The New Regime....

Yep, wouldn't want people's opinions cluttering up the debate.... Oops, what debate?

Dealing with Climate Change Skeptics

Logic and facts haven't worked. At least not as well as convenience, money, apathy and whatever kooky idea that's appeared in the tabloids recently.

So, maybe it's time for sarcasm. This is the approach being used by Bill Maher as demonstrated in the following clip (**language warning**):

Northern Gateway Pipeline: Let the Name-Calling Begin

The Minister of Natural Resources today started the pipeline review process with some name-calling: "radical environmentalists", "jet-setting celebs" and so on. It's not a good beginning if what we're looking for in essential information. Maybe we can try something else:

Dear Mr Oliver:

I wish to express my concerns about your comments earlier today about opposition to the Northern Gateway Pipeline Project.

First, it is a real sign of weakness to start calling people names when they don't agree with you, because it shows that you don't have a good argument to counter their claims.

You also assert that these people have an ideological standpoint.... Well, of course they do, and so do you. It seems rather pointless to make that statement because it really highlights your fear of any opposition to your position. If you have good points to make that will convince me, let's hear them. I understand where the ideological viewpoints are because they are everywhere. What I want is good information.

Personally, I'm ambivalent about the pipelline project. I think it has risks and benefits, but I really haven't heard much in the way of facts, and I'm not talking about government spin here. You and your government will assert that this pipeline is safe, right up to the moment when it springs a leak in an environmentally sensitive area. That's what you guys always do.

What I want is real information, not name-calling and political spin. Unfortunately, your position, and that of your government, is making me wonder why you can't come up with anything better than your normal response. I'm a bit insulted that you don't seem to understand that Canadians deserve a better, more intelligent position from you on this issue.

Sincerely,

Understanding US National Economic Issues # 1

For Canadians, the discussion south of the 49th has a certain sense of unreality to it, especially when political spin from all sides gets involved. The following examples may assist in understanding, just in case our country ends up in a similar situation.

Lesson # 1: Revenue, Budget, and Budget Cuts, Income

• * U.S. Tax revenue: $2,170,000,000,000
• * Fed budget: $3,820,000,000,000
• * New debt: $ 1,650,000,000,000
• * National debt: $14,271,000,000,000
• * Recent budget cuts: $ 38,500,000,000

Let's now remove 8 zeros and pretend it's a household budget:

• * Annual family income: $21,700
• * Money the family spent: $38,200
• * New debt on the credit card: $16,500
• * Outstanding balance on the credit card: $142,710
• * Total budget cuts: $385

Lesson # 2: The Debt Ceiling:

Let's say you come home from work and find there has been a sewer backup in your neighborhood....and your home has sewage all the way up to your ceilings.

What do you think you should do ......

Raise the ceilings, or pump out the crap?

Your choice is coming Nov. 2012

Post Release - Day 2

A quick update....

Went backcountry skiing today. Other than having to dig the snow machines out of the snow several times and getting wet because it was snowing and being out of shape because I've been pretty inactive for 2 months....it was great.

Walking around, in regular sneakers, hiking boots and ski boots. The foot feels like a foot. Not some lumpy thing that hurts when I walk. I wish I'd had the surgery 5 years ago. Anyhow, I'm very happy with the results.

So, after 2 months post-surgery recovery, there is a definite sense of relief that it's worked so well. Now to get back in shape.

Although it was raining at Lake level this morning, up high (1200 meters) it was snowing and the powder was actually quite decent. We had fun.

Day 58 - Release from My Imprisonment

An early release for what I'm calling "good behaviour". Actually, it was the surgeon's office that had to reschedule my appointment but allowed me to go to the local hospital to have the dressings removed.

A word of caution: potential gross-out warning in the tale ahead. Just saying!

Initially, I wondered if I could just cut the dressings off by myself, but decided that some professional assistance might be a good idea. I was able to see the Primary Health Nurse earlier this morning and she brought one of the doctors in to have a look and discuss how to proceed. I guess they don't get to look at post-surgical fused toe joints too often.

There were several thick layers of dressings, several strips of some kind of sticky mesh-type tape and a long piece of suture thread that emerged from the skin at each end of the incision. There were several flaps of dead skin; the suture thread had to be pulled out - all 3 or 4 inches of it.

And, for the first time in 58 days, I was able to put on a regular sock, slip my foot into one of my old sneakers and walk away.

I have to say that I've been surprisingly unwilling to walk normally. I guess that will take some time after limping for 8 weeks. My first job was to soak my foot in the tub and scrub off all that dead skin. It's quite amazing how much dead skin was all under all those bandages. Rub in some skin lotion. Expose the foot to the air.

I certainly have a sense of relief to finally have the bandages off. I can try on various pieces of footwear to see how they fit. I have to learn how to walk again which means consciously not limping. Time to try on my ski boot to see how that feels. The joint is definitely solid and right now it feels great for the first time in several years. Weird.