Attack on American city infrastructure

Some hidden news items just make the hair stand up on the back of my neck. Read the whole thing Is this just some disgruntled (ex-)employees or something more sinister.

Just after midnight on Thursday, April 9, unidentified attackers climbed down four manholes serving the Northern California city of Morgan Hill and cut eight fiber cables in what appears to have been an organized attack on the electronic infrastructure of an American city. Its implications, though startling, have gone almost un-reported.

That attack demonstrated a severe fault in American infrastructure: its centralization. The city of Morgan Hill and parts of three counties lost 911 service, cellular mobile telephone communications, land-line telephone, DSL internet and private networks, central station fire and burglar alarms, ATMs, credit card terminals, and monitoring of critical utilities. In addition, resources that should not have failed, like the local hospital's internal computer network, proved to be dependent on external resources, leaving the hospital with a "paper system" for the day.

In technical terms, the area was partitioned from the surrounding internet. What was the attackers goal? Nothing has been revealed. Robbery? With wires cut, silent alarms were useless. Manipulation of the stock market? Companies, brokerages, and investors in the very wealthy community were cut off. Mayhem, murder, terrorism? But nothing like that seems to have happened. Some theorize unhappy communications workers, given the apparent knowledge of the community's infrastructure necessary for this attack. Or did the attackers simply want to teach us a lesson?

Although they are silent on the topic, I hope those responsible for emergency services, be they in business or government, are learning the lessons of Morgan Hill. The first lesson is what stayed up: stand-alone radio systems and not much else. Cell phones failed. Cellular towers can not, in general, connect phone calls on their own, even if both phones are near the same tower. They communicate with a central switching computer to operate, and when that system doesn't respond, they're useless. But police and fire authorities still had internal communications via two-way radio.

(...)

The most surprising news from Morgan Hill is that they survived reasonably unscathed. That they did so is a result of emergency planning in place for California's four seasons: fire, floods, earthquakes, and riots. Most communities don't practice disaster plans as intensively.

Will there be another Morgan Hill? Definitely. And the next time it might happen to a denser community that won't be so astonishingly able to sustain the trouble using its two-way radios and hams. The next time, it might be connected with some other event, be it crime or terrorism. Company and government officers take notice: the only way you'll fare well is if you start planning now.

Solar without Silicon?

From ISA, I received a notice of some advancements from NINT (National Institute for Nanotechnology) at the University of Alberta.

By layering plastics and other materials, Canadian researchers are extracting electricity from the sun without expensive silicon.

The Canada’s National Institute for Nanotechnology (NINT) and the University of Alberta have engineered an approach that is leading to improved performance of plastic solar cells (hybrid organic solar cells).

The development of inexpensive, mass-produced plastic solar panels is a goal of intense interest for many of the world’s scientists and engineers because of the high cost and shortage of the ultra-high purity silicon and other materials normally required.

Jillian Buriak, a professor of chemistry at the U of A, NINT principal investigator, and member of the research team, uses a simple analogy to describe the approach: “Consider a clubhouse sandwich, with many different layers. One layer absorbs the light, another helps to generate the electricity, and others help to draw the electricity out of the device. Normally, the layers don’t stick well, and so the electricity ends up stuck and never gets out, leading to inefficient devices. We are working on the mayonnaise, the mustard, the butter, and other ‘special sauces’ that bring the sandwich together and make each of the layers work together. That makes a better sandwich, and makes a better solar cell in our case.”

After two years of research, these U of A and NINT scientists have, by only working on one part of the sandwich, seen improvements of about 30% in the efficiency of the working model.

The end goal is to produce plastic solar cell material that ink-jet printers will make cheaply, quickly, and in massive quantities.

Working on the special sauces. :) It does sound interesting and I should look into the details of this work.

For Those Who Take Life Too Seriously

For Those Who Take Life Too Seriously

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Standing Up For Canada

I attended the Calgary Rally for Canada today. Alderman Rick MacIver, Alberta MLA Jonathon Denis, MP Jason Kenny, and former minister Monte Solberg spoke at the rally. About 3000 people showed up for the demonstration. Previously I haven't thought a lot of the style by Jason Kenny but he certainly does seem to work his butt off for his party. I loved it when the chant went up 'Rick for mayor' but that's just me. Even Dion is a better politician than Bronconnier. There was also a good sign 'There's room for only one Iggy in Calgary'.

But anyways, I was wondering how Dion could have possibly have made such a silly move that has actually improved the polling for the Conservatives to the point where they could form a majority government. Here is what I came up with.

1. Do you think it's easy keeping Elizabeth May happy? After all, she says that she got a million votes!
2. Paul Martin left me some great drapes for 24 Sussex Drive and I just need to see how they look on the windows.
3. My wife says that people like a bad boy. How do you like this bad boy?
4. I love the phrase 'Jack and Gilles went up Parliament Hill' so I had to be part of it. They'll be writing poetry about our coalition...well limericks at least.
5. Hey, I got Jacques Parizeau to stop drinking long enough to make a public statement, didn't I?
6. I thought that this was the best way to keep Bob Rae out of the finance position. Let him argue with Layton over the job.
7. To keep concerns about the economy fresh during the Christmas holidays, I have sent Bob Rae across Canada to act as the ghost of financial disasters past.
8. You must admit. For once, Canadians are looking forward to voting in an election. My campaign to get people engaged has been hugely successful.
9. The best way to get people to forget your previous disasters is to screw up bigger than ever before. If there's one thing that Harper underestimated about me, it is my ability to make monumentally crazy decisions. I love to be underestimated.
10. The Obama message of hope and change really got to me. Now I think all Canadians feel it too and hope to change all of the coalition party leaders.
    

Update: Here the link to my Facebook photo gallery of the Calgary Rally.

Following Europe is always a bad idea

It has been a LONG time since Europe has been a guiding light for the planet. On issues such as farm subsidies, Europe puts itself first. Additionally, while complaining about US green in the current financial crisis, the obvious observation is that Europe is knee deep in the financial muck. Surely Europeans are sophistocated enough to be above green. **Cough**

In his Ottawa Sun article, Lorrie Goldstein puts a voice to the concept of mindlessly following European policy.

How many times in this election have you heard a "green" party leader -- say Elizabeth May, Stephane Dion or Jack Layton argue: It's time Canada followed Europe's example in fighting global warming?

But what "example" do they mean?

It would be helpful if they would tell Canadians, whose votes they're seeking Oct. 14, about what's really going on in Europe with regard to attempts there to reduce carbon emissions.

(...)

The 27-member European Union's proclamation of 18 months ago "to save the world from climate change" is in huge trouble, with many countries in danger of missing their Kyoto targets and soaring energy prices hammering their economies.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel, once regarded as Europe's "green champion," "today ... sounds like a lobbyist for German business, listing the industries that must be shielded from the full costs of her (climate) package."

- Indeed, notes the Guardian, "the heroic mood" of the EU last year is long gone while "almost every country has found reasons why the climate change promises may be impossible to meet in their current form."

Ireland wants special protection for its farming industry. Poland and several other former Soviet satellites are worried they may have to import natural gas from Russia to meet their EU targets, especially in light of Russia's war with Georgia.

Meanwhile, in the U.K., the Daily Mail reported Friday, skyrocketing energy prices and fears of increasing instability of supply have created a rapidly growing class of citizens (estimated at 3.5 million to 5.5 million households) living in "fuel poverty," meaning they spend more than 10% of their disposable income on household energy alone.

In light of all this, perhaps our leaders, whenever they talk in future about following Europe's lead in fighting global warming, should at least put out a warning to stop short of the cliff.

Heavy Elements

The linked letter in the Calgary Sun is wonderfully hilarious. Kudos to the Chuck who wrote the letter.

THE HEAVIEST ELEMENT

Research has led to the discovery of the heaviest element yet known to science: The new element, Governmentium (Gv), has one neutron, 25 assistant neutrons, 88 deputy neutrons, and 198 assistant deputy neutrons, giving it an atomic mass of 312.

These 312 particles are held together by forces called morons, which are surrounded by vast quantities of lepton-like particles called peons. Since Governmentium has no electrons, it is inert, however, it can be detected, because it impedes every reaction with which it comes into contact.

A tiny amount of Governmentium can cause a reaction normally taking less than a second, to take from four days to four years to complete. When catalyzed with money, Governmentium becomes Administratium (Am), another just-discovered element that radiates just as much energy as Governmentium since it has half as many peons but twice as many morons.

Chuck Wilcox

P.S. A neutron walks into a bar and asks the bartender "How much for a beer bartender?".
The bartender answers "For you, no charge".

Today I am no longer a bitter Green Party Member

Sigh, finally I am done dealing with the effects of my days as a crazy young 38-year-old. My 2 year Green Party of Canada membership expired today. I got a notice in the mail stating "Your membership in the Green Party of Canada is up for renewal TODAY! We hope you've enjoyed being a member of Canada's most progressive political party over the past year, and that you will renew your support today". Well, if anyone has paid attention over the past year, they will know that I am displeased with the unprofessional nature of Elizabeth May and the current leadership of the Green Party. Possibly, I was never 'green enough' for the party but I gave a little time and money so they can't complain.

However, a second e-mail came from the Green Party which to me made the following statement. The Green Party is not below profiteering from a policy that they vociferously disagree with. As an appendage of Dion's Liberals, the Greens have taken a stance against the GST cut by Stephen Harper. This is the test of the e-mail I received today that is preachy and hypocritical.

Stephen Harper's Conservatives have cut the GST twice, one per cent each time, at a total cost to the federal treasury of $12 billion per year. That's money that could help give Canadians the opportunities and infrastructure we need to build a better Canada in a safer world.

These cuts will "save" middle-income Canadian families – those earning around $60,000 a year – about $500, according to Harper's projections.

Harper says that you can put this money to better use than his government can.

We couldn't agree more.

You can put the money to better use.

Giving half back to the Green Party will help us fight for a sustainable economy and a more abundant, greener future for all Canadians. We're asking for $250 – half your GST "savings".

Your $250 contribution will help the Green Party to fight for seats in Parliament and to send a message that there is a smarter way to finance the future and enhance the present.

Cutting taxes on consumption (e.g., the GST) doesn't make sense. It encourages spending on big-ticket luxury items, without doing much for people trying to make ends meet. And it takes money out of the common pot that we must maintain to meet everyday common needs. Worse yet, the cost to the common pot – the federal treasury – can only go up as prices and luxury consumption increase.

A Green government will need money to repair the damage already done to the land we live on, the air we breathe and the water we drink. But it will also need revenues to finance the things that give all Canadians a leg-up in a competitive world: basic infrastructure, research that sustains innovation, enforceable rules that preserve and brand the quality of Canadian products. And we need well-educated citizens working together in that world. Citizens relieved of unnecessary worry about the health and security of their families; citizens able to draw on a variety of experiences and connections to the world to make a stronger Canada.

We will need to raise that money through sensible taxes that send clear messages about Green priorities. We need to rebalance the tax system, but not the way Stephen Harper has done.

Cities are the engines of economic growth. We need to redirect part of the GST revenues to Canadian municipalities so they can build and maintain infrastructures and services without unfairly burdening local rate-payers.

More generally, we need a shift to taxes that:

Discourage environmentally harmful consumption
- tax carbon emissions
- tax credits for locally produced and locally consumed goods
Create and sustain abundance
- tax credits to encourage more Canadian research and development
- lower pay-roll taxes, to encourage employment
Share economic rewards fairly
- Canada's economy grew 50% between 1984 and 2004, but according to Statistics Canada almost all the net gain went to a small elite of tax-payers. Taxes need to come down on lower incomes, while they go up on the very highest.

The Green party is a long way from government, but you can help get it there. Contribute the better half – the greener half – of your GST "savings" to funding a better future for Canada. Send a donation of $250 (or sign up for a $20 donation per month, if you prefer) to the Green Party of Canada. You'll even get a tax credit ($187.50 back on a $250 donation) for doing it!

Colbert Licenses HNIC Theme Song

This is great bit by Stephen Colbert as he pokes at our Canadian sensibilities to the loss of the Hockey Night in Canada theme song from the CBC. There is an added benefit to hear the great oratory skills of the Alberta premier.

Stelmach Pulls a Fast One

I must admit. I am ashamed to admit that I voted PC in the last provincial election. Yep, and then THIS happened.

The anger from Alberta taxpayers is pouring out after the provincial Tories approved a decidedly sneaky pay raise for MLAs and the premier.

That will see their salaries hiked by roughly 30%-34% and it will make Ed Stelmach the highest-paid premier in the nation at $213,450. MLAs will make $184,000, up from about $142,000.

The sneaky part was the hikes were approved last week when Stelmach and cabinet ministers met behind closed doors.

To add insult to injury, the politicians had already received an indexed pay hike in April of 4.5%.

I must admit that I have received more than a 5% raise this year but hey, I'm living in Calgary.

Firstly, there is an existing mechanism to adjust MLA salaries based on inflation...that is the 4.5%.

Secondly, I completely agree with this assessment.

"If the rationale of Stelmach and company's obscene raises is that they are necessary to attract the best people, this should have been revealed before the election," said one Edmonton Sun reader who's typical of citizens who are outraged. "When one applies for a job, salary and benefits are discussed before hiring!"

As Stelmach's bosses, we somehow have no say for another 4 years. Isn't that special!!! There are also 2 rather negative interpretations of the current set of PCs. Either they are not a strong set of people since, after all, the previous salaries were not sufficient to attract good people. OR some of the PC candidates had a nudge nudge wink wink understanding that they would be getting this almighty raise after the election.

Thirdly, isn't a third of MLA's salarys given tax-free status? This on top of inflation adjustment and the whopping raise!

Here is another article objecting to the theft from Albertan's pockets.

Seriously, how does the province expect to keep union demands to reasonable levels when MLA's are giving themselves 34% raises. The PC party has no credibility left to deal with union demands.

The PC party has no credibility left period. I was a sucker enough to vote for our new minister of justice instead of for her highly qualified opponent. Congratulations Stelmach, you've just turned off another former PC voter.

Next election (if I'm in Alberta), it will be ABPC (anyone but PC).

June 11 Update:

And so it begins.

EDMONTON -- Alberta's health minister says the province is losing three senior public health doctors to higher bidders at a time when such experts are in short supply across Canada.

(...)

Health Minister Ron Liepert said yesterday the three are leaving when their contracts expire in August because the health ministry was outbid for their services.

"Public health doctors are in short supply across the country," Liepert said. "There is a limit as to what the government of Alberta can pay for certain positions.

(...)

Liepert was asked about the optics of refusing to match the salary demands of public health officials at a time when cabinet voted itself a 30% pay increase.

"That door is closed," he said.

I really don't understand how 'that door is closed' answers the question of optics. The door is now open from now until the next election for people to validly criticize the contracts, or indeed the failures to come to a contractual agreement, on the basis that the government is being inappropriately stingy relative to the 34% pay raise for cabinet ministers.

I mean really, does my own MLA, the Minister of Justice deserve the 34% pay raise after only a few months on the job. Her accomplishments anyone?!?

June 12 Update:

Another comment on the public health crisis

(Dr. Richard) Long said there's likely more to their ousters than a contract dispute, which partly refutes claims made Tuesday by Health Minister Ron Liepert. Long said the entire affair illustrates the need for the provincial health office to be set apart from political concerns.

Meanwhile, Long and other public health experts warned Alberta, particularly rural areas, may be vulnerable to a health crisis with its top public health staff leaving at one time.

It emerged earlier in the week that Dr. Karen Grimsrud, the acting provincial health officer, Dr. Gloria Keays, the deputy provincial health officer, and Dr. Ameeta Singh, an infectious disease medical consultant, are all leaving their posts in August. Their departure follows another senior public health physician who left several months ago.

Liepert said the province couldn't afford to pay their salaries and they will be pursuing opportunities elsewhere. But he said little else and the doctors have remained silent.

From the Rutherford show, it was also indicated that Richard Long is leaving his post as well. The situation seems to be going from bad to worse.

Greens skinny on Kyoto plans

After Elizabeth May's ill advised and infantile attack on Harpers greenhouse approach at the recent commonwealth conference, the spotlight naturally switched off of Harper and onto the absurdity of Mays Chamberlain comparison...yet AGAIN. I don't know if Harper is happy that she took the spotlight off of him or upset that she isn't taking more of the progressive votes from the Liberals.

My issue in this blog entry is that Harper has staked a constant position on greenhouse emissions.

Kampala - Commonwealth Conference

Canada fought vociferously against the initial wording of a proposed climate-change resolution that called for "binding commitments" for greenhouse gas emissions that would be applied to developed countries. Mr. Harper balked, insisting that if targets were to be binding, they should apply to all large emitters, in particular emerging economies like China and India, a member of the Commonwealth.

"Agreeing to an international statement like that doesn't get us anywhere any further than we're at already. If we're going to get an effective international protocol ... we have to get everybody to sign on at once."

(...)

India and South Africa, who believe that the major responsibility for global warning remains with the developed world, said they would not sign on to "binding commitments" either.

Germany - Early summer G8 meeting

Before leaving this exclusive Baltic Sea resort, Harper delivered his sharpest criticism yet of U.S. President George W. Bush's refusal to accept binding targets.

"One of the things about climate change and emissions control is that they're a lot simpler if everyone does them," he said. "If everyone does them, there's nobody gaining competitive advantage over the others as a consequence. Then I think the real benefits of technological change and adaptation can come to the fore - changes by which I think Canada can be a huge beneficiary."

Harper challenged the U.S. to show leadership on climate change, noting that Canadian companies will be at a competitive disadvantage if America does not set targets for reducing greenhouse-gas emissions.

(...)

This week, Harper said any successor to the Kyoto accord on climate change should include the United States and fast-emerging economies such as China and India. But China has resisted setting any "quantifiable" emissions targets, even though it is projected to surpass the U.S. in the next few years as the world's biggest emitter of greenhouse gases.

From Gay and Right, China and Brazil emphasize their opposition to binding greenhouse emission targets.

China

BEIJING: China will reject any demands that it cut greenhouse gas emissions to the same level as the U.S. and other developed nations, an official said Thursday.

Developed nations bear major responsibility for climate change and must lead the way in reducing emissions, said Xie Zhenhua, who will head China's delegation to next month's global climate change meeting on the Indonesian island of Bali.

"China will play its due role and take its due part in the process of emission reduction, but we will absolutely not take on the commitment of taking on the same responsibilities and making the same commitments as the developed countries," Xie told reporters.

Brazil

The Government of Brazil has rejected any suggestion that developing countries should reduce their carbon emissions.

President of Brazil Lula da Silva said yesterday that richer countries must pay Brazil and other developing economies if they are to save their own tropical forests.

Today various government officials simply rejected a suggestion by the UN that poorer nations reduce carbon emissions even with a 40-year deadline saying the problem is with the richer countries.

So to summarize my very superficial analysis. China, India, the U.S., Brazil, and South Africa absolutely refuse to accept binding greenhouse emission targets. All those nations (with the exception of the U.S.) indicate that it is solely a developed nation problem and that any environmental initiatives must be funded by developed nations. The Brazilian president even seemed to indicate that his nation cannot be a responsible manager of its tropical forests without outside help.

The question then becomes "Why should the developed world pay to be the sole contributor to this fight for the environment?" particularly when China is set to surpass the U.S. (it may have already) in greenhouse emissions. For China to state that it's per capita emissions are lower is not relevant. Possessing a higher population adds other environmental strains that only makes China worse off.

I was therefore thinking that in the recent Vision Green, the Green Party must have great and detailed plans for Kyoto 2 since it clearly dislikes Harpers leadup to involve ALL nations of the planet in the accord. Well, was I wrong!!!

In Kyoto 1, the Clean Development Mechanism is supported to export money to developing nations.

Support the role of international carbon credits. Any shortfall in meeting our first phase Kyoto target will be made up as much as possible in international credits from Joint Implementation and the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM). Both of these mechanisms within Kyoto have the advantage of assisting other countries, particularly in the developing world, in re-orienting their economies and energy systems to a low-carbon future. Such credits deliver cost-effective carbon reductions and pave the way for those nations taking on commitments in future Kyoto reductions. CDM credits also have the advantage of including a small surcharge toward an Adaptation Fund for developing countries.

Because the problem is global, reductions in carbon emissions from developing countries are just as valuable in reducing the threat of climate change as those from Canada. The cost per tonne is often lower in developing countries than in advanced industrialized nations. The bottom line is: a tonne of carbon reduced in India or China or Malaysia is just as valuable in protecting Canadians from the dangerous impacts of climate change as a tonne reduced in Canada. The atmosphere doesn’t care where the carbon emission reduction takes place; it only matters that it does take place.

Greeeeat! Cheap and easy carbon emission reduction but it simply doesn't pay to reduce emissions within Canada. This is like outsourcing our environmental improvements. The environmental industry seem to be the latest to join this outsourcing trend. My opinion is that the atomphere may not care where the emission reductions take place but Canadians WILL care.

OK, so what is the Green Party plan to involve reluctant developing nations in Kyoto 2?

Canada will work to include China, India, the United States and all other nations in Kyoto 2.

THAT IS IT?!? I kid you not, that is the Green "Vision" for involving developing nations in Kyoto 2. It's just that easy, no wonder Elizabeth May dislikes Harpers hard handed approach to developing nations. All Harper needs to do is work to include the nations and they will gladly sign onto the next accord. What a relief!

Mount St. Elizabeth Erupts Again!!!

Elizabeth May has fixated on the Kyoto protocol to the detriment of all other files for the Green Party and has, in my mind, driven a wedge though the party.

On the weekend, Canada's prime minister took a bold stance and indicated that he desires involvement in Kyoto to involve all nations, not simply developed nations.

Canada fought vociferously against the initial wording of a proposed climate-change resolution that called for "binding commitments" for greenhouse gas emissions that would be applied to developed countries. Mr. Harper balked, insisting that if targets were to be binding, they should apply to all large emitters, in particular emerging economies like China and India, a member of the Commonwealth.

"Agreeing to an international statement like that doesn't get us anywhere any further than we're at already. If we're going to get an effective international protocol ... we have to get everybody to sign on at once."

In response to this stance, Green Party leader lost her cool and reiterated poorly chosen statements that she made last year.

E. Me: There are hardly words for the scandal this represents. For the dreadful irresponsibility of the Harper government. George Monbiot said that the triumvirate of Harper and Bush and Howard blocking action on climate represented a moral failure more culpable than that of Neville Chamberlain. I was variously skewered and attacked last spring for mentioning how Canada’s international reputation had suffered, citing George Monibiot’s statement to make the point.. (No need to revisit the various ways that quoting George Monbiot was viewed as some sort of political equivalent of a kamikaze mission.)

I repeat those words now, not because I thirst for abuse, but because in the light of day, following Canada’s actions in Uganda, they seem an understatement.

It is about time that Ms. May realizes she must must act professionally as a party leader. Poor little E-Me seems to throw a pity party for herself in this post where she feels that she was skewered and attacked. Grow up Ms. May, this leadership position requires LEADERSHIP, not pity parties! If May has such poor decision making abilities, how would she perform in the House of Commons?

Has May given up on including all nations in Kyoto? When May took office, she indicated her willing to withdraw from NAFTA to obtain her conditions.

E.Me: The reason that we need to re-negotiate NAFTA relates to the sections that have not been shown to be in Canada’s best interests - the Chapter 11 provisions around investor protection which have hobbled our ability to regulate toxic chemicals, for example, and the energy chapter, where we have to always sell the highest proportion of the amount of energy we produce to the United States forever.

Our first attempt would be to re-negotiate those sections. But If those negotiations weren’t working and we gave the six months’ notice to get out of NAFTA, I think they would start moving quite quickly.

As a principle, Elizabeth May clearly believes in using the heavy hand to achieve objectives, such as including ALL nations within Kyoto targets. If I didn't know better, I'd swear that May was choosing politics over the environment.

Elizabeth May, you have been a POOR leader of the Green Party and that is an understatement as well.

Let's Get Klein in our rearview mirror

I must admit that I am coming around to our new Premier Stelmach. I realize that as a Calgarian, Dave Bronconnier has told Calgarians that Stelmach is the devil himself in his petulant fight with Edmonton.

Let me say this. Premier Stelmach is no Ralph Klein. As a member of Calgary Elbow, and Ralph's Lakeview district in particular, that should be an insult. However, I mean that as a compliment. This article in the Edmonton Journal is exactly what, I believe, Stelmach needs to do. Put some distance between good 'ol boy Klein and himself.

Stelmach has never directly rebuked his predecessor, under whom he obediently served as MLA for 13 years, and cabinet minister for nine.

But as the new premier starts the fall legislature today and prepares for his first election -- whenever he calls it -- his potshots against Klein have become far less subtle. Stelmach has taken pains to assert that he is not the same as the laissez-faire, no-plan, closed-doors ruler he replaced last December.

"Let me be frank," Stelmach said in a televised address last month. "When my government was sworn in 10 months ago, Alberta was not keeping up with the province's growth. Demands on the public services we all rely on ... were outpacing our ability to deliver."


And whereas the old premier said he couldn't give a "tinker's damn" about reviewing oil and gas royalties, the new guy braved the jaws of controversy to design a new royalty regime and claim, in controversially taxpayer-funded ads: "I made a commitment and I delivered."

Later in the same article, we see this statements.

Even the Economist magazine took notice: "Mr. Stelmach finally made his mark," its November issue declared.

McCormick said it's a move reminiscent of Peter Lougheed defying oilpatch warnings and hiking royalties, a marked change from months of pundit comparisons between Stelmach and Harry Strom, the Social Credit farmer-premier who oversaw the demise of his party's 36-year reign.

Let's face it. Stelmach has negotiated revenue agreements with the cities and improved, YES IMPROVED, the royalty regime in Alberta. This royalty regime has rates which fluctuate with oil prices, which is a common sense approach. The terrible aspect of this change is that this required breaking a contract with Syncrude and Suncor. The agreement to 2016 was no negotiated by Stelmach himself but perhaps the agreement should have been respected and applied the changes to new oil sands projects.

Now in this article, Preston Manning takes issue with the changed royalty regime.

Manning said the royalties plan doesn't take into account the full scope of issues surrounding energy development, including continental energy security, provincial and federal tax implications and environmental costs.

"This would have been a chance to demonstrate that we have a grasp of the big picture," Manning said. "It may be that they do have the competence to do that, but it's not been demonstrated yet, and it wasn't demonstrated last week."

The comments come after Stelmach's royalties strategy was lauded this week by former longtime Alberta premier Peter Lougheed and federal Industry Minister Jim Prentice, who both said the plan strikes the right balance.

(...)

The new framework, set to take effect Jan. 1, 2009, is expected to deliver an additional $1.4 billion in royalties in 2010 -- 20 per cent more than initial projections under the old system -- but falls nearly $500 million short of what was recommended by the panel.

I have worshipped the water that Preston Manning walked on. However, at this point, Albertans have the right to criticize Manning. Stelmach wasn't the front runner in the race for PC leader. If you have such strong opinions about provincial issues, why didn't you care enough to run for the leadership of the PC party? Talk is cheap at this point. Besides, an increased royalty take does not affect continental energy security. Oh man, Manning on Question Period indicated that Stelmach hasn't 'demonstrated the brass' as a leader yet. Quite rich considered Mannings abandonment of Albertans in the PC leadership race.

Premier Stelmach has tackled issues in a common sense straight-forward middle-of-the-road manner that will eventually calm the nerves of Albertans. At least with Stelmach, we're pretty certain that he won't be staggering into a homeless shelter to berate the inhabitants, throwing documents at pages, or demonstrating his wonderful comedic stylings with comments about Belinda Stronach.

As for those conservatives Calgarians who seem to like to categorize Stelmach as a rural bumpkin, I would state 2 things. Firstly, most of these people would hold up Klein as the leader they want. I would not recommend using Klein as a model of urban sophostication. Secondly, where do these people think a lot of current Albertans came from? They aren't all former latte-sipping Vancouverites and Torontonians. Careful with the mud you're slinging boys.

Besides if the federal political pendulum swings back to support the Liberals, Albertans will need a party in Edmonton that they can trust to support Alberta. Albertans are currently feeling free to experiment right now that Harper is PM. That will not last forever.

Let's all have a political correct Halloween

I have not been blogging much lately but the absurdity of this week has gotten the best of me.

This week I received the following in a corporate e-mail.

"We would like to remind everyone when picking out your costume to wear next week, please keep Diversity in mind. (Company name removed) is deeply committed to diversity and as such, if you choose to wear a costume, please be respectful. Portrayals of ethnicity and race, gender, class, religions, cultures, or sexual orientations may be considered in poor taste or offensive and should be avoided.

Thank you!

The Diversity Council"

I suppose that I shouldn't have found the e-mail funny but all I could think of was old politically incorrect Prince Harry. Call me crazy but Halloween has never been a religious holiday and it has been a light-hearted holiday. One of the best costumes I've seen was a couple of hill-billies. Now was this costume an insult to Bill Clinton? Relax people.

Now the Diversity Council, whose presence is disturbing in itself, would certainly not approve of this Little Mosque on the Prairie episode. Hoooooly cow!

Meanwhile, it's Halloween and Fatima's son, Jamal, and Baber's daughter, Layla, want to partake in the western ritual. Fatima allows Jamal to but Baber thinks it's an evil practice. Amaar, wanting to support the youth, allows them to partake under the guise of calling it Halaloween, and they must dress up as items from the Koran. Jamal and Layla's costumes as a fig and olive don't go over well in general, but their escort Baber, wearing his own clothes, becomes the hit of Halloween dressed as "the terrorist".

You can see the episodes on the web here. Particularly check out Part 2. CBC has gone way out on a limb here by having a Muslim 'Halaloween' and Babar runs around pretending he's a terrorist. It's just an all-round politically incorrect fiasco.

If CBC doesn't watch it, they'll end up on the wrong side of our diversity council. I plan simply to plan a nice secular Halloween holiday. And let's remember:

In the United States, Halloween has become the sixth most profitable holiday (after Christmas, Mother's Day, Valentines Day, Easter, and Father's Day).

Post Halloween Update:


OK, there's nothing like real life to prove you wrong. I made fun of the Diversity Council e-mail. However, this incident is perhaps what the e-mail was referring to. The students of this Ottawa area school where at least 3 kids showed up to school for Halloween wearing KKK outfits. The article also noted that the vice principal of the school told one student not to worry since it was "just a costume" and a joke.

I made fun of the Diversity Council e-mail since I felt that it was unnecessary hand-holding. It was like the signs in public washroom that state 'Please flush after use'. However, where is the common sense in several students getting together and wearing KKK costumes AND THEIR PARENTS NOT STOPPING THEM?!? Next time these chumps wear a sheet with holes in it, it had better be a ghost costume. This is shameful behaviour by the 3 students, their parents, and the vice principal.

The only lesson I can take from this blog entry is that the stupidity of today's society can NEVER be underestimated.

All you need to ask is 'Why Not?'

The spin machine at the Green Party is active with this ranting output. When reading this article, remember to do the following.

a. Put your hands into fists and stomp your feet like a spoiled kid.
b. Scream at the top of your lungs.
c. Throw yourself onto the floor and flail with both your arms and your legs into what is commonly is known as a 'two-year-old tantrum'

"OTTAWA - The news that Nova Scotia would have some form of comfort in a side-deal with the federal government does not redress the fundamental betrayal by Prime Minster Stephen Harper, said the Green Party today.

"I am, like many Nova Scotians, relieved that the financial worst-case scenarios will not play out due to the federal budget betrayal of the contractual commitments of the Atlantic Accord," said Green Party leader Elizabeth May. "Neverthless, the stubborn refusal of the Harper government to uncouple the Atlantic Accord from the equalization formula means that he still does not understand the nature of the contract."

"It was and is Bill Casey's strong stand on principle that has driven this deal of expediency on the eve of an election. That he remains outside of the Harper government is a clear sign of the fact that people of integrity are not welcome in that caucus."

All I can say is that the Green Party apparently is very serious about the rights of provinces to pump offshore oil and keep all of that resource money. Fantastic stuff for Elizabeth May to stand up for the rights of eastern oil companies. I'm so proud right now. Remember western Canadians, according to Elizabeth May some Canadians are simply more equal than others. Equal is such a subjective term after all.