mattm

Can't wait for that debate (vice). And speaking of debates, here's something I think is kinda funny. The other day mccain kept talking about making government cuts to save the taxpayers money. Now, I know it's not bush anymore but same thing as far as I'm concerned and here's some good numbers of how the republicans have handled debt in the past couple years (since bush started): http://www.treasurydirect.gov/NP/NPGateway Lol, Debt October 1, 1993: $4,406,339,573,433.47 Debt January 20, 2001: $5,727,776,738,304.64 Increase of $1,321,437,164,871.17 in ~7.5 years. Debt October 1, 2008: $9,945,578,231,981.59 Increase of $4,217,801,493,676.95 in ~7.5 years. Granted I don't know exactly how their debt system works but I have an idea that the federal government is somehow involved in it. man war is expensive

Yes. One thing that to me is obvious but doesn't seem to be is that you can't just keep fighting fire with fire. Industries need to clean up but they just can't afford it and I really don't like what the liberals want to do with the carbon tax because it doesn't help, it punishes. I agree with what you said above. Punish, but do it down the road, right now offer up incentive (positive incentive) to change and then after a bit of non-compliance, punish. Not 30 years down the road either, just a couple because it's way too out of hand. Anyone else remember the commercial in the 80's where the air was so bad you couldn't really breath outside and then you see some people, I think bums, get some clean air out of a vending machine type apparatus (I don't remember the details but that picture of them getting cool refreshing clean air has stuck with me ever since).

That was funny but scary as well to know that the leader of the most powerful nation on earth will be decided by people like that.

I too shudder. Laws have to be able to change with society or the times.

As far as I'm concerned feasibility means nothing when people are dropping dead from air pollution. Our poor little ones who are the future will inherit a country (if not planet) that isn't quite so nice as it is (and was) because environmental issues aren't feasible. How long before smog advisaries become smog days that anyone with any sort of breathing problems have to stay inside (and hope they have some good air cleaning systems in their homes). I've always been of the opinion that life is more important than money but I know that in our reality it's not (even less so in the states where your life, should you become ill, is worth only what you can afford, which is hopefully enough) smog days How many smog advisories were issued in previous years? The ministry monitors air pollution levels and issues smog advisories when there is strong likelihood that widespread elevated and persistent smog levels are expected. Here is a summary of smog advisories issued for Ontario by the ministry since 1995: Smog advisories issued for Ontario by the ministry since 1995 summary="A summary of smog advisories issued for Ontario by the ministry since 1995." > Smog advisories issued for Ontario by the ministry since 1995 Year Number of Advisories Total Number of Days 1995 6 14 1996 3 5 1997 3 6 1998 3 8 1999 5 9 2000 3 4 2001 7 23 2002 10 27 2003 7 19 2004 8 20 2005 15 53 2006 6 17 2007 13 39 2008* 8 17 * As of September 29, 2008 Maintained by the Government of Ontario torstar article Aug 13, 2008 05:58 PM Comments on this story (1) Steve Rennie THE CANADIAN PRESS OTTAWA–The Canadian Medical Association is warning that the number of deaths related to air pollution is set to soar, with a cumulative death toll of 800,000 Canadians by 2031. The vast majority of those deaths will be among people aged 65 years and older because they are more vulnerable to heart problems, the group said in a study released today. Association president Brian Day says the number of people in that vulnerable zone will grow as the population ages. "We have a very high percentage of baby boomers who will hit 65 in the next three or four years and then keep hitting 65," he said. The association says 21,000 Canadians, mostly seniors, will die this year from a combination of short- and long-term exposure to air pollution. It predicts the annual death toll will rise 83 per cent to 39,000 deaths a year by 2031. The majority will die from heart and lung conditions caused by years of breathing dirty air, the study says. However, nearly 2,700 people will die from short-term exposure this year. The study predicts the number of deaths from short-term exposure will ramp up to 4,900 people a year by 2013. Pollution is also expected to cost the economy and health-care system $8 billion this year in medical costs and lost productivity, the study says. By 2031, these costs will have accumulated to total more than $250 billion. The Canadian Medical Association's estimates are conservative since the study assumed air pollution will not increase above current levels, Day said. The American Medical Association said it does not keep figures on deaths caused by air pollution. Day explained that Canada is one of the first nations to track such deaths. Asked how the doctors can be certain deaths from heart and lung disease are directly related to air pollution and not, say, smoking or a genetic condition, the association's technical adviser on health and environment said researchers have the tools to distinguish causes of death. Ted Boadway added the study "still significantly underestimates the number of deaths because we don't actually take any other areas where air pollution does cause cancer in other areas of the body." Prolonged exposure to air pollution damages the muscle cells in the arteries of the heart, causing them to harden, Boadway said. Meanwhile, short-term exposure to smog thickens blood, which is then more likely to clog arteries and produce heart attacks and strokes, he added. The CMA study comes less than two weeks after a major Health Canada report warned of a jump in health problems across the country as the planet's climate changes. The 500-page Health Canada report said air pollution, including higher levels of ground-level ozone and increased production of pollens and spores, will exacerbate asthma symptoms and allergies. It also said poor air quality will lead to more heart attacks, strokes and other cardiovascular diseases. University of Western Ontario professor Gordon McBean, one of the authors of the Health Canada report, said the CMA report is consistent with the existing science. "The numbers, to me, were not a surprise. They were consistent with others numbers I'd heard," he said. Federal NDP Leader Jack Layton said the CMA study highlights the need for a more stringent federal plan to lower greenhouse-gas emissions and air pollutants. "This is a call to urgent action on the reduction of air pollutants and we need a strategy across the country that reduces the emissions that are causing this critical – literally speaking – critical health problem," he said. The Harper government has pledged to lower greenhouse-gas emissions 20 per cent from 2006 levels by 2020. Part of the plan calls for a halving of industrial air pollutants by 2015. However, the Conservatives' regulatory framework for air emissions was met with widespread discontent from industry and environmentalists when it was announced in April 2007. A panel of environmental groups, industry lobbyists and federal and provincial officials has been quietly meeting this summer to re-tool the Tories' air-quality plan. They have a mid-September deadline to prepare a report as the government prepares to publish regulations on air quality and greenhouse-gas emissions. Speaking to reporters in Halifax, Environment Minister John Baird said the federal government would share the committee's report with the provinces in October. "We've worked well with health and environmental groups and the provinces. We've had a good dialogue over the last 18 months, and we're looking forward to more aggressive action," he said. Smog and poor air quality are also expected to strain Canada's medical system. The study predicts that 18,000 people will be admitted to hospital suffering from the effects of air pollution in 2031, up from 11,000 this year, while emergency room visits will climb to 152,000 from 92,000 over the same period. The study also says air pollution will send 940,000 people to doctors' offices in 2031, up from 620,000 visits this year. "That is a huge hit and huge burden upon our health-care system," said Quentin Chiotti of the environmental think-tank Pollution Probe, who also collaborated on the Health Canada report. "Is it taking doctors' attentions away from other issues that are otherwise being missed or ignored?"

I've been waiting 4 years for this (or so) and when it comes I don't have enough money, damn (and the tickets will no doubt be sold out by the time I do have enough money). I hope there's a summer tour with some outside venues and/or a festival.

http://phish.com/videosplash/

I wish it were a law. I don't understand how that many people can't just get together and push something into law. I'm sure that if 16 million people in canada sign a petition that asks for telemarketing to be banned, it would be (how could it not). ~16,000,000 million people want to stop telemarketing (going by 1 person per residential line, not including cell phones) 14,845,680 million people go out to vote (2006 federal election) More people care about stopping telemarketing than do about voting for the next prime minister, hehehehe

http://progressivecanadian.ca/english/navigation/policies/policies.html All that doesn't sound half bad if you ask me. Too bad that not really many people even know of the PCP's (I don't think many do anyway, it's the first time I've heard of them anyway).

2006 results: CON -> Seats: 124 -> Votes(%): 36.27% LIB -> Seats: 103 -> Votes(%): 30.23% BQ -> Seats: 51 -> Votes(%): 10.48% NDP -> Seats: 29 -> Votes(%): 17.48% IND -> Seats: 1 -> Votes(%): 0.52% OTH -> Seats: 0 -> Votes(%): 5.02% Most Canadian voters didn't want harper last election and a coalition of lib/ndp (which, if you asked what ndp people would prefer, lib or pc, you'd probably get lib in response) would probably have made more people happy. Lets say 40% of voters, we'll take the extra 7.48% off as NDP people that would rather pc although it's probably higher than 40%. I would also be willing to bet that if we had just two parties, libs and cons, the libs would win over the cons, even factoring in quebec who would probably vote con. Also, what the voters want isn't even reflected very well in our government since 17.48% of voters wanted NDP and only 10.48% bloc but bloc won even though much less people wanted them too which is something that irks me about our system. I've always wished that we had two votes, one for the country and one for the riding. PC dude might be good for my area but PC's in general not good for the country (or any other party, I use PC because of personal bias).

I agree. Does that mean if you fart in a police station they can charge you? Doesn't that also mean that anyone that farts in a police station can charge you if you wave your hand around? Not sure what it means but being charged for farting is not funny in the least, that means that everyone's a criminal. Also, to fart in someone's face that someone must have their face at ass level which means that either the officer did or the dude didn't actually fart in the officer's face and is being charged for nothing. Quite confusing...

I have a Dell and have had no problems with it whatsoever which is saying alot considering the use I put it to (including being on several weeks at a time since it's now the house computer and we rarely ever actually reboot). I like Dell because they allowed me to finance which, though it costs way, way more, also allowed me to get a $3500 laptop while still being a student (I could never have afforded that without the financing). Granted I would be willing to bet other companies will do the same, like futureshop or bestbuy where you can get their card and buy it on that and pay monthly. Here are a couple tips for finding the laptop you want: A: Make sure it will last if you plan on keeping it a while. What I mean is that if you want to keep it for a couple years, make sure that it will stand the test of time. Things like blu-ray drives might be slightly costly now but once they drive dvd's out, you're still good to go (same when they introduced dvd's and dvd players/burners were costly). Edit: A.1: I just noticed basher's idea of laptops being disposable but I don't really agree. Though it's harder to upgrade, if you get the right stuff from the start then you're good to go for a while. On the other hand, if you want to spend $1000 every year to get a new laptop (to keep up with the times), it will probably amount to the same money in the end ($3000 laptop lasts 3 years or $1000 each year for a new one, same $3000). All depends on what you want to use it for since a 3 year old laptop now will still be able to play music, surf the internet and right up documents in word just fine. B: Make sure that it has at least 1 gig of RAM but I wouldn't go under 2 gigs (I have 2 right now and would love to upgrade to 4gigs, especially running vista). C: Make sure that it will do the things you want it to. If it's going to be your main computer and you want to hook it up to the tv/stereo system then make sure that you get one with a decent video/sound card. That type of thing. D: Size does matter. 17" and larger screens are nice but also big, bulky and heavy compared to their smaller brothers and sisters and if you're going to be lugging it around all over the place, I'd say don't get a big 17" widescreen. There are a couple things I would recommend get done after getting the laptop (or during purchase): A: Make sure they send you a clean windows disk (without all their garbage)*. I know dell does, along with the garbage cd. B: Immediately wipe out windows when you get it and install the clean copy. The software that comes with almost all major brand computers now includes tonnes of extra stuff you don't need. You can download the drivers from the internet and install a clean version of windows which will run much better. * There are other ways to get a clean copy if they don't send you one (hrumph cough download cough)

But if I'm dying here and can be saved then I most likely will whereas in the states I will only if I have enough money, if I'm poor and can't afford it then I die because my life isn't worth saving and that's a shame (yeah, I could buy health insurance but from what I've seen and heard it probably wouldn't cover whatever I had and insurance companies are notorious for doing anything in their power to avoid paying out).

So if I go in early and leave early I won't be bumping into you anymore. man, a year's pay would be pretty sweet right now. I could get a new job and use the money to pay off my student loan amongst other things. Enjoy the time off, lunches downtown and the job hunt (whenever you decide to do it)

deeps, that's great

So do I and taking 2% off hasn't really saved me anything either (ok, maybe $640 over the entire year assuming that every penny I spend of my net income is GST'ed). I would have been fine with keeping it at 7%.

She did what!!!

I agree but do the american people? Even if I was going to vote McCain, I wouldn't because of palin, she's way too scary.

Why'd the NDP not back her? Are they afraid of the green party? Just curious...

Not the green party, it's an article which uses arguments based on Unlocking America (the money comparison is one such argument) Oh look, there's the reference to the JFA, also not the green party. They simply said harpers ideas were wrong based on findings such as those in this report. Also, please stop bringing murder into this. You did that above, you did it again. How many stores get robbed? How many get robbed and someone actually gets hurt (let alone killed)? All it takes is to read the newspapers to know that the majority of the time no on is even injured during a robery. Now you're talking and this is a huge issue for me.

Read the comments on the bottom of that article bouche posted (good one there too, I liked it)

I was talking to a guy at work here today about it and he says that the end of the world won't be right away. The machine might be on but it will take days to actually get the black hole and dark matter and new dimensions and all that fun stuff. I think it's cool. Also, even if it does create a black hole, it will be very, very small which means there's a good chance it will only take out a country or continent, it shouldn't actually kill us over here (that will be the demons that come from other dimensions). Just as an FYI, a black hole is not a "hole". It's matter so dense that it has an incredible gravity pull, so strong that even light particles get sucked to it but it does stop when it gets to it's own mass or something like that. In other words, a black hole created by this would only be a couple atoms big and therefore won't need all that much matter sucked to it to satisfy it before it stops. That's the theory anyway Also, don't post that I'm completely wrong on this since it is second hand knowledge that I'm retyping in my own words. I thought a black hole was an an actual hole to somewhere...

Hey rubber, I have to agree with ollie on some things here. I have many complaints against drivers. For example. In a week of taking the bus, it might get lowered once for steph to get on with the stroller. It's hard to lift the stroller onto the bus when the bus is a foot from the curb and above it and you're by yourself. And no, it's not one of the huge room taking double baby, 4x4 strollers, it's small and can even fold up and has a shoulder strap. Would it really be all that hard for them to lower the bus sometimes? No need to send out the ramp, just lower it down to level with the curb... Little Trey almost got crushed one night because the bus was slightly too far from the curb and high up. The wheels of the stroller got caught between the bus and the curb (with Trey squished against the curb, as in the front wheels of the stroller on the road and the stroller in kind of a diagonal position with trey's face basically in the sidewalk) and steph fell on top. Luckily the little guy wasn't hurt but man, had it just been level with the curb... Also, I was on the bus one morning, very early when the bus only runs every thirty minutes, very, very cold out (I forget which bus it was). Dude gets on and you can tell he's a bit out of it. He flashes his bus pass and keeps going. The bus driver doesn't budge and makes him come up and show the thing a little closer (no idea how he missed it the first time, I saw it). So the dude, feeling kinda miffed, does somewhat rudely say something like "here, satisfied now". Well, bus driving dude gets it in his head that the other dude is evil and refuses to move until he gets off. Of course, getting off means this dude, who has a bus pass and showed it twice, must wait another 30 minutes in the freezing cold (and it was cooooooooooooold) and be late for work. After about 10 minutes the guy finally gets off because he doesn't want to make the other passengers late for work. I was late for work. The dude had a fucking bus pass. I almost went postal on the driver (well, in my head anyway, and a non-violent, voice only postal). The other day I was on the way home and some dude rings the bell to get off. Bus driver doesn't stop (even though 3 people were yelling). The dude goes to the front and the bus driver proceeds to tell him off for not ringing the bell and wanting to get off. This happens 3 more times during the trip. 3 more fucking times, man. The 182 starts at lebreton in the morning. I can't even count the number of times I've been sitting there, looking at the damn thing while the dude sits for at least 5, usually more extra minutes before starting his route. By god, it's the first stop, it should never be late for the first stop, especially when you can see it burning gas less than half a block away (between the lebreton station and scott or albert or whatever street). Then there's the driver that stops behind about 5 busses (again, this applies to lebreton for me but it has applied to other stops in the past). You can't see the number on his bus because he's about 1 foot from the bus in front. Now, the light turns green and away goes the busses and what do you know, that bus happens to be yours. You start waving frantically for him to stop and notice through the window that he does see you, or looks at you, just doesn't stop, probably thinking something on the lines of "I was stopped there for the whole light, you should have walked down, I'm not stopping again"... I could go on and on and on. I could also go on and on and on about fucknut passengers and even about those people that stop the bus for long periods of time to ask the bus driver directions, holding everyone up, and not even getting on the damn bus. But I won't because I've had my fun already

I agree with you that a lot of crime is poverty-related but it doesn't deter from the fact that it's still crime... does it? My dad recently defended a dude who killed his wife with a hammer and buried her body in a marsh about four kilometres from where I'm typing this right now. He got the sentence reduced to manslaughter' date=' buddy was given 7 years, and after serving two is in a half-way house as we debate whether it's fair to tax payers to cover increased sentence periods. I'd prefer this guy still be in jail myself. He bludgeoned his wife to death with a hammer. Mind you, i'm all about rehabilitation and forgiveness, but two years? Puhleeze.[/quote'] Dude was a psychopath, I'm not talking about psychopaths, I'm talking about the people that break and enter or rob places to get money or that sell drugs for the same reason, or do drugs, etc, etc... Theft because you can't feed your kids or because you live in such abysmal conditions that you need drugs to make you feel better, now that's a different story. Murder is murder and it's terrible and murderer's should be punished. There's the policies (from the website) and I agree with lots of them. It's the 3500 cops ($175,000,000/year with $50,000 salaries) that I don't necessarily agree with. It's also the things like the billions spent to help protect us from terrorists that I'm sorry, I just can't get paranoid enough about to justify (in my mind). It's also what this article here talks about that pretty much sums up my dislike of harpers policies:

lol, that was good (to AD's little joke) I wear my headphones but I always pause the music when I'm getting on the bus or have to talk to someone (in my previous post I mentioned having my headphones on but I also had the music paused, I was just literally in a state of "dumb")