Dont look up!!

the sky is falling

Economic Survival Plan (ESP)

Simple, short and effective. Every Canadian Citizen, will, for the next twelve months, receive a $2000 monthly payment. If you make more than $35,000 per year, it will be progressively taxed to ensure it gets to those whom need it the most. Simple.

This programme will run for one year only. Short.

As the lower income earners all know, this money would enter the economy almost completely, as there is little or no room for most to squirrel away their money. People could spend this money to buy a car, thus bailing out the auto industry. Or they could choose to spend it on housing, thus bailing out the housing industry. Or they may decide to invest in more education and go back to school, thus bailing out the education sector. What matters here is that the PEOPLE would decide where to put OUR hard earned tax dollars. The politicians would then be able to see where we chose to put our money and they could then craft legislation to reflect these investment choices made by Canadians. Effective.

Karl Marx felt that the underclass, the majority, would need the direction of the Party during the first stages of the revolution. I have turned this on its head and called on the population to direct the Governments policy. Canadians would have to start thinking about their collective desires and dreams and engage in responsible political behavior, voting to start with, wise consumer choices to follow.

Fine print...this offer requires that in order to be eligible, Canadian Citizens would have to register to vote and include proof of this in their application for the programme.

follow a discussion here; forum

I am a coalitionist !

Democracy is very basic. Each person gets one vote. The people whom receive the majority of these votes, have the right to form a government and make laws and policies. If the individual voter is not satisfied with these decisions, they can vote for the people whom offer policies more to their liking.

When no one receives a majority of votes, the candidates work out agreements and policies, that will allow coalitions to form . These can be informal, such as Harper’s last minority Government, or formal, like the various coalition Governments found throughout Western Democratic history. Israel, Italy and Spain are a few recent examples.

For the Canadian Conservatives like Stephen Harper, to scream out the socialists are coming, or to call the formation of a coalition government an undemocratic power grab, is nonsense, pure and simple, not to mention hypocritical(see above). We must always work together using clear rules and procedures, which are pragmatic in their conception. Governments that show the ability to work with their opposition are exactly what we need to foster. These coalitions ensure all sides of the political democracy are given a platform to express their ideas and to contribute constructive criticisms, not cheap political shots.

Perhaps Steve should pick up the phone and call the leader of the Opposition to inquire whether he would be interested in forming a coalition. This might be the only way Harper can remain in power, at a time we need to concentrate on the economy ‘stupid’. Calling an election now or having Dion the non leader as PM are not realistic options.

Let the Cons work with the NDP and the Liberals, in a coalition, for the next while. The Liberals are having a helm change in May and the coalition could have a best before date sometime in 2010, after the Liberals have formulated policy under their new leader and the NDP has had a chance to show it can work within a coalition of opposites. Thus reducing the Cons favorite battle cry of “the commies are coming” to a more reasonable,
“social democrats are kinda just like a gentle and strong person, one that looks out for the rest of us.

Free the Train!

Trains for our City!



Here in Nanaimo, the time has come to seriously consider the implementation of a major transit policy directional change,. We are fortunate to have, running the entire length of our City, an accessible track system. Moreover, due to its present under utilization, we can easily establish a local green energy powered transit system that will benefit everyone in the City.

Today we could buy several used train coaches and put them into service, going from the north to the south and all stops in between. This would allow us to synchronize our road based transit, with these trains and it would reduce congestion on the busy north south road corridors of Nanaimo. Benefiting even those whom do not use public transit, by reducing the number of transit vehicles going north and south. These trains would be small, efficient and frequent. Future coaches, would be sourced on island, from the shipbuilding and heavy industry sectors, both presently underutilized and high motivated with an excellent workforce skill set..

To move people east and west, small, fuel efficient van type vehicles, like those in Vancouver, would be used. In areas and times of high peak travel, such as the Vancouver Island University routes, large conventional buses would continue to move large numbers of passengers. The trick here is to gather the rider ship data and carefully plan around the evident patterns that emerge.

I feel it is time we all came onboard to foster real discussion and initiatives. Low start up costs, we have the tracks, excellent benefits to the local and regional economies, more money available for other City projects as we realize the savings from our transit efficiency programs, are just a few of the benefits we could manifest. What do you think?

DO NOT TOUCH THE CONTROLS

Old but good. Looks like they could not wait to take her for a spin more here

Democracy Dies in Nanaimo....

Voter turnout in our fair city's most recent election was a dismal 32.4%. Some 50 000 voters couldn't be bothered. See if you can identify the new and old mayors from this picture...I bet you can't! Time for city hall to start promoting elections with flyers and newspaper ads and polling stations people can walk to and.........

An early morning visitor!!

It flew away after 2 hours of R n R

A New Path

Government and Business; Why are they different?

For the last twenty five years, give or take a few, the mantra of Capitalist Democratic Governments, around the world, has been the de-regulation of the laws and policies which have attempted to protect citizens. Using the catch phrases off ‘Free markets’ and the implementation of running Governments more like ‘businesses’, we have been led to believe that the collective interests of all are better served by a hands off approach. This model has been sold to us a the best way to encourage the growth of the economy and in turn, the growth of the ability of consumers to attain higher levels of comfort, vis a vis the acquisition of consumer goods. We have been told that the business model would allow Governments to function more efficiently and to ‘spread the wealth’ amongst the general public. Groups such as, the Chicago School of Economics, as well as organizations like the Canadian Fraser Institute put this model forward. Through their direct connections to Western Democratic Governments, we were led to believe that the real constraints put on business by Governments, acted against the collective’s best interests. In reality, this was not the case as evidenced by the most recent Global economic crisis sweeping the world.

Governments lapped up this ‘Free Market’ mantra and used it as a shield to deflect any critique of their de- regulation antics. The results were insidious and have caused negative effects far beyond the restriction of Governments to serve the people they were intended to protect. A good example has been the reduction by many western governments, of the very programmes which allowed the lower and developing sectors of the economy, to raise their standards of living and increase their upward mobility. Instead of bringing up the bottom of the economically challenged lower classes, we have seen the emergence of a uber wealthy ‘super class’ whose membership is limited to those in positions of privilege and their rapid ascension to levels beyond anything that is sustainable. All this extra wealth, created by the reduction or removal of Laws and regulations, which were put in place to maintain a balance of fairness in the economy, has not had the desired ‘trickle down effect’. In fact the capital freed up by de-regulation has been used as a weapon against the very people it had sought to protect.

In Canada, the Governments, both Federal and Provincial, have loosened the market controls for the banking and investment sectors , at the same time as the social safety net has been dismantled. The result has been that huge Government surplus which are proudly displayed as a sign of the success of such policies. However, upon closer observation, we see the real costs of such lugubrious planning have eliminated the availability of social programmes for the majority and the concentration of wealth in the hands of a few. Moreover these wealthy hands have worked tirelessly to demonize any kind of Government interference in the ‘market’ and to label such interventions as wasteful and counter productive. The result has been that the quality of life for the majority has decreased at the same time the hording of wealth by the minority has increased to the point of obscenity. This new found ‘super rich class’ has been able to acquire wealth at the most amazing rate with out having to actually work for it.

By using the example of a few fortunate individuals, the general public has been sold a line of disingenuous nonsense. With annual executive pay, reaching in some cases, the level of an average workers lifetime earnings, the system is far from free or balanced. We cannot all live the rag to riches story if all that is available is rags.

To add insult to injury, the poor have shouldered the worst effects of cutbacks to Government programmes. The savings realized by the new ‘business modeled’ Governments, have not been returned to the very people whom created them, but rather the have been used to entertain the rich with ridiculous circuses like the Olympic Games, and other mega projects which further enrich the few at the expense of the many.

The peace dividend and the collapse of the free market are two examples of the hypocrisy of the model put forward. With the collapse of the ever present threat of Communist State Growth, a new bogey man had to be found. 9/11 was a perfect match. It allowed the military industrial complex (MIC) to flourish in a new era of pre-emptive warfare. Having learned the follies of adversarial collapse, a new enemy was identified. Terrorism fit the bill perfectly. It was unseen, its threat was mobile and it motives were again, global domination. Conveniently, it had the added bonus of operating everywhere, anytime and without a method of actualization. We cannot defeat an enemy that we are unable to identify or even qualify. Free markets blossomed with their new found access to unlimited Government finance. This unlimited finance has also recently been accessed by the very ‘free marketers’ whom so vehemently denied the funding of global social programmes . Programmes which would have helped to reduce the monumental gap between the haves and the have nots. A gap that has continued to accelerate despite the window dressings offered up by a bullish global stock market and token dispersments of monies to the developing world. A world where the majority finds itself today.

Having driven the economic engine of the world at full tilt, with little or no maintenance, has brought us to our present day situation. The very same groups whom fought every attempt to have a more equitable distribution of wealth now find themselves the recipients of thousands of billions of tax dollars. Having destroyed the very markets they were supposedly freeing from unnecessary regulation, these market mavens see nothing wrong accepting Government or public money to repair the damage they themselves created.
The privatization of profit now has a new paradigm: the socialization of loss.

We are expected to capitulate billions to cover their reckless, and at times criminal behavior. We are told that the markets will collapse without unconditional cash infusions. We are told the Wall Street bailouts will keep us all safe, just as the war on terror has. I say lets try something different. Do not give any more money to these habitual bastards. Invest the money in small scale local initiatives directed by the people who know best how to live with less, the poor, the majority. Let the risk takers fall and bring some civility to the economy and I promise, after the poor are clothed , fed and have access to healthcare and education, we can see what is left to trickle up.
Namaste

FOUR AGREEMENTS

Use your words impeccably

Never make assumptions

Do not take anything personally

Always do your best

PURE TALENT

music

Admission of Guilt

By their own admission of GUILT, these operators should be charged under the Federal Fisheries Act.(FFA)

"EPCOR Utilities Inc., the Edmonton-based company which took over the project from the original developers, said it was only able to find nine dead fish."

Luckily, we do not have to wait for the politicians to act as the FFA encourages private persons to swear informations and have charges laid! So who ever lives near miller creek and can prove there it is an area that is frequented by fish. Read the whole article here: fishy story

Harper Speaks

Now that he has a strong mandate, 22% of eligible voters, Harper thinks he can change our environmental path. Not so quick Steve. Did you not leak the Nafta Obama position during the Democratic primary? Me thinks so. Did you not destroy our international reputation as peace keepers for war makers? Did you not waste $300 million on a election that had one of the lowest turnouts in History. Hair not yours? Thats a new one! When the dust settles and we get to watch your lugubrious attempts to appease anyone with more power, then we can say WTF!

SPEAKING WORDS OF WISDOM.....

"You"ll come back betta"

George W. Bush June 2008 Said to Iowa Flood Victims

100 LITER SOLUTION

Now that gas prices are forcing everyone to take a closer look at their consumptive paradigms, perhaps a simple solution can help? I suggest we all voluntarily adopt a rationing plan. A plan akin to the ones our forbearers had in times of war. Say 100 liters of fuel per person per month? If you commute you have to trade for fuel with someone who doesn't use all of their allotment. Sound crazy? The alternative seems to be much worse...Ignorant drivers pumping out copious amounts of greenhouse gases just so they can drive their hummer to the mall for some more, 'made in china' goods, to stuff into their already overfilled houses.....

Xwilil’xhwm or what is in a name?

I recently asked a local Caucasoid historian if they knew anything about 1st nations land use on the Western Island that I live on. To my surprise she said the 1st Nations did not live on this Island but would just meet here. I was confused. If you flip the characters in her story around it is like telling some visitor from the future that the United Nations was just a meeting place and had little significance since no one lived there! This got me thinking about when white people put the thousands of years of 1st nation stories into a totally irrelevant measure, their historical significance just disappears. How convenient. Poof gone no issue here. I have seen the study of past times called “his story” , and I think maybe it is time to call it whitestory when it is propagated from the mouths of the Caucasoid. So you may wonder where I live and what is the name of the place? That depends......do you want the name the Spanish gave it as they sailed by a couple of times, some two hundred years ago? Apodaca. Or do you want the name it has been called for thousands of years by the many people whom met, talked, drummed and celebrated here? I think it makes sense to call it the latter. Xwilil’xhwm.

BABY YOU CAN DRIVE MY CAR.......

How come not having a drivers license is used against people searching for employment? Frequently when one makes application for employment one of the questions asked is do you have a valid drivers license or ‘ a valid drivers license is required ‘ for this job. This probably was an effective way to screen out those with alcohol or drug abuse problems or those who were not making support payments to an ex spouse ( as in BC family maintenance’s policy of revoking drivers license to encourage support payments) . However, now days, those who chose not to drive for environmental reasons are finding themselves discriminated against for doing their part in the reduction of their carbon footprint. I think it makes more sense to screen out those who drive great big jacked up pick up trucks in the urban area as there seems to be a connection between illegal activity( read drugs ) and the use of these vehicles. Moreover, the employment questionnaire/application should ask :Do you lease a large truck? Just thinking.

SURVEY SAYS........

Be careful of what you wish for. I always thought that the major political parties were opportunistic but now I know for sure. The BC Liberals, whom were just recently trying to stuff coal fired power generation down our throats, looked at the polls and saw how reprehensible this was to the electorate. Their response was to present a new green agenda to the people of BC. An agenda which coincidentally removed coal fired power from the equation by requiring it to be zero emission. A requirement which vetted out the very projects Gord and the goons had been pontificating in Princeton and Northern BC. So rather then actually caring about the environment, one that they were willing to befoul with the construction and combustion of dirty coal, they tried to dupe the people into thinking they were really a green party. A party that has since decided to prostitute our wild rivers into the service of their private corporate friends.

Shifting the focus onto the Federal reform/conservative alliance, Stephen Harper has also paid attention to the polls. The same man who globally embarrassed the nation with his rejection of the Kyoto Accords, has taken the opportunity of increased public concern of the environment to slap another tax on us. Instead of really doing something for the natural environment, Harper has decided to make the poor pay a disproportionate amount towards the consumption of carbon based fuels. The same carbon tax idea that the BC Liberals came up with. It makes one wonder if the mandarins in Ottawa are using the same game plan as the twits in Victoria. So rather than trusting these shape shifting slime bags, we should all be very cognizant of there records. Kyoto killers and Coal smoke stinkers. Actions always speak louder then weasel words. If polls said we prefer politicians who eat babies for breakfast guess who would be at the head of the lineup for the baby buffet.

OIL, OIL, OH SO FINE, GIVE ME MORE, I USED ALL MINE

Whatca gonna do when the tank runs dry??

Very Interesting Story

Robert Fisk Is Honest

HELLO...HELLO IS ANYONE THERE?

Here are somes forms of engagement to consider for creating a civil society:

1. Pay attention to what's going on. Steve Jobs

2. Practise compassion. Dalai Lama

3. Act. Angelina Jolie

4. Hold individuals accountable for what they do. Beverley McLachlin

5. Be clear in stating your case. Martin Luther King

6. Listen. Oprah Winfrey

7. Be prepared to change. Barack Obama

8. Avoid violence (physical and emotional). Gandhi

9. Remain genuine. Keith Richards

10. Treat others with the respect with which you'd like to be treated. Jesus

TIPS FOR A BETTER LIFE

1. Take a 10-30 minute walk every day. And while you walk, smile.
It is the ultimate anti-depressant.

2. Sit in silence for at least 10 minutes each day.
Buy a lock if you have to.

3. Buy a DVR and tape your late night shows and get more sleep.

4. When you wake up in the morning complete the
Following statement, 'My purpose is to __________ today.'

5. Live with the 3 E's -- Energy, Enthusiasm, and Empathy.

6. Play more games and read more books than you did in 2007.

7. Make time to practice meditation, yoga, tai chi, and prayer.
They provide us with daily fuel for our busy lives.

8. Spend time with people over the age of 70 and under the age of 6.

9. Dream more while you are awake.

10. Eat more foods that grow on trees and plants and eat less
Food that is manufactured in plants.

11. Drink green tea and plenty of water.. Eat blueberries,
Wild Alaskan salmon, broccoli, almonds & walnuts.

12. Try to make at least three people smile each day.

13. Clear clutter from your house, your car, your desk and let new
And flowing energy into your life.

14. Don't waste your precious energy on gossip, energy
Vampires, issues of the past, negative thoughts or things
You cannot control. Instead invest your energy in the
Positive present moment.

15. Realize that life is a school and you are here to learn.
Problems are simply part of the curriculum that appear and
Fade away like algebra class but the lessons you learn will
Last a lifetime.

16. Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and dinner like
a college kid with a maxed out charge card.

17. Smile and laugh more. It will keep the energy vampires away.

18. Life isn't fair, but it's still good.

19. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone.

20. Don't take yourself so seriously. No one else does.

21. You don't have to win every argument. Agree to disagree.

22. Make peace with your past so it won't spoil the present.

23. Don't compare your life to others'. You have no idea what
Their journey is all about.

24. No one is in charge of your happiness except you.

25. Frame every so-called disaster with these words: 'In five
Years, will this matter?'

26. Forgive everyone for everything.

27. What other people think of you is none of your business.

28. Love heals almost everything.

29. However good or bad a situation is, it will change.

30. Your job won't take care of you when you are sick. Your
Friends will. Stay in touch.

31. Get rid of anything that isn't useful, beautiful or joyful.

32. Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need.

33. The best is yet to come.

34. No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up.

35. Do the right thing!

36. Call your family often. (Or email them to death!!!) Hey
I'm thinking of ya!

37. Each night before you go to bed complete the
Following statements: I am thankful for __________.
Today I accomplished _________.

38. Remember that you are too blessed to be stressed.

39. Enjoy the ride. Remember this is not Disney World and
You certainly don't want a fast pass. You only have one
Ride through life so make the most of it and enjoy the ride.

40. Please Forward this to everyone you care about.

May your troubles be less, May your blessings be more,
May nothing but happiness come through your door! :)

RUPERT FOR DOG OF THE YEAR

I think a picture still says a thousand words worth....

HOW MUCH IS YOUR HOME WORTH?

WHAT TYPE OF PIPES DO YOU HAVE?

ONE WHOLE HOUR!

I really like the idea of the consumptive world stopping their use of nonrenewable resources for an hour. Wow a whole hour and some 30 million of the worlds worst energy users are instantly redeemed and can immediately return to their normal patterns of usage. How about we turn off the lights for a 24 hour period. Everyone, everywhere, no lights for a day.

Well the funny thing is the majority of the worlds population does already. They do not have electricity . They do not have cars and trucks and boats and planes. We do have all these things and more but now, after our collective hour long cleansing, we are free!

I think the idea of raising awareness is great and don’t get me wrong, we all need to help, but I think we need to act out in millions of small ways. Walk more, drive less, eat fresh, read, turn off the TV, swim, practice yoga, stretch, smile, laugh and keep trying to find ways of lessening our impact on the planet.

"....I AM NOT A CROOK....."

So the rot has begun to expose itself. Why , if the top law maker in the land is dirty, does this make all the land dirty? Does this mean that we should go back and take a second look at all the judical decisions that his office has made? Is there a reason the railgate scandal has dragged on so long? Are we really getting good legal advice?

Gordon and Penner are poll perverts

Who looks a little nervous standing beside the RCMP? Penner sure looks nervous


They make policy in BC based on their latest polling data. This is evidenced by their conversion from pro-coal facists to no carbon , low E boosters. They changed over night and with no balls to stand up and admit a mistake, they just tweak the rules so the troublsome environmental issue self implodes. Say No to Coal? Why would they take a stand when they spend all their time taking the cash? Some $900 000 from the coal lobby alone!!! No to power lines crisscrossing a Provincial Park. It sure makes the Liberals apppear to be pro park and pro people, but it really is all about pro polls. Gordon and his boys better find a new cause of the week because it is getting hot, hot.

GOOD MORNING

stick in your eye. branch up your face. china is killing all over the place.