kimmy

That's a good point, Cartmen, and one I haven't heard elsewhere. We must use gasoline more carefully but the burden of that decision should not fall entirely on poor people. Like Cartman, I'm not particularly sorry for motorists either. I'll mention that for many of us low-income urbanites, outrageous insurance costs persuaded us to get rid of our automobiles long ago. And of those who haven't, many own small, fuel-efficient vehicles, because they knew they could afford neither a big vehicle nor high gas prices. Many people drive big SUVs or pickups when they have no need for such a large vehicle (although, I recall having this discussion with caesar, who contends that an SUV is a necessity in Vancouver because giant out-of-control garbage trucks are careening about the streets, and a smaller vehicle would not be safe from the onslaught. or something.) People who chose to buy gas-guzzling vehicles have no business complaining about gas prices. People who chose to live miles out of town and commute back and forth every day have no business complaining about gas prices. These people have made choices that have been fouling my air for years, and I refused to feel sympathy for them now that their choices have come back to haunt them. There are people who really don't have alternatives to automobiles-- rural Canadians, people who work in areas that aren't served by public transit-- but I refuse to believe that these people make up anything close to the majority of motorists. -k

Those of us who have been on this board for a while know that Argus is usually as big a skeptic as you'll ever find when charges of racism are thrown about. For him to be the one making those charges, in this instance, leaves me no doubt as to his sincerity. The argument about which level of government was responsible for upgrading the levees might betray some of our Canadian biases. eureka has argued many times that in Canada the provinces have more autonomy and more avenues of funding available than their counterparts in other federations. And even here, a capital investment of that magnitude would be done as a provincial-federal partnership, as with the upgrades of Toronto's waterfront. For the federal level to cut their funding of it from by such a large amount would have been undeniably a major blow to the project. And if one really wishes to pursue the argument that the levees were a state and local responsibility, then let's stop and consider the national security angle. The number of casualties from this disaster will dwarf 9/11. The amount of damage and destruction will make 9/11 look like a fire at a hot-dog stand. On their best day, the terrorists didn't cause a fraction of this destruction. But beyond that, what is the national security impact to the United States? It has costing the billions of dollars to provide relief. It has resulted in civil unrest affecting thousands. America's already overtaxed armed forces are now being stretched to the limit. New Orleans was the entry-point for something like 1/4 of the US oil supply, and fuel prices have gone through the roof, and a large area of the country is now, I hear, being asked to ration fuel. The long-term economic costs to America (and beyond) will be stratospheric. In summary, the destruction of New Orleans has been a national security disaster that has already had effects felt nation-wide and will have deep consequences for all Americans in the coming months and years. To me, that sounds like something of interest to more than just state and local government. And it sounds like warnings about the readiness of the levees and the impact of a major storm on New Orleans had been given for years, and, apparently, brushed aside. So it seems to me that this was not just predictable, but had been predicted. -k

-k

Hopefully you didn't really mean 'suitably 'tainted'. I understand the Stanley Cup is probably the most 'teabagged' object in the world, so all of us hockey boys giggle a bit come playoff time... When I was little I used to imagine hoisting the Stanley Cup as I played hockey with dad on our back yard rink. And even as an adult I still have that daydream as I play pick-up games at the local rink. not any more. You've cured me of that one forever. Thanks, Fleabag. -k

I have been wondering how it is that they can get a session of Congress overnight to keep a brain-dead cripple on life-support, but it takes 3 days to get Congress into session to address the biggest disaster in the nation's history. -k

I will keep an eye on the eastern horizon, watching for the approach of Eureka's 1st Mechanized Infantry Division-- I picture an army of golf-cars, motorized wheelchairs, and the occasional low-mileage 1989 Crown Victoria with "World's Best Grandparents!" bumper-stickers. It should be an awe-inspiring sight. -k

I attended the ceremony at the legislature yesterday. Here is my Kimmy-on-the-street report. I arrived at the legislature grounds at about 11:00am, bought a coffee, and tried to find a place where I could see the stage. The stage was set up below the steps of the north entrance of the legislature. The reflecting pool had been drained and filled with folding chairs; the chairs closest to the stage were reserved for vip's; the rest seemed to be filled with seniors. The square was packed, and most of us had to stand. I picked a spot in the shade of the trees on the east side of the square. The Emeralds started performing. Like, what the fuck. The Emeralds. Grrrrreeeaaaaat. Why? Maybe the Emeralds performed at the original ceremony 100 years earlier. Or maybe the organizers were hoping that people would be so glad to see the Emeralds leave that they'd give the politicians heroes' welcomes for chasing the Emeralds off the stage. At any rate, after torturing the audience with a number of travesties including "the Centenial Swing", the bloody god damned Bird Dance, and a Johnny Cash impersonation that would have The Man In Black vomitting in his grave, the Emeralds mercifully ended the suffering and wished us a happy day. It was a happy day before the Emeralds arrived, and it became a much happier after the Emeralds left. With the Emeralds gone from our sight, the Royal Canadian something-something band arrived. I don't know exactly who they were, but it was an armed forces marching band. They were at the east entrance of the legislature and performed as dignitaries began arriving. The big-screen showed Clarkson, Martin, Klein, and others as they ascended the steps the legislature's east entrance. Applause broke out a number of times when the camera found Stephen Harper. Ceremonial RCMP also arrived out amongst the crowd, and a group of ceremonial RCMP horsemen were also present, over near the legislature. Also shown a number of times on the big screen, and receiving applause, was Alberta's oldest citizen, a Mrs. Mah, who is set to turn 110 soon. I bumped (rather literally) into Global's local news anchorwoman, Lynda Steele; she must have a high-chair behind that desk on TV, because she is tiny. She was with Kevin O'Connell who is also shorter than he looks on TV. Local CTV anchor Darryl McIntyre was also near where I was, and he is big, like hockey-player big. If a news-team rumble broke out, like in "Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy," Darryl McIntyre could have taken out Global's contingent single-handedly. Former champion figure-skater Kurt Browning took the stage to MC the event; he did a terrific job. He introduced the dignitaries, who were all warmly received. Kurt also introduced a bunch of actors representing historical personages, including Sir Wilfrid Laurier, Alexander Rutherford, Emily Murphy, William ("Bible Bill") Aberhart, William Herron, and others. Between the official speeches, the actors and Browning performed a skit in which Laurier and Rutherford were to read from the Alberta proclamation, but nobody remembered to bring the proclamation. They sent frontier scout Jerry Potts in search of it, apparently the only man fast enough to bring the proclamation in time for the end of the show. ("He's dead... but he's that good?" Browning asks incredulously.) The big-screen showed a number of vignettes of Potts in historic Alberta locations as he went about his mission, while on-stage Aberhart tried to get the microphone away from Browning so that he could lecture on the virtues of temperance, and Emily Murphy blustered at Browning's incompetence. It was not exactly masterpiece theatre, but it was fun. Klein spoke, and was predictably Klein-like. Adrienne Clarkson gave a very nice speech, and spoke of meeting Klein back at a time when they were both working in journalism-- she mentioned Klein at that time defending the unpopular but important civil rights of a group of bikers. Paul Martin, before speaking on the centennial, told us that he had spoken to President Bush and expressed our full support in helping with their crisis, the crowd was enthusiastically supportive of the announcement. All three speeches were predictable stuff-- humble beginnings, bright future, proud of Alberta, important part of the Canadian family, etc etc. All of them were greeted warmly and with not a single cat-call to be heard. Next up was poor Normie Kwong, Alberta's Lieutenant-Governor, who was visibly nervous and uncomfortable. He attempted to whip through his speech without pausing, and as a result was interrupted by applause a number of times. Kwong spoke of his hopes for the future, which included a healthier and more physically fit populace. This led to a hilarious moment: as Kwong stated "Many Albertans are out of shape," the big-screen for some reason cut to Ralph Klein, to the uproarious laugher of everyone. "What happened? What did I do?" Kwong wondered, having not seen the screen and left with no idea why everyone was laughing. I hope somebody explained it afterward, because I'd hate to think he left with the idea that we were laughing at him. Great fun. Events on-stage wrapped up with the ceremonial cutting of a cake, the crowd joining a quintet of cute little kids singing "Happy Birthday", and the singing of Oh Canada. And then, cake was served with remarkable efficiency from a tent on the east side of the legislature. Tasty, with lemony frosting. The ceremonies were nice, and the actual event finished neatly at 1:00pm. I wish I'd known to arrive at noon instead of 11:00, so that I could have missed the Emeralds. Aside from that, though, it was a very nice afternoon. -kimmy {"...there's cake!"}

Noooooooo. Transitional fossils have been found. Indeed? My survey of the subject seems to indicate that the paucity of transitional fossils remains an issue of concern and research to those in the field, and that the lack of transitional fossils and the sudden appearance of species in the fossil record seems to be a motivating factor behind some of the new theories in macroevolution. Your point? I do not claim there must be a straight line path... I just believe that there has to be a path. I am not a geneticist; I am more gooder at math. In math there is an intermediate value theorem, which is that if a continuous function, no matter how convoluted, goes from value A to value B, then at some point, the function crossed every value between A and B. And though genetics is not math, my reading over the past several days seems to show an analogy. Evolutionary theorists are working to both find those intermediate values (ie, transitional fossils) and to explain discontinuities (ie, punctuated equilibriums or homeoboxes or whatever). I have a somewhat intermediate value theorem influenced viewpoint towards all of this. If the theory is that all of this started as a puddle with component atoms and heat and lightning, and has gone from there to here through natural processes with no unexplainable leaps that require intelligent intervention to explain, then we should be able to find the path by which we got from there to here. No matter how convoluted-- piggybacked genes and whatever else-- that path should be explainable. If there are discontinuities in the function-- the "gaps" from "god in the gaps," those gaps should be explainable by something other than "god." And I'm not a religious person. I expect that such explanations will be possible some day, and I will feel more satisfied with my world view when they arrive. I hate repeating myself, but: I agree completely. I merely point out that some people seem to be under the impression that we already have all the answers, and that some people seem to have exchanged one form of blind faith for another... -k

Where did you obtain these estimates, and how were they compiled? I must say I'm having a difficult time believing this... and not because the top nations are Asians, but because it seems to indicate that the average citizen in a number of African countries is, apparently, mentally retarded. I mean, is this real? Is that on the bell curve? If the average Ethiopian has an IQ of 63, that would put alarge portion of the populace well into the range that western science considers to be a severe mental disability. I'm quite skeptical of these numbers, and I'd like to know where you obtained them. -kimmy

This is why many in Alberta are in the "provincial rights" camp. With so little clout in federal government, the logical response for smaller provinces is to have as many decisions as possible made at the provincial level. Well, you can imagine how that would go. Probably something like this... It is probably for the best that if equalization is not achieving the desired results, Ontario be the one that kick the door in and demand change. If that call comes from out west, it'll just lead to confrontation for reasons you've already mentioned. Monday's Edmonton Journal had a big article on page A2 in regard to the topic of this thread. They interviewed financial analysts on the subject, including David Watt of BMO Nesbitt-Burns (I don't know whether he's authoritative; I just mention him by name because it's the only name I can remember) ...and there was general agreement that Ontario's fiscal problems were a result of fiscal mismanagement over the past decade or more, not because of equalization. -k

My special guy is ...several... years older than me. It's not a May-December thing... it's maybe more like May-July. However, I picked him when I was old enough to make my own decisions, and my family had little choice but to accept it. And, of course, he is awesome and my parents think he is the best thing that ever happened to me. If people are mature enough to make their own decisions when they enter into a relationship, I don't have a problem with it... However, the trailer-trash kids in this article were already a couple when he was 20 and she was 12. WHERE WERE THE PARENTS???? WHERE WERE THE PARENTS???? WHERE WERE THE PARENTS???? If I had started going around with my special guy I was 12 and he was over 20, I would have been grounded for the duration of the 1990s, and he would most likely have turned up as a corpse in a garbage dump or something. The article mentions that the newlyweds' parents are single mothers on social assistance. There's no doubt in my mind that "special ed" Matthew and his lovely bride will be drawing social assistance as well. And I am fairly sure that little Samara has a bleak future ahead of her as well. Her parents named her after the scary little dead girl from "The Ring"... that can only be an omen. Well, then there's that. -k

I recall last year during the Florida hurricanes that some were snickering that God must be sending the Bush family a message. This sort of snickering came to a dead silence when Indonesia was devastated by the tsunami. Turns out that natural disaster as political commentary isn't really all that funny after all. And as potentially a million or more people are left without homes and drinkable water, and likely have no jobs for a long time to come, the notion that people are somehow still trying to find ways to turn this into political commentary is rather obnoxious. Keep in mind that the hardest hit are not the Bush family or the SUV drivers or the oil company executives, but the poor. I also feel quite sad to think of all the historical things that must have been destroyed. -k

CBC football ratings have improved since the lockout. While the implications for CBC and the locked out workers are unclear, this is certainly bad news for Don Wittman. -k

That's like arguing that since transitional fossils have yet to be found, we can dismiss evolution. The dog hunts. The logic is sound. The question is whether it's actually applicable to anything in nature. If not, then it is a hypothetical issue that is of only theoretical interest. That's certainly a splendid treatment of the mouse-trap. Whether the same can be shown for biochemistry or other complex systems we find in nature is, of course, far beyond me. I assume that Dr Behe and his supporters will continue to be hard at work to find what they think is an example, and Dr Miller and others will of course do their best to refute their examples. I don't think we can say conclusively that evolution can explain everything until everything has been explained. This reminds me a bit of the creationists' complaint about evolution ("how can we disprove it if they can keep updating it???") but it's actually just a corollary of evolution: yes, it is necessary to show how something could be built up step by step. That's the definition of evolution, is it not? Very true, but demonstrating a viable means of evolution for anything we observe in nature is not merely a nuisance or a means of shutting Dr. Behe up. It's a consequence of the theory of evolution that if we observe something then there most be an explanation of how it came to be. Demonstrating the evolution of complex mechanisms and processes in nature will, aside from refuting Dr Behe, also have the beneficial side effect of, you-know, filling in important gaps in the theory of evolution and advancing the frontiers of human knowledge. -k

G & MThis softwood lumber dispute is the start. I think we can expect more of the same as we go into the fall in preparation for the election. The NDP obtained 2 million votes in the last election but only 19 seats. If the Liberals can entice those "centre-left" NDP voters to vote Liberal, then many close ridings will go Liberal. Expect to see an anti-American, pro-public sector Liberal Party. It's a smart strategy. It may even work. But what of word that the Liberals see the West as the place they can gain ground? I wouldn't see a pro-public sector, anti-American stance as being such a smart idea, if that is the case. Though, looking aggressive on soft-wood should help them in BC. They have a fine line to walk. -k

...so... the Gun Registry isn't working?? -k

...white parents receive admiration of their peers if their kids excel at X-Box... I have heard that some black populations have a lower leg geometry that makes the foot a more efficient lever in running but less suited to lifting, as well as genetic predisposition towards lower bodyfat and higher proportion of fast-twitch muscle-fibre. These might be examples of traits that were survival advantages in an environment where the easiest way to find your food is to hunt it cheetah-style: ambush and a short chase. If tribes of African or Middle-Eastern peoples moved north into colder climates, then what happens? -lighter skin becomes a survival advantage. Dark skin that protects from burning in hot sunny climates is not so good as we move north-- as we move north, we get less sunlight, and our skin makes less vitamin D. Dark pigments that block sunlight start to become a disadvantage as they reduce vitamin D production to unhealthy levels. -fast-twitch muscle is great if you want powerful movement for a short period of time. It's not very good in situations where you need long-term activity, because it only stores enough energy for about 10 seconds of sustained activity. Slow twitch muscle fibre is not as powerful in short term movements, but has built in stores of fuel to work for a much longer period. It's easy to think of at least one activity in cold climates that makes a higher proportion of fast-twitch muscle a disadvantage: shivering. Cold weather likewise makes a lower body-fat percentage a disadvantage. So, that's with physical differences... what about other things? Might northern climates have selected against dumb-guys in the past? I don't think it's out of the question... but humans are social animals. The dumbest guy in the tribe isn't left to his own devices, and he might not get "Darwinned" out of the gene-pool despite being dumb. and All the genetics in the world won't give you the ability, if you don't have adequate training and the opportunity to develop all that genetic potential. What if Saudi Arabia had its own Einstein, but nobody ever knew it because she never went to school and wasn't allowed to speak? I doubt Einstein himself would have amounted to much if had grown up on an indian reservation in Canada. The environmental factors are just too depressing. This strikes me as a very astute observation. We don't know whether Natural Selection has made asians, on average, smarter than caucasians, on average. However, it does seem likely that Artificial Selection has made the asians in Canada smarter than the average Canadian. -k

The question is not how best to deal with mice, the question is of explaining things that are observed in nature. If we observed a mousetrap in nature, then to be viable, any theory on the formation of life would have to offer a plausible explanation for how that mousetrap came to be. If we observe an eye, or a muscle fibre, or a nervous system, or an ovary, then any viable theory of life's origins has to be able to explain how those things came to be. Irreduceable complexity can't be categorized as a myth. It is only a concept. If it can be shown that any system in nature really is "irreduceably complex", then irreduceable complexity is a *relevant* concept that must be addressed. Until or unless an example of an irreduceably complex system can be found, it is not something that must be addressed. However, the fundamental idea is simply common sense: anything we observe in nature must be able to be traced back to the most basic roots. If the theory of evolution is correct, then anything we observe in nature must be able to be traced back to a strand of DNA. If there's some step along that path that can't be explained, then that's a problem that the theory must address. -k

Doug Christie has lots of time on his hands now that Ernst Zundel has been deported, I gather. -k

Rick Mercer? We had TV hockey without commentators quite recently. A couple of years ago, Radio-Canad was on strike (or locked out) and people had the opportunity to watch the Canadiens-Hurricanes series without commentators. What a delight it was! It was almost like being at the game, in the stands, watching the game without the annoyance of the play by play team blathering in your ear. Oh, sure, you could just hit mute, but then you wouldn't get all the sonic ambience of a hockey game-- the smack of the puck, the crunch of bodies into the boards, the sizzle and hiss of skate blades on ice, the roar of the crowd-- that is such a part of the experience. I am sure that some people will miss the incompetence of Bob Cole and the befuddled malapropisms of Harry Neale during this fall's Hockey Night In Canada broadcasts... the same people who find it confusing to watch a sit-com without a laugh-track. For most hockey fans, or ones who have actually watched a game at an arena, at least, the prospect of HNIC without a play by play team is exciting. I'm really looking forward to it! -k

The New Orleans police and public officials seem to have done heroic work over the past 24 hours. One can only imagine how many lives were saved by opening the Superdome and bringing in the poor and others who didn't have anywhere else to go or any way to get out of town. In response to August's comment about the ice storm, I think we'll have to wait and see. The shortcomings in the response to the ice storm weren't apparent right away. It wasn't the immediate response that was lacking, it was the length of time it took to get power restored in some areas. We won't know how the response in Lousiana compares until the process of dealing with the aftermath begins. I have heard that up to 80% of homes in the city may have been destroyed. And that the flooding will mix with sewage and contaminate large areas of the city and leave them uninhabitable for potentially months. As with the ice storm, the response to Katrina will be judged in the long-run on how efficiently operations restore life to normal. It could take a very long time. -k

There you go, Kimmy. Take a look at that non-Albertan argument: Taking the money from Albertans is not really doing anything that Albertans themselves don't do. There's no doubt that Fort McMisery is being short-changed right now. However, the provincial government is going to have to invest a *lot* of money there to upgrade the city's infrastructure, simply to try to catch up with the explosive growth there. I have high confidence in the provincial government to direct money that Fort McMurray needs back to Fort McMurray. I have very low confidence in the federal government to do so. I believe you're mistaken. I believe that was true from 1957 to 1964, at which point premiers in other provinces demanded to know why Alberta was receiving equalization payments even though the oil business was making the province quite wealthy, and as a result natural resources were incorporated to the formula in 1964. I believe that other provinces have made reference to Alberta's 7-year grace period in recent discussions with the federal government and requested a similar grace period by which they could be allowed to continue receiving transfers despite their growing resource revenues. -k

I can not recall seeing a maple tree in the wild before I moved to Ottawa, and I can not recall seeing one since I left. I am told that some parts of Manitoba have a maple species known as the (get this) Manitoba Maple. Some people here buy a decorative lawn shrub with maple leaf-shaped leaves; it's a spindly little plant that I believe is, in fact, called the "Japanese Maple", though I'm skeptical as to whether it is truly related to real maple trees, as the leaves are the only thing about it that bears a resemblence. A goofy little shrub imported from Asia to serve as a nifty yard decoration... Japanese Maples are actually not a bad symbol of how I see Canadian nationalism. As I said, -k

One thing I have always found puzzling is why people are only concerned about relocation when it involves people moving from east to west. Between 1996 and 2000, everybody with a technology-related degree or diploma was moving to Ottawa to work for Nortel and all the other high-tech companies that sprang up in the area during that time. Not a peep did I hear about how bad it was that the best and brightest from Alberta, BC, and Saskatchewan were leaving in droves with their provincially-subsidized university degrees and tech-school diplomas. But in 2002 we had Chretien complaining that people relocating to Alberta was de very bad ting. And Dr Courchene complaining that people relocating to Alberta weakens other provinces. I guess one difference is that during the tech-boom, Ontario was just skimming the creme... taking just the most valuable and skilled workers from other provinces... while Alberta has jobs for skilled people, tradespeople, and just about anyone who isn't functionally incapable of work. And politicians are concerned because, I dunno, because that's a lot more votes moving around the country or something? Also, why is it that Saskatchewan gets no mention in this type of discussion? If Alberta is the elephant in the room, Saskatchewan is the funny monkey hitching a ride on the elephant's shoulder. They have booming resources too. They have a budget surplus now, I hear. I am also reminded of the conventional wisdom of city department managers: you better spend all your budget, because if you have a surplus, you'll pay for it. If having a budget surplus gets you frisked by the feds, the provinces will simply try harder to find ways to make sure they spend all their money. Of all the things the Alberta government is noted for... generousity toward welfare recipients is not one of them. I anticipate Dr Courchene will be getting an earful from poverty advocates in this province. People are not seriously laboring under the belief that the Alberta government will be giving welfare recipients more money than employed people in other provinces are earning, are they? This is beyond absurd. Well, it does need to be spent on infrastructure. Edmonton and (I believe) Calgary are going back into debt in order to fund infrastructure projects that have been necessitated by explosive growth. And that's minor compared to what's facing the north-- particularly Fort McMisery, a city that is being utterly overwhelmed by the rate at which it is growing. Fort McMurray needs highway twinning, massive upgrades to its roads, and probably a high-speed rail-link to Edmonton. A community fund, kind of like the new revenue sharing agreement between the NHL teams. Depending which "those resources" are, this could be an ok idea... but I've got a funny feeling that various provinces are going to have differing ideas on which revenues should be included in the sharing pool. A few decades down the road, Quebec's environmentally friendly James Bay electricity will be more precious than gold, and we're going to be wishing we'd insisted that be part of the revenue sharing pool... -k

People seem to forget that the purpose of scientific enquiry it to find _useful_ explanations for natural phenomena. A _useful_ explanation that allows us to predict what the likely outcome of events in the future based on theories about why things happened in the past. In that respect, evolution is a useful theory because it does allow us to make predictions: for example, the theory behind anti-biotic resistant drugs is entirely based on evolution.Creationism, on the other hand, is a completely _useless_ explanation because it does not allow us to predict anything. Furthermore, accepting that creator must be responsible for doing all the things that we don't understand encourages people to stop looking for answers that do not involve a divine creator - a kind of fatalism that undermines all scientific enquiry. I agree with all of this. As I've said a number of times in this thread, I think "Intelligent Design" is nonsensical; I simply reject the notion that evolution has already answered all of the questions we have about the origins of life. Clearly that's not the case. -k