I hate Dalton McGinty. I hate him to an extent that it will probably keep me out of heaven if there is such a place. I hate the man for one reason and one reason only. The Ontario Health Care Premium.
I have come to hate socialized medicine. I want to see it abolished. Now don't get me wrong, I like health care. (Sort of anyway, I'm not a huge fan of "a pill for every ill" but I do like knowing some skilled individual will be available [eventually] to stich me up should I every get hit by a random bullet when in the Big Smoke.) I just think it should be an insurance system - this is odd as I normally think of insurance as legalized extortion.
My hatred of Dalton helps me explain this. Every year I have to pay a special Ontario Health Care Premium of an amount calculated based solely on my income. I think this is a HUGE injustice. An injustice worthy of stoning. In a country where the medical system is clogged with people who make poor lifestyle decisions in regards to their health I think any health care premium has to be based on those lifestyle decisions and not on income. I don't care if it's a private or public system, I don't care if it becomes "tiered" and I don't care if some people can't afford it. I don't even care if my insurance premiums would total more than my current Ontario Health Care Premium and the percentage of my taxes that already go into the health care system I just want to feel like it's at least pretending to be fair.
Tuesday, February 28, 2012
Saturday, February 25, 2012
Good news for ugly folks
George must be happy that his buddy Steve is so good at what he does. I recently saw the Adventures of Tintin in 3D and I have to say I was impressed. For the second time in my life I also got a private viewing being the only person in the movie theater. (The first time was a midnight showing of 3000 miles to Graceland, which was also better than expected.)
The animation in Tintin was excellent to my untrained eye and while the characters were human the fact that they were also obviously cartoons was a lot less creepy that some recent attempts at animated tales of humans. The action was fun and the story good.
I'm already up for the sequel and that's a rare thing these days.
You might be wondering how the title fits this post? Well with animation this good it won't be long before good buy ugly actors will be able steal the leading roles from the no talent pretty people.
The animation in Tintin was excellent to my untrained eye and while the characters were human the fact that they were also obviously cartoons was a lot less creepy that some recent attempts at animated tales of humans. The action was fun and the story good.
I'm already up for the sequel and that's a rare thing these days.
You might be wondering how the title fits this post? Well with animation this good it won't be long before good buy ugly actors will be able steal the leading roles from the no talent pretty people.
Wednesday, February 15, 2012
Good TV
I just finished watch the TV series “Breaking Bad”. For those who don’t know about it, it was on AMC, lasted four seasons and was about a high school chemistry teacher who gets diagnosed with cancer and turns to cooking crystal meth to pay his medical bills.
It was good. The first two seasons really good, seasons three and four were also good but I felt the story was being drawn out in comparison with the first two seasons. If the show had maintained the original pace seasons three and four would have been one season IMO.
Essentially the show looked at the values of America. In theory all of the shows charcaters are in pursuit of the American dream, or at least one of them. Walt wants to be independent, Jesse wants to be left alone to do his own thing, Skyler wants the white picket fence and most everyone else wants to be rich.
What the show examines is when these desires come into conflict with the real world, with law and order, and with what happens when you decide to abandon the rules. The spark is Walt's cancer. His insurance isn't what he thought it would be and he's too proud to accept charity so he rationalizes abandoning the system that he feels abandoned him. Then things get out of control.
Things’ spinning out of control when there are no rules is definitely the leitmotif of the series. In many ways it's about the need for rules even if they seem unfair.
In the end I think what I liked about it most is that the show wanted you to think about issues and ideas, about right and wrong, values. TV needs more shows like that.
It was good. The first two seasons really good, seasons three and four were also good but I felt the story was being drawn out in comparison with the first two seasons. If the show had maintained the original pace seasons three and four would have been one season IMO.
Essentially the show looked at the values of America. In theory all of the shows charcaters are in pursuit of the American dream, or at least one of them. Walt wants to be independent, Jesse wants to be left alone to do his own thing, Skyler wants the white picket fence and most everyone else wants to be rich.
What the show examines is when these desires come into conflict with the real world, with law and order, and with what happens when you decide to abandon the rules. The spark is Walt's cancer. His insurance isn't what he thought it would be and he's too proud to accept charity so he rationalizes abandoning the system that he feels abandoned him. Then things get out of control.
Things’ spinning out of control when there are no rules is definitely the leitmotif of the series. In many ways it's about the need for rules even if they seem unfair.
In the end I think what I liked about it most is that the show wanted you to think about issues and ideas, about right and wrong, values. TV needs more shows like that.
Tuesday, February 7, 2012
Society Collapse Disorder
I’m taking a University distance education course on Bees this winter so expect a few bee related posts. This one comes from a phenomenon concerning honey bees called Colony Collapse Disorder.
In CCD large amounts of bees disappear from the hive resulting in its non-viability. In light of the bees eusocial society I can see why this phenomenon is so disconcerting to beekeepers. I also think maybe it should be disconcerting for sociologists. A eusocial society is the ultimate expression of all for one.
No one really knows what is causing CCD. It’s not like the hives are full of dead bees or surrounded by dead bees, the bees simply disappear - apparently abandoning the hive and their queen. It is known that the colonies that fall prey to CCD usually have a variety of stressors present and this is where I think sociologists should pay attention.
Honey bee hives today face an ever increasing variety and intensity of stressors – constant movement of bees used as pollinators, GM crops, new pesticides (in particular neonicotinoids, unprecedented levels of radiation and new natural pests (varroa mites, nosema).
We don’t live in anything approximating the strong bonds of a eusocial society but I do see the ever increasing and variety of stressors also affecting humanity – GM foods, the chemical soup we call modern living, the magnification of background radiation and what seems like an awful lot of allergies.
Some biologists say the bees are to the environment what the canary was to a coal mine. For humans I say look at our reproduction. Not so long ago we were desperate for birth control but today who doesn’t know a couple, or a couple of couples, who have invested thousands of dollars in fertility treatments?
In CCD large amounts of bees disappear from the hive resulting in its non-viability. In light of the bees eusocial society I can see why this phenomenon is so disconcerting to beekeepers. I also think maybe it should be disconcerting for sociologists. A eusocial society is the ultimate expression of all for one.
No one really knows what is causing CCD. It’s not like the hives are full of dead bees or surrounded by dead bees, the bees simply disappear - apparently abandoning the hive and their queen. It is known that the colonies that fall prey to CCD usually have a variety of stressors present and this is where I think sociologists should pay attention.
Honey bee hives today face an ever increasing variety and intensity of stressors – constant movement of bees used as pollinators, GM crops, new pesticides (in particular neonicotinoids, unprecedented levels of radiation and new natural pests (varroa mites, nosema).
We don’t live in anything approximating the strong bonds of a eusocial society but I do see the ever increasing and variety of stressors also affecting humanity – GM foods, the chemical soup we call modern living, the magnification of background radiation and what seems like an awful lot of allergies.
Some biologists say the bees are to the environment what the canary was to a coal mine. For humans I say look at our reproduction. Not so long ago we were desperate for birth control but today who doesn’t know a couple, or a couple of couples, who have invested thousands of dollars in fertility treatments?
Saturday, February 4, 2012
"The future is already here - it's just not very evenly distributed"
The title is a quote from William Gibson, an American-Canadian writer who has been called the "noir prophet" of cyberpunk. He coined the term cyberspace .
I'm cutting and pasting the story because I don't know how long the link would last. The story is from Yahoo.ca news and his guilt or innocence is not my point.
"Muslim man: My workplace quip made me a terror suspect
>By Sidhartha Banerjee, The Canadian Press | The Canadian Press – Thu, 2 Feb, 2012
MONTREAL - A casual text message to work colleagues encouraging them to ''blow away'' the competition at a trade show allegedly plunged a Muslim man into a terrorism probe.
Telecommunications sales manager Saad Allami says the innocent message, aimed at pumping up his staff, has had devastating consequences on his life.
The Quebec man says he was arrested by provincial police while picking up his seven-year-old son at school. A team of police officers stormed into his home, telling his wife she was married to a terrorist. And his work colleagues were detained for hours at the U.S. border because of their connection to him.
Those are the allegations Allami makes in a lawsuit filed last month.
The Moroccan native is seeking $100,000 from the Quebec provincial police force, one of its sergeants, and the provincial government. The six-figure sum is being sought for unlawful detention, unlawful arrest, loss of income and damage to his reputation.
On Jan. 21, 2011, Allami sent a text message to colleagues urging them to "blow away" the competition at a trade show in New York City.
According to his lawsuit, he was arrested without warning by police three days later and detained for over a day while his house was searched. During his detention, a team of police officers allegedly conducted an "intrusive" four-hour search.
"The whole time, the officers kept repeating to the plaintiff's wife that her husband was a terrorist," the filing reads.
"The treatment of the plaintiff and his wife was cavalier, illegal, aggressive, accusatory, and in violation of their most fundamental rights."
Allami, who was 40 when he was arrested, says he has no links to terrorist organizations or the Islamic movement and that police acted without any evidence or research. He has never been charged in the affair. A search of Quebec's courthouse database finds no other references to him, either.
However, Allami says he hasn't been able to get a certificate of good conduct, which he would need in order to get a job working in finance.
His allegations have not been proven in court and the application is to be presented at the Montreal courthouse on March 5.
Provincial police spokesman Guy Lapointe says the force is aware of the case but will not comment as it is before the courts. A Justice Department spokesperson also declined to comment.
Police had in Laval, Que., where he applied for the certificate, found terrorism accusations and public mischief on his file, even though his public file shows no signs of the allegations
"Without the certificate of good conduct, the plaintiff can no longer work in his profession," the document states.
Allami is being represented by Julius Grey, a well-known Montreal lawyer.
Contacted earlier this week, Grey said neither he nor his client wished to speak about the facts.
"It presents interesting issues of law and profiling but I feel uncomfortable debating it outside the courtroom," Grey said.
The motion he filed makes allusions to the profiling issue.
"Without any evidence, and without any follow-up, the (provincial police) just cannot go about arresting North Africans, of Muslim persuasion, inferring they are terrorists, giving them a police record, and destroying their reputation, credibility and livelihoods," the motion reads.
Allami says he sent the text message in French and used the word ''exploser,'' a term he claims is commonly used in finance to mean grow or succeed.
His case has surfaced after another story about an unexpected national-security case, triggered by what appeared to be a meaningless comment.
There have been reports of two British tourists who said they were banned from entering the United States — with one of them handcuffed, arrested and flagged as a threat by the Department of Homeland Security over Twitter tongue-in-cheek messages about going to ''destroy America'' and dig up Marilyn Monroe's body."
And here's the link:
http://ca.news.yahoo.com/muslim-man-workplace-quip-made-terror-suspect-211334769.html">http://ca.news.yahoo.com/muslim-man-workplace-quip-made-terror-suspect-211334769.html
I'm cutting and pasting the story because I don't know how long the link would last. The story is from Yahoo.ca news and his guilt or innocence is not my point.
"Muslim man: My workplace quip made me a terror suspect
>By Sidhartha Banerjee, The Canadian Press | The Canadian Press – Thu, 2 Feb, 2012
MONTREAL - A casual text message to work colleagues encouraging them to ''blow away'' the competition at a trade show allegedly plunged a Muslim man into a terrorism probe.
Telecommunications sales manager Saad Allami says the innocent message, aimed at pumping up his staff, has had devastating consequences on his life.
The Quebec man says he was arrested by provincial police while picking up his seven-year-old son at school. A team of police officers stormed into his home, telling his wife she was married to a terrorist. And his work colleagues were detained for hours at the U.S. border because of their connection to him.
Those are the allegations Allami makes in a lawsuit filed last month.
The Moroccan native is seeking $100,000 from the Quebec provincial police force, one of its sergeants, and the provincial government. The six-figure sum is being sought for unlawful detention, unlawful arrest, loss of income and damage to his reputation.
On Jan. 21, 2011, Allami sent a text message to colleagues urging them to "blow away" the competition at a trade show in New York City.
According to his lawsuit, he was arrested without warning by police three days later and detained for over a day while his house was searched. During his detention, a team of police officers allegedly conducted an "intrusive" four-hour search.
"The whole time, the officers kept repeating to the plaintiff's wife that her husband was a terrorist," the filing reads.
"The treatment of the plaintiff and his wife was cavalier, illegal, aggressive, accusatory, and in violation of their most fundamental rights."
Allami, who was 40 when he was arrested, says he has no links to terrorist organizations or the Islamic movement and that police acted without any evidence or research. He has never been charged in the affair. A search of Quebec's courthouse database finds no other references to him, either.
However, Allami says he hasn't been able to get a certificate of good conduct, which he would need in order to get a job working in finance.
His allegations have not been proven in court and the application is to be presented at the Montreal courthouse on March 5.
Provincial police spokesman Guy Lapointe says the force is aware of the case but will not comment as it is before the courts. A Justice Department spokesperson also declined to comment.
Police had in Laval, Que., where he applied for the certificate, found terrorism accusations and public mischief on his file, even though his public file shows no signs of the allegations
"Without the certificate of good conduct, the plaintiff can no longer work in his profession," the document states.
Allami is being represented by Julius Grey, a well-known Montreal lawyer.
Contacted earlier this week, Grey said neither he nor his client wished to speak about the facts.
"It presents interesting issues of law and profiling but I feel uncomfortable debating it outside the courtroom," Grey said.
The motion he filed makes allusions to the profiling issue.
"Without any evidence, and without any follow-up, the (provincial police) just cannot go about arresting North Africans, of Muslim persuasion, inferring they are terrorists, giving them a police record, and destroying their reputation, credibility and livelihoods," the motion reads.
Allami says he sent the text message in French and used the word ''exploser,'' a term he claims is commonly used in finance to mean grow or succeed.
His case has surfaced after another story about an unexpected national-security case, triggered by what appeared to be a meaningless comment.
There have been reports of two British tourists who said they were banned from entering the United States — with one of them handcuffed, arrested and flagged as a threat by the Department of Homeland Security over Twitter tongue-in-cheek messages about going to ''destroy America'' and dig up Marilyn Monroe's body."
And here's the link:
http://ca.news.yahoo.com/muslim-man-workplace-quip-made-terror-suspect-211334769.html">http://ca.news.yahoo.com/muslim-man-workplace-quip-made-terror-suspect-211334769.html
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