Bad Ideas dressed up like Good Ideas are still Bad Ideas.

The popularity of an idea does not make it good.

The unpopularity of an idea does not make it bad.

So todays roundup.

Continue Reading… »

If there is one thing that Capitalism and Politics have taught me, it is that self-preservation is the most important motivator.  Whether it is ensuring that I have a roof overhead, food on the table and clothes on my back, or if it is ensuring that the quality of those things is preserved or increased.

And so todays news roundup.

Continue Reading… »

Don’t get excited. A stronger minority is still a minority.

• People who get excited or upset about the election results misunderstand what it should mean to live in a representative democracy.  Those wanting a majority do not want what is best for all Canadians;  They want what is best for them and their like-minded friends.

Economy

• Bush’s Plan: Banks Get Your Money, You Get No Interest.
• American Greed:  Houses and Lives Taken
• Canada’s Conservatives: Bringing Canadian Socialism into the 21st Century
• Whiners Complain About Losing Money After Years of Making It.

Continue Reading… »

• I don’t really care who you are, but if your wife is in a position of prominence, then referring to yourself as “First Dude” makes you a first class douche.  And if you are “First Dude” and you use your wife’s position and power to take care of a personal grievance, then you are a first class, grade a asshole.
• At what point did North Korea cease to be with the terrorists?  They have been stricken from the list as a result of some negotiations.  I would call this negotiating with terrorists.
• Harper says that some countries are going overboard.  As an economist, he must know what he is talking about, right?  While he is right that Canada’s banking system likely is more sound than some others, I am curious why the head of the IMF is saying that the entire system is on the brink of a systemic meltdown.
• I don’t trust Harper; on anything.
• And while people are losing money, some people are wasting theirs by sending things and themselves into outer-space.
• All-in-all, a rather depressing news day.

I believe in freedom of speech.  Some would say that saying things which incite others to act in a destructive manner is where that freedom should end.  McCain and Palin are saying things which are getting people riled up and saying things which good and honourable people should not be saying.  Being wrong and calling Obama an Arab is ok.  There is nothing hateful in that. But calling for Obama’s death is something else altogether.

Continue Reading… »

• Sometimes no one can win. The Nobel Peace Prize might go to a Chinese activitist.  This would further cement the idea that China is acting inhumanly.  While true, this is also a terrible way to go about this and will ultimately minimize the Peace Prize even further.

• China may try but no one should minimize this man. I hope he gets better.  After all, he is a Blue Bomber fan.

• First the Asians jumped. And then… They plunged.  The stock market is a stupid game.

• Why is it that someone who lives in the past seems to think that he is the best person to help the US move into the future?

• Anger is a confusing and complicated thing. This is true if the person you are angry at is the wrong person.  It is especially true when you know it is the wrong person but you want to be angry anyway.

I wanted to see what the Tories were promising but their website provides almost no information.

From the menu, under Policy >> Plan, you would think you would be able to read what they have in mind. What you get instead is a statement which tells us that Harper has been clear, concise and consistent.  Then it tells us that Dion and Layton do not have a plan.  If the financial crisis is our enemy, then we don’t want to divulge any of our secret weapons.  But Harper is willing to tell us what he will not do.  But stating what won’t happen does not tell us what will.

Continue Reading… »

• This makes me sad.  But it explains why farmers and fishermen are always complaining.
• I doubt I will ever understand nationalism or why people fight over where a border is drawn. The idea of a nation-state is a failed idea.  Nationalism, statism, regionalism, capitalism, socialism, and all other political religions breed contempt.
• I sincerely do not think that a fair election can occur when there are still muzzle-flashes and bombs going off.  It is hard enough for people to make an informed decision without the extra-curricular activities.
• I also do not think that a fair election can take place unless everyone receives all the information about the candidates in a timely fashion. Politics and politicians do not view people as people and the regular Canadians to which they refer are merely commodities to be bought and sold with promises.  But even so, this is good news.
• Learning the ABC’s is important. Now it is moreso than ever before.
• Maybe this proves that Canadian real-life satire is better than the American version. The caricatures we choose to depict us to the world seem to be more important to Canadians.  Or maybe the Americans are unable to roll their eyes far enough into the back of their heads.
• I went to buy some juice from Home Plus (owned by Tescos) and at the till the teller said no, it has “Chinese Melamine.” So I could not buy my favourite brand of pure, unfiltered, squeezed apple juice.  It is called “Straight Juice,” because (I guess) you can never be heterosexual enough.  (I just don’t know why it was still on the shelf.)

• Forgiveness is not real if it is coerced. Coercion can look like lots of negative press. Maybe I am cynical. But this is not really an altruistic act.
• From the book of “Entirely Useless and Stupid Ideas Which Waste Money, Resources and Energy” comes this elevator. An even dumber idea than the escalator to nowhere.
• In the midst of a recession, Bush is forced to put away his crayons and sign this bill. The problem is that this is not a recession. It is worse, and will get even more so, than the Depression. Thinking otherwise is unwise.
• It seems the speculators are skeptical. I doubt the spectators expected anything spectacular other than Specter that haunts Wall Street (Socialism for the Bourgeoisie).
• He might have won, but everyone will lose unless someone can do something, anything that is more drastic than what I have already heard or read. He might be an economist but I have not heard anything that follows the S.M.A.R.T principle. Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic and Timely.
• Harper claims to have foreseen this crisis. He also says that if there was going to be a Canadian recession it would have happened already. The thing is that I don’t think that it has actually fully hit the US yet. At any rate, Harper is a carnival fortune-teller who can see the future but can’t offer any concrete advice.