Deja Vu All Over Again

Day 1 of my Imprisonment....

It was just over a year ago that I went through this the first time.  Hopefully this will be the last.  The Deja Vu is the same as last time, but of the left foot.

The process was much the same - they had me asleep around 1 pm and I woke up an hour later.  This time I had a few minutes to look around the OR and at the view out the big windows.  Everyone was friendly and nice; the surgeon made the usual black pointer marks on the toe joint that was to be operated on.  The only real difference was that there was no block at the ankle.  I'm still regretting that, but I guess it wasn't my choice....  The pain has been much more noticeable  but the drugs are keeping it under control and I had a very good night's sleep.  So far I've spent the day in bed, which is about all I feel like doing.  I don't even have an appetite, an unusual condition for me.

At least this time I have some idea what to expect.  I have my down hut bootie and that old sneaker all prepared so once I'm ready to get up and around I'll have something to wear.

I managed to have a quick visit with my grandsons before I was driven home.  I don't think I was being too much fun for them - no getting down on the floor and  crawling around to play with them.  Maybe in a couple of weeks....  Atley was happy to see me, though, and he came over for a cuddle on the couch.  Made me feel better.  :-)

So, the countdown is on.  Two months, which means I won't be skiing until the end of January.  I've made sure I have lots of projects to work on.  Once I can get around a bit better, I have things to work on in the shop, lots of books to read...  Other than having to slow down, it shouldn't be too boring....

The (Inadequate) Outcomes of Democracy?

The Myth of the Rational Voter (Why Democracies Choose Bad Policies) by Bryan Caplan.  Voters appear cynical and disillusioned about the whole process of democracy.  This book (written by an Economist) explores why democracies have the outcomes that they do, considering that most of the electorate is misinformed about what economic policies are best for them and the country.  Some brief clips of the author's main points:

"If you laid all economists end to end, they still wouldn't be able to reach a consensus"

Politicians' actions seem to be almost invisible to the general electorate.  This seems to mean that politicians can do what they want with impunity.  It's almost as if voters lived in isolation chambers.  Since they don't live in isolation chambers, they must be ignorant by choice.

One vote (your vote as an individual) is extraordinarily unlikely to decide the outcome of any election.  So, the marginal effect of voting randomly is zero.  If voters realize how little their own vote counts, it's not surprising that voters perceive their personal benefit of voting (especially informed voting) is about zero so they will choose the easiest solution and remain uninformed.

Most people probably want to be informed.  Aristotle called it a natural desire to know.  However, most people also don't want to know unpleasant facts.  This creates two, conflicting motives.  People want to learn about the world without sacrificing their worldview.  This is the root of the "don't confuse me with facts" human condition that we see so often.

"To get ahead in politics, leaders need a blend of naive populism and realistic cynicism.  No wonder the model politician has a law degree."

As we saw in the most recent US Election (and in almost everything we hear from our own Governments in Canada), if you repeat a series of points often enough, viewers will eventually come to accept them as truth.  "The receptivity of the great masses is very limited, their intelligence is small, but their power of forgetting is enormous.  In consequence of these facts, all effective propaganda must be limited to a very few points and must harp on these in slogans until the last member of the public understands what you want him to understand by your slogan".  The sad fact is that this quote didn't come from a contemporary politician or political hack, as you might reasonably assume.  It came from Adolf Hitler.

"Voters have a visceral dislike for candidates who seem intellectual, let alone try to make the electorate do arithmetic".  This would likely explain why George Dubya was more popular with many voters (at least at the beginning) than someone like Obama.  Never mind that the US President is the "leader of the free world".  Who would you rather have a beer with?  Hey.  Let's make him president....

This volume isn't a particularly easy read and takes more the usual degree of concentration to follow the author's prose.  So, there you are.  If you want to tinker with your worldview, go for it.

Saving the Planet?

 I don't regularly read any newspapers, but I occasionally see interesting articles as I'm crumpling up paper when I'm building the fire in the morning.  One article from the Vancouver Sun (June 16, 2012) caught my eye.  "Ten Bold Ways to Save the Planet".  So, in case anyone needs some ideas about how to save our planet, here is a brief summary of the article's contents:

The article starts by reminding readers that our current course is unsustainable and that promises to change our ways made two decades ago remain unfulfilled.  Bold actions from our politicians probably won't happen, so...

1.  Start a Revolution - we've mined our way to growth and burned our way to prosperity.  What we now need is revolutionary thinking and action for global sustainability.

2.  Energy Game Change - Carbon-based fuels are the problem and there are few clear alternatives.  We aren't making signs of any kind of progress and are now pumping 45% more CO2 into the air than we were 20 years ago.

3.  Put A Price on Carbon - The basic idea is to tax what you want to discourage.  Consumers and businesses will find more efficient or alternative ways to do business that produce less carbon dioxide.

4.  Overhaul Corporate Motives and mindsets - Our insecurities are being converted by advertising into endless needs, wants and excessive demands.  Various subsidies are supporting unsustainable practices, including an estimated $2 billion in Canada for the oil & gas industry and, $300 billion worldwide for unsustainable agriculture and fisheries practices.

5.  Green Canada's Blackened Record - The current Conservative government is weakening environmental laws and backing away from global initiatives to protect the environment.  We could start by being more efficient in our resource use.

6.  Transform Cities - Vancouver has "controversial" bike lanes; London has congestion taxes in the downtown core.  Canadians and Americans have among the highest per-capita consumption of energy.  We don't need to go back to living in caves just to be more efficient in our use of it.  Several other countries show that it is possible.

7.  Connect the Dots Before You Buy - There's been lots of talk about being more ecologically sensitive when we buy things - leaning about Live Cycle costs, for example.  Eco-labeling might help consumers make better choices.

8.  Eat Less Meat - Beef comes in for criticism as being pretty much the worst in terms of it's carbon foodprint.  We don't need to become vegetarians, but eating less beef and other meats would help.

9.  Embrace Education (and Contraception) - We have 7 billion on the planet now and each night 1 billion go to bed hungry.  We need to reduce fertility rates worldwide, something that has already happened in developed countries.  One excellent practice that will help reduce the size of families is education, particularly for young women.

10.  Get Politically Active - Politicians aren't going to do anything until they are forced to.  You can lead by example: reuse containers and grocery bags, buy local, ride a bike, drive a more fuel-efficient vehicle..., but the author claims that getting involved politically is the only way to force the environmental agenda forward.

There are things individuals can do.  This article points out some of the most important.

Trading Away Canada's Future??

As he so often does, Rick Mercer hits the nail on the head.  The best line?  "Call me old-fashioned, but I think Canadians have a right to know what their government is doing."