Next Tuesday or neighbours to the south go to the polls. They face quite a challenge, with an ill advised war in progress, and their economy in the tank, this election could be the most important in recent history. The free world preys that they snap out of the mindset that they have been in for the past 8 years, and that their new leaders effect change.
Hopefully, their election turnout will be better than ours was up here in Canada a few weeks ago. I've said it before, I really do believe that those who neglect to vote should not be allowed to complain, as they are part of the cause of the current batch of problems.
I wish them luck and hope that January '09 will bring better fortune to their nation...
Thursday, October 30, 2008
Thursday, October 23, 2008
Nothing much to talk about this week
Nothing much to blog about this week. Maybe I'll get out this weekend and do a photo tour of the city in fall if the weather forecast is wrong.
My exhaust parts have come in for my motorcycle, but unfortunately too late to do me any good for this year. Still, for 75 US bucks shipping included for a part that Honda wanted 500 for, not a bad deal. Plus I'll have a new (well not new), improved, quieter machine in spring.
Anyways, I promise I'll have something to talk about next week. Just a bit out of it for a blog this one...
My exhaust parts have come in for my motorcycle, but unfortunately too late to do me any good for this year. Still, for 75 US bucks shipping included for a part that Honda wanted 500 for, not a bad deal. Plus I'll have a new (well not new), improved, quieter machine in spring.
Anyways, I promise I'll have something to talk about next week. Just a bit out of it for a blog this one...
Thursday, October 16, 2008
Fall nears its close
Well, another Thursday down. Not too many left in 2008, at that. First off, thank you to everyone who bothered to go out and vote on Tuesday. Even though turnout was at an all-time low, it is still important to participate in the process.
Fall is well underway, with trees starting to be bare. It is colder in the mornings every day now, even on our last few days when we've had decent weather (and yes, I have listened to the Beach Boys, so that's probably the last of the good weather folks...)
Surprisingly, I am content with all of this. Usually I hate the onset of winter, as it means snow, bad roads, cold, and just a generally uncomfortable commute, but I seem to be OK for now with time passing me by. I have my problems, but quite frankly, who doesn't have things they have on the back burner that need to be resolved? For now, my career is treating me well, and I am finding it fairly easy to relax. Now, if I can only crack this problem where I'm tired all the time, I'd be all set.
This weekend I intend to spend some time outdoors. With any luck, the weather will hold. I hope everyone has a good week!
Fall is well underway, with trees starting to be bare. It is colder in the mornings every day now, even on our last few days when we've had decent weather (and yes, I have listened to the Beach Boys, so that's probably the last of the good weather folks...)
Surprisingly, I am content with all of this. Usually I hate the onset of winter, as it means snow, bad roads, cold, and just a generally uncomfortable commute, but I seem to be OK for now with time passing me by. I have my problems, but quite frankly, who doesn't have things they have on the back burner that need to be resolved? For now, my career is treating me well, and I am finding it fairly easy to relax. Now, if I can only crack this problem where I'm tired all the time, I'd be all set.
This weekend I intend to spend some time outdoors. With any luck, the weather will hold. I hope everyone has a good week!
Thursday, October 9, 2008
The Economy, The Election, and The Arts
Global markets are in freefall, with the best example being Iceland, not long ago lauded for having the highest score on the Human Development Index, now facing possible national bankruptcy. The dream world we have been living in for some time, probably the better part of at least 20 years, is finally coming to a close, and it is time to pay the piper.
Environmentalists might be thrilled. Our increasing global emissions and carbon footprint have been the result of unchecked growth, Matrix-virus style, and this is a level of growth that most nations will probably be no longer able to afford. The US will have to swear off of Chevy Suburbans and Lincoln Navigators (at the very least). China and India, relying on selling their goods and outsourced positions to a rich west, will have to take a few steps back, and maybe we won’t be on track for 9 billion by 2050 anymore. And in the long run, from a strictly objective, non-emotional point of view, that is probably for the best. The only concern is that if this global crisis gets any worse, it might slip into another Great Depression. World War II ended the last global depression, but Albert Einstein’s statement about not knowing how World War III will be fought, but knowing how World War IV would be is still quite apt in this day and age.
Next week we go to the polls. I still remain unimpressed with every platform, but urge everyone to get out and vote. It is our civic duty, and I think that if you don’t vote, you have absolutely no right to complain when things don’t go “your way”. Please spend some time over the next few days actually looking at each party’s website and platform, and actually see how each of the decisions will affect you. Keep in mind that tax breaks affect different brackets differently, and actually take advantage of any calculators that the parties will provide to see how they affect you personally. Many promises are always broken after people get put in office, but we need to go on the information that is given to us. A solid evening of research is very little to pay to make an informed choice about how we want the next several years to go in this country.
On to the topic of Art. One of our current election cycle’s so called “issues”, all of which I find too trivial and trite to take notice of. Stephen Harper seemed to step in it when he announced that funding for artisan grants was going to be cut by $45 million. Critics have said that these cuts will force emerging artists to compromise their creativity and take lesser jobs that may not foster cultural advancement. While that is merely a paraphrase of the argument, it is one I have seen coming from everyone from Margaret Atwood to Gilles Duceppe, the Bloc leader. Facebook groups and grass roots protests have popped up everywhere, and ultimately, Harper has promised to reverse his decision.
I support arts and culture fully. Anyone who has seen my film and music collection first hand would have a hard time arguing that point. I have larger collections than many artists I know, and I tend to put my money where my mouth is. I even support Canadian content fairly often. I own all five seasons of Andromeda on DVD, and buy Canadian music when it catches my ear. I’ve gone to live concerts in Canada, and my attendance at Hip and Great Big Sea events easily outnumbers the time I’ve seen American acts in person. I’m also not going to argue that grant money no doubt does generate Canadian content, and am not arguing that by itself, that is a bad thing.
A lot of people, including many of my close friends, will no doubt by surprised by my reaction not to the initial announcement, but to the protests themselves. It has been some time since I’ve seen this type of whining and a sense of self-entitlement, and it is appalling, and should by rights be beneath the “cultured” people who were at risk of being disenfranchised, as they claim to know what’s best for our culture and society. The sense of entitlement and “tiers” of society that they believe in can easily be seen.
I would have loved to sit in front of a computer and test video games for a living. Would have been one fun job. Video games arguably foster an INTERNATIONAL community, as many games these days are played online with people from around the globe. They also help train hand-eye co-ordination and help with problem solving and math skills. They have a valuable place in our entertainment industry. As someone in the computer field, I could have insisted in that job, and that job alone. Where is my grant, and a grant for computer nerds countrywide? Since there were no tax dollars being dispensed to subsidize testing Canadian video games, I and many other CS graduates had to “cheapen” ourselves and get jobs fixing workstations and servers in offices all across the country. God forbid. Real jobs that are slightly less creative than the ideal. My career is great, but it COULD have been more entertaining.
I’m sure many independent auto enthusiasts would appreciate grants to put money in their machines for competition. Racetracks have been part of culture and entertainment since the invention of the horseless carriage, where is their funding? I don’t see “Solidarity for government grants to rice-burners” groups popping up all over the place. Auto racing has a really high entry barrier, many professional drivers are millionaires already, and many people who have aspirations of becoming a race car driver when they are six end up working in a garage, fixing cars to pay the bills. Oh, the shame.
Would either of the above activities qualify for government grants? No. They never have. If you want to be successful in either of those fields, you have to be really, really, really good. I will reiterate, I support the arts, the best way I know how, with a portion of my paycheque. I also know that there’s a lot of crap out there. If you want proof that Canadian content has no business in film, watch the epic sci-fi “Cybercity” (may be hard to find, but a perfect example). Need proof for the music industry? Flip on the radio and give Nickelback a listen, trust me, you won’t be disappointed. My take on art and culture-if it is sufficiently awesome, it will pull in a steady income (unfortunately, many believe that Nickelback is sufficiently awesome for some reason, insert Bryan Adams if you’re a Nickelback fan). The funding that was almost slashed should have been far less important than new roads, bridges, or a safe water and food supply, and we obviously need to improve in all of those areas. If the artists can’t produce anything that’s pulling in a paycheque, they should look into related fields-advertisement design or perhaps radio or teaching.
A letter to the editor in October 8th’s Globe and Mail suggested that taxes are coercive, and that support for the arts should be an optional line on Income Tax forms. That is probably going a bit too far. I believe that art should be supported in the best way possible, paying for and appreciating content that warrants it. I have no qualms buying Canadian music and television/movies that I find enjoyable, and have no qualm paying to go to a museum or art gallery. The restoration of the grants is not a bad thing, as I am personally willing to pay for this. But to hear artists complain and moan about the potential loss of funding that we the taxpayers have been graciously extending to them for a long time? Maybe they should have done something more productive, like hold free awareness benefit concerts instead. There was one protest gala here in Ottawa, and I saw tickets for sale for it...maybe they could have given back to show what our taxpayer money is going towards? It would have made me approve far more than the continued assertion that the artists are far more important than us commoners that go to work every day, to pay the bills for the grants.
Environmentalists might be thrilled. Our increasing global emissions and carbon footprint have been the result of unchecked growth, Matrix-virus style, and this is a level of growth that most nations will probably be no longer able to afford. The US will have to swear off of Chevy Suburbans and Lincoln Navigators (at the very least). China and India, relying on selling their goods and outsourced positions to a rich west, will have to take a few steps back, and maybe we won’t be on track for 9 billion by 2050 anymore. And in the long run, from a strictly objective, non-emotional point of view, that is probably for the best. The only concern is that if this global crisis gets any worse, it might slip into another Great Depression. World War II ended the last global depression, but Albert Einstein’s statement about not knowing how World War III will be fought, but knowing how World War IV would be is still quite apt in this day and age.
Next week we go to the polls. I still remain unimpressed with every platform, but urge everyone to get out and vote. It is our civic duty, and I think that if you don’t vote, you have absolutely no right to complain when things don’t go “your way”. Please spend some time over the next few days actually looking at each party’s website and platform, and actually see how each of the decisions will affect you. Keep in mind that tax breaks affect different brackets differently, and actually take advantage of any calculators that the parties will provide to see how they affect you personally. Many promises are always broken after people get put in office, but we need to go on the information that is given to us. A solid evening of research is very little to pay to make an informed choice about how we want the next several years to go in this country.
On to the topic of Art. One of our current election cycle’s so called “issues”, all of which I find too trivial and trite to take notice of. Stephen Harper seemed to step in it when he announced that funding for artisan grants was going to be cut by $45 million. Critics have said that these cuts will force emerging artists to compromise their creativity and take lesser jobs that may not foster cultural advancement. While that is merely a paraphrase of the argument, it is one I have seen coming from everyone from Margaret Atwood to Gilles Duceppe, the Bloc leader. Facebook groups and grass roots protests have popped up everywhere, and ultimately, Harper has promised to reverse his decision.
I support arts and culture fully. Anyone who has seen my film and music collection first hand would have a hard time arguing that point. I have larger collections than many artists I know, and I tend to put my money where my mouth is. I even support Canadian content fairly often. I own all five seasons of Andromeda on DVD, and buy Canadian music when it catches my ear. I’ve gone to live concerts in Canada, and my attendance at Hip and Great Big Sea events easily outnumbers the time I’ve seen American acts in person. I’m also not going to argue that grant money no doubt does generate Canadian content, and am not arguing that by itself, that is a bad thing.
A lot of people, including many of my close friends, will no doubt by surprised by my reaction not to the initial announcement, but to the protests themselves. It has been some time since I’ve seen this type of whining and a sense of self-entitlement, and it is appalling, and should by rights be beneath the “cultured” people who were at risk of being disenfranchised, as they claim to know what’s best for our culture and society. The sense of entitlement and “tiers” of society that they believe in can easily be seen.
I would have loved to sit in front of a computer and test video games for a living. Would have been one fun job. Video games arguably foster an INTERNATIONAL community, as many games these days are played online with people from around the globe. They also help train hand-eye co-ordination and help with problem solving and math skills. They have a valuable place in our entertainment industry. As someone in the computer field, I could have insisted in that job, and that job alone. Where is my grant, and a grant for computer nerds countrywide? Since there were no tax dollars being dispensed to subsidize testing Canadian video games, I and many other CS graduates had to “cheapen” ourselves and get jobs fixing workstations and servers in offices all across the country. God forbid. Real jobs that are slightly less creative than the ideal. My career is great, but it COULD have been more entertaining.
I’m sure many independent auto enthusiasts would appreciate grants to put money in their machines for competition. Racetracks have been part of culture and entertainment since the invention of the horseless carriage, where is their funding? I don’t see “Solidarity for government grants to rice-burners” groups popping up all over the place. Auto racing has a really high entry barrier, many professional drivers are millionaires already, and many people who have aspirations of becoming a race car driver when they are six end up working in a garage, fixing cars to pay the bills. Oh, the shame.
Would either of the above activities qualify for government grants? No. They never have. If you want to be successful in either of those fields, you have to be really, really, really good. I will reiterate, I support the arts, the best way I know how, with a portion of my paycheque. I also know that there’s a lot of crap out there. If you want proof that Canadian content has no business in film, watch the epic sci-fi “Cybercity” (may be hard to find, but a perfect example). Need proof for the music industry? Flip on the radio and give Nickelback a listen, trust me, you won’t be disappointed. My take on art and culture-if it is sufficiently awesome, it will pull in a steady income (unfortunately, many believe that Nickelback is sufficiently awesome for some reason, insert Bryan Adams if you’re a Nickelback fan). The funding that was almost slashed should have been far less important than new roads, bridges, or a safe water and food supply, and we obviously need to improve in all of those areas. If the artists can’t produce anything that’s pulling in a paycheque, they should look into related fields-advertisement design or perhaps radio or teaching.
A letter to the editor in October 8th’s Globe and Mail suggested that taxes are coercive, and that support for the arts should be an optional line on Income Tax forms. That is probably going a bit too far. I believe that art should be supported in the best way possible, paying for and appreciating content that warrants it. I have no qualms buying Canadian music and television/movies that I find enjoyable, and have no qualm paying to go to a museum or art gallery. The restoration of the grants is not a bad thing, as I am personally willing to pay for this. But to hear artists complain and moan about the potential loss of funding that we the taxpayers have been graciously extending to them for a long time? Maybe they should have done something more productive, like hold free awareness benefit concerts instead. There was one protest gala here in Ottawa, and I saw tickets for sale for it...maybe they could have given back to show what our taxpayer money is going towards? It would have made me approve far more than the continued assertion that the artists are far more important than us commoners that go to work every day, to pay the bills for the grants.
Thursday, October 2, 2008
Winter Approaches
It's getting colder out there, a fact that anyone who has to walk, even if only to a bus stop, can quickly tell you. The leaves are changing colours quite well now, and I'll probably try to make it up into Gatineau Park to get some pictures sometime in the next few days.
This fall we contend with an election. In less than two weeks, we must hit the ballots. I'm not going to weigh in on our politics, as I truly believe that everyone should weigh the issues themselves and vote for whomever best represents them. However, I do think everyone should get out and vote. If you don't vote, then there's not sense in complaining after the fact. Too many of my generation just don't bother.
That's about it for tonight. A banal comment about it getting cold, and a reminder to go out and vote on the 14th. I've been keeping really busy, and haven't had time to think of anything clever or follow the news.
This fall we contend with an election. In less than two weeks, we must hit the ballots. I'm not going to weigh in on our politics, as I truly believe that everyone should weigh the issues themselves and vote for whomever best represents them. However, I do think everyone should get out and vote. If you don't vote, then there's not sense in complaining after the fact. Too many of my generation just don't bother.
That's about it for tonight. A banal comment about it getting cold, and a reminder to go out and vote on the 14th. I've been keeping really busy, and haven't had time to think of anything clever or follow the news.
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