I have been trying to call the wife once per week. I would probably call more, as there are times when I feel a bit homesick, but I don’t want her to think I am a wuss.
As I write this, our landline is still down, so we talk by cell phone, which can be a bit choppy at times. As incoming calls are free and I am a cheap bastard, I call her and get her to call back right away.
It can be a bit of reality check to talk to the wife. I have this version of her, called the “away” version, which becomes the real version soon after we are apart. “Away” wife resides high up on a pedestal, perfect in every way. Unfortunately, “reality” wife can never live up to “away” wife. I first realised I had this unrealistic version of my wife when I called her. As I was dialing the number I would feel all mushy and lovesick inside, and I would think about how much I love her and miss her, etcetera. We would exchange greetings and I miss yous, then the conversation would stop. Nothing to talk about. Usually I would talk a bit about what I am doing, but to be honest, by now it is pretty much routine. Many of the things going on here are not interesting unless you have the context and know the people. So, inevitably, she will talk about what is going on a home. If we had kids, this would probably be all about them. We don’t so it becomes about the cats. Since cats sleep about 23 hours a day, this is a short conversation. Talk eventually turns to the house, which is always about problems. This is when the big needle of reality bursts the fantasy bubble.
A tip to the women on the home front: when you talk about problems, bring solutions. Nothing is more frustrating for a man then to be away from home and know of a problem that he could fix but cannot due to distance. The furnace guy did not show up, there are mice in the house, the roof leaks, the lawn tractor doesn’t work right. All these things just call to us to come home and set them right. Now my wife is very competent. 99% of these problems she can fix and doesn’t need my help. That doesn’t matter. I still feel this need to solve them and I launch into a long questioning session to get as much information so that I can solve the problem. The conversation usually ends sometime after this, and I end up feeling helpless and frustrated over things I cannot control.
This is not to say that the wife should not tell me about problems or ask for advice. I want her to. However, she should be aware of how my mind works. Saying something like “There was a problem with…. but I did….. and everything is good” would go a long way to easing my pain.
I guess my advice to all women with husbands overseas is to remember that he likely has some romantic ideal of you when he calls. Try not to burst this fantasy if you can, as it helps to sustain us. By all means tell us what is going on at home, good and bad, as it helps to remind us why we are here. Remember how our minds work and try to do it in a way that minimises our frustration.
I think I will call the wife and tell her I love her.
Monday, September 19, 2005
Sunday, September 18, 2005
Jamaica – 30 Aug 2005 - What I learned at Hedo
First thing – Hair is bad.
No one wants to see hair. People who go naked trim or cut the hair that is not normally seen. Do you have to? No. But since most do, you probably want to if you want to fit in.
Second thing – I love my wife.
I love her a lot. More than I thought I did. Why do I say this? Before I tell you, I bit of background.
I am the kind of person who tends to question everything. This includes the love in our relationship. Some might say this is a bad thing, but before you judge, listen to my reasons. First of all, I don’t believe love is some magical, mysterious thing that just happens. There is an element of that to it, but it is also needs work and attention. Why do people who love each other get divorced. And mark my words, 99.9% of those who get married never believe they will divorce. Yet 40+% of all marriages in North America end in divorce. I love my wife but I do not think we are so special as to be immune from the chance for divorce. By recognizing a problem you are half way towards solving it.
I believe that many of the people who get divorced sabotage their own relationships. For whatever reason, they decide that they no longer want to spend their life with that person, and work towards destroying the relationship. They not longer tell their wife they love her, they forget special days, they fail to do special things for each other, you get the picture. Doubt my theory? Just think about anyone you ever dated where it did not work out. The vast majority of us dislike confrontation and we fail to come out directly to the person we are seeing and say “I don’t like you, it’s over, don’t talk to me ever again.” Most dating relationship end when you stop calling her, or are always busy with the guys, or start dating her friend. Am I right? Perhaps there are people who tell those they are dating straight out its over, but most of us are cowards.
Anyway, the point is people sabotage their own relationships. There has to be a tipping point between love to and ending a relationship. My guess is that it happens when a couple fails to reinforce their feelings for each other. You might know your wife loves you, but it still makes you feel better when she tells you so. The little things are important. So my theory is that, as an example, people get busy with work, looking after the kids, etc and they fail to reinforce their love by doing those little things. At some point, one partner (or both) find they are not getting what they need for the relationship, so they go somewhere else. Infidelity, the end of trust and love equals the end of the marriage. Some people try to recapture that love and are successful.
From my perspective, I got married for life, for better or for worse, so the way I see it, I am stuck with my wife. If I make her life happy, she will make mind happy. And vice versa.
Anyway, this is certainly the long way round to get to my point. I was concerned about going to Hedo because of what it might do to our relationship. I am a very loyal partner and I have never cheated on anyone. However, I recognise that I have never really been tested. Part of that is do to the fact that I tend to avoid temptation, and Hedo has a reputation of willing partners, and, considering I have been away from the wife for a month (and I am feeling the effects), I was concerned the temptation might be too much. It was a little bit sad. Here I was at one of the wildest clubs in Jamaica, (definitely the wildest I have been to), with attractive, topless or nude women all around and all I could think about was how I missed my wife and wished she was with me. When I guy sees a beautiful women, he is not supposed to think about his wife. We have been programmed by biology to spread our seed. When I see a naked woman, all I am supposed to think about is impregnating her. Instead I am thinking about how I miss my wife.
I hope this just has something to do with the fact we are still in the honeymoon phase of our marriage. If not, I may not be able to look at another woman for the rest of my life.
The triumph of reason over biology.
I’m scared.
No one wants to see hair. People who go naked trim or cut the hair that is not normally seen. Do you have to? No. But since most do, you probably want to if you want to fit in.
Second thing – I love my wife.
I love her a lot. More than I thought I did. Why do I say this? Before I tell you, I bit of background.
I am the kind of person who tends to question everything. This includes the love in our relationship. Some might say this is a bad thing, but before you judge, listen to my reasons. First of all, I don’t believe love is some magical, mysterious thing that just happens. There is an element of that to it, but it is also needs work and attention. Why do people who love each other get divorced. And mark my words, 99.9% of those who get married never believe they will divorce. Yet 40+% of all marriages in North America end in divorce. I love my wife but I do not think we are so special as to be immune from the chance for divorce. By recognizing a problem you are half way towards solving it.
I believe that many of the people who get divorced sabotage their own relationships. For whatever reason, they decide that they no longer want to spend their life with that person, and work towards destroying the relationship. They not longer tell their wife they love her, they forget special days, they fail to do special things for each other, you get the picture. Doubt my theory? Just think about anyone you ever dated where it did not work out. The vast majority of us dislike confrontation and we fail to come out directly to the person we are seeing and say “I don’t like you, it’s over, don’t talk to me ever again.” Most dating relationship end when you stop calling her, or are always busy with the guys, or start dating her friend. Am I right? Perhaps there are people who tell those they are dating straight out its over, but most of us are cowards.
Anyway, the point is people sabotage their own relationships. There has to be a tipping point between love to and ending a relationship. My guess is that it happens when a couple fails to reinforce their feelings for each other. You might know your wife loves you, but it still makes you feel better when she tells you so. The little things are important. So my theory is that, as an example, people get busy with work, looking after the kids, etc and they fail to reinforce their love by doing those little things. At some point, one partner (or both) find they are not getting what they need for the relationship, so they go somewhere else. Infidelity, the end of trust and love equals the end of the marriage. Some people try to recapture that love and are successful.
From my perspective, I got married for life, for better or for worse, so the way I see it, I am stuck with my wife. If I make her life happy, she will make mind happy. And vice versa.
Anyway, this is certainly the long way round to get to my point. I was concerned about going to Hedo because of what it might do to our relationship. I am a very loyal partner and I have never cheated on anyone. However, I recognise that I have never really been tested. Part of that is do to the fact that I tend to avoid temptation, and Hedo has a reputation of willing partners, and, considering I have been away from the wife for a month (and I am feeling the effects), I was concerned the temptation might be too much. It was a little bit sad. Here I was at one of the wildest clubs in Jamaica, (definitely the wildest I have been to), with attractive, topless or nude women all around and all I could think about was how I missed my wife and wished she was with me. When I guy sees a beautiful women, he is not supposed to think about his wife. We have been programmed by biology to spread our seed. When I see a naked woman, all I am supposed to think about is impregnating her. Instead I am thinking about how I miss my wife.
I hope this just has something to do with the fact we are still in the honeymoon phase of our marriage. If not, I may not be able to look at another woman for the rest of my life.
The triumph of reason over biology.
I’m scared.
Saturday, September 17, 2005
Jamaica – 29 Aug 2005 – Hedo Report – Part 2
I am not much into public nudity or public sex. Never mind the reasons, my own psychological hang-ups are a whole different post. The point is, I was a bit hesitant coming to Hedo. I thought I would be subjected to a lot of temptation. I am very loyal to my wife and I have no intention of having any type of relationship with another woman for the rest of my life. It is a bit scary to say that, but to me that is part of what marriage is about. However, I know that other people cheat on their spouses, some with their permission. The military is bad for that. I think I am strong enough to fight off temptation, but why tempt fate. Some of the people I have known who cheat seem to have strong relationships, at least as strong as ours. I thought Hedo might be a bit too much temptation. I worry too much. For a prude like me, it is not as wild as they make it out to be.
Hedo is divided into 2 parts, what they call the nude and the prude side. I was firmly in the prude. The split is not 50/50. What you really have is an open resort with a separate nude beach, nude pool and Jacuzzi. I was afraid I would be subjected to naked, old, fat, German public sex at every turn. Nothing could be further from the truth.
The prude side has everything else. Four restaurants, the main pool (with see through waterslide), jacuzzi, tennis courts, beach with water sports, trapeze, steam room, sauna etc. Just like any other resort, most have the same ammeities. Hedo has all that. The things it has that are different (excluding the nude thing), is the waterslide, the see through bottom jacuzzi and the pool table in the pool, which I thought was neat. Almost forgot, every room has a mirror on the ceiling over the bed and the tub.
As I said, Hedo is really a resort with a nude part. That said, there is some overlap between these areas, which is great for people like me who want to see naked people but don’t want to take off our own clothes. The resort is partially clothing optional. Most respect the areas, so you won’t see a bunch of nudists in the restaurant at dinner (thankfully). However, the quad pool had a number of people fully naked or just topless. I must admit, I enjoyed the added beauty it provided to the scenery.
Now, to the negatives. Compared to the place we are going next weekend, Breezes Runaway Bay, the cost is about $20 US more per person per night at Hedo. Yet, they tell me that at Breezes the food, both selection and quality, is slightly better. Also, the staff is a bit more responsive, there are more water sports, the beach is larger, and the sand is better. Ouch, what more is left? As I said, I would like to compare the two, but I have been to a number of resorts, one in Jamaica, and two in Thailand, and I did not have any problem with anything at Hedo. The food was good, no complaints about the quality or selection. I did not try the watersports, but the beach seemed large enough and the sand was sandy. The staff was quite responsive. In fact, they were bringing me drinks before I asked and, if I did not know better, I would think the bartender was trying to pick me up. However, the place was a bit empty. One of the guys has been there about 15 times and he mentioned that he had never seen the place so dead. We later found out they were about 60% full, so maybe that was why the staff was so good. I don’t think so, as I felt the staff was genuinely friendly and helpful. Another visit will be required to confirm.
So, with all these things not as good as other places, why go to Hedo? Two reasons. The first is nudity. If you want to be a bit more uninhibited without people staring at you and without going to a nudist colony, then this is the place. The second reason is somewhat related. The people who come here tend to be looking to party. At other places, if you want to get laid, you had best bring your own. Not necessarily so at Hedo. So this is the place to go if you are single. The attitude of Hedo guests can be seen in the night life. Things at the disco don’t get going until 12 or 1 o’clock, while Breezes is dead by 10 pm.
So, would I recommend Hedo? Yes, but only if you are looking for certain things, else there are better places for a bit less money.
If you are looking to explore a bit of the nude scene in a relaxed environment or if you are single and want a good night life, then Hedo is your place.
Hedo is divided into 2 parts, what they call the nude and the prude side. I was firmly in the prude. The split is not 50/50. What you really have is an open resort with a separate nude beach, nude pool and Jacuzzi. I was afraid I would be subjected to naked, old, fat, German public sex at every turn. Nothing could be further from the truth.
The prude side has everything else. Four restaurants, the main pool (with see through waterslide), jacuzzi, tennis courts, beach with water sports, trapeze, steam room, sauna etc. Just like any other resort, most have the same ammeities. Hedo has all that. The things it has that are different (excluding the nude thing), is the waterslide, the see through bottom jacuzzi and the pool table in the pool, which I thought was neat. Almost forgot, every room has a mirror on the ceiling over the bed and the tub.
As I said, Hedo is really a resort with a nude part. That said, there is some overlap between these areas, which is great for people like me who want to see naked people but don’t want to take off our own clothes. The resort is partially clothing optional. Most respect the areas, so you won’t see a bunch of nudists in the restaurant at dinner (thankfully). However, the quad pool had a number of people fully naked or just topless. I must admit, I enjoyed the added beauty it provided to the scenery.
Now, to the negatives. Compared to the place we are going next weekend, Breezes Runaway Bay, the cost is about $20 US more per person per night at Hedo. Yet, they tell me that at Breezes the food, both selection and quality, is slightly better. Also, the staff is a bit more responsive, there are more water sports, the beach is larger, and the sand is better. Ouch, what more is left? As I said, I would like to compare the two, but I have been to a number of resorts, one in Jamaica, and two in Thailand, and I did not have any problem with anything at Hedo. The food was good, no complaints about the quality or selection. I did not try the watersports, but the beach seemed large enough and the sand was sandy. The staff was quite responsive. In fact, they were bringing me drinks before I asked and, if I did not know better, I would think the bartender was trying to pick me up. However, the place was a bit empty. One of the guys has been there about 15 times and he mentioned that he had never seen the place so dead. We later found out they were about 60% full, so maybe that was why the staff was so good. I don’t think so, as I felt the staff was genuinely friendly and helpful. Another visit will be required to confirm.
So, with all these things not as good as other places, why go to Hedo? Two reasons. The first is nudity. If you want to be a bit more uninhibited without people staring at you and without going to a nudist colony, then this is the place. The second reason is somewhat related. The people who come here tend to be looking to party. At other places, if you want to get laid, you had best bring your own. Not necessarily so at Hedo. So this is the place to go if you are single. The attitude of Hedo guests can be seen in the night life. Things at the disco don’t get going until 12 or 1 o’clock, while Breezes is dead by 10 pm.
So, would I recommend Hedo? Yes, but only if you are looking for certain things, else there are better places for a bit less money.
If you are looking to explore a bit of the nude scene in a relaxed environment or if you are single and want a good night life, then Hedo is your place.
Friday, September 16, 2005
Jamaica – 28 Aug 2005 – Hedo Report - Part 1
This trip did not get off to an auspicious start. We got caught in Kingston traffic, which added about an hour to the trip. In addition, the front desk did not seem to have any record of our reservations. After getting that sorted out our first stop was dinner. It was after dinner that I started to feel inadequate. The resort had some hot hunk contest going on and a bunch of chiselled 20 year olds with six packs that you could bounce quarters got on stage. If these were the typical guests, boy was I out of place. Kudos to the emcee though, who was the reigning Miss Erotic Jamaica. I later found out that these guys were not guests, but professionals taking part in some Mr. Red Hot contest. The big tip off was the next day when I saw them individually involved in various photoshoots around the resort. My sense of inadequacy diminished, I could go on to enjoy myself.
And enjoy I did. I pretty much spent the day lying around the pool. It was nice to sit around and not have the wife bugging me to get up and do something. My fears about German tourists were unfounded. Most of the clientele are Americans or Canadians. But there is a wild side to the place. The first night we went to the disco and the theme was fetish night. Of course, I had forgot my whips and leather (sarcasm), but others had not. One guest was wearing a see through black bra, panties and garter belt. Another woman just decided to take her top off. Two tall skinny woman were dirty dancing with just about every guy and each other. However, you have to be a bit suspicious. The resort employs some entertainment staff, who all seem to be about 20 years old, very attractive, extremely fix and uninhibited. In addition, the two skinny women seemed to be Russians. Not many Russians come to Hedo. The rumour is that the resort gives free stays to good looking, uninhibited women who like to party and in exchange they help to keep the atmosphere at the right level. Nice work if you can get it. Do I have any proof of this? No, it’s just a rumour. However, I find it hard to believe girls as hot as that would be on a vacation without a pack of single guys following them.
What about the public sex stuff? I did not see any, but I was told that the nude jacuzzi gets busy at night, and on Saturday there were about 4 couples that were discretely engaged in certain acts. Also, one of the guys told me he was propositioned by a girl. Overall, I found Hedo more than wild enough for me yet it didn’t subject me to anything I did not want to be subjected to. It is much more tame than its reputation, which was way too wild for me.
I will go again.
And enjoy I did. I pretty much spent the day lying around the pool. It was nice to sit around and not have the wife bugging me to get up and do something. My fears about German tourists were unfounded. Most of the clientele are Americans or Canadians. But there is a wild side to the place. The first night we went to the disco and the theme was fetish night. Of course, I had forgot my whips and leather (sarcasm), but others had not. One guest was wearing a see through black bra, panties and garter belt. Another woman just decided to take her top off. Two tall skinny woman were dirty dancing with just about every guy and each other. However, you have to be a bit suspicious. The resort employs some entertainment staff, who all seem to be about 20 years old, very attractive, extremely fix and uninhibited. In addition, the two skinny women seemed to be Russians. Not many Russians come to Hedo. The rumour is that the resort gives free stays to good looking, uninhibited women who like to party and in exchange they help to keep the atmosphere at the right level. Nice work if you can get it. Do I have any proof of this? No, it’s just a rumour. However, I find it hard to believe girls as hot as that would be on a vacation without a pack of single guys following them.
What about the public sex stuff? I did not see any, but I was told that the nude jacuzzi gets busy at night, and on Saturday there were about 4 couples that were discretely engaged in certain acts. Also, one of the guys told me he was propositioned by a girl. Overall, I found Hedo more than wild enough for me yet it didn’t subject me to anything I did not want to be subjected to. It is much more tame than its reputation, which was way too wild for me.
I will go again.
Thursday, September 15, 2005
Jamaica – 26 Aug 2005 - Off to debauchery
Today we leave for our first weekend at the resorts. The first one we are going to is Hedo, which is short for Hedonism III for those of you not in the know. Hedo has a reputation as the wildest club on the Island, and I had heard of it some years ago. It is known for lots of nudity and casual sex. I am not sure about this weekend. I am as red blooded as the next guy, but I follow a very strict, “Look, but don’t touch” policy. I am not sure I want to be tempted. Well, a little temptation is ok, but this place has a reputation for nudity and orgies everywhere. I am not sure this is the kind of thing I want to see everywhere I look when I am trying to relax. Beside, it is never like in a porno movie. Most guys have visions of young, attractive, fit lesbians having sex with each other everywhere. The reality is usually a bunch of 65 year old, fat German tourists having sex with each other everywhere. No one wants to see that. One of predecessors saw fit to mention Hedo in his post exercise report, saying “I have learned a lot about human nature that will have shaped (or scarred) me for life.” I bit cryptic for my tastes. Anyway, it’s too late to change now.
I will practice my investigative reporting skills and get back to you after the weekend.
I will practice my investigative reporting skills and get back to you after the weekend.
Wednesday, September 14, 2005
Jamaica – 24 Aug 2005 - Everyone needs a hobby
I am thinking of seriously taking up a hobby. Since there is not much to do up here, I think a good one would be drinking. I enjoy it, especially rum, (which is plentiful in Jamaica and very good), and it makes you feel good. Alcoholics are usually lots of fun, if not to anyone around them then to themselves. Besides, after you hit rock bottom and sort yourself out, everyone is so impressed. “That’s Bob, he looks so good since he cleaned himself up.” The sober people just don’t get that kind of respect.
I have decided the drink of choice will be Appleton’s V/X. It is good stuff. Slightly less alcohol than their other amber rum, but more smooth and tasty.
It costs a little more, but I’m worth it.
I have decided the drink of choice will be Appleton’s V/X. It is good stuff. Slightly less alcohol than their other amber rum, but more smooth and tasty.
It costs a little more, but I’m worth it.
Tuesday, September 13, 2005
Jamaica – 22 Aug 2005 - Overly concerned
I started to be a bit concerned about the morale of my boss. He seemed a bit overly upset about the various “challenges” we have been facing. This did not seem to be too serious, as he admitted that he has been losing patience due to the fact that he has be involved with this course for 6 years. After some time one tends to get less patient with little problems.
However, coupled with that, he seemed less friendly than usual. I would pass him by and say hello, and he would stare at me with a confused look. Either he was pissed at me about something, or his morale was down. I did not think he was upset with me, as he is a straight shooter. If he is not happy with you, he will tell you. I respect that.
However, there is one other option I did not consider. The other day we were talking and he let it slip that he was on a medical pension. The medical problem is his hearing. His is a category 4, which is as close to deaf as you can get without being deaf. And he refuses to wear a hearing aid. It is quite funny to have someone say directly to you “…and if I look confused when you talk to me it is probably because I can’t hear you.” I could just see the little light over my head go click. I don’t help that as I tend to go by people I know and see a lot and simply nod in their direction or make a grunting noise to acknowledge them.
Mystery solved.
However, coupled with that, he seemed less friendly than usual. I would pass him by and say hello, and he would stare at me with a confused look. Either he was pissed at me about something, or his morale was down. I did not think he was upset with me, as he is a straight shooter. If he is not happy with you, he will tell you. I respect that.
However, there is one other option I did not consider. The other day we were talking and he let it slip that he was on a medical pension. The medical problem is his hearing. His is a category 4, which is as close to deaf as you can get without being deaf. And he refuses to wear a hearing aid. It is quite funny to have someone say directly to you “…and if I look confused when you talk to me it is probably because I can’t hear you.” I could just see the little light over my head go click. I don’t help that as I tend to go by people I know and see a lot and simply nod in their direction or make a grunting noise to acknowledge them.
Mystery solved.
Monday, September 12, 2005
Jamaica - 21 Aug 2005 - Back from Kingston
We stayed at the Pegasus Hotel, one of the top two hotels in Kingston. It was acceptable, but for $160 US per night, I thought it was a bit expensive. Rooms were average for a motel 6, but the hotel amenities were better. I was surprised to pay that much, as back home a hotel like that would be around $80-90 US. I thought we would pay less, as it is usual in a country like Jamaica for things to be less expensive due to lower labour costs. The wife and I paid $18 US a night for a place in downtown Bangkok on our honeymoon. My room was only marginally better at the Pegasus. The only difference I noticed was that the Pegasus has free porn.
Our hotel is in a great location, directly across from Emancipation Park and in the middle of just about anywhere you would want to go. Later Saturday night one of the local JDF officers took us out to a few clubs. We ended up at this place called the Quad, which was pretty packed. I would like to bring the wife there when she comes to visit. I don’t think we have been to a dance club together ever. The place seemed perfect, everyone having a good time.
Near the end of the night the guys wanted to check out the local strip bar called Taboo, which is conveniently located around the back of the Quad. We got there just before closing so only saw about 3 dancers. This place only goes topless, which is probably a government rule. What was more surprising was that all the girls were white. Apparently they are all Russians. It is a bit strange to come all the way to Jamaica, a place where white people are more rare than any other race is in Canada, and see white girls at a strip bar. Many Jamaicans are more religious than Canadians, so there may be more of a stigma to being a stripper here than back home. However, due to the level of poverty in Jamaica, I doubt that is the reason. It probably has more to do with seeing something you do not usually see.
On a personal note, I think the first three weeks of being away are the hardest. After that you get used to it and separation becomes a bit easier. Back in school in introduction to psychology, Maslow’s hierarchy of needs claims that sex is a basic need, one that must be fulfilled before other, higher needs can be met. Not sure if I ever agreed with him, but I am testing the theory.
I will keep you updated on my research.
Our hotel is in a great location, directly across from Emancipation Park and in the middle of just about anywhere you would want to go. Later Saturday night one of the local JDF officers took us out to a few clubs. We ended up at this place called the Quad, which was pretty packed. I would like to bring the wife there when she comes to visit. I don’t think we have been to a dance club together ever. The place seemed perfect, everyone having a good time.
Near the end of the night the guys wanted to check out the local strip bar called Taboo, which is conveniently located around the back of the Quad. We got there just before closing so only saw about 3 dancers. This place only goes topless, which is probably a government rule. What was more surprising was that all the girls were white. Apparently they are all Russians. It is a bit strange to come all the way to Jamaica, a place where white people are more rare than any other race is in Canada, and see white girls at a strip bar. Many Jamaicans are more religious than Canadians, so there may be more of a stigma to being a stripper here than back home. However, due to the level of poverty in Jamaica, I doubt that is the reason. It probably has more to do with seeing something you do not usually see.
On a personal note, I think the first three weeks of being away are the hardest. After that you get used to it and separation becomes a bit easier. Back in school in introduction to psychology, Maslow’s hierarchy of needs claims that sex is a basic need, one that must be fulfilled before other, higher needs can be met. Not sure if I ever agreed with him, but I am testing the theory.
I will keep you updated on my research.
Sunday, September 11, 2005
Removing Anon Comments
I have decided to require people to register in order to comment. I seem to be getting a number of comments that are not comments but ads. I wasn't aware that putting ads in the comments of blogs, especially small ones, was going on. I hope forcing people to register will minimize that.
Jamaica - 19 Aug 2005 – One down, 16 to go
Well, that’s the end of week one. Rather uneventful. Today the last 4 students and instructor showed up, so we are now at full capacity. I have two lectures next week, which I am already prepared for. The week was probably a bit easy for the students. Mostly language tests or instruction, combined with films on management and how to run meetings, that sort of stuff. It will get more challenging for them. They have 13 hours of homework this weekend. I am not so busy. To be honest, I am a bit underutilized right now, which is the reason I am done all my work days in advance. I need to find something to do. That is in addition to all the stuff I am doing so far. I need to find a hobby.
We are soon to go down the hill to spend the weekend in Kingston. We have a military meet and greet at the officer’s mess at Up Park Camp tonight and another, small one at the Canadian High Commission on Saturday. This will be the first night I will spend out of the camp and my first day off since I arrived almost three weeks ago. I am looking forward to some time spent in the pool, and seeing a bit of town. I also need to buy so stuff. I forgot my nail clippers. One of my baby toenails is threatening to poke its way out of my boot.
We are soon to go down the hill to spend the weekend in Kingston. We have a military meet and greet at the officer’s mess at Up Park Camp tonight and another, small one at the Canadian High Commission on Saturday. This will be the first night I will spend out of the camp and my first day off since I arrived almost three weeks ago. I am looking forward to some time spent in the pool, and seeing a bit of town. I also need to buy so stuff. I forgot my nail clippers. One of my baby toenails is threatening to poke its way out of my boot.
Saturday, September 10, 2005
Jamaica – 14 Aug 2005 - GO!
Tomorrow the course starts. I spent the entire weekend, Saturday and Sunday, working. There was not much to do, be we had to ensure a bunch of small things were finished and any last minute problems were sorted out.
The party at the British High Commission was pretty good. We got to take a JDF helicopter from Newcastle Hill to Up Park Camp, the base in Kingston. A 1 hour drive on dangerous roads converts to a 6 minute helicopter ride. The pilot was showing off a bit, pulling a steep bank into his landing. My stomach was in my throat, but it was fun.
Tonight we had a Meet and Greet with the students. I monopolized three of them for a bit telling them my views on government, why it is corrupt, etc. Once again, a staff member came to interrupt me and save them. This same guy did the same thing last week when I was boring a Colonel. He seems to sense when I am running off at the mouth. I now know anytime he shows up it is my cue to leave.
I have to watch my tendency to monopolize conversations.
The party at the British High Commission was pretty good. We got to take a JDF helicopter from Newcastle Hill to Up Park Camp, the base in Kingston. A 1 hour drive on dangerous roads converts to a 6 minute helicopter ride. The pilot was showing off a bit, pulling a steep bank into his landing. My stomach was in my throat, but it was fun.
Tonight we had a Meet and Greet with the students. I monopolized three of them for a bit telling them my views on government, why it is corrupt, etc. Once again, a staff member came to interrupt me and save them. This same guy did the same thing last week when I was boring a Colonel. He seems to sense when I am running off at the mouth. I now know anytime he shows up it is my cue to leave.
I have to watch my tendency to monopolize conversations.
Friday, September 09, 2005
Jamaica – 11 Aug 2005 - Are you sitting comfortably? Then let us begin.
Things are starting to come together around here. Foreign students are beginning to arrive and the administrative and logistical aspects are coming together. My boss is not happy, as everything that is still being done was completed by this time last year. It’s not as perfect as it should be, but it looks like everything will be done on or close to deadlines.
There is usually a bit of a superior attitude in first world militaries. We see any problems not as simple problems inherent in military operations (there is always some) but as a reflection of the military we are dealing with. A problem or mistake is sometimes taken as a sign the military personnel of that country are lazy or incompetent while our mistakes are just errors. This bit of cultural superiority is something you have to guard against or it will subtly colour your attitude, the host country will pick up on it and affect your relations and ability to work with people. The point I am making is universal and can be applied to almost any group. I have seen this happen between agencies in Canada, such as between the military and RCMP. I have found the best thing to do is to take a relaxed approach and reserve judgement. When working in a different culture, be prepared for things to be run in a way which your cultural biases may consider inferior. I find this clash of cultures all very interesting.
I called the wife last night and she answered. She is a mind reader. Before I made a comment about her not being home the other night, she explained where she was and what she was doing. I don’t want you to get the wrong impression. I am not a jealous guy. I trust my wife and I feel very secure in our relationship. It still needs to be maintained, but I am not worried. These comments about jealousy and being suspicious are really part of a little game we play. I get to be the macho, jealous husband and she the hot wife that every other man must be after. We are not your average young newlyweds. We both have had enough relationships before we met to know what we want in a partner. She is very independent and she would not have married me if she didn’t want to. Due to our age and experience, I tend to believe that our relationship rests on a stronger base than your average 20-something married couple.
However, I could be wrong. If I examine it closely I guess there are reasons other than love for us to be married. I was planning of getting out of the army when we met and getting married allowed me to put off getting a real job. And she was not exactly a spring chicken when we met. It could be said I saved her from a life as a spinster with a rapidly increasing family of cats and I at least dampened the strident ticking of her biological clock. Maybe I was just the nearest one around when the ticking became too loud.
Note to self: Call friends and have wife followed.
There is usually a bit of a superior attitude in first world militaries. We see any problems not as simple problems inherent in military operations (there is always some) but as a reflection of the military we are dealing with. A problem or mistake is sometimes taken as a sign the military personnel of that country are lazy or incompetent while our mistakes are just errors. This bit of cultural superiority is something you have to guard against or it will subtly colour your attitude, the host country will pick up on it and affect your relations and ability to work with people. The point I am making is universal and can be applied to almost any group. I have seen this happen between agencies in Canada, such as between the military and RCMP. I have found the best thing to do is to take a relaxed approach and reserve judgement. When working in a different culture, be prepared for things to be run in a way which your cultural biases may consider inferior. I find this clash of cultures all very interesting.
I called the wife last night and she answered. She is a mind reader. Before I made a comment about her not being home the other night, she explained where she was and what she was doing. I don’t want you to get the wrong impression. I am not a jealous guy. I trust my wife and I feel very secure in our relationship. It still needs to be maintained, but I am not worried. These comments about jealousy and being suspicious are really part of a little game we play. I get to be the macho, jealous husband and she the hot wife that every other man must be after. We are not your average young newlyweds. We both have had enough relationships before we met to know what we want in a partner. She is very independent and she would not have married me if she didn’t want to. Due to our age and experience, I tend to believe that our relationship rests on a stronger base than your average 20-something married couple.
However, I could be wrong. If I examine it closely I guess there are reasons other than love for us to be married. I was planning of getting out of the army when we met and getting married allowed me to put off getting a real job. And she was not exactly a spring chicken when we met. It could be said I saved her from a life as a spinster with a rapidly increasing family of cats and I at least dampened the strident ticking of her biological clock. Maybe I was just the nearest one around when the ticking became too loud.
Note to self: Call friends and have wife followed.
Thursday, September 08, 2005
Jamaica - 10 Aug 2005 – Contacting home
I finally got my cell phone last night. The way the system works, you do not pay for incoming calls. Mine is meant primarily for business, so standard operating procedure is to call home and have them call you right back. The Caribbean is considered part of the US/North America by the phone system, so no country code, etc is required, which makes it convenient. I called the wife last night but no answer. I cannot think where she might be at 9 pm on a Tuesday. Having my neighbour shoot any strange men around the house may not be enough. I forgot that she is able to leave the house.
I may have to get some army buddies to follow her.
I may have to get some army buddies to follow her.
Wednesday, September 07, 2005
Jamaica – 6 Aug 2005 – Happy Independence Day
Today was a bit of a let down compared to Friday. No hobnobbing with the mighty and important of the JDF Military or foreign diplomats. Just down to the work of preparing for the course. I spent most of the day tackling the mountain of reading material I am required to be familiar with for the course. The remainder of the DS (Directing Staff) started to come in today. The Canadians came in late in today, the Brit and American are due tomorrow and the JDF DS on Monday. Still no idea when the Guyanise DS is coming. He seems to be having some sort of problem getting authorization. No one is sure what that means. In addition, we are having communications problems. A hurricane several weeks ago knocked out the telephone lines. We have no internet or voice landline communications. Our only comms is by cell phone, which is intermittent in our location.
It has now been one week since I left Alberta. I have not talked to the wife since I got here to tell her I am ok. With us, no news is good news, so she should not be concerned. However, it would be nice to let her know.
Today is Jamaican Independence Day. In 1962, Jamaica received its independence from Britain. It’s a big holiday in Jamaica. Want to know anything about it, don’t ask me. I spent the day working. Our support staff, all from the JDF were all celebrating the holiday, so camp improvements were not getting done.
Monday is going to be a busy day.
It has now been one week since I left Alberta. I have not talked to the wife since I got here to tell her I am ok. With us, no news is good news, so she should not be concerned. However, it would be nice to let her know.
Today is Jamaican Independence Day. In 1962, Jamaica received its independence from Britain. It’s a big holiday in Jamaica. Want to know anything about it, don’t ask me. I spent the day working. Our support staff, all from the JDF were all celebrating the holiday, so camp improvements were not getting done.
Monday is going to be a busy day.
Tuesday, September 06, 2005
Jamaica – 4 Aug 2005 – 1 – 25:47
Today I met my enemy. The road to Catherine’s Peak is a winding, 1.5 km track that averages a 45 degree incline. It is nasty. Not only did I just about have a heart attack, the road actually tries to psych you out. Just when you think it might be over, you find another bend which takes you up at an even sharper angle.
I thought that I would have to stop at least one and probably several times to rest on the way up. I made it without stopping, except for the 5 seconds it took to avoid the local truck that just about killed me. It took me 25 minutes and 47 seconds to walk up it with a total time of 55:15. Yes, I took longer going down than up. Going down, while not harder physically, is actually more dangerous. It would be very easy to slip or fall, and that would be it.
Overall, I am happy with my first time. I am not exactly at my ideal weight and I have not been exercising regularly. My goal is to lose 15 pounds to take me to 200. That is my minimum. If I can drop another 10 after that I would be very satisfied. Another 15 after that would be perfect, but I haven’t weighted 175 since I was 15 years old, so that is probably unattainable.
If I keep up with the walk each day, I will be down to 200 by the end of the month. What with the constant sweating in the heat, drinking 5 times the water I usually do, and the mediocre food, 200 should be easy. After that, who knows? It would be nice to use this time to get back in shape. There is a bit of pride involved as well. My boss, who has 40 years in the Army (that means he is in his late 50’s), did the peak 205 times last year. That does not include the 11 times before the students arrived.
With all the PT, my stamina should be great by the time I get home. Bad news for the wife, as it means even longer lovemaking sessions.
I thought that I would have to stop at least one and probably several times to rest on the way up. I made it without stopping, except for the 5 seconds it took to avoid the local truck that just about killed me. It took me 25 minutes and 47 seconds to walk up it with a total time of 55:15. Yes, I took longer going down than up. Going down, while not harder physically, is actually more dangerous. It would be very easy to slip or fall, and that would be it.
Overall, I am happy with my first time. I am not exactly at my ideal weight and I have not been exercising regularly. My goal is to lose 15 pounds to take me to 200. That is my minimum. If I can drop another 10 after that I would be very satisfied. Another 15 after that would be perfect, but I haven’t weighted 175 since I was 15 years old, so that is probably unattainable.
If I keep up with the walk each day, I will be down to 200 by the end of the month. What with the constant sweating in the heat, drinking 5 times the water I usually do, and the mediocre food, 200 should be easy. After that, who knows? It would be nice to use this time to get back in shape. There is a bit of pride involved as well. My boss, who has 40 years in the Army (that means he is in his late 50’s), did the peak 205 times last year. That does not include the 11 times before the students arrived.
With all the PT, my stamina should be great by the time I get home. Bad news for the wife, as it means even longer lovemaking sessions.
Monday, September 05, 2005
Jamaica - 31 July 2005 - On the way
The journey begins early Sunday morning. I leave a day early so I can spend some time with my family outside of Toronto. My niece is having her 3rd birthday.
The first problem crops up immediately. The airline claims that no extra baggage is allowed to Jamaica during my flight. I am willing to pay, but that doesn't matter. I make phone calls, talk to people at the airline, and get no satisfaction. I decide to show up to at the counter and buff my way through. They get me to pay and that is it.
All that for nothing.
The first problem crops up immediately. The airline claims that no extra baggage is allowed to Jamaica during my flight. I am willing to pay, but that doesn't matter. I make phone calls, talk to people at the airline, and get no satisfaction. I decide to show up to at the counter and buff my way through. They get me to pay and that is it.
All that for nothing.
Sunday, September 04, 2005
Jamaica – 5 Aug 2005 – Doing the rounds
Today was a very interesting day. I tagged along with my boss on a number of courtesy calls. We met with the Detachment Commander, who is the officer who runs the station where the course is conducted. In addition to having us on his base, Newcastle Hill, he runs a number of basic training courses for the JDF. This includes their basic recruit training and junior NCO training.
The remainder of the people we had to meet were in Kingston. This entailed a one hour drive down a windy, narrow road where collision or a plunge off the side to your death is a real possibility. The situation is worse than normal due to the hurricane which passed through a few weeks ago. In places, the road looks as if a giant hand scooped out huge parts of the road, removing the low walls on the side that help to prevent people from going over the side. The drop over the side is as far as 700 meters down in one place.
Once in Kingston, we went to Up Park Camp, which is the military base in the city. There I met the incoming Commandant for the course. The base houses 3 Infantry Battalions of the JDF, as well as the Combat Engineers and various other support units.
The most interesting visit was to see the Defence Attache at the British High Commission. The Colonel is an interesting guy. Very hospitable and, I am told, has been very helpful and supportive to this course. I got invited to some type of party next Thursday night.
I wonder what I am supposed to wear?
The remainder of the people we had to meet were in Kingston. This entailed a one hour drive down a windy, narrow road where collision or a plunge off the side to your death is a real possibility. The situation is worse than normal due to the hurricane which passed through a few weeks ago. In places, the road looks as if a giant hand scooped out huge parts of the road, removing the low walls on the side that help to prevent people from going over the side. The drop over the side is as far as 700 meters down in one place.
Once in Kingston, we went to Up Park Camp, which is the military base in the city. There I met the incoming Commandant for the course. The base houses 3 Infantry Battalions of the JDF, as well as the Combat Engineers and various other support units.
The most interesting visit was to see the Defence Attache at the British High Commission. The Colonel is an interesting guy. Very hospitable and, I am told, has been very helpful and supportive to this course. I got invited to some type of party next Thursday night.
I wonder what I am supposed to wear?
The focus of this site is about to change
Two weeks after moving into our new home, I am leaving my wife of 4 months for 4 months.
Canada has a program called MTAP (Military Training Assistance Program) where we help train military personnel from other countries. For the past 12 years, we have sent a small number of military members to Jamaica to run a course for junior officers from a number of Carribean countries. This year I volunteered to be one of those people.
This job is a great opportunity, one which the wife insisted I take. I almost did not. Leaving the wife alone for 4 months was a factor in considerations of whether or not to go. However, a number of factors mitigate this. The wife survived for 30+ years without me, so I figure she can take care of herself. Also, our neighbours are nice people and have agreed to help her out. My neighbour also agreed to shoot any strange men he sees around the property, at my behest.
The biggest factor in going or staying was selfish. I did not want to leave my land. I love our new place and cannot wait to trim trees, cut grass and fix things. I think I am entering a nurturing phase.
In the end, the need for green trumped all. It is also a good experience for me and the wife will get a free flight which we will use to holiday in the area.
So this site will focus more on my experiences with the JDF (Jamaican Defence Force) over the next 4 months. Rest assured, I am sure there will still be some good fights with the wife about a number of things I won't be able to control.
I bet the cats are already sleeping on my side of the bed.
Update 7 Sept 2005: Still no landline up to Newcastle Hill. I will try to post, but don't be surprised if a few backdated posts go up at odd times.
Canada has a program called MTAP (Military Training Assistance Program) where we help train military personnel from other countries. For the past 12 years, we have sent a small number of military members to Jamaica to run a course for junior officers from a number of Carribean countries. This year I volunteered to be one of those people.
This job is a great opportunity, one which the wife insisted I take. I almost did not. Leaving the wife alone for 4 months was a factor in considerations of whether or not to go. However, a number of factors mitigate this. The wife survived for 30+ years without me, so I figure she can take care of herself. Also, our neighbours are nice people and have agreed to help her out. My neighbour also agreed to shoot any strange men he sees around the property, at my behest.
The biggest factor in going or staying was selfish. I did not want to leave my land. I love our new place and cannot wait to trim trees, cut grass and fix things. I think I am entering a nurturing phase.
In the end, the need for green trumped all. It is also a good experience for me and the wife will get a free flight which we will use to holiday in the area.
So this site will focus more on my experiences with the JDF (Jamaican Defence Force) over the next 4 months. Rest assured, I am sure there will still be some good fights with the wife about a number of things I won't be able to control.
I bet the cats are already sleeping on my side of the bed.
Update 7 Sept 2005: Still no landline up to Newcastle Hill. I will try to post, but don't be surprised if a few backdated posts go up at odd times.
Monday, August 01, 2005
The House Saga - Part 3
Continued from this post.
So, I was a bit frustrated. I had spent 5 days, at least 6 hours each day over the last 2 weeks looking at houses. I had seen every house in the area that had even remote potential. I had tried to find a house that met both of our desires and needs, a house that could become a home to raise our family. Her response to my picks was a "blah".
On a side note, our real estate agent has the patience of a saint. Anyone else would have dumped us by day 3. I highly recommend her if you are moving to the Edmonton area. Tell her the crazy 60 houses couple sent you.
Our agent did not give up. A few days later we went back to the drawing board. I was determined that we would see all future houses together, for my own sanity. The next day we saw 3 houses, without the wife who had to work late at the last minute. Nothing good anyway. The next night we saw 5 houses. The fourth one was it. As Linda said, when you see it you will know it. We knew it. We still did see the fifth house, on my insistence, but after that one we went to Timmies to write up an offer. By 11:30 pm, the offer was in. There was a counter and a counter-counter, but I knew the deal was done, as we were very close (less than 1%) to what they asked.
We moved in on 15 July.
The house is not perfect. It is over 30 years old, and doesn't have a master bathroom. However, the positives more than make up for it. The night we moved in, we ate dinner in the sunroom and watched the deer eat our neighbour's canola. It is secluded, has 6 bedrooms, and lots of land to do whatever we want. I few days ago I bought a small garden tractor and now consider myself a true Albertan. I love the place and considered giving up a job to stay there this summer.
Finding a house is a bit like finding love. You know it the right one when you see it.
So, I was a bit frustrated. I had spent 5 days, at least 6 hours each day over the last 2 weeks looking at houses. I had seen every house in the area that had even remote potential. I had tried to find a house that met both of our desires and needs, a house that could become a home to raise our family. Her response to my picks was a "blah".
On a side note, our real estate agent has the patience of a saint. Anyone else would have dumped us by day 3. I highly recommend her if you are moving to the Edmonton area. Tell her the crazy 60 houses couple sent you.
Our agent did not give up. A few days later we went back to the drawing board. I was determined that we would see all future houses together, for my own sanity. The next day we saw 3 houses, without the wife who had to work late at the last minute. Nothing good anyway. The next night we saw 5 houses. The fourth one was it. As Linda said, when you see it you will know it. We knew it. We still did see the fifth house, on my insistence, but after that one we went to Timmies to write up an offer. By 11:30 pm, the offer was in. There was a counter and a counter-counter, but I knew the deal was done, as we were very close (less than 1%) to what they asked.
We moved in on 15 July.
The house is not perfect. It is over 30 years old, and doesn't have a master bathroom. However, the positives more than make up for it. The night we moved in, we ate dinner in the sunroom and watched the deer eat our neighbour's canola. It is secluded, has 6 bedrooms, and lots of land to do whatever we want. I few days ago I bought a small garden tractor and now consider myself a true Albertan. I love the place and considered giving up a job to stay there this summer.
Finding a house is a bit like finding love. You know it the right one when you see it.
"I thought you were dead"
Well, I am not.
We moved on July 15 and our internet access has been down since then (2 weeks? that is another story). In addition, many other things are going on, which I will get to later.
Just want to let everyone know that I am now ready to resume posting on this site. I will be finishing up the house saga, will (hopefully) finish up the stuff on our honeymoon and I have something quite different going on to tell you about.
Stay tuned.
We moved on July 15 and our internet access has been down since then (2 weeks? that is another story). In addition, many other things are going on, which I will get to later.
Just want to let everyone know that I am now ready to resume posting on this site. I will be finishing up the house saga, will (hopefully) finish up the stuff on our honeymoon and I have something quite different going on to tell you about.
Stay tuned.
Saturday, July 09, 2005
London and the Big Picture
I have never been much of a details guys. I prefer the big picture stuff, so I do not have much to say about the London attacks. I am more interested in how this event affects how the war is fought, as opposed to who did it, what they did and how many died.
Trodwell on Right Thinking People has a great post on this sort of thing.
Since they have no comments and do not leave an email address, this is the only way to let him know his post it great.
Trod, great post.
Trodwell on Right Thinking People has a great post on this sort of thing.
Since they have no comments and do not leave an email address, this is the only way to let him know his post it great.
Trod, great post.
Wednesday, June 29, 2005
Gay Marriage
This post from Right Thinking People does a great job of summarizing the anti-SSM position. Of particular note is this portion:
Update: More good points from The Politic on SSM
...the Charter is about equality of treatment under the law. This can be achieved by amending legislation and regulations to permit homosexuals to enjoy all of the legal rights and privileges enjoyed by married couples, without either making marriage a Charter right, thereby threatening religious organizations and attacking the preferences of the majority. It would be easy to guarantee substantive equality under the law vis-a-vis marriage for homosexuals, without calling it “marriage” and without making it a Charter matter and subjecting churches to lawsuits, harassment and intimidation.
My question: Why isn’t the Government taking this route?Good points.
Update: More good points from The Politic on SSM
The House Saga - Part 2
Continued from this post.
We had no choice but to look for another place to live. The search was complicated but the fact that the wife had to go on a 2 week business trip. With only six weeks before we were to move, we needed a place fast. We could not wait two weeks for her to return before starting our search. However, there was no way that I would buy a place without her ok. We are hoping to live in this new house for the next 20 years and raise our children there. I could not take 20 years of her always reminding me of how I made a bad choice.
Since I would not buy without her, we thought I could use the time to see some of the houses and get rid of the unacceptable ones. In addition to looking for what I liked, I had to keep in mind what she wanted. Right now, we live in a townhouse condo. It is a great size for us, but anything more than 2 kids over 5 years old and it would get a bit crowded. Also, our yard is about the size of a postage stamp. She wants to have a garden. All that, combined with my need to build a bunker to stop the government from trying to take our stuff, led us to want an acreage. There were two things the wife insisted on. She likes privacy. Many of the new acreages are in what amounts to large subdivisions. She wanted lots of trees and privacy. Also, she wanted to be as close to town as possible. I am most concerned about buying a quality house, so I was looking towards something newer. We both prefer newer styles, (ie bigger kitchens). Unfortunately, her 2 requirements tend to be mutually exclusive. The closer to town, the more likely they have less land and less trees. Farther out, more trees.
After two weeks of looking I had seen about 60 houses. I have seen about every acreage in the area and I know more about what is available then most real estate agents.
By the time she returned, I had narrowed it down to the best 7. Of those, I had 2 which I liked. The two were not perfect, one was far away from the city, the other was close but not as treed as she wanted. Life is made of compromises. The clock was ticking, it was time to compromise.
Guess what? She did not like any of them. In fact, she hated my first choice. She would not even consider it. My second choice sold the day before she go back.
Back to the drawing board.
To be continued...
We had no choice but to look for another place to live. The search was complicated but the fact that the wife had to go on a 2 week business trip. With only six weeks before we were to move, we needed a place fast. We could not wait two weeks for her to return before starting our search. However, there was no way that I would buy a place without her ok. We are hoping to live in this new house for the next 20 years and raise our children there. I could not take 20 years of her always reminding me of how I made a bad choice.
Since I would not buy without her, we thought I could use the time to see some of the houses and get rid of the unacceptable ones. In addition to looking for what I liked, I had to keep in mind what she wanted. Right now, we live in a townhouse condo. It is a great size for us, but anything more than 2 kids over 5 years old and it would get a bit crowded. Also, our yard is about the size of a postage stamp. She wants to have a garden. All that, combined with my need to build a bunker to stop the government from trying to take our stuff, led us to want an acreage. There were two things the wife insisted on. She likes privacy. Many of the new acreages are in what amounts to large subdivisions. She wanted lots of trees and privacy. Also, she wanted to be as close to town as possible. I am most concerned about buying a quality house, so I was looking towards something newer. We both prefer newer styles, (ie bigger kitchens). Unfortunately, her 2 requirements tend to be mutually exclusive. The closer to town, the more likely they have less land and less trees. Farther out, more trees.
After two weeks of looking I had seen about 60 houses. I have seen about every acreage in the area and I know more about what is available then most real estate agents.
By the time she returned, I had narrowed it down to the best 7. Of those, I had 2 which I liked. The two were not perfect, one was far away from the city, the other was close but not as treed as she wanted. Life is made of compromises. The clock was ticking, it was time to compromise.
Guess what? She did not like any of them. In fact, she hated my first choice. She would not even consider it. My second choice sold the day before she go back.
Back to the drawing board.
To be continued...
Tuesday, June 28, 2005
I am an Insensitive Jerk
This incident took place because of the cat.
The cat is old. He is at least fourteen, maybe older. The Wife rescued him when he was five, so she has had him for a long time. Lately he has been going downhill. In the last few months he has been snorting and snuffling around, as if he has trouble breathing. He is sleeping more than normal. He has little interest in his toys. And the big sign is his lack of appetite. This is a cat who would almost trip me getting to his bowl at feeding time. In the last 3 months, he has lost about 2 pounds. This is a lot for a 12 pound cat. Anyway, we have long suspected something was wrong. The Wife has been using the internet and came up with a bunch of possible problems, one of them being cancer.
As I have said, the cat is old. We have discussed what to do about him. My feeling is that, as long as he is not in too much pain, we should let him live out his natural life. His quality of life is still good, as far as I can tell. He gets 4 meals a day, almost daily brushing by me, he sleeps almost wherever he wants, can leave the house to sit in the sun or smell stuff, sounds like a perfect cat life. I do not want to put him down. Let him enjoy that for the few months or maybe years he has left. Although he was initially a pain in the ass when we started dating, I feel that he is now one of the family and is entitled to live out his life. However, there is a limit to what we will to for him. The Wife and I have discussed this numerous times and we both agree. A friend of hers had a dog that had cancer. This dog went to cancer specialists and had treatment. When that didn't work, the dog even saw people who specialized in "alternate cancer therapy". These are the ones that give you herbs, wave a magic wand, say prayers, that kind of stuff. Of course, none of this worked and the dog died. Just to give you more of an idea of how far a pet owner can go, the dog was cremated and his ashes sit in a prominent place in the living room beside his picture. We will not go that far. What is the point of spending hundred or thousands of dollars to put the cat through all sorts of pain, discomfort and stress which, at best, may extend his life for a few months, and at worst, make those extra few months a living hell. So we decided, no invasive procedures.
I thought this was very clear. We had spoken about it a few times, we both agreed.
During the visit the cat was weighed, poked, squeezed, had an rectal exam and had blood taken from his neck. I wonder how something very old, possessing the emotional maturity of a 2 year old child in a situation with little control and lacking the ability to fathom what is going on will react? As expected, the cat freaked out. He got so stressed he was panting. The vet stopped trying to examine him as he thought the cat might die of a heart attack (not good for business). At this point we had spent $225 and still did not have x-rays (another $200). The vet could not find anything wrong. Blood tests were negative. With the cat being stressed, the fact we figure he is not long for this world, having no desire to make his life more unpleasant that required, I spoke to the vet. In my crude way, I tried to question the requirement for x-rays. I was not keen to spend another $200 to find nothing. Even if we did find something (say cancer, tumor, etc) we had already decided that we would not get some big operation, so what was the point?
Wrong question. The Wife gets very upset and starts to cry. Now, if you know the wife, you know she is not one to show her emotions very often. Part of what attracted me to her was the fact that she was less emotional and sentimental than the stereotypical woman. She was practical. She did not want a $7,000 engagement ring. She doesn't expect me to romance her all the time. This has, on occasion, backfired on me. When I try to do something nice, like buy her jewelry, she is not as impressed as I would like.
Back to the story. The Wife is crying and is obviously upset. Since she doesn't get that upset very often, I start to get concerned. Since we are discussing something we have agreed upon in the past, (i.e. how we are going to deal with the cat) it can't be about that. The vet leaves and I try to comfort my wife asking her why she is upset. Her reply gives us the title to this post "Because you are an insensitive jerk".
Of course, I do not understand. Further attempts to explain myself only make it worse. I must accept the fact that I am an Insensitive Jerk.
It is a long, quiet ride home.
In addition to being an Insensitive Jerk, I must take the cat back to the vet for the x-ray, which will probably show nothing. Also, the wife is concerned that the vet's feelings might be hurt, as she thinks the vet may mistakenly think that she was crying because he could not do/find anything wrong with the cat. I must explain to him that she was not upset because of that, but because I am an Insensitive Jerk.
The cat and I leave in a few hours. I can't wait.
Update 29 June:
Guess what, the x-rays found.....nothing. However, the blood tests were not ok, he has high levels of potash and sodium in his blood, whatever that means. I guess less salt on his fish and chips....
The vet wants him in early tomorrow so they can look at him again.
Money spent on cat "health care" in the last 12 months:
Sept 2004 - $800
Jun 2005 - - $365 (plus whatever they add on tomorrow)
The cat is old. He is at least fourteen, maybe older. The Wife rescued him when he was five, so she has had him for a long time. Lately he has been going downhill. In the last few months he has been snorting and snuffling around, as if he has trouble breathing. He is sleeping more than normal. He has little interest in his toys. And the big sign is his lack of appetite. This is a cat who would almost trip me getting to his bowl at feeding time. In the last 3 months, he has lost about 2 pounds. This is a lot for a 12 pound cat. Anyway, we have long suspected something was wrong. The Wife has been using the internet and came up with a bunch of possible problems, one of them being cancer.
As I have said, the cat is old. We have discussed what to do about him. My feeling is that, as long as he is not in too much pain, we should let him live out his natural life. His quality of life is still good, as far as I can tell. He gets 4 meals a day, almost daily brushing by me, he sleeps almost wherever he wants, can leave the house to sit in the sun or smell stuff, sounds like a perfect cat life. I do not want to put him down. Let him enjoy that for the few months or maybe years he has left. Although he was initially a pain in the ass when we started dating, I feel that he is now one of the family and is entitled to live out his life. However, there is a limit to what we will to for him. The Wife and I have discussed this numerous times and we both agree. A friend of hers had a dog that had cancer. This dog went to cancer specialists and had treatment. When that didn't work, the dog even saw people who specialized in "alternate cancer therapy". These are the ones that give you herbs, wave a magic wand, say prayers, that kind of stuff. Of course, none of this worked and the dog died. Just to give you more of an idea of how far a pet owner can go, the dog was cremated and his ashes sit in a prominent place in the living room beside his picture. We will not go that far. What is the point of spending hundred or thousands of dollars to put the cat through all sorts of pain, discomfort and stress which, at best, may extend his life for a few months, and at worst, make those extra few months a living hell. So we decided, no invasive procedures.
I thought this was very clear. We had spoken about it a few times, we both agreed.
During the visit the cat was weighed, poked, squeezed, had an rectal exam and had blood taken from his neck. I wonder how something very old, possessing the emotional maturity of a 2 year old child in a situation with little control and lacking the ability to fathom what is going on will react? As expected, the cat freaked out. He got so stressed he was panting. The vet stopped trying to examine him as he thought the cat might die of a heart attack (not good for business). At this point we had spent $225 and still did not have x-rays (another $200). The vet could not find anything wrong. Blood tests were negative. With the cat being stressed, the fact we figure he is not long for this world, having no desire to make his life more unpleasant that required, I spoke to the vet. In my crude way, I tried to question the requirement for x-rays. I was not keen to spend another $200 to find nothing. Even if we did find something (say cancer, tumor, etc) we had already decided that we would not get some big operation, so what was the point?
Wrong question. The Wife gets very upset and starts to cry. Now, if you know the wife, you know she is not one to show her emotions very often. Part of what attracted me to her was the fact that she was less emotional and sentimental than the stereotypical woman. She was practical. She did not want a $7,000 engagement ring. She doesn't expect me to romance her all the time. This has, on occasion, backfired on me. When I try to do something nice, like buy her jewelry, she is not as impressed as I would like.
Back to the story. The Wife is crying and is obviously upset. Since she doesn't get that upset very often, I start to get concerned. Since we are discussing something we have agreed upon in the past, (i.e. how we are going to deal with the cat) it can't be about that. The vet leaves and I try to comfort my wife asking her why she is upset. Her reply gives us the title to this post "Because you are an insensitive jerk".
Of course, I do not understand. Further attempts to explain myself only make it worse. I must accept the fact that I am an Insensitive Jerk.
It is a long, quiet ride home.
In addition to being an Insensitive Jerk, I must take the cat back to the vet for the x-ray, which will probably show nothing. Also, the wife is concerned that the vet's feelings might be hurt, as she thinks the vet may mistakenly think that she was crying because he could not do/find anything wrong with the cat. I must explain to him that she was not upset because of that, but because I am an Insensitive Jerk.
The cat and I leave in a few hours. I can't wait.
Update 29 June:
Guess what, the x-rays found.....nothing. However, the blood tests were not ok, he has high levels of potash and sodium in his blood, whatever that means. I guess less salt on his fish and chips....
The vet wants him in early tomorrow so they can look at him again.
Money spent on cat "health care" in the last 12 months:
Sept 2004 - $800
Jun 2005 - - $365 (plus whatever they add on tomorrow)
Friday, June 24, 2005
The Wife just hung up on me!
This relates to the saga of the house.
I was trying to get out of the house yesterday, as I had 3 very important things to do, two of them related to the house and one to a very interesting job opportunity, which I will relate to you in the near future.
So, I am in the middle of changing and the phone rings. It is our morgage broker with a bunch of things he needs to get our morgage. This is a bit of a pain, as I have been trying to get various paperwork for him. This is the second change to what docs are needed in as many days. The bank seems to be jerking us around a bit.
Just as I hang up the phone it rings again. It is the wife. She has two things to do today. She needs to get some basic information from a bank about their services which we are thinking of switching to. This is not that important. The second thing is to get informantion about a morgage she has (monthly payments, taxes, etc). This is very important, as the conditions for our morgage had to come off that day.
When she calls, I will admit that I was a bit frustrated. I had been trying to get out of the house to get this stuff done and the phone kept ringing. She proceeds to start to tell me about her morgage info over the phone so I can call back the morgage guy and pass on the numbers to him. I say that I just got off the phone with him, and why do I need these numbers? We need a copy of the information and I have just been through the morgage documents she left for me and cannot find the info. She says she doesn't have the info on a form and she will have to go back to the bank now, pay $10 for a statement, she is busy at work and just spent a long time at the bank and that I did not tell her we needed a statement, etc.
Here I am trying to get my stuff done and I have to waste my time listening to someone else complain? I have about 10 times as much stuff to do and her complaining is just making it harder to get it done. Now, perhaps I was a bit too sarcastic, but I replied "Oh, so I guess it's my fault?"
Her reply: "Fine" and she hung up.
Was I too sarcastic. Maybe, but come on. This is the year 2005. Does she really think the morgage guy is going to take our word that we owe X dollars? We told him months ago what our general financial situation was. Now its crunch time and he wants to see proof. Did I really have to spell that our for her? Yes, they want proof in the form of D-O-C-U-M-E-N-T-S. The day when a person's word meant something to the banks is long past. Can you imagine me talking to the bank:
Me: I have lots of money so give me a loan for whatever I want.
Bank: Who are you again, sir?
Me: I am Bill Gates. I have billions. Perhaps you have heard of me?
Bank: Yes sir, Mr Gates. Anything you want. No proof is necessary for you, sir!
Me: I'll take one of those candies.
Bank: Here you go, sir.
It's my fault I did not specifically say to her "We need that in writing". I assumed (never assume, it makes an ass of u and me) that the wife would understand that the bank wants PROOF. I guess from now on I will have to assume that things that are blindingly obvious to everyone else may not be to my wife.
Must call the wife at work right now to remind her to breathe.
Update: Delicious! Last night when we met our broker, we had all the right docs EXCEPT the one the wife was supposed to bring. She had to drive back to the house to get it. Of course, it was my fault.
I was trying to get out of the house yesterday, as I had 3 very important things to do, two of them related to the house and one to a very interesting job opportunity, which I will relate to you in the near future.
So, I am in the middle of changing and the phone rings. It is our morgage broker with a bunch of things he needs to get our morgage. This is a bit of a pain, as I have been trying to get various paperwork for him. This is the second change to what docs are needed in as many days. The bank seems to be jerking us around a bit.
Just as I hang up the phone it rings again. It is the wife. She has two things to do today. She needs to get some basic information from a bank about their services which we are thinking of switching to. This is not that important. The second thing is to get informantion about a morgage she has (monthly payments, taxes, etc). This is very important, as the conditions for our morgage had to come off that day.
When she calls, I will admit that I was a bit frustrated. I had been trying to get out of the house to get this stuff done and the phone kept ringing. She proceeds to start to tell me about her morgage info over the phone so I can call back the morgage guy and pass on the numbers to him. I say that I just got off the phone with him, and why do I need these numbers? We need a copy of the information and I have just been through the morgage documents she left for me and cannot find the info. She says she doesn't have the info on a form and she will have to go back to the bank now, pay $10 for a statement, she is busy at work and just spent a long time at the bank and that I did not tell her we needed a statement, etc.
Here I am trying to get my stuff done and I have to waste my time listening to someone else complain? I have about 10 times as much stuff to do and her complaining is just making it harder to get it done. Now, perhaps I was a bit too sarcastic, but I replied "Oh, so I guess it's my fault?"
Her reply: "Fine" and she hung up.
Was I too sarcastic. Maybe, but come on. This is the year 2005. Does she really think the morgage guy is going to take our word that we owe X dollars? We told him months ago what our general financial situation was. Now its crunch time and he wants to see proof. Did I really have to spell that our for her? Yes, they want proof in the form of D-O-C-U-M-E-N-T-S. The day when a person's word meant something to the banks is long past. Can you imagine me talking to the bank:
Me: I have lots of money so give me a loan for whatever I want.
Bank: Who are you again, sir?
Me: I am Bill Gates. I have billions. Perhaps you have heard of me?
Bank: Yes sir, Mr Gates. Anything you want. No proof is necessary for you, sir!
Me: I'll take one of those candies.
Bank: Here you go, sir.
It's my fault I did not specifically say to her "We need that in writing". I assumed (never assume, it makes an ass of u and me) that the wife would understand that the bank wants PROOF. I guess from now on I will have to assume that things that are blindingly obvious to everyone else may not be to my wife.
Must call the wife at work right now to remind her to breathe.
Update: Delicious! Last night when we met our broker, we had all the right docs EXCEPT the one the wife was supposed to bring. She had to drive back to the house to get it. Of course, it was my fault.
Thursday, June 23, 2005
The House Saga - Part 1
Background
This started about a year and a half ago. I guy the wife and I know was looking to sell his cats only kennel. I was getting out of the military and was tired of working for "the man". We considered buying his business. He was a bit dismissive when we spoke to him about it, so we sat on the idea while I considered other options.
About 6 months ago we decided to get more serious. We approached him again and he was much more receptive. We started to make plans and we considered selling my house, as his business is attached to his home and he wanted to sell both. As we spoke to him more, I did not get good feelings about the financial situation. I felt he was not being up front about how much money the business made and I started to question if the deal was something we should do. These questions led to this post, when the wife accused me of trying to back out of the deal and not "finishing" anything.
To anyone who may not know, we decided not to buy this business. The final straw came when, after telling this guy several times that we wanted to see proper financial statements (and he would just show us his wife's tax return), we have a lunch meeting for him to give us the statements. Much to our surprise, he pulls out a real estate agreement and proceeds to start filling it out with how much we are going to pay, the conditions, etc. We had given him conditions and more info months ago and he was to use it to write up an agreement which I was then going to take to our lawyer. Yet it was down to crisis time and he still had not done this stuff. That, plus him constantly telling me I did not need to see financial statements, I did not need a lawyer, etc, finally was too much to bear. Actually, I would have ended the whole thing sooner, but the wife wanted to do it, and it took me a while convince her that the alarm bells screaming in my head should be heeded.
This decision put us in a bit of a bind. We had put up and sold our house as a sign of good faith and fully planning to move and take over this business. Now we had an agreement to sell, no place to live and 6 weeks to find something.
To be continued...
This started about a year and a half ago. I guy the wife and I know was looking to sell his cats only kennel. I was getting out of the military and was tired of working for "the man". We considered buying his business. He was a bit dismissive when we spoke to him about it, so we sat on the idea while I considered other options.
About 6 months ago we decided to get more serious. We approached him again and he was much more receptive. We started to make plans and we considered selling my house, as his business is attached to his home and he wanted to sell both. As we spoke to him more, I did not get good feelings about the financial situation. I felt he was not being up front about how much money the business made and I started to question if the deal was something we should do. These questions led to this post, when the wife accused me of trying to back out of the deal and not "finishing" anything.
To anyone who may not know, we decided not to buy this business. The final straw came when, after telling this guy several times that we wanted to see proper financial statements (and he would just show us his wife's tax return), we have a lunch meeting for him to give us the statements. Much to our surprise, he pulls out a real estate agreement and proceeds to start filling it out with how much we are going to pay, the conditions, etc. We had given him conditions and more info months ago and he was to use it to write up an agreement which I was then going to take to our lawyer. Yet it was down to crisis time and he still had not done this stuff. That, plus him constantly telling me I did not need to see financial statements, I did not need a lawyer, etc, finally was too much to bear. Actually, I would have ended the whole thing sooner, but the wife wanted to do it, and it took me a while convince her that the alarm bells screaming in my head should be heeded.
This decision put us in a bit of a bind. We had put up and sold our house as a sign of good faith and fully planning to move and take over this business. Now we had an agreement to sell, no place to live and 6 weeks to find something.
To be continued...
Wednesday, June 15, 2005
Funny stuff from the Arch Enemy
Not to give my arch enemy more traffic, but he has a good summary post on the Darwin Awards.
Thursday, June 09, 2005
The Crazy Lefties are Everywhere
Its not just the famous lefties, such a Howard Dean, that engage their mouth before using their brain.
I had quite the experience the other day. I was standing on my lawn talking to my neighbour "Gary". He is a recently retired oil patch worker and is not very interested in politics. In fact, I could not even get him to come to a condo meeting to vote for me when I ran, even though he supported me. He has views on politics, but he one of those guys who worries about himself and doesn't stick his nose into other peoples business. A Libertarian who doesn't know he is one.
As we are standing there talking about something, this handyman drives up, gets out of his truck and begins to talk to us. He is 66 years old and is used on occasion to fix things around the complex. He knows the complex better than anyone. How do I know this? Because this is the first thing he tells us.
I have lived in our condo for 8 years and Gary for 12 years. I was also on the condo board for over 1 year. I do not recognize this guy. Not to say that he is lying, but he is not one of those guys who everyone knows. He just comes up to us, interrupts what we are discussing and starts telling us his life story, not so much as an introduction. He does not know me well enough to do that and I find it a bit rude. To add to the rudeness, it is one of those one way conversations, where he talks and requires no input from you. I can take that. My mother taught me to be polite to people, especially my elders, even if they do not give you the same courtesy.
However, then he goes in politics. Bush is evil, those damn Americans, blah, blah, blah, blahblah.
Why do people do this? Are they dumb? The last thing I do when meeting someone new is start talking about controversial topics with someone you just met (or in this guy's case, didn't even meet yet). I mean, you don't go up to some person you just met at a party and start talking about how the Joooooooossss are ruining the world. Though it is fun to watch when one person pipes up and says "I am Jewish".
I did something like that once, where a guy made some joke about my mother. You know, one of those dumb jokes you are always hearing black comedians make. After he was done, I looked him in the eye and with a straight face, said "My mother's dead". Of course, she isn't, but you should have seen the look on the guys face. He almost fell over himself trying to apologize. But I digress.
I think it is a lefty trait to assume that your views are so correct that everyone agrees with them. The wife does this as well. Just a few weeks ago we are meeting our real estate agent to look at houses. We meet her at this big church in Sherwood Park. Now, most of you Ontario types think that Alberta is populated with these huge churches a la Jim and Tammy Faye Baker. Nothing could be further from the truth. Alberta may seem to be more Bible thumping than Ontario, but big church bible thumpers are rare, at least around Edmonton. But I will admit, this church is big. It does have a school and community centre attached, which accounts for most of the size, but it does convey that born again Christian, hallelujah type religious thing. I noticed this too, but being polite and having just met this real estate agent, I am not going to mention anything about it. Not so the wife. We get in the car and the second thing out of her mouth is some comment about the crazy religious people and their crazy big church. Well guess what. The real estate agent, although she does not go to that church, belongs to the same religion and goes to church in Fort Saskatchewan.
Back to the old guy. Once he starts going off about Bush and the war in Iraq and how the damn Americans push us around, I just about lose it. I mean, this is Alberta. This is the last place in Canada where you would think a guy would assume everyone would agree with his lefty views. This in not downtown Vancouver, ffs. So, I decide to take him to task. What I usually do in these situations is take on a position which doesn't directly contradict their assertions, but takes it to an extreme. So I tell the guy that I think Canadians are wimps. It's our own fault for letting the Americans push us around and we should build up our army, invade the bastards and nuke the hell out of them. Teach them a lesson, yes sir.
I would have been more satisfied if his jaw had dropped and he stared at me dumbfounded, but the guy just kept going. I don't think he really wanted, or needed for that matter, me around for him to talk. About this time my neighbour broke in and started to ask the guy what work he was doing, etc, thereby saving the conversation from degenerating further.
If one Lefty learned to engage brain before opening mouth, my good deed was done for that day.
Now if the wife would only learn.
I had quite the experience the other day. I was standing on my lawn talking to my neighbour "Gary". He is a recently retired oil patch worker and is not very interested in politics. In fact, I could not even get him to come to a condo meeting to vote for me when I ran, even though he supported me. He has views on politics, but he one of those guys who worries about himself and doesn't stick his nose into other peoples business. A Libertarian who doesn't know he is one.
As we are standing there talking about something, this handyman drives up, gets out of his truck and begins to talk to us. He is 66 years old and is used on occasion to fix things around the complex. He knows the complex better than anyone. How do I know this? Because this is the first thing he tells us.
I have lived in our condo for 8 years and Gary for 12 years. I was also on the condo board for over 1 year. I do not recognize this guy. Not to say that he is lying, but he is not one of those guys who everyone knows. He just comes up to us, interrupts what we are discussing and starts telling us his life story, not so much as an introduction. He does not know me well enough to do that and I find it a bit rude. To add to the rudeness, it is one of those one way conversations, where he talks and requires no input from you. I can take that. My mother taught me to be polite to people, especially my elders, even if they do not give you the same courtesy.
However, then he goes in politics. Bush is evil, those damn Americans, blah, blah, blah, blahblah.
Why do people do this? Are they dumb? The last thing I do when meeting someone new is start talking about controversial topics with someone you just met (or in this guy's case, didn't even meet yet). I mean, you don't go up to some person you just met at a party and start talking about how the Joooooooossss are ruining the world. Though it is fun to watch when one person pipes up and says "I am Jewish".
I did something like that once, where a guy made some joke about my mother. You know, one of those dumb jokes you are always hearing black comedians make. After he was done, I looked him in the eye and with a straight face, said "My mother's dead". Of course, she isn't, but you should have seen the look on the guys face. He almost fell over himself trying to apologize. But I digress.
I think it is a lefty trait to assume that your views are so correct that everyone agrees with them. The wife does this as well. Just a few weeks ago we are meeting our real estate agent to look at houses. We meet her at this big church in Sherwood Park. Now, most of you Ontario types think that Alberta is populated with these huge churches a la Jim and Tammy Faye Baker. Nothing could be further from the truth. Alberta may seem to be more Bible thumping than Ontario, but big church bible thumpers are rare, at least around Edmonton. But I will admit, this church is big. It does have a school and community centre attached, which accounts for most of the size, but it does convey that born again Christian, hallelujah type religious thing. I noticed this too, but being polite and having just met this real estate agent, I am not going to mention anything about it. Not so the wife. We get in the car and the second thing out of her mouth is some comment about the crazy religious people and their crazy big church. Well guess what. The real estate agent, although she does not go to that church, belongs to the same religion and goes to church in Fort Saskatchewan.
Back to the old guy. Once he starts going off about Bush and the war in Iraq and how the damn Americans push us around, I just about lose it. I mean, this is Alberta. This is the last place in Canada where you would think a guy would assume everyone would agree with his lefty views. This in not downtown Vancouver, ffs. So, I decide to take him to task. What I usually do in these situations is take on a position which doesn't directly contradict their assertions, but takes it to an extreme. So I tell the guy that I think Canadians are wimps. It's our own fault for letting the Americans push us around and we should build up our army, invade the bastards and nuke the hell out of them. Teach them a lesson, yes sir.
I would have been more satisfied if his jaw had dropped and he stared at me dumbfounded, but the guy just kept going. I don't think he really wanted, or needed for that matter, me around for him to talk. About this time my neighbour broke in and started to ask the guy what work he was doing, etc, thereby saving the conversation from degenerating further.
If one Lefty learned to engage brain before opening mouth, my good deed was done for that day.
Now if the wife would only learn.
Monday, June 06, 2005
The Beginning of the End for Libs
Liberal MP Pat O'Brien has left the Liberal Caucus to sit as an independent over what he perceives to be a rush to pass SSM legislation without adequate consultation.
Perhaps I am wrong. There are some Liberals who have ethics.
Mr. O'Brien is not leaving over the sponsorship scandal or the bribing of opposition MP's, but its a start.
Note that he was in talks with the Conservatives and on that, we have this quote "In the end, I felt that it was not enough for me to move to the Conservative Party".
Seems a bit ambiguous. Not sure how I would take that statement.
Perhaps I am wrong. There are some Liberals who have ethics.
Mr. O'Brien is not leaving over the sponsorship scandal or the bribing of opposition MP's, but its a start.
Note that he was in talks with the Conservatives and on that, we have this quote "In the end, I felt that it was not enough for me to move to the Conservative Party".
Seems a bit ambiguous. Not sure how I would take that statement.
Sunday, June 05, 2005
Deep Throat
With the revel that Deep Throat was the No. 2 man at the FBI, W. Mark Felt, there has been a lot of discussion about Watergate. I must admit, I have no deep knowledge about the subject, but have probably know more about it since my degree is in History and I focused more on Western histroy.
The majority perception about events in history are rarely true, as I found out from research I did on the Vietnam War. As an example, due to the media attention on draft dodging, I always thought that it was a huge problem for the US Government and I guessed that thousands, perhaps tens of thousands burned draft cards. However, history matches our perception. For example, if I remember correctly, there were only between 100-200 draft cards burned during the war, far less then I thought based on my perceptions from movies.
I mention this because it marks the start of my skepticism towards "facts" that our society takes for granted. Watergate is one that I have always been suspicious. The general feeling, from my perception, was always that Nixion was an evil man and that two heroic journalists had managed to root out this corruption. How much of this is true. It appears Deep Throat (Mark Felt) may have been motivated by anger at Nixion for passing him over for the top FBI job after Hoover died and not because of some great love of his country.
For a more typical view on this event, try this article
Here are a few people that have a more, shall we say, non-PC view of Mark Felt:
This article by Mark Steyn
And this by Adam Yoshida
Or this
Update: More on the effects of Watergate on Journalism in this post at Captain's Quarters.
The majority perception about events in history are rarely true, as I found out from research I did on the Vietnam War. As an example, due to the media attention on draft dodging, I always thought that it was a huge problem for the US Government and I guessed that thousands, perhaps tens of thousands burned draft cards. However, history matches our perception. For example, if I remember correctly, there were only between 100-200 draft cards burned during the war, far less then I thought based on my perceptions from movies.
I mention this because it marks the start of my skepticism towards "facts" that our society takes for granted. Watergate is one that I have always been suspicious. The general feeling, from my perception, was always that Nixion was an evil man and that two heroic journalists had managed to root out this corruption. How much of this is true. It appears Deep Throat (Mark Felt) may have been motivated by anger at Nixion for passing him over for the top FBI job after Hoover died and not because of some great love of his country.
For a more typical view on this event, try this article
Here are a few people that have a more, shall we say, non-PC view of Mark Felt:
This article by Mark Steyn
And this by Adam Yoshida
Or this
Update: More on the effects of Watergate on Journalism in this post at Captain's Quarters.
Some Misc Stuff
A few sites that I consider interesting:
Adam Yoshida always has a take on global events sure to be different from the mainstream.
Blame Bush is very funny (at least I think he is trying to be).
Adam Yoshida always has a take on global events sure to be different from the mainstream.
Blame Bush is very funny (at least I think he is trying to be).
Friday, June 03, 2005
Even More Media Bias
This is quite interesting. From the politic:
CBC's "Forensic Expert Turns out to be Record Producer with Government Contracts
I will leave you to draw your own conclusions.
CBC's "Forensic Expert Turns out to be Record Producer with Government Contracts
I will leave you to draw your own conclusions.
Thursday, June 02, 2005
Paul Martin should resign
I am calling on the Prime Minister of Canada to resign.
The professionals seem to always say it better thank I can. Andrew Coyne has this excellent column on the Grewal tapes.
On the criminality of the situation:
Who is responsible:
And on what the government minister should have done:
The conclusion:
I say it is too late. As the Prime Minister, Paul Martin should do the right thing and resign due to his failure to uphold the standards of ethical behaviour required for Members of Parliament within his CabinetcaucusCacus. Mr. Dosanjh should also resign for his part in this affair. In addition, it is clear to me that the "rewards" and the procedures for dealing with the aftermath were used with others who crossed the floor. Therefore, I call upon Belinda Stronach, Scott Brison and Ujjal Dosanjh (again) to resign.
You heard it here first.
Update: Let it Bleed seems to agree and points out a story by Chantel Hebert where she states that Liberal solidarity may be crumbling.
The professionals seem to always say it better thank I can. Andrew Coyne has this excellent column on the Grewal tapes.
On the criminality of the situation:
...we have a right to expect more of people in public life than that they should not actually commit any crimes. ... it is abundantly clear (assuming the tapes have been accurately transcribed) that they were flouting the intent of the law. They were promising “rewards” -- Cabinet appointments, diplomatic postings, Senate seats, all were discussed -- to the Grewals if they abstained from voting against the government in the confidence vote.
Who is responsible:
...It was not, then, cash on the barrel. It was a promissory note, backed by the full faith and credit of the Prime MinisterÂ’s chief of staff -- and by extension, the Prime Minister himself. [emphasis added]
And on what the government minister should have done:
...Ethically, they are forbidden, not only from making explicit promises of public offices in exchange for an MPÂ’s vote, but from any tacit understanding to that effect; they are required, not only to refrain from deliberately creating such an impression, but to take care that they do not do so inadvertently.
The conclusion:
By whatever standard, they have failed in their duties. Their final responsibility, accordingly, is to submit their resignations, at least pending the resolution of opposition complaints to the ethics commissioner and the RCMP. If they will not do so of their own accord, it is the Prime MinisterÂ’s responsibility to demand it of them. And if he will not do so, or give a fuller explanation of his own involvement in this squalid affair, then it is his resignation that should be demanded next.
I say it is too late. As the Prime Minister, Paul Martin should do the right thing and resign due to his failure to uphold the standards of ethical behaviour required for Members of Parliament within his CabinetcaucusCacus. Mr. Dosanjh should also resign for his part in this affair. In addition, it is clear to me that the "rewards" and the procedures for dealing with the aftermath were used with others who crossed the floor. Therefore, I call upon Belinda Stronach, Scott Brison and Ujjal Dosanjh (again) to resign.
You heard it here first.
Update: Let it Bleed seems to agree and points out a story by Chantel Hebert where she states that Liberal solidarity may be crumbling.
Spin...What the Liberals do best
More examples of media bias.
Note this article in the Globe and Mail. While the first paragraph is about how PMPM is ignoring calls for resignations, the second talks about how "allegations that the tapes are doctored are disturbing". Of course they are disturbing. Anytime someone like the Prime Minister claims something is doctored when it is not, is very disturbing. Note that PMPM says the claims are disturbing, not that the tapes are doctored.
A Conservative MP says the Libs tried to bribe him, everyone ignores it. A Conservative MP has tapes of Libs tiptoeing around a discussion about buying his vote, and the story is about how there is no clear proof. The Libs say the tapes are doctored without offering any proof other than their say-so and doctored tapes is the main thrust of the story?
Seems like we need a Canadian version of FOX News just to provide some balance.
Update: Why is there media bias? Is it a big conspiracy? Read Lorne Gunter's explaination here. It makes sense to me. However, since people will always have some sort of bias or identify more with one side or the other, the only solution is one that is used in our courts everyday. The adversarial approach. We need media in this country that are unapologetically right wing to counter the hidden left wing agenda of the present media (not counting you, Mr. Gunter, or AC).
Note this article in the Globe and Mail. While the first paragraph is about how PMPM is ignoring calls for resignations, the second talks about how "allegations that the tapes are doctored are disturbing". Of course they are disturbing. Anytime someone like the Prime Minister claims something is doctored when it is not, is very disturbing. Note that PMPM says the claims are disturbing, not that the tapes are doctored.
A Conservative MP says the Libs tried to bribe him, everyone ignores it. A Conservative MP has tapes of Libs tiptoeing around a discussion about buying his vote, and the story is about how there is no clear proof. The Libs say the tapes are doctored without offering any proof other than their say-so and doctored tapes is the main thrust of the story?
Seems like we need a Canadian version of FOX News just to provide some balance.
Update: Why is there media bias? Is it a big conspiracy? Read Lorne Gunter's explaination here. It makes sense to me. However, since people will always have some sort of bias or identify more with one side or the other, the only solution is one that is used in our courts everyday. The adversarial approach. We need media in this country that are unapologetically right wing to counter the hidden left wing agenda of the present media (not counting you, Mr. Gunter, or AC).
When the cat is away......
The wife is away for 2 weeks on a business trip.
I am actually enjoying myself. When the wife is here, we have to have dinner. Dinner to me is grabbing something from the fridge, say 3 frozen burritos, nuking them and covering them with salsa. The wife does not think this is acceptable. Dinner must include a side dish and some sort of vegetables. I can also let the house get a bit disorganized. Usually she is the one that contributes most to that disorganization. With her gone, it is not as messy and I can avoid that "you did not clean anything today and you are still in your pajamas" look, which I always get when she returns from work.
However, I think the cats are starting to miss her. Well, one of them anyway. The younger female cat doesn't care much for people, so she probably doesn't care, but the male is a different story. He is older and today started to bug me for attention. He usually sleeps all day, moving from one spot to the next. Today he started begging for more attention than is usual. I had to spend an inordinate amount of time petting and brushing him, speaking it soothing tones and telling him "Don't worry. Mommy will be back soon." If I don't, he will constantly meow and try to rub against me until he gets what he wants. I hope kids are not this annoying.
The cat likes to drink water from the dripping bathtub (It is actually quite funny. He gets the water in his nose then snuffs and snorts like some old man). If he gets too annoying, perhaps I can arrange a little "accident" involving the tub and water.
The cat has a new favourite spot, which is right beside the desk where I type this blog. He is already settled in and snoring away like my father.
I think I need to get out of the house.
I am actually enjoying myself. When the wife is here, we have to have dinner. Dinner to me is grabbing something from the fridge, say 3 frozen burritos, nuking them and covering them with salsa. The wife does not think this is acceptable. Dinner must include a side dish and some sort of vegetables. I can also let the house get a bit disorganized. Usually she is the one that contributes most to that disorganization. With her gone, it is not as messy and I can avoid that "you did not clean anything today and you are still in your pajamas" look, which I always get when she returns from work.
However, I think the cats are starting to miss her. Well, one of them anyway. The younger female cat doesn't care much for people, so she probably doesn't care, but the male is a different story. He is older and today started to bug me for attention. He usually sleeps all day, moving from one spot to the next. Today he started begging for more attention than is usual. I had to spend an inordinate amount of time petting and brushing him, speaking it soothing tones and telling him "Don't worry. Mommy will be back soon." If I don't, he will constantly meow and try to rub against me until he gets what he wants. I hope kids are not this annoying.
The cat likes to drink water from the dripping bathtub (It is actually quite funny. He gets the water in his nose then snuffs and snorts like some old man). If he gets too annoying, perhaps I can arrange a little "accident" involving the tub and water.
The cat has a new favourite spot, which is right beside the desk where I type this blog. He is already settled in and snoring away like my father.
I think I need to get out of the house.
Wednesday, June 01, 2005
More on the Grewal Tapes
Check out this column by Andrew Coyne on the tapes. If you have any doubt on how the Liberals operate, this should dispel it.
Did anyone see the CBC last night? They are so pro Liberal it makes me sick. Peter did that "interview our own reporter" thing and the "questions" he asked seemed like something off the desk of the Liberal Communications department desk. Their main point was that, actually, nothing was offered.
AC does a great job destroying this point in the above column.
Did anyone see the CBC last night? They are so pro Liberal it makes me sick. Peter did that "interview our own reporter" thing and the "questions" he asked seemed like something off the desk of the Liberal Communications department desk. Their main point was that, actually, nothing was offered.
AC does a great job destroying this point in the above column.
Tuesday, May 31, 2005
Cadman's Principles
I have been having a bit of a discussion on this post with one of my readers regarding Chuck Cadman.
He has challenged me to reply to his comments.
Bill makes the comment that Cadman using his position to get something out of the government is ok and it is politics as usual. In general, I agree that this is how they usually operate. Certain groups support certain parties and they expect that party to push their agenda/pet project. The same with people. However, we come to trouble when trying to figure out which came first. If you vote/work for the Liberals because they support your views on victims' rights that is one thing. If they say they will pass your victims' rights legislation if you vote for them on something else, that is completely different. Now, Cadman's situation is not clear and there is no evidence of anyone's vote being "for sale". However, based on what we have seen with Belinda and the Grewal tapes, I believe Cadman sold out. He met with the PM and he, or more likely one of his flunkies, spoke to him just like Tim Murphy spoke to Grewal, and a "not deal" was made.
Of course, vote buying is illegal, but the Libs are experts at it, so it would be very hard to prove.
Now, taking the innocent view, let's assume that nothing was discussed and no one suggested he would get a reward. First of all, in the tit for tat Liberal world, I believe that Cadman knew they would do something for him, and they knew he would have to be paid. Both parties have been in the game for long enough to know what happens without having to say it. Is that a crime? Not technically, but it sure is sleazy.
Which brings me to my main point. I feel that all of this vote buying has greatly damaged Canadian democracy. We appear to be more like Zimbabwe than a modern, western democracy. I think the Libs need to be thrown out to demonstrate that their actions are wrong, immoral, and will not be stood for in this country. I am mad because Chuck Cadman had a chance to send this message, on behalf of all Canadians, that these actions will not be tolerated. He failed to put the good of the country ahead of his own personal political pet projects.
Chuck had leverage over the Libs and decided to get something he thought was important with that leverage. However, the damage done by Liberal actions may make it even more difficult for projects like Cadman's to ever get done in the future. The long term damage to the system outweights any good done by passing Cadman's bill.
Now on to Bill's second comment, regarding the actions of the Conservative party.
Bill makes the same, boring argument that the "rabid" politics that the Conservative practice "leaves a lot of normal non-Fiberal Canadians turned off by the Conservatives". Bullshit. This sounds like something off of the Liberal talking points. If Bill is a normal Canadian, then we are surely doomed, as normal Canadians are now parroting Liberal talking points. All other parties should give up and go home, as it is impossible to break that level of brainwashing.
Bill then goes on to talk about how the Conservatives could win if they just would ..... wait for it... be more like the Liberals!
Bill talks about being an alternative to the Liberals. Personally, I prefer my alternatives to be a bit more different. I can just see the lawn signs:
Conservatives, just like the Liberals but with less corruption
I would like to see a party that is not Liberal lite. If Canadians want the Liberal agenda, then they can take the corruption with it.
Bill also makes comments about the Conservatives being more centrist, kicking out "rabid" elements, blagh, blagh, blaghblaghblagh.
Personally, if I was a Liberal strategist, this would be my best message. Make your enemy just like you, then say to the voters, "See, they have no principles" or "Why vote for pretend Liberals when you can have the real thing" or "See they must have a hidden agenda. They are pretending to be us just to get your vote".
If conservatives change just to try to get elected, I think they will lose. I, and I think many other Canadians, are looking for a principled party that will do what it says. If Conservatives say what they are going to do and then do it, I think they will be elected. This is similar to what happened in Ontario under Mike Harris. Harris stated clearly his platform and then did it. I remember hearing from people in Ontario that, even though they hated Harris and his platform, they respected him for doing what he said. Remember that this guy won re-election. This is the model the federal Conservative party should follow.
Bill also mentions a bunch of stuff about social conservatives and "turning back the clock", I guess conservatives are against the forward movement of time, or something. Destroy all clocks!
There seems to be some myth out their that Conservatives are controlled by some group known as "social conservatives" that, if elected, will have everyone going to church, etc.
I really get tired of this argument. It may be true, but in reality, "social conservatives" have no other mainstream party, so they are unlikely to be able to hijack the Conservatives. I would be more worried about the left hijacking the Liberals. Lefties can choose between the NDP and Liberals, which is why you see the Liberals tacking left at election time.
To Bill: Get some new talking points, preferably ones not lifted directly off of Scott Reid's desk.
He has challenged me to reply to his comments.
Bill makes the comment that Cadman using his position to get something out of the government is ok and it is politics as usual. In general, I agree that this is how they usually operate. Certain groups support certain parties and they expect that party to push their agenda/pet project. The same with people. However, we come to trouble when trying to figure out which came first. If you vote/work for the Liberals because they support your views on victims' rights that is one thing. If they say they will pass your victims' rights legislation if you vote for them on something else, that is completely different. Now, Cadman's situation is not clear and there is no evidence of anyone's vote being "for sale". However, based on what we have seen with Belinda and the Grewal tapes, I believe Cadman sold out. He met with the PM and he, or more likely one of his flunkies, spoke to him just like Tim Murphy spoke to Grewal, and a "not deal" was made.
Of course, vote buying is illegal, but the Libs are experts at it, so it would be very hard to prove.
Now, taking the innocent view, let's assume that nothing was discussed and no one suggested he would get a reward. First of all, in the tit for tat Liberal world, I believe that Cadman knew they would do something for him, and they knew he would have to be paid. Both parties have been in the game for long enough to know what happens without having to say it. Is that a crime? Not technically, but it sure is sleazy.
Which brings me to my main point. I feel that all of this vote buying has greatly damaged Canadian democracy. We appear to be more like Zimbabwe than a modern, western democracy. I think the Libs need to be thrown out to demonstrate that their actions are wrong, immoral, and will not be stood for in this country. I am mad because Chuck Cadman had a chance to send this message, on behalf of all Canadians, that these actions will not be tolerated. He failed to put the good of the country ahead of his own personal political pet projects.
Chuck had leverage over the Libs and decided to get something he thought was important with that leverage. However, the damage done by Liberal actions may make it even more difficult for projects like Cadman's to ever get done in the future. The long term damage to the system outweights any good done by passing Cadman's bill.
Now on to Bill's second comment, regarding the actions of the Conservative party.
Bill makes the same, boring argument that the "rabid" politics that the Conservative practice "leaves a lot of normal non-Fiberal Canadians turned off by the Conservatives". Bullshit. This sounds like something off of the Liberal talking points. If Bill is a normal Canadian, then we are surely doomed, as normal Canadians are now parroting Liberal talking points. All other parties should give up and go home, as it is impossible to break that level of brainwashing.
Bill then goes on to talk about how the Conservatives could win if they just would ..... wait for it... be more like the Liberals!
Bill talks about being an alternative to the Liberals. Personally, I prefer my alternatives to be a bit more different. I can just see the lawn signs:
Conservatives, just like the Liberals but with less corruption
I would like to see a party that is not Liberal lite. If Canadians want the Liberal agenda, then they can take the corruption with it.
Bill also makes comments about the Conservatives being more centrist, kicking out "rabid" elements, blagh, blagh, blaghblaghblagh.
Personally, if I was a Liberal strategist, this would be my best message. Make your enemy just like you, then say to the voters, "See, they have no principles" or "Why vote for pretend Liberals when you can have the real thing" or "See they must have a hidden agenda. They are pretending to be us just to get your vote".
If conservatives change just to try to get elected, I think they will lose. I, and I think many other Canadians, are looking for a principled party that will do what it says. If Conservatives say what they are going to do and then do it, I think they will be elected. This is similar to what happened in Ontario under Mike Harris. Harris stated clearly his platform and then did it. I remember hearing from people in Ontario that, even though they hated Harris and his platform, they respected him for doing what he said. Remember that this guy won re-election. This is the model the federal Conservative party should follow.
Bill also mentions a bunch of stuff about social conservatives and "turning back the clock", I guess conservatives are against the forward movement of time, or something. Destroy all clocks!
There seems to be some myth out their that Conservatives are controlled by some group known as "social conservatives" that, if elected, will have everyone going to church, etc.
I really get tired of this argument. It may be true, but in reality, "social conservatives" have no other mainstream party, so they are unlikely to be able to hijack the Conservatives. I would be more worried about the left hijacking the Liberals. Lefties can choose between the NDP and Liberals, which is why you see the Liberals tacking left at election time.
To Bill: Get some new talking points, preferably ones not lifted directly off of Scott Reid's desk.
Wednesday, May 25, 2005
Results of the Poll
I am finally summarizing the results of my sidebar poll. If you remember, this post talked about our future plans and how the wife (then Gf) accused me of being lazy because I had some concerns.
I put the poll up to see what you, my readers, thought about the situation.
The poll asked the following two questions:
Marcel is a lazy, afraid of commitment, bastard who is just stalling;
Marcel is a cautious and clear headed person who is just trying to look out for the financial security of his family.
The results:
Fourteen of you think I am lazy and 22 say I am cautious.
I feel somewhat vindicated. However, I am not sure about the accuracy of the poll. I cought the wife checking the poll on our vacation by voting again. I had it set up so you could only vote once per machine, but we used different computers overseas all the time. When I caught her doing this she freely admitted it and said she had done in a number of times before. So, instead of her getting 38% of the vote, it is more likely less than 1/3 agree with her.
Actually, we are quickly nearing the point where we have to sign a contract for this deal. We still have not gotten the information I feel is required to make a decision. Not only that, but he still feels he has given us the information. Even the wife cannot understand him, as we have made it very clear what we want. And, from discussions with friends of mine in business, what we want is more than reasonable, it is required. Everyone I talk to says something is fishy. We are going to try one last time, and then we are going to give up. I have little hope he will get with the program.
I put the poll up to see what you, my readers, thought about the situation.
The poll asked the following two questions:
Marcel is a lazy, afraid of commitment, bastard who is just stalling;
Marcel is a cautious and clear headed person who is just trying to look out for the financial security of his family.
The results:
Fourteen of you think I am lazy and 22 say I am cautious.
I feel somewhat vindicated. However, I am not sure about the accuracy of the poll. I cought the wife checking the poll on our vacation by voting again. I had it set up so you could only vote once per machine, but we used different computers overseas all the time. When I caught her doing this she freely admitted it and said she had done in a number of times before. So, instead of her getting 38% of the vote, it is more likely less than 1/3 agree with her.
Actually, we are quickly nearing the point where we have to sign a contract for this deal. We still have not gotten the information I feel is required to make a decision. Not only that, but he still feels he has given us the information. Even the wife cannot understand him, as we have made it very clear what we want. And, from discussions with friends of mine in business, what we want is more than reasonable, it is required. Everyone I talk to says something is fishy. We are going to try one last time, and then we are going to give up. I have little hope he will get with the program.
Tuesday, May 24, 2005
Cadman the Sellout
In this post I mused that Cadman was bought. More evidence.
Cadman wins commitment to victims-rights concerns
Ezra seems to agree with me.
Cadman wins commitment to victims-rights concerns
Ezra seems to agree with me.
An interesting protest idea
Ian, at Ianism has quite a lengthy post on the illegitmacy of the present government. One might actually call it a rant. Everyone needs to get stuff off their chest.
Even though Ian's point is well taken, a more interesting idea is put forth by MWW in the comments on what should be done to protest the illegal collection and use of our tax money.
Even though Ian's point is well taken, a more interesting idea is put forth by MWW in the comments on what should be done to protest the illegal collection and use of our tax money.
...I've gone down the Great Canadian Superstore on our reserve and offered to purchase things for non-natives in line. It felt really good to do that. They liked it too! :) A few have said no thanks and asked me why I was willing to do that. And my response was "Because I'd rather see that money in your pocket than in the pockets of the crooks in Ottawa". That actually convinced them to take up my offer to be a buffer between them and the state.
What a thing it would be if a significant number of people would do this. Get enough people doing this and it would hit this illegal government where it hurt the most, in their pocketbook.
The war of two Generals
Retired generals Romeo Dallaire and Lewis MacKenzie have been publicly arguing over what Canada should commit to Darfour. I do not know who is right, but I have certain points about each of them and their positions.
Firstly, MacKenzie has more of the classic military leader traits that you would expect from a general. He is the guy who went into Yugo and kicked ass. Dallaire went to Africa and failed. Who would you listen to?
A few points about going to Darfour:
1. People are not like us. It may surprise many of you out there, but people in other countries are not like us. They think differently and have different priorities. Africa is still very tribal and many tribes have not respect for the life or rights of other tribes. By that I mean, if you are not from their tribe, you have no right to life. For those too stupid to get my meaning, the only thing that stops them from killing you is what the consequences will be to them.
2. Unarmed could mean dead. I have been in the military for 15 years, and there is no way I would go to Darfour without a gun. At the very least, I would carry a pistol so I could shoot myself before they could take me. Even better to have something that can take a few with me. However, see point number one and remember, their lives mean less to them than your does to you, so you may need to be able to kill a lot of them to make that cost/benefit ratio come out it your favour.
3. Not all armies are created equal. Some are more competent than others. Ask any soldier who has been on any peacekeeping mission and you will hear horror stories regarding the action of the Jordanians or of Bangladesh, etc. An African army is not like the a western European one. Having AU soldiers protect you will not be like protecting yourself. Remember this when people say we don't want "whitey" in our country, we want other Africans. Why not white soldiers? Because they would actually do the job that needs to be done. Am I racist? Some throw back to "white man's burden"? No, just realistic. Don't believe me, go see for yourself. Or ask someone who has been there.
So, go to Darfour or not? I do not know the answer. But I can say I am pretty certain the AU troops there are not up to the job. If they do succeed it may be in a way that we do not approve of (ie. putting the fear of death into the bad guys by killing everyone they see).
I am quite happy that I am now a part time soldier. This gives me the option, short of a war, of refusing any positions such as Darfour. The way that mission is presently structured there seems only two possible outcomes:
-be so outgunned that Canadians are afraid to leave the camp. I can waste 6 months at home just as easily as in Africa.
-go out and do the job with the consequence of someone begin taken hostage, being killed, etc. Being in the army means you accept the risk of being killed or injured, but I am not too particular about dying because Paul Martin wanted to buy off David Kilgour and save his sorry government.
The Darfour problem will never be solved until a competent army with the political will to are put there with the tools to get the job done. Until someone has the political will, there is no point risking the lives of Canadian soldiers in a mission that cannot succeed.
Firstly, MacKenzie has more of the classic military leader traits that you would expect from a general. He is the guy who went into Yugo and kicked ass. Dallaire went to Africa and failed. Who would you listen to?
A few points about going to Darfour:
1. People are not like us. It may surprise many of you out there, but people in other countries are not like us. They think differently and have different priorities. Africa is still very tribal and many tribes have not respect for the life or rights of other tribes. By that I mean, if you are not from their tribe, you have no right to life. For those too stupid to get my meaning, the only thing that stops them from killing you is what the consequences will be to them.
2. Unarmed could mean dead. I have been in the military for 15 years, and there is no way I would go to Darfour without a gun. At the very least, I would carry a pistol so I could shoot myself before they could take me. Even better to have something that can take a few with me. However, see point number one and remember, their lives mean less to them than your does to you, so you may need to be able to kill a lot of them to make that cost/benefit ratio come out it your favour.
3. Not all armies are created equal. Some are more competent than others. Ask any soldier who has been on any peacekeeping mission and you will hear horror stories regarding the action of the Jordanians or of Bangladesh, etc. An African army is not like the a western European one. Having AU soldiers protect you will not be like protecting yourself. Remember this when people say we don't want "whitey" in our country, we want other Africans. Why not white soldiers? Because they would actually do the job that needs to be done. Am I racist? Some throw back to "white man's burden"? No, just realistic. Don't believe me, go see for yourself. Or ask someone who has been there.
So, go to Darfour or not? I do not know the answer. But I can say I am pretty certain the AU troops there are not up to the job. If they do succeed it may be in a way that we do not approve of (ie. putting the fear of death into the bad guys by killing everyone they see).
I am quite happy that I am now a part time soldier. This gives me the option, short of a war, of refusing any positions such as Darfour. The way that mission is presently structured there seems only two possible outcomes:
-be so outgunned that Canadians are afraid to leave the camp. I can waste 6 months at home just as easily as in Africa.
-go out and do the job with the consequence of someone begin taken hostage, being killed, etc. Being in the army means you accept the risk of being killed or injured, but I am not too particular about dying because Paul Martin wanted to buy off David Kilgour and save his sorry government.
The Darfour problem will never be solved until a competent army with the political will to are put there with the tools to get the job done. Until someone has the political will, there is no point risking the lives of Canadian soldiers in a mission that cannot succeed.
Have we reached our Tipping Point?
This is the best post I have read in a long time and, I think, sums up the feelings of many Canadians.
The following two paragraphs are the key point:
Go read the whole thing at The Monarchist
The following two paragraphs are the key point:
What exactly have we witnessed over the past two weeks? We have witnessed a parliamentary government of the British Crown and tradition, faced with a protracted and clear demonstration of a loss of majority confidence, refuse to adhere to the most fundamental tenets of responsible government by submitting itself to an immediate and declared confidence vote. We have watched that government instead suspend democracy until its bribes and enticements to the characterless could bear fruit. We have watched a blonde Judas cross the floor, oblivious of how ephemeral her new friendships will prove; casting the will of her constituents - and with it, the core mechanism by which the will of the people is translated into the reality of parliamentary power - into the dust; for obvious, crass and fleeting personal gain. And we have watched the chief architect of this farce declare, with a straight face, that he had secured the renewed confidence of the House and assured the future of a united Canada.
As this tragedy concluded, I listened to some around me, here in Ontario, actually declare their relief that they would not soon have to make another trip to the ballot box. And in that moment, I reached my tipping point. I realized that a people unprepared to devote a single hour – without sweat, cost or blood – to the enforcement of democracy, to the assurance that they might be governed by decent and responsible people of their actual choice; that a people too selfish and shameless to care whether their countrymen felt respected and represented under the common roof; that a people too brain-dead to understand how deeply their traditions of democracy have been compromised, and how dangerous a precedent has just been set - were not worthy of my allegiance.
Go read the whole thing at The Monarchist
Sunday, May 22, 2005
What to do?
I have been reading many blogs on the right side of the spectrum, bemoaning the state of Canadian democracy. From the big and the small, from hits counted on two hands to those with tens of thousands of visits per day.
When I was in the military, some of my subordinates used to come to me with problems. When you are dealing with junior officers, their experience level can be very low, so a problem that seems insurmountable might be easily fixed by someone like me. However, part of my job was to train these junior officers and part of that is teaching problem solving. Inevitably, they would explain some problem, and I would reply "Don't come to me with problems, come to me with solutions."
To the smart ones, this would only happen once and any further meetings would be for them to tell me how they were going to fix a problem and not for them to whine. I should also mention that, being the lazy sort, the less of other peoples work I have to do, the happier I am. So, to those who bemoan the state of democracy in Canada I say:
"Don't come to me with problems, come to me with solutions."
Instead of hearing about how corrupt the Liberals are, lets talk about what we should do about it.
Comments?
UPDATE: Here are some suggestions
This post by Kate at smalldeadanimals
I do not think I agree with suggestion at Occam's Carbuncle
Perhaps a good suggestion by Damain at Babbling Brooks, but is it enough?
Bound by Gravity has a few
Stephen Taylor has a lot (hat tip to BBG)
Reupdate:
Another suggestion to the CPC by Political Staples
When I was in the military, some of my subordinates used to come to me with problems. When you are dealing with junior officers, their experience level can be very low, so a problem that seems insurmountable might be easily fixed by someone like me. However, part of my job was to train these junior officers and part of that is teaching problem solving. Inevitably, they would explain some problem, and I would reply "Don't come to me with problems, come to me with solutions."
To the smart ones, this would only happen once and any further meetings would be for them to tell me how they were going to fix a problem and not for them to whine. I should also mention that, being the lazy sort, the less of other peoples work I have to do, the happier I am. So, to those who bemoan the state of democracy in Canada I say:
"Don't come to me with problems, come to me with solutions."
Instead of hearing about how corrupt the Liberals are, lets talk about what we should do about it.
Comments?
UPDATE: Here are some suggestions
This post by Kate at smalldeadanimals
I do not think I agree with suggestion at Occam's Carbuncle
Perhaps a good suggestion by Damain at Babbling Brooks, but is it enough?
Bound by Gravity has a few
Stephen Taylor has a lot (hat tip to BBG)
Reupdate:
Another suggestion to the CPC by Political Staples
Friday, May 20, 2005
Was Cadman bought?
This story (copied below) from the Montreal Gazette is of some interest.
Hat tip to Rayguy.
Hat tip to Rayguy.
Cadman's dream for justice now a little closerHe entered politics to fight for justice for the victims of violence and their families after his son was stabbed to death.
Now British Columbia MP Chuck Cadman's dream of justice is a little closer to being realized after Justice Minister Irwin Cotler said late yesterday he shares many of Cadman's concerns and plans to act on them.
However, Cotler said he told Cadman only after last night's critical vote because he didn't want to be accused of trying to influence him.
"I went to Mr. Cadman (after the vote) and said, 'I didn't want to speak to you about this before the vote and never did, but those initiatives that you had with respect to victims' rights, I said I am going to be supporting them as best as I can because I believe we have a common cause in that regard.' "
Cotler said he had been thinking about issues Cadman had raised for some time, such as victims' rights and Cadman's bill to crack down on street racing. Cotler said his preoccupation with victims' rights came long before there was any question of a vote. Now that the immediate crisis has been averted, Cotler said, he can move forward with addressing those concerns.
Public Safety Minister Anne McLellan had nothing but praise for Cadman and also appeared open to acting on some of Cadman's causes.
"We are bringing forward legislative amendment to strengthen the rights of victims and victims' families. We're putting more resources into our existing victims' programs to expand them.
Does anyone believe this?
After these tapes we released this week (summary here) regarding Liberal attempts to buy Conservative MP's, something smells a little fishy. On the tape, the PM's Chief of Staff, Tim Murphy, makes statements such as how it is a "bad idea" to "have any kind of commitment that involves and explicit trade".
So here we have Chuck, meeting with the Prime Minister before the vote, not have any discussions of a trade, but then, lo and behold, less then 24 hours after he votes with the Libs, certain pet projects of his are now a higher Liberal priority. What a coincidence.
Even if I am wrong, based on the Liberal standard operating procedure we have all witnessed this week, I should be forgiven for jumping to conclusions.
Cadman sold out.
Thursday, May 19, 2005
Politics as usual?
I cannot express my disgust at what is going on in Ottawa this week, so I will be lazy and link to a few who are doing a much better job.
Damian at Babbling Brooks has this excellent post on Belinda's whole "national unity" reasoning.
AC has an excellent post on the latest Liberal vote buying attempt.
Mark Steyn with two columns on the state of Canada.
Damian at Babbling Brooks has this excellent post on Belinda's whole "national unity" reasoning.
AC has an excellent post on the latest Liberal vote buying attempt.
Mark Steyn with two columns on the state of Canada.
Revenge of the Sith review
Ok, I promised no spoilers, so I will just comment on Revenge of the Sith in a general way.
First of all, a bit about me. I am a fan of science fiction, so I am drawn to many sci-fi movies, books, etc. However, I like to think I maintain enough distance from the "rabid fan" position to comment critically. The best Star Wars movie so far has been Empire. The franchise started to go down in Return of the Jedi, with the sickenly cute, obviously merchandised, Ewoks. The worst movie was Phantom Menace. It is so kid-friendly as to make you sick. I have always thought Lucas was the Star Wars legacy in Phantom. Also, making it kid-friendly usually backfires. Sure, Star Wars was scary, maybe too scary for kids at the time, but as adults 30 years later, we still love it. Does anyone think people will still love Phantom in 30 years or will it be known as the worst Star Wars movie?
That said, Revenge of the Sith was good. Very good. It is as dark as Empire, with lots of action. Christensen does a very good job protraying the fall and inner conflict of Skywalker. I must admit I did not think well of Christensen after Attack of the Clones. I felt his acting was a bit stiff and the flashes of evil seemed unrealistic. He may have improved, but I think he has more to work with this time. Portman does a good job as the conflicted wife. None of the great shots showing off her body that we saw in Attack, which is unfortunate. I have to say excellent job by McGregor, particularily when he confronts Skywalker about his betrayal of the Jedi (everyone knows this happens, so it should not be a spoiler).
Non fans and fans, even critical fans, will not be disappointed.
See this movie now.
Now a bit about last night.
The wife picked me up after work. She bought the tickets early, about 8:00 pm and picked me up at 10:30 pm. We got to the theater just before 11 and our theater had already been let in. I thought for sure we were going to get a crappy seat, but we did well. We had to sit for over an hour, the longest time I have ever waited for a movie. The audience was mostly kids in their late teens, but I saw a few my age. A sample of conversation overheard in the concession line by the wife:
Yes, they really talk like that.
First of all, a bit about me. I am a fan of science fiction, so I am drawn to many sci-fi movies, books, etc. However, I like to think I maintain enough distance from the "rabid fan" position to comment critically. The best Star Wars movie so far has been Empire. The franchise started to go down in Return of the Jedi, with the sickenly cute, obviously merchandised, Ewoks. The worst movie was Phantom Menace. It is so kid-friendly as to make you sick. I have always thought Lucas was the Star Wars legacy in Phantom. Also, making it kid-friendly usually backfires. Sure, Star Wars was scary, maybe too scary for kids at the time, but as adults 30 years later, we still love it. Does anyone think people will still love Phantom in 30 years or will it be known as the worst Star Wars movie?
That said, Revenge of the Sith was good. Very good. It is as dark as Empire, with lots of action. Christensen does a very good job protraying the fall and inner conflict of Skywalker. I must admit I did not think well of Christensen after Attack of the Clones. I felt his acting was a bit stiff and the flashes of evil seemed unrealistic. He may have improved, but I think he has more to work with this time. Portman does a good job as the conflicted wife. None of the great shots showing off her body that we saw in Attack, which is unfortunate. I have to say excellent job by McGregor, particularily when he confronts Skywalker about his betrayal of the Jedi (everyone knows this happens, so it should not be a spoiler).
Non fans and fans, even critical fans, will not be disappointed.
See this movie now.
Now a bit about last night.
The wife picked me up after work. She bought the tickets early, about 8:00 pm and picked me up at 10:30 pm. We got to the theater just before 11 and our theater had already been let in. I thought for sure we were going to get a crappy seat, but we did well. We had to sit for over an hour, the longest time I have ever waited for a movie. The audience was mostly kids in their late teens, but I saw a few my age. A sample of conversation overheard in the concession line by the wife:
Teen #1: Dude, I am going to be so wasted for school tomorrow.
Teen #2: Dude, me too.
Teen #1: Dude, I so don't want to go to gym tomorrow.
Teen #2: Dude, that sucks.
Teen #1: Dude, do you want a refill?
Teen #2: No. Dude I don't think I will make it through the movie without having to piss.
Yes, they really talk like that.
Wednesday, May 18, 2005
Revenge of the Sith
The wife and I are going to see the new Star Wars movie tonight. After I get off work we are going to meet up for the 12:01 showing.
I have a bit of a reputation for ruining movies for people. I really enjoyed Finding Nemo, so I proceeded to tell every joke in it to a friend of mine, thereby ruining the movie for him. After he saw it, he said I told him every joke in the film. That was my plan.
Of course, this guy got his revenge by telling all of our couple friends that I did this. No one will see movies us anymore, so we are going to see this one by ourselves.
I promise not to post any spoilers.
I have a bit of a reputation for ruining movies for people. I really enjoyed Finding Nemo, so I proceeded to tell every joke in it to a friend of mine, thereby ruining the movie for him. After he saw it, he said I told him every joke in the film. That was my plan.
Of course, this guy got his revenge by telling all of our couple friends that I did this. No one will see movies us anymore, so we are going to see this one by ourselves.
I promise not to post any spoilers.
Tuesday, May 17, 2005
Vote Switching
Paul Wells at Inkless Wells asked a few days ago for people to email him if they were intending to switch their vote and why.
This unscientific and completely bias poll is quite interesting and may provide some insight into what Canadians are thinking.
This unscientific and completely bias poll is quite interesting and may provide some insight into what Canadians are thinking.
"Strange days indeed...."
They say a week in politics is like a year. What a difference a day makes. Belinda Stronach has left the Conservative Party and is now a Liberal with a senior Cabinet post, Minister of Human Resources Development.
I heard about this and immediately switched to talk radio to hear what the people had to say. I just caught the last part of a call in program where it seemed that many people felt this was a principled decision by Belinda. However, one of the last callers got on and stated that, if this was a decision based on principle, why did she not sit as an independent? Did she need to cross the floor and sit as a Liberal to make a statement about her principles?
The fact that she got a senior cabinet post sure makes it look like a payoff.
Although I believe this was pure ambition on her part, her stated reason was that she was not happy with the Conservatives and Bloc alliance. I think this demonstrates the differences in thinking between Albertans and Ontario. Ontario sees the block as a much bigger threat than the west does.
Many in the west, me included, have sympathy towards Quebec claims of being left out. Alberta feels the same way. Not that I agree with Quebec's perception that it is left out. Quite the contrary. With only 25% of the population, Quebec controls Canadian politics. There is no reason the second most populous province in Canada should not be near the top economically. Yet Quebec receives equalization payments. My tax dollars go to pay for $7 a day child care that costs $40 per day. What is fair about that?
Here is another little test. Name the last Canadian Prime Minister that did not come from Quebec. Kim Campbell? John Turner? Remind me again how well they did?
To get back to the main point, Belinda says she is unhappy with the Conservatives cozying up to the Bloc. As if they are. Just because both parties want to get rid of this government does not mean they are in bed together. What do you think is a greater threat to Canada: the fall of this Liberal government or the federal government treating 25% of its citizens like idiots and thinking that a sign with the Canada word mark at their favorite fishing trade show is going to turn them into federalists?
Of course, that is only if you believe Adscam was about saving Canada and not about illegally paying off Liberal party members with your tax dollars.
The Bloc will be against the Government of Canada no matter which party forms the government.
My advice to Belinda: Wake Up.
Also, treat Canadians with a bit of respect.
Don't feed me shit and call it ice cream.
I heard about this and immediately switched to talk radio to hear what the people had to say. I just caught the last part of a call in program where it seemed that many people felt this was a principled decision by Belinda. However, one of the last callers got on and stated that, if this was a decision based on principle, why did she not sit as an independent? Did she need to cross the floor and sit as a Liberal to make a statement about her principles?
The fact that she got a senior cabinet post sure makes it look like a payoff.
Although I believe this was pure ambition on her part, her stated reason was that she was not happy with the Conservatives and Bloc alliance. I think this demonstrates the differences in thinking between Albertans and Ontario. Ontario sees the block as a much bigger threat than the west does.
Many in the west, me included, have sympathy towards Quebec claims of being left out. Alberta feels the same way. Not that I agree with Quebec's perception that it is left out. Quite the contrary. With only 25% of the population, Quebec controls Canadian politics. There is no reason the second most populous province in Canada should not be near the top economically. Yet Quebec receives equalization payments. My tax dollars go to pay for $7 a day child care that costs $40 per day. What is fair about that?
Here is another little test. Name the last Canadian Prime Minister that did not come from Quebec. Kim Campbell? John Turner? Remind me again how well they did?
To get back to the main point, Belinda says she is unhappy with the Conservatives cozying up to the Bloc. As if they are. Just because both parties want to get rid of this government does not mean they are in bed together. What do you think is a greater threat to Canada: the fall of this Liberal government or the federal government treating 25% of its citizens like idiots and thinking that a sign with the Canada word mark at their favorite fishing trade show is going to turn them into federalists?
Of course, that is only if you believe Adscam was about saving Canada and not about illegally paying off Liberal party members with your tax dollars.
The Bloc will be against the Government of Canada no matter which party forms the government.
My advice to Belinda: Wake Up.
Also, treat Canadians with a bit of respect.
Don't feed me shit and call it ice cream.
Sunday, May 15, 2005
Where is my $700?
Interesting developments in Ottawa over the last few weeks. I cannot say I am happy. The country seems to be going into the shithole, to put it bluntly. The House loses confidence in the government, so the government decides it will ignore it. Saner heads prevail and they realize the optics and decide to have a vote over a week later. It seems like we have had a coup. I fully support the opposition halting the operation of parliament, since it no longer has the confidence of the people. They should shut the place down until there is a confidence vote to sort this it. Since the government has no legitimacy, do I have to pay my taxes for this period?
The great Liberal pre-election payout has begun. $22 billion in 3 weeks. I did the math and it adds up to over $700 for every person in the country. Since it is my money, just send me the $700 and keep your stinkin' programs.
The tide must be turning. Even the wife wants her $700.
The great Liberal pre-election payout has begun. $22 billion in 3 weeks. I did the math and it adds up to over $700 for every person in the country. Since it is my money, just send me the $700 and keep your stinkin' programs.
The tide must be turning. Even the wife wants her $700.
Not posting for a bit
As I am sure you can tell, I have not posed for a bit. I have been on a 3 week contract, working 10 hour days. Not really a big deal, but if you go from no employment to working it takes some time to adjust. Also during that time, we sold our house. So the last few weeks were a bit stressful, what with keeping the house clean all the time, something we are not used to. We got a good price, so we are happy. Now we just need to find a place for us to live. Then I need a full time job. This will be a year to remember.
Anyway, the job is now over, so I can spend some more time keeping this up to date. Expect the rest of the trip blog put up over the next little while.
Anyway, the job is now over, so I can spend some more time keeping this up to date. Expect the rest of the trip blog put up over the next little while.
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