I'm the first one to admit it can be very easy to stymie me. There are things I just cannot wrap my mind around. Like trying to ban drive-thrus. The idea is to cut down on air pollution created by idling. It's a noble cause but I just don't see it happening anytime soon.
However! I do not like to see a car idling especially when there's no large double-double with a cream-filled donut for a payoff.
Today I went into my local donut shop to pick up the morning java and there was a big line up of idling cars and right beside the door to the joint, sitting in a parking space, was an empty car, idling. What's up with that? Who chooses not to get in the drive-thru, parks, goes inside and leaves their car running? I am stymied!
And I can't count the number of times I've picked my daughter off at daycare and seen the cars of parental units sitting in the parking lot, empty and running! These moms and/or dads are inside, chit chatting with the marvelous daycare people and reuniting with their child and outside their car is chug-chugging, spewing crap into the air that their child has to breathe! Again, stymied.
I remember when I was a kid there was a commercial on television and the punch line (if you will) was "Don't mess with Mother Nature". I've never forgotten those words. The commercial was supposed to be funny but I've never taken those words lightly.
I'm nowhere near as environmentally responsible as I should be, but there are some things we just shouldn't do and how tough is it to turn the car key and take it out of the little key hole?
Stymied.
Friday, August 24, 2007
Thursday, August 23, 2007
Thursday, August 16, 2007
Things to keep in mind...
It's time once again for provincial politicians to dust off their shoes, put on some fancy clothes and smile smile smile! Yes, it's time for the pre-election two step, or waltz, or whatever you want to call it, when politicians of every stripe hit the proverbial dance floor looking to spin and dip voters before they twirl them toward the ballot box.
It's quite a show. Forget about So You Think You Can Dance and Dancing With The Stars; this tops them all!
The only thing is, those two reality TV shows don't try to pretend to be something they're not. Whereas when politicians get fired up on the hustings, well, needless to say, that's an entirely different story.
I understand the need to get out there and talk to the people about policy and plans and hopes for the future while trying at every possible opportunity to debase the competition. But please, politicians, for the love of all us poor voting slobs, don't insult our intelligence by trying to disguise what you're doing as regular business which has nothing to do with the upcoming election.
Case in point - it was mentioned by myself and one other reporter at a recent visit to the City by Premier Dalton McGuinty, that his visits and recent promises to our local populace might just be seen as political pandering in the face of the looming vote.
According to our Premier nothing could be further from the truth. "I started campaigning for this election the day after I was elected," he told us.
Well, there you go.
Local provincial candidates of all political stripe are filling my e-mail box at work with notices of what their plans would be should they be elected and why what all the other parties have done or may do could lead to the downfall of civilization as we know it.
Perhaps I'm being overly dramatic, but you get my drift.
It baffles me that this happens every time an election comes up and politicians still try to present promises of big new funding as nothing more than a genuine concern for whatever subject they are talking about. It's like they really believe people don't understand what they're doing and act absolutely put out if the media calls them on it.
It's as if so long as they don't say it out loud, no one will pick up on the fact that all this financial support will come to nothing if their party isn't elected. It's a simple as that.
It's quite a show. Forget about So You Think You Can Dance and Dancing With The Stars; this tops them all!
The only thing is, those two reality TV shows don't try to pretend to be something they're not. Whereas when politicians get fired up on the hustings, well, needless to say, that's an entirely different story.
I understand the need to get out there and talk to the people about policy and plans and hopes for the future while trying at every possible opportunity to debase the competition. But please, politicians, for the love of all us poor voting slobs, don't insult our intelligence by trying to disguise what you're doing as regular business which has nothing to do with the upcoming election.
Case in point - it was mentioned by myself and one other reporter at a recent visit to the City by Premier Dalton McGuinty, that his visits and recent promises to our local populace might just be seen as political pandering in the face of the looming vote.
According to our Premier nothing could be further from the truth. "I started campaigning for this election the day after I was elected," he told us.
Well, there you go.
Local provincial candidates of all political stripe are filling my e-mail box at work with notices of what their plans would be should they be elected and why what all the other parties have done or may do could lead to the downfall of civilization as we know it.
Perhaps I'm being overly dramatic, but you get my drift.
It baffles me that this happens every time an election comes up and politicians still try to present promises of big new funding as nothing more than a genuine concern for whatever subject they are talking about. It's like they really believe people don't understand what they're doing and act absolutely put out if the media calls them on it.
It's as if so long as they don't say it out loud, no one will pick up on the fact that all this financial support will come to nothing if their party isn't elected. It's a simple as that.
Thursday, August 9, 2007
My rant for today
Every time I hear a city councillor say "I'll be brief" or "I won't repeat what's already been said," I cringe because that's exactly what they're not going to do!
Tuesday night's (Aug. 7) was a perfect example of how these people can get out of control and then drag out a meeting.
I've already written about this council somehow charming me, and I still enjoy covering their work, but there are nights, like Tuesday, when I want to scream at them to just call the question already!
These are reasonably intelligent people who are in the positions they're in, hopefully, because they want to improve their community. That should be the sole motive for sitting in council chambers. There should be no:
• talking for the sake of talking so it looks like you're doing your job,
• allowing emotions to overrule your common sense because you want to look good to people sitting in the audience or the television cameras,
• asking inane questions of delegations because you weren't listening properly to the information they had already quite clearly laid out.
The Tuesday meeting went to 11 p.m. and a little beyond and as Mayor Paul Ayotte pointed out, little was accomplished.
Trying to make the County EMS purchase look like a bad deal was simply a waste of time that seemed prompted by some councillors feeling snubbed when the deal was made. Getting that building and having Signum renovate it is a huge financial saving for the County and City.
And Jack Doris is absolutely right in his objection to the larger than inflation rate raises submitted for some city employees. At a time when this city should be leading the way on fighting for those less fortunate now that we have a Task Force on Poverty, how can that kind of spending be justified?
That kind of stalling tactic I can appreciate because it is a genuine attempt to force council to play fair.
Some of these council meetings need a referee, not a mayor, leading them.
Cut the dramatics, councillors, and get the job done.
Tuesday night's (Aug. 7) was a perfect example of how these people can get out of control and then drag out a meeting.
I've already written about this council somehow charming me, and I still enjoy covering their work, but there are nights, like Tuesday, when I want to scream at them to just call the question already!
These are reasonably intelligent people who are in the positions they're in, hopefully, because they want to improve their community. That should be the sole motive for sitting in council chambers. There should be no:
• talking for the sake of talking so it looks like you're doing your job,
• allowing emotions to overrule your common sense because you want to look good to people sitting in the audience or the television cameras,
• asking inane questions of delegations because you weren't listening properly to the information they had already quite clearly laid out.
The Tuesday meeting went to 11 p.m. and a little beyond and as Mayor Paul Ayotte pointed out, little was accomplished.
Trying to make the County EMS purchase look like a bad deal was simply a waste of time that seemed prompted by some councillors feeling snubbed when the deal was made. Getting that building and having Signum renovate it is a huge financial saving for the County and City.
And Jack Doris is absolutely right in his objection to the larger than inflation rate raises submitted for some city employees. At a time when this city should be leading the way on fighting for those less fortunate now that we have a Task Force on Poverty, how can that kind of spending be justified?
That kind of stalling tactic I can appreciate because it is a genuine attempt to force council to play fair.
Some of these council meetings need a referee, not a mayor, leading them.
Cut the dramatics, councillors, and get the job done.
My rant for today
Every time I hear a city councillor say "I'll be brief" or "I won't repeat what's already been said," I cringe because that's exactly what they're not going to do!
Tuesday night's (Aug. 7) was a perfect example of how these people can get out of control and then drag out a meeting.
I've already written about this council somehow charming me, and I still enjoy covering their work, but there are nights, like Tuesday, when I want to scream at them to just call the question already!
These are reasonably intelligent people who are in the positions they're in, hopefully, because they want to improve their community. That should be the sole motive for sitting in council chambers. There should be no:
• talking for the sake of talking so it looks like you're doing your job,
• allowing emotions to overrule your common sense because you want to look good to people sitting in the audience or the television cameras,
• asking inane questions of delegations because you weren't listening properly to the information they had already quite clearly laid out.
The Tuesday meeting went to 11 p.m. and a little beyond and as Mayor Paul Ayotte pointed out, little was accomplished.
Trying to make the County EMS purchase look like a bad deal was simply a waste of time that seemed prompted by some councillors feeling snubbed when the deal was made. Getting that building and having Signum renovate it is a huge financial saving for the County and City.
And Jack Doris is absolutely right in his objection to the larger than inflation rate raises submitted for some city employees. At a time when this city should be leading the way on fighting for those less fortunate now that we have a Task Force on Poverty, how can that kind of spending be justified?
That kind of stalling tactic I can appreciate because it is a genuine attempt to force council to play fair.
Some of these council meetings need a referee, not a mayor, leading them.
Cut the dramatics, councillors, and get the job done.
Tuesday night's (Aug. 7) was a perfect example of how these people can get out of control and then drag out a meeting.
I've already written about this council somehow charming me, and I still enjoy covering their work, but there are nights, like Tuesday, when I want to scream at them to just call the question already!
These are reasonably intelligent people who are in the positions they're in, hopefully, because they want to improve their community. That should be the sole motive for sitting in council chambers. There should be no:
• talking for the sake of talking so it looks like you're doing your job,
• allowing emotions to overrule your common sense because you want to look good to people sitting in the audience or the television cameras,
• asking inane questions of delegations because you weren't listening properly to the information they had already quite clearly laid out.
The Tuesday meeting went to 11 p.m. and a little beyond and as Mayor Paul Ayotte pointed out, little was accomplished.
Trying to make the County EMS purchase look like a bad deal was simply a waste of time that seemed prompted by some councillors feeling snubbed when the deal was made. Getting that building and having Signum renovate it is a huge financial saving for the County and City.
And Jack Doris is absolutely right in his objection to the larger than inflation rate raises submitted for some city employees. At a time when this city should be leading the way on fighting for those less fortunate now that we have a Task Force on Poverty, how can that kind of spending be justified?
That kind of stalling tactic I can appreciate because it is a genuine attempt to force council to play fair.
Some of these council meetings need a referee, not a mayor, leading them.
Cut the dramatics, councillors, and get the job done.
Thursday, August 2, 2007
Everyone wants to be missed
The next time you're feeling really down, consider the life of a carp.
These fish are dying by the dozens every day. We've got tons of their poor dead bodies building up in our landfill sites, and yet the ecosystem they are a part of doesn't seem to miss them at all.
I've spoken to two marine biologists who tell me the loss of the carp really won't make a difference to their habitat. Let's face it, they lift right out.
They have no natural predators and they don't eat enough of anything imporant enough to matter. They're not even native to our waters.
The ecosystem was fine before they got here, and if they all left, apparently it would still be fine.
Imagine facing your ultimate demise and learning that your leaving won't even cause a ripple in the surrounding water.
Pity the poor carp, scaly swimmer of the deep, big-mouthed, mushy-meated drifter in the tides, our aquatic immigrant from the East. I may not represent much of your ecosystems my finned friend, but I would miss you if you were gone.
I'd missing seeing you and your buddies splashing around in the river water under the Lakefield bridge at mating time. I'd miss you swimming close to me at the Riverview Zoo while I lob tiny pelleted morsels at you.
Never fear dear carp! There is at least one soul on this Earth who would mourn your passing.
These fish are dying by the dozens every day. We've got tons of their poor dead bodies building up in our landfill sites, and yet the ecosystem they are a part of doesn't seem to miss them at all.
I've spoken to two marine biologists who tell me the loss of the carp really won't make a difference to their habitat. Let's face it, they lift right out.
They have no natural predators and they don't eat enough of anything imporant enough to matter. They're not even native to our waters.
The ecosystem was fine before they got here, and if they all left, apparently it would still be fine.
Imagine facing your ultimate demise and learning that your leaving won't even cause a ripple in the surrounding water.
Pity the poor carp, scaly swimmer of the deep, big-mouthed, mushy-meated drifter in the tides, our aquatic immigrant from the East. I may not represent much of your ecosystems my finned friend, but I would miss you if you were gone.
I'd missing seeing you and your buddies splashing around in the river water under the Lakefield bridge at mating time. I'd miss you swimming close to me at the Riverview Zoo while I lob tiny pelleted morsels at you.
Never fear dear carp! There is at least one soul on this Earth who would mourn your passing.
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