Chris Reid on Guns

http://www.inquisitr.com/

Chris Reid wrote on his (now deleted) blog "Political Thoughts From a Gay Conservative" August 10 that the Manitoba bus tragedy could have been prevented if other passengers had intervened, which they would have done if they had been carrying guns. "Passengers and the bus driver stood by and watched another person being butchered, and couldn't muster up any courage or self-sacrifice to intervene…This is where socialism as (sic) gotten us folks, a castrated effeminate population. This is a perfect example of why we need concealed-carry handgun legislation in this country, so we can defend one another and deter horrible events such as this. But what are our politicians talking about? More government regulation and security."

Ah yes, concealed carry as a substitute for real courage.

Let's think this through. You're in the bus. You hear a scream, turn around and see a guy getting stabbed 3 times in quick succession. He's clearly dead or dying. Do you rush to his aid and risk getting stabbed yourself or get yourself and others out of the bus and wait for police, defending yourselves if necessary? I'd say that even if I had a gun, the most I'd do would be to protect myself and the other passengers from further harm. I could do this without a gun but a weapon would make it easier. However shooting the attacker after the first victim is dead and you're in no immediate danger doesn't really sit well with me, however immediately satisfying it might be. At that point it's a matter for the police and the courts. Now let's say you saw the situation escalating a bit earlier. Do you interfere at that point? I'd say yes, gun or no gun. It would be the right thing to do and I think that there are certain people who would get involved even if they were armed with only a toothpick.

Now a different scenario. You have a gun. You're in a convenience store. A teenager runs in and holds up the cash with a gun. You are behind something and he hasn't seen you. Do you shoot him? If so, you live with that the rest of your life. You killed another person. Now how would you feel if the gun turns out to be fake? Or what if the kid is 16 and there is a XX% chance that he could be reformed. One strike you're out though right?

If having guns solved problems the US would be the most problem-free place on Earth. Let's continue to learn from their example.

Snakes on a Man!

This just happened.

If you click to zoom, you'll see it's actually biting me (and drawing blood). Now where's that ol' snake bite cure from Scarab of Ra?

Plant / Weed Identification

Anyone think they can ID some plants? These two are growing in my backyard in Oakville. I’ve searched through online visual guides to Ontario weeds but can’t find either of them. The first three pictures correspond to the first plant. The last two pictures are the other. The first plant had large white flowers until recently, but unfortunately I didn’t get a picture. The other is growing all over my vegetable patch as of August, but it’s nothing I planted as far as I can tell. I think it had small orange flowers.

E-Statements! No More Paper!

Hello,

I've been a customer of Oakville Hydro since I moved to Oakville two years ago.

I would like to bring to your attention my concern that OH is one of the very few Canadian companies I deal with that still does not allow for the option of electronic statements (paperless). Currently I receive my phone, gas, bank, credit cards, investments, salary and 407 statements electronically. The ONLY regular mailing I still get in the mail the old-fashioned way is OH.

I've been told for over a year that E-statements are "coming soon". It's 2008. The environment has become the top concern of Canadians. That means it beats terrorism, crime, education and even health care. Is sending out bundles of paper every month to thousands of people really the best way to do business these days? With all due respect, it's time to get with the program and listen to your customers.

Please, I don't think it's too much to ask that you follow in the footsteps of other major Canadian service providers and offer your clients the option of electronic statements.

Thank you for your time,

Victor Rodriguez

E-Statements! No More Paper!

Hello,

I'm a long-time client of ING Direct Canada and have held mutual funds with ING since the Streetwise program began.

I would like to bring to your attention my concern that ING Direct Funds is one of the very few Canadian companies I deal with that still does not allow for the option of electronic statements (paperless). Currently I receive my phone, electricity, gas, water, bank, credit cards, salary and 407 statements electronically. The ONLY regular mailing I still get in the mail the old-fashioned way is ING Direct Funds.

It's 2008. The environment has become the top concern of Canadians. That means it beats terrorism, crime, education and even health care. Is sending out bundles of paper every month to millions of people really the best way to do business these days? With all due respect, it's time to get with the program and listen to your customers. I was just told by the ING Direct Funds customer support person I spoke to that this question "gets asked a lot, especially lately." That's a direct quote.

Please, I don't think it's too much to ask that you follow in the footsteps of other major Canadian service providers and offer your clients the option of electronic statements.

It is my hope this letter gets passed up to someone who can actually do something about it.

Thank you for your time,

Victor Rodriguez
ING Direct Canada customer

Green Party News

Thank You!

Dear Green Party Supporter,

I am writing to thank you, from the bottom of my heart, for supporting my campaign to be included in the televised leaders' debates.

Because of you and countless thousands like you who donated money and deluged the airwaves, the Internet, newspaper letters columns and politicians' inboxes with a national outpouring of outrage, the broadcasters have now reversed their decision to exclude the Green Party.

I am both humbled and inspired by what I have witnessed in the past few days - the exhilarating spectacle of Canadians rising up to protest a blatant injustice.

Your victory isn't just a victory for the Green Party, it's a victory for democracy and for the fundamental Canadian values of equality and fairness.

Thank you again for standing up for democracy.

Elizabeth May, O.C.

Bloody River Hike

Today I hiked Bloody River here in Saint Kitts with B & L, two people I met here. Bloody River is so called because in 1626, 2000 native Caribs were slaughtered by the British and French and the river ran red for three days.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bloody_River

They’re pretty literal around here.

Anyway, the hike was incredible. The ‘ghaut’ or canyon flows over slippery rocks and boulders between cliffs of mud, trees and rock. There are a number of collapsed waterfalls to see. The highlights of the trip included two rope climbs that had thankfully been prepared by others, a bat cave, and the towering waterfall at the end. Since it was impossible to pass this final waterfall, we have no idea what came upriver.

Idiocracy

http://www.watch-movies.net/movies/idiocracy/

Green Party

Date: Monday, 1 September, 2008, 4:41 PM CBC's The National will be

doing a piece on whether the Green Party should be in the debates

tonight. AFTER this airs, we need as many people as possible to call

into CBC and to call CTV to support and demand Elizabeth May's

inclusion in the debates.

CBC: You can call The National here: 1-800-565-1422 Also, The National

has other ways for viewers to get in contact here, including emails,

webcam messages, etc. CBC's corporate headquarters in Toronto is

1-866-306-4636

CTV: 613-236-7343 in Ottawa (you can ask for Robert Hurst, CTV News

head and head of the broadcast consortium) and Toronto: (416)

332-5000.

Please forward this email far and wide, to any Greens or even

non-Greens who support democracy.

Points to make when you call:

-The Green Party receives federal funding from the taxpayers of Canada

and those who fund our party must not be prevented from hearing what

we have to say during the most critical campaign event of an election: the debates.

-We are at or above the Bloc Quebecois' support in national vote

intention polls - around 10 percent. Why should Canadians have to hear

from Gilles Duceppe when most of us can't vote for him but yet are

prevented from hearing what the Green Party has to say when we run

nation-wide?

-We have a sitting MP in the House of Commons. One MP was good enough

to include Preston Manning in the debates in 1993, it was good enough

to include Lucien Bouchard in the debates in 1993, and it's good

enough to include Elizabeth May in the debates in 2008.

-We are a national party and run across the country. The Bloc and

Reform parties never did this yet were included in debates.

-77% of Canadians wants us in the debates according to two separate

national polls, one by us and one by Harris-Decima polling.

-The airwaves are publicly-owned and the public wants to hear from the

Green Party.