The unchanging climate of Copenhagen

Be concerned. Many of the worlds leaders are in Denmark and it is not for Carlsberg, Lego or danishes. Yes, apparently there is a common goal - to address the climate crisis. As a premise, it would be some kind of wonderful if leaders from these nations got together and decided that maybe this issue that every scientist who is not on a oil company payroll has decided is a very serious situation. Advisory alert - if you live near a cliff, river, ocean or lake, New Orleans, Richmond BC, Nederlands, etc. - time to start thinking about moving.

Copenhagen will prove nothing. As bleak as it is, there is no way that anything that is proposed will be followed. The real travesty is that we are in midst of a climate crisis and the last thing we need is more bureaucracy to be added to the situation. Until we get a "buy-in" from the oil/gas and all of those other polluting industries, the worlds leaders might better be shopping for blue cheese.

So what to do? Protest and boycotts? Perhaps. But, this is the question of our generation and perhaps of all time? Why are people so greedy?

For arguments sake, let's go with the "climategate" theory and the idea that human caused climate change is just a massive conspiracy held by 99.9% of climate scientists in the world. As a kid many of us were told, that anything is possible...

Ok. So let's say that its true. Does this mean that we should embrace greenhouse gases? Should we hope that in our communities that we can get more of these "harmless" gases, perhaps near schools if possible. Perhaps there are some island beaches that have tar and we can start some mini tar sands.
Wouldn't it be great?

The bottom line is, why on earth would anyone want to be involved with an industry that willingly pollutes, destroys the earth and jeopardizes the health of everything and everyone? Unfortunately, it comes down to that five letter word - Greed. You don't have to be Gandhi or the Buddha to see it, it is what it is all about. It is not the climate we need to change, it is us.

Tiger, Tiger

TIGER, tiger, burning bright

have you lost your sight?

In the forests of the night,

was there no light?

What immortal hand or eye

seriously, why?

Could frame thy fearful symmetry?




In what distant deeps or skies

how many more lies?

Burnt the fire of thine eyes?

or thighs?

On what wings dare he aspire?

you are going to need a new tire

What the hand dare seize the fire?

its all over the wire

And what shoulder and what art

really, really wasn't smart

Could twist the sinews of thy heart?

one more family torn apart

And when thy heart began to beat,

what made you cheat?

What dread hand and what dread feet?

every party girl you did meet?

What the hammer? what the chain?

twas the golf club that caused the pain

In what furnace was thy brain?

Cheat on Elin are you insane?

What the anvil? What dread grasp
Dare its deadly terrors clasp?

When the stars threw down their spears,

No one will forget this for years

And water'd heaven with their tears,

you better start drinking beers

Did He smile His work to see?

You are no longer free

Did He who made the lamb make thee?

A monogamous married man you will be


Tiger, tiger, burning bright

you have lost the fight

In the forests of the night,

someday she'll forgive you, she just might

What immortal hand or eye

travel alone when you fly

Dare frame thy fearful symmetry?

I heart Huckabee?

Gotta feel for Huckabee, his presidential bid is over. Perhaps one of the strongest candidates for the Republicans in the next round is going to have a really difficult time selling the traditional "republicans are tough on crime". Giving clemency to Clemmons turned out to be a bad idea, but how could he know this guy was gonna be a cop killa?

This is were it gets strange - because you cant really blame Huckabee. Clemmons appeal for clemency was a document full of words of a changed man, a man you found Jesus and God, a person who realized he hung with the wrong crowd and made mistakes in his youth. After all, Clemmons was only 17 when he got charged with a series of burglaries and bringing a weapon to school. His rap sheet didn't imply that he knew how to use it.

You can picture the situation. Huckabee sitting in his office surrounding by his favourite bible thumping neo-con advisors with a pile of papers to sign. Clemmons appeal comes up, he sees the officers recommendation for clemency and realizes he just has to add a signature to release this guy who has found god.

Huckabee, regardless of his asinine politics, backwards thinking and just plain ignorance, will be remembered as the guy who released the criminal who killed the cops and not the guy who fried squirrels in the popcorn popper.


"When we were in college we used to take a popcorn popper -- because that was the only thing they would let us have in the dorms -- and fry squirrels in the popcorn popper." Mike Huckabee

Kudos to Adam Lambert

As you may have heard American Idol's #2 last year Adam Lambert caused quite a stir at the useless AMA awards on Sunday night. He kissed his male keyboardist and part of his performance featured getting down and going down. Parents Television Council, ABC (part of Walt Disney) and homophobes, were outraged at the event. (Maybe they couldn't find the remote or figure out how to turn the tv off)

If you have ever watched the AMA (sorry) you realize that without the performances it would be yes, even worse. Taylor Swift won five awards - is today's music really in that bad of state?

The point is that what Adam did has been done several times on the stage but the catch is - it has been done by women. He realized that there was a double standard and puckered up.

It is amazing that in a country that promotes liberty, freedom and the pursuit of happiness that so many want to control what people do. You think that if America is really "free" that a little guy on guy action is par for the course.

So Kudos to Adam Lambert for breaking a barrier that even Bruno would be proud of, hopefully America will wake up, children will go to bed before prime time, parents will figure out that if they dont like it they can change the channel and maybe, just maybe, some will even realize that there is no black and white, but grey and gay.

When Lambert was asked the baited question "what he would change about his performance" he responded, "I would sing it a little bit better."

That my friends is a true star.

Sick Days

Word of advice if your going to take off work due to illness or have a significant insurance claim - do not post a photo of yourself (especially with a bikini on the beach) on facebook. In the past six months there have been several incidents where people have been fired from employers and insurance companies "investigating" claimants....

The real issue today is "sick days". If you are lucky enough to be employed with an organization that allows sick days then you my friend are lucky. However, if not - you are screwed. Of course you can always work sick so that you do not lose money.

That is the problem. Right now there are millions of North Americans working and have some strain of flu. Why? Because they cannot afford to take time off from work. Which means that they are spreading the flu around the workplace.

Yes, you think if we are in a time of flu pandemics that maybe someone at a govt level would think about this problem. People are coming to work sick because they cannot afford not to.

What we need is a supplement available from EI or the like to provide compensation for people who are sick to stay home and not worry about rent, bills and losing their job.

H1N1

H1N1 - the hysteria needs to stop - think about this 50 million shots = $50 million dollars (at least) for the makers of Tamiflu who have created something that only has a 24 hour shelf life. There are significantly more deaths each year from the regular flu - I'm talking thousands more. The major concern is the question H1N1 raises - can we trust the government?

Not a paranoia question but in this case well justified. At the beginning of the outbreak it seemed that if we did not get the shot we would all die. Then they rationed the shot - now they have opened to everyone even though apparently the risk has lessened. The media has not helped the situation by highlighting every death from H1N1 - but in BC only 30 people have died and 2/3rds are from a pre-existing condition.

At the same time the media are not covering nor have in the past, the amount of people who have died from the "regular" flu. An investigation is needed at a high level to determine the connections between the drug company and the government. There is something not right about all of this. And I not sure if it is a conspiracy even though Donald Rumsfield has significant stock in the company.

When you lose faith in the health system, wonder why mercury is in the vaccine and not sure whats going on - one thing is clear - Health Canada needs help because it is not healthy.