Whoohoo...... The world didnt end

When I initially woke up this morning it took me a moment but something dawned on me, I had in fact woken up...the world was still here.

My first thought after this realization set in was, Duh...Stupid Mayans.

However once the cobwebs cleared from my head and I was able to think clearly I realized that it was never the Ancient Mayans that foretold the world ending today, they simply predicted the end of a cycle on their long day calendar. It was ill informed doomsayers that incorrectly interpreted the meaning of the Mayan calendar and predicted the end of us all. Duh....Stupid Doomsayers

None the less, even though this appears to have been a false alarm (remember the day is not over yet), maybe we should view it as somewhat of a second chance, a new beginning, so to speak. So moving forward these are some things I personally would like to see take place starting tomorrow.

Renovating the den, while the kitchen is on fire....

With summer upon us I find that I am not devoting much time to writing on this blog, it could be that not much in the news catches my attention, or just that I would rather spend my time outside. I think it is a safe bet to go with the latter.

However, while watching the late evening news last night something did catch my eye and get me to thinking.  To be honest I don't even remember what the actual issue was, however the train of thought it put me on is important.

Lately I have noticed that more than ever both in Canada and the United States that politicians as a group are focused on a myriad of issues, yet ignore the single biggest threat to the future of both our countries. The threat?

The massive crushing debt that has been taken on by all levels of government.

While there is some 'lip service" paid to addressing the debt, little if any serious action is undertaken to tackle it. I mean really, for example neither federal government has any form of repayment planned. Each year simply slips by and the debt grows, and a myriad of excuses are given, poor economy, unexpected expenses, lower revenues, etc, etc, etc. We all know the drill

Now, part of the problem is that the average citizen is oblivious to all of this, for the vast majority they are aware to some degree that there is government debt, but simply don't see it as something that affects their life or that they need to be concerned about. There lies the sad part and the reason that there is no urgency to tackle the problem. Unfortunately politicians, better than anyone understand the adage of  "The squeaky wheel gets the grease". So if no one is complaining, why tackle the issue, after all there are only two possible ways to solve the problem, cut spending or raise more revenue (taxes). Obviously neither method garners a lots of support from the average voter who is looking to the government for all the entitlement programs they have come to view as their birthright. The sad reality of our self entitled society is that spending garners votes, not austerity. I personally believe that politicians understand the severity of the issue better than many of us give them credit for, they also understand that no one government in a single term will resolve the issue, and that more than likely the government that has the fortitude to tackle the issue will only serve one term. So their response is simple, leave it for "the next guy", and in the meantime divert the peoples focus from the real problem  by throwing them shiny baubles and trinkets.

So where will all of this lead, the answer is already playing out in Europe, in countries such as Greece and Spain. Unfortunately it is only a matter of time before North America suffers the same fate.

Enough already, time to stop playing hookey and get back to class

As a Canadian I have been watching with interest (and horror) the ongoing protests by students in the Province of Quebec over a proposed hike in university tuition. The original cause given by student groups for all of this turmoil was a near doubling of tuition fees over the next five years. Now, on its surface that idea may seem unreasonable, however Quebec's average tuition is a little more than a third of the weighted average of tuition in Canada (without including Quebec), so needless to say most students in the other provinces view Quebec with great envy. Tuition in Quebec which currently sits at $2,168 (and has been frozen at that for some time) was scheduled to increase to $3,793 over a period of five years. 

The increase amounted to $325 per year, or an additional $27.00 dollars a month each year, or $0.89 per day. To put that in perspective, $27.00 will buy you a dozen beer, lunch for two, or a night out at a movie by yourself. However it seems that as far as Quebec students are concerned, any increase is too much. So their solution is to take to the streets and attempt to bring an entire province and its economy to a grinding halt.

Now at this point, it is important to remember that the Province of Quebec is carrying a debt load of close to $184 billion and a recent report by the Desjardins groups states Quebec’s gross public debt to GDP ratio is at a whopping 94% placing the province in a similar position to countries such as Greece and Italy. Recently, The Financial Post’s Jonathan Kay coined the term “souvlaki economics” to describe the current situation in Quebec. Unfortunately this is a situation that can not continue in the long run as it is simply unsustainable. In a rare show of agreement both the ruling party and the official opposition came to the mutual conclusion that the ongoing budget deficits and the overall debt must be priorities and brought under control for the sake of future generations.

However, at present they face a major obstacle in the form of protesting students. The protests have been ongoing for about three months now and have literally cost millions of dollars in economic damage to the city of Montreal. Students have already blocked bridges, disrupted shareholder meetings for Power Corp, the National Bank and entered workplaces where mining companies are located, lord only know what these businesses have to do with tuition fees. Add to this the additional police costs incurred . Montreal police have temporarily brought on 150 officers due to the protests with the police union stating that overtime costs were expected to be between $2 million and $3 million. The Quebec provincial police overtime bill was estimated at $1.5 million.

So where does it all end?

Those of us on the right simply have to communicate better

I have never made any bones about the fact that I lean to the right in my political beliefs. Does that mean I believe that all things right are "right" (no pun intended, but it is an ironic use of words)?

Two entirely different directions take by
people often with the best of intentions

Of course not, I am not so naive as to believe the Conservative mindset can do no wrong, nor am I so ignorant to imagine that the Liberal train of thought is never right (that almost seems like an oxymoron). Although, what I do find of interest is that at times the personal commitment to a course of action by some on the Left is almost fanatical, (does the term "Occupy" come to mind?). If you have ever had the painful experience of attempting to have a rational discussion on a topic such as Health Care or Old Age Security with a committed "die-hard" Liberal or NDP voter you will know exactly what I am referring to. Unless you are willing to discuss increased public funding your opinions are generally met with disdain and any hope of your using a well thought out logical platform in an effort to get your viewpoint across is pointless. Any attempt on your part to suggest the merits of increased efficiency or private sector involvement in the health care system will almost certainly get you labeled as a heartless right wing fanatic that places profits before people.

Why? Well, what I have noticed over the years is that the Right and the Left approach political debates and discussion in completely different manners and from starting points that tend to be light years apart. The foundations that each side relies on when debating are simply put, like night and day.

The Right generally comes armed with facts, figures, statistics, examples, you name it they have done their home work and are are ready to prove their point in the harsh light of the day. Often they will turn to terms such as increased efficiency, user fees, or private sector involvement as avenues to explore with the goal of delivering a more affordable solution. No brainer, right? One would think so, but that is generally not the case.(again no pun intended, but the word "right" just makes so much sense so often, doesn't it)

The Left, in many cases will simply set the facts aside in favor of a formula that leads right (oops, did it again) to the support of the majority. So what is this magic formula?

Just a few updates on past and ongoing stupidity

Nothing new today, so to speak, but rather some updates on pieces we have published in the past. Sometimes even when we think that common sense has prevailed over stupidity we find that stupidity is eternal and never goes away.

Spring Is Coming, May 1 - Occupy Whatever
Just when we thought that the Occupy movement had faded away to become a footnote in history it is attempting to rear it's head once again. Some of us had imagined (a bit naively) that the Occupy drones had gone back to school, possibly entered the workforce, or more than likely simply took to living under a bridge. However such is not the case, this time they have picked May Day (that's May 1st to us non communist types) to once more attempt to grind to a halt society and it's productive contributing members. I suspect that the movement which has been on life support for months has picked this day in the hope that many of their "comrades" will join in and add to the head count.
Here are a few quotes from their website and my personal comments (in Italics)

• "returning day after day to the boring jobs that drain our souls" Then quit and pursue something to enrich your soul. Remember, contrary to the indoctrination you received from your Occupy Masters, it is still a relatively free country.
• "the same system that causes students to graduate college with so much debt that they must chain themselves to a career in something they despise, rather than pursue their passions". Did someone force them into the education path they pursued? No, they chose it themselves so unfortunately if their career stinks they must accept personal responsibility for that.
• "This May Day, Occupy Wall Street, in coalition with numerous other organizations and occupations" I believe here they are referring to groups such as The American Nazi Party and the Communist Party USA
•  "If you can't call in sick hold a slow down" Funny, both these suggestions in most cases would mean that the Occupy Drones would still receive their paycheck, in other words taking something for doing nothing! Something that as a group they seem very fond of.

McDonalds, the last bastion of freedom?

Back in December of 2011 we posted an article about the "Nanny State" existing in society today and how the San Francisco Board of Supervisors were doing their best to get the toys removed from Happy Meals. At the time the "Bored" of Supervisors had passed an ordinance banning the giveaway of toys with children's meals. Thankfully MickyD found a work around that left them looking like heroes and the Supervisors with egg on their faces.

Unfortunately the story does not end there, it appears that the outcome did not satisfy a San Francisco mother who brought a class-action lawsuit against the fast food giant. Plaintiff Monet Parham, a mother of two, was represented by the Center for Science in the Public Interest, a nutrition advocacy group. Parham, along with the CSPI, argued that the use of toys in Happy Meals preys on children’s vulnerabilities and encourages them to eat unhealthy food.

“What kids see as a fun toy, I now realize is a sophisticated, hi-tech marketing scheme that‘s designed to put McDonald’s between me and my daughters,” Parham argued, according to the Daily Mail.
“For the sake of other parents and their children, I want McDonald’s to stop interfering with my family.”

This is just too funny, so if I understand this correctly, if Mcdonalds stops putting toys into happy meals Monet and her daughters will have a better family relationship? I wish I could say that this mindset is unique to California (obviously that would explain a lot) but unfortunately its spreading across society. This is the same mindset that expects the government to supervise all aspects of our lives as we are supposedly to stupid or ignorant to make everyday decisions for ourselves

The good news is that the judge dismissed the lawsuit without giving the plaintiff the opportunity to file an amended lawsuit.

But never fear, the left is not that easily deterred and I am sure that down the road they will tackle this issue until they feel they get it right.

Our entitlement society rears its ugly head once again.........

Government thru the eyes of the self-entitled.
Just keep the money flowing, baby!

Last Friday while sitting on an airplane I had the opportunity to read our local newspaper, the Edmonton Journal from "cover to cover". One of my favorite sections has always been "the letters to the editor" pages because they provide somewhat of an insight as to where the average individuals mindset is at any given time. At times it can be reassuring, occasionally as expected, and sometimes just downright frightening.

Is it an accurate reflection of public sentiments?  Not even close, however I like to think of it as a gauge indicating just how much of the big picture the average Joe (not to be confused with "Frustrated Joe")  really has a grasp on. In this instance one particular letter caught my attention more than most, it was a well written piece submitted by a University of Alberta undergraduate student titled Alberta can well afford to give students a break on tuition. Before you read any further I suggest you follow the link and read the article, this will give you a far better understanding of my comments to follow

Now, although I have never met the author her writing appeared (at least to me) to prove three distinct things

• Our education system does work to some degree in providing an individual the skills required to step into the real world, as indicated somewhat by the quality of the authors writing.
• Further education does nothing to improve an individuals basic intelligence, or to quote another famous graduate of higher education, Forrest Gump. "Stupid is as stupid does"
• Self entitlement is further entrenched in our education system than any of us would like to believe.

Now before you judge me as being too harsh, read on my fellow hard working taxpayers (if any post secondary students have gotten this far I suggest you read on as well, maybe it's not too late for you)