Dubious merits

Prime Minister Stephen Harper reluctantly called two byelections for Sept. He waited until the very last day to call them. Vacant seats cannot defeat his government. The momentum gains against the presence of Canadian troops in Afghanistan.

For the longest time the Conservatives tried to spin the idea that our reluctance in further participation is equal to nonsupport of the troops. They play on guilt. Unfortunately, Canadians are coming to the conclusion that it may be time for other Nato partners to put up. We've done our share.

Maximum incompetent commanding General Hillier who seems to swim in the glory of being a wartime general, came out with the comment within this day that Canada should stay longer. The reason is that the Afghanistan Army won't be ready. This revelation came less than 48 hours after a command change in theater where the combat general said that the Canadian contingent was to be held in reserve since the Afghan Army was now ready to carry the load. Can anyone else detect the ever present disconnect?

Hobbyist

Aging provides an outlet for the pains saved carefully on the clicks of a calendar. Athletic endeavours so treasured once, take flight to background memory. Yet the brain must be exercised.

Needing a cheap hobby I've taken to Yahoo Answers. I found my favorite target. A new hobby revived.

Now understand the premise is lousy. A questioner often only accepts answers that supports his or her world view. Such a virtual department doesn't always mean that good answers amongst many will be accepted especially if you take after the questioner.

To make it worse the little Yahoo feature is polluted with stupid Americans. And I do mean they show up. And young ones too. Its easy to be a genius flower in a land so barren of scholarly endeavour. When you find such a flower pass it on.

I plug into it when listening to the Blue Jays lose. Now days I do it a lot. But its a fun hobby.

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QUESTIONS

democrats, how do you feel about the far left hijacking your party?
If you don't agree than you're in denial. The modern term for socialism is now liberalism.


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Me answer ||
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Not too good actually. But at least they managed to pass out of Junior High. How un-American.

- At the least they can count beyond t the twenty digits attached to their limbs. Obviously mathematically challenged they are. How un-American.

- At least they can vocalize a coherent sentence with proper grammar e.g. like the simple ability to know when to capitalize a question sentence and know the difference between "then" and "than". How un-American.

- At least they don't worship a glory golly presidential idiot. How un-American.

- At least they can walk and hold their mouths closed. This only substantiates the vicious rumor that unlike Republicans, those evil Democrats can also do that and chew gum. How un-American.

- At least they are genetically human and not direct jump morphed from Australopithecines. Oh wait see as a Democrat I am totally wrong. The species of Australopithecus possessed a far greater I.Q. Sorry. More research is needed. Oh wait. Republicans emerged from the Garden of Eden with the other snakes. How American.

- At least they wear hats, the brains aren't fried. Oh wait another Democratic error. Republicans don't need hats... No brains. How American.

- At least they are generous. You know when they turned 10 they gave up their books and crayons giving them to the young Republicans so they can pass their University finals. How un-American.

- At least they don't overdo eating beef. All that mad cow disease effects brains. Maybe that's why Republicans don't get that huh? How un-American.

Now you've moved the pointer to the right to point out the persistent flaws of the left. The big flaw of left wingers is the total inability of Democrats to accept horse plop.

So I totally agree with you. They just are not up to the fine Republican standards that has wrecked the environment, totally decimated American manufacturing, driven the nation into hopeless bankruptcy, caused a global conflict killing hundreds of thousands, isolating Americans internationally, corrupting the young, following a policy that insures that Americans continue to pay the highest health costs in the entire world and destroy any military credibility that this nation ever had, gut the emergency services to the point where two years after southern Louisiana still staggers under the burden of destruction. I totally agree with you those darn socialist Democrats could never ever match those fine achievements of the Republicans.

Let us take a small trip back into a socialist nightmare. Why under the last Democratic President, there was unprecedented economic growth, a vibrant manufacturing sector, growing international respect for Americans opinions and I dare say those foreigners were beginning to actually be fond of the Stars and Stripes. Whew close miss eh!

So looking at the list of that horrible nightmare under the last bunch of Democrats. And I hope you do point out the weird historical coincidence that no recession ever began under a Democrat, that every period of prosperity was under a Democratic government. This sort of thing is not good for America. Thank God for the Republican Party.

I mean you are totally right. I wholly agree with you. Such hijackers is revolting in the extreme. You are to be admired for such piercing insightful questions especially after the hours upon hours of research it would have occupied your otherwise busy day to conceive of such a piercing query. You sir, are an intellectual God wrapped for certain political glory. I am so happy you're a Republican. You are the living testament, the incarnation of that standard that will keep this country along the same great path over the last seven years.


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Libs, Who should make more money, a brain surgeon, or an artist?

Why do you think artists should be able to charge anything they want for a painting, but doctors should have set prices for health care?

What gives YOU the right to tell someone they aren't allowed to do what every other occupation in the U.S. can do?

Why do YOU think just because YOU need health care, that SOMEONE ELSE has to go to medical school, and treat you for non competitive wages?

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Me answer ||
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An artist. The works contribute to humanity for generations. Everyone remembers a muse. We remember Rembrandt, not his doctor. We remember Michaelangelo not his doctor. We remember Picasso not his doctor.We remember Mr. Spock not Dr. Spock.

Oh yes we remember Doctors. Doctor Livingstone, he sacrificed his life, earned almost no money in bringing modern medicine. Albert Schweitzer, a man, a doctor who gave everything to service mankind and a doctor. They had little wealth. Today's doctors are not here for mankind as a group they are greedy and evil.

Wounded soldiers in Iraq are saved by advanced medical techniques in forward field hospitals on a system. That system comes not from greed. It wasn't founded in Iraq, it wasn't founded in WWII. No the system was founded in the mid 1930's by a volunteer Canadian doctor by the name of Norman Bethune working in combat with the Red Army in China. And he died in service giving. He got no wealth from work. But his gift, his free medical artistry gave thousands of soldiers, your friends life. So America owes so much to a Canadian, a doctor, and a socialist. That's memorable. That sort of thing sticks in memory.

Now if you claim to advocate a moral ethical stance. Even Jesus railed against the money lenders. Money is the root of all evil. Therefore it is appropriate that you advocate the support of greed by money. Now you advocate, you measure by giving evil to the deserving doctors in your idea.

Brain surgeons only do operations on rich Republicans. Which begs the question how can these guys live on a vacuum?

So artists need not your money to prove who they are. The works they do... carries a greater reward. Their bodies suffer in poverty and die because they have little money. But from the ashes of their dreams it inspires future generations, molds future generations. Sates the quest of society for leadership in recording their contemporary world.

Doctors do nothing of that. They are such small people. They measure success in the size of the bank account, and the numbers of Mercedes parked in the garage. Medical types who seek money over service get rewarded by ignominy and disappear from human memory quickly.

Art is eternal. It sustains. It inspires. It lights. It is good. So it can never be compensated in any measure. It is beyond money. Beyond consumate evil.

These are not the evil people, these artists. It is appropriate that Conservatives measure everything in money not deeds. Doctors demand no respect. They just demand more and more money. So it is entirely appropriate that you a Conservative advocate, promote this need to move evil about to those deserving of it. Evil sees what evil does.

Fade to Black the Munchkins Cheer.

"It will startle an entire burgeoning industry of pundits, eulogists and curio-vendors, but I'm far from dead. When everyone is finished dancing on my grave, they may be disconcerted to find I am not in it." - Conrad Black email to journalist and all journalists everywhere.

The terrible reign wanes in a Chicago courtroom. Judge Amy St. Eve's assumed the role of Dorothy and used the power to drop the Castle on the cruel magician.

Dancing, the Munchkins cheer. And it happens, at this moment, the old boy’s apparently still quiescent underfoot.

A list grows. The mound on his mortuary pit grows smaller as thousands of tiny feet tamp the granules of dirt into concrete compaction. After the trail St. Eve's could likely come into Canada and get any golden praise. She could consume all the lecture dollars for two lifetimes.

As the days wander away from that memorable Friday, the real stories seep out of swamp mists of fear. The fog of libel threats finally abate in the reality that clear.

Oh the total irony. Lord Black always threatened court action against any journalist who threatened to, or spoke the truth in Canada about the peer.

Of the few who defied his obtuse regality, Linda McQuaig (picture top right) deserves the right to be the chief soprano of the Munchkin chorus. Her editors, even though they might be staff of a publication unowned by the noble baron still quaked in fear of his perceived wrath. Canadian media existed a desert of political thought of honest criticism.

Many others than the ever defiant, always editorial dampened Linda McQuaig, pestered away in the background. They came out today.

In addition to the choir leader McQuaig, ...Jay Bryan, Romina Maurino, and Chris Cobb sang different phrases. A very unique day.

I've spent the last few days perusing the journalistic spread of literary output from a variety of sources. Before and during the trial the information input consisted of expanded newswire material. Journalists tended to portray Black in a neutral image. One story from paper to paper was all the same.

After the trial, there seemed a moment where the newswire continued with the same churning. But Monday morning, the sun rose and journalists crawled out from their hiding places for the first time in almost two decades to actually feel liberated enough to register an opinion or story on the Canadian exile. Every story, every paper, almost every writer had completely different anecdotes, viewpoints. A rainburst on a parched landscape and the flowers bloomed on the desert scape of a latent media.

The long drought is over. The Munchkins cheer the rain as it hits the shriveling magician.

One must appreciate the Canadian view. In the short history it retained a British government system and monarchy but developed its own nobility. The British and European possess blood line nobles. The USA elected Senators assumed the baronial equal. In Canada very successful business people sated the need for this homegrown nobility.

It is why Canadian businessmen get away with crimes that any other class would be convicted of. When people ask why the Canadians didn't prosecute Black it is not because there isn't any laws against what they do, no contrary. Canada possesses a quite up to date list of legislation. Black almost got arrested for a variety of crimes including tax evasion, and those boxes. But the Crown Attorneys in Canada have their positions assured by the friends of the powerful so Black and his ilk can do almost anything short of murder and sexual assault.

Indeed the Canadians would have taken action but Jean Chretien the popular Prime Minister, familiar with the here to for hidden cases of Black's tax evasions decided to deny him the peerage offered by the very same monarch who ruled Canada. Black as it is known finally opted to severe his Canadian ties and on the way out gave comment to the effect that Canada was an unfit place to live.

To reflect the Canadian attitude over the lordship affair, by far the attitude was shared by all. Britain appeared overjoyed that they would steal such a brilliant powerful economic baron like Conrad Black. Most Canadians (not all) could be culled into a single phrase regarding Black. "Don't let the saloon door slap yer ass on the way out!"

For the first couple of years the former Canadians trashed their former country obliquely. Later astounding all to find that Lord Black wanted back into the Canadian Club public opinion even threatened its minority government if his credentials returned. Wasn't a British title good enough?

Still many neutral journalists cowered in fear of his worshipfully. Nary the stories emerged before. Now the winds of change continue slowly crushing the House of Crossharbour. The Munchkins cheer.

Give leave to McQuaig her obvious joy. She fought that large cruel shadow for years. A convicted felon, Lord Black can be legally denied re-entry to Canada. If it happens the government lasts only to the next ballot. Kudos to McQuaig. A hip hooray to St. Eves.

Dance on.
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Note: -

With all that said. There is another reality. While many cheer the strength of American penalties, one cannot appreciate that at Lord Black's age of 62 even an eight year sentence carries an onerous tone.

If the American prosecutor's suggestion of 15 to 20 years is upheld, personally I think its inappropriate. It is a life term in effect. Indeed a man of his gentility could find sufficient cause for self immolation. If he committed suicide then he might become celebrated and his memory mourned the wrong way.

Modern media doesn't lead. It twitches from popular to popular. It lacks the sense of a Metronome of society any more because of medias need for the advertising dollar. Its popular to bash Lord Black. He can not retalliate. He is a convicted felon regardless of, or until, the success of any appeal.

If you or I went to jail for the same thing it would be far less according to the modern themes of American justice sentencing. Go to jail. Its like tripping over a curb. I have nothing. Comparatively, Black's demise equals a rapid uncontrolled descent from the top of the CN Tower.

Black has an absurd sense of history. He considered himself a historical figure not one that causes hysteria. Considering this I believe that Black is not a flight risk, however he is a suicide risk. A man with his sense of history must be sensing that fate, thinking that fate right now.

This man must live. Yes a tortuous shamed existence albeit. But hey, join the club with us impoverished mushrooms.

More appropriately this man who always threatened the weapon of litigation upon litigation, faces total torture. Even without prison from now on this man is a prisoner. He will certainly face decades of litigation, constant attacks on his declining fortune. Even without jail, justice is certain. However none of these convictions deserve a life sentence.

Vectors

Extinction events occur in the paleontological record ever since the rocks of this planet recorded the history of Life. The classic events of mass extinction are the Permian And the KT extinction at the end of the Cretaceous.

It is the normal course for most every species. Of course to balance this off, new species are expected to fill the vacant niches in the environment.

The reasons for extinction occupy a long and interrelated list. Often an extinction may be the result of the introduction, or the evolution of a genetic challenger or the result of an astronomical object striking the earth and radically altering the geography and climate of the species environment.

Understanding that extinction can evolve out of a range of causes, often a combination of causes makes the prevention of extinction a questionable effort. Some species may be subject to extinction vectors in a complete separate reason than sourcing it to human causes.

Indeed humankind appears presumptuous that it alone is the cause of a species extinction. Interfering to prevent that extinction may be wrong. So complete study of the environment and the species are always necessary.

What are the individual causes, the vectors to extinction.?

1. Human interference, specifically reasons such as artificially altering an environment, over hunting a species beyond its capacity to reproduce, or introducing a poison or toxin to the species environment.

2. Disease. Often viruses will effect a species far beyond its innate capacity to reproduce. In other words the population falls below numerically its capacity to maintain a population due to natural methods of replication.

3. Volcanism, The planet experiences periods of frantic volcanic activity. The period we exist appears to be a relatively quiet one. But as evidenced on the Indian Subcontinent the Siberian Traps and the Deccan Traps are geological features that indicate a violent period of volcanic activity. Such an aggressive period would have had a severe adverse effect on the environment.

3. Astronomical events. This vector is best demonstrated by the meteor impact event at the Cretaceous-Tertiary (KT) period. Such an astronomical event certainly would be deadly to any species concentrated in the locality of the impact zone. So it is an extinction vector. Whether it is the sole extinction vector of the dinosaur on a global scale remains open to challenge.

4. Food scarcity. Or starvation. In the natural world many species are so dependent on another single species, either plant or animal, that if one species changes or alters that predatory species will also significantly decline.

Since the parasitic or predatory species is often numerically inferior and a slower reproducer its capability to maintain population may be in jeopardy.

5. Climatic - The planet may get cooler or warmer and quickly. Indeed, extinction of many species is the regrettable forecast for human caused global warming. This occurs naturally due to the change in the related orbit and angle to the Sun.

6. Tectonic - The moving of the planets tectonic plates is a major extinction vector. It is closely related to the others. Continental plates move in and out of the trade winds, into or out of the polar regions. Mountains thrust up or volcanoes are created effecting the surrounding climate.

7. Genetic evolution. At every stage a species can be supplanted by a genetically superior rival in a specific environmental niche.

So this is a brief list of the many vectors to extinction. Most of these vectors are natural. Discerning which is an extinction due to natural vectors and the human caused vectors can be difficult.

Every species is born into a world enters into a myriad of vectors all pointed to extinction. Certainly the presence of humans enhances many adverse vectors and suppresses animal populations below their capacities to naturally reproduce.

What are the primary human caused vectors?

1. Predation. Humans, despite the howls of Vegans, primarily evolved as a predatory Primate. It is significantly proven in the fossil record. Humans may have hunted many species to the point of extinction or below the species capability to naturally replicate itself enough to maintain a thriving population.

2. Climatic change. Well Global warming.

3. Poisons - introduction of chemicals and durable synthetic or manmade items into the environment.

4. Environmental demands. Many of the preferable sites of human habitation are also the same preferred habitats of many species. Humans put housing and create industry on prime habitat.

Those are the basic human generated vectors to animal extinction. They don't deter the naturally occurring vectors. Many species already lived on the thin edge of natural extinction vectors before the sudden advent of humanity. Humans are a relatively new species in the natural history of earth. And few animals can compensate quickly enough for the presence of this Primate.

Okay, humans can do all the things to reduce the vectors. Limit predation (hunting) of threatened species. Quit human activity on the remaining habitat. Eliminate the burning of hydrocarbons by humans. Completely eliminate chemical discharges. Recycle chemical and human made materials.

Yet humans could significantly reduce the strength of extinction vectors on many species but will never completely eliminate the event of natural extinction vectors. It is important to appreciate the difference, and effective if humans to learn to do reduce their impact.

Dancing

One Conrad Black, Lord of Cross Harbour, future Duke d'Stateville, enterred Friday the 13th of June 2007 still confidant that no jury would convict him on the evidence provided by the prosecution. Black exited the day a convicted felon.

One could gloat over this. Except that is what he always did to those opposed to his will. He did say something, and another arrogant comment it is. He alluded that to all those waiting to dance on his grave will find him gone.

Oh the woes now. Black apparently had a long list of libel actions sitting on the back burner waiting to go. Well that is the sound, the music of a flushing toilet. Let's all dance to its wonderful notes.

Greasing the Gullible

Over recent days I've received quite a few comments on Northern Ontario severance. All of them are interesting. All lack a complete understanding of how Ontario politics really work.

After this government gets down to basics. An aside you will note. I do not define which party is in power. Note that. In their treatment of Northern Ontario each and every Party has promised the North this or that. And every party has delivered on Nothing.

And I don't refer to the little crap. I mean the meat and potatoes of good administration. To the southern Ontario government, despite the expressed woes about how expensive and difficult things are they haven't delivered on a substantial Northern Ontario focussed capitalization.

Yes they will back up their buddies in the forest and mining industries. But all the profits from those corporations stream south because all the head offices are in Toronto or in the GTA (Group of Total Assholes).

Nothing they do is focussed to help Northern Ontario. Okay people cite the Highways. The southern Ontario government always trots them out like they are doing the North a favor.

Well what a crap. Highway 11/17 has only one purpose. It is to get southern Ontario goods to the west efficiently. That's it. That's in the history of those two arteries. They are National links.

If the province was serious about true Northern Development. Big Trout Lake would've had a road twenty years ago. There would be a Highway route to Moosenee. There would be a highway linking Thunder Bay with the Port of Churchill.

So many towns still rely on ice roads. A northern Ontario run government would've dealt with this false isolation years ago.

And what about the countless industries that Northern towns court only to lose them magically to southern towns. Do you expect that there will be fair play as long as northern development is left in the hands of southern biased bureaucrats. You want to know the moaning about the Bombardier plant in Northern Ontario?

During this last bidding process Thunder Bay almost lost this contract to the Europeans because a large segment of Southern Ontario do not regard Thunder Bay as being an integral part of Ontario. I'm down here now. That's exactly the attitude expressed. And I don't know the disposition of the terrifically stupid street car contract. Its up for bidding still.

These are contracts to help Toronto. Not help Northern Ontario. All the profits made from those contracts will depart Northern Ontario and leave only behind the value of the wages behind. It is not an Northern Ontario company it is a Quebec company.

Back to the ten percent rule. Like I stated anyone from Northern Ontario who actually believes that the southerners are telling the truth about this are totally blind. They haven't followed the history of this.

Interesting comments but everyone is quoting the 10% figure. Just how is this going to work?

I am telling you all. It is so many words spewed by an arrogant southerners. You see at present the view of Northern Ontario held by southerners isn't the same view held by northerners.

FYI. The existing law is as follows. All the ridings in the province of Ontario must also be equivalent to federal riding boundaries. That is the law.

Now provincial governments are notoriously lazy. And they lie. Do you believe for one instance that this province will convene members to allocate extra ridings to Northern Ontario. The Southern Riding MPPs would protest. The Toronto MPPs will protest.

This is just a pre-election promise. Get it in writing. Even if you do. It will be all lies. All this promises is a bunch of 10% hooey. Smoke and mirrors.

So southerners regard northerners as slow and stupid. Thats the truth. And with this ten percent figure the commentors insist as the gospel only substantiate that thought.

Here's why. Pay attention to just how sleazy the southern Ontario political leaders are. All parties. NO EXCEPTION. Lets say the proposed number of seats is 108. Its 103 now. And five or six are being added. Thats only one seat for the north at the most.

Second. Everyone who commented about the ten percent. Didn't understand at all that at present time. The North has at least 11 percent. So next redistribution the North loses one. Probably more.

Here's why? NOW PAY aTtEnTion. You guys don't do your political homework.

Every one commenting has referred to those ridings being north of the French River right. In the Reign of Terror of Mike, the Psyche, Harris, the damn boundary moved big time. He wanted to give Parry Sound and save his buddy Ernie's seat some extra funding from the Northern Ontario development fund. To make this feasible, that government moved the southern edge south from the French River to a line south of Muskoka from Midland and across the Northern tip of Lake Simcoe.

So you know the extension of the 401 north of Waubeshene? Thats Northern spending. Ernie got his spending. Moved ridings. Dumped his wife. Married a rich bitch. Regardless all that spending into Muskoka comes out of the Northern budget in the view of Ontario.

In all my readings... All of them... That little policy Law has never, never, never, ever been revoked by the last party or the present one. It is still in force.

So the boundary to the southern Government is far more south than the traditional Northern view. Do the Parry Sound to Bancroft people consider themselves Northerners. Well no. And when there is extra Northern funding... Well yes.

To the Province with the extra two or three ridings already in the Muskoka extension. To them, Northern Ontario doesn't have 11 it has 15. And that dear Suzies, is why the southern Ontario government says with a very straight face that Oh yes, You got your ten percent. You can already give up two ridings safely. And if they have to add they will add a riding somewhere around Orillia.

Thus these comments about the 10% rule is false. Because none have defined the boundary of Northern Ontario. If they give up a seat in your north, they'll move it to Muskoka and it will still be Northern Ontario.

Don't buy the line of Bullshit. Under their proposal under their rules. If you use the present southern Ontario Boundaries Northern Ontario presently is closer to 18% of the legislature. Under their boundaries. Northern Ontario, north of the French River, the real Northern Ontario would not qualify for any proportional representation. In fact it might owe.

The method they will use to deprive the North of representation is simple. The north, the French River boundary will lose up to two more elected seats and will only get one single proportional representative. I dare say that all or most of the proportional seats will go to the cottage (not camp) buddies in Muskoka.

Proportional representation only works in Urban areas not Rural areas.

Have you got the same Question?

This was a Question on Yahoo Answers. Well at first I thought it might be one of the weirder questions. Everyone else answered like "They aren't resentful." or some healthy things replied that they knew a person and they didn't seem that way. Well lets cut to the chase. Normally I don't bring my pandering answers over here to record since any answer to any problems carries an inherently ethereal nature. Well you were bored. Might as well make you mad too. It won't be picked as the correct answer. I've learned one thing. People only vote for the answer they want not the one that really exists.

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Do unemployed blind/visually impaired/physically disabled persons resent those with jobs?

Again serious replies only. What I am basically asking do you think those who are unemployed or underemployed or on disability resent those disabled and non disabled persons who have full or part time jobs? If you do pls tell me why? If not pls tell me why not as well. Thank you.


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Well working against the stream of thought expressed by the youthful able bodied here. After 15 years of having a disability, honestly. Yes tremendously resentful. Absolutely resentful and beyond any measure British or metric system.

Why shouldn't one be resentful? If you are disabled you are plunged into poverty due to employers demonstrating absolute bias.

A lot of disabled and challenged people put on the happy face. They'll put it on here. Oh they'll say that they aren't. Well that’s a bunch of horse crap.

You know why? Because many people who register an opinion here while being able bodied can't look themselves in the face if they say otherwise. I see it everyday on the streets where I hustle from service agency to service agency simply to stave off the pangs of hunger. These moral people registering a NO. What a total crock. What a absolute lie.

Now why am I resentful. First off. I look at a lazy suit winding his ass out of some taxi into a large office tower and know that SOB or SOBess will do little more than read a couple of screens, sign a paper, move some documents around, or sit for hours on end saying yes for some idiot boss who really is trying to decide which golf course they should call for tomorrow morning. I can do that.

Murderers, yes murderers and criminals get out of jail with a degree and all the social science to help to get a job. The social scientists fall all over themselves trying to rehabilitate these insufferable violators. You know my crime? I got injured.

Thats it. I got injured on the job. I got a life sentence of abysmal poverty. The employer couldn't wait to get rid of me. They got their money out of my work. I didn’t even get a good luck. And I am not the only one who experiences this commercial callousness.

Then the government stepped into "help". And help they did. They did everything to prove that I wasn't really injured even though I couldn't move to the toilet without screaming to myself in constant pain. The medical professionals did everything to prove that I should not receive any benefits from being injured.

And you know what I've learned. I am not the only one. There are thousands upon thousands of old bodies, wasted human hulks forced into shelters, soup kitchens and squalid rooms on the hidden streets of every city. I go into soup lines and soup kitchens and see people pushed onto the heap of the unseen.

You know the city council's idea of helping the homeless and poor. Declare panhandling a crime. Imprison homeless. Harass the poorly dressed every time. This happens every time a tourist bus may see some poor person sleeping on the exhaust steam of a sidewalk grate.

This society shoves the unprivileged like India treats its Daleks or Untouchables. Then hand out benefits to foreigners from other countries. To their own refugees. To their own relatives. To their very own citizens this society banishes from equality.

Families reject them because people lose their job or they shut off the phones because their injured relative may come searching for a meal or clothes. Wives see the light and leave with all the cash. Husbands take off for some obscure reason unrelated to having no income horse. Of course if these same family members have an emergency, well the only time they call when they need assistance because you or that member of the family is on welfare and gee they have spare time.

This society callously hurls the mentally challenged into the streets with overpaid fatuous medical professionals writing out false reports or results from mis-diagnosis.

This modern society claims that it is good and moral. Horse crap. This postulation is total, absolute horse crap and total hypocrisy.

This society will tolerate food banks but not address financially the root causes forcing the need of those food banks. Food banks should not exist in a kind society.

Oh yes there will be some here who complain that this isn't true. But I walk that path everyday. I see it up close. So close you can smell the breath of poor. It stinks. Fumes reach up your nose and into your very soul.

I see people rotting. Driven to crack. Driven to drugs by a cold evil society fundamentally living a dream world cloaked by a facade of total hypocrisy.

Every day I look into the eyes, the depths of their souls. These poor they are like me. I know their pain. And resentful is the sea of their daily lives.

But to eat. To find a place to sleep. To find a cheap way of getting smashed to obliterate that crap feeling of alienation, of sheer loneliness of the embrace of social rejection. They live each day. Someone dies each day.

Oh yes a smile for the person that hands them a coin. A thank you.

Oh a cheerful... "Well I'm okay. {No I am not resentful.}" This is the answer to you. You want it straight. That's straight. That's a straight lie. I see its guts. There is monumental resentment and resentful bitterness.

They are afraid that if society or their relatives find out. Why the great lie? Society may decide in its callous response to cut off all assistance instead. You know the old well if you're not happy well then fruit you. All the crumbs might be cut off.

Do I sound resentful. Hey I can do a lot of things. I know a lot of things. I have monster skills. You know why? The only difference. I got a wonky back and now I am very old. That's it.

Do you think I am resentful.You bet.

But don't think for a minute that I don't appreciate every day the efforts of those very few, those very few like some social workers (not all...) and the efforts of the Salvation Army. I thank whatever God they want me to thank.

You want to see a real Christian. Not the right wing nut bars who claim family values, get into government and stay in office by cutting the meager benefits of the poorest. They say they are Christians. No church can claim to be Christians except the Salvation Army. They walk the walk and do the talk. To them I can never be resentful.

I am not a Christian by any sense of the word. To say otherwise, would be a total lie. But if I was I would definitely be in the Salvation Army. No question.

Never confuse or intermix the thankfulness for resentment, the help by the very few as compared with the vast majority of self righteous pompous suburban hypocrites that populate the concrete canyons of the inner city. It is quite easily to keep separate that appreciation, and indebtedness towards those few with the absolute resentment towards the others.

Do I feel resentful. Oh yes and most of the untouchables of this absolutely hypocritical society do. I can see it deep in their hearts every day. I'm entitled to be resentful. Its working out to be a cheap reward the only social reward for my constant and growing pain.

Technical Poverty

The following is a excerpt from an email to a wonderful married couple I know. It attempted to explain one wish. Unbeknown to many, there are people like Brian Dykes, Peter Dyett and Kenn Hyslop who in the little ways and unseen ways that try to keep the poor free of technical poverty. Their names should be mention in a little honor roll somewhere apart from a small online blog.

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Good to see you've survive those Eastern journeys except for the Montreal visit in a couple of days.

In reply to number 4. I am already a volunteer at one of those programs. They do go on under the radar. Out of the light of social scrutiny. My little contribution presently is at the Fred Victor Centre Computer Clubs under Brian Dykes. Thats exactly what we do. The club takes older computers, used computers, so that they are reasonably usable even for word processors. And they are quickly gobbled up.

The real problem is that a lot of whole systems in the social service centres are now reaching their maximum technical lifetime all at once. And used systems will not do. A used system costs the same amount to install and license.

Further, social service centres such as social services which did not have computer access to the internet find it difficult to allocate resources to install such now necessary systems. Street Haven last I heard was one of those places. Established systems, heavily used, very necessary computer systems such as found at the Good Neighbours Club are a decade old now.

Microsoft/Bill Gates did develop systems for students and some youth centres about five years ago. This was a great gesture. Those systems are now about 5 years old though which is about 66% effective technical lifetime.

Most of these systems were part of a fury of computerization and renovation in the years leading up to 2yk. Social services could then get a system on demand literally. It was a social effort. But that was 8 years ago. So all these systems are now, due for replacement. And almost all at once.

I quite understand the position of the social service agencies. Government spending on the homeless, under-housed, mental health, disabled, unemployed hasn't matched the increases in income or poverty level despite the oratory to the contrary. The priorities are Food, Shelter, Health, Clothing, Counseling, HARM, Abuse, Employment assistance. All those are extremely important priorities. Fred Victor Centre did maintain an operating budget on the computer services and there is a constant upgrade. Unfortunately for other service agencies they did not have the same foresight and quite understandably, they moved those budgeted funds to the more necessary priorities. But Peter is now knocking on the door "Hey Paul, Waddup?"

What I am concerned is that the multitude people trapped in such financial poverty, social class poverty may also be at the edge of another disadvantage and that is a technical poverty. Such an advent construes social catastrophe. So much of our modern society now totally depends on computers and the internet.

You see I was standing outside Queen's Park's MacDonald Block several years ago when the power failed in Ontario and New York. As a result all work stopped. I mean everything from traffic to the bureaucracy. They had no usable computers.

Ten years, just a decade before that, these same people would have gone back in and continued to work the government's gargantuan work. People were happy of course. It was late summer, and the weather was great. But all business ceased and a crush of quiet descended on an entire city.

People who have an income will now spend some small part of their labour's stipend on computers and the internet. It is necessary to keep their jobs. It is now necessary to get jobs. Its now essential to download music from the internet. Music stores are now closing left right and centre. In an other ten years music will all be downloaded.

So in one moment the poor are disadvantaged by a lack of proper nutrition, proper housing, proper health response. Now add on a lack of vital

As you can see, I am heavily involved in this but I have no contact with Bill Gates or no one important at all. I am not in his social circle or any other recognized social circle. I am very poor. Money means status. Had I such a contact with Bill Gates and government leaders, I would state the need, not only for Toronto but this has to be going on in every major municipality from coast to coast to coast. In Canada and the USA for that matter. I would say. Hey this is "your" idea. {All this} is happening.

But since I am not in that position, socially, financially, healthily, a complete social outcast in other words. I am afraid people like Mr. Dykes effort, and my effort will be lost. And it is going to be another wish unfulfilled.

On the other hand. Maybe the CBC can stereoize Toronto's CBC One. I don't know. Its an achievable thing. And necessary.