all that surprising, but the low voter turnout is a dismal reflection of how self absorbed Albertans have become.
In the 1975 General Election 60% of voters acknowledged their responsibility to be a part of the process. By 2001 the numbers slid to 53% and dipped to 44% for the 2004 election. And in the recent by-election only 33% of voters in this constituency pried themselves away from “Survivor” and cast a ballot (less than ‘20% at the two Consort polls). Two thirds, 66%, the vast majority – want the rest of us to take responsibility for them. We can elect the government; we can worry about social policy and health care and the education of their children. We can look out for their well being and their pensions and be guardians of the life-style they enjoy and take for granted.
Living in one of the richest provinces in a wealthy country with a thundering economy has produced a self-centered society, which doesn’t give a damn about anything beyond their own doorstep. Taking four minutes out of their busy schedule is asking way too much! They have time to whine and give voice to their multitude of complaints: the soaring cost of gasoline, electricity and natural gas, unchecked development of the oil sands, rent controls, etc., but when given the freedom to make changes and cast a ballot they are silent.
There are now over 6.5 billion people on this planet and most of them would give almost anything to have the freedoms and rights that we are blessed with here. The apathy and laziness of Albertans would shock the billions of people who have no voice, no right to vote, and no opportunity to be heard. How can we justify our indifference to someone who has been brutally beaten or even killed for wanting what we so easily discard – the right and freedom to vote?
The tens of thousands who died fighting wars to insure our freedoms would be appalled at how casually Albertans have tossed aside their responsibility and are depending on others to carry their weight.
There is something fundamentally wrong with a society who won’t participate in one of the greatest freedoms we have. Nothing good can come about when a small minority of people elects the body that will govern over all.
—
Side note: The Consort Enterprise (established in 1912) is published weekly in Consort, Alberta. It’s a great little newspaper and its owners bend over backwards to serve the needs of their community. Kudos to Dave and Carol (the owners) for doing such a fantastic job every week.
Reasons to live in any province in Canada!
TOP REASONS TO LIVE IN BRITISH COLUMBIA
- Vancouver: 1.5 million people and two bridges. You do the math.
- Your $900,000 Vancouver home is just 5 hours from downtown.
- You can throw a rock and hit three Starbucks locations.
- There’s always some sort of deforestation protest going on.
- Weed.
TOP REASONS TO LIVE IN ALBERTA
- Big rock between you and B.C.
- Ottawa who?
- Tax is 6% instead of approximately 200% as it is for the rest of the
country. - You can exploit almost any natural resource you can think of.
- You live in the only province that could actually afford to be its own
country. - The Americans below you are all in anti-government militia groups.
TOP REASONS TO LIVE IN SASKATCHEWAN
- You never run out of wheat.
- Your province is really easy to draw.
- You can watch the dog run away from home for hours.
- People will assume you live on a farm.
TOP REASONS TO LIVE IN MANITOBA
- You wake up one morning to find that you suddenly have a beachfront
property. - Hundreds of huge, horribly frigid lakes.
- Nothing compares to a wicked Winnipeg winter.
- You can be an Easterner or a Westerner depending on your mood.
- You can pass the time watching trucks and barns float by.
TOP REASONS TO LIVE IN ONTARIO
- You live in the centre of the universe.
- Your $400,000 Toronto home is actually a dump.
- You and you alone decide who will win the federal election.
- The only province with hard-core American-style crime.
TOP REASONS TO LIVE IN QUEBEC
- Racism is socially acceptable.
- You can take bets with your friends on which English neighbour will move
out next. - Other provinces basically bribe you to stay in Canada.
- You can blame all your problems on the "Anglo *#!%!"
TOP REASONS TO LIVE IN NEW BRUNSWICK
- One way or another, the government gets 98% of your income.
- You’re poor, but not as poor as the Newfies.
- No one ever blames anything on New Brunswick.
- Everybody has a grandfather who runs a lighthouse.
TOP REASONS TO LIVE IN NOVA SCOTIA
- Everyone can play the fiddle. The ones who can’t, think they can.
- You can pretend to have Scottish heritage as an excuse to get drunk and
wear a kilt. - You are the only reason Anne Murray makes money.
TOP REASONS TO LIVE IN PRINCE EDWARD ISLAND
- Even though more people live on Vancouver Island, you still got the big,
new bridge. - You can walk across the province in half an hour.
- You can drive across the province in two minutes.
- Everyone has been an extra on "Road to Avonlea."
- This is where all those tiny, red potatoes come from.
- You can confuse ships by turning your porch lights on and off at night.
TOP REASONS TO LIVE IN NEWFOUNDLAND
- If Quebec separates, you will float off to sea.
- If you do something stupid, you have a built-in excuse.
- The workday is about two hours long.
- It is socially acceptable to wear your hip waders to your wedding.
—
Received by e-mail this morning from this fellow. If you somehow feel insulted by the contents of this post, yell at him and not me. 😉
UPDATE: The following were added by Hans Rupprecht in the comments and are worth appending to the main post:
TOP REASONS TO LIVE IN NUNAVUT
- You don’t want NONE OF IT any where else.
- You don’t ever need to buy a freezer.
- You are never short of ice for your daquiris while enjoying your ocean
view. - Diamond mines are the jewels in the TRUE NORTH.
- Polar bears make good fishing buddies, if you are short of friends.
TOP REASONS TO LIVE IN YUKON
- Line dancers doing ‘can can’ have great gams.
- There is gold in them thar hills.
- Next to Alaska which used to be owned by the Russians, so it is kind of
like Siberia. - Summer is two weeks, so it is a great place for winter sports.
- The Dempster Highway is gravel, just like the condition of Saskatchewan’s
roads!