Velvet

Y'know how you gotta type in the two words on the ticketbastard site, and how you gotta get at least one right to continue? When I got to that screen I found one of the words unintelligable and was thus bound to type the other correctly. The other word? $4,874,592 It took me almost a minute to type it out (I have poor keyboard skills).

Here's what I thought we were talking about: The EU plan seems to aknowledge that the environment issue trumps financial gain and yes, even the status quo. In other words they admit that the immediate future might not be all rainbows and fairy tales, and some people might even have to look for work in other sectors. But they also have compassion for some countries that might be thrown into widespread poverty through compliance. I think for a rich country like Canada to stand up and insist on inclusion on that sort of plan would be crass and insulting on the world stage, to say the least. Yes some people in Canada would potentially be making less, and in some cases dramatically less than now under the EU plan, but this initiative isn't about saving bank accounts, it's about saving the planet. And remember, in the end breathable air and drinkable water will do wonders for the economy of the future. In a sentance, the EU plan as I understand it is to prevent populations from starving to death in the streets. Canada is not in that sort of danger just yet.

If they were giving away free tickets to Heaven people would not try as hard as phorbesie tried to get tickets to this. We were rewarded by her efforts* and will have fingers crossed for three good shows in Hampton. A bonus upside is now I don't have to be too bitter if Phish doesn't join Trey onstage at Higher Ground tomorrow night. *And her good sense to ignore Basher's advice re: "You have to call one of the three numbers listed on the Phish tourdates page."

Truly funny.

I truly apologise for making you feel like I was being mean - 'twas not my intention. Will respond more after obtaining Phish tickets.

Good morning Jay.

I thought that's what you were referring to, though I was trying hard not to believe it. It seems to me the idea is they are cooking up a plan so that the poorer countries aren't flung into widespread poverty whilst complying with the greener initiatives. I'm assuming you're looking for a plan whereby Alberta residents can still get their $400 oil cheques?

Congratulations! Good luck on what seems to be a noble endeavor.

I wish the picture wasn't angled such that the burger looks like it's the size of the man. I'd like to see how big it really was. Now I'm hungry. Burgers tonight fer shir.

It turns out that the disco classic Stayin' Alive may be aptly named. A new study has found that listening to, or even thinking about, the Bee Gees song helped people doing CPR to time chest compressions accurately. Researchers at the University of Illinois say the song, from the 1977 hit movie Saturday Night Fever, is set to a tempo of 103 beats per minute. American Heart Association guidelines suggest people trying to save lives by doing cardiopulmonary resuscitation, or CPR, should aim for 100 chest compressions per minute. Study participants were able to maintain a rate of 109 beats per minute when they performed CPR on a mannequin while listening to the song. Five weeks later, when they were asked to repeat the task without the music playing, they achieved 113 beats per minute, a rate that is considered acceptably accurate. http://www.cbc.ca/health/story/2008/10/16/cpr-song.html

Wish my country was part of this crowd: EU upholds climate plan despite financial turmoil Last Updated: Thursday, October 16, 2008 | 8:34 PM ET CBC News Europe's financial market crisis will not interfere with an expensive plan to reduce greenhouse gas emissions across the continent, leaders of the EU pledged Thursday. French President Nicolas Sarkozy, who currently holds the rotating presidency of the 27-country European Union, said that despite some misgivings about the cost, "climate change is so important that we cannot use the financial and economic crisis as a pretext for dropping it." Following a two-day summit in Brussels, members of the EU agreed on a climate change package that includes measures to make heavy polluters accountable to a cap-and-trade emissions program. Designed with major emitters such as energy generators, steel makers and cement producers in mind, the program could garner $70 billion US annually in polluter fees. "We are not going to let up on the battle against climate change," European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso said at the summit's close, the BBC reported. Eight central and eastern European countries on Wednesday called on the EU to pull back from the goal of reducing greenhouse-gas emissions by 20 per cent below 1990 levels by 2020 because Europe faces "serious economic and financial uncertainties." The countries — Poland, Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria, Slovakia, Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia — made the plea at the opening of the meeting of the European Council, the top EU decision-making body. "We want a package that will be tolerable for the poorer member states," said Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk. They were later joined by Italy, which argued that the cost of polluter fees, compounded by fallout from the financial crisis, would be overly punishing for industries. Sarkozy said he will try to lay out a plan that avoids penalizing the bloc's former Communist countries that depend largely on carbon-heavy coal for their power. "On the climate package, we have obtained unanimity.… It is now for President Barroso and myself to find solutions for those countries which have expressed concerns," Sarkozy said, the BBC reported. EU hopes to lead international change The European climate-change package will be enacted in 2009, and EU leaders hope it will draw the United States and other countries into an international program for dealing with global warming. Barroso had earlier said that the credit crisis did not justify abandoning the climate-change plan. "Climate change does not disappear because of the financial crisis," he said. Following closely behind those in the U.S., European financial markets have been wracked by weeks of instability, prompting the EU to put together a $2.3 trillion emergency bailout for the banking sector. Agreed to by some leaders over the weekend, the bailout was endorsed by all EU members at the summit this week. Sarkozy and Barroso are to meet with U.S. President George W. Bush on Saturday at Camp David, Md., to lay the groundwork for a global summit on overhauling the financial system. The Group of Eight major industrial countries and the EU have both endorsed the idea of reforming the world's financial system to prevent another credit crisis. The G8 said the meeting should include developed and developing countries, which would include large, strong and growing economies like China, India and Brazil. British Prime Minister Gordon Brown said Wednesday the meeting could produce "very large and very radical changes." http://www.cbc.ca/world/story/2008/10/16/eu-climate.html

Hijackers!

If someone swoops in and buys all the posters and then stands in front of the sold-out poster booth selling the posters at inflated prices...well, I'd think that person was a goonball. Not attacking Kev at all, just trying to equate the situation to professional scalpers.

A tad chilly, it seems.

Very, very awesome. Are those stairs to nowhere?

I bet Abbey wants him.

Here's mine: http://www.soundproofmagazine.com/Canada/Features/Heads_Or_Tails_With_the_Secret_Machines.html

[color:purple]I love purple font.

Wow, that sounds like a lot of work. Fuckit, let's stick with Harper.

Me for PM.

I have no idea why I find this so funny, but I just keep on giggling.

What time tomorrow?

I suspect Harper may realise that advertising money=votes while stating policy loses votes. ergo, next election he'll start the attack ads even sooner and announce his platform even later, with a continued muzzling of his party members potentially including himself, and if he can get away with it he won't take part in the debates. Or perhaps I'm bitter. Y'know, ironically I've thought all along that the best candidate for me personally is Harper because the only real thing he's offered Canadians (things like youth crime plans and arts cuts are taking things away in my opinion) is a tax break on music lessons, my bread and butter. But I'm disappointed because frankly I do well enough and I don't want to pick my leader solely on how it helps me personally, but how it helps the whole country. Bottom line is I want someone in power that adds to my Canadian pride. When I travel internationally I always feel great when someone mentions how they wish their country was more like Canada. That happens less and less, what with Afghanistan and Maher Arar and stuff like that. sigh Time to get on with enjoying life. I'm going for a bike ride to see the leaves.

It's smallish. Certainly a nice sized room for a Phish set.