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International Turtle Day
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I’m not sure who actually gets to declare these “days”. But whoever does saw fit to designate May 23rd as International Turtle Day; and it befits a blog as c...
2 hours ago
When I was at the local gov't liquor store yesterday, I asked for a price list and got a multi-page pamphlet on all the latest LCB product pricing. I recommend that others ask for this as well, and keep it for posterity, to compare to the privatized prices we probably will see in the coming years.
ReplyDeleteThe store manager said if the sale of the LDB distributorship goes through, they will be able to do an end-run around any union action — and freely supply the private liquor stores.
For the past month, I've been asking myself the question, "Why would they want to sell a money maker?" Perhaps the answer is: to be able to break the union and turn the whole thing over to private sector.
They can sell off the buildings and keep taxing liquor sales, with no other cost or involvement.
I believe that the real Liberal agenda, is to break the unions in this province and reduce the workers, to a form of serfdom. That way power reverts to the upper class, and the minions, are once again at the bottom. The real money would flow to the "elite" and the rest, would get vitually nothing. Sound familiar? The robber barons of the 19th century.
ReplyDeleteThe political wing of this concept, has had the past 11 years, to hone the art of kleptocracy, to its current form. What a mess.
Not just in British Columbia. Based on events in other jurisdictions, workers' rights will worsen. It will be like Phil Hochstein metastasizing.
DeleteThis is an interesting article about today's dysfunctional political economy. It made me question my own opinions:
The Age of Illusion: An Interview with Chris Hayes
I am so glad you published that link, Norm - I thought I was losing it as I've been questioning a lot of my own opinions as well. Chossudovsky's book - The Globalization of Poverty, chapter 19 - Structural Adjustment in Developed Countries may shed light on where our BC RAIL went and other corruption that is happening in BC. In this chapter he talks about the Canadian Privatization Programme imposed by Wall Street. That large amounts of Provincial (the people's) property have been put on the international auction block. He calls this the dismantling of the "Welfare State" and that all public as well as community services will be privatized and that the Corporate world is trying to establish control over pretty well everything that a human would need - ie water, food, housing, electricity, road networks etc Bringing in Foreign workers to bust unions and push wages downward is part of this destruction.
DeleteDidn't Karl Marx say about capitalism that money turns everything into a commodity that can be bought and sold: government, honor, morality, the writing of history, legality. Nothing is immune to purchase.
Seems to me that BC's Liberal government has been sold as well as the morality of the party members!
Is there a primer available on the BC Rail scandal? I'm sure there are many people like myself who are late to the game and don't know all the players and what their position at the time was. Allegations are another thing — but I'd like to see a timeline of established facts and names and descriptions of people involved. Sorry, but the voting public need it in pill form if it's going to get any traction.
ReplyDeleteHeck, it took me a week to figure out what MSM was (Main Stream Media, for those who are wondering)... now people are throwing PAB around! I'd like to get on top of this stuff.
I trust you've read through the BC Rail-alities page here. I think the NDP's 100 Unanswered Questions on B.C. Rail Corruption Scandal remains a worthwhile document for persons learning the basics. Otherwise, click on the label 'BC Rail' and you'll be lined to fifty plus articles here that touch on BC Rail.
DeleteThat was a short walk. Thanks Norm.
ReplyDeleteDoes anyone else besides me think that Elizabeth May is HarperCons best friend? She runs around the country splitting the vote and leaving us all in danger of another Harper majority. If she was genuine, why doesn't she join another party? That claim that she is non-partisan just doesn't wash with me. If she was so, she would run as an independent. The Green Party has a platform do they not? How does their platform be an exception to partisanship?
ReplyDeleteAll parties represent partisanship. Your accounting of Elizabeth May fails to notice that she is like the canary in the mineshaft. At least she is speaking out about current concerns. With his 1993 degree in Economics what gives Harper the right to go to other countries and tell them what to do. His advice to Greece--create an austerity program is the obvious reverse of how to solve their problesm. So what do they get? jobs lost, people screwed (and I am not referring to sex), rapidly increasing prices, riots in the streets. FOR SHAME.
ReplyDeleteAlas, Mr. Harper continues to demonstrate that he lives in a shroud.
Just serfing by and noticed your reply. Well for one, E.Me claims she is non-partisan. She is the leader of a party that says parties should be abolished. So you still support her even though she spews this constantly everywhere and anywhere. Secondly, speaking to issues does not solve them. Lots of us do that and if Lizzie is content to scream from the rooftops about stuff but never changing anything then she deserves no support from anyone. Please support a party that has at least some resolve and chance at changing things in this country.
DeleteThis recent interview with Chris Hedges is an important and worthwhile listen courtesy CBC the Current.
ReplyDeleteHedges explains why and how the MSM is in the business of misdirection and why they want to keep us stupid and uniformed except of course on Tom and Katie.
http://www.cbc.ca/thecurrent/popupaudio.html?clipIds=2254749501
http://www.theprovince.com/news/bc/Gordon+Campbell+hospitality+clarified+still+tops+other+diplomats/6948737/story.html
ReplyDeleteGreat photo of Harper "greeting" Gordon Campbell at the airport in London. Fun caption: Harper: "Gord, I flew over to tell you personally to lay off with the big expense tab. You're making us look worse than Roy... I mean Bev Oda."
Gord: "I promised British Columbians that I would never drink again, after I got caught in Hawaii — but it's these Brits, Steve. They drink like fish!"
I had a robo-phone call from Quebec this morning, purporting to be a political survey. (Rough paraphrase): regarding the federal government's handling of fiscal challenges.
ReplyDelete"As a thank-you for doing the survey, please stay on the line and a representative will talk to you about a free Caribbean cruise, provided by one of our supporters."
I hung up.
Anybody else getting these calls?
You did the right thing by hanging up. It's a scam and the meaningless "survey" is just a door opener to sell you something or, more likely, get credit card or banking information. The cruise would not be free.
DeleteDespite being on Canada's do not call lists, we still get countless long distance solicitations. Telephone spam is extremely annoying. Much originates outside Canada (India and the Philippines have been common recently) but many Canadian operations are exempt (market researchers, opinion pollsters, charities, political organizations, newspapers, anyone you've done business with recently, etc.)
The do not call legislation seems to have been written by and for telemarketers. That's the way Liberals and Conservatives have done business. Laws are not written for the benefit of citizens, they're for the benefit of commerce.
I've had two more such calls since that one. Click!
DeleteMaybe instead of hanging up, we should keep the line open, identify who is behind the call and lodge a complaint with the CRTC. Complain About a Telemarketing Call
DeleteHmm... here's the # they used yesterday. 647-247-1759 I put it in a Google search and it came up with previous complaints. I'll lodge a complaint on your provided link. Thanks Norm.
DeleteHey Norm, what was the issue with your Dell computer?
ReplyDeleteI'm having issues where my laptop won't shut down properly and the cursor is moving inexplicably to other parts of the paragraph on me when I type.
My device, a Dell laptop XPS L502X then less than one year old, has two USB ports and one combo USB/eSATA port. These connectors are designed to receive cable attachments from peripheral devices such as a backup hard drive, camera and MP3 player. I plugged a device into to USB/eSATA port and it simply broke off the motherboard, falling inside the unit. I thought, "How nice that, with one broken, this machine still has two working ports." However, a day later, one of the USB ports broke off as well. Now I wondered how many days until the third broke as well.
DeleteAdditionally, since new, the machine had a defective power cord connector. I had to hold the AC cord to the machine during a move, even tiny one. According to users online, this was not an unusual defect. Nor were the breaking USB connectors.
I reported problems to Dell support and shipped the machine to their Ontario depot. They called to ask for a substantial payment, saying the warranty did not cover the needed repairs. They wouldn't provide an explanation nor would the agent transfer me to a supervisor. Since I would not pay, they returned the computer.
Making contact with anyone in authority at Dell proved near impossible for a long time. Repeated emails went unanswered and telephone calls proved worthless. Eventually, someone at Dell realized that it was bad business to have tens of thousands of Internet readers reminded about the company's unwillingness to stand behind its warranty.
Even after they agreed to repair the faults, it was a zoo. They claimed to have sent a return pack (shipping box, waybill, etc.) but it didn't arrive. They phoned regularly to ask if I had received it and each time I said no, they promised to ensure it was dispatched immediately. We probably had more than 20 phone calls and after more than a month, the needed materials arrived. I returned the computer and heard nothing for almost two weeks. Then one day, Purolator showed up with the machine ready to go.
Dell had replaced the mother board, a daughter board and more. I still remain worried the same failures will occur again half a year or so down the road. I hope they fixed the underlying problem because connectors are worthless if they break easily when used as intended.
If you are having operating issues, try running Iobit's Advanced System Care free edition. It has been on PCMag's list of 100 best free software repeatedly.
DeleteI install, run, then uninstall. That way I avoid Iobit's constant reminders to "upgrade" to the pro edition.
Make sure you also run malware detection software. I use Malwarebytes Anti-Malware Free.
I have a laptop that is in dire need of repair. The problem is that the place that the manufacturer (Toshiba) recommends has a policy of erasing the hard drive if it is damaged or "the software is corrupted". The laptop's hard drive is perfectly fine, but it has only Linux installed on it, and I expect that Linux will be regarded as "corrupted" software, resulting in an unnecessary erasing of the disk
ReplyDeleteService depots make that warning to encourage computer owners to have up-to-date backups of their hard drive. Many repairs won't alter the disk, a few will. Customers need to be warned and encouraged to prepare for the eventuality of data loss.
DeleteMy repair issues did not involve the disk but I was prepared if it did come back empty. I'd be surprised if any manufacturer's repair depot cared about the contents of your computer. Linux is widely used and Toshiba won't be bothered by it. If you are concerned, call and ask first.
The warning is aimed at protecting you and, regardless, regular backups should be a part of any owner's practice. You can buy a 1 Tb USB 3.0 portable hard drive for $100 if you shop carefully. I keep copies of some files online and that can be inexpensive and convenient.
Here is a discussion that is worth reading for information about backups:
Do you backup your computer data?
Any word on what's happening at Alex's site. Is THIS the earlier-announced upgrade?
ReplyDeleteMy suspicious mind imagines a hostile attack by BC Christy viruses.
An interesting comment from an Albertan in the Globe and Mail. The article was on the idea of under-parties cooperating and putting ONE candidate against the Cons in some ridings, such as the Calgary by-election. http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/calgary-centre-a-wake-up-call-for-the-left-liberal-mp-says/article5749838/
ReplyDelete"Big Martini
11:41 AM on November 28, 2012
Its provincial, I know, but as an Albertan I can tell you there is a reason why Alberta is running 6 years of deficits even with $90+ oil. The issue is that Conservatives don't have to fight for votes, provincially or federally. You could run a scarecrow under a Conservative or PC banner and get elected. The result is a complete attitude of entitlement by government. Why bother being accountable? Look at Anders. The guy literally can just dial it in and get a six digit salary.
Thats why I have so much more respect for the Libs, Dippers, Greens, and maybe even Wildrosers in Alberta. They have to FIGHT for your vote. They have to EARN it. Something that the Conservatives never have to worry about.
When your MLA's and MP's run for office because it is an easy paycheck and looks good on a resume (Joan Crockatt) you just get bad MLA's and MP's. Sorry Alberta, you made your bed. You can sleep in it (just remember to make room for your deficit)."
Norm, regarding your captcha tool: I'm finding it much more friendly than Harvey's, which sometimes rejects me 5 times or more in a row. Harvey's is far clearer to read — though it seems to say "No soup for you!" for no reason, at times.
ReplyDeleteYour letters and numbers can be way more difficult to read, as they are mashed together and/or low-res. My trick is to enlarge the image (on my Mac) by holding down the Control key while I spin the mouse wheel. I know there's a similar move on a PC, so I hope this trick is useful to people that may not know about it.
Thanks for that. I hate the captcha tool but find that without it, I get close to 100 automated spam comments a day.
DeleteA copy of my letter to my MLA. I hope for an answer on Monday or Tuesday.
ReplyDeleteMr. Les,
In Ms. Clark's year-end interview that played on CTV a few days ago, she twice talked about the election in 2014 — and wasn't corrected by the interviewer.
The first was at 00:40 and the second was at 01:50.
I'm wondering if she was just confused, as she sometimes is about her son's age... or has something changed in the election date?
I await your reply.
Yours,
Barry Stewart
46015 Larter Ave.
http://bc.ctvnews.ca/video?playlistId=1.1091832
"The election will be May 14th, this year."
ReplyDeleteI just received this from Jon Les' office, today: January 3, 2013.
Keep that countdown clock running full steam, Norm!
Any ideas on how to speed it up?
DeleteWell, I remember my Grade 9 science class at Sutherland in North Van. Was it Mrs. Henderson? The clock was on the back wall of the class and low enough that anyone could reach it. For some reason it was missing its cover.
ReplyDeleteWhen the teacher wasn't watching, someone would go to the clock and manually advance the minute hand. Soon, our teacher would look up and see that time had flown. "Class dismissed!"
It worked a few times...
That might work. Anyone have access to Christy Clark's watch?
DeleteI got robo-polled today. I just happened to be home at about noon. I wasn't near a pen or paper, so I forgot the name of the polling company. It was based out of Ottawa but when I do a search, nothing familiar pops up. Not Angus Reid, Ipsos or Gallup — but it sounded familiar. Perhaps someone else got the call and took better notes.
ReplyDeleteAnyway, by the sound of the questions it was likely paid for by the NDP. "Press #1 for NDP," for example. I think the BC Christy party would put their name in the first position.
It was asking about my level of happiness with the current BC government, but also the opposition's effectiveness — and who I'd likely vote for.
Someone's getting ready.
BTW: I posted 15 of my BC blogger adverts today.
I was poking around at the BC Jobs Plan site and found the “Be the Finance Minister for the Day,” simulator tool.
ReplyDeleteWe love to critique the government's moves; now here's a chance to step back and be critical of our own thinking and biases. It's a rough tool and not dynamic, like the Sim City game but it gives you an idea of the give-and-take of budgeting.
Go ahead: play God for a few minutes and see if you can balance the budget. I did… though I’m sure I ticked off a lot of people!
http://www.bcjobsplan.ca/my-b-c-budget/
Norm, I had forgotten that you and I were co-winners of "TIME MAGAZINE'S 2006 PERSON OF THE YEAR." LOL!
ReplyDeleteIf we spread this news too far, the BC Liberals will use it in a multi-million advertising campaign claiming the award for Christy Clark.
DeleteBy the way, where are the certificate to hang on our walls or medals to wear around our necks?
I'm a long time reader of your blog. I wanted to thank you for taking the time to publish your blog.
ReplyDeleteKeep up the fight, because four years will go quickly if we use the time effectively to convince the voters for the next election.