I, like most people, do not understand why there is such a fluctuation in gas prices between here and there. For example I was in Sudbury this morning and at some of the gas stations, gas was posted at $1.34 for a liter. In Peterborough this afternoon I saw one gas station advertising a litre for $1.18. While of course both prices are far too high - one has to wonder why gas five hours north of Peterborough is 14 cents more a litre. There is no logic at all.
Had to buy some gas a few miles down 169. I was getting near empty and did not want to risk getting stuck somewhere in the middle of nowhere. So I stopped at a small station that advertised native cigarettes. When I got out of the car a nice gentleman started to fill my tank. He asked if I had a status card and then said - "naw - I guess not". Then we talked about long hair - his was almost as long as mine, then about my beard. He was curious to know if the flies got in it. We then got on to the business of why deer flies always buzz around the back of your head where you can't see them and how he had stuck some flypaper on the back of his brother's hat to trap them. Then he told me this story.
He, his brother and his sister-in-law were sitting in a canoe fishing. Every once in a while his sister-in-law who was in in the middle would hit her husband across the back of the head with a rolled up newspaper. Really hard. he would turn around and asked " what did you do that for?"
She would say " there was a deer fly on your shoulder". Then 5 minutes later she would do the same thing again. After the 4th or 5th time she hit him - he said " I am going to want to see some dead bodies pretty soon!"
Not the funniest joke - but if I have to pay a lot for gas - it sure feels better when there is some human contact that goes along with it.
Tuesday, June 7, 2011
Friday, May 27, 2011
Bob Rae
I have never voted for a liberal, but if I lived in Toronto Centre (Rae's riding) I think I just might.
I have always liked and more importantly respected the man. I even liked him during the Rae days as that plan allowed me to keep staff on instead of having to fire them. He strikes me as a decent human being who perhaps has never received the recognition that he deserves.
Within weeks of being elected as Premier of Ontario his was being vilified by the business press and within months his support from the unions also was in doubt. He had the bad luck to be elected at a time when the economy was quickly going down the toilet and in spite of the fact that he did more to reduce the provincial expenditures than any other premier before or since, he has been tarred with the belief that he was a big spender who drove down the economy.
He has a long record of looking for compromise and of doing not what is best for him politically - but what he thinks is best for the party and the country.He didn't quit when Dion got elected nor did he cause problems when Ignatieff managed to assume power without being elected. He stayed on, he was effective and supportive. He remain committed to the party. I never saw any comment of his that suggested that he did not support his leader 100%.
Bob Rae's decision to be the interim leader of the Liberal party demonstrates his commitment. I think that there can be no doubt that he wanted to be the Liberal leader and try to become Prime Minister. By agreeing to be the man who will try to rebuild the party he has taken that possibility away from himself. Which is a pity.
We need politicians who can consistently demonstrate that politics can be an honourable profession. We, the public, need to know that there are people who see public office not as a chance to get ahead or to achieve power but rather as a chance to serve the people.
Bob Rae provides a powerful counter balance to Stephen Harper. Canada needs such a person.
I have always liked and more importantly respected the man. I even liked him during the Rae days as that plan allowed me to keep staff on instead of having to fire them. He strikes me as a decent human being who perhaps has never received the recognition that he deserves.
Within weeks of being elected as Premier of Ontario his was being vilified by the business press and within months his support from the unions also was in doubt. He had the bad luck to be elected at a time when the economy was quickly going down the toilet and in spite of the fact that he did more to reduce the provincial expenditures than any other premier before or since, he has been tarred with the belief that he was a big spender who drove down the economy.
He has a long record of looking for compromise and of doing not what is best for him politically - but what he thinks is best for the party and the country.He didn't quit when Dion got elected nor did he cause problems when Ignatieff managed to assume power without being elected. He stayed on, he was effective and supportive. He remain committed to the party. I never saw any comment of his that suggested that he did not support his leader 100%.
Bob Rae's decision to be the interim leader of the Liberal party demonstrates his commitment. I think that there can be no doubt that he wanted to be the Liberal leader and try to become Prime Minister. By agreeing to be the man who will try to rebuild the party he has taken that possibility away from himself. Which is a pity.
We need politicians who can consistently demonstrate that politics can be an honourable profession. We, the public, need to know that there are people who see public office not as a chance to get ahead or to achieve power but rather as a chance to serve the people.
Bob Rae provides a powerful counter balance to Stephen Harper. Canada needs such a person.
Monday, May 23, 2011
How to make a soccer ball
For the last six or so years I have helped my granddaughter make her birthday pinata. Last year, because I couldn't get up there early enough to work on it, I made her a soccer ball here at home without her help. It wasn't quite round - but it was close enough. This year when I asked her what she wanted - she said soccer ball again.
Another soccer ball would not have been my first choice. They are a bit complicated to make but not that creative. After all how hard can it be to make a round pinata with only 2 colours?. The answer is - surprisingly hard. The first problem is that round balloons ( used to provide the shape) are not really round. They are more like fat pears. So you need two "round" balloons each covered with paper mache about two thirds of the surface. I find a couple of coats are needed. DO NOT [PUT THE BALLOONS OUT IN THE SUN TO DRY. Why you ask - 'cause the sun warms up the air inside the balloon, the balloon expands and tears the paper. Then you have to start over. Don't bother to ask me how I know.....
Once the paper mache is dry, cut the balloon and let the air out. If you are lucky, the balloon will separate from the sides and you can pull the rubber out and throw it away. You then have to make the two ends fit together- hopefully with a bit of careful cutting and trimming - they form an almost round shape.
Using masking tape and paper mache seal the seams. White paper towel makes a nice texture on the completed ball. I usually cover the completed ball with white tissue paper.
Now comes the fun part. Traditional soccer balls are made up of hexagons and pentagons. (look up on the Internet how to draw a pentagon - it is not that hard) You must make sure that the side on the pentagon is the same length as a side on the hexagon. How do you know it is the right size you ask. Great question. My answer is that I don't know. I just used trial and error until it looked right.
Use red (or any other colour) tissue paper for the pentagon, draw with a water proof marker the hexagon shapes and you are done.
Sounds pretty easy to me. Here is a picture.
Another hint - be careful of how many layers one applies. I think there is a fine line between making it rigid enough so that it keeps its shape and not making too thick. I may of this year used too many layers. Thinking about bringing up gas for the chain saw.
Another soccer ball would not have been my first choice. They are a bit complicated to make but not that creative. After all how hard can it be to make a round pinata with only 2 colours?. The answer is - surprisingly hard. The first problem is that round balloons ( used to provide the shape) are not really round. They are more like fat pears. So you need two "round" balloons each covered with paper mache about two thirds of the surface. I find a couple of coats are needed. DO NOT [PUT THE BALLOONS OUT IN THE SUN TO DRY. Why you ask - 'cause the sun warms up the air inside the balloon, the balloon expands and tears the paper. Then you have to start over. Don't bother to ask me how I know.....
Once the paper mache is dry, cut the balloon and let the air out. If you are lucky, the balloon will separate from the sides and you can pull the rubber out and throw it away. You then have to make the two ends fit together- hopefully with a bit of careful cutting and trimming - they form an almost round shape.
Using masking tape and paper mache seal the seams. White paper towel makes a nice texture on the completed ball. I usually cover the completed ball with white tissue paper.
Now comes the fun part. Traditional soccer balls are made up of hexagons and pentagons. (look up on the Internet how to draw a pentagon - it is not that hard) You must make sure that the side on the pentagon is the same length as a side on the hexagon. How do you know it is the right size you ask. Great question. My answer is that I don't know. I just used trial and error until it looked right.
Use red (or any other colour) tissue paper for the pentagon, draw with a water proof marker the hexagon shapes and you are done.
Sounds pretty easy to me. Here is a picture.Another hint - be careful of how many layers one applies. I think there is a fine line between making it rigid enough so that it keeps its shape and not making too thick. I may of this year used too many layers. Thinking about bringing up gas for the chain saw.
Friday, May 20, 2011
Transition time
It is that time of the year when I move from the somewhat stable - perhaps even predictable - some would say a rather conservative being to my other persona - "hitchhiker". I don't mean to suggest that I am not stable when I travel - if anything I need to be more structured and careful in my thinking - but rather that I have absolutely no way of predicting how or when I will get there. It takes a certain amount of discipline to be able to let go (yes I am aware of the paradoxical nature of that statement). Making the move from one lifestyle to the other is always a somewhat difficult transition and this year it feels as if it has been harder than usual. Although I suspect that I say that every year.
School responsibilities have hung on longer than normal.and I don't feel as organized as I could/should about my trip. For example - I still have not decided what day to leave nor have I checked out my gear. Maybe next week I will get those things done.
Perhaps it is the weather - it is so hard to think about summer when it feels as if one can count on the fingers of one hand how many really nice days we have had in the past month or so.
BUT I am excited - for the last 6-8 weeks I have been dreaming of the rides I have got in the past and the rides that I will get this year. Rich fantasies of making it from Winnipeg to Duncan even faster than I did last year - although unless I get picked up by a couple mad people who drive 20 hours a day - I don't see how that is possible. I lay in bed and remember what the Rockies look like as one makes that long sweeping turn on the Trans-Canada some where between Calgary and Canmore....and there they are. Lord, they are majestic!!! But the soft fields of Manitoba and Saskatchewan and the gently rolling roads of the foot hills are equally as wonderful.
And then there are the people - what new stories will I be told? What lessons will I be given? Oh I am so ready to be on my way.
School responsibilities have hung on longer than normal.and I don't feel as organized as I could/should about my trip. For example - I still have not decided what day to leave nor have I checked out my gear. Maybe next week I will get those things done.
Perhaps it is the weather - it is so hard to think about summer when it feels as if one can count on the fingers of one hand how many really nice days we have had in the past month or so.
BUT I am excited - for the last 6-8 weeks I have been dreaming of the rides I have got in the past and the rides that I will get this year. Rich fantasies of making it from Winnipeg to Duncan even faster than I did last year - although unless I get picked up by a couple mad people who drive 20 hours a day - I don't see how that is possible. I lay in bed and remember what the Rockies look like as one makes that long sweeping turn on the Trans-Canada some where between Calgary and Canmore....and there they are. Lord, they are majestic!!! But the soft fields of Manitoba and Saskatchewan and the gently rolling roads of the foot hills are equally as wonderful.
And then there are the people - what new stories will I be told? What lessons will I be given? Oh I am so ready to be on my way.
Wednesday, May 11, 2011
Happy Birthday!!!
I am 62 today. Not a momentous age compared to others. There was a time perhaps when 62 would have been seen as "getting up there" but not anymore. There are far too many active folks out there in the mid 80s for someone my age to come even close to being considered old.
But the signs of aging are there. It is not just the grey hairs in my beard ( which truth be told have been there for some time), or in the greying of my hair that tell me that I am getting old(er). The proof that I am not what I use to be is, for me, my mind. My memory is slowly becoming less effective at retrieving information. All of that information (much of which I must confess was rather useless) that I have collected for years is becoming more difficult to find. I know it is there - I just can't find it.
It is frustrating to say the least.
On the other hand I am reasonably healthy; I have good friends, great kids and grand kids; a job that I enjoy and hobbies that fill my days. I suspect that as long as I can remember that I am truly blessed with my life - the other memory lapses don't really matter.
But the signs of aging are there. It is not just the grey hairs in my beard ( which truth be told have been there for some time), or in the greying of my hair that tell me that I am getting old(er). The proof that I am not what I use to be is, for me, my mind. My memory is slowly becoming less effective at retrieving information. All of that information (much of which I must confess was rather useless) that I have collected for years is becoming more difficult to find. I know it is there - I just can't find it.
It is frustrating to say the least.
On the other hand I am reasonably healthy; I have good friends, great kids and grand kids; a job that I enjoy and hobbies that fill my days. I suspect that as long as I can remember that I am truly blessed with my life - the other memory lapses don't really matter.
Friday, May 6, 2011
aftermath of an election
I am surprised that it has taken me so long to respond to the election results. I think it is in part because I have been politically depressed (and perhaps even afraid of being politically oppressed). In fact I have not felt this down since Mike Harris won the Ontario Provincial election in 1995. It is so tempting to throw up one's hands in defeat and despair. It would be so easy to say that there is nothing to be done; that we are lost forever as we rapidly descend into hell in the proverbial hand basket.
But there is something that can be done - more importantly there is something that must be done. We constantly seem to forget that those who are the right side of the political spectrum are smart people. They are planful. They develop strategies and stick to them. We of the left side of that someone hard to define spectrum need to do the same. The next election is only 4 years away. We must start today to plan for that election.
What does that mean? We need to reach out to and engage the 14 year olds so that they are ready and motivated to vote when their turn comes. It was great that so many (relatively speaking) university students got involved. But we need to get every student involved. It is not enough to say that we don't care who they vote for as long as they vote. We do care who they vote for - it is time we said so. The Right cleverly targets specific groups and nurtures a relationship with them. It provides a logic for why one should agree with and support the multi-national approach to government.
It is well past time the time that we can afford to make the assumption that the truth is self evident. It is clearly apparent that it is not. It is time for those of us who know and understand what is happening to do as Gramsci suggested. We intellectuals (using his definition of an intellectual) need to provide leaderships in the areas of education and dialogue.
It is time to act.
But there is something that can be done - more importantly there is something that must be done. We constantly seem to forget that those who are the right side of the political spectrum are smart people. They are planful. They develop strategies and stick to them. We of the left side of that someone hard to define spectrum need to do the same. The next election is only 4 years away. We must start today to plan for that election.
What does that mean? We need to reach out to and engage the 14 year olds so that they are ready and motivated to vote when their turn comes. It was great that so many (relatively speaking) university students got involved. But we need to get every student involved. It is not enough to say that we don't care who they vote for as long as they vote. We do care who they vote for - it is time we said so. The Right cleverly targets specific groups and nurtures a relationship with them. It provides a logic for why one should agree with and support the multi-national approach to government.
It is well past time the time that we can afford to make the assumption that the truth is self evident. It is clearly apparent that it is not. It is time for those of us who know and understand what is happening to do as Gramsci suggested. We intellectuals (using his definition of an intellectual) need to provide leaderships in the areas of education and dialogue.
It is time to act.
Sunday, April 24, 2011
Elections - decisions
Polesters should not be able to release the polling numbers. It confuses me and I suspect it confuses most people. The latest poles seem to suggest that the Conservatives are in the lead - a romping 38% where as the Liberals and NDP are tied somewhere around the mid 20s. Which may mean nothing at all. But people may panic and change their vote if they feel that the Conservatives may get a majority - or they might join the band wagon and vote Conservative.
If the NDP are only gaining support in Quebec - then they may get a few seats there ( seems unlikely) but will do little to bled seats away from the Liberals. However - if they take seats in Ontario - it might in fact help the Conservatives.
However if the most recent polls are right - we could conceivably have a Conservative majority government with the 2 other parties combined having more of the popular vote.(Do you think we need to change how we count votes??)
The above speculation is exactly why we should not see the results of polls - it causes us to speculate as opposed to making a decision about who to vote for based on policy as opposed to fear.
If the NDP are only gaining support in Quebec - then they may get a few seats there ( seems unlikely) but will do little to bled seats away from the Liberals. However - if they take seats in Ontario - it might in fact help the Conservatives.
However if the most recent polls are right - we could conceivably have a Conservative majority government with the 2 other parties combined having more of the popular vote.(Do you think we need to change how we count votes??)
The above speculation is exactly why we should not see the results of polls - it causes us to speculate as opposed to making a decision about who to vote for based on policy as opposed to fear.
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