So much for personal accountability

So, the Ontario election is over. It was a bittersweet moment for me to see the results in Sarnia's riding - Caroline Di Cocco was tossed aside in favour of a new MPP... unfortunately one from the Conservative Party.

I can't help but laugh at her, though, because now she's blaming Mike Bradley for her loss in the election. The woman who was too busy to read a memo that indicated huge cost overruns on the hospital expansion in Sarnia thinks it's the Mayor's fault. I'm not normally a huge fan of Mayor Mike, but at least he's honest enough and upright enough to want to see the truth shown to the citizens of Sarnia.

From the article:

The final clash came in recent weeks, when Bradley demanded the Ontario government disclose the revised cost for a new Sarnia hospital — a tab later shown to have more than doubled to $319 million.

And the Mayor comments:

“I think there was a plan out of Queen’s Park to spin (the real costs) out until after the election,” Bradley said.

I think he's right.

Free Burma!

A little early, I know.

The System Working for...

...not us anyways.


Check out this video:


and this photo:



I wish I could say that I'm surprised that the police would be encouraged to infiltrate and start violence at a peaceful protest such as this... but I'm not.

From news reports I've read, there were four people arrested at the protests this weekend... two men and two women. Hmmm... where are those three in the list?

While watching the video you can see the men speaking with the riot police - pretty much begging to be let past... what kind of protester wants to be arrested?

And on a sidenote - is that Maude Barlow speaking after the old guy?

Heard this little poem today...

I thought it was appropriate for my current beef with Transport Canada...

When my flying days are over

And from this life I pass.....

I hope they bury me upside down

So T.C. can kiss my ASS

I'm told that I've crossed over the line of geekiness where I'm just a little different from "normal" people, to the point where I am now a full-fledged geek. That makes me proud, I think.

Check this out:
I went for a short bike ride the other night just to see what's out around my neighbourhood... and found 82 wireless networks. 42 were unsecured apparently... people truly need to be educated about this stuff. Unreal.


Let it be known for liability sake - I would never hack into someone's network... this is just a reading of the SSIDs of networks taken by an automated program.

Disconnecting.

I'm thinking with me going off to school in the fall, it'll be a good chance for me to disconnect from the consumer culture that we are immersed in.

I just watched the Transformers movie tonight, and while it was pretty cool (albeit aimed at a juvenile audience), I found it diconcerting the amount of advertising that was built into the movie. Granted, the entire Transformers show/movie/whatever was a product placement for a line of toys that were to be sold, so I shouldn't be entirely surprised. I still found it uncomfortable being nearly brainwashed into buying GM products or joining the army. I mean, almost all of the Transformers were General Motors vehicles. Transformers = cool, QED: GM = cool, right? Also, the US Air Force factored in heavily to the movie, showing off all their latest and greatest technology... and naming it piece by piece so that all the kids would be familiar with it. I'm an airplane nut. I am still a little kid when I see a jet go flying by. Vanessa asked me what kind of airplane was flying by at the beginning of the movie, and without hesitation I could tell her that it was a V-22 Osprey... but I digress.

I've been fortunate through certain plugins in my web browser to avoid the majority of the annoying ads that litter the Internet. As well, since I chose internet over cable TV, I don't see much live television. I think having been able to filter out the corporate media from my life (at least somewhat) I've become a bit hyper-sensitive to advertising and I find that it irritates the crap out of me. I don't like being brainwashed to like a certain product. It sometimes feels like I'm operating on a different wavelength than some people just because I don't pay any attention to the latest tv show, or movie, or whatever... If I find stuff I like, I go with it... if I miss out on something put out by the TV, I'm really not feeling like I've missed anything.
Blah. I'm rambling. Time for bed. Stay well everyone!

Remember that old Dennis Leary song "Asshole"?

Darth Vader likes to be one too!!

Lovely Videos from Cape Breton

This is what the Internets were made for...

First:


The most dramatic five-second video on the entire weboblag.

Second, some Norwegian kids mess with the train tracks on a high speed line with... results. You'll see. <Clicky>

Oh... and Tim, Vanessa and myself are in Nova Scotia (as noted on Tim's blog). We spent a few days in Halifax, now we're in Ingonish (Cape Breton). We're here 'til tomorrow morning when we return to Halifax to catch the train home on Saturday. Lots of pictures have been taken, and I'll be sure to post them when I have a high speed connection again. Links will follow!
Stay well, everyone!

LOLTrek

You may have heard of lolcats. Or not. But they're funny. Now I present you with lolTrek:

We has Tribbles
and also Troubles.

Note to self:

09 F9 11 02 9D 74 E3 5B D8 41 56 C5 63 56 88 C0

Satisfaction

I received a phone call this evening just before I was heading out to do laundry.

"Hello?"
"Hello, am I speaking to Mr. Gord Spence?"
"You certainly are... what can I do for you?"
"I'm calling on behalf of your local MP, Pat Davidson, and Prime Minister Stephen Harper for the Conservative Party of Canada. We'd like to know if you would be voting for the Conservative Party in the upcoming election."
A beat.
"Ma'am, I don't mean any offense to you, but, Hell NO."
"Haha, ok. You have a good night, sir."
"You too! Bye!"


I think the proper description for that experience is "cathartic". It felt good to be honest with someone who really wanted to know my opinion. I wonder how many people answered that call with the same response as mine... I hope lots. Sarnia's a bellweather for elections. Lets see if we can't get an NDPer or a Green elected for a change!

Fools.

Ok, I just finished reading an article about how Stephen Harper was trying to link a Liberal MP (Navdeep Bains) to the Air India trial and read all the comments that were flying back and forth between the LPC and CPC. My blood is boiling. People often wonder why my generation has little faith in the government, and why they don't vote. This is why. This kind of self-absorbed bullshit tells people of my generation that the "elected" officials don't give a crap about what they think, rather they're more concerned with winning elections and being in control of parliament than the concerns of the public. The last time I even heard about any legislation being passed was a motion to force the conservatives to follow through with Kyoto. Yeah, that's great and all, but what else has the government done in the last month? Not a damned thing as far as I can tell. All I hear about is how the Cons are preparing for an election and the Liberals are trying to throw Harper out.
Some days I feel that I should run for office, but I think that if I did I'd end up so frustrated with all the meaningless garbage that pours forth from the government that I'd quit after a month. That's assuming I could even be elected... I don't have the money to finance a campaign, and no one would vote for someone who tells the truth about how if they want more services, taxes have to go up... simple fscking economics, folks... something none of the parties currently in parliament have a clue about, apparently. Disillusioned is how I remain for the time being. Government is absolute crap... A bunch of corrupt, arrogant, mindless idiots.

My Grandma ("Baba")

I really should be writing a service right now, but I have to get this off my mind first.


I just went to visit my grandmother at a nursing home here in town. She's been living there for most of a year now, and it makes me sad in a way, but I know she needs that kind of care now.

I call my grandmother, "Baba". I don't know why, but it's what I've called her since I was a small child, so it stuck. I suppose it's a little childish still using that term, but if you don't like it you can bite me! :)

Anyways. Baba and I have a great connection. I don't get the chance to visit her very often, but when we get together we often talk for an hour or two. We don't seem to limit our conversation to our own lives very often - though that is a very important part - but we talk about the church, world issues, things that worry us. She teaches me so much about life, and what's important... yet she still makes me feel that my opinions and choices are valid. She said to me today when we were talking about me moving to Waterloo today that I'd need to find another job for the summers between terms. I agreed and mentioned that I'd been thinking of working at a church camp in some capacity. Her first thought was that I wouldn't be making a lot there (always the practical one). When I responded that money wasn't the entire purpose of working there, she said something along the lines of what a 'good Christian' I make... it was probably the best compliment I've received in a long time. Made my day. She's proud of me in a way only a grandmother can be, and she worries about me in exactly the same day. On hearing that I'd driven to Waterloo yesterday in a bit of a snow squall, I received a bit of an admonishment, but not an outright "You're crazy!"

Another note from today was that our lives seem to have paralleled eachother of late. Especially in our living circumstances - she recently moved into a nursing home, coming from a more independent style of living on her own. This is my plan for next year - moving in with four or five friends from living by myself for the last two years. It's going to be a huge adjustment, but I know that I can handle it because Baba has faith in me.

I'm really not sure where I was going with this. I think I just want a record of that I really do appreciate all that Baba is to me, and I wish everyone had someone in their family with whom they could connect as we do. As usual, I am blessed!

For the Sexually Promiscuous Gay Male Audience of my Blog...

Yeah, y'know, I don't think that's really part of my target audience with this blog... but Amy sent me a link today because there's an old story about me being told I had syphilis when I donated blood many moons ago. (The gist is that they tested my blood after donation and had a false positive for syphilis... thus I inherited the nickname "Syph-boy" and I'm never allowed to donate again... go me.)

So anyways, Amy sent me this link about getting tested for syphilis, which I have to admit is pretty funny. Check it out: <Click Here>.
Oh, and don't check it at work, it features cartoon penises!

It may not look like winter right now...

...but it damn well does on my computer!!

(click for larger)

I am so very tired of this weather. Give me Nunavut any day. Or Denver. Whatever.

Since when is green grass in JANUARY acceptable? Seriously, this is Canada we're talking about here, not friggin' Cuba. GAH.


Thanks to digitalblasphemy.com for the great computer generated background. My membership there is so seriously worth the price.