theloniusfleabag

Dear BHS, It is still a ways off, and I doubt it will ever happen, at least in this incarnation, ill-conceived as it is.From the link, A major stumbling block... Meters in the cars, I don't think the manufacturers will like the cost of that too much. They will rightly expect to recover costs plus profit, a sizeable chunk of money, and they will want it within a quarter or two, not over the long term. For R&D, testing and all that, plus installation on existing cars, each unit will be expensive, possibly prohibitive. Some may argue that if they don't ever travel the 'metered roads', why should they pay the cost of the meters?Secondly, the collection and administration of the 'user-fee'' will be large and costly as well, likely a money-loser. Third, will there be exemptions? One would think that delivery vehicles, taxis, etc. should be exempt, yet they plan to start charging the lorries first. Small businesses will suffer first, costs will go up immediately, and taxis will have to raise their rates commensurately.

Well, I suppose that saying "BC is pro-NDP" isn't exactly correct, but not too far off the mark. They are very 'pro-union', though, and many gov't programs are 'leftist-socialist'. Not that that is a bad thing, mind you, but I am just saying BC and SK are 'to the left' in the grand scheme of things.

Dear sharkman, There is no evidence that they actually have nukes, only their say-so. Which isn't worth taking to any bank. Here is the latest from the White House, which suggests they actually tested 6 missiles, one of which was the Taepodong, which evidently failed. http://www.globalsecurity.org/wmd/library/...60704-voa03.htm

IMR, I wouldn't take gerryhatrick's comments too seriously. It seems to me that he is either just 'flame posting' based on his hatred of Harper (because he is conservative), or he is yet another incarnation of 'maplesyrup'. That being said, I would have kicked some serious ass had I been there. Even if I had came away bloodied and injured, I would have felt it to be the right thing to do. Those men gave everything to fight for us, so who is willing to stand up for them? Harper was right to condemn it publicly, and I hope everyone else does too. If people cannot show respect, they shouldn't expect to, nor receive it.

Dear Shady, Thanks for postng this link. Um, Osama didn't declare war on 'terror'. It seems he was declaring it on US forces in Saudi Arabia.At first glance I thought that it was written by 'injusticebuster', top-heavy as it was with wild rhetoric flinging, but the subject matter was different.

Dear Mr. Hardner, Since this story is in the news, I'll respond here rather than starting a new thread. North korea is threatening nuclear war and 'massive retaliation' should their missile test be scotched on the launchpad. North Korea's sabre rattles... http://www.globalsecurity.org/wmd/library/...0704-kcna01.htm The 'news' has reported that they might be able to hit the western coast of North America. A few questions.... Would now be the time to tell everybody that they already have (if it were true)? Would the US supress the info because it would reveal that the US is virtually defenseless against a missile attack? (in the past, they relied on MAD) Some serious questions... How can NK claim it will launch a 'nuclear attack' and massive retaliation when they themselves don't even know if their missile will work? They claim to have nukes, but no verification can be made. How can they be sure if they haven't tested one? Why would the US not respond to such an overt threat when it didn't even get that from Iraq? The logical answer is that NK is full of it.

Dear geoffrey, Lol. Don't forget the skyrocketing price of oil, it ain't KD Lang's coattails oozing money. It isn't the hardworking turnip farmers, either. I'll somewhat agree. However, were it not for the skyrocketing price of oil, the sands would not be utilized (yet) to generate the kind of wealth that we are seeing. Yes, this bit is true, both provinces are pro NDP. However, their mainstays are not oil/gas, but less commercially valued commodities such as timber and wheat.

Dear geoffrey, I followed the O'Malley/school board imbroglio for some time, and could not get over the fact that he was an unmitigated ass. I had spent several years in a volunteer organization, and 1 year on the 'board of directors', so I have an inkling as to how a disruptive member can sow ill will very easily. It was my understanding that O'Malley craved disruption, and attention, to the detriment of the entire board. Further, as I understood it, he did not do what was required of him, and he mostly went to board meetings to sow discord. He attacked the people, not their policies, and wasn't known for presenting 'better ideas', but rather showing up where he wasn't supposed to, simply for press coverage for his own personal crusade. I don't know if anyone can actually say what he was trying to accomplish, except 'reform', which is a bit dubious if he was the only one in the entire city that so vehemently felt it was even needed. There was another woman that was similar, a few years before, I believe her name was Theresa Woo-Pah. I could be wrong, but I recall her trying to be a 'one-person show' on the school board as well.

Dear GostHacked, I'll assume 10 to be highest...telephones:7 cell-phones:6 internet: 5 'voip':1 (don't even know what the hell it is) e-mail: 8 conversation: 2-10 They say that chaos is the lowest form of communication, but I have to suggest it is 'farting'. Hell, I don't even know how to use all of the features on this forum, and I haven't a clue how to work the wife's new TV remote. It took me about 6 months to learn how to change the channel. That's about all I know, since I don't watch it a whole lot. Generally, the selling of information amongst companies of my 'comsumer info' is an irritant, but I don't know what the limits are and what rules they must follow. It even bothers me when stores ask for my postal code or phone # for demographic studies. Really, you and FTA Lawyer seem to be best placed for this kind of info...

Bah. The UN issues tons of notices, resolutions, etc, mostly not against the USA, but Shady is right , They depend on the member nation's monies and armed forces to operate, and the member nations are loathe to volunteer them(like the US), or can't afford it (like Canada). What would be a viable alternative to the UN? This idea would go nowhere, fast. Whom would they police? Each other?

Dear geoffrey, I concur, municipal issues represent too small of a 'sphere' to interest all but a very few. If they are important enough, or have broader implications, they may warrant 'provincial' or even 'federal' politics threads.

Dear sharkman, Well said. I am inclined to agree with you, and my celebrations were limited to typing 'Happy Canada Day everyone', and then relating a personal anecdote. And I drank some beer. Now I am going fishing.

Dear BHS and Black Dog, Years ago, a study was done, where it was found that soccer players were the fittest of all athletes. Second, believe it or not, were motocross racers. Might have been a biased article, because it was in 'Motocross Action" magazine, or something similar. This was also 'the average', and I am sure some sports had 'more fit' individuals. It is tough to compare sports in such a simplistic way, since they involve different tasks. Soccer doesn't require 'hand-eye' coordination, since you can't 'hands' the ball. Baseball involves hand-eye coordination, but a good pitcher, First baseman or DH could get away with 'tipping the Toledos' at 300+ lbs. Basketball, sure you need hand-eye, but a freak of nature like Manute Bol, at 7'2" and 88 lbs, can excel at basketball yet would be snapped in two like kindling on a football field. I think the true test of athleticism is not just fitness, and certainly not genetic anomolies like basketball or football, but the ability to play other sports equally well, and at any position. Here comes my bias, the hockey player. The average build, stature, fitness level, and 'hand-eye' coordination of a hockey player is demanded at every position, and they, on average, could fit into most other sports at a high level more easily that any other sportster.

Happy Canada Day everyone. Yes I am. A little story that happened recently... My wife's sister and her husband just moved here from North Carolina, (she is Canadian, he is American) and he is applying for citizenship. I escorted them downtown so he could get fingerprinted (the prints had to go to the US to prove he isn't a fugitive) and we saw a somewhat funny, but heartening sight. Passing the YWCA in downtown Calgary, there were a couple of school buses loading kids and adults up from a recreational program. What I noticed immediately was several 'muslim' (I thought perhaps Palestinian) women with headscarves on, getting on the bus, toting gym bags and hockey sticks! I turned to the in-laws and said, "Only in Canada!" Personally, I feel 'truly Canadian' (if there is such a thing) as I was born and raised in 'small town Saskatchewan', played hockey outdoors for most of my youth, drink beer, love fishing, canoeing, skiing, drinking beer, working hard for my own business, drinking beer...you get the picture. When I saw that women in a headscarf carrying a hockeystick, I thought to myself "Welcome to our country...how's that for breaking down barriers and stereotypes...I'll bet she can whack shins with the best of them!".

Looks like Germany and Italy won... my prediction: Germany and Italy team up together and crush France. Then they take on England, but the Americans come to help. Italy will turn on Germany about halfway through. And somebody better keep an eye on the Japanese.

Dear August1991, Why on earth would (say, NASA) fabricate weather reports from Mars? Why would they spend billions on sending a couple of 'rovers' thre when they could just sit back and make it up from home, for free?Reminds me of a skit from 'This Hour has 22 Minutes' (though I generally shun TV, it came on after one of the Stanley Cup finals games) where a 'mudder&son' were watching tv. The mom says something like "Look, right there, there's Christopher Reeve, you told me he was dead!" The son replied "That ain't Christopher Reeve, that's the Mars Lander!" ouch.

Dear Mr. Hardner, Yes, Charles Ng was extradicted and is on death row in California. Interestingly, my dad was at the exact scene of Ng's shooting of a security guard (at the bottom of the escalator in The Bay) 10 min prior. I tried to find info on Ng from the California Department of Corrections, but info on inmates there is rather limited. The Texas Dept. of Corrections is much more revealing. Your other link answers some important questions. Evidently, the Minister of Justice has the power to make a discretionary call in 'exceptional cases'.

I agree that FTA Lawyer's idea is, on the surface, a damn good one, but there are indeed some problems. August1991, Taht isn't what we are doing, we are trying to avoid 'abetting the use of the death penalty' as punishment. The theory is, if we are willing to abet it, it would be hypocritical not to have it in Canada. FTA, If he confesses to crimes to ostensibly avoid death (where he is in a situation at the time to certainly not face it) is that not a confession under duress? Secondly, it is reasonable to assume that the US would have a 'fair justice system' but such is not always the case. Leonard Pelltier was extradited from Canada based on false testimony that was coerced out of a 'witness' (Myrtle Poor Bear, I believe) under the threat of death, from the FBI, no less. (There is a fantastic documentary called 'Incident at Oglala' which I think everyone should see. I believe Robert Redford produced or directed it. Another reference to the story can be found in the song 'Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee' by Buffy Ste. Marie, a song which to this day brings a tear to my eye)So there is precedent to believe that the US Justice department does not always act in good faith. Third, the idea that 'Canada is home free' for criminals is not a positive thing, how would 'punishment as a deterrent' be applied in Canada for crimes commited in another country? I am sure you know, trials are still held in cases where confessions are entered, so why would Canada shoulder this burden of cost on behalf of the US? Further, some people confess falsely, for mental or other reasons... There was one more point/question I had, but I gotta go to bed.

Dear Toro, Indeed, nuts inhabit both 'left and right', and what makes this forum great is that both sides are welcome, as long as one isn't too 'nutty'.

Dear Argus, Well said. Just as no one would care about the nationalities of people like John Wayne Gacy or Jeffrey Dahmer. Doesn't matter where they were from, they just needed to be dead.

Dear GostHacked, A very interesting thread. Thanks for posting some very valuable 'inside information'. I found out some years ago that the police monitor payphones as well. When 'voice recognition' programs were developed, some years ago, I was (back in my pot-smoking days) going to pick up a bag o'weed from a friend of mine, and a co-worker asked me to get one for him too. I hadn't got it yet, but I called my buddy from a payphone to ask him for the money up front, and in his best 'gangster voice', he asked "Where's my dope?" I replied "Where's your money?" We both chuckled, and I asked him to meet me at a specific Taco Time location, at 11:30 am. Lo and behold, guess who was waiting? Two (obviously rookie) undercover cops, complete with an unmarked Crown Vic in the parking lot. As soon as my buddy (and his friend) came over and sat with me (the place was almost empty, lunch rush hadn't started yet) the pair of them turned and stared at us. Since I didn't have the weed with me, we got up and left, gave a 'nod and a wink' to them, had a good chuckle, and 'did our thing' later in the day. Later, from some other friends, I heard pretty much the same story, an arrangement over a paypphone to meet behind a 7-11 in Lethbridge, and a couple of buddies got busted for possession. I don't know if public phones are considered 'public domain' or not, but we were kids, and learned our lesson.

Dear BHS, I stand corrected, on a coule of points here. I just read on BBC that it was one of his 'summer palaces'. Why such a different response from Israel this time? True, they have launched strikes before, and used 'collective punishment' through various means in the past, but this seems to be a rather extreme reaction to what you indicate might be a common occurance. I suppose the Palestinians could consider themselves lucky Uzi Landau isn't in charge.

Hmmm, this just in... http://start.shaw.ca/start/enCA/News/World...rc=w062855A.xml No matter how much Israel may not like it, Hamas was democratically elected. To seize the Deputy PM and other officials, in any other place in the world, would be an overt act of war. Oddly, I haven't read what the US has had to say about this yet...(mind you, I haven't looked too hard yet either)

Dear Shady, They did it to a certain degree, by threatening to strike some of the exiled Hamas leadership in Syria, and with a 'flyby' over the house of the Syrian President. They may yet strike targets in Syria, and Israel must be careful with how far they reach with this, lest the whole region erupt. The soldier in question may already be dead (as is often the case in kidnappings when the net closes in), or the militants may keep him alive in a 'goodwill gesture', as using him as a bargaining tool is not on the map with Israel (and rightly so).

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/5124872.stm http://news.yahoo.com/fc/world/mideast_conflict This has been in the news all day, but it seems 'extreme action', a very ominous sounding threat, might be right around the corner. Israel has nukes, would they use them over a kidnapped soldier (possibly in Syria) or has Olmert gone mad? I often wondered why they didn't sent in tanks against Arafat and others, if they were determined to get them, but this action seems overblown, compared to previous actions/responses.