Link for MacLeans annual poll on how others view Canada here.
Everybody loves us and we don't even know it...
I had no idea that Maclean’s did an annual poll surveying other cultures to find out how they rank Canada as a nation. I think that is a very good idea and it helps give one sense of identity and accomplishment on Canada’s footprint in the world. I’m impressed by the positive feedback Canada got as being one of the best countries to live in the world. On the other hand, it was a bit disturbing to learn how Canadians view the country themselves in some areas. The Americans seemed to be more knowledgeable about us than I thought to be as a rule. They were the only ones to pass with a whopping score of 91% on global knowledge of Canadian affairs. The United Kingdom scored the lowest at just 17%. Perhaps Americans are realizing that we are neighbours and they should know more about us since we do contribute to global issues. I know that when I was in school in my younger days I learned more about American history that I did about Canadian.
Canada is beautiful and diverse!!
Most people surveyed from other countries ranked Canada as high on the nature lover’s list, as Canada has a lot to offer in that regard. What a beautiful country we live in, we are so lucky. Another factor high on the list was that Canada was viewed as offering great quality of life. New residents frequently said that they came to Canada because of the attractive economics. They believe that there are good jobs here along with a good living and future. One lady from Mexico said that there was a very noticeable difference between the poor and the rich in her country, but here the social life was different. The example of the CEO swimming in the same pool as the bus driver was used. She said you would never see that in her country. We really are a diverse culture here in Canada.
Canada is leader in working toward human rights and peace in the world
Most Americans and other nations felt that Canada was a strong leader in this regard. People surveyed said they felt comfortable about being able to practice their religions freely in Canada. Canadians felt the same, but didn't feel the judicial system was the best in the world. Canadians also seemed to be very proud of the strong social services Canada offered.
Keep Canada what it is Canada...
Many of the people surveyed including Canadians thought that Canada seems to do whatever the United States wants them to do. I think that no matter how close our countries seem to be, Canada will always be distinct from the United States. Our multiculturalism practices alone would put that thought to rest. There are many differences and we should be happy and proud to be a resident of Canada. We are truly blessed here in so many ways. I agree with the lady from Mexico who said that Canadians take for granted what we have here that a lot of other countries don't offer.
Sunday, November 25, 2007
Sunday, November 18, 2007
Dion accuses Tories of having hidden agenda on death penalty
Is Canada headed toward implementing the death penalty?
I’m not sure I agree with the above statement or necessarily agree with Doin’s accusations that the Tories have a hidden agenda on the death penalty. Yes, in Canada there is no death penalty and there is a lot of crime and hateful crimes happening here. I am not claiming to be a fan of capital punishment especially since in the past few years there have been more than a few cases that proved authorities had the wrong person for crimes committed long ago. These people lost a majority of their lives in jail serving time for something they did not do. If you are deemed guilty in this country, you could spend up to a life sentence in a jail. This is a cost paid for by the taxpayer and it doesn’t come cheap. I just heard that the government spends more money on sustaining the jail system than they do for native programs. The numbers seem higher for the native programs but almost half of the money goes to administrative costs and fees, lawyers etc. Ronald Smith is a Canadian charged with 2 counts of murder because he killed 2 Montana men. He was hitch hiking and the men picked him up. He ended up kidnapping them and wanted their car so he took them both behind bushes and shot them execution style.
Respecting the law of the land….
Countries have laws that even if you don’t agree with must be respected. If you don’t respect another country for their laws, you should pay the price. If visiting another country that has capital punishment, you as a visitor should not be doing anything that can put you in death row position. This doesn’t mean we are headed towards reinstating the death penalty here in Canada. It really tells me that the government feels that Smith is guilty of his crime. It is also true that we are multicultural and we respect other traditions and laws. We practice our own here and others practice their own elsewhere.
Where do you draw the line?
Not reaching out for a fellow Canadian confined to another country in a prison is unfortunate but we would be defending someone who committed an indefensible crime. He would end up coming back to Canada and spending the rest of his life in prison for his crime, a crime he committed while in a foreign land that allows capital punishment. I think that if the government reaches out and helps Smith then that would set precedence for the future. Given the details of this case it is best to let the American authorities deal with this Canadian man.
Spin Doctors doing their thing...
I also think this is just a spin put together by Dion's people. There is an election looming so this is just the beginning of putdowns and shakeups from the opposition parties.
Read this story and decide yourself.
I’m not sure I agree with the above statement or necessarily agree with Doin’s accusations that the Tories have a hidden agenda on the death penalty. Yes, in Canada there is no death penalty and there is a lot of crime and hateful crimes happening here. I am not claiming to be a fan of capital punishment especially since in the past few years there have been more than a few cases that proved authorities had the wrong person for crimes committed long ago. These people lost a majority of their lives in jail serving time for something they did not do. If you are deemed guilty in this country, you could spend up to a life sentence in a jail. This is a cost paid for by the taxpayer and it doesn’t come cheap. I just heard that the government spends more money on sustaining the jail system than they do for native programs. The numbers seem higher for the native programs but almost half of the money goes to administrative costs and fees, lawyers etc. Ronald Smith is a Canadian charged with 2 counts of murder because he killed 2 Montana men. He was hitch hiking and the men picked him up. He ended up kidnapping them and wanted their car so he took them both behind bushes and shot them execution style.
Respecting the law of the land….
Countries have laws that even if you don’t agree with must be respected. If you don’t respect another country for their laws, you should pay the price. If visiting another country that has capital punishment, you as a visitor should not be doing anything that can put you in death row position. This doesn’t mean we are headed towards reinstating the death penalty here in Canada. It really tells me that the government feels that Smith is guilty of his crime. It is also true that we are multicultural and we respect other traditions and laws. We practice our own here and others practice their own elsewhere.
Where do you draw the line?
Not reaching out for a fellow Canadian confined to another country in a prison is unfortunate but we would be defending someone who committed an indefensible crime. He would end up coming back to Canada and spending the rest of his life in prison for his crime, a crime he committed while in a foreign land that allows capital punishment. I think that if the government reaches out and helps Smith then that would set precedence for the future. Given the details of this case it is best to let the American authorities deal with this Canadian man.
Spin Doctors doing their thing...
I also think this is just a spin put together by Dion's people. There is an election looming so this is just the beginning of putdowns and shakeups from the opposition parties.
Read this story and decide yourself.
Sunday, November 11, 2007
Nicolle Brown - Intern for Flare.com
See Nicolle's video in the Internship Contest for Flare.com here.
Intern contestant adds her own flare to Flare.com...
Nicolle has done a fabulous job of capturing every aspect needed for the position of intern at Flare.com. I would definitely say she is one of the top picks for this job. She is graduating from Media Studies so she has learned a lot of Internet related material. Her video is a prime example of her acquired skills. I think her video was put together very well. She is an attractive communicator and Nicolle sells herself in a very effective way. Her video kept my attention and I think it was very well rounded.
Nicolle presented herself very well and would probably give the people who are hiring her a run for their money. She shows maturity and initiative by volunteering at a community radio station. I think it is very impressive that she programs a weekly radio show and is an on air personality. They must like her work there as she is an elected member of the Programming Committee. There is always an issue of having education without experience and having experience and not having the education. What a double-edged sword this is. I think that if Nicolle put that much effort into her video for an intern position, imagine what she’d do if she got the position and wanted to be kept on as permanent staff? I would think she’d do a fantastic job for the company.
I really liked this video and think Nicolle should be a contender for the intern position. She knows what is needed to be successful for this job and she is clearly artistic and covered many aspects of life and work pertaining to Flare.com.
Flare.com should hire this girl and help make her dreams come true!
Intern contestant adds her own flare to Flare.com...
Nicolle has done a fabulous job of capturing every aspect needed for the position of intern at Flare.com. I would definitely say she is one of the top picks for this job. She is graduating from Media Studies so she has learned a lot of Internet related material. Her video is a prime example of her acquired skills. I think her video was put together very well. She is an attractive communicator and Nicolle sells herself in a very effective way. Her video kept my attention and I think it was very well rounded.
Nicolle presented herself very well and would probably give the people who are hiring her a run for their money. She shows maturity and initiative by volunteering at a community radio station. I think it is very impressive that she programs a weekly radio show and is an on air personality. They must like her work there as she is an elected member of the Programming Committee. There is always an issue of having education without experience and having experience and not having the education. What a double-edged sword this is. I think that if Nicolle put that much effort into her video for an intern position, imagine what she’d do if she got the position and wanted to be kept on as permanent staff? I would think she’d do a fantastic job for the company.
I really liked this video and think Nicolle should be a contender for the intern position. She knows what is needed to be successful for this job and she is clearly artistic and covered many aspects of life and work pertaining to Flare.com.
Flare.com should hire this girl and help make her dreams come true!
Sunday, November 4, 2007
NBC executive slams Apple for "killing music industry"
Look for the article called:NBC executive slams Apple for "killing music industry"
To read this story yourself, follow this link.
Everybody wants a piece of the monetary apple pie!
First of all, I don't think the music industry is near being killed. Call me naive but the last time I checked $15M was a substaintial amount of money for a company, especially when another company has done all the creating and inititation for you. This is a small part of NBC's revenue generating inititatives. Apple has provided the means and the vehicle is in place so people are going for a different way of gathering music. I think that we are paying too much for most everything in life. Sick of being gouged in present day society everywhere you turn, consumers are looking for a break where they can get it. I don't know how many times, I've bought a cd and have liked only 1 or 2 songs on the whole thing. There are cd burners, ipods and computers so why wouldn't people make their own musical ensamble? Zucker is a big baby for whining about only getting $15M in revenue from Apple for itunes.
You stratch my back and I'll sratch yours...mmm what?!
As if NBC representative Jeff Zucker didn't sound ridiculous enough whining about the poor sales..(a measly $15M), he in no uncertain terms went over the line by complaining that Apple had not given NBC a cut of their iPod hardware sales. What the heck is going through that man's head? How did he ever get to the position of where he is? How could he even imagine that NBC deserves a cut of Apples hardware? That statement is dripping with pure greed and is totally irrational.
People seem to like it...
Although I don't have an iPod myself yet, everywhere I look I see people with them. They are much more practical for anyone who likes to exercise to music. New technology has improved and while running on the treadmil you don't have to worry about where to put your cd player. The iPod is compact and easy to handle. iTunes are affordable and I like the concept. Apple has a piece of gold in their possession. Their executives must be sitting back laughing at NBC and Zucker at this very moment. I do believe it is the consumer who ultimately continues to decide which products serve them the best.
To read this story yourself, follow this link.
Everybody wants a piece of the monetary apple pie!
First of all, I don't think the music industry is near being killed. Call me naive but the last time I checked $15M was a substaintial amount of money for a company, especially when another company has done all the creating and inititation for you. This is a small part of NBC's revenue generating inititatives. Apple has provided the means and the vehicle is in place so people are going for a different way of gathering music. I think that we are paying too much for most everything in life. Sick of being gouged in present day society everywhere you turn, consumers are looking for a break where they can get it. I don't know how many times, I've bought a cd and have liked only 1 or 2 songs on the whole thing. There are cd burners, ipods and computers so why wouldn't people make their own musical ensamble? Zucker is a big baby for whining about only getting $15M in revenue from Apple for itunes.
You stratch my back and I'll sratch yours...mmm what?!
As if NBC representative Jeff Zucker didn't sound ridiculous enough whining about the poor sales..(a measly $15M), he in no uncertain terms went over the line by complaining that Apple had not given NBC a cut of their iPod hardware sales. What the heck is going through that man's head? How did he ever get to the position of where he is? How could he even imagine that NBC deserves a cut of Apples hardware? That statement is dripping with pure greed and is totally irrational.
People seem to like it...
Although I don't have an iPod myself yet, everywhere I look I see people with them. They are much more practical for anyone who likes to exercise to music. New technology has improved and while running on the treadmil you don't have to worry about where to put your cd player. The iPod is compact and easy to handle. iTunes are affordable and I like the concept. Apple has a piece of gold in their possession. Their executives must be sitting back laughing at NBC and Zucker at this very moment. I do believe it is the consumer who ultimately continues to decide which products serve them the best.
Sunday, October 28, 2007
What to do with the ex-PMs and all that pent up bile?
This article can be found here.
Oh dear poor things...how dare they be treated as a common person! I really don’t have a lot of sympathy for them. I think they are lucky people who have seen the world and done many things that so many of us never will. Their handsome pensions should help keep them living life to the fullest and take care of them financially for the rest of their days here on earth. Yes, I’m sure it can be a stressful job to be in control, but if they choose to go there they will get what they deserve in the end, be it good or bad. Many leaders have gone on to do many wonderful things and maintain the respect of the masses.
Why is it some former leaders can't just use their experience in a positive way instead of living with guilty consciences and then attacking their predecessors the way they seem to do? How awful that Mulroney had to stoop so low as to say what he did about Trudeau. From what I've learned about Trudeau it seems he did pretty good for his country and himself. Mulroney said because Trudeau didn’t serve in WWII, he didn’t deserve to have a position of moral leadership. It is obvious that the Canadian people disagreed because Trudeau spent 16 years as prime minister and decided to step down on his own accord.
Most of these leaders don’t deserve to be grumpy about anything but their own actions during their role in leadership. Give me a break with this one. Be mad at yourself and clean up your own backyard before you attack someone who isn’t even living anymore and can’t defend themselves.
I really like what I read about the former prime ministers from Portugal and Italy moving on with their careers…to them I give kudos! I think that is a perfect example of what should happen. The experience that these guys gain should not be wasted. Keep them involved in some way if you can. On one condition though, that they use their knowledge in a positive way. With attitudes like of Mulroney this could prove to be damaging. Here is a man who definitely lost the respect and trust of many Canadians with his supposed bribe taking skills.
Former leaders have made a footprint in history in one way or another (good or bad) and they will not be ever totally forgotten. The choice really ends up in their hands on how they want to be remembered. It's easy to wipe out all the positive with a stupid move or stupid thing to say.
A fine tribute to Trudeau can be found here.
Oh dear poor things...how dare they be treated as a common person! I really don’t have a lot of sympathy for them. I think they are lucky people who have seen the world and done many things that so many of us never will. Their handsome pensions should help keep them living life to the fullest and take care of them financially for the rest of their days here on earth. Yes, I’m sure it can be a stressful job to be in control, but if they choose to go there they will get what they deserve in the end, be it good or bad. Many leaders have gone on to do many wonderful things and maintain the respect of the masses.
Why is it some former leaders can't just use their experience in a positive way instead of living with guilty consciences and then attacking their predecessors the way they seem to do? How awful that Mulroney had to stoop so low as to say what he did about Trudeau. From what I've learned about Trudeau it seems he did pretty good for his country and himself. Mulroney said because Trudeau didn’t serve in WWII, he didn’t deserve to have a position of moral leadership. It is obvious that the Canadian people disagreed because Trudeau spent 16 years as prime minister and decided to step down on his own accord.
Most of these leaders don’t deserve to be grumpy about anything but their own actions during their role in leadership. Give me a break with this one. Be mad at yourself and clean up your own backyard before you attack someone who isn’t even living anymore and can’t defend themselves.
I really like what I read about the former prime ministers from Portugal and Italy moving on with their careers…to them I give kudos! I think that is a perfect example of what should happen. The experience that these guys gain should not be wasted. Keep them involved in some way if you can. On one condition though, that they use their knowledge in a positive way. With attitudes like of Mulroney this could prove to be damaging. Here is a man who definitely lost the respect and trust of many Canadians with his supposed bribe taking skills.
Former leaders have made a footprint in history in one way or another (good or bad) and they will not be ever totally forgotten. The choice really ends up in their hands on how they want to be remembered. It's easy to wipe out all the positive with a stupid move or stupid thing to say.
A fine tribute to Trudeau can be found here.
Sunday, October 21, 2007
Sex and marriage with robots? It could happen
View this article here.
I now pronounce you human and robot!?
Things never cease of amaze me! Wow, this article and theory is definitely thinking outside the box. That is the least I can say on this subject. Just try and wrap your head around the fact that humans could find true love and marriage with a robot programmed specifically to their likes. I suppose this is possible considering psychologists have identified approximately 12 basic reasons why people fall in love. Making a robot more human-like is happening and they can be programmed with similarities of preferred personality and knowledge.
It's all about the sex!
I wonder how the lady in the Withering Marriage debate (Barbara) would feel about this subject? Would she be calling single childless women selfish now? Talk about losing procreation? I don’t know for sure but I doubt they will be able to make robots fertile. I also think they can make a robot look and act like a human but they have no emotions and are definitely artificial. If not bad enough hearing someone say, my husband left me for another woman but then having to say my husband left me for a robot. As if there wasn’t enough competition in the world already. The worst part is that the robot would never feel remorse for stealing your husband away from you. With a human, there is a slight chance of someone having remorse for hurting another. Of course not all people will go out and marry a robot but there will be some who do.
Morse codes unveiled by a talented British mathematician:
Allan Toring was famous during WWII because he decoded Japanese and German algorithm and saved the free world. He became interested in mass communications and wanted public opinion. He then developed a theory and asked himself how a machine was intelligent? He said that knowledge of the self is written by experience in life. Developed an imitation game and it involved an interrogator, a woman and a man. They communicated to each other and did not see one another at all during this time. After awhile they replace one with a computer. If no one could tell when this happened then the machine would be deemed intelligent. Machines can only think and interact but cannot dance or win a beauty contest. Humans cannot match up with the cognitive ability of a computer. We program computers and the fact is people make mistakes but machines don't make mistakes. Artificial intelligence can backfire on us. Therefore you can simulate imperfect knowledge so the computer doesn't answer right.
See some mind provoking comics called: Toring Test Comics
I saw it on Nip/Tuck...
I remember watching an episode of Nip/Tuck where a character named Kimber who was a porn star developed a Kimber doll who was a remarkable likeness of her and one of the doctors had sex with the doll. He was totally having conversation with the doll and was imagining her as Kimber the human. When I watched this episode I thought how whacked is that. This is a similar concept so holywood is doing it. It is only a matter of time until it is happening everywhere else.
It seems to be a well thought of subject with articles being written and research being done. All this being said, I still think it is wacky but understand the reality of it all. Humans are willing to try anything apparently. I suspect this one to have many repercussions attached to it.
I now pronounce you human and robot!?
Things never cease of amaze me! Wow, this article and theory is definitely thinking outside the box. That is the least I can say on this subject. Just try and wrap your head around the fact that humans could find true love and marriage with a robot programmed specifically to their likes. I suppose this is possible considering psychologists have identified approximately 12 basic reasons why people fall in love. Making a robot more human-like is happening and they can be programmed with similarities of preferred personality and knowledge.
It's all about the sex!
I wonder how the lady in the Withering Marriage debate (Barbara) would feel about this subject? Would she be calling single childless women selfish now? Talk about losing procreation? I don’t know for sure but I doubt they will be able to make robots fertile. I also think they can make a robot look and act like a human but they have no emotions and are definitely artificial. If not bad enough hearing someone say, my husband left me for another woman but then having to say my husband left me for a robot. As if there wasn’t enough competition in the world already. The worst part is that the robot would never feel remorse for stealing your husband away from you. With a human, there is a slight chance of someone having remorse for hurting another. Of course not all people will go out and marry a robot but there will be some who do.
Morse codes unveiled by a talented British mathematician:
Allan Toring was famous during WWII because he decoded Japanese and German algorithm and saved the free world. He became interested in mass communications and wanted public opinion. He then developed a theory and asked himself how a machine was intelligent? He said that knowledge of the self is written by experience in life. Developed an imitation game and it involved an interrogator, a woman and a man. They communicated to each other and did not see one another at all during this time. After awhile they replace one with a computer. If no one could tell when this happened then the machine would be deemed intelligent. Machines can only think and interact but cannot dance or win a beauty contest. Humans cannot match up with the cognitive ability of a computer. We program computers and the fact is people make mistakes but machines don't make mistakes. Artificial intelligence can backfire on us. Therefore you can simulate imperfect knowledge so the computer doesn't answer right.
See some mind provoking comics called: Toring Test Comics
I saw it on Nip/Tuck...
I remember watching an episode of Nip/Tuck where a character named Kimber who was a porn star developed a Kimber doll who was a remarkable likeness of her and one of the doctors had sex with the doll. He was totally having conversation with the doll and was imagining her as Kimber the human. When I watched this episode I thought how whacked is that. This is a similar concept so holywood is doing it. It is only a matter of time until it is happening everywhere else.
It seems to be a well thought of subject with articles being written and research being done. All this being said, I still think it is wacky but understand the reality of it all. Humans are willing to try anything apparently. I suspect this one to have many repercussions attached to it.
Sunday, October 14, 2007
McGuinty's Liberals roll to majority
Read this link yourself "McGuinty’s Liberals roll to majority" here.
Liberals stayed solid in their campaign focus
McGuinty had a simple campaign focusing on health care and education. Whether you work or have experienced being a patient within the healthcare system, you know how important funding is. The healthcare system has been on a steady decline for a long time, which became quite evident in the early 1990’s with a big crunch that is being felt even more now with an aging work force. He said he was going to enhance healthcare the last time he ran and he turned around and introduced a health tax. Education has also been a hurting sector and the same kind of financial issues apply here. The people of Ontario really want to believe there will be positive changes in these two very stressed and important sectors. I remember reading that McGuinty's wife is a teacher, so that should be a bonus for the educational system. After all, she is the love of his life!
I see many different needs in our province and I hope the liberal party will do right by the Ontario people as Mr. McGuinty stressed that this win was about the Ontario people.
What does a majority government mean for Ontario?
I think the people of Ontario are basically sick of government propaganda and broken promises. Tory may have had a chance at stopping the majority government, but as said before, the faith-based funding issue really freaked people out. If we can't sustain what we have already, then how would we fund other faith-based schools? I live in rural Ontario and have seen a steady decline in public school enrolment here. The catholic based school system has captured a majority of enrolment with the building of a brand new state of the art highschool in 2000. I agree with the fact that John Tory basically handed the election over to Dalton McGuinty when he said he was going to publicly fund other faith-based schools. That was a hot topic too hot to touch.
McGuinty was then able to use the segregation issue of our children to his advantage and win the majority vote. He sent powerful messages like “our children always play and sing together”, as well as asking the public if they wanted to segregate our children? This would be the case if the PC’s got in power. I really think this was the nail in the coffin for the Tory’s. The fact that John Tory retracted his original statement and proposed a vote in Queen's Park meant nothing to most people as the damage had already been done. With the liberals getting a majority government there will be little opposition for them and their agenda.
It's about the Ontario people...
It's up to McGuinty and his government to do the best for Ontario. Only over the next four years will we know for sure what this government will in fact do. Maybe next time we will also have a better attendance at the polls. What a shame that only 52% of people got out to cast their vote.
Liberals stayed solid in their campaign focus
McGuinty had a simple campaign focusing on health care and education. Whether you work or have experienced being a patient within the healthcare system, you know how important funding is. The healthcare system has been on a steady decline for a long time, which became quite evident in the early 1990’s with a big crunch that is being felt even more now with an aging work force. He said he was going to enhance healthcare the last time he ran and he turned around and introduced a health tax. Education has also been a hurting sector and the same kind of financial issues apply here. The people of Ontario really want to believe there will be positive changes in these two very stressed and important sectors. I remember reading that McGuinty's wife is a teacher, so that should be a bonus for the educational system. After all, she is the love of his life!
I see many different needs in our province and I hope the liberal party will do right by the Ontario people as Mr. McGuinty stressed that this win was about the Ontario people.
What does a majority government mean for Ontario?
I think the people of Ontario are basically sick of government propaganda and broken promises. Tory may have had a chance at stopping the majority government, but as said before, the faith-based funding issue really freaked people out. If we can't sustain what we have already, then how would we fund other faith-based schools? I live in rural Ontario and have seen a steady decline in public school enrolment here. The catholic based school system has captured a majority of enrolment with the building of a brand new state of the art highschool in 2000. I agree with the fact that John Tory basically handed the election over to Dalton McGuinty when he said he was going to publicly fund other faith-based schools. That was a hot topic too hot to touch.
McGuinty was then able to use the segregation issue of our children to his advantage and win the majority vote. He sent powerful messages like “our children always play and sing together”, as well as asking the public if they wanted to segregate our children? This would be the case if the PC’s got in power. I really think this was the nail in the coffin for the Tory’s. The fact that John Tory retracted his original statement and proposed a vote in Queen's Park meant nothing to most people as the damage had already been done. With the liberals getting a majority government there will be little opposition for them and their agenda.
It's about the Ontario people...
It's up to McGuinty and his government to do the best for Ontario. Only over the next four years will we know for sure what this government will in fact do. Maybe next time we will also have a better attendance at the polls. What a shame that only 52% of people got out to cast their vote.
Sunday, October 7, 2007
Whither Marriage
Link for this video intereview and discussion can be viewed here.
I am not sure statistically how true this whole thing is anyways. So many people are opting out of getting that piece of paper (marriage certificate), and are living together, having a family and contributing to society just as a married couple would do. This has become an acceptable lifestyle to our society. Then you can look on the flip side. There are many couples that suffer from not being able to get pregnant. They spend thousands of dollars on fertility treatments even with the likelihood of lower percentage rates of success. That says a lot to me, especially for a society so focused on the almighty dollar. If people are going that extra mile for a baby then that has to be acknowledged. It’s a sad thing and quite a disappointment for many couples. There are also many unwanted children out there who are being adopted by couples and by single women and men. There is no definite answer to these phenomena.
Observation and thinking twice
Chastising women for not getting married and procreating is an unfair judgement. It's offending really. Great that Barbara met a supportive man and things turned out nicely for her, but the reality of it all is that it doesn’t turn out so rosy for many women out there. Saying that women are selfish for not marrying and procreating is wrong. Have you ever heard the saying, “don’t judge another person until you walked in their shoes”? In other words, you can’t say here is a pair of shoes, same size and colour for all. That is definitely not going to work for everyone because we are so individual and unique. Let's not forget that fact that it takes two to tango and I never heard any mention of the men who make choices to remain single and live life to the fullest. To me, it is sounding more and more like a double standard.
Women realize they don’t have to settle anymore just for marriage sake. Many before us have settled and made misery for not only themselves but also their partners and their children. Finding the right person is not an easy thing in this world. True courting has gone away and has been replaced with more of a fantasy cyber world. People meet on chat lines, communicate through email, SMS and phone conversations have become rare. We may have desensitized ourselves of the real contact and communicating. Making a solid connection with another is not easy in this generation. Do many of us really know what this really feels like anyways?
In this particular interview Barbara seems to be branding single women with a focus on selfishness and dishonour for being single for whatever reason there may be. If single women are such a disappointment to society, should they apologize for not getting married and having children before now? Unfortunately, many have never found a situation that led them on this path. I'm sure many of these women wish they would have met a suitable mate and gone on to have a family. Instead many continue to think positive and look for that right person and opportunity while they give back to their community by volunteering their time, working and paying their bills. My impression here is that single women are not as worthy as the women who has married and become a mother. There are too many situations and scenarios out there to even begin to think this way.
I am not sure statistically how true this whole thing is anyways. So many people are opting out of getting that piece of paper (marriage certificate), and are living together, having a family and contributing to society just as a married couple would do. This has become an acceptable lifestyle to our society. Then you can look on the flip side. There are many couples that suffer from not being able to get pregnant. They spend thousands of dollars on fertility treatments even with the likelihood of lower percentage rates of success. That says a lot to me, especially for a society so focused on the almighty dollar. If people are going that extra mile for a baby then that has to be acknowledged. It’s a sad thing and quite a disappointment for many couples. There are also many unwanted children out there who are being adopted by couples and by single women and men. There is no definite answer to these phenomena.
Observation and thinking twice
Chastising women for not getting married and procreating is an unfair judgement. It's offending really. Great that Barbara met a supportive man and things turned out nicely for her, but the reality of it all is that it doesn’t turn out so rosy for many women out there. Saying that women are selfish for not marrying and procreating is wrong. Have you ever heard the saying, “don’t judge another person until you walked in their shoes”? In other words, you can’t say here is a pair of shoes, same size and colour for all. That is definitely not going to work for everyone because we are so individual and unique. Let's not forget that fact that it takes two to tango and I never heard any mention of the men who make choices to remain single and live life to the fullest. To me, it is sounding more and more like a double standard.
Women realize they don’t have to settle anymore just for marriage sake. Many before us have settled and made misery for not only themselves but also their partners and their children. Finding the right person is not an easy thing in this world. True courting has gone away and has been replaced with more of a fantasy cyber world. People meet on chat lines, communicate through email, SMS and phone conversations have become rare. We may have desensitized ourselves of the real contact and communicating. Making a solid connection with another is not easy in this generation. Do many of us really know what this really feels like anyways?
In this particular interview Barbara seems to be branding single women with a focus on selfishness and dishonour for being single for whatever reason there may be. If single women are such a disappointment to society, should they apologize for not getting married and having children before now? Unfortunately, many have never found a situation that led them on this path. I'm sure many of these women wish they would have met a suitable mate and gone on to have a family. Instead many continue to think positive and look for that right person and opportunity while they give back to their community by volunteering their time, working and paying their bills. My impression here is that single women are not as worthy as the women who has married and become a mother. There are too many situations and scenarios out there to even begin to think this way.
Wednesday, September 26, 2007
Ottawa signs on to rival emissions pact
Read this article here.
There are so many difficult issues and facets to think about and deal with regarding the global warming issue. It is apparent that world leaders are now panicking, because the Kyoto target date is coming faster than the antidote to the greenhouse gas emission problems in the world. There has been so much talk about global warming over the past few years. Media, environmentalists, activist groups, public and world leaders have all preached the danger the world is in because of greenhouse gas emissions. The fact is, that we are all contributors and we all need to work together to find a plan to help lower emissions put into the autmosphere. In Ontario, our Premier decided he would help out by shutting down all coal electricity plants in Ontario. He said he would accomplish this by the year 2007, then pushed back to 2009 and has since targeted a 2014 deadline. Do you suppose there is a reason for him pushing this date back?
The rest of the world doesn't seem to be shutting down coal plants, countries like the U.S. and China are buidling more. The fact is, they are expanding, and Ontario is at risk of not only power interruption, but also job loss and decline in economy. The United States and China are building new low emission, high efficiency coal burning electricity generating plants. Coal gasification is just one of the ways to achieve this. From the old, new technologies have been re-discovered that clean up coal fired power plants and can bring down emission rates as low as that of natural gas. This conversion technique is not only being looked at for coal plants but also for manufacturing processes and the cars we drive.
The U.S. government posted an article from the U.S. Department of Energy talking about Gasification Technology.
More interesting facts on Gasification Technology can be found here.
China replacing old coal plants with new ones, read more here.
The rest of the world continues to make coal generation a major part of their future. Instead of creating problems in the long run in Ontario, the government should do what is best for Ontario and keep the continuity in our electricty program, as well as dealing with emission problems. This would mean chosing a technology that is best for our existing infastructures. There is more emission reduction technology out there that should be looked at. Examples of this technology are Selective Catalytic Reduction (SCR's) and scrubbers to clean coal and capture harmful gases before they go out the stack. Any way you look at it, it will take money to retrofit existing facilities or build new ones posing a threat to increased energy costs for Ontario.
For more information on SCR and scrubber clean coal technologies, click here.
The underlying product of these set backs in the closure of Ontario's coal burning electricity plants is the fact that coal is an essential power source in the production of elecricity. At this time, there is nothing available that is dependable enough to meet the electrical demands faced daily and replace this reliable generating power. "Pulling the plug" on coal in Ontario and taking it out of the equation will indeed, create more and more frequent blackouts and power interruptions. What does this mean to you? However, the Premier maintains continuity in his orginal statement to shut down coal fired plants by 2014. I suppose we could buy our power from the U.S. What kind of power would we be buying you say?..ahhh, coal generated power....mmmm...now that makes sense to me....NOT!
Keep in mind that there are many contributors to greenhouse gas emissions. One of the emissions that focus seems to be on right now is C02. Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't C02 something that is lapped up by trees and vegetation as a means to survive? I wonder about the deforestry of our trees and rainforests and what kind of effect this has had on our global warming issue in the world. Has this activity helped knock us off balance here? Let's look at the whole picture.
Chart provided by: Wikipedia Encyclopedida
See more about greenhouse gas here.
Newspaper ad provided by: The Tillsonburg Independent News via Power Workers Union. See more compelling examples here.
There is an obvious need to put a plan in place to clean up emissions and if all the players were on the same page, this could be easier to accomplish than we think.
There are so many difficult issues and facets to think about and deal with regarding the global warming issue. It is apparent that world leaders are now panicking, because the Kyoto target date is coming faster than the antidote to the greenhouse gas emission problems in the world. There has been so much talk about global warming over the past few years. Media, environmentalists, activist groups, public and world leaders have all preached the danger the world is in because of greenhouse gas emissions. The fact is, that we are all contributors and we all need to work together to find a plan to help lower emissions put into the autmosphere. In Ontario, our Premier decided he would help out by shutting down all coal electricity plants in Ontario. He said he would accomplish this by the year 2007, then pushed back to 2009 and has since targeted a 2014 deadline. Do you suppose there is a reason for him pushing this date back?
The rest of the world doesn't seem to be shutting down coal plants, countries like the U.S. and China are buidling more. The fact is, they are expanding, and Ontario is at risk of not only power interruption, but also job loss and decline in economy. The United States and China are building new low emission, high efficiency coal burning electricity generating plants. Coal gasification is just one of the ways to achieve this. From the old, new technologies have been re-discovered that clean up coal fired power plants and can bring down emission rates as low as that of natural gas. This conversion technique is not only being looked at for coal plants but also for manufacturing processes and the cars we drive.
The U.S. government posted an article from the U.S. Department of Energy talking about Gasification Technology.
More interesting facts on Gasification Technology can be found here.
China replacing old coal plants with new ones, read more here.
The rest of the world continues to make coal generation a major part of their future. Instead of creating problems in the long run in Ontario, the government should do what is best for Ontario and keep the continuity in our electricty program, as well as dealing with emission problems. This would mean chosing a technology that is best for our existing infastructures. There is more emission reduction technology out there that should be looked at. Examples of this technology are Selective Catalytic Reduction (SCR's) and scrubbers to clean coal and capture harmful gases before they go out the stack. Any way you look at it, it will take money to retrofit existing facilities or build new ones posing a threat to increased energy costs for Ontario.
For more information on SCR and scrubber clean coal technologies, click here.
The underlying product of these set backs in the closure of Ontario's coal burning electricity plants is the fact that coal is an essential power source in the production of elecricity. At this time, there is nothing available that is dependable enough to meet the electrical demands faced daily and replace this reliable generating power. "Pulling the plug" on coal in Ontario and taking it out of the equation will indeed, create more and more frequent blackouts and power interruptions. What does this mean to you? However, the Premier maintains continuity in his orginal statement to shut down coal fired plants by 2014. I suppose we could buy our power from the U.S. What kind of power would we be buying you say?..ahhh, coal generated power....mmmm...now that makes sense to me....NOT!
Keep in mind that there are many contributors to greenhouse gas emissions. One of the emissions that focus seems to be on right now is C02. Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't C02 something that is lapped up by trees and vegetation as a means to survive? I wonder about the deforestry of our trees and rainforests and what kind of effect this has had on our global warming issue in the world. Has this activity helped knock us off balance here? Let's look at the whole picture.
Chart provided by: Wikipedia Encyclopedida
See more about greenhouse gas here.
Newspaper ad provided by: The Tillsonburg Independent News via Power Workers Union. See more compelling examples here.
There is an obvious need to put a plan in place to clean up emissions and if all the players were on the same page, this could be easier to accomplish than we think.
Sunday, September 23, 2007
Should your daughter get the HPV vaccine?
After reading this article, many things come to mind regarding this issue. There are some valid opinions expressed and many sides to look at here. Empathy definitely needs to take precedence as well as some sympathy because of people who were directly involved by having loved ones lose their lives to cervical cancer.
I am blown away by the fact that young girls in Grade 6 are being exposed to sexual matters, but it is transparent to this day and age. Life seems to become a way of adulthood at much earlier ages these days. It is scary that the virus is so obviously rampant in our present day society. The medical experts say this is one of the most common STD's, and they have advised giving the vaccine to girls before they become sexually active. This tells me that we are dealing with an epidemic of some kind. The government wouldn't be investing $300M in tax dollars to fund such a program, if it weren't a major problem. There must be some reflection on treatment costs and the number of cases. Yes, the pharmaceutical companies are winning again, but they are just the lucky souls that discovered a way to help human kind buy time and save health issues.
I would definitely say it would be wise to give the vaccination to help stop the infection of future generations. In general, I don't think that it promotes promiscuity. It's all about values of people and we are all different in that department. There are too many individual behaviours and other STD's to worry about not to think about safe sex (condom use).
Given the fact that long term effects are not proven yet because the vaccination is so new, I would still recommend giving it. Clinical studies proved outstanding results in the protection from most HPV viruses. There are 4 types and this virus is responsible for 70% of cervical cancer and 90% of genital warts.
Another thing that comes to mind is what happens to the girl who ends up with the HPV infection and gets genital warts or cervical cancer and has to undergo treatment and humilliation knowing that she now has a STD? This could very well in some cases, affect the persons self esteem, self perception and give them a feeling of inadequance. Why not keep these issues at bay?
Read this article yourself and see what you think.
I am blown away by the fact that young girls in Grade 6 are being exposed to sexual matters, but it is transparent to this day and age. Life seems to become a way of adulthood at much earlier ages these days. It is scary that the virus is so obviously rampant in our present day society. The medical experts say this is one of the most common STD's, and they have advised giving the vaccine to girls before they become sexually active. This tells me that we are dealing with an epidemic of some kind. The government wouldn't be investing $300M in tax dollars to fund such a program, if it weren't a major problem. There must be some reflection on treatment costs and the number of cases. Yes, the pharmaceutical companies are winning again, but they are just the lucky souls that discovered a way to help human kind buy time and save health issues.
I would definitely say it would be wise to give the vaccination to help stop the infection of future generations. In general, I don't think that it promotes promiscuity. It's all about values of people and we are all different in that department. There are too many individual behaviours and other STD's to worry about not to think about safe sex (condom use).
Given the fact that long term effects are not proven yet because the vaccination is so new, I would still recommend giving it. Clinical studies proved outstanding results in the protection from most HPV viruses. There are 4 types and this virus is responsible for 70% of cervical cancer and 90% of genital warts.
Another thing that comes to mind is what happens to the girl who ends up with the HPV infection and gets genital warts or cervical cancer and has to undergo treatment and humilliation knowing that she now has a STD? This could very well in some cases, affect the persons self esteem, self perception and give them a feeling of inadequance. Why not keep these issues at bay?
Read this article yourself and see what you think.
Thursday, September 13, 2007
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