CWSS#3
(Official version)
Everything spoke to the day. Christmas just passed. School days existed on the other side of New Year's.
Santa didn't pile on the coal. Instead, adventure sang on the day. A new pair of Faber racing snowshoes stood waiting in the corner by the back door.
Calling friends likewise equipped with snowshoes, the great conference decided on a major expedition up Signal Hill. The primary goal was to look for signs of the lost Franklin Expedition or any other pirate's treasure may happen. The fact that six feet of snow lay quiet on the local planet failed to mitigate those hopes.
As a result, the three of us came to a grotto which stood like an archaic fortress. It was two thirds square and the twenty foot cliffs were sheer and precise. This grotto captured a lot of snow. My companions Danny and Jimmy panted happy.
After much speculation on the probabilities that this was the original source of the British Stonehenge circle of stones, Danny piped up that this is also a good place to jump into the snow. He dared us. He didn't Double Dog dare us thus leaving us a choice. The decision to proceed albeit was to proceed.
We snowshoed easily to the top and removed them at the miniature cliffs. Below lay an inviting cushion of white virgin snow ready to receive the defilement of human meteor legs. Carefully, I chose to go third. The big idea guy, Danny automatically decided to go first due to a lack of choice since he made the dare.
The next step was to toss our shoes into the snow a few yards beyond our landing zones. There was no sense in our logic, to leave them on top since we needed them to
It did beg the question today, in the wisdom of hindsight. Just wondering about opinions. Its about falling humans. After landing, do those same guys become humanites?
Danny jumped into the snow, and began laughing. Jimmy went to the edge. He carefully chose his landing spot. He jumped into the snow, and began laughing.
Okay time to let you into a secret. I have always had a weird fear of heights. I didn't shake, rather I would go all dizzy and loose my balance. The snow below temporarily conquered that illogic.
Carefully I picked a four foot patch of snow right in between the landings of the laughing boys. It was equidistant. Right there in the middle.
Jumping with confidence, I soared like a rock. It was too quick. Before the snow stopped the force of my plunge my right leg caught on something snapping the right leg into my right chest. Oh it hurt. The companions looked confused this time for they saw a bent over hulk of kidness groaning in pain.
“You okay?” they chorused.
Oh did that hurt the body. I grunted yes. I fell off what it was. What it was, ... was a fallen tree a deadfall hidden by the snow.
I struggled off the hill. Luckily the good thing was that it was uphill going down.
After the snow melted. I climbed back to see a greying deadfall three feet high. After climbing back there several times on other major explorations, I got recall and the anger made me hatchet the thing.
(short unofficial version)
I jumped off a twenty foot rock cliff into a snowbank. I caught my leg on a hidden deadfall injuring myself.
Saturday, February 28, 2009
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
Desertrata
Coming from a far side of the world, two thousand aboriginal languages do not contain sufficient curse words to sum up this day. The torture continues for another couple of days.
Mail I didn't receive, is not here. I was actually waiting for it for the first time. Remarkable, for when I don't wait for it, it shows up on time. So goes the day.
I think I know what is wrong. But not how to make things right. Plus making things right will return no benefit. It sort of sums things up.
Mail I didn't receive, is not here. I was actually waiting for it for the first time. Remarkable, for when I don't wait for it, it shows up on time. So goes the day.
I think I know what is wrong. But not how to make things right. Plus making things right will return no benefit. It sort of sums things up.
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
From Colbert to Collangelo but not back
Very likely the award winning comment about this year's Oscars, came from the Colbert Report. Stephen Colbert stated pointing into the camera, “Its true, this year's Oscar's were outsourced!”
===--=
Here's another good thing about getting white hair with age. When a guy doesn't bother shaving for a week, it doesn't show all that much. And another plus, the scruffy old guy look scares children. All thumbs up.
===--=
This winter sports season appears to be off the rails for people in Toronto. Not a single professional major league sports team in Toronto will get into any post regular season playoffs. The Maple Leafs will miss... the playoffs for a fourth year in a row ...the draft lottery high picks. They are too good, to be that bad. They are too bad to be any good. So upset is the Maple Leafs management, the board approved the decision to raise ticket prices yet again.
The Blue Jays prospects look grim this season. Vernon Wells appears damaged to start the season. The pitching staff, with the exception of Halladay, seems like they just graduated kindergarten. The second best pitcher last season opted for free agency and signed with the New York Yankees. On the other hand that particular hurler tends to only play well in the contract year which is one good season in four, so a warning to the Yankees. The steroids issue dampens fan enthusiasm.
Not only that, the owner of the team, Dead Rogers, passed away officially last fall. This literally froze the budgets of all his corporate legacies. The Jays cannot make a major budget decision on hiring big ticket free agents, because as a corporate division of the Roger's empire, they are restricted by the rules of will probate. And Rogers legacy aint your normal estate, this business empire was both large and complex. The normal one year probate period will be three to four year's longer. So the Jays will be financially mired for at least two more years in the best scenario.
Brian Collangelo picked up some tarnish this season. Likely the best executive in the National Basketball Association, all his skilled moves during this season got a low grade. At the moment each trade or sign move was done he earned kudos. Later that player, showed up for the pay day but not play day. Collangelo had to fire the crusty Sam Mitchell replacing him with the milquetoast Jay Triano. The goal was to light a fire under the team. One cannot ignite wet wood though.
Its the old adage. The game must be played on the court. Somebody should tell the basketball players that. Of course the Toronto media appear blind to that point. A coterie of ex-sports managers cum talking heads manage with skilled hindsight launching criticism after criticism. So far behind the playoff spot, even with a good winning streak, the Toronto Crapdoors won't make this post season.
Of course one sports expert of which I don't have the right spelling but sounds like Charlie Pallileo (sportswriter – Houston?) commented on the morning 590Fan. He brought a new viewpoint to the issue, “Well how would you guys like to live in Seattle?”
===--=
Here's another good thing about getting white hair with age. When a guy doesn't bother shaving for a week, it doesn't show all that much. And another plus, the scruffy old guy look scares children. All thumbs up.
===--=
This winter sports season appears to be off the rails for people in Toronto. Not a single professional major league sports team in Toronto will get into any post regular season playoffs. The Maple Leafs will miss... the playoffs for a fourth year in a row ...the draft lottery high picks. They are too good, to be that bad. They are too bad to be any good. So upset is the Maple Leafs management, the board approved the decision to raise ticket prices yet again.
The Blue Jays prospects look grim this season. Vernon Wells appears damaged to start the season. The pitching staff, with the exception of Halladay, seems like they just graduated kindergarten. The second best pitcher last season opted for free agency and signed with the New York Yankees. On the other hand that particular hurler tends to only play well in the contract year which is one good season in four, so a warning to the Yankees. The steroids issue dampens fan enthusiasm.
Not only that, the owner of the team, Dead Rogers, passed away officially last fall. This literally froze the budgets of all his corporate legacies. The Jays cannot make a major budget decision on hiring big ticket free agents, because as a corporate division of the Roger's empire, they are restricted by the rules of will probate. And Rogers legacy aint your normal estate, this business empire was both large and complex. The normal one year probate period will be three to four year's longer. So the Jays will be financially mired for at least two more years in the best scenario.
Brian Collangelo picked up some tarnish this season. Likely the best executive in the National Basketball Association, all his skilled moves during this season got a low grade. At the moment each trade or sign move was done he earned kudos. Later that player, showed up for the pay day but not play day. Collangelo had to fire the crusty Sam Mitchell replacing him with the milquetoast Jay Triano. The goal was to light a fire under the team. One cannot ignite wet wood though.
Its the old adage. The game must be played on the court. Somebody should tell the basketball players that. Of course the Toronto media appear blind to that point. A coterie of ex-sports managers cum talking heads manage with skilled hindsight launching criticism after criticism. So far behind the playoff spot, even with a good winning streak, the Toronto Crapdoors won't make this post season.
Of course one sports expert of which I don't have the right spelling but sounds like Charlie Pallileo (sportswriter – Houston?) commented on the morning 590Fan. He brought a new viewpoint to the issue, “Well how would you guys like to live in Seattle?”
Not alikey
[auth. Feb 22]
The new economic depression is not anything like the Great Depression on so many levels.
Yes, the devastating statistics point out that this depression is just as severe. Beyond numbers, the other major likeness to the Great Depression lies with the overall cause. That economic downturn was caused by corrupt, arrogant, greedy financiers, bankers and investors. In short, every depression is caused by some sort of greed. Greed causes the economic system to function, but like any drug addict avarice causes journeys beyond the safe limits and total hangovers.
Another similarity is that both economic struggles featured Conservatives in control of governments in the USA and Canada. And uniquely in Canada's case, both Prime Ministers were seated from Alberta. Both RB. Bennett and Stephen Harper are MP's from that province. The latter though is a skilled economist and more attune to the economic moves.
Experts in the later twentieth century stated that a severe depression would never happen again. Regulations placed upon business and finance before 1980, put checks on greed. With the re-emergence of right wing factions in North America, those checks were slowly removed. The advocates of deregulation put forward that government regulations impaired profits. Right wing politicians laden with campaign funds from this lobbying, removed those checks and audits. Naturally, this allowed conditions for severe depression to crawl back as a threat.
The economic structure of the late 1920's was fundamentally different than now, the turn of the millenia. In this period, in Canada the economic structure is based on high level technology, people services and raw resources. Comparing this economy and the financial structure ninety years ago, the outstanding fact indicates that the base economy of economy was agrarian and rural.
Today Canada urban society structures dominate. This provides us with a very different economic base. The urban family consumer unit provides the foundation of the older economy. The mixed family farm dominated rural society and provided the foundation of economy of the early Great Depression period.
What most impacts the 1930's economic tsunami lies in the timing. Coincident with the severe economic decline, a major prolonged period of drought occurred on the North American great plains. Had the drought occurred a decade earlier or later, there would have been a strong depressing influence on economic activity but societies could have coped. Most of today's experts forget to take this drought into account.
To the investor, that period was called “the Great Depression”. To the farmer, that period was known as “the Dirty Thirties.” Farmers considered the drought more devastating than the low point in the economic cycle. Bankers couldn't loan money they didn't have. Bankers loan money on the base of repayment.
The farmers went to the bank to obtain the loans to provide the spring seed planting to happen. Bankers knew that the productivity of the land on a fair to good year was more than sufficient to cover the costs of borrowing and provide the bank customer, the farmer with an adequate income. One or even two bad years of drought or climactic adversity the farmers could recover those losses. However during the 1930s the severe drought, which extended at least four years, deepened the effect of the economic low cycle.
This essay however is a discussion of generalities. Discussion on agriculture economics. We move on into government policy. Today governments are far more interventionist than they were in the 1930's.
President Herbert Hoover, in the USA and Prime Minister RB Bennett in Canada didn't intervene. Indeed the financial reporting of the period was absolutely slow and unreliable. Bad performance of an economic sector wouldn't be known or understood for years.
Today, poor economic performance and the depth of analytics are extremely detailed and almost instant. Late last year, the financial sector knew they were in trouble within days or hours of the economic crash. Examining the historic recession/depressions the cycle time between occurrence, recognition, and social response has been shortening.
For instance, in the Great Depression the cycle times was on average twelve months or more. In this case the government and social response to economic depression was years. The trigger stock market crash occurred in 1929. RB Bennett's government didn't begin to respond until two years later.
In 1974, which is a recession/depression with many similarities to today's depression than any other economic downturn, the government response took about a fiscal quarter, or three plus months. This is because the companies reported by quarters.
By 1992 after a brief depression in the early 1980s, this reporting and solutions were on a monthly cycle. Computers and accounting practice vastly improved in both quickness and quality. Reporting was still in quarters and monthly but business performance could be determined by a single company on a daily basis.
By 2009, though the advent of the computer, and the gigantic strides of computing enabled companies to know their economic position almost instantly. Indeed the stream of data into the stock exchanges have not only enabled investors, financiers and governments to understand the state of the economy in real time but these numbers are so accurate that any group can build an economic model to accurately predict or forecast the economic environment as much as a quarter or three months ahead of the present moment.
Any event to response cycle, now shifts to the later. The problem of dated accurate financial performance has been eliminated. The shift of time moves heavily into the response. With the problems quickly identified there is incredible pressure to reach a quick decision, and a quick response. There appears little time to sit back and think about the situation.
Still it is extremely advantageous for any company or government to see the crisis in a real time basis. At this point, one can use the fire station model or the emergency response model. The earlier one gets to an emergency event such as a fire or heart attack the better. Survival rates are dramatically improved for any victims. In this comparison the economy is very similar. The quicker a response to an economic crisis the better.
Provided there is enough regulatory power in place, an economic response by a company or government is far more effective and successful when dealing with economic problems swiftly. Here is where government intervention appears different than the 1930s. In that time past, government intervention in economy was frowned upon. Even Liberal leaning politicians were loathe to sponsor programs for which no tax moneys existed. Today is different.
What struck me, or shocked me, was that in the US Congress was not arguing whether or not to intervene in this economy. The question didn't even break down on party lines. In this matter, the Congress was arguing how to intervene. Republicans were leaning to support government tax reductions, while the Democrats were arguing for stronger rescue packages by handing more money into the troubled sectors. Unlike the 1930s, few politicians, if any, were advocating a non-interventionist position.
There is bipartisan agreement in the US and Canada for government deficits. One of the greatest challenges to the economic challenge of the Dirty Thirties was the lack of government intervention. Even with implementation of Roosevelt's New Deal there were gaping holes, and mistakes. It is because the reaction was late in coming and the advent of a deep prolonged period of drought. Many of the New Deal programs were successful and many were not.
Another huge difference is that the economic depression of the 1930s appeared severe in North America. The depression was not universal for the simple fact that global economic interdependence wasn't as prevalent. Today's economic downturn is definitely world wide.
In the 1930s, very few government programs existed. Few pension plans existed. No government funded welfare existed. No universal medical care existed. No unemployment insurance plans existed. No public housing existed. No worker's compensation plans existed. No government deficit fundings existed.
Businesses, and governments could and did lay off people without cause, without notice, without reference, without pension, and without severance. Vacation pay and sick days did not exist. Those are the obvious factors that are different in comparisons.
Government workers lacked secure jobs. When tax revenues dried up governments simply stopped funding. People were laid off summarily with little or no warning from companies and governments. All these facets we rather take for granted today. But all of these factors exist today. All these socialist liberal ideas manage to cushion the advent of economic downturns.
Another large difference is in the actual social structure beyond the family farm of the past. In that world, a single income on the farm or in the city could pay for family food, housing, needs, and school. Women contributed to economy by homework. Working at home was far more difficult than today. Clothes washing was largely by hand. Vacuum cleaners did not really exist. Electrical power did not go into every home. In short, it was a totally different world on the individual level.
Today the highlight of the modern family is the dual income. Indeed, in today's world two incomes are a necessity to maintain the modern lifestyle. Women are a major part of the workforce. Layoffs while debilitating for incomes, does not mean instant disaster. Often one spouse is not laid off. While job loss is debilitating, it is not the complete long term disaster than it once was.
The trick to social support is to provide adequate bridge funding and transition training while the economy restabilizes and work or career opportunities re-open. This never existed in the 1930s. And most of these programs exist everywhere globally in the developed world and to some degree in the emerging economies.
As discussed the tools exist today to cope with economic downturns. The culture of today versus the culture a century ago, there lies a large gaping difference. Unless there is a global drought, a successful economic recuperation remains likely without the great social damage as seen in the 1930s.
The new economic depression is not anything like the Great Depression on so many levels.
Yes, the devastating statistics point out that this depression is just as severe. Beyond numbers, the other major likeness to the Great Depression lies with the overall cause. That economic downturn was caused by corrupt, arrogant, greedy financiers, bankers and investors. In short, every depression is caused by some sort of greed. Greed causes the economic system to function, but like any drug addict avarice causes journeys beyond the safe limits and total hangovers.
Another similarity is that both economic struggles featured Conservatives in control of governments in the USA and Canada. And uniquely in Canada's case, both Prime Ministers were seated from Alberta. Both RB. Bennett and Stephen Harper are MP's from that province. The latter though is a skilled economist and more attune to the economic moves.
Experts in the later twentieth century stated that a severe depression would never happen again. Regulations placed upon business and finance before 1980, put checks on greed. With the re-emergence of right wing factions in North America, those checks were slowly removed. The advocates of deregulation put forward that government regulations impaired profits. Right wing politicians laden with campaign funds from this lobbying, removed those checks and audits. Naturally, this allowed conditions for severe depression to crawl back as a threat.
The economic structure of the late 1920's was fundamentally different than now, the turn of the millenia. In this period, in Canada the economic structure is based on high level technology, people services and raw resources. Comparing this economy and the financial structure ninety years ago, the outstanding fact indicates that the base economy of economy was agrarian and rural.
Today Canada urban society structures dominate. This provides us with a very different economic base. The urban family consumer unit provides the foundation of the older economy. The mixed family farm dominated rural society and provided the foundation of economy of the early Great Depression period.
What most impacts the 1930's economic tsunami lies in the timing. Coincident with the severe economic decline, a major prolonged period of drought occurred on the North American great plains. Had the drought occurred a decade earlier or later, there would have been a strong depressing influence on economic activity but societies could have coped. Most of today's experts forget to take this drought into account.
To the investor, that period was called “the Great Depression”. To the farmer, that period was known as “the Dirty Thirties.” Farmers considered the drought more devastating than the low point in the economic cycle. Bankers couldn't loan money they didn't have. Bankers loan money on the base of repayment.
The farmers went to the bank to obtain the loans to provide the spring seed planting to happen. Bankers knew that the productivity of the land on a fair to good year was more than sufficient to cover the costs of borrowing and provide the bank customer, the farmer with an adequate income. One or even two bad years of drought or climactic adversity the farmers could recover those losses. However during the 1930s the severe drought, which extended at least four years, deepened the effect of the economic low cycle.
This essay however is a discussion of generalities. Discussion on agriculture economics. We move on into government policy. Today governments are far more interventionist than they were in the 1930's.
President Herbert Hoover, in the USA and Prime Minister RB Bennett in Canada didn't intervene. Indeed the financial reporting of the period was absolutely slow and unreliable. Bad performance of an economic sector wouldn't be known or understood for years.
Today, poor economic performance and the depth of analytics are extremely detailed and almost instant. Late last year, the financial sector knew they were in trouble within days or hours of the economic crash. Examining the historic recession/depressions the cycle time between occurrence, recognition, and social response has been shortening.
For instance, in the Great Depression the cycle times was on average twelve months or more. In this case the government and social response to economic depression was years. The trigger stock market crash occurred in 1929. RB Bennett's government didn't begin to respond until two years later.
In 1974, which is a recession/depression with many similarities to today's depression than any other economic downturn, the government response took about a fiscal quarter, or three plus months. This is because the companies reported by quarters.
By 1992 after a brief depression in the early 1980s, this reporting and solutions were on a monthly cycle. Computers and accounting practice vastly improved in both quickness and quality. Reporting was still in quarters and monthly but business performance could be determined by a single company on a daily basis.
By 2009, though the advent of the computer, and the gigantic strides of computing enabled companies to know their economic position almost instantly. Indeed the stream of data into the stock exchanges have not only enabled investors, financiers and governments to understand the state of the economy in real time but these numbers are so accurate that any group can build an economic model to accurately predict or forecast the economic environment as much as a quarter or three months ahead of the present moment.
Any event to response cycle, now shifts to the later. The problem of dated accurate financial performance has been eliminated. The shift of time moves heavily into the response. With the problems quickly identified there is incredible pressure to reach a quick decision, and a quick response. There appears little time to sit back and think about the situation.
Still it is extremely advantageous for any company or government to see the crisis in a real time basis. At this point, one can use the fire station model or the emergency response model. The earlier one gets to an emergency event such as a fire or heart attack the better. Survival rates are dramatically improved for any victims. In this comparison the economy is very similar. The quicker a response to an economic crisis the better.
Provided there is enough regulatory power in place, an economic response by a company or government is far more effective and successful when dealing with economic problems swiftly. Here is where government intervention appears different than the 1930s. In that time past, government intervention in economy was frowned upon. Even Liberal leaning politicians were loathe to sponsor programs for which no tax moneys existed. Today is different.
What struck me, or shocked me, was that in the US Congress was not arguing whether or not to intervene in this economy. The question didn't even break down on party lines. In this matter, the Congress was arguing how to intervene. Republicans were leaning to support government tax reductions, while the Democrats were arguing for stronger rescue packages by handing more money into the troubled sectors. Unlike the 1930s, few politicians, if any, were advocating a non-interventionist position.
There is bipartisan agreement in the US and Canada for government deficits. One of the greatest challenges to the economic challenge of the Dirty Thirties was the lack of government intervention. Even with implementation of Roosevelt's New Deal there were gaping holes, and mistakes. It is because the reaction was late in coming and the advent of a deep prolonged period of drought. Many of the New Deal programs were successful and many were not.
Another huge difference is that the economic depression of the 1930s appeared severe in North America. The depression was not universal for the simple fact that global economic interdependence wasn't as prevalent. Today's economic downturn is definitely world wide.
In the 1930s, very few government programs existed. Few pension plans existed. No government funded welfare existed. No universal medical care existed. No unemployment insurance plans existed. No public housing existed. No worker's compensation plans existed. No government deficit fundings existed.
Businesses, and governments could and did lay off people without cause, without notice, without reference, without pension, and without severance. Vacation pay and sick days did not exist. Those are the obvious factors that are different in comparisons.
Government workers lacked secure jobs. When tax revenues dried up governments simply stopped funding. People were laid off summarily with little or no warning from companies and governments. All these facets we rather take for granted today. But all of these factors exist today. All these socialist liberal ideas manage to cushion the advent of economic downturns.
Another large difference is in the actual social structure beyond the family farm of the past. In that world, a single income on the farm or in the city could pay for family food, housing, needs, and school. Women contributed to economy by homework. Working at home was far more difficult than today. Clothes washing was largely by hand. Vacuum cleaners did not really exist. Electrical power did not go into every home. In short, it was a totally different world on the individual level.
Today the highlight of the modern family is the dual income. Indeed, in today's world two incomes are a necessity to maintain the modern lifestyle. Women are a major part of the workforce. Layoffs while debilitating for incomes, does not mean instant disaster. Often one spouse is not laid off. While job loss is debilitating, it is not the complete long term disaster than it once was.
The trick to social support is to provide adequate bridge funding and transition training while the economy restabilizes and work or career opportunities re-open. This never existed in the 1930s. And most of these programs exist everywhere globally in the developed world and to some degree in the emerging economies.
As discussed the tools exist today to cope with economic downturns. The culture of today versus the culture a century ago, there lies a large gaping difference. Unless there is a global drought, a successful economic recuperation remains likely without the great social damage as seen in the 1930s.
Thursday, February 19, 2009
Total explanatoin for evereeethning
Today is a Spielbergian moment. Episode one is coming after a later series. I surveyed the blieg from stem to stern before I realized that although I wrote the thing, I forgot to post it. So if one wonders what CWSS is, read below.
CWSS Intro
Oh lets see. St. Michael's Hospital radiology department reported the findings that I had two crushed vertrabrae in my upper back. They reported this fact about a year and half ago. The report also stated that it was the T-8 and T-10 disks in the spine. Further, the injury was sustained when I was young and not an adult.
In 1992, the back at the T-10 finally failed completely after working hard for most of my life. Had it been known that I had a broken back, I don't think I would have followed quite the same physical life activity that I did. Now, I am kinda crippled up. Could'a, would'a, should'a, and shuv't (CWSS).
That's the first issue. Its too late to use this vital information. I still wound up to be over 6 foot 3 inches in height. Imagine if I had that extra inch and a half. I would not have fit in any basement.
The second issue I can't do nothing about either. I mean which stupid incident or incidents caused this crushing. Paradoxically, I took care in lifting to protect my lower back. Now usually the vast majority of people with back problems get a very bad lower back and keep a good high back. In my case it was completely opposite. The forces needed to hurt a young back are considerable. It had to be a spectacular accident. I just can't figure out which one or two caused the disability.
In the second issue, it took quite a few months to come up with a list of the candidate incidents that worked for the condition. Each may be the incident. Or each may be the incident which just added. Now I can't go back and undo these events. By rights this should be a CWSS. Yet I am a curious little creature. Which incident caused this?
So in a series of CWSS blags I am going to outline one incident each time. Its a series. Its a problem. A problem that holds to no real solution. Beginning with CWSS_1, I will explore each incident. We could all have a vote after the series is done.
Now some will say, “Gordie, how many are there?”
I should point out is that I really don't know. When I tried to figure it out. I settle on a sum. Then that very night in that moment before I fell into the deep sleep, there came that revelation about one more incident. I would relive that incident, then realize that this particular crash would be an equal candidate for the broken back.
The one thing I am very happy about is that I managed to keep the ability to walk. It was sheer luck.
It could also be that I was just such a clutz that I was always doing something to cause pain. I just didn't pay attention.
You are also going to ask about the pain. Well there always has been a dull pain at those sites. I just didn't think that was abnormal. It did build up some pain resistance. For instance I get migraines but no headaches. So nerve injury must be severe for me to notice any injury.
So if you see an blag entry with the title with CWSS_x then this will be an incident which might be the time I broke my back. I’m still not sure which???
In 1992, the back at the T-10 finally failed completely after working hard for most of my life. Had it been known that I had a broken back, I don't think I would have followed quite the same physical life activity that I did. Now, I am kinda crippled up. Could'a, would'a, should'a, and shuv't (CWSS).
That's the first issue. Its too late to use this vital information. I still wound up to be over 6 foot 3 inches in height. Imagine if I had that extra inch and a half. I would not have fit in any basement.
The second issue I can't do nothing about either. I mean which stupid incident or incidents caused this crushing. Paradoxically, I took care in lifting to protect my lower back. Now usually the vast majority of people with back problems get a very bad lower back and keep a good high back. In my case it was completely opposite. The forces needed to hurt a young back are considerable. It had to be a spectacular accident. I just can't figure out which one or two caused the disability.
In the second issue, it took quite a few months to come up with a list of the candidate incidents that worked for the condition. Each may be the incident. Or each may be the incident which just added. Now I can't go back and undo these events. By rights this should be a CWSS. Yet I am a curious little creature. Which incident caused this?
So in a series of CWSS blags I am going to outline one incident each time. Its a series. Its a problem. A problem that holds to no real solution. Beginning with CWSS_1, I will explore each incident. We could all have a vote after the series is done.
Now some will say, “Gordie, how many are there?”
I should point out is that I really don't know. When I tried to figure it out. I settle on a sum. Then that very night in that moment before I fell into the deep sleep, there came that revelation about one more incident. I would relive that incident, then realize that this particular crash would be an equal candidate for the broken back.
The one thing I am very happy about is that I managed to keep the ability to walk. It was sheer luck.
It could also be that I was just such a clutz that I was always doing something to cause pain. I just didn't pay attention.
You are also going to ask about the pain. Well there always has been a dull pain at those sites. I just didn't think that was abnormal. It did build up some pain resistance. For instance I get migraines but no headaches. So nerve injury must be severe for me to notice any injury.
So if you see an blag entry with the title with CWSS_x then this will be an incident which might be the time I broke my back. I’m still not sure which???
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
Announcing sinking glob
What's with the Globe and Mail? The Glob has been around a long time. Sort of way back before the Confederation of the Not Obama Nation (NON). Indeed it was the first loser news rag to declare itself a “national newspaper” sometime in the 1970's.
Even with the title, its national sales did not approach the daily circulation of the mighty Toronto Star. But the Star never claimed to be a national paper. The Glob possessed a stable of good writers and columnists for the longest time. All that history though imbued The Glob with a distinctive level of arrogance.
At the beginning of this month, The Glob raised its copy price from a $1.25 to a whopping $1.50. Take a moment and suck this in.
Take another time sucking moment.
Okay enough. I just want to state the exact under the breath surprise comment I muttered when I read the notice. I am quoting this from me which meant that this got me talking to myself. I said. “Just from what fucking planet are these guys smoking?”
Now I am the first to acknowledge that I don't have the degree initials attached to the collegial group of intellects that run the Glob. The implication is this. They increased the amount of money charged to read the same news service fed material that one can get off the internet for free.
The Glob claims that it is the first of business newspaper. Indeed that is somewhat true. But what is equally obvious is that they fail to read their own news copy. To the publishers of the Glob. Hey! Dudes! There is a freaking DEPRESSION going on.
The price of newsprint has plummetted. The internet is challenging the newspaper and television media for media supremacy. Subscription lists for the old style newspapers, are shrinking. There are now free dailies and newspapers on the racks in the transit and subway stations competing for the ad copy and quantity of ads. Companies are chopping costs not excluding advertisement costs. The major driver for ad costing is the circulation. Traditionally all prices raises have triggered circulation declines. The Glob's publisher sees decliningl revenues. Their solution, raise the copy price.
Three words sum this idea of a price increase. “Stupid, stupid, and stupid.”
New approach to transit
Up there guarding the skies in the Grumman Beercat, one reflects on the stolid substance of disingenuous ambiguity. A lark.Where are you? A voice required the answer.
In the sky, I replied.
The plane soars. Its giant rotax engine tuned out to 230 knots on level. I skim the horizon for TTC Buses.
Monday, February 16, 2009
Mary Fam Day
Today is Family Day. Its a holiday. I am posting this to tell you that there will be no blyg posting today. If you are a federal person then I am sorry. Keep up the good work sucker.
Sunday, February 15, 2009
Mehmoreee
The TWNBMB may suffer a blow the end of the month. The only real taxpaying industry in the tiny community finally got a clutch of incompetent managers. They've tossed the keys on the table, and appear to be walking away.
Over the years TWNBMB, dodged fatal bullet after bullet. The industry is a Kraft Pulp Mill. Indeed, on the North American Continent, TWNBMB was the carefully chosen site for the first one of the type. So this is a really old plant.
Kraft is not the cheese, rather it is named for a science and engineer who designed an efficient way of chemically removing the lignin or glue that bound cellulose fibers to each other. The process was developed coincidently and through the Second World War.Originally the production was small. No one actually knew how in large scale how the Kraft process would work.
Later the mill operations were to be expanded but subsequent managers and corporate owners mismanaged the facility. It was a cash cow for a long time, which seemed to always lose money mostly due to creative bookkeeping. Today creative bookkeeping isn't required to generate a loss. At the moment it must be run at half speed since it cannot buy the extra acid needed to maintain production levels.
The closing didn't even make the news in Southern Ontario. Beyond that, I will comment no further at this moment. Even in one's own blog one cannot appear to be too insensitive. Besides there is a very outside chance that it yet may be saved, and another bullet dodged. Even if they do avoid closure at this time, some day bullet will get them.
Over the years TWNBMB, dodged fatal bullet after bullet. The industry is a Kraft Pulp Mill. Indeed, on the North American Continent, TWNBMB was the carefully chosen site for the first one of the type. So this is a really old plant.
Kraft is not the cheese, rather it is named for a science and engineer who designed an efficient way of chemically removing the lignin or glue that bound cellulose fibers to each other. The process was developed coincidently and through the Second World War.Originally the production was small. No one actually knew how in large scale how the Kraft process would work.
Later the mill operations were to be expanded but subsequent managers and corporate owners mismanaged the facility. It was a cash cow for a long time, which seemed to always lose money mostly due to creative bookkeeping. Today creative bookkeeping isn't required to generate a loss. At the moment it must be run at half speed since it cannot buy the extra acid needed to maintain production levels.
The closing didn't even make the news in Southern Ontario. Beyond that, I will comment no further at this moment. Even in one's own blog one cannot appear to be too insensitive. Besides there is a very outside chance that it yet may be saved, and another bullet dodged. Even if they do avoid closure at this time, some day bullet will get them.
Saturday, February 14, 2009
Last year's catch installed
Good news! Just came back from the Post Office. I got my fish back from the taxidermist in Saskatchewan.
Me and the buddies put this up in my library this afternoon. It took some time and a couple of cases of beer. But its worth it.
I caught this little guppy on last year's fishing trip on Lake Scugog. At the time I only had my spinning rod, worms for bait and some 5lbs test. That's why it took an hour or so to land this critter. I think its a pike?
I needed much of the meat. I had a hunch that skeletons look cooler than the whole animal. Looking like I was right huh. The meat was stripped away from the bones. So the taxidermist fellow and me had a lot of good eating every Friday this year past.
Now I did have a picture of me landing this but after taking the pic I accidently forgot to put my cell phone in a safe place while I took a shower. It got wet. And the thing shorted out before I could transfer the image into a computer and safe keeping. C'est le vie.
Now you can see this live but I need you to write ahead and make a reservation. Right now there is a five year waiting list. Demand is demand.
Open punalty box
(this one's for you Rusher!)
Considering the international performance of the United States of America over the last decade, the term “terrible country” comes to mind. Is the recent change any better? Now its an Obamanation.
Considering the international performance of the United States of America over the last decade, the term “terrible country” comes to mind. Is the recent change any better? Now its an Obamanation.
Friday, February 13, 2009
Yer cheatin heart
Further testing is required. Chance comes walking with one of those moments of realization. I stumbled on a way of cheating on a blood pressure test. Maybe.
First step to do. Slouch in chair. Second. Fold the legs back or under a chair as the medical professional (medpro) applies the tourniquet or cuff. The air then squeezes the arm to a point. When the air is finally slowly released from the cuff, discreetly straighten out your legs onto the floor.
This should lower the blood pressure reading. I figure as much as ten points.
Wait. Hold on! Now the ears can hear the hooting, “Gord, ya moron! Why ya cheatin' on a blood test!”
Point taken. Basically your cheating yourself. But I got pissed at my team of medpros. You see I went in to get treatment for a knee and my dysfunctionalating back. Doc tests my blood pressure. I get drugs lowering my blood pressure but nothing for the back.
An allegory. Take the car to the mechanic to change the brakes.
Mechanic says, “Hey your muffler's noisy.”
I said, “Ya I know, I like it that way. I don't wanna fix the horn.”
Oh yea. Oh yea. The mechanic says the government packed with idiots says he's got to fix the muffler and the horn. But fixing the horn and muffler, he neglected to fix the brakes. Now, I can hit your progeny in silence.
Same thing. I know my blood pressure is high. Its like saying its dark at midnight. What the fuck does anyone need to fix it for? Back hurts.
If I die of high blood pressure fine and dandy, then the back don't hurt. Until then, lets keep this back pain lower. Little things really start to bug you as age corrupts the future corpse. Hence, I figured out this way to lower the appointed measure without having to eliminate salt and bacon. Besides things like this, - freakin' fun.
First step to do. Slouch in chair. Second. Fold the legs back or under a chair as the medical professional (medpro) applies the tourniquet or cuff. The air then squeezes the arm to a point. When the air is finally slowly released from the cuff, discreetly straighten out your legs onto the floor.
This should lower the blood pressure reading. I figure as much as ten points.
Wait. Hold on! Now the ears can hear the hooting, “Gord, ya moron! Why ya cheatin' on a blood test!”
Point taken. Basically your cheating yourself. But I got pissed at my team of medpros. You see I went in to get treatment for a knee and my dysfunctionalating back. Doc tests my blood pressure. I get drugs lowering my blood pressure but nothing for the back.
An allegory. Take the car to the mechanic to change the brakes.
Mechanic says, “Hey your muffler's noisy.”
I said, “Ya I know, I like it that way. I don't wanna fix the horn.”
Oh yea. Oh yea. The mechanic says the government packed with idiots says he's got to fix the muffler and the horn. But fixing the horn and muffler, he neglected to fix the brakes. Now, I can hit your progeny in silence.
Same thing. I know my blood pressure is high. Its like saying its dark at midnight. What the fuck does anyone need to fix it for? Back hurts.
If I die of high blood pressure fine and dandy, then the back don't hurt. Until then, lets keep this back pain lower. Little things really start to bug you as age corrupts the future corpse. Hence, I figured out this way to lower the appointed measure without having to eliminate salt and bacon. Besides things like this, - freakin' fun.
Thursday, February 12, 2009
More eyebull
Circumstances, and an eye sty (see sic pic) why contributed to my missing quite a few days of internet conductivity. Hence the unusual numbers of submissions and postings this fine Thursday. Actually there aren't more than normal just shorting the capacitor. If its too much I am truly sorry.
Bondable
Barry Bonds may have caught a break. No one wants to link a number of plastic bottles of piss to him. This of course must be done as a sworn witness in a court before a judge and a jury of piers. The last bit troubles me. I wouldn't want my fate decided by a baker’s bunch of half wharves.
Bonds of course may get to stay out of jail. The judicial banning of this evidence makes this a reality. Despite that, those samples will still be valuable to those voters three and one half years from now who will be deciding on Barry Bonds inclusion into the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York.
For some reason though, this exclusion doesn't have the bite it once did. Pete Rose did those dishonored a valuable service. People remember him simply because they have constantly argued about him. His name is out there in the public.
Bonds of course may get to stay out of jail. The judicial banning of this evidence makes this a reality. Despite that, those samples will still be valuable to those voters three and one half years from now who will be deciding on Barry Bonds inclusion into the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York.
For some reason though, this exclusion doesn't have the bite it once did. Pete Rose did those dishonored a valuable service. People remember him simply because they have constantly argued about him. His name is out there in the public.
Global cooling
Paleontologists have found the fossils of an ancient migratory sea turtle in the high arctic. It indicates an earth much warmer than it is now. I'm not very surprised. It was an ocean after all. Turtles live in water. Makes it easy to swim. No heat makes cold. Cold makes ice. Makes it hard to swim.
Fossils for Presedint
Paleontologists found vertebrae from a very large snake in South America. Frankly if true, its one huge snake and luckily a long extinct species. It apparently hunted equally huge crocodiles. This explains the lack of giant crocodiles. And explains the futility of being a large snake. Please take notes Rush Limbaugh.
Do not be surprised if there is a push for US Republicans to push Limbaugh into running for President. I can't think of a more entertaining idea for the use of a living fossil.
Do not be surprised if there is a push for US Republicans to push Limbaugh into running for President. I can't think of a more entertaining idea for the use of a living fossil.
Linkin
Probably my favorite piece of writing remains to be Abraham Lincoln's Gettysburg address. This little speech concise, precise and incisive, brings the emotion to surface. However, this effective literature shouldn't be used for a personal model to rebuild a nation. Rather the speech only honors its heroes. It is after all is said and done, a eulogy.
Eye mess
The head of the European Union, Barosso met with Prime Minister Putin these past few days in a trade summit meeting. Barosso went off topic quickly. Rather than discuss trade on the agenda, Barosso aggressively went after Putin about human rights inside the new Russia.
When Barosso pressed he stated that he had discussions on human rights with President of Russia, Medvedev, Putin paused a moment. His chilling reply, “Medvedev is not here to respond.”
Before Putin became an official politician, he was the head of the infamous KGB. He was also a KGB field agent inside free Europe and East Germany for over 15 years. Putin knows what buttons to push.
The picture of Putin in emotional response to Barosso is included today. I showed an ex-patriot Russian this photo. The thousand word translation isn't necessary.
Woofzitzit
One or two dogs die accidentally by stepping on some sidewalk plates, Toronto city fathers go snitty. All stops are pulled. All work crews will be lying on wet city sidewalks repairing the city infrastructure.
Thousands of electrical plates are all over the cityscape. They are about six inches across, imbedded in the pavement protecting a buried pot of electrical connections. Apparently, Hydro crews or more likely independent contractors hired by tender by the city made them. They often connect traffic control lights to the grid, so they are very common. Also they have been around for years.
Dogs walk barefeet along the sidewalks. It was already known that many of these plates had stray voltage. One youngster apparently got a shock. Which begs the question of what the hell the kid was doing since the only way to get a shock is to provide a circuit? This stray voltage must be repaired. However the municipal response was way over the top.
The plates have have to be individually inspected, checked and repaired. Usually every Hydro crew consists of three or more people. So through the city, at least two crew in bright oranges lie down screwing around, now with consent.
Thousands of electrical plates are all over the cityscape. They are about six inches across, imbedded in the pavement protecting a buried pot of electrical connections. Apparently, Hydro crews or more likely independent contractors hired by tender by the city made them. They often connect traffic control lights to the grid, so they are very common. Also they have been around for years.
Dogs walk barefeet along the sidewalks. It was already known that many of these plates had stray voltage. One youngster apparently got a shock. Which begs the question of what the hell the kid was doing since the only way to get a shock is to provide a circuit? This stray voltage must be repaired. However the municipal response was way over the top.
The plates have have to be individually inspected, checked and repaired. Usually every Hydro crew consists of three or more people. So through the city, at least two crew in bright oranges lie down screwing around, now with consent.
Monday, February 09, 2009
Waste of Times
“Garbage”, scream “Garbage.” Scream it loud. Scream it in the dark. Toronto's garbage bin strategy hit a major snag on the way to success.
The new economic Depression caused falling demand for recycled crap. And all commodity prices are demand driven.
Late last summer the Toronto City Council decided to force launch a garbage gathering program employing recycled products and bins on wheels. Blue bins and gray bins now line street like one of those Civil War parades south of the 49th.
They were also supposed to be a labour saver. But many is the stream of curses trying to drag the hundred pound monsters over the banks of snow. The bins programs designed for the burbs of Florida works in the summer.
So the Toronto City Council succeeded. They now have to raise taxes further. The recycled products are now going to be a very expensive way to fill land.
Put'em up.... Put 'em up...
[auth. Feb. 7, 2007]
I used to like watching boxing. It was another world. Now, I am solidly against it. Indeed I am now solidly opposed to boxing, hockey fights, extreme fighting and any deliberate sports activity where the human head is struck to obtain a questionable, short lived victory.
A legal consenting combat between two adults, so say defenders. The participants are willing. It is an ancient sport.
In what they say, I totally agree with. I don't disagree. Were that the only reason, I would too stand behind legalized, and did often support staged human fighting.
Why the change? Rather than those valid arguments, solid medical evidence continues to accumulate in showing the long term serious damage that concussions bring. Its all about concussions.
Each human encounters several accidental situations causing concussions. Having a sport that deliberately causes concussions as the ultimate goal of the strategy, any license must not be given. The goal of boxing is to knock out the opponent to win victory. Even winning a match on points gets a definition of technical knock out or TKO.
Suppose the sports of mixed marshal arts (MMA), professional hockey, professional wrestling and boxing, banned head strikes and scored with body shots only, I would change my mind. I used to like watching those sports. Any sport that undertakes to alter its regulations must be backed up by its fans. Its a no brainer.
For instance the sport of American style football, is now searching for answers for the multitudes of concussions that football players endure during their playing career. Mind you that research is finding that even small concussions are damaging and tend to be cumulative. The effort of the National Football League (NFL) should be commended. New helmet designs are appearing. And one must understand one thing. Concussions in football are generally all accidental.
The National Hockey League defends fighting as part of the game. Over recent decades those fights are largely staged or deliberate. Again the main feature of hockey fighting is to lay a beating on the opponents head. The rest of the hockey player is fairly well protected. There is more than enough chances for accidental concussions to occur during hockey play, but an intentional intent to give an opponent a concussion only piles the damage on.
From all the evidence then fighting must be banned in sports. In boxing a participant is disqualified if they deliberately punch opponents in the nuts. Rules can be changed in any sport to allow a measure of personal safety. The Marquis of Queensbury rules demonstrate that. These were major sports adjustments in that time. Similarly any head strikes on an opponent causes the disqualification of the person that threw the punch.
Here is the perspective. We protect the testicles with onerous prohibitions but we fail to protect the individuals brain? What gives?
Now I am not going to list the science regarding concussions. Two reasons. First unlike the tobacco smoking information, the there is nothing beneficial about getting concussed. Second the readers of this blig are intelligent people who will look up the information themselves. Further absenting the evidence from this blig should encourage that learning experience. If one studies the effects of concussions on individuals apply it on your personal view on the patterns of fighting discussed.
I used to like watching boxing. It was another world. Now, I am solidly against it. Indeed I am now solidly opposed to boxing, hockey fights, extreme fighting and any deliberate sports activity where the human head is struck to obtain a questionable, short lived victory.
A legal consenting combat between two adults, so say defenders. The participants are willing. It is an ancient sport.
In what they say, I totally agree with. I don't disagree. Were that the only reason, I would too stand behind legalized, and did often support staged human fighting.
Why the change? Rather than those valid arguments, solid medical evidence continues to accumulate in showing the long term serious damage that concussions bring. Its all about concussions.
Each human encounters several accidental situations causing concussions. Having a sport that deliberately causes concussions as the ultimate goal of the strategy, any license must not be given. The goal of boxing is to knock out the opponent to win victory. Even winning a match on points gets a definition of technical knock out or TKO.
Suppose the sports of mixed marshal arts (MMA), professional hockey, professional wrestling and boxing, banned head strikes and scored with body shots only, I would change my mind. I used to like watching those sports. Any sport that undertakes to alter its regulations must be backed up by its fans. Its a no brainer.
For instance the sport of American style football, is now searching for answers for the multitudes of concussions that football players endure during their playing career. Mind you that research is finding that even small concussions are damaging and tend to be cumulative. The effort of the National Football League (NFL) should be commended. New helmet designs are appearing. And one must understand one thing. Concussions in football are generally all accidental.
The National Hockey League defends fighting as part of the game. Over recent decades those fights are largely staged or deliberate. Again the main feature of hockey fighting is to lay a beating on the opponents head. The rest of the hockey player is fairly well protected. There is more than enough chances for accidental concussions to occur during hockey play, but an intentional intent to give an opponent a concussion only piles the damage on.
From all the evidence then fighting must be banned in sports. In boxing a participant is disqualified if they deliberately punch opponents in the nuts. Rules can be changed in any sport to allow a measure of personal safety. The Marquis of Queensbury rules demonstrate that. These were major sports adjustments in that time. Similarly any head strikes on an opponent causes the disqualification of the person that threw the punch.
Here is the perspective. We protect the testicles with onerous prohibitions but we fail to protect the individuals brain? What gives?
Now I am not going to list the science regarding concussions. Two reasons. First unlike the tobacco smoking information, the there is nothing beneficial about getting concussed. Second the readers of this blig are intelligent people who will look up the information themselves. Further absenting the evidence from this blig should encourage that learning experience. If one studies the effects of concussions on individuals apply it on your personal view on the patterns of fighting discussed.
Saturday, February 07, 2009
His Royal Annoyanc e
He's probably a very good guy. His intentions beyond ego, totally ethical. I don't know him personally. People shouldn't be judged through the media. At the present time society tends to form their view of a person through the visage created by the media. Despite this, Julian Fantino, itinerant police enchilada, continues to be totally annoying.
Fantino creates a media experience out of every senior post he takes on. Presently he is the head honcho of the Ontario Provincial Police. He came to that post after a presidential like stint in the post of being in charge of the emergency services in Ontario. No one ever heard from anyone in that post before or since. Fantino managed to make the news pages about once a month.
For example, when he was Chief of Police in Metro Toronto. By sheer chance so goes the line, Fantino happened to be at the Canadian National Exhibition, arresting a pick pocket forcing him to the ground in front of a newspaper photographer who also, happened to be at that place, at that time, to record a rare incident in a city of over three million. If that was a coincidence the Muses of Serendipity worked much overtime in that paradise.
Fantino creates a media experience out of every senior post he takes on. Presently he is the head honcho of the Ontario Provincial Police. He came to that post after a presidential like stint in the post of being in charge of the emergency services in Ontario. No one ever heard from anyone in that post before or since. Fantino managed to make the news pages about once a month.
For example, when he was Chief of Police in Metro Toronto. By sheer chance so goes the line, Fantino happened to be at the Canadian National Exhibition, arresting a pick pocket forcing him to the ground in front of a newspaper photographer who also, happened to be at that place, at that time, to record a rare incident in a city of over three million. If that was a coincidence the Muses of Serendipity worked much overtime in that paradise.
Thursday, February 05, 2009
Picture this, will ya
A couple of late nights ago the "Colbert Report" issued a comic prod at Amtrak. A photographer had been challenged by Amtrak security and eventually charged with illegal trespass. The photographer publicly claimed foul as he was responding to Amtrak's Photo contest.
Okay the audience howled in outrage as Stephen Colbert went into his rant about what a bunch of idiots Amtrak were. I am paraphrasing but that is the jist of the rant. Once a semi-pro photographer I too was laughing and flabbergasted at the same time.
The next day I went to check further on the internet. In short, get more information. In the course, of investigating I went to the contest rules still available at Amtrak. I found that I was very wrong to take a clown like Colbert even seriously.
Here's what I found. Colbert's construction is totally without merit. Unfortunately the truth is less humorous than an idiot's fancy. The Amtrak Security was legally well within their right to challenge and charge him with trespass.
First. If any fault strayed into Amtrak's realm it was extreme laziness. The web page dealing with the photography contest was still posted despite the fact that the contest for photos for the 2009 calendar ended July 2008. The date was unequivocal.
Second. In the web page it details quite clearly that while photographers can photograph in most public areas of Amtrak, there were several stations and properties where advanced permission was required. If not given, the web page clearly and in very simple language stated that the photographer could be charged with trespass.
So here lies the real truth. The photographer cast as a hero by some, really failed to acquire permission from the station master or property manager in charge. The photographer lied with respect to the contest. There was no contest. The contest had expired.
Apologists would say the photographer was only getting ready for next year's contest supposing that this was going to happen. Yet this excuse exposes weakness because he still would have had to follow the conditions of the contest. He did not have permission to take photographs on their property. And since it would have been for next year's contest, he did have time to read the rules many times over.
Okay the audience howled in outrage as Stephen Colbert went into his rant about what a bunch of idiots Amtrak were. I am paraphrasing but that is the jist of the rant. Once a semi-pro photographer I too was laughing and flabbergasted at the same time.
The next day I went to check further on the internet. In short, get more information. In the course, of investigating I went to the contest rules still available at Amtrak. I found that I was very wrong to take a clown like Colbert even seriously.
Here's what I found. Colbert's construction is totally without merit. Unfortunately the truth is less humorous than an idiot's fancy. The Amtrak Security was legally well within their right to challenge and charge him with trespass.
First. If any fault strayed into Amtrak's realm it was extreme laziness. The web page dealing with the photography contest was still posted despite the fact that the contest for photos for the 2009 calendar ended July 2008. The date was unequivocal.
Second. In the web page it details quite clearly that while photographers can photograph in most public areas of Amtrak, there were several stations and properties where advanced permission was required. If not given, the web page clearly and in very simple language stated that the photographer could be charged with trespass.
So here lies the real truth. The photographer cast as a hero by some, really failed to acquire permission from the station master or property manager in charge. The photographer lied with respect to the contest. There was no contest. The contest had expired.
Apologists would say the photographer was only getting ready for next year's contest supposing that this was going to happen. Yet this excuse exposes weakness because he still would have had to follow the conditions of the contest. He did not have permission to take photographs on their property. And since it would have been for next year's contest, he did have time to read the rules many times over.
Tuesday, February 03, 2009
Bogarted
New lyrics and phrase for an old song.
"Don't Phelps that bong my friend, pass ooooooover to me."
"Don't Phelps that bong my friend, pass ooooooover to me."
Get Real
(auth. Feb. 1. 2009)
In the modern world of movie promotion, the best clips are used in other media to entice the movie-goer into committing cash. Hasn't anyone told Steve Martin that he isn't phunny?
One Pink Panther flick by this guy was bad enough, now there sprouts a sequel. With the economic downturn, I do hope its all his money that was invested. Remember, according to the best clip axiom, which is now polluting television adverts, is a pope falling off a balcony. Oh slap my knee!
The economy isn't the only thing that is bankrupt in America. Hollywood America appears bankrupt of any ideas. Steve Martin busting a hernia trying to be Inspector Clouseau is one sample. Another example was the passing movie "Get Smart".
Most of the people who liked the movie probably didn't get the original television series. The original thrived because it grew out of the fear generated by the Cold War and the movie run of the best James Bond ever. Today Get Smart tv reruns appear infantile. The show was very topical to a culture that lived under the imminent threat of nuclear annihilation.
A major problem with the Get Smart directors and producers is that they didn't "get" Smart. They turned Maxwell Smart into a competent. Actually Steve Martin would have done better as Smart than the pathetically mundane actor Steve Carrell. They authored the movie as a reflection of character which is the standard screenplay formula of all Hollywood screenplays in today's commercially motivated movie industry.
The original Get Smart was a satire focussed on technology. Instead the director and screen writers focussed on a romantic comedy between Carrell and bug eyed beauty Anne Hathaway as agent 99. Totally wrong and a lost opportunity.
What is amazing about the Get Smart movie creators is that they don't understand modern technology. They went back on the old fall backs like the cone of silence and shoe phones. If one thinks the old technology was hilarious, this brain trust missed the entire potential that modern technology holds for satire. The television creators of the Get Smart television series did get the technology. While a shoe phone is old hat to the modern person at the time of the early sixties that technology was leading edge.
Huh. Another satire tonight. Its Stupid Bowl night. See the parody of what was once a good game.
In the modern world of movie promotion, the best clips are used in other media to entice the movie-goer into committing cash. Hasn't anyone told Steve Martin that he isn't phunny?
One Pink Panther flick by this guy was bad enough, now there sprouts a sequel. With the economic downturn, I do hope its all his money that was invested. Remember, according to the best clip axiom, which is now polluting television adverts, is a pope falling off a balcony. Oh slap my knee!
The economy isn't the only thing that is bankrupt in America. Hollywood America appears bankrupt of any ideas. Steve Martin busting a hernia trying to be Inspector Clouseau is one sample. Another example was the passing movie "Get Smart".
Most of the people who liked the movie probably didn't get the original television series. The original thrived because it grew out of the fear generated by the Cold War and the movie run of the best James Bond ever. Today Get Smart tv reruns appear infantile. The show was very topical to a culture that lived under the imminent threat of nuclear annihilation.
A major problem with the Get Smart directors and producers is that they didn't "get" Smart. They turned Maxwell Smart into a competent. Actually Steve Martin would have done better as Smart than the pathetically mundane actor Steve Carrell. They authored the movie as a reflection of character which is the standard screenplay formula of all Hollywood screenplays in today's commercially motivated movie industry.
The original Get Smart was a satire focussed on technology. Instead the director and screen writers focussed on a romantic comedy between Carrell and bug eyed beauty Anne Hathaway as agent 99. Totally wrong and a lost opportunity.
What is amazing about the Get Smart movie creators is that they don't understand modern technology. They went back on the old fall backs like the cone of silence and shoe phones. If one thinks the old technology was hilarious, this brain trust missed the entire potential that modern technology holds for satire. The television creators of the Get Smart television series did get the technology. While a shoe phone is old hat to the modern person at the time of the early sixties that technology was leading edge.
Huh. Another satire tonight. Its Stupid Bowl night. See the parody of what was once a good game.
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