King Arthur Movie Tristan

OK, I'll be the one to bite. What, exactly, has Al Gore done for peace?

Not global warming, not enviro-nazi-ism (of whom he is king), but peace. Put down your guns and stop this silly fighting kind of peace.

From RBC's quarterly economic report Provincial Outlook (October 2007):

Ontario — Forecast lowered; competitiveness waning

We have shaved our 2008 growth forecast down significantly, but expect that
growth will rebound modestly in 2009 as the U.S. economy accelerates, currency
relief materializes, major capital spending by the provincial government kicks in
and new auto sector investments swing into production. Renewed upward pressures
on the currency, ongoing strength in oil and other commodity inputs,
weaker U.S. growth and the surge in China’s exports as a share of U.S. imports all
mean that central Canada’s manufacturers will face another challenging year.
Also, forestry, Ontario’s second biggest sector, faces at least another year of
weak commodity prices and escalating costs.

While 2009 may bring modestly stronger growth, our chief concern is for the
economy’s long-run competitiveness under the crushing corporate tax burden
that acts as a sharp disincentive to invest. If the province were a country, then,
when properly measured, it would have the second highest tax burden on new
business investment in the world. Much of this goes to funding very rapid
growth in short-term government program spending, with health accounting for
about one-half. Ontario has had the second fastest growth rate on program
spending behind Alberta in recent years, but in a relatively soft economy and
without the Alberta government’s resource royalties backing this spending.
Addressing this high tax burden would be a significant offset to the currency
pressures on the province’s businesses. In fact, much of the incentive to invest
as a result of the 60% currency-induced cheapening in imported capital goods
gets yanked right back by extraordinarily high rates of taxation. (Emphasis mine).

Now that the election is over, can we get around to discussing the economy? What did happen to the CAW and it's complaints about the manufacturing crisis during the election? How will one more day of pay for one less day of work help businesses in this province be competitive?

A year or two ago I read up on The Freedom Party, and noted they were looking for qualified people to step up as candidates in the next Provincial election. I considered contacting them and submitting myself. However, I confess I wondered if autoworker/periodic blogger meant qualified, even if I have a degree in economics. I figured, to be honest, a better candidate would put their name forward.

Yesterday as I sat in front of my pathetic choices, mumbling I can't do it, I can't vote for any of them, I wondered why I never put my name forward: at least there would have been somebody on the ballot I could have put my X beside, instead of pissing away my democratic prerogative. And so today I think, maybe I should have sent that e mail, just to see what they would say.

With that in mind I pass a message on to Freedom Party leader Paul McKeever: if the PC's can't put up a better leader, somebody who is not a red Tory, then count me in for 2011 - assuming of course you want me.

Now that the Ontario election is over, we can ask it? Is there anybody, anywhere, who's a worse campaigner than John Tory? He ran Kim Campbell's 1992 disaster, got his ass kicked over a bridge that affects a few hundred voters in Toronto, and now the Ontario election where, instead of voters warming to John Tory as promised, his numbers went down as the campaign wore on. This against a dishonest Premier who is presiding over Ontario's descent into have-not status within confederation, while anarchy reigns in small pockets of the province. If you couldn't beat this guy, couldn't even mount a reasonable challenge against him, you don't belong in politics.

For me, I was planning on holding my nose and voting PC, until last week: In order to win over my vote, specifically my vote I believe, John Tory decided to announce test marketing corner store sale of beer and wine. It was the bone I needed throwing to get my vote. Then my local moron, Gerry Martiniuk, stated in debates last week he's not in favour of that policy. One conservative policy in the whole damn platform, and my local Progressive Conservative candidate is not in favour of it.

One bone, that's all I asked for. I frickin' bone.

So after voting F*&% no to MMP, I voted for Gerry Nicholls favourite candidate, Montgomery Brewster. A cowards way out, I admit, but John Tory/Gerry Martiniuk had made themselves un-votable in my eyes, and they were heads and shoulders above the rest, at least in my riding.

What a mess this whole election was. Can we please get on with finding a conservative to run the Conservative party in Ontario, and start getting back to having some hope.

Fall Reading Challenge

Fall Into Reading 2007 is a casual, low-pressure challenge. The point is simply to provide motivation to read, and to provide an opportunity for all of us to set goals when it comes to our personal (or family) reading. As a participant, all you'll have to do is make a list of books you'd like to read (or books you'd like to finish!) this fall. We'll share our goals with each other, and then share our experience and results when the challenge is over....

Fall Into Reading 2007 will take place throughout the fall of 2007. The official dates are September 23rd through December 21st.


Here's my picks:


1. Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte

2. Snow Flower and the Secret Fan by Lisa See

3. Where the Heart Is by Billie Letts

All the weeks Fluff stories about all those Hollywood nuts.

Led Zeppelin fans hopefully checked their e-mails Monday for one of 10,000 codes that were sent out to receive tickets. Fans who didn't receive their code are now complaining about the process in various online forums. The chief complaints are that the codes were non-re-sellable and that only 20,000 tickets were made public for a 30,000 seat arena, meaning 10,000 would be going to "Friends" of promoter Harvey Gooldsmith. (I know of two radio stations who are having Led Zeppelin giveaways, so there must be a pile of radio stations worldwide getting a pair of tickets).

At Home in Hespeler is more than a little pleased to say I will be reporting live from London on November 26th.

Britney Spears has lost custody of her children, a judge this week giving full custody to her ex-boytoy Kevin Federline. I don't know what's more remarkable, that Kevin Federline is considered a better parent than anybody, or that just when it was looking like Britney was at the end of her particular 15 minuted, morons dressed up as music fans started buying her latest song. So much for the "one last talentless hack to kick around" post.

Meanwhile Forbes.com did some homework and discovered that Britney decreases magazine sales when shes on the cover. So maybe she will just go away anyway.

And the face most likely to sell magazines...

Sigh - I'll buy that.