The Burd Report

A new phase

2010-09-19T15:33:00.003-04:00

Today we leave blogspot perhaps some of you will not come but that's your choice. The new site will take some getting used to. For instance you will see a post on the front page but to see it the way it was written and take the opportunity to leave a comment you will have to click on the headline.

So follow the white new page into a new layout by clicking here - BurdReport.ca

PS if any of the readers have problems with this payour and change please email me here and tell me about your experiences

BTW Check out the Cobourg candidates page on the new site here

Sign up for email notifications by clicking on the form at the bottom of the sidebar on the right side of the page this service may take a couple of days to settle in so be patient.

A few notes, because I have time

2010-09-16T01:46:00.000-04:00

A trip away does put things in perspective and bring new insights.

For example we, in North America have been bludgeoned by the fast food industry that large signs and a standardised building formula are absolutely essential for corporate existence. If that's the case why do the Italians put these stores in heritage buildings and mandate small signs?

The lists are now sealed let the games begin! The number of people wanting to be a councillor is the lowest in years and Stan Frost has been acclaimed as Deputy Mayor, this demonstrates a huge disinterest in the election. With the Town going to 'wired' elections only nobody knows, and one can only guess, the actual voter turnout. The only winner in this move is the company running the election being paid per vote!

Publication of the BR will resume on Sunday, we can't wait to peruse the last two weeks headlines and start to comment.

Last Point: we just can't get away from these guys can we? Click on pic to enlarge.

Inspiration from the Oddest Places

2010-09-10T12:31:00.003-04:00

Every year when the Film Festival lands in Toronto I avoid watching TV news. The simpering, smarmy reporters following the celebrities for what seems like weeks on end just drive me crazy, leading me to fret about the mess our society is in when this event creates such excitement and wonder amongst the masses.

Since nothing ever stops me from reading the print media though, I saw in the Toronto Star a lead story this morning that made my weary heart sing. There he was, Martin Sheen, walking the picket lines with strikers at the venerable Royal York, the hotel targeted for a single day of action today.

Telling the press he has been a union member all his adult life and that he supports the labour movement, he then came out with a statement that spoke directly to me. He said, and I quote directly from the Torstar, "I'M HERE TO REMIND YOU THAT LOST CAUSES ARE THE ONLY CAUSES WORTH FIGHTING FOR".

It hit me like the proverbial bolt of lightening, and for a split second I swear my heart stopped beating, then resumed with a lilt that's been missing for quite a while. In that one short sentence was contained the entire rationale for a lifetime of seemingly fruitless work on my part, work that sometimes feels like it has drained all my energy for nothing.

The significance of Mr. Sheen's remark is stunning. It reminded me that it's easy to work for popular causes like curing cancer or diabetes. Everybody believes in those goals, and nobody will tell you that you're destroying peoples' lives, an accusation hurled at me more than once for my efforts to end poverty. Nobody booes you when you speak, nobody calls you nasty names or gives your kids a hard time because they carry your name too. Instead, you get awards and accolades for it. Like I said, it's easy to carry the flag for popular causes.

But just try advocating for a cause that is controversial, like giving the poor an adequate income so they can feed their children properly and live in decent housing. For some reason, that drives some people crazy, and they will go to great lengths to discredit and silence you. That's true whether it's anti poverty work, or union activism, or gay rights, or any other worthy but controversial cause.

But Martin, dear Martin, put it all in perspective for me again. Nothing worth having is gained without a fight, and the harder the fight, the worthier the cause. Just think of civil human rights, and womens' rights. Those battles are far from over around the globe, and if the fight to win them here in North America is any indication, we still have huge battles ahead before we succeed.

Now, at least, my head is clear. Like Braveheart and Robert the Bruce, I say bring it on, the battle is nigh.

Had to interrupt the vacation for this

2010-09-09T08:43:00.001-04:00

Cobourg Tourism should be proud. In a letter to NToday.com:

Shady experience at beach

I visited the Cobourg beach on September first with my two children. My son is two and a half and my daughter 10 months old. We arrived at the beach at about 10:30. We set up our two sun shade tents and proceeded to play in the water and sand.

At around 11:10 a police officer approached us and asked us to take down the tents because they aren't allowed on the beach. It would be a $103 fine if I left them up. In embarrassment we packed up and went home, all the while my son was saying "I just want to play at the beach."

I understand if there was alcohol or something to that matter, but there wasn't. I had my two small children and my mother with me.

Nowhere was it posted or in any website I searched on to say anything about no sun shades allowed. On one of the hottest and sunniest days this year, I can't have shade for my children? Absolutely ridiculous. So much for trying to get people to visit Cobourg. I was thoroughly disappointed! I drove 45 minutes to have a beach day with my children only to be kicked off the beach an hour later.

Tara Martino Oshawa

Enough said

Gone travelling

2010-09-07T01:28:00.000-04:00

Back in 14 days, travel diary here

Where are the candidates?

2010-09-02T06:57:00.001-04:00

With only one week to go before nominations close for all of the seats in Municipal elections to be held in Ontario a quick perusal of the lists shows a disturbing trend - nobody appears to want the job. Two Townships in the county - Hamilton and Cramahe will have all councillor seats acclaimed, if nobody else files. Hamilton twp will have its complete slate acclaimed if nobody else files and the Cobourg councillor race, which usually has a lineup in the double figures by now only has nine for five spots.

So why the lack of interest? Is it because of the daunting workload for a small stipend, is it because of an increasing apathy toward politics or is it a generational change. It is a well observed trend that has reduced the number of volunteers who wish to participate in anything that requires meetings. The generation of volunteers, those in the upper age bracket - 70-80s are getting fewer and those in the prime volunteering age just don't have the urge to get stuck in, unless it has a personal attachment (volunteering to run the Scouts or Soccer because they have their own children involved).

In an aside, when the Mayor of Cobourg commented on the move to eliminate traditional balloting methods and go online he observed that this might be one way to get youth involved. Earth to Peter - Just because youth live on the keyboard doesn't mean that they will vote. To get votes one has to inspire. Frankly, what inspires youth less than a ballot made of up people their granddads age?

Before you slam Ben Burd for mouthing off and not getting into the race let me say why I haven't. Not wanting to waste all of your money - yes I would be asking all the readers of the BR for a $100 donation, $99 if you wanted to remain anonymous and expending a lot of my effort and a considerable amount of time I declined the offer. Why go through that exercise only to discove what I know already - I am not one of the five most popular people in Cobourg. Competence has nothing to do with being elected - ppopularity wins everytime. How many people will admit to voting for the meanest SOB available?

So I will miss the opening salvos, and not much else we (Doreen and I ) are off the drink wine and discover antiquities in Italy for a couple of weeks. There may be a travel blog so that others may share the pics, but check us out on Facebook.

Why isn't anybody dressed in blue stepping forward?

2010-08-31T09:33:00.000-04:00

For the past two election cycles the local PCs have been coasting. After the decision by Doug Galt not to have another term in office his wife Cathy stepped up to the plate. She lost to Loo Rinaldi. Now that the latest polls have "little mike" Hudak's neocons even with the "fiberals" (ahead in Eastern Ontario) why doesn't the local party have a candidate?

Perhaps they do but we haven't even heard a sniff from interested parties, only the stale rumour about Linda Thompson wanting it. That is not good enough in these days where we have a Lib incumbent on the ropes and the NDP not even murmering.

Announcements

2010-08-31T07:03:00.001-04:00

#1 From W Keeler to the Mayor

"I request 10 minutes to make a Power-Point presentation to Cobourg Town Council concerning the footprint left on Victoria Park by Northumberland Ribfest. I want to display the challenge that must be met by future organizations wishing to utilize the lush and beautiful grounds of Victoria Park as a venue. I want to make several recommendations to prevent any further similar harm to the grounds of Victoria Park.

Attached is a Power-Point presentation of the content that I wish to exhibit to illustrate the challenge that must be addressed.

Mayor Peter Delanty said it right on when he referred to Victoria Park as “the crown jewel of Cobourg.” I declare my interest as a life-long heavy user of Victoria Park.

#2 from the Dave Glover campaign.

Dave Glover to File Nomination Papers at Town Hall, Tuesday, August 31 at 11:30 a.m.

Contact Dave at: votedaveglover@cogeco.ca

What is a tourist

2010-08-29T11:14:00.001-04:00

Many postings reveal many attitudes. The most lively discussions that take place on these pages are those about the Victoria Park visitors. Why is this? Is it because of the many rigid opinions that have emerged. On one side we have the residents who are fed up with having to cater to many visitors, most of whom do not look like them, thus being perceived as threats. On the other we have many who are willing to embrace the idea of a diverse bunch of people enjoying themselves in our resources. The official response to this influx of visitors is to attempt to discipline them and force a behaviour on them by regulation of almost anything that might contribute to the beach experience.

But one of the latest comments reveals an very vexing question - "What is expected of a Tourist?" The Town has been successful in promoting the Town and are now unprepared for the influx that came, who's fault is that. And was the Town only expecting visitors with wads of cash or "lookyloos". It appears that the Tourism Department has only done half the job - getting people here. Now it has to use that resource to take advantage of them. But in doing so does the Town ask itself - what is a tourist?

Using myself as an example, our family is now spending 75% of our disposable income on tourism related activities and in our travels we have never asked ourselves "How much do we have to spend in a place when we get there?" The idea of going to a place to spend money is way down on the list of tourist activities. Buying admission tickets to local sights maybe, the cost of getting there but the notion of buying another teeshirt to remember the place by or picking up a souvenir is not on. Definitely the thought of buying a meal does come up, but if we decide to have a picnic no money on meals. To answer the Cobourgers' plight - that of asking the visitor to the beach to spend some money downtown is not in our destiny whenever we visit a strange place. And the last thing on our minds is to take out garbage home with us. We look for a well adminstered location with plenty of garbage receptacles. I know of no other tourist destination where the expectation is that one trucks the trash home.

A guest post

2010-08-27T20:42:00.000-04:00

submitted by Wally Keeler

Martin Partridge posted in the local papers, MY IDEAS RE VICTORIA PARK; THE BEACH “Enforcement is essential. Scofflaws undermine the rules and make us look ridiculous. Garbage and environment are big issues. How about a daily ‘environment fee’ for non-resident adults? Parking is another big issue. Why don’t we stop non-resident car access to the core on busy days? Force guests to walk in from further away. They’d bring less stuff and maybe visit downtown en route.”

The first two sentences I would dismiss as legal tough talk which caters to the Corktown crowd. It’s a throwaway.

” Garbage and environment are big issues.

No problem for the garbage. More bins and weekend overtime for staff for the really really busy weekends.

” How about a daily ‘environment fee’ for non-resident adults?”

How do you collect it? How do you ascertain whether someone is resident or not? How many staff will be delegated to carry this out. Will this be a summer job? Or special weekends only? Will Northumberland residents get a weekend exemption for Northumberland Ribfest, but others outside Northumberland pay full fee? Where will the checkpoints be?

” Parking is another big issue. Why don’t we stop non-resident car access to the core on busy days?”

Really? Is this a serious question? On busy days, we stop cars to check their residency status? Create a traffic nightmare? And where would the checkpoints be placed? Can’t do that to Provincial Highway 2 aka King Street. So how ya gonna carry this out? How many staff will be involved to carry this out? This is one of the most bizarre ideas I have ever heard.

”Force guests to walk in from further away.”

Don’t ya just love it when a political hopeful is honest enough to use the word “force”. Because I live within half a block of Victoria Park, I’ll have to tell my Guelph-resident friend, James Clarke, former Ontario Supreme Court Justice, that he will be forced to walk a block or two to visit me on certain days of the year. I could never imagine treating a guest like that – how inhospitable can you get?

”They’d bring less stuff and maybe visit downtown en route.”

Stuff? Is that the idea. The problem with the park is that outsiders bring stuff. What? Blankets? Umbrellas? Children’s toys? Folding chairs? Coolers? Propane BBQs (They’re legal), Beach balls, Volleyballs? Etc. Yep, the loutsiders will feel the hospitality of this feel good attitude. What’s with the “maybe”? I’d want to be far more certain that the loutsiders do visit downtown and buy stuff, before I’d set residency checkpoints on all streets leading to “the core.”

Check a bit of history. Victoria Park was privately owned in 1874, but was always accessible to the public. That is the legacy of this park. Mr Partridge has diminished this legacy with his suggestion. At least Gil Brocanier is known to have dived off the pier in his youth, along with many other young men over the long history of Cobourg harbour.

I hope Don isn't right

2010-08-25T18:10:00.001-04:00

There is a nasty discussion going on about a proposed development that sums up everything that is wrong with the planning and approval process as currently designed.

The old curling club building, on Queen St., that for years has housed a procession of auto repair shops is now going to be torn down and a developer proposes to build (what else?) condos. The problem is that this is a small site and in order to maximize his profit he needs to build five stories high. In an area where there is only one other five storey building, the norm is three, this will be a high one. Not only that the building will be abutting two popular bars and grills. The owner of the nearest, the Oasis Bar and Grill, is predicting that if the building goes ahead and is built during the next two summers he will be out of business. Unfortunately if he survives the building period that will only be the start of his troubles. The new owners of the condos won't be long in complaining about the mirth and merriment on tap. Those corrosive complaints will put to shame the nasty complaint process seen recently from the 'Baystreeters' about noise in the Victoria Park. Neighbours will complain about anything they can, witness the complaints the Marina receives regularly about its noisy lawnmowers.

Where does the problem lie at the moment? On Council's doorstep. The committee of the whole approved the application 4-3 with the Mayor obviously casting the deciding vote. While the Official Plan calls for progress that progress must be balanced with the uses of the existing neighbourhood. Obviously the two uses here - a quiet residential domicle and outdoor music on a busy patio will clash. Council for its own sake - does it want to be the referee of noise for the foreseeable future - should declare the two uses incompatible and come down on the side of common sense and limit the building to three storeys with sound barriers or not allow it to be built citing incompatibility.

Declining Fortunes by Deb O'Connor

2010-08-25T13:14:00.002-04:00

Yesterday I travelled along Highway 2 from Dale Road in Welcome on to Oshawa. It was the first time in nearly two years I had taken this route, a familiar one I have grown to love since I was a kid before we even had Hwy #401. Then, it was the only way to get to Toronto and my Dad would entertain us with stories of local history as we made the rather long trip. At least for a kid it was a long trip.

After this long, there were changes along the way. Ugly sub divisions have started to mar not only Bowmanville but Newcastle too, where they seemed especially out of place among the rolling hills and creeks. A new and huge suburban nightmare has grown even larger west of Bowmanville, with a brand new Wal Mart announcing it's open for business even as the construction continues around their store. Oshawa itself looked especially run down and dirty with large expanses of concrete and dust and rubble all over the place.

While I noted these so-called improvements, there were revealing indicators that suggest prosperity is dwindling for many of us. Stores and businesses that didn't exist the last time I went by are already closed and empty, and the shops and restaurants in Bowmanville, while appearing quite busy, seemed to be catering to a demographic that is unlikely to support much growth on a long term basis. Like in Cobourg, I wonder how many dead flower arrangements and wooden carved objects a consumer can buy before satiation occurs. Likewise, how many restos offering lunches of fancy salads and miniscule portions of seafood can a community use?

What really struck me though was the number of single family homes with large boats and recreational vehicles small and large with For Sale signs on them. Many of the homes had the same signs on their front lawns. Seeing all this it's hard not to wonder if the inhabitants lost their jobs, used up their unemployment benefits and were now looking at their possessions to try and generate some grocery money.

In Cobourg we now have two pay day loan type places, and three pawn shops in operation. What does that tell us about the state of the local economy? Combined with the dramatic increases to the welfare rolls, the increased use of food banks and emergency assistance, it's nothing to celebrate. Are our candidates for municipal office even aware of the desperation and poverty that exists here?

Coming at it from a larger perspective, we know that home sales have tanked, not only in the USA but now in Canada too. Stock exchanges all around the world keep falling, and while Canadian banks are still posting profits, they are not as big as the banks expected.

Is this all just summer doldrums, a blip on the trading floors that will soon reverse itself? Or are we seeing the early symptoms of a world wide decline in human fortunes as some think. Combined with the ravages of extreme weather all over the world, not to mention the extreme politics that seem to be emerging, are we in big trouble that we are totally unprepared for?

The next few years are going to be very interesting as the consequences of human development land on all of us, rich or poor. Are we ready, willing, and able to meet the challenge? We'd better be, this ain't gonna be pretty.

Australia is in a mess

2010-08-24T06:51:00.001-04:00

For those who did not know Australia had an election a few days ago and we still don't know who won. The ruling Labour Party (somewhat lefties) and the somewhat righties the Liberals now have to woo three very independent independents to get a majority story here.

So how did Aussieland get to this point? The ruling Labs only a couple of months ago, while struggling in the polls, tossed their leader overboard in a palace-coup. The new leader - Julia Gillard - seized power and proceeded to drive the electoral bus right into the ditch. The electorate thoroughly cheesed at the shenanigans and the lack of meaningful policy and U-turns on existing policy were apathetic about all of the pols and it showed in the "anyone but those" votes at the polls.

Lessons learned for us are: that Pols need platforms not personality, the electorate are not sheeple to be pushed by polls or pols and substance beats flash everytime. But the danger is that voters get indecisive results - look at the UK and now Australia and wait for the American results in November. Locally look at Ford in Toronto beating up on the rest because the rest are bad candidates. Even in Cobourg we only have seven people on the Councillor ballot where the average for years has been twelve. Nobody but bums wants to be politicians - Why?

Council briefs

2010-08-23T07:30:00.000-04:00

Today at 4pm the cobourg Council will listen to seven delegations, that's good for at least two hours of listening and questions. But one of the delegates is a person named Jerry Ford, perhaps he is the putative candidate for Council who may be sussing out the joint and picking a chair. He will be talking about a very valid issue - why is there no pool in the Community centre.

Also for the watchers of the Community Centre questions will be asked about the move to set up a "special contingency fund" of $500,000 to be funded from council's 'playmoney' fund - the HoldCo dividends. If the Project is on track why do they need another half million?

And the hoary chestnut of a pay raise is being punted to the next Council, a report about the wisdom of a payraise and how much it should be is to be presented as a first order of business for the new Council in January. No cajones in this motion. This Council should be ruling on this before the election to avoid the stupid gotcha questions at an all candidates meeting - "Will you be taking a raise?" and the equally stupid reply from cowardly candidates of "No", "Perhaps" and "I'll decide when I see how much it is".

Another decree from Councillor NO

2010-08-22T07:13:00.000-04:00

Cobourg is a fine collection of signs telling us what we cannot do. Wally Keeler has chronicled this fact with a mighty fine photo essay here. Well on Monday night Councillor NO - Bob Spooner will add another notch to his "ban list" - a "No Diving from the Pier" law. Citing the fact that people who perform this practise have been cutting their feet on zebra mussels that have attached themselves to the rocks Council will now protect the bottoms of people's feet by banning them from stepping on the rocks by prohibiting them from diving off the Pier. So folks say goodbye to the happy practise of the young playing on the Pier.

In a facebook posting today somebody who will remain nameless complained about a pimply-faced rentacop searching his wife's purse before entry to the fenced area that contained Ribfest. This civil libertarian then faced howls of scorn for protesting and was told many times "If you don't want to be searched don't go in there". A very simplistic and fascist argument. Kudos to the guy who complained, now all we have to do is highlight Cobourg's many "do not do this in our Town" signs and then we can move on as lovers of freedom instead of being obedient sheeple.

Rob Ford vs. Immigration Facts

2010-08-21T13:54:00.002-04:00

Since Critical1 was interested in having a discussion about immigration in the face of Rob Ford's recent rants on that topic, I did some poking around to come up with the following facts. They are rather different than the myths we keep hearing from Fold and his ilk.

Ford claimed last week that Toronto is planning for an additional one million immigrants in the next ten years. Actually, the city's Official Plan predicts half that many (537,000) over the next twenty years. Quite a difference. You could even call it significant. Ford is either lying to play to his base, or just doesn't know the facts.

Our own Critical1 opines that maybe we are getting the wrong kind of immigrants since most of them end up in poverty. That ignores the reality that our government rules make it almost impossible for trained professionals to qualify to work at their professions once here. Despite years of promises to change those rules, nothing much has happened and we have trained doctors driving cabs. We have rigorous screening programs that eliminate prospective immigrants who don't have money and skills. That is the truth of the matter. So we are getting the "right kind" of immigrants, we just go to extraordinary lengths to grind them down once they are here. Ask the provincial Medical Associations why they do that, my own speculation might suggest a motive like hobbling the competition and that would be totally unfounded, only the gut feeling of a tired cynical socialist.

The Conference Board of Canada, hardly a special interest group, tells us our national economy would gain five billion annually if immigrants were able to work in the professions they trained in. Sounds good to me.

The Royal Bank of Canada recommended boosting immigration in Canada from the current rate of 240-265,000 per year, up to 400,000. The report, called "Diversity Advantage" was produced in 2005. Among other things, it reminded us that we need more people in Canada to keep the engines turning, meaning working and paying taxes. As someone poised to begin collecting my government retirement pension after all those years paying into it, I certainly see the value in having younger, working people continuing to pay into Canada Pension as well as funding our vital public services like health care and education. Since people of my generation and younger just haven't produced enough offspring to do it, more people from other parts of the world are required if we want to maintain our current system and lifestyle, and most of us do.

Immigrants aren't the problem, it's how the federal and provincial governments go about their settlement that does that. For starters, we should be running aggressive programs to ensure they choose smaller centres to go to live, then providing whatever additional training they need to get to work in their chosen fields. Our new citizens will fare much better that way, and all of us will benefit from their presence here.

We can no longer pretend that Canada is some sainted haven only for those born here. Our future will be bleak if we persist in that kind of xenophobic thinking. In the 21st century it is all one world, and we will sink or swim together.

A facebook hack?

2010-08-21T09:48:00.000-04:00

This was the entry on John Floyd's facebook page. John Floyd in an interview vehemently denies that he posted it. Strange.

The immediacy of the Internet

2010-08-21T09:34:00.001-04:00

This just in at 09.33

"I must say Ben I did not put that there a friend posted that as a bithday joke as yesterday was my birthday ."
thank you
John Floyd

so there you are folks John is not looking for a cartoonist his friends are!

People will complain about anything

2010-08-21T08:36:00.000-04:00

A Solar energy farm located on scrubby class 6 agrictultural land story here was the subject of a meeting in Baltimore recently. Those in opposition don't have much to complain about except the charge that their view of the countryside will be affected. If that's the case people you go ahead and buy the land and then you can look at pristine, but agriculturally poor, land without the blight of passive solar collectors.

Meanwhile here's my whine of the day: the music in the Victoria Park bandshell in Cobourg should have a decibel limit placed on it. When you can hear the bandshell music as far away as Elgin St. don't you think that's a good indicator of "loud". This is one complaint of the Baystreeters that I agree with, oops that's wrong they only complain about ethnic music!!

If you want to win get serious

2010-08-21T08:17:00.001-04:00

John Floyd is looking for a campaign cartoonist. apply within. This appeal appeared on Facebook yesterday.

As we all know John Floyd will be announcing his candidacy for the position of Mayor of Port Hope on the 25th at a BBQ at his house on Madison St.. This perennial candidate has tried before and lost, this time he feels it will be a better chance. But in order to do better he has to lose his image of gad-about populist angry guy and get serious. ~~This facebook appeal may have been in jest but the last thing a serious candidate needs is a cartoonist.~~ Try a good copywriter instead perhaps even an image-maker too.

This is bizarre

2010-08-19T19:19:00.000-04:00

The Ontario PCs issued a press release and it was picked up by Northumberlandview.ca here. This release takes the McGuinty government to task for not making Lou Rinaldi a Cabinet member in the latest shuffle. First of all who are these faceless people in the PCs? Last time I looked the local PCs were floundering to find a candidate to run against Loo. Secondly since when does "Little Mike" speak for constituents in NQW. Thirdly by nominating Loo to be Cabinet material is says bucket loads about the standards of a Hudak Cabinet, presumably Loo would be a key member if he was a PC!

The Ford saga continues

2010-08-19T18:10:00.000-04:00

The old saw "There is no such thing as bad publicity" certainly holds true for the fat guy running for Mayor of Toronto. Rob Ford riding his one trick pony seems to be taking it down the road of success. The more outrageous his behaviour becomes the more his supporters howl in glee. Makes remarks about immigrants, shown to be a man with a faulty memory not being able to remember a conviction in Florida, but then he couldn't remember what he said at the maple Leaf gardens after an evening of lubrication. His record of self-abuse which leads to memory loss is working out well for him amongst the lads. White males love this guy. His one trait for electoral success appears to be one of the populist type. But we have been down this road before. Angry white males voted in grat numbers for that other person who "did what he said he was going to do". Unfortunately Mike Harris didn't do what he said he would do half of the time and still gained a reputation for doing it all.

Frankly the BurdReport is appalled at a candidate who doesn't admit to his warts but in fact denies them. Having warts is OK but lying about them is not. Just remember the front runner of four months ago being hounded from the race when Adam Gianbrone, a single man admitted to having a bit on the side - he admitted it and was booted. What does the fat buffoon Ford have to do to get booted too?

Fun on the Pier

2010-08-17T12:21:00.000-04:00

A guest post from W Keeler - to view the pic click on it

Cobourg's waterfront was assaulted by outsiders Monday afternoon. The outside agitators came from the west, an unrelenting swarm of heavy breezes silting Corktown with fine sand dredged up earlier in the year. The outside agitators also stirred up some exhilarating head-banger waves to entice local teenagers to the bottom end of Division Street.

Occasional waves exploded two or three stories into the air, drenching girls who perched themselves, like sweet little seagulls, on the steel railing that perimeters the pier.

There were three boys and a girl in the frothing turbulence of the water, riding the surface currents of the waves. It was a wonderful display of mental alertness and physical strength and endurance of their prime-of-life bodies. The background ambience is Danger. Risky behaviour? Of course. How else does a human being test their abilities?

The waves had a rough rhythm roughly learned by the teens, when they were climbing the ladder, the impact and withdrawal of a single wave ripped them off the rungs and pulled them back down in to the deep. One of the boys gripped the girl's arm to ensure her safety. She successfully made to the arms of a girlfriend.

Finally, everyone is safe and secure, drenched in a lifetime memories. They will eventually become responsible civilians, pass through two or three decades, and recall the sheer exhilaration if this day. One older woman admonished the teens, telling them the fine details of bashed heads, lungs full of water, etc. It reminded me of the words of Irving Layton in The Whole Bloody Bird: "It is cruel for the old to inflict their disillusioned wisdom on the young. Fortunately it is also impossible."

Online gambling - what are the odds?

2010-08-15T20:06:00.001-04:00

British Columbia has online gambling, it is outlawed in the USA and many rinky-dink nations have embraced it as a way to make money. Premier Dad has decided that Ontario should get into it later this year. After voicing concerns for many years he has come around to the position of his Lottery Czar – Paul Godfrey, who on his very fiirst interview after being appointed, mused about getting into online gambling. So what will make online gamblers switch to the OLG? Nobody knows but as online gamblers have the world to choose from the odds on the OLG site better be more than average. This will be the norm – online offers to entice numbers to the site and better odds will keep them there, although the complexity of the games and the ability of the games to hold gamblers’ attention will be necessary.

The downside is that without investing heavily in programs for problem gamblers this will be a very risky and immoral venture. Once again a demonstration of greed before morality. Perhaps if the proceeds of this new venture were to be dedicated to health care or any other such government program rather than just being pumped into general revenue the public may be more accepting.

Legalise Pot, Not Gambling

2010-08-15T18:19:00.002-04:00

Recently I watched some coverage of Proposition 19 , currently up for a vote in California. This innovative initiative is designed to raise tax revenue in that state, which is in imminent danger of not being able to run essential government services. Proponents want to legalise possession of small amounts of marijuana, setting up a system to collect taxes on its sale like they do on alcohol. They figure they can raise 1.4 billion a year doing it, and polls show 52% of Californians support it.

Watching the show my thoughts turned to our own Premier Dad announcing last week that online gambling, once disdained by him and his party, is to be the latest new tax generating tool of our government. I'm no expert on addictions, and no gambler either, but my gut (don't need no experts to tell me stuff) assures me that many more lives have been ruined by obsessive gambling than obsessive pot smoking, if there even is such a thing, which I doubt.

There are enough closet puffers out there to finance a few government projects, believe me, and there are also many pot growers in the province who would welcome a chance to grow and sell their product legally.

California will have the same problem as Ontario if pot was legalised though, and that is a federal government with a contrary law. While the feds in the USA are relaxing their stance, allowing medical marijuana in its military hospitals in the 14 states where medicinal pot is legal, we would certainly face a huge battle here with Captain Stevie and his Robot Puppets in charge. They're the guys who keep busting and jailing disabled people who have medical certificates to smoke up in Canada. It could take some convincing to bring them along. They'd have to think up new uses for all the jails they want to build, for one thing. Maybe hydroponic grow-ups, I'm sure we can think of something useful.

All I know is given a choice between sitting in front of a computer screen gambling away the rent money, and paying a tax on pot like we do at the liquor store, I'll take the latter option any day. It's so much less perilous for the people.