Bruno's Canada

On Palin

2009-07-06T11:48:00.002-06:00

Sarah Palin may have actually earned my respect for the first time.

"In addition to Palin's book deal, she is being offered lucrative speeches and has been approached about talk shows. She is expected to earn millions on the book and other deals once she is out of state government -- after July 26."

full post from MSNBC's First Read

If Sarah Palin realised that she couldn't win the next Republican presidential primary; and

If Palin realised that her next years as Governor would suck beyond sucking because she is such an easy target; and

If Palin realised that she really had not much of a future in actual elected public political office; and

If Palin realised that she could leave her current position as a full-time time target of her political opponents; and

If Palin realised she could make way more money (and have a better life) as a Republican bon vivant/gadfly working the paid speaking circuit and fundraising circuit (see further Bill Clinton Washington post here and Newsweek here)

I will actually have respect for her

If I were unlikely to win the Presidential Nomination but could make millions I'd pull the plug in a second.

So, there you have it. I may have to issue a statement of grudging respect for this decision to stand alongside my overall utter contempt for Sarah Palin.

i suck

2009-06-30T13:55:00.001-06:00

haven't posted in forever

now i'm back posting again

Monkey's brain controls robot arm

2008-05-28T14:09:00.005-06:00

"Monkeys have been able to control robotic limbs using only their thoughts, scientists report.

The animals were able to feed themselves using prosthetic arms, which were controlled by brain activity.

Small probes, the width of a human hair, were inserted into the monkeys' primary motor cortex - the region of the brain that controls movement."

BBC News - Wednesday, 28 May 2008

The story cited above talks about the scientists using this technology to assist people with paralysis and amputees.

I suggest that people should think about the computer interface aspects of this technology. Those familiar with the cyberpunk genre of science fiction will know immediately the huge implications of such a technology. Others who have not read the books may have seen the movie Johnny Mnemonic

The ability to wire a human brain to a computer control system is the beginning of the next stage of human evolution. I know that there are many who will potentially mock me or dismiss me for pointing to this technology as the harbinger of something really big for humanity...

But it is.

Feel free to read articles discussing the work of UK defense department think tanks, The University of Florida News, Professors with implants, University of California researchers developing the "Artificial Hippocampus".

I will leave the last word to Bill Joy (William Nelson Joy (born Feb 8, 1954), commonly known as Bill Joy, is an American computer scientist. Joy co-founded Sun Microsystems in 1982 along with Vinod Khosla, Scott McNealy, Andy Bechtolsheim and Vaughan Pratt, and served as chief scientist at the company until 2003. - wikipedia)

"Bill Joy, cofounder and Chief Scientist of Sun Microsystems, was cochair of the presidential commission on the future of IT research, and is coauthor ofThe Java Language Specification. His work on theJini pervasive computing technology was featured inWired 6.08."

"From the moment I became involved in the creation of new technologies, their ethical dimensions have concerned me, but it was only in the autumn of 1998 that I became anxiously aware of how great are the dangers facing us in the 21st century. I can date the onset of my unease to the day I met Ray Kurzweil, the deservedly famous inventor of the first reading machine for the blind and many other amazing things.

Ray and I were both speakers at George Gilder's Telecosm conference, and I encountered him by chance in the bar of the hotel after both our sessions were over. I was sitting with John Searle, a Berkeley philosopher who studies consciousness. While we were talking, Ray approached and a conversation began, the subject of which haunts me to this day.

I had missed Ray's talk and the subsequent panel that Ray and John had been on, and they now picked right up where they'd left off, with Ray saying that the rate of improvement of technology was going to accelerate and that we were going to become robots or fuse with robots or something like that, and John countering that this couldn't happen, because the robots couldn't be conscious."

"Perhaps it is always hard to see the bigger impact while you are in the vortex of a change. Failing to understand the consequences of our inventions while we are in the rapture of discovery and innovation seems to be a common fault of scientists and technologists; we have long been driven by the overarching desire to know that is the nature of science's quest, not stopping to notice that the progress to newer and more powerful technologies can take on a life of its own." - Bill Joy, Wired Magazine

Global Warming: Arctic map "will have to be redrawn"

2007-05-22T14:42:00.000-06:00

"Scientists in the Arctic have just carried out the first research on a huge iceberg the size of Manhattan."

"For 3,000 years, this colossal block of ice was securely fixed to the coast as part of the Ayles Ice Shelf - but now it is drifting free."

"Climate scientists predict that the Arctic will continue to warm - so the expectation is that the five remaining ice shelves here could also break away. The effect already is that the map of the Arctic will have to be redrawn."

"with the current rate of warming, those ice shelves are likely never to be reconstituted."

"according to Dr Copland, the fact that such thick ice could split apart in less than an hour - as it did back in August 2005 - illustrates a more alarming point.

"This shows how climate change can trigger very sudden changes even on a massive scale - when the ice shelf broke away, the rupture registered with the force of a small earthquake," he said."

BBC: Science team lands on Ice Island

Chemicals used on car seats 'toxic' to children, study warns

2007-05-18T08:44:00.000-06:00

"A new study suggests that "toxic" chemicals used in the materials to make car seats can put children in danger of developing health problems if ingested or inhaled.

The study, released Wednesday by the Michigan-based environmental group Ecology Center, provides analysis of more than 60 different car seat models for chemicals including bromine, chlorine and lead.

"These chemicals can be associated with developmental disorders, learning impairment, liver disease, cancer, as well as other allergic type diseases," said Jeff Gearhart, lead author of the report."

CBC Story

You know, every time I hear some right winger yipping about how we don't need government regulation and oversight, or hear them say things like "occupational health and safety and other red tape gets in the way of business" (a quote from Brad Wall, leader of the right wing Saskatchewan Party) it makes me mad. I remember one guy I used to know saying "...business would never do anything that would hurt their customers - it would be bad for business. It would drive their customers away. And if they did they would be out of business - that's the discipline of the market."

So what was it that stopped the tobacco industry? The fact that it's bad for business to kill your customers? The above example of toxic chemicals in children's carseats is another example of the profit motive overriding common sense and basic safety. I remember how long the office furniture and carpet industries tried to deny the effects of formaldahyde and other chemicals leaching from their products in offices.

The news article does say that the manufacturer Graco is taking the study seriously and is examing the report and its methodology. Kudos to them if their effort is more than a whitewash or denial attmpt. As for other manufacturers:

"The company Britax, whose Marathon Platinum seat was found to have the highest levels of chemicals in the convertible car seat category, did not return calls."

On a side note: I wonder when corporations will be held to the same standards of accountability, availablity, and transparency of government? You always hear about business leaders beaking on the subject of accountable government, how about accountable business?

TILMA and North American Integration

2007-05-14T10:41:00.000-06:00

I want to refer people over to Larry Hubich's blog. Larry has a piece from Lou Dobbs that shows how the intention of the integration of North America is proceeding. As Lou Dobbs says this is "not some wild conspiracy theory."

CNN- Lou Dobbs Outs Those Involved in N. American Union

Canada has the resources, the US has the industry, and Mexico has cheap labour and an untapped market ready to buy stuff. From a big industry standpoint - what could be better?

When you see the lists of people involved and you see who is pushing things like North American Free Trade and TILMA - you will see it is the same players. Canada can be absorbed - is being absorbed. Understand that. Make a choice. Don't just ignore it.

Either take action against that absorbtion, or make a conscious choice to allow it to happen.

I am not in favour of becoming like the U.S. I will be taking action against integration.

South Pacific to stop bottom-trawling

2007-05-11T08:49:00.000-06:00

"A quarter of the world's oceans will be protected from fishing boats which drag heavy nets across the sea floor, South Pacific nations have agreed.

The landmark deal will restrict bottom-trawling, which experts say destroys coral reefs and stirs up clouds of sediment that suffocate marine life."

"Last November, leading scientists warned there would be no sea fish left in 50 years if current practices continued. "

BBC Story

I have never understood why anyone would allow, or frankly, would even engage in the practice of bottom-trawling. The very idea is appalling. I have been upset about bottom dragging since i was a small child.

The fishers take a heavy net and steel plates and they drag it all along the ocean floor with nets above. These nets and lines are up to a mile wide. Think about if that were on surface land. They are dragging and scouring a mile wide swath. This is not just harvesting off the top, this digs in the mud/ocean floor. If you dragged a forest a a depth of 6 inches to 1 foot, what would happen to that forest? Ocean bottom is as rich in life as a forest.

I am so happy that at least this has stopped. Hopefully this is the first step in a rapid shutdown of the entire practice.

When was the last time you got a rebate from your auto insurance company?

2007-04-04T15:59:00.000-06:00

Not only do consumers in Saskatchewan get the cheapest bundle of utilities in Canada - including either the lowest, or second lowest auto insurance rates, but now Saskatchewanians get money back from their insurer - an average rebate of about $180.

People in Saskatchewan get their basic auto insurance from SGI (Saskatchewan Government Insurance). That insurance can be thousands of dollars less in a year than other provinces. For example: In Saskatchewan the average premium in 2003 was $904, while the average consumer in Alberta pays $1,853. A consumer in Lloydminster, Alberta could pay up to $8,980 more annually for auto insurance than if they lived literally across the street in Lloydminster, Saskatchewan. Auto insurance premiums when compared with Saskatchewan cost twice as much in Alberta and almost three times more in Newfoundland or Ontario.

AUTO INSURANCE RATE COMPARISON STUDY - Consumers Association of Canada (2003)

"Saskatchewan’s auto insurance rates are currently the lowest in Canada based on a comparison of vehicle insurance costs for Saskatchewan’s 34 most popular vehicles based on similar coverages."

Saskatchewan Auto Fund Proposal for Rate Adjustment January 2007

"The rebate applies to both privately-owned and commercial vehicles and will be calculated on a customer’s vehicle insurance premium, prior to any discounts or surcharges earned through the Safe Driver Recognition or Business Recognition programs. Rebate cheques will be mailed to customers in mid-April, with an average rebate of about $180.

SGI has also applied to the Saskatchewan Rate Review Panel to generally reduce rates by five per cent with rate rebalancing, which would mean about 448,000 Saskatchewan vehicles (53 per cent) would see a reduction in their rates. The average decrease would be $68.

“Saskatchewan motorists already enjoy the lowest auto insurance rates in the country, and now SGI is applying to reduce them further,”"

Saskatchewan Government Insurance news release

Blue Cheese Dressing as environmental hazard

2007-04-04T14:52:00.000-06:00

""There was blue cheese - a lot of it," said Robert Becker, fire apparatus engineer and hazardous materials specialist for Riverside County Fire Department."

"Emergency personnel worked through the night to right dozens of toppled railcars and clean up a flood of salad dressing after a train derailed Tuesday afternoon near North Shore."

The Desert Sun

CBC

San Jose Mercury

Chávez alcohol ban outrages Venezuelans

2007-04-04T11:26:00.000-06:00

"This is not the first time Chávez, 52, has tried to focus Venezuelans on recreational activities that do not revolve around drinking.

Before last year's presidential election in December, Chávez, describing beer trucks as a "degeneration of society," ordered the National Guard to prevent the delivery vehicles from selling beer on the streets of poor neighborhoods. He has since imposed a 35 percent import duty on imported whiskey, a favorite lunchtime drink of many people here."

"Chávez, a teetotaler, appears to have touched a nerve with the ban on alcohol sales, which initially confused many people and caught them off guard.

His pronouncement on politics and the direction of what he describes as a "Bolivarian revolution" are generally taken in stride; policies that immediately affect the rituals of daily life are another matter."

International Herald Tribune articel

Chavez should be careful with revolutionary decrees like this. He should have probably been more incremental than this. I cite Nicolo Machiavelli in The Prince

"And it ought to be remembered that there is nothing more difficult to take in hand, more perilous to conduct, or more uncertain in its success, than to take the lead in the introduction of a new order of things. Because the innovator has for enemies all those who have done well under the old conditions, and lukewarm defenders in those who may do well under the new. This coolness arises partly from fear of the opponents, who have the laws on their side, and partly from the incredulity of men, who do not readily believe in new things until they have had a long experience of them. Thus it happens that whenever those who are hostile have the opportunity to attack they do it like partisans, whilst the others defend lukewarmly, in such wise that the prince is endangered along with them."

Solar boat makes Atlantic history

2007-03-30T11:02:00.000-06:00

"The crew of four academics and one full-time sailor said they were trying to promote the "great potential" of solar power to combat climate change.

A similar-sized boat would have used about 72 litres of diesel every 24 hours on the same voyage."

"During the day, the 48 solar panels on its roof gather energy from the sun. The power is stored in batteries, which allow it to sail through the night."

Solar power has been mocked by the "big iron" engineers that dominate power utilities and engineering schools. Successive right wing governments around the world have cut funding for solar research and solar projects. Experiments like this one prove the functionality of solar, and it's utility in helping solve the global climate crisis.

BBC: Solar boat makes Atlantic history

Canada's largest wireless Internet network free-of-charge in Saskatchewan

2007-03-14T14:33:00.000-06:00

"Residents and visitors to the downtown business districts and post-secondary institutions of Saskatchewan’s four largest centres will soon be able to access the country’s largest wireless Internet network, free-of-charge. The Saskatchewan! Connected initiative will offer users basic Internet service in Saskatoon, Prince Albert, Regina, and Moose Jaw via a wireless Wi-Fi network to be operated by the government Information Technology Office, SaskTel and other partners. The service will also be available in select business districts in close proximity to downtown Saskatoon and Regina."

NDP Caucus - announcement of free wireless internet

Saskatchewan! Connected website (warning: annoying autoplay music when you go there)

U.S. Humane Society complaint on fur garment mislabelling - dog fur used

2007-03-14T10:46:00.000-06:00

The Humane Society of the United States says dog fur is being used on winter coats.

"March 14, 2007 — Today, the Federal Trade Commission is considering a petition from the Humane Society of the United States that asks for fines or even criminal charges against major designers that mislabel their clothing.

Last month, "Good Morning America" reported on a Humane Society investigation that had found dog fur used on winter coats advertised as faux fur or labeled "raccoon fur."

It is illegal to import dog or cat fur, yet the Humane Society of the United States says it found top designers and stores doing just that.

The controversial fur is used as trim around the collars and on hoods of popular winter coats." - ABC News

Read the whole story here

UK pays off World War Two debt 61 years later

2007-01-05T15:37:00.000-06:00

"Britain has cleared the payment of loans lent by the US and Canada during World War Two some 61 years ago.

The British Treasury sent its 50th and last repayments of Pnds 42.4 million (Dlrs 80 m) to the US and Pnds 9.8 m to Canada via electronic payment on December 29" 2006.

"In contrast, loans issued by and to Britain during the first world war were never resolved until a deal was struck in 1931 to wipe them out and give countries a chance to rebuild during the years of the Great Depression." (IRNA)

There are some interesting historical tidbits to be found in the three following stories:

The Independent story

London Free Press story

Islamic Republic News Agency story

33 Senators Say They Were Wrong To Vote For War In Iraq

2007-01-05T15:29:00.000-06:00

What more can be said? ABC asked, and a solid majority of Senators publicly say they were wrong.

Think Progress story

Aviation Emissions Higher Than Refineries Or Steel Plants

2006-12-20T15:17:00.000-06:00

Aircraft produce about 3% of EU CO2 emissions - more than refineries or steel plants

Aviation emissions, since 1990, have gone up about 90% and, by 2020, they are going to be doubled, if business continues as usual.

International experts say aviation will account for 5% of total warming in 2050

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/6195567.stm

contraceptive pill for men

2006-11-27T11:35:00.000-06:00

"SCIENTISTS have discovered an innovative contraceptive pill that makes men infertile within hours. The one-off tablet works so quickly it could be taken as a last-minute contraceptive just a few hours before sex. The revolutionary new male pill returns a man's fertility to normal just hours after use. It contains chemicals which prevent the ejaculation of sperm without affecting the intensity of the orgasm."

from Australia Herald Sun

also read:

moneycontrol.com

Unexpected Consequences: Global Warming and the US Wine Industry

2006-10-16T09:33:00.000-06:00

"Climate warming could spell disaster for much of the multibillion-dollar U.S. wine industry." "The main problem: An increase in the frequency of extremely hot days" "Grapes used in premium wines need a consistent climate. When temperatures top about 35 C they have problems maintaining photosynthesis and the sugars in the grapes can break down"

It's funny how there can be consequences of actions or situations that a person would never normally think of in a planning or preparedness scenario.

On a positive note, Canadian grape growing areas would increase in size in a global warming scenario, so there may be one upside for the Canadian economy (dark humour).

Full story here

Republicans Rebel Against Legalised Torture

2006-09-16T13:27:00.000-06:00

George W. Bush has proposed a set of laws and rules to try and make legal (under U.S. law) the kind of interrogation and imprisonment that his administration has illegally been conducting to this point. Senior Republicans are rebelling.

"Leading the efforts against [Bush] in the Senate are three key Republicans on the Armed Services Committee with their own military credentials: the chairman and a former secretary of the Navy, Senator John W. Warner of Virginia; Senator John McCain of Arizona, a prisoner of war in Vietnam; and Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, a military judge. And publicly taking their side is Mr. Bush’s former secretary of state, Colin L. Powell."

Read the story

This Looks Like A Fascinating Show

2006-09-13T15:10:00.000-06:00

THE HUMAN BEHAVIOUR EXPERIMENTS
Wednesday September 13 on CBC Newsworld at 10pm ET/PT

"atrocity-producing situations"

THE DOC: Why would four young men watch their friend die, when they could have intervened to save him? Why would a woman obey phone commands from a stranger to strip-search an innocent employee? What makes ordinary people perpetrate extraordinary abuses, like the events at Abu Ghraib?

WATCH VIDEO 2:28

THE TALK: Filmmaker Alex Gibney and parenting expert Barbara Coloroso join military families and others to discuss "atrocity-producing situations": how to identify them and how to prevent them, from the schoolyard to the battlefield.

from http://www.cbc.ca/bigpicture/

The Softwood Lumber Deal Should Be Canada's Signal To Get Out Of NAFTA

2006-09-01T16:03:00.000-06:00

"NAFTA regulations prevent Canada from exporting oil from Alberta to the rest of Canada before sending it along to other markets."

"'NAFTA is definitely not working," said Laxer. "We were supposed to get guaranteed access [to U.S. markets] in return for giving up energy sovereignty and control over foreign ownership.' But this hasn't happened, Laxer added, and softwood lumber is strong evidence that the original promise isn't being upheld."

Playing hardball over softwood

How Conservatives Stand Up For Canada

2006-08-29T14:04:00.000-06:00

Under this brilliant deal the U.S. will only return about $4 billion of almost $5.3 billion in duties it has collected. The new deal will see a Canada put an export tax on softwood and export shipment restrictions. Canadian softwood producers are also forced to drop the close to 30 lawsuits stemming from the American’s illegal punitive action. "Despite losing countless cases in front of both its own legal system and the World Trade Organization, the U.S. simply ignored the rulings and used its heavy-handed tactics to force an agreement." "The U.S. has indicated it will increase tariffs should the deal collapse." - Canada submits on softwood

“No One Is Supporting This Deal"

George Bush Quote of the month: "I would never question the patriotism of somebody who disagrees with me"

2006-08-28T14:17:00.000-06:00

"Among the many flabbergasting answers that President Bush gave at his press conference on Monday [Aug 21, 2006], this one—about Democrats who propose pulling out of Iraq—triggered the steepest jaw drop: 'I would never question the patriotism of somebody who disagrees with me. This has nothing to do with patriotism. It has everything to do with understanding the world in which we live.'"

The full story on Slate

Green Agenda Showing in Voting Interest

2006-08-26T10:32:00.000-06:00

"Nearly one in three Canadians has considered voting Green and the party is now, surprisingly, the second choice for more than a third of Conservative voters"

As a strong New Democrat, and as a person who thinks that environmental issues should be front and centre of our platform, this kind of polling should show people who make decisions where the future lies. Vote growth is through a green agenda. Saving our planet from environmental devastaion is also going to happen through a green agenda, so that happens to a really spiffy conincidence.

Jack Layton is to be commended for marrying the issues of asthma and emissions during the last election campaign. I know that's his own personal issue because he was on about it even when I had some beer with him while he was running for the leadership (no we're not pals - a group of people went to a brew pub and yakked. His brain trust needs to trust that instinct.

Greens 2nd choice for some Tories

Immigration, Jobs, Labour Shortages, and Short Sighted Right Wing Ideas

2006-08-22T11:59:00.000-06:00

Consider Canada's current labour shortage. Consider how we got to the point where we no longer have enough workers to supply all the jobs in Canada. Consider that our economy will not perform at the level it could because we don't have enough workers. Consider the growth at all costs agenda of the business class in Canada and then recall the Reform Party's platform which called for a 40% reduction in immigration to Canada. Remember that current Prime Minister Stephen Harper was policy chief for the Reform Party at that time. Recall the anti-immigrant rhetoric of many right-wingers. I would ask you to consider the kind of thinking and world-view sits behind policies and ideas like that.

The Liberals soaked up that bit of policy, just like the right-wing tax cutting policies implemented by then Finance Minister Paul Martin. The Liberals refused to look at their own projections and deal with an impending labour shortage in Canada. They cut tranfers to the provinces for education and they refused to increase immigration to neccessary levels.

Just for the record, my grandparents and great-grandparents were immigrants. And also for the record, as Slavic people, many in Canada tried to keep them out (to the point of forming branches of the KKK to stop Slavs from coming here saying that they were too "alien" in culture and practices.

I invite you to read the following stories which discuss the effects of the kinds of xenophic policies and ideas previously espoused by the the Reform/Alliance/Conservative brain trust:

"Short-handed: Making the most of Canada's labour crunch
Plenty of work, not enough bodies
Labour woes in the West are showing up elsewhere"

Immigrate.net

even the normally right wing slavering CFIB calls for "adjusting the immigration system to be used more effectively as a source of skilled labour"

here's a story about how a Social Democratic (NDP) government approaches it's labour shortage:

SHORT-HANDED: MAKING THE MOST OF CANADA'S LABOUR CRUNCH
A blueprint for a solution
In Regina, training gives natives the tools to fix the construction industry's shortage