kimmy

Amen. -kimmy

I have not been around as much as some of you but I think the only time I have felt I was in a dangerous neighborhood in Canada was when I was exploring the cozy, touristy Gastown area in Vancouver, but went a few blocks too far and found myself on East Hastings. -kimmy

An expensive university education is not the only option if you want to earn money. Apprenticing in a skilled trade puts you on a career path that will earn you an excellent salary with skills that are very portable. Two year technical diplomas are another route to a career that costs much less than a university degree. Or, many universities have co-op programs, where every 2nd term is a work-term at a degree-related placement. It takes longer to complete, but students already have valuable work experience by the time they graduate. I know someone who did his degree by co-op, and he needed a student loan only during his first year. After that, he was able to earn enough during co-op placements to finish his degree without taking out any additional loans. Or, the Canadian Forces provide the chance to learn a trade during your service, I believe, although I personally have not much interest in joining the army. Or, there's the route that I am on- choose an entry level job that provides training and the chance to learn transferable skills. -kimmy

translation: translation: -kimmy

If Canwest is the #2 private network in Canada, then I guess CTV would have to be #1. It probably also depends on how you rank them. Total viewership? Value of assets? Annual revenue? Percentage of Canadian homes that can view each station? Number of employees? It probably depends on how you measure them. You could probably find some figure to show that any of Global, CTV, or CBC is the largest TV network in Canada. I will mention that Canada only used to have 2 national networks. I don't see how having a 3rd is a bad thing. Somebody will point out that Global was created by buying up local stations, however new local stations have sprung up since. I think that Canadians have more choices now than they did 10 years ago. -kimmy

It worked for Trudeau When my dad went to BC in 1998 to work on a short term contract, I went with him for a few weeks. While I was there, a lady from "Welcome Wagon!" came by to drop of a package. It was mostly junk mail, but one thing I remember (because dad got such a kick out of it) was a Message From The Premier. (I think this was Glen Clark.) "Welcome to BC," he exclaimed, "the province that provides access to health care for all!" This was at a time when the news was full of stories of beds being closed and understaffing due to acute lack of money. Maybe Klein went too far in one direction, but I think there has to be some kind of happy medium between providing spartan service vs promising the moon and failing to deliver because you can't afford it. -kimmy

I can understand the argument that concentrated ownership of media isn't good for our society. I can understand the argument that privately-owned media can be guided by its dependence on advertiser dollars. These are interesting issues. I will certainly read more about them in the future! However, what Caesar posted earlier in this thread ...doesn't seem to stand up to the facts. Caesar's own information says Canwest is the 2nd largest broadcaster in the country. They're probably 3rd largest overall, and smaller networks like Craig Media and Chum-City provide options as well. As far as print media goes, if you don't want to read an Asper paper, proceed to the next box and buy a Globe and Mail. The mention of Canwest-Global's internet presence is completely ridiculous, since internet users has a virtually unlimited source of media to choose from, from international sources like the BBC and Al-Jazeera, all the way to independant sources (like the links you're always posting. ) The argument about Canwest's internet presence becomes even more ridiculous when you consider that CanadaDotCom has become a subscription service, offering a bare minimum of articles to non-members. I agree 100% that more options would be healthy for our country! However, I take issue with the claim that the Asper family controls what Canadians see and here. That's clearly not true. Caesar's objection to Canwest might have more to do with Canwest's slant than Canwest's size. -kimmy

Yes, I'm aware that Canada has 2 national newspapers. Which is what I was getting at. If Canadians don't like the Asper-owned media outlets, then contrary to what caesar says, they have other options. -kimmy

wait wait, the 2nd largest private network? So there's another, larger private network? One of just 2 national newspapers? So there's another national newspaper?? Canada's 3rd largest internet portal? So there's a #1 and #2? Where are all these places that get Global but not CTV? My dad's family comes from a pretty remote part of Alberta and they can get CBC and CTV... so I'm a little skeptical that there are all these Canadians who don't have any alternative to Global. By the way, what was the source for the material you quoted? -kimmy

Well... we don't. I've yet to see any evidence of this. An anecdote about somebody's friend in Ottawa who thought that Albertans all wear cowboy hats doesn't cut it. Even if they did think that, such things don't constitute negative stereotypes. Dismissing this as an anecdote about cowboy hats doesn't cut it. The columnist's personal experience, my own personal experience, and a couple of anecdotes from others in this thread all tell me the stereotype exists, at least to some degree. As for whether they're negative stereotypes, I guess that is subjective. Ms Chua's column mentions people asking her if she moved to Ontario because there were no universities in Alberta, and expressing surprise that her immigrant parents would settle in a place populated only by cowboys. To me, that sounds somewhat negative. It sounds like she encountered people operating under the assumption that we're poorly-educated xenophobes. Here is a part of my very first message at this forum (which I know you've read, because you replied to point out a grammatical error ) It might not be a negative stereotype for people to assume Albertans wear cowboy hats and listen to country music-- that's pretty harmless as stereotypes go. However, I think you'll agree that the perception of poorly educated, xenophobic people living in isolation from other races and cultures is pretty negative. Or are you going to tell me that since you haven't noticed any evidence, it must all be made up? Well, that's a very profound thought (or an upcoming Microsoft TV commercial ) however, it doesn't really address the subject, which was that such thinking does exist, right in the heart of Canada among people who think they're so much wiser than everybody else. -kimmy

CBC? CTV?

Might I ask what benefits are offered, specifically? There was a program where you could have your home audited for energy efficiency, then receive rebates for having approved work done to improve efficiency. One of the things that a lot of people took advantage of was getting high-efficiency furnaces. Here is a page about the program, it looks like it has expired now. http://www.energysolutionsalberta.com/defa...p?V_DOC_ID=1046 -kimmy

What advice? Who's an American? What's going on? Did this wind up in the wrong thread by mistake? -kimmy

I suppose this is a very good observation, but somehow I think it might mean a little more if it wasn't coming from a guy who was crying to the heavens about the injustice of not having French highway signs in BC just a couple of weeks ago This topic was discussed a bit in the "Western Alienation" thread, where some people were saying "Oh no, we in Ontario don't have negative stereotypes about westerners!" I posted that in my experience, many do. Ms. Chua makes the same observation. While it might not be an issue of earth-shaking national importants, I do find the irony of some Toronto resident sitting on his couch watching Rick Mercer saying "haw haw, those Americans shore are iggernunt" amusing. As for the Calgary Stampede... well, if combating the stereotype means axing one of the longest-running and most popular annual events in Canada, not to mention a major international tourist draw, then I guess we'll just have to live with what the rest of Canada thinks. -kimmy

I have heard that appointments to the refugee board are often given as favors to friends or associates who see it as a high-paying job where they don't need to do any work. I have also heard that refugee boards are subject to bribery (and no doubt the people who have the kind of money to buy their way in are often from criminal backgrounds). Maybe the churches' stance will spur some journalist to do some hard-core investigation into the refugee claims process. -kimmy

Her experience agrees with my own experience living in Ottawa. -kimmy

I'm not afraid of refugees in general. To me, what this is about is the rule of law. If the churches can spur some reform of the refugee system, then good for them, I will support their activism 100%. However, if the government rejects a claim, then the church better step aside. -kimmy

Where is the research? It is in Burnaby, BC, at Ballard Power Systems. Unfortunately, the technological obstacles in making hydrogen fuel-cell powered vehicles a mainstream option are proving very stubborn. As Ballard falls behind on its timetable, and major automakers like Honda and Toyota are making increasingly viable hybrid vehicles, it looks more and more like the solution is not in new technology, but in consumer attitudes. After all, hybrid vehicles are not really new technology, they're old technologies applied in a new way to meet different consumer goals. A hybrid vehicle could have been developed a lot earlier, but until a significant number of consumers decided that more efficient and environmentally safe transportation was important, there just wasn't an incentive to do it. And as other energy prices go the same direction as gasoline prices, people will be more conscious of other energy costs too. Being stung at the gas pump is the time when most people become aware of the costs of energy consumption, but now when they open their electricity or utility bills each month, there is also an unpleasant shock. People are becoming very conscious of turning off lights when they're not being used. People replacing regular lightbulbs with compact fluorescent bulbs that use 1/5 the energy. My family recently replaced our old furnace with a high-efficiency furnace-- rebate incentives from the Canada and Alberta governments made the purchase more attractive, but the rising monthly gas bill is what made it a priority. The obvious way to react to increasing energy costs is to... use less energy. People don't need to wait for miracle technology to arrive, they have choices. Rising energy costs are a blessing in disguise. It makes people more conscious of the costs of their lifestyle. -kimmy

This is very true. There's no reason why the dog can't go run around with a little keg of brandy around its neck to rescue lost skiers, like other St Bernards.

That is why an environmental levy on each litre of gas makes sense. The amount of pollution you create is directly proportional to the amount of gasoline you use. If you burn 10 litres in a Civic, you might go farther than if you burn 10 litres in an Escalade... but ultimately you've burned 10 litres of gas either way, and created a corresponding amount of pollution. Ever notice how people are all in favor of the environment right up to the part where their own lifestyle might be affected? -kimmy

Actually, the argument was with the claim that Joe Clark could have lead the Conservatives to victory. Joe Clark's results in the 2000 election cast serious doubt on that idea. -kimmy

Why not both? Tradesmen and other people or businesses who need larger, more powerful vehicles as part of their livelyhood already claim transportation-related expenses on their tax returns anyway. An environmental levy on fuel wouldn't be an impediment. I agree with the idea of offering incentives to choose smarter options, though -kimmy

You've taken what would have been a good message about media manipulation, and completely trashed it with trolling remarks trying to link Klein's personality with Albertans as a group. Many rural Canadians still drink and drive. I think you'll find Saskatchewan is Canada's perennial leader in drunk driving statistics, although I could be mistaken. Also, if you're accusing Klein of drunk driving, I think you've got him confused with the premier of the province to the left of us. Maybe most people just accept that partisan politics is a confrontational business. Oh, I see. Kind of like, the Liberals were caught at money laundering and fraud, and Ontario voters continue to support them, so Ontarians must support money laundering and fraud? Yes, this is solid logic... I did google for Gettymander and Gettymandering, and got zero hits. So when you say "we" use the term, I take it you mean the "royal we"? I think that if you look at any jurisdiction in Canada you'll find disproportionate representation of rural voters. That's an opinion. Personally, I find the NDP philosophy is pessimistic: only government intervention can prevent people from ruining everything. I just have no idea what this is supposed to mean. I don't see how it's hypocritical to oppose new laws while believing that our law enforcement ought to have the tools they need to enforce existing laws. And you just couldn't finish off without one last troll. In what part of the province do you see all this Skoal being chewed? -kimmy

Sure, that was the excuse in 1993, but what about 2000? In the 1997 election Jean Charest led the PCs from 2 seats all the way up to 20. Then Charest goes to try his luck in Quebec, and Joltin' Joe Clark takes over... and in the 2000 election, wins... ...13 seats. Oops. But I'm sure he's a great leader, a wise man, a proud Canadian -kimmy

If you're getting all this utility and safety from your SUV, then you and you alone are the beneficiary... but everybody who lives in your city has to live with the pollution you create. I don't think it's unreasonable to expect you, the person who has decided he/she deserves this extra convenience, to compensate your fellow citizens for the inconvenience resulting from your choice. Since the amount of pollution you create is directly proportional to the amount of gas you burn, an environmental per-litre levy on gasoline would be an ideal solution. As for the rest, long-haul highway duty isn't a primary need for most Canadians, as the overwhelming majority of us live in urban centres or within short commuting distance. The ability to carry large loads isn't a strong argument for SUVs, as minivans, and pickups are all superior at that and most deliver considerably better fuel economy. I seldom see an SUV being used as a tow vehicle, or carrying any sort of load, or for that matter even carrying more than 2 people. When I see the way many SUV-owners drive, I don't think safety is a primary consideration in their lives either. Try to rationalize it any way you want, but we all know that the reason most SUV-owners bought SUVs has nothing to do with safety or cargo. Many people buy ridiculously large pickup trucks for the same reason. While many pickups are used as working vehicles or tow-vehicles, there are plenty of people who do not need any of their vehicle's capability, and just drive them to show off... "cowboy SUVs", I suppose. That's fine... do whatever you want, it's your money, but there is an environmental cost that you should pay. -kimmy