Zaphod's Heads

A Darkness Has Been Lifted

2008-11-05T08:53:00.003-07:00

Stardate Unknown

With the election results coming in last night, it is as if a great darkness has been lifted from the world. The historic victory by Obama may help change many things... for the better no doubt!

Congrats Barack!

Economic Responsibility??? LOL

2008-10-07T08:37:00.003-06:00

Stardate Unknown

Is our economy really an important issue to Canadians? Helmet Hair Harper doesn't think so... Why would we vote for a man who puts his own agenda ahead of the people he is supposed to be representing?

Number of financial crises in the U.S. currently: 1

Total amount U.S. government has pumped in to bolster the flagging economy: $1.3 trillion

Per cent of Canadian exports that go to the U.S.: 80

Total value of trade in goods and services between Canada and the U.S.: $580 billion

Canada's trade with the U.S. as a per cent of GDP: 53

Effect Stephen Harper thinks the U.S. financial crisis will have on Canadian jobs and economy: Zero

Number of plans Stéphane Dion has proposed to address the current economic crisis: 1

Number of plans Stephen Harper has proposed to address the current economic crisis: Zero

Changing the government this election to one who has a solid economic plan (nevermind a platform) and puts CANADIANS FIRST: PRICELESS

Election time...

2008-09-04T13:36:00.004-06:00

Stardate 9983.9

H-Dawg is going to announce an election...

Let's get it right this time and ditch these smoke and mirrors cons...

Afghanistan and Pipelines...

2008-07-31T07:42:00.002-06:00

Stardate 9807.7

Canada not in Afghanistan over pipeline: Mackay
HALIFAX -- Defence Minister Peter MacKay says Canadian troops are not in Afghanistan to guard a new natural gas pipeline being built through the southern part of the country.

Tough call... I thought that's why they invaded and occupied the country in the first place!!!

RIP Gary Gygax

2008-03-04T13:30:00.002-07:00

Stardate 9064.32

Whether it was our first adventure, where we left the happy and safe confines of the Keep on the Borderlands to venture into the unknown dangers of the Caves of Chaos, or perhaps the epic scale journeys as we assaulted the Frost Giant Jarl or even passing through the lairs of the Kuo-Toans on our way to find the source of Drow Power deep in the Depths of the Earth... Or maybe the quiet locale of Hommlet, or perhaps the deadly Barrier Peaks... our senses were constantly alive as the adventures unfolded before us... His adventures. Made manifest by our own imaginations and characters...

Indeed, it is a sad day as the creator of Dungeons and Dragons and the World of Greyhawk, Gary Gygax, has passed on to Valhalla or wherever his patron deity will take him...

Peace be with you on your greatest journey.

Habs Watch - Huet traded.... for what?

2008-02-27T08:02:00.002-07:00

Stardate 9033.16

In a bold move, Bob Gainey traded Cristobal Huet to Washington yesterday for, get this, a 2nd round pick in the 2009 draft... I can only go on to think that he wanted the draft pick to negotiate a deal for Hossa, which never transpired. Am I comfortable going into the stretch for the top of the conference and the playoffs with two rookie goalies? Not really... But then historically, Dryden and Roy both won the cup their rookie years... Only time will tell if the Price is right.

Habs Watch - Record Setting Night

2008-02-20T07:52:00.003-07:00

Stardate 8998.15

The mighty Habs set a franchise record last night... After being down 5-0 in the 2nd period, they roared back with an incredible comeback, scorign 5 goals to tie the game for the first time ever... Led by Ryder and Kovalev, they forced OT and a shootout, which they eventually won thanks to a great move by Saku Koivu, putting them in a points tie with Ottawa for the conference lead.

Dubyah's Resume

2008-02-15T13:40:00.002-07:00

Stardate 8974.42

It won't be long until Flightsuit McChimpy is out of his cushy office job. In fact, it is time he got his resume out there for the future... I have happened upon a copy of his resume and have included it in this posting...

This person needs a job. This individual seeks an executive position.
He will be available in January 2009, and is willing to relocate.
(Please don't skip the last section!)

RESUME
GEORGE W. BUSH
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue
Washington, DC 20520

EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE:

Law Enforcement:
I was arrested in Kennebunkport, Maine, in 1976 for driving under the influence of alcohol. I pled guilty, paid a fine, and had my driver's license suspended for 30 days. My Texas driving record has been "lost" and is not available.

Military:
I joined the Texas Air National Guard and went AWOL. I refused to take a drug test or answer any questions about my drug use. By joining the Texas Air National Guard, I was able to avoid combat duty in Vietnam.

College:
I graduated from Yale University with a low C average. I was a cheerleader.

PAST WORK EXPERIENCE:
I ran for U.S. Congress and lost.
I began my career in the oil business in Midland Texas in 1975. I bought an oil company, but couldn't find any oil in Texas. The company went bankrupt shortly after I sold all my stock.

I bought the Texas Rangers baseball team in a sweetheart deal that took land using taxpayer money.

With the help of my father and our friends in the oil industry (including Enron CEO Ken Lay), I was elected governor of Texas.

ACCOMPLISHMENTS AS GOVERNOR OF TEXAS:
I changed Texas pollution laws to favour power and oil companies, making Texas the most polluted state in the Union. During my tenure, Houston replaced Los Angeles as the most smog-ridden city in America.

I cut taxes and bankrupted the Texas treasury to the tune of billions in borrowed money.

I set the record for the most executions by any governor in American history.

With the help of my brother, the governor of Florida, and my father's appointments to the Supreme Court, I became President of the United States, after losing by over 500,000 votes.

ACCOMPLISHMENTS AS PRESIDENT:
I am the first President in U.S. history to enter office with a criminal record.

I invaded and occupied two countries at a continuing cost of over one billion dollars per week.

I spent the U.S. surplus and effectively bankrupted the U.S. Treasury.

I shattered the record for the largest annual deficit in U.S. history.

I set an economic record for most private bankruptcies filed in any 12-month period.

I set the all-time record for most foreclosures in a 12-month period.

I set the all-time record for the biggest drop in the history of the U.S. stock market. In my first year in office, over 2 million Americans lost their jobs and that trend continues.

I'm proud that the members of my cabinet are the richest of any administration in U.S. history. My "poorest millionaire," Condoleezza Rice, has a Chevron oil tanker named after her.

I set the record for most campaign fund-raising trips by a U.S. President.

I am the all- time U.S and world record -holder for receiving the most corporate campaign donations.

My largest lifetime campaign contributor, and one of my best friends, Kenneth Lay, presided over the largest corporate bankruptcy fraud in U.S. history, Enron.

My political party used Enron private jets and corporate attorneys to assure my success with the U.S. Supreme Court during my election decision.

I have protected my friends at Enron and Halliburton against investigation or prosecution. More time and money was spent investigating the Monica Lewinsky affair than has been spent investigating one of the biggest corporate rip-offs in history. I presided over the biggest energy crisis in U.S. history and refused to intervene when corruption involving the oil industry was revealed.

I presided over the highest gasoline prices in U.S. history.

I changed the U.S. policy to allow convicted criminals to be awarded government contracts.

I appointed more convicted criminals to my administration than any President in U.S. history.

I created the Ministry of Homeland Security, the largest bureaucracy in the history of the United States Government.

I've broken more international treaties than any President in U.S. history.

I am the first President in U.S. history to have the United Nations remove the U.S. from the Human Rights Commission.

I withdrew the U.S. from the World Court of Law.

I refused to allow inspector's access to U.S. "prisoners of war" detainees and thereby have refused to abide by the Geneva Convention.

I am the first President in history to refuse United Nations election inspectors (during the 2002 US election).

I set the record for fewest numbers of press conferences of any President since the advent of television.

I set the all-time record for most days on vacation in any one-year period. After taking off the entire month of August, I presided over the worst security failure in U.S. history.

I garnered the most sympathy ever for the U.S. after the World Trade Center attacks and less than a year later made the U.S. the most hated country in the world, the largest failure of diplomacy in world history.

I have set the all-time record for most people worldwide to simultaneously protest me in public venues (15 million people), shattering the record for protests against any person in the history of mankind.

I am the first President in U.S. history to order an unprovoked, pre-emptive attack and the military occupation of a sovereign nation. I did so against the will of the United Nations, the majority of U.S. Citizens and the world community.

I have cut health care benefits for war veterans and support a cut in duty benefits for active duty troops and their families in wartime.

In my State of the Union Address, I lied about our reasons for attacking Iraq and then blamed the lies on our British friends.

I am the first President in history to have a majority of Europeans (71%) view my presidency as the biggest threat to world peace and security.

I am supporting development of a nuclear "Tactical Bunker Buster," a WMD.

I have so far failed to fulfill my pledge to bring Osama Bin Laden to justice.

RECORDS AND REFERENCES:
All records of my tenure as governor of Texas are now in my father's library, sealed and unavailable for public view.

All records of SEC investigations into my insider trading and my bankrupt companies are sealed in secrecy and unavailable for public view.

All records or minutes from meetings that I, or my Vice-President, attended regarding public energy policy are sealed in secrecy and unavailable for public review. I specified that my sealed documents will not be available for 50 years.

And just out of interest...

"Of course the people don't want war. But after all, it's the leaders of the country who determine the policy, and it's always a simple matter to drag the people along whether it's a democracy, a fascist dictatorship, or a parliament, or a communist dictatorship. Voice or no voice, the people can always be brought to the bidding of the leaders. That is easy. All you have to do is tell them they are being attacked, and denounce the pacifists for lack of patriotism, and exposing the country to greater danger."

-- Herman Goering at the Nuremberg trials

Carling Redux

2008-02-11T09:35:00.000-07:00

Stardate 8953.50

Numerous years ago, I created a fun game for winter driving... This morning, I damn near slid through a busy intersection on my way to work, after getting 9.5 feet of snow last night. In this light, I figured it was time to repost the old "Carling" game...

Well since I have somewhat invented the new winter sport, Carling, for us snowed in folks up here in Canada... I figure I better set up a scoring system so we actually know who wins every day! This is actually quite difficult as there are so many factors involved it isn't even funny. I mean, you could be driving on virgin ice and snow, and the co-efficient of friction would be much different than a road that had been sanded slightly, or perhaps so icy as to not see it at all (black ice)...

Let's begin with the basics.

Slides.

A good slide where you are unable to slow and stop is worth lots of points. +1 right off the top.

A sideways slide, where the vehicle actually changes it's trajectory is a bonus as you have obviously lost some control over the vehicle (apart from the ability to stop). +2 points for that.

Distance is important. Say every 20 feet you slide, you gain +1 point. This is really where the co-efficient of friction from the different surfaces comes into play. Packed snow, black ice, sanded fresh snow... it all affects this score.

If you happen to be lucky enough to slide into or through a controlled intersection or a stop condition... +5 points!!!! Yeah, this is a gold mine! Wait and watch the ensuing carnage as you are sliding sideways through a huge intersection, mentally calculating your score...

Collisions.

This is another great way to gain points. For every inanimate object EXCEPT another vehicle, you collide with, take a +1 point bonus. This means a white picket fence, a mailbox, a roadsign, a concrete no-post barrier, anything like that. A fire hydrant is a special circumstance since it spews water out and this reacts with frigid temperatures nicely to create a new playing surface for the next teams... so +5.

If you are lucky enough to hit another vehicle (CHA-CHING), you gain an instant +5 point bonus (not to mention a healthy hike in your insurance policy)! This is usually a rear-end style collision, so there may be different factors involved there.

If you hit a vehicle sideways, gain a +7 bonus.

If you hit a vehicle HEAD-ON, +10! It doesn't get much better than this, unless we start counting animate objects....

Arrrrr if you are most fortunate enough to slide into a train crossing and hit a train, gain +20 points!

If you hit an animal that will do little to your vehicle but end the life of said creature, gain +2 points.

If you hit an animal that is much larger, like a deer, elk, cow or BEAR, this will likely do considerable damage to your vehicle, so feel free to gain +5 points!!!

Remember, all strikes of animals and inanimate objects MUST be the result of a slide on icy road conditions. If you are drunk in the summer and you slam into a donkey that is eating grass growing on the shoulder of the road, it counts for nothing! You get a -100 for being a fool and drinking and driving!!!

I will give one example of a classic winter Carling match.

The Scene.

You are driving to work in the morning. It is dark, and the snow was falling all night. It is very cold and the snow has been driven on by a few folks now. Intersections are likely the Face-Off Circle of Doom this morning.

The Match.

You approach the Face-Off Circle of Doom, noting your opponents on two of the three sides... Cruising at a safe 50 km/h, you approach and when you are about 60 feet from the lights, they turn yellow. OH NO!

Being groggy from staying up so late surfing the weeb and eating cheese, pickles and crackers all night, you hit the brakes, forgetting that it is your minivan that has ABS (anti-lock brakes) and not your 1984 Oldsmobile Tank. Begin slide.... You are about to slide 60 feet to the intersection alone, so lets say the total is 100 feet when all is said and done. (+5) You also begin to slide sideways, which is a real treat and always makes you spill your Tim Horton's coffee on yourself (+1 cause I am being nice) so gain +2 for the sideways slide and also another +5 for sliding through a red light and a controlled intersection! Total Slide Points 13!

Now what could possibly happen while you are sliding through the intersection? Well one of the opponents decided to go as soon as the light changed... He didn't see you sliding into the intersection sideways cause he was lighting his smoke and only saw the light change out of the corner of his eye. BAM! You hit him right in the side, (possibly causing tons of injury to him, but that is not scored in this game) so you gain +7 points. Of course, after the collision, your car is soemwhat out of control, so you proceed to hit the light pole on the corner, a small tourist information sign, and a fire hydrant (oooooh that's a mess) so for all that, +7 points. To top it off, your hub cap goes carreering off when you hit the hydrant, and strikes a homeless cat shivering in a store doorway, killing it instantly (+2). Total Collision Points 16!

So your grand total for that game is 29 whopping points! Pretty darn good actually!

*Humans are generally nice, so I will leave them out. You can create your own point scoring scale perhaps, and have a lot fo fun this winter tallying up your scores!!!*

ELECTION! Coming soon, to a voting station near you!

2008-02-08T10:42:00.000-07:00

Stardate 8938.80

Well the big buzz of late has been confidence motions and elections. Everything the Tories are doing these days seems to be based on confidence motions... Whether it's their latest crime bill, or more recently, an extension to our war in Afghanistan. I suspect this will be a trigger for election, though if somehow it goes through, the budget should be the final straw. After all, the economy seems to be following a downward trend, and the last thing the Tories want is to wait so long that the economy becomes a nail in their coffin...

But I don't think things are so rosy for H-Dawg and his band of merry men. After all, the tories have done little to actually benefit the average Canadian in my opinion... The Child Care "Plan" they put forth ended up costing the average person even more for child care now, since funding cuts to Daycare facilities ended up causing a hike in fees, that the $100 a month "beer and popcorn" money simply can't cover... and what happened to one of the major 5 priorities they had last election? No longer can we find a Health Care Wait Times Guarantee priority, as it had been replaced with something along the lines of "strengthening Canada's image abroad" or some such nonsense. He has turned his back completely on the environment, making Canada the laughing stock of most of the planet and his touted "Transparency in government" has become just the opposite, with numerous occurrences of muzzled MPs, members of the press, and closed door sessions. Firing people for doing their jobs? Invite only press galleries? How transparent is that?

In this light, and as the newly elected Vice President of the Federal Wetaskiwin Liberal Association, I must point out that there is (and always has been) an alternative to voting Conservative in Alberta. The new Liberal candidate in our riding is Rita Dillon, who has been an Albertan and Stéphane Dion supporter for many years now. Rita has very high standards and is willing to go that extra mile for Albertans and Canadians alike. I will definately do what I can to help her campaign, and hopefully make a breakthrough in Alberta for the Federal Liberal Party of Canada.

Let's end our combat operations in Afghanistan, and move Canada back towards the level of respect they held environmentally. Let's take our country from the Conservatives, and give it back to the people it belongs to. Canadians!

What? Bush lied? No shit Sparky...

2008-01-23T08:22:00.000-07:00

Stardate 8858.22

It took them THIS long to figure out Bushco lied before invading Iraq? Oh yeah, I forgot... so many people were so busy oiling up their rifles they couldn't be bothered to think for themselves.

Never did find those WMDs... and damnit, it turns out Osama bin Who? wasn't Sadaam's sister after all...

Not Appreciated in an Unappreciated War

2008-01-16T16:15:00.000-07:00

Stardate 8824.90

I have never agreed with the invasions of either Afghanistan or especially Iraq. Our involvement in Afghanistan is something I am truly opposed to, and now, the biggest player in the occupation seemingly has nothing good to say about NATO's involvement.

BRUSSELS, Belgium -- Some of America's closest NATO allies reacted with surprise and disbelief Wednesday to reported comments from U.S. Defence Secretary Robert Gates suggesting that their troops fighting the Taliban in Afghanistan are not up to the job.
The Dutch Defence Ministry summoned the U.S. ambassador for an explanation of a Los Angeles Times article that said Gates complained about soldiers from Canada, Britain and the Netherlands not knowing how to fight a guerrilla insurgency.

Sorry to say it, but whether you agree with the war or not, OUR troops are dying there, and this charge is preposterous. Of course, the Defense Secretary's spokesman can only say that Gates did not single out a single country in particular.

Seems like yet another reason for us to get out now. An unwelcome war with us as unappreciated participants. Let the Americans have their wars that I believe they no longer want either, nor can they sustain them alone.

Baird continues to embarrass Canada

2007-12-11T07:51:00.000-07:00

Stardate 8643.13

UN Climate talks in Bali have again shown Canada's unwillingness to do anything with regards to Climate Change (yeah the old school "Global Warming" has very nearly been erased from all of our memory banks thanks to the great propoganda machine known as the media). In fact, it is really sad and very embarassing to see Baird stand up there and spout out abotu how we will do nothing until others are made to do something. Yep. That's pretty much it.

Environment Minister John Baird held firm to his view that any successor treaty to the Kyoto Protocol must set binding conditions on countries like the United States, China and India.

Canada's stance is nothing less than hypocritical. Of all the countries mentioned by Baird, Canada is in a far better economical position to exact change and yet we stand by and do nothing except point fingers. This seems to be a carry over of the Tory election strategy as well. Hollow policy beeffed up with a lot of finger pointing.

Let's get soemthing straight. The Tories don't give a damn about Climate Change. If it puts a crimp on today's economy, then tomorrow's problems don't matter. The problem is that tomorrow's problems are beginning to effect us today, and they don't get it.

Canada is failing their kids...

2007-11-20T07:48:00.000-07:00

Stardate 8538.12

As a nation, Canada is doing pretty good. We have budget surpluses, natural resources, excellent donuts and the best NHL team in the league... So why do so many of our kids live in poverty? Some points from the newly released Unicef report show how we are seriously failing...

About one in six Canadian children live in poverty
Canada has one of the highest rates of obesity among children in developed countries at 26 per cent
Canada's infant mortality rates have remained unchanged for the past five years while rates in other developed countries continue to fall. Canada's infant mortality rate remains at five deaths per 1,000 births
Canada has one of the highest rates of children in state care and in youth detention centres compared with other industrialized nations
Only twenty per cent of children with mental illness are receiving treatment in Canada
Poverty rates among aboriginal children are almost three times higher than for other Canadian children
Remote communities across the country were found to lack adequate housing, clean water and quality education

How come we can afford to pay our amateur olympic athletes $20,000 per medal they win but many of our kids live in poverty? Maybe some people feel our country is wealthy, but certainly a lot of Canadians see none of it.

First Snow

2007-11-05T08:16:00.001-07:00

Stardate 8463.20

Most people think of the first snowfall of the year as a nostalgic thing... Perhaps even romantic. Nice poems and idyllic scenes pop up all over.

Mother nature can piss off as far as I'm concerned.

Throne Speech

2007-10-17T14:24:00.000-06:00

Stardate 8369.05

I really didn't expect much different from the Speech from the Throne. Of course, the ongoing refusal to do anything towards even trying to honor our Kyoto comittment was expected, but the WORST part of the speech is the extension of the Afghanistan conflict beyond 2011... Again, no end in sight for this war. I don't blame Dion for not triggering an election. At present, not much would change politically, and it would only cost time and money that should be spent actually running our country.

Good news though, we'll save even more pennies if they nuke another 1% off the GST! Whoopy ding-dong! I will be interested to see the personal tax cuts they propose.

Habs Watch - The Price is Right

2007-10-10T11:37:00.000-06:00

Stardate 8333.50

Another year and more "Habs Watch" from me. So far, the season has started out pretty good, with only 2 games under our belt. Both have gone to OT and they have ended up a split. The mix of new faces far outweighs the lot of old ones that went away (well maybe Souray could have stayed), and I won't miss the likes of Samsonov or Bonk at all.

The game tonight, on the road in Pittsburgh, will feature the debut of two rising Habs, Kyle Chipchura on a 4th line with Begin and Dandenault, and Carey Price in goal. Price has impressed so far, but will be mightily tested against Crosby and the Penguins.

Let's see what these guys can do shall we?

What is it with Alberta drivers?

2007-10-09T13:08:00.000-06:00

Stardate 8328.80

I fail to understand why drivers in Alberta need to be in so much of a hurry that they continuously put their own lives as well as the lives of others at risk on a daily basis!

The last 3 days in a row (not counting the weekend of course), there have been major accidents on the way to work that have resulted in highway closures.

The first, had Highway 2A between Red Deer and Blackfalds shut down. The second on the following morning occured on the overpass between Highway 2 and Highway 11A. This resulted in a partial if not full closure of Highway 11A. This morning, another accident on Highway 11A saw traffic into Red Deer closed off.

I can only assume (though the odds are high) that speed is a factor in all of these accidents, especially considering they all occured in the morning rush. Did anyone die? Injuries? How much money does this cost society? It uses up our rescue services, policing, insurance rates climb... people who must find alternates routes are seriously late...

Looks like these people didn't get anywhere any quicker.

SLOW THE HELL DOWN.

Coal Power and Global Warming

2007-09-28T08:24:00.000-06:00

Stardate 8272.80

This is an advert I received from the New Yorker Magazine. Interesting... Sources included for the buffs...

GLOBAL WARMING

Think You’re Making a Difference?

Think Again.

There are 151 new conventional coal-fired power plants

in various stages of development in the US today.

HOME DEPOT

Home Depot is funding the planting of 300,000 trees in cities across the US to help absorb carbon dioxide(CO2) emissions... The CO2 emissions from only one medium-sized (500 MW) coal-fired power plant,in just 10 days of operation, will negate this entire effort.

WAL-MART

Wal-Mart is investing a half billion dollars to reduce the energy consumption and CO2 emissions of theirexisting buildings by 20% over the next seven years. If every Wal-Mart Supercenter met this target… The CO2 emissions from only one medium-sized coal-fired power plant, in just one month ofoperation each year, would negate this entire effort.

CALIFORNIA

California passed legislation to cut CO2 emissions in new cars by 25% and in SUVs by 18%, starting in 2009.If every car and SUV sold in California in 2009 met this standard… The CO2 emissions from only one medium-sized coal-fired power plant, in just eight months ofoperation each year, would negate this entire effort.

EVERY HOUSEHOLD

If every household in the US changed a 60-watt incandescent light bulb to a compact fluorescent… The CO2 emissions from just two medium-sized coal-fired power plants each year would negate this entire effort.

EDUCATION

The Campus Climate Challenge calls for all college campuses in the US to reduce their CO2 emissions to zero.If every college campus building in the US met this challenge… The CO2 emissions from just four medium-sized coal-fired power plants each year would negate this entire effort.

NY, ME, VT, NH, MA, CT, RI, PA, NJ, DL, MD

The Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI) is a cooperative effort by 11 Northeastern andMid-Atlantic states to reduce their CO2 emissions to 1990 levels by 2014... The CO2 emissions from just 13 medium-sized coal-fired power plants each year will negate this entire effort.

CONGRESS

Congress is considering many climate change bills this year to reduce US carbon dioxide emissions... The CO2 emissions from any new coal-fired power plants work to negate these efforts.

THERE IS A ‘SILVER BULLET’ FOR SOLVING GLOBAL WARMING…

–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

NO MORE COAL

Without coal, all the positive efforts underway can make a difference.

––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

Over an 11-year period (1973–1983), the US built approx. 30 billion square feet of newbuildings, added approx. 35 million new vehicles and increased real GDP by one trilliondollars while decreasing its energy consumption and CO2 emissions. We don’t need coal, we have what we need: efficient design and proven technologies.

Today, buildings use 76% of all the energy produced at coal plants.

By implementing The 2030 Challenge* to reduce building energy use by a minimum of 50%,we negate the need for new coal plants.

Make a Difference: Protect Your Efforts.

* Issued by:  2030, Inc./Architecture 2030 • The 2030 Research Center • www.architecture2030.org

NOTES
1. Emissions Source: US Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2005.
2. Building Sector Data Source: 2006 Building Energy Databook, EIA.
3. 1 Quad (quadrillion Btu) = approx. 60.4 million metric tons of carbon dioxide (MMT CO2).
4. One medium-sized (500 MW) conventional coal-fired plant emits approx. 3.2 to 4.0 MMT CO2 a year.
5. One billion square feet of existing building area in the US is responsible for approx. 7.68 MMT CO2/yr.
6. Home Depot: Home Depot has funded the planting of 300,000 trees in cities across the US. Each tree will absorb and store approx. one-third of a ton of CO2 over its lifetime.
7. Wal-Mart: Wal-Mart, the largest “private” purchaser of electricity in the world is investing half a billion dollars to reduce the energy consumption and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions of their existing buildings by 20% over the next 7 years. "As one of the largest companies in the world, with an expanding global presence, environmental problems are our problems," said CEO Lee Scott.
a. Total US building area for all Wal-Mart Supercenters: 437,019,000 square feet (sf).
b. Total US building area for all Wal-Mart stores: 630,494,000 square feet (sf).
8. Every Household:
a. There are 110 million households in the US today.
b. Changing one 60-watt incandescent light bulb to a compact fluorescent saves approx. 156.6 pounds of CO2 each year.
9. Education:
a. The Campus Climate Challenge, a growing student movement in the US, states that global warming “is our problem, and it’s up to us to solve it, starting right here on campus, right now.”
b. Assumption: 3.5 billion sf of existing college campus building in the US.
10. California:
a. California, which makes up over 10% of the country’s new vehicle market, passed legislation to cut GHG emissions in new cars by 25% and in SUVs by 18%, starting in 2009.
b. A 25% reduction of emissions in cars and 18% in SUV’s sold in California in 2009 is approx. 2.3 MMT CO2.
11. ME, VT, NH, MA, CT, RI, NY, PA, NJ, DL, MD: The Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI) is a ‘cap and trade’ cooperative effort by eleven Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic states to reduce their carbon dioxide emissions to 1990 levels by 2014.
a. Carbon dioxide emissions in 1990 equal 842.04 MMT CO2.
b. Carbon Dioxide emissions in 2003 equal 889.42 MMT CO2.
12. Real GDP (Year 2000 dollars) in 1973 was $4.341 trillion and in 1983, $5.423 trillion. (Source: Economic History Services)
13. Number of vehicles in operation in 1973 was 111.217 million and in 1983, 147.104 million. (Source: US Energy Information Administration)
14. From 1973 to 1983 approx. 19.7 billion square feet (bsf) of residential building and 13.3 bsf of commercial building were built. (Source: US Census, EIA)
15. Total US energy consumption in 1973 was 75.7 quadrillion btu (Qbtu) and in 1983, 73.0 Qbtu. (Source: EIA)
16. Total US CO2 emissions in 1973 was 4685 million metric tons (MMT) and in 1983, 4331 MMT. (Source: EIA)

So long privacy

2007-09-13T09:47:00.001-06:00

Stardate 8198.10

The announcement that certain government agencies are seeking (pdf) the abilty to gain personal information from telecommunications companies without court orders is terrifying to say the least. Our clone government has learned nothing from the morons in the White House south of us? You would think that after the fallout from illegal wiretapping and spying on their own, the US experience would rub off a little... guess not.

And don't go and say that if a citizen has nothing to hide they shouldn't care. Balderdash!

Assimilate THIS Mr. Chandler

2007-08-28T08:00:00.000-06:00

Stardate 8117.80

Taken in whole from Daveberta...

If you move to alberta – adapt or leave: craig chandler.
Alberta PC nomination candidate Craig Chandler has eloquently declared his feelings towards new Albertans who choose to exercise their constitutional right to vote for a political party other than the 36-year old ruling Progressive Conservative Party of Ed Stelmach.
I wonder which point in Ed Stelmach’s five-priority plan Chander is promoting when he wrote this:
To those of you who have come to our great land from out of province, you need to remember that you came here to our home and we vote conservative. You came here to enjoy our economy, our natural beauty and more. This is our home and if you wish to live here, you must adapt to our rules and our voting patterns, or leave. Conservatism is our culture. Do not destroy what we have created.
Considering that Stelmach's Tories haven't been doing too well in Calgary lately, I wonder how excited Ed Stelmach will be with Craig Chandler carring the PC banner in Calgary Egmont?
I know I'm looking forward to the daily entertainment.

I almost laughed when I read this post. Not at Dave of course, but at the mindset of some of these arrogant pricks. What a joke. Who are "we" anyhow? The day I vote Conservative in Alberta is the day hell freezes over.

Mister Worf says... "Assimilate THIS!"

Ciao Alberto "Torturemeister" Gonzales

2007-08-27T08:02:00.000-06:00

Stardate 8112.73

This is a most welcome headline this morning on the news pages...

Embattled U.S. Attorney General Gonzales resigns

What is interesting about this entire deal is that the reason my interest in blogging really took off several years ago was when this guy was nominated for the position of Attorney General. He had some rather questionable ideals with regards to how legal torture of prisoners and detainees was and how it was a-okay for US forces to use these means in the supposed "War on Terror". After many hiccups along his illustrious stand as Attorney general, he is done. He was an advocate for the illegal wiretapping fiasco and was also responsible for firing several US attorneys on the most sketchy grounds imagineable...

So this makes a 4th addition to the list of high-up officials in the Bush administration to resign. Rumsfeld, Rove and Wolfowitz have all stepped aside from their positions previously.

Back from BC

2007-08-16T07:42:00.000-06:00

Stardate 8057.66

Well we ar eback from holidays in BC and had a fantastic time. Sadly, I have little time for blogging at the moment, with work, yard and broken PCs at home.

RIP Elvis...

Welcome to Darfur

2007-07-31T14:24:00.000-06:00

Stardate 7979.05

Well some good news for Darfur finally...

26,000 PEACEKEEPERS! Now we should get our boys over there peacekeeping instead of fighting in Afghanistan.

Terrifyingly Cheesy

2007-07-25T16:50:00.000-06:00

Stardate 7949.57

Now the terrorists are using cheese to get at us. Damn them anyways...

Who's opposed to Afghanistan?

2007-07-19T15:18:00.000-06:00

Stardate 7919.25

You may notice a button in the top left of my blog. This button takes you to the OUT OF AFGHANISTAN petition started by Matthew Good. Feel free to go and sign it.

What is interesting is that the latest Strategic Counsel poll shows overwhelming opposition to the war in Afghanistan.

Total Support: 36%
Strongly Support: 7%
Support: 29%
Oppose: 31%
Strongly Oppose: 27%
Total Oppose: 59%

I am guessing the other 5% don't know where Afghanistan is :D

Like the majority it seems, I support bringing the troops home.

What meanest "Support"

2007-07-16T14:43:00.001-06:00

Stardate 7904.12

The old phrase began by the US admin and ripped off by Canadian politicians has become quite the catch-phrase.

"Support the Troops".

What exactly do they mean?

"We love you guys"
or
"Thanks for defending my freedom thousands of light years away"
or
"Go boys go! Kick some ass!!!!!"
or maybe
"Send money to the Armed Forces for bullets, boots and bagels"

or maybe simply for us to willingly send more young Canadians over to fight in another BS war with questionable motives and objectives...

Or maybe it is still just political rhetoric. After all, some people think that because you oppose a war (or two) you are turning your back on our boys that have been sent there. I don't need to support anything if I don't want to, and I don't need a thousand stupid stickers on tailgates to demand I do either.

China executes ex-food and drug Chief

2007-07-10T09:35:00.000-06:00

Stardate 7873.08

Guess they really are serious about the bad toothpaste...

Olbermann on Bush and Libby

2007-07-06T08:55:00.000-06:00

Stardate 7852.92

Interesting commentary on something that has been nagging at me for days now. Talk about abuse of power!

Greetings from Spamcards.com

2007-07-04T12:54:00.001-06:00

Stardate 7843.74

What the hell is with all of the spam crap coming from all sorts of phony greetings cards? There has been a marked increase in these as the last few days have gone on. Everything from riversongs.com to dgreetings.com to hallmark.com (of course they are not in fact from these places).

Do NOT open any or click on the links I say.

Happy Canada Day!

2007-07-01T14:16:00.000-06:00

Stardate Unknown

Happy Canada Day everyone!!!! I'll let Bill Shatner take it away :)

PS I would do more but the Feds are spending enough this year to cover my lame ass :P

Tornado Pics

2007-06-25T13:14:00.000-06:00

Stardate 7798.83

These images of the recent tornadoes in Manitoba were gratuitously stolen from CTV.ca...

Nature can be amazing at times, even in light of the ensuing damage.

Fat Nation

2007-06-21T09:31:00.000-06:00

Stardate 7778.05

Ambulance for obese patients to debut in Calgary

Apparently our western society is becoming so fat that we are developing new ways to deal with the repurcussions as opposed to dealing with the problems of being fat. We are introducing a new ambulance for really fat people that comes with specially trained paramedics to lift and transport them (ie bodybuilders no doubt).

Since 1985, the number of morbidly (nice choice of words) obese people in Canada has quadrupled, according to the Canadian Medical Association Journal.
Nearly a quarter of Canadians qualify as obese, reports Statistics Canada.

Pretty damned scary stats if you ask me.

No Fly, No Sir I Don't Like It

2007-06-19T11:20:00.000-06:00

Stardate 7768.42

Normally I would laugh at the fact that our esteemed Tory government has finally passed a "No-Fly" list so quickly after the 9-11 attacks and the US enacting a similar law. Please detect the sarcasm inherent in that statement...

Sadly however, just when it seemed like the whole "War on Terror" sham has begun to die down a tad, here comes Stock Day to the rescue!!! The list itself doesn't seem like such a horrendous deal, but the fact that innocents could be stopped from flying, or the list could be intermixed with the US list that includes not only terror suspects but folks that the government simply doesn't like is more of an issue. Not only this, but now anyone "appearing" to be over 12 must be carrying photo ID or 2 pieces of government issued ID.

At least we can take toothpaste on the plane again. Or can we?

Libs take the lead?

2007-06-12T14:25:00.001-06:00

Stardate 7734.05

Looks like the Liberals could be up on the Tories again according to the latest Decima poll... Of course, these numbers are likely only accurate to +/- 5 in 20 3 times out of 4 LOL...

This is understandeable considering the hot water H-Dawg is in lately over the various "Accords" he seems to like to trash...

More Harpocracy

2007-06-06T16:06:00.000-06:00

Stardate 7704.40

Heh.

In Parliament's question period on Wednesday, NDP Leader Jack Layton quoted Foreign Affairs Minister Peter MacKay as saying last month: "'We will not throw a member out of caucus for voting his conscience. There will be no firings on budget votes as we saw with the Liberal government'."

Sadly, this is just more smoke and mirrors from the Tories, as Nova Scotia MP Bill Casey was canned from the Tory caucus for voting against the budget that seems to throw the Atlantic Accord out the proverbial window...

Alberta to ban smoking in public!

2007-05-31T16:13:00.000-06:00

Stardate 7674.43

This is Outstanding!!!

Health Minister Dave Hancock says the toughened legislation is a response to the fact that 3,400 Albertans die every year from tobacco-related causes.

No doubt.

A-Rod is a loser

2007-05-31T07:40:00.001-06:00

Stardate 7672.65

So a day after getting busted with a busty blonde in Toronto, A-Rod, who I already think is a big fat goof, does soemthing you wouldn't expect even in a Slo-pitch beer league... Rounding the bases on an infield pop-up, he shouts out "MINE" and causes a misplay so the ball was not caught late in teh game last night. Of course he denies this, and defends shouting "hah" as he puts it, but I think the fact that no-one from his bench came out to defend him during the ensuing cafuffle says it all.

This guy is definately not about the team or professionalism. He is a sad ambassador for the game of baseball to say the least.

Dion on Liberals and their environment record

2007-05-29T11:05:00.000-06:00

Stardate 7663.36

Of course the opposition did everything they could *against* any Liberal plans. It only makes sense, especially the opposition from Alberta (Klein, Harper et. al.)

I am starting to like Dion more and more.

Had a good dump

2007-05-24T15:05:00.000-06:00

Stardate 7639.19

Late May in Alberta...

The tree branch fell in the night from the weight of the snow...

Redshirt Redux

2007-05-23T12:41:00.000-06:00

Stardate 7633.69

Gas price is directly proportional to the long weekend

2007-05-17T12:26:00.000-06:00

Stardate 7603.65

Nothing new here. They say they aren't gouging at the pumps, so why is the increase in gasoline price DIRECTLY proportional to the number of days before a long weekend?

Cheapest gas in Blackfalds is now 112.9 (a liter for the Americans here...) I think I am going to watch this trend until after May long is over.

Unpatriotic?

2007-05-15T08:29:00.000-06:00

Stardate 7592.82

Since when did disagreeing with a policy or more specifically being involved in someone else's conflict become "unpatriotic"? Oh yeah, it was waaaay back when Flightsuit McChimpy and his staff of incompetent planners realised they screwed up and half the nation didn't like what they were doing... but that's old news. Or should be. Now H-Dawg takes notes from Dubyah's amazingly articulate phrase book and says the same thing about us... Anyone who questions our involvement in Afghanistan or the progress that may or may not be made there is now labelled as "unpatriotic".

Excellent. You forget that all of us unpatriotic people pay your salary just like the so called patriots...

Gas Gouging...

2007-05-10T07:38:00.000-06:00

Stardate 7567.64

Figures. And considering the profits these producers are recording...

What an awesome weekend

2007-05-07T10:41:00.001-06:00

Stardate 7553.27

It all began friday night, when Tom came down from Edmonton to pick up fencing eqipment. No, not fencing as in chain link or plank, but fencing as in "have at thee knave"...
Tom brought his bass which was the first instrument I have ever seen with "fanned" frets and after soem plunking around and chatting, we decided we both enjoy some newer power metal, so that makes a good place to begin our musical relationship.
Saturday was quite nice out, so I took all of my gear out to the shop at the back of the garage. I like playing outside when it's nice, so I spent a few hours jammin away to my feeble little CD player. I couldn't find my 3 Inches of Blood CD though, so I had to race in the house and burn a new practice CD... A better one. One that would melt your face off with the first opening bars of "Deadly Sinners"...
I had a fire saturday night, and sat by myself with my friend Molson until my wife came back from her friends. It was pretty late though, and gettign chilly so we shut it down around 1:00 am.
Sunday was the best day of all. By 10:00am, we had done some gardening, and we pushed the old car out of the garage to jump start it and take it for a rip. I swept out the garage knowing full well that I would be moving my music gear to the front of the garage right away! By 10:30, "Headin out to the Highway" was cranking out of our big open door. It was kidn of neat as the guys across the street stopped working in the garage and sat around watching and drinking beer for an hour or so while I was playing... Kind of like a distant audience of sorts...
It was really fun nonetheless.
The day was so nice, we ventured down to Burbank to walk along the river, but after our roof leaking storm, the river was so high that the path we normally walk on was several feet underwater. Next week it should be back to normal at least...
Well enough boredom for today! Back to work :(

Cat free zones

2007-05-04T12:34:00.001-06:00

Stardate 7538.67

We have nuclear free zones, gun free zones... how about cat free zones? The neighbours "semi-stray" cats are gettign very annoying in our gardens. Time to break out the bb gun artillery.

Rain, rain go away

2007-05-04T12:31:00.000-06:00

Stardate 7538.66

Rain... more rain. I wish it would stop. It's trying to turn into snow right now. We just found a leak in our roof last night too... At least tomorrow is supposed to be sunny and +15...

"Prescription for Chaos"

2007-05-01T16:45:00.000-06:00

Stardate 7524.55

Well High King McChimpster has again missed out on the proper timing for an amazing statement...

President Bush used his veto pen for only the second time Tuesday after Congress sent him a war spending bill that would impose timelines to withdraw U.S. troops from Iraq, which he called a “prescription for chaos.”

Last I checked, the country was already in chaos...

Satch - Cool #9 Live

2007-05-01T08:41:00.000-06:00

Stardate 7522.86

Damn...

Get out of Iraq! Withdraw or Veto?

2007-04-26T12:17:00.000-06:00

Stardate 7498.63

Well good news for Iraqis. The Senate and House have both passed the Bill that pumps another $124 Billion in to the Iraq occupation effort, but more importantly, the Bill has set a timetable for the start of troop withdrawals from Iraq.

The $124.2 billion bill requires troop withdrawals to begin Oct. 1, or sooner if the Iraqi government does not meet certain benchmarks.

Naturally, Flightsuit McChimpy can veto this bill if he likes...

The huge bill would fund the war, among other things, but demand troop withdrawals begin on Oct. 1 or sooner if the Iraqi government does not meet certain benchmarks. The bill sets a nonbinding goal of completing the troop pullout by April 1, 2008, allowing for forces conducting certain noncombat missions, such as attacking terrorist networks or training Iraqi forces, to remain.

I almost find it humorous how Canadians have been pushed into staying in Afghanistan far longer than this deadline. The recent vote was a joke as far as I'm concerned. The NDP voted against the Liberals withdrawal timetable because they want immediate withdrawal. Of course, that won't happen anytime soon, so why waste time voting against something that is better than nothing? Oh yeah, better to have NO progress in the House of Commons...

Tory hot air bill done...

2007-04-23T10:53:00.000-06:00

Stardate 7483.33

Looks like no bill is better than a better bill...

Environmentalists say Environment Minister John Baird told them in a private meeting that he will abandon the bill because he can't accept sweeping amendments put forward by the opposition.

Because the "Clean Air Act" was ridiculous? Oh well... Liberals did nothing, and neither will the Tories.

Edit: Or maybe not... Guess we'll wait and see. Just can't keep waiting... that's all.

Baird: Environment Minister or Economic Minister?

2007-04-20T08:19:00.000-06:00

Stardate 7467.83

John Baird went on an economic doom and gloom spree discussing Kyoto, and how Canada would be plunged into an economic recession if we attempted to meet our targets. The fact is, oilfield wives who drive their Ram 2500 to the school to pick up their kids at lunch ought to pay $1.60 a litre for gas as far as I'm concerned... Not once however, did he mention what could happen if we DON'T take serious action, and serious action very soon.

And here I thought he was the Environment Minister, but he is really the Economic Minister in disguise.

I believe that eventually our Western economy is going to eat itself up. We are heading for a recession at some point regardless. I simply cannot believe that the future (and near future at that) of our planet and resources is at stake over a doomed almighty buck. But then I am neither an Environment or Economic minister...

Guns really do kill people

2007-04-18T14:35:00.000-06:00

Stardate 7459.10

Guns.

"The problem with guns isn't the guns. After all, responsible and law-abiding gun owners pose no threat to society. The problem is that the current gun laws are not followed by criminals with guns and only serve to inhibit the rights of law-abiding gun owners."

This is a common cry amongst gun rights activists and on paper it makes sense, sure. The fact is, guns are easily available south of the Canadian border, and to a lesser extent here in Canada as well. Cho Seung-Hui, the 22 year old korean kid who recently shot up Virginia Tech simply walked into a store 36 days ago, and after a background check, purchased a Glock 9mm handgun.

Law-abiding gun owners vs criminals with guns. Let's go back to that. Cho could not have bought a gun at a store if he was a criminal. He had no record and apart from some complaints about bugging girls in college (no threats or violence involved), the cops had no dealings with him according to the multiude of "facts" coming out in the MSM so far. He may or may not have had mental issues (EDIT: most likely the case that he did, and therefore he should not have been allowed to purchase a firearm if in fact the gun laws were as restrictive as some make out) and definately had a morbid imagination according to his teachers. However, he was NOT a criminal with a gun. He was a law-abiding citizen with a gun. I am not saying he had no intent to kill all those people when he purchased the gun as we cannot know that in all honesty, but I must deduce that gun violence is simply not only in the hands of criminals who do not follow the laws...

So is it the gun laws that are bad? I'm not sure about that. Certain folks are maintaining that recent rulings at Virginia Tech banning firearms on campus are to blame because other students could have been packing heat and they could have taken the shooter down. Right. This makes sense... NOT. This is the same as suggesting the 9-11 attacks could have been prevented if everyone boarding the planes were given box-cutters with their tickets. If Cho was mentally disturbed but a law-abiding gun-owner until this incident, who's to say that you, or me or any number of other people would fall into that same category? Putting more guns on the streets and in schools and workplaces is an astonishingly short-sighted solution to the problem of gun violence!

There were signs Cho was disturbed, but there was no way anyone could have known he would make that transformation from a law-abiding gun owner into a criminal (and a dead one at that) and kill over 30 people. Tomorrow, it could be Johnny Law-abiding Gun Owner Doe that snaps.
The problem with guns is simply guns. They can be used for many things, many of which are fun, entertaining and useful, such as practice, hunting and collecting. However, they were made for one purpose only. Killing. So are gun laws to blame? I doubt it. After all, a 22 year old landed immigrant in the US walked into a store, did a background check and walked out with a Glock. It almost makes you say, "what gun laws?"...

I pity people who are so afraid that they must surround themselves with weapons to feel safe. It is not the solution to society's problems in my opinion. But then I don't claim to have those solutions either.

In no way am I condoning the actions of Cho or the events that transpired at the school. This is merely a statement regarding the debate on firearms, laws and such.

Who pays for H-Dawg's make-up person?

2007-04-17T13:35:00.000-06:00

Stardate 7453.90

Who would have thought that H-Dawg's perfect hairdo was actually the work of his personal make-up artist and image consultant? Hmmm. The big question is, in this new era of accountable government, who is paying the tab for his hairdo and makeup touch-ups? Probably us. You bet. Thanks man. You look great :)

Image consultants sound a lot like personnel officers, or management consultants... they should be shipped off on Arc ship "B" with the rest of the useless 3rd of the Golgafrinchams. But then again, maybe most of the politicians should be as well.

New Primal Fear album soon!

2007-04-12T11:25:00.000-06:00

Stardate 7428.44

Primal Fear have completed all recording for their newest album and are beginning to mix now. They have called the album "New Religion" and it features many tracks and a surprise duet between Ralf Scheepers and Simone Simons of the band "Epica". Other guests include Magnus Karlsson, Kai Hansen and Henny Wolter...

I am pumped up as the last album they released, "Seven Seals" was fantastic. There is no release date yet for this as far as I know.

Abolishing the gun registry secretly...

2007-04-11T09:17:00.000-06:00

Stardate 7423.2

Well it seems the Tories are not "getting things done" with regards to a new plan to replace the gun registry. Personally, I support the gun registry but I also admit that it has been administered extremely poorly and changes need to be made.

However, without any fanfare or debate in the Commons, the Tories have quietly given long gun owners another year to register weapons. Is this because they can't come up with something better? Probably... look what happened with their environment policy :) So since they can't abolish the plan in the House, they will simply keep pushing the deadline for registrations back, effectively abolishing the plan.

The problem that arises as far as I can see is that the registry is in fact used by the RCMP (effectiveness is open to debate of course) but another year delay in registering means they will now have a registry that is 2 years out-dated.

New theme

2007-04-10T11:24:00.000-06:00

Stardate 7418.43

I am experimenting with some new banners and colors. Maybe I'll get inspired by it :)

Or maybe it's baseball season... Go Jay's Go!

"They" are coming...

2007-04-09T13:51:00.000-06:00

Stardate 7413.95

Increased UFO sightings across Canada leads me to believe that "they" are going to be here soon. Last year was the 3rd highest number of reported sightings in 17 years, especially in BC and Ontario. I can inderstand BC seeing a ton of UFOs for sure, considering Nelson is actually built on some sort of gargantuan magical gemstone...

I have always been fascinated by these things, and there is no doubt in my mind that we are not alone in this universe. What do you think? Do extra-terrestrials and their fancy machines really exist?

Playoffs, points and more...

2007-04-04T16:13:00.000-06:00

Stardate 7389.44

With only 2 games left against 2 teams they are competing against, the Habs face the reality of having to beat both the Rangers and Toronto in their last match. I think one if not both games ending in losses could mean curtains for their chances.

This is an interesting thought however. For a long time, I have hated the extra point for a shoot out loss. I am mixed about the shootout, and I realise that if they didn't have a shootout, there would be ties, where both teams get a single point. But now, you get a point for LOSING the game in a shootout. Looking at this, and the records of teams such as Montreal and Toronto, we can see how the Habs have 6 points from these losses, and the Leafs have a whopping 11 points. By season's end, Toronto could pass Montreal and make the playoffs based on these losing points being awarded. In other words, a team with an under .500 record could be in, and a team with an over .500 record could be out. This isn't right in my opinion...

In other news, last year's Stanley Cup champs, the Carolina Hurricanes were eliminated from contention yesterday, marking the first time in history that both teams that went to the finals failed to make the playoffs the following year. Way to go guys!!! I don't think they realise the humour in the ad on their website today either....

Seeya is right!

April Showers...

2007-04-03T08:55:00.000-06:00

Stardate 7382.91

April Fool's more like. Did I mention I hate winter? The snow was all but gone, and some folks may even have had things starting to sprout and grow in their gardens. Everyone was madly cleaning their yards this weekend, and I knew some snow was coming so I figured I would wait for another week. Some snow I said... "light snow" according to the weatherman. Of course the weatherman doesn't have to shovel my olympic-sized driveway...

Of course, I don't expect anything else, living in Alberta and all.

Habs Watch - Crunch Time

2007-03-30T08:02:00.000-06:00

Stardate 7362.73

There are 5 games left in the regular season. We're in the 8th and final playoff spot.

The good news is that we're on a 5 game winning streak and everyone around us in the race is losing. Halak, the young rookie goalie from Slovakia, is riding a 5 game win streak and will continue to play as long as he is winning. Kovalev has scored 2 goals in both of his last 2 games, and Koivu couldn't be hotter.

The bad news is that we have a road game against Ottawa tonight followed by the Sabres on saturday at home and still a game at Madison Square Gardens to go yet. Hopefully, the Bruins game on tuesday will be a push, but the season is closed out with a game in Toronto.

With the race so close, I see us needing at least 3 of the 5 games as wins, just to stay competitive. At least we have wins on our side :D

Iran detains Britons

2007-03-23T07:41:00.000-06:00

Stardate 7327.66

Well this could be the tipping point in the on-going affair with Iran and their nuclear program. Let's hope diplomacy prevails.

Oilers set new record!!!

2007-03-22T07:57:00.000-06:00

Stardate 7322.72

The Edmonton Oilers continue to set records and leave their mark on the hockey world... After falling to Colorado last night, they have reached a new franchise milestone with 12 losses in a row!

Congrats guys! Never thought losing Cryin' Ryan would be soooo bad HAHA.

No time for blogging

2007-03-21T18:32:00.000-06:00

Stardate Unknown

Well I have been sporadic at the best of late with regards to writing, and maybe I am just getting burnt out reading and attempting to analyse the nonsense of politics, or perhaps I am simply too busy with other things that have moved a few rungs up on my ladder of importance.

However, in a nutshell, things have been busy, and politics has been both boring and nonsensical as usual. My family is leaving me for a week starting friday to go for a quick visit in BC so I have been spending more time with them. The last few days have seen me attending the Alberta Transportation Conference here in Red Deer, and work has been steady as always (which is great of course!!!).

This weekend, I will be off to my buddy Sven's to jam for a few days and that is always both really loud and really fun.

Tomorrow, expect to see some of my thoughts on "Star Trek: Of Gods and Men".

The Internet should be FREE

2007-03-13T09:52:00.000-06:00

Stardate copyrighted

Viacom is suing Youtube over video clips from their networks... What else is new? The thing is that one day, all of these big greedy corporations will realise that the internet is the most useful tool EVER for sharing ideas and data (including retarded MTV videos) and that they will never win the battle to stop it. I mean really... if people are cashing in on the latest 1:07 Beavis and Butthead clip somehow, and these big corporations are actually losing money over it, then I want to know how to make money from it myself!!! Seriously.

The entire battle over copyright infringement has taken new turns of late. I have seen links to music videos on Youtube that bands themselves have posted on their own site, but the video has been removed from Youtube because of said infringements... Um, okay. I have seen the most popular Guitar Pro tablature site STOP sharing music scores written by the site's members (based from their interpretations of a band's music) or even as posted on various band's sites because of said infringements...

So if the band says it is okay to have their music video up for free (on their site AND Youtube), then who freaking cares? I can understand if Pay per View events are being uploaded to torrent sites almost as they happen because of the nature of the subscriptions, but really... the only thing that sharing video clips on Youtube does is save me the time of taping them myself!

Habs Watch - Samsonov...

2007-03-12T12:26:00.000-06:00

Stardate 7273.65

Samsonov has officially stated why he has sucked this year... Yeah that's right. He regrets having signed with the Habs last summer. Frankly, I wish they hadn't signed him. He's a 2nd or 3rd string player at best, and with his price tag, you would think the team could have bought someone that could at least perform with a little more consistency (9 goals and 17 assists so far this season).

Well the drama will probably not help the Habs right now, who have hopefully ended their downward spiral with late game heroics from another underachieving player, Kovalev, in their last game against the Blues. They play again tomorrow night, and one can only wonder if Samsonov will be another healthy scratch, or a 3rd line floater. Either way, I can think of other ways of keeping the bench warm that cost a hell of a lot less than $3.5 Million a year.

Chris Simon is an a$$hole

2007-03-09T14:37:00.000-07:00

Stardate 7259.53

What the hell is Chris Simon thinking? I'm all for tough guys in hockey, and hits, and fights. I hate the instigator rule, and I wish we would see the odd bench-clearing brawl like the old days...

But this stuff has got to stop. I wrote a blurb a long time ago, after the Bertuzzi incident.

To put the icing on the cake, what did Simon say afterwards?

"I feel bad for taking a penalty that led to us losing the game," said Simon. "I've always been known as a team guy, and I feel real bad about letting the team down."

What an asshole.

Sunny mornings can only mean good things today

2007-03-07T08:55:00.000-07:00

Stardate 7248.34

For the first time since fall, the sun was up and actually bright enough over the horizon on the drive to work this morning that I had to don shades. For a brief moment, it seemed as though spring was here, but I know there is still a short time left, and likely a few more snowstorms.

I always hate having to drive to work in the winter, where it's dark on the way there, and dark on the way home. Today, is different.

Today is going to be awesome!

Eragon

2007-03-06T12:58:00.000-07:00

Stardate 7244.16

I honestly don't know what to say about this movie except that it sucked in nearly every way imagineable. This review may contain spoilers, but if you've seen Star Wars I'm not spoiling anything.

Luke receives his father's light sabre from Obi-Wan Kenobi

On the outside, it is a show with great special effects (that we have all seen elsewhere before) cardboard acting, poor lines and an almost infantile plot and screenplay. There is never any clear purpose or suspense to the movie, or massive imminent doom for the good people of the world, but rather a simple quest, where the boy finds a dragon egg stolen from the evil king who wants it back. Of course, he is destined to be the greatest dragon rider ever and will be a valuable tool for the rebel scum hiding out from the evil king's men. That's it. He will grow to save them all... well except he doesn't actually have to grow at all.

On the inside, it is a blatant rip-off of Star Wars. At numerous times, I found myself blurting out quotes from the classic Sci-Fi saga, such as when young Luke, I mean Eragon, returns to his Uncle's farm (he lives with his uncle and doesn't know what happened to his parents) to find him killed by minions of the evil emperor, and a solid "Uncle Owen..." resounded through the room. Brom, played by Jeremy Irons, is none other than Obi-Wan himself... a mentor for our hero and a retired dragon rider from old. He likely has the most solid performance out of all the characters, except maybe the CGI dragon with feathers. At one point, Luke, I mean Eragon, defies both his mentor and dragon and decides to take off to save a girl from his dreams from imminent death (getting into and out of the Death Star was an amazing feat and actually quite difficult). Very quickly, this 17 year old farm boy penetrates the evil emperor's high security prison complex, and with little effort rescues the girl. Of course, there is tension at this point, as Obi-Wan, I mean Brom, jumps in to save the lad and gets killed by Darth Vader. Do you feel for the loss of this great ancient hero? Not at all, since he is a carboard character with silly lines for the most part.

The boy himself begins the movie as a farm boy, trained to beat on his brother with a stick. In no time flat, he learns he is a dragon rider, and that he has great magical powers (THE FORCE) which he masters nearly instantly. I wonder how long it took the evil king dude or his high wizard to learn their skills? Likely much more than a few passing hours or days. Within hours of these revelations however, young Luke, I mean Eragon, is taking on the King's very own second in command.

There are many other instances of either misplaced or non-existent character development, or simply ridiculous bits of writing...

His older brother leaves early in the movie, in a tear-jerking farewell scene, only to be forgotten as quickly as the original plot of the story. What happened to him? Nobody knows, or cares for that matter.
The dragon grows from a mere hatchling into a full sized dragon in about 8 hours, and throughout the entire movie, nobody seems to ever see the dragon flying around, even when fully grown!
The dragon herself could barely fly with 3 people on her back, but towards the end of the show, she gets to wear some really nice plate armor to protect her... Hmmm. Dragon sized plate armor, or additional peoples... you decide which would weigh more.
Within a few hours or days ( I honestly don't know whow much time passes during this story as it is presented), young Luke, I mean Eragon, begins telling the seasoned veteran dragon rider what it means to be a dragon rider, and is suddenly the authority on the matter in a ridiculous twist of knowledge. He must have telepathically learned it all from his dragon I guess.
The girl he saves nearly effortlessly from the high security prison has been poisoned, and is on death's bed when our heroes finally arrive at the Rebels secret base on Dantooine, but no fear! In yet another twist that removes any threat or suspense, the gayly clad tribal rebel leader says that his healers will "make her well" and in an hour, she is putting on battle armor and wading through ugruks or orcs, or whatever you want them to be.

I could go on and on about this movie and how terrible both the acting and the story are, but why bother. I think I have done enough. To quote many others, the movie was based on a book written by a teenager, and the screenplay was butchered by a 12 year old. George Lucas should indeed be suing them for plagiarism and I wish I hadn't have wasted 100 minutes of my life. For a movie touted as a peer to "The Lord of The Rings" and "Harry Potter", this falls amazingly short. The book may be better, but I will never know...

I am trying to think of anything at all I enjoyed about the show, and all I can keep thinking about is how I would rather watch the original Star Wars. Han Solo was way cool.

3.5 out of 10

Flight of Harpocracy

2007-03-01T08:47:00.000-07:00

Stardate 7218.32

More transparency and accountability in the NEW government. Balderdash. Sauce for the goose, as they say.

Habs Watch - Rivet to San Jose

2007-02-26T08:49:00.000-07:00

Stardate 7203.32

After spending his entire 12 year career in Montreal, Craig Rivet has been dealt to San Jose for Josh Gorges and a 1st round pick in the 2007 draft. In a way, I am sad to see Craig go, as his play has always been solid, but he is to become an unrestricted free agent this summer, and since the sport is more about the vast amounts of dollars than anything, this trade makes perfect sense.

Coming off of 3 wins out of the last 4 games with rookie goalie Halak in between the pipes, the Habs look to beat down the Leafs tonight, who are only 1 point behind them in 10th.

Just say NO to security certificates

2007-02-23T08:09:00.000-07:00

Stardate 7188.20

The SCoC today ruled against federal security certificates, saying they are unconstituional. This is a good start anyways, to help combat the "War on Terror", even though these certificates were first introduced in the late '80s.

Good news from Iraq

2007-02-21T11:26:00.000-07:00

Stardate 7178.86

A ray of hope from Iraq!!! PM Blair has announced the withdrawl of 1,600 British troops from Iraq. It's a beginning, and likely a move designed to help him leave power in the wake of an extremely unpopular war on an upbeat. Now we just need the Chimpster to start reducing troop levels, instead of surging the country with even more...

I firmly believe that the violence would drop of measureably if the foreign occupying forces left the country. But that's old news of course :D

Habs Watch - Huet lost for rest of season

2007-02-20T15:44:00.000-07:00

Stardate 7174.76

It was nice to see the losing skid halt at 6 games for the Habs, but not all things are shiny. Huet will be lost for the rest of the regular season after undergoing hamstring surgery. The big question is whether or not Aebischer and the rookie Halak can do the job. Of course, scoring goals will help as well!

The cost of green

2007-02-15T07:48:00.000-07:00

Stardate 7148.10

David Suzuki said it better than anyone this morning on CTV news. When John Baird rambles on about the cost of Kyoto to the Canadian economy, does he really think doing nothing about it will be cheaper in the long run?

This one's for Stewart... no links; just a thought. :)

Eek! More terrorists!

2007-02-14T11:38:00.000-07:00

Stardate 7143.90

Time to put paper bags over our heads and hide under the table... Guess the ban that was lifted on toothpaste on airplanes will be back in effect soon enough. Probably won't be able to take toothpaste on the bus either for that matter.

H-Dawg must be scared... that's it!

2007-02-13T09:59:00.000-07:00

Stardate 7138.56

I can't think of any reason for even more ridiculous attack ads against Dion except that H-Dawg and his troupe are frightened of the Liberals. I mean really, why waste money on attack ads against the opposition unless you are right? Perhaps it is more to do with the Liberals gaining even more headway against the Bloc in Quebec.

Who knows. Maybe someone should make an attack ad against Harper's rug doctor. I don't mean the kind you put on the floor either...

From rock to black metal, all in a week

2007-02-12T08:14:00.000-07:00

Stardate 7133.22

What a hectic but amazingly amazing few weeks we have had here. On the 31st, we had some tickets to see The Headpins complete with VIP passes and the works that our friends had gotten for some web work. The night was really stormy, and it is a wonder that anyone made it out for the show, but we all live close enough that it wasn't a problem. The show rocked, though the opening band, Last Day Lost, sucked as far as I am concerned. My wife liked them, but they just didn't have anything that appealed to me at all. We ended up hanging out after the show, chatting with Alfie and Tony from the Pins about guitars, and giving the ladies a chance to meet Darby Mills and get things signed etc. It was pretty fun actually and though it was a late night, it was well worth it.

Last thursday was another music night for me and Killercorpse (frequent commenter here and good friend). He had tickets to see a show up in Edmonton featuring a band I really like, 3 Inches of Blood, as well as a perhaps miscast 69 Eyes, and the headliner, Cradle of Filth. I love 3IOB and the duel vocal attack was actually quite impressive live! I think they are even faster live too! I felt that 69 Eyes were a good band, but with a sound that kept making me think of The Cult, I couldn't help but wonder why they were on the billing with a power metal band and a black metal band. Cradle of Filth was previously unknown to me (musically) but they were awesome! Fast and heavy, they more than made up for the unimpressive 69 Eyes performance. Capped off that evening with a very late and snowy drive home from Edmonton. It was again, well worth the trip however, and I am now indebted to take Killercorpse to another gig at some point (maybe Stratovarius or someone will come through this way)...

At any rate, one of these days, I'll get back to regular posting. I think talking about metal gigs is far more interesting than politics however... :)

Habs Watch - Samsonov can go

2007-02-06T10:41:00.000-07:00

Stardate 7103.70

Sergei Samsonov is one of those players that some say have great hands and wheels. A savvy playmaker with loads of talent. Others may say he is a puck hog and doesn't produce either the numbers or chances his ego and salary dictate. I am in the latter group of fans...

I say good riddance. I shook my head when the Habs signed him and as long as the rumor of trading him and Rivet to Chicago is false (I happen to think Rivet is Montreal's most dependable defenseman) he can go anywhere as far as I am concerned. This battle between him, the team management and his lack of production has gone on from nearly day one. This latest battle of wills should be the final blow in my opinion. $3.5 million next year? Save your money!!!!

See you later Sergei.

Afghanistan Abuse Allegations

2007-02-06T07:55:00.000-07:00

Stardate 7103.13

This can't be good. If true, I hope it is a very isolated case and is investigated quickly. Such behaviour is intolerable in my opinion. We all know what happened after the media got a hold of the Abu Ghraib photos and such.

Harper: Canada must act on Global Warming!

2007-02-02T12:06:00.000-07:00

Stardate 7084.00

Geez... this headline almost made me spit coffee on my monitor. As if this report suddenly opened everyone's eyes. All it does is prove that the doubters are all morons...

Answer me this Mister Prime Minister... before this report, you wouldn't even mention global warming. What did you actually *think* caused it before? Cow farts?

He also says something that many Tory bloggers blamed the Liberals for previously...

"You can't just snap your fingers and reduce Canada's energy use by one-third in the space of a couple of years."

Nope. The Liberals couldn't do it and neither will you guys. At least not when your sudden interest is so transparent... I mean here I thought that you believed Kyoto was a "money-sucking socialist scheme"...

Harpocrite... the Green PM

2007-01-31T13:54:00.000-07:00

Stardate 7074.40

Well, the letter that H-Dawg our humble PM wrote a few years ago to members of the old Canadian Alliance party blasting Kyoto as a money-sucking socialist scheme is old news. In the letter, he swore he would battle the Accord and vowed to defeat it.

Of course he is now Mister Green but the fact is, he has already done what he set out to do. With the late Ambrose acting as Environment minister, the Tories for all intents and purposes withdrew Canada from Kyoto, and in fact went on to say that their own pathetic "plan" was no different than years of other people's lack of progress.

Now, with the environment quite literally heating up, he is suddenly Mister Green... however, I think that nothing will change. The Conservatives are the last group of folks I would expect to actually give two craps about the environment.

Talk about "getting things done" for Canadians! Good job H-Dawg!

Workplace nap-time

2007-01-31T07:44:00.000-07:00

Stardate 7073.10

Say what you will, but sometimes, ideas like this are fantastic!!!

I would suggest 2:00 pm as nap time for an hour every day myself.

Scientists pressured by politics? Really?

2007-01-30T16:08:00.000-07:00

Stardate 7069.85

There is no doubt in my mind this is true.... Especially considering the Religious Right's fight to disallow the teaching of real science in high school's down there...

What really gets me is how in so many instances, McChimpy's administration has received the "Ruprecht the Monkey boy genital cuff", and H-Dawg's wanna be policies so closely mimic the same drivel... whether it's "Staying the course" or "Global Warming is a pinko commie plot". Apparently, the Environment Commissioner has been fired from her post at the Auditor-General's office for, get this, doing her job...

No election? Why the campaign ads?

2007-01-30T09:32:00.000-07:00

Stardate 7068.48

H-Dawg maintains that he is in no way attempting to expediate an election. I find it funny that the Conservatives are running campaign ads attacking the new Liberal leader, Dion, but yet they are not even preparing for an election?

The best part is that they could be in hot water over copyright violation for using footage of the Liberal Leadership Convention without permission! All I have to say is HAHA!!!

Golden Goblin Painting Contest results

2007-01-29T12:42:00.000-07:00

Stardate Unknown

Well I have been quiet all last week and very busy painting because Saturday was the Golden Goblin Painting Contest at the Kingsway Mall Games Workshop store in Edmonton. Basically, they have 3 categories (each split into Youngbloods for the kids, and Old Gits for well, us old Gits) and you may enter one model in each category. This was my first "live" contest.

The first model was the Giant I recently completed for our local store. Sadly, he may have come in 4th or something, but he didn't place in the winning 3. However, all of the news isn't so glum!

I also entered my Gandalf the White in the Lord of the Rings category, and won Gold with him! I was very pleased with that, and there was also more good news...

I worked late every night last week in order to finish my entry for the 40K (sci-fi) category, and I very nearly completed Asurmen, the Hand of Asuryan from the Eldar race. I consider him unfinished still, as at 10 pm on friday I decided enough was enough. He still needs some trim and freehand on his cloth and cape, and possibly a new base, but even so, I managed a 3rd place with him. He is also my first ever 40K miniature. All in all, there are about 48 gems on him and that was one of the last things I had to do friday. When he is actually completed, I will post an update.

Meeting some good friends and some new friends is always nice as well, and after all of the chatting and judging was over, we went for a good supper. it was really fun, and now I definately know what I need to do next time to get the gold in each category :D

At any rate, we can get back to our regular programming sometime soon!!!

Cows don't need passports...

2007-01-24T08:19:00.000-07:00

Stardate Unknown

I thought it was funny that the day after the US decision that all Canadians need passports to enter their country came into effect, ambassador Wilkins appears on the news, saying he wants open movement of cattle across the border...

If I was a terrorist, I would definately hide inside a cow. Or at least put bombs inside. Suicide cattle bombers. Cool.

Arar still a bad guy, though proven innocent

2007-01-22T16:42:00.000-07:00

Stardate 7029.96

Even though the Canadian government has found that the RCMP supplied faulty info on Maher Arar, and that he was deported and sent to Syria to be tortured wrongfully, Alberto (I love torture) Gonzalez and Michael Chertoff say he will stay on theUS security watch list, because their own intelligence which has been gathered independantly from the Canadian intelligence suggests he should still be on the list.

Last week, I watched Senator Leahy hand Gonzales a smack down on why they deported him to an obvious fate of torture and he is still waiting for answers as far as I know... hurry up and wait I bet.

Pimping Guitar Pro

2007-01-19T09:37:00.000-07:00

Stardate 7013.50

It's kind of funny because I have never wanted to have adverts on my blog at all. Those google ads drive me nuts on other people's blogs, so why would I want them? At any rate, I have decided to post an advert for a program I feel is invaluable to musicians no matter the level they are at.

I have used Guitar Pro for some time, and I firmly believe it has made my playing much better, and it makes it super easy for beginners to learn songs, as well as other rudiments of music theory. For the puny amount of money the software costs, it is a worthwhile investment in my opinion. Keep in mind that there are literally thousands upon thousands of songs on the internet for this program, which can include (but not be limited to) tracks for guitars, bass, drums, keyboards, horns, you name it. The program shows you tablature as well as the standard musical staff, a fretboard, keyboard, you name it. You can play along as the software plays the song even, and adjust the tempo to help learn those faster bits.

In light of this, I have an ad for their latest version on the sidebar now, just above the Habs Watch section. Feel free to check it out!

HERE is a screenshot...

Hearsay to death

2007-01-18T16:58:00.000-07:00

Stardate Unknown

WASHINGTON - The Pentagon has drafted a manual for upcoming detainee trials that would allow suspected terrorists to be convicted on hearsay evidence and coerced testimony and imprisoned or put to death.

Oh that's really great. And I thought things were slowly beginning to look up. So you are telling me that a "civilized" nation would allow detainees (SUSPECTED PEOPLE) to be tried with hearsay evidence, and possibly put to death?

Jesus.

NOW they take it seriously...

2007-01-17T16:11:00.000-07:00

Stardate 7004.85

After copious amounts of criticism, the ~~canning~~ shuffling of the Environment Minister, and no doubt, international ridicule, the Tories are suddenly taking the environment much more seriously...

Well it's a start anyhow.

Of parties and training

2007-01-16T07:41:00.000-07:00

Stardate Unknown

My birthday weekend was a lot of fun. Originally, I thought we were goign to pack up my music gear and head to a friend's for a night of fun and music, but as it turns out, my wife set up a fun and very nearly a complete surprise party for me. There were quite a few folks over, and in the end, two of my friends (both bass players) got to hang and jam a bit after the others had left.

I do have a new addiction to try out in the form of Guild Wars. We shall see. I only just began toying around with World of Warcrack.

Today shall be an interesting work day. We have been usign some fairly old software for our roadway design stuff, and with the new Windows coming out, chances are, it won't work anymore. Therefore, we are all hauling our computers to the board room today to learn how to design roads with Eaglepoint software.

I dunno... old dogs, new tricks. We'll see I suppose :)

Securing Baghdad? What about the rest of Iraq?

2007-01-13T11:42:00.000-07:00

Stardate Unknown

Ever since Flightsuit McChimpy made his brave announcement that he plans to ESCALATE the war on Terror by sending over 20,000 more young men and women into Baghdad in an effort to get all of the troops out faster by the new technique known as SURGE (formerly Shock and Awe) the talk of the town has been about securing Baghdad, and making Baghdad safe for the Iraqi military to take over... Even Senator Clinton (who I think is pretty good, though no Bill for sure LOL) mistakingly says that the Iraqis could likely not secure Baghdad on their own...

What about the rest of the country? Any news folks? Must be all roses and peach crumble I guess. This is why the US will never win in Iraqnam.

Child Health Care Wait Times PLAN???

2007-01-11T10:34:00.000-07:00

Stardate 6973.70

Today, H-Dawg tells us about his government's new Child Wait Times Plan that they are spending a massive $2.6 million on. This plan is really only going to create an "information system" that will LEAD to a wait times guarantee. Nice. Kinda like their Clean Air Act that will LEAD to something else... or the Child Care plan that was supposed to create spaces...

Anyways, consider how the Tory government spends money on their priorities.

Child care spaces? 25000 promised within 12 months before the election... number of spaces created? ZERO. Child health care wait times? $2.6 million and it is only for an "information system", not a wait times plan. To put these priorities in context, last june, Harper announced more military spending for planes, helicopters, ships and trucks to the tune of $15 billion, or nearly 6000 times as much. I wonder how the grown up health care wait-times guarantee is coming along...

minus 30 plus

2007-01-11T08:33:00.000-07:00

Stardate 6973.27

We survived the blizzard yesterday. The snow was blowing so badly on the highways that it was difficult getting anywhere. This morning however, it is clear out which is good, but if course the cloud cover had kept in what heat was left. -32 on the thermometer this morning... The car seat is like a rock, and everythign struggles to get going. Praise Bob for block heaters...

More troops means less violence...

2007-01-10T16:50:00.000-07:00

Stardate 6969.99

I kind of figured that about the ONLY logic the Chimpster could use to actually convince people that increasing the number of troops would be that they would all come home faster. The Iraqis say they can have control soon (like november or something) and it wouldn't be long after that the US and other coalition members could leave. Naturally, he thinks that more might now will stop the violence and that the Iraqis must do their part. I think that more US troops will only serve to increase the violence as has happened in the past.

Nothing changes...

Bush's Iraq Plan

2007-01-08T15:58:00.000-07:00

Stardate 6959.82

In light of the impending announcement that Bush wants even more men and women to put their lives on the line in his bullshit War in Iraq, I thought this joke was quite fitting...

Considering the barbaric hanging of an albeit evil dictator is behind us, I figured Bush wouldn't care quite so much anymore... Guess there is still oil :P

Khaaaaaaaaaaan!

2007-01-05T08:52:00.000-07:00

Stardate 6943.35

Former Liberal MP Wajid Khan has joined the Tories. It's kind of funny how the press says he "defected" but Dion was right. It is a difficult situation when the MP is serving as the Government's advisor on the Middle East but is also a member of the opposition party.

The motives behind his final decision are obviously up in the air, and he only says that H-Dawg is the guy he wishes to serve and that the Tories follow more closely his view of Canada. Fair enough I guess. I hope they have a by-election in his riding however, something many people are still waiting for with David Emerson.

Notice the rage in Kirk's eyes... click the picture something fun.

Pat Robertson is an idiot

2007-01-04T07:42:00.000-07:00

Stardate 6938.10

Why does this guy continue to spew rubbish with impunity? I mean really... he called for the assassination of Chavez in Venezuala, slandered Olmert in Israel, and continues to create an atmosphere of fear and intolerance.

His latest message received directly from "God" suggests that there will be a terrorist attack in the US resulting in a "mass killing" of possibly millions of people by evil folks.

It's a good thing the Lord knows it won't be a nuclear attack. otherwise, I am sure all of the automatons that actually eat up his senseless drivel would be calling for the invasion of Iran and North Korea...

Back to work

2007-01-02T11:16:00.000-07:00

Stardate 6928.85

The toughest thing about holidays is when you ahve to go back to work. Don't get em wrong, I really do enjoy my job, but it never feels like holidays are long enough. I had a great time of course, what with loads of jamming, and games, and visiting and relaxing, but then you come back to work and everyone wants everything done NOW.

Soon I am going to write some thoughts on the coming year, and look back at certain events that I am still sorting out, such as the execution of a certain dictator and the process that led to it. Was it justice? Was it right? Tough call. I fear the worst, but like I say, I am still mulling over things.

I have a headache.