Basic Instinct 2

Wow... I have been waiting a few years for this one :)

(OK, longer than a few)

Check out the trailer here .

La Dolce Vegan

Doesn't matter if you are vegan, vegetarian, or a mere meat eater, check out Sarah's new cookbook La Dolce Vegan!

Be not fooled, you don't need to be a vegeterian to appreciate her recipes... they are all great!

Read more at www.govegan.net/framese...

How To Become More of an Optimist

I struggle daily with being optimistic, and here we go... I stumbled upon this little gem at about.com

Have a read through, you might be glad you did!!

Read more at stress.about.com/od/opt...

I missed my calling...

It seems as though I missed the boat...


Wow - four guys selling a weekend of partying. Nothing ceases to amaze me... but the price?

Incredible.

I'm anxious to see how much higher that this can go!! A little over three days to go and they are already over $13,000.

Check it out.

Amazing Photo From Hubble Telescope of the Orion Nebula

This image was taken by the Hubble Telescope. There are over 3,000 stars visible in this photograph - you can dowload and view the original here.

We are but a tiny piece of the much larger pie ;) 

Electoral reform is past due

Election Canada 2006

The link above will take you to a website that talks about electoral reform in Canada... which reminds me of a little story.

One day I walked into an Indigo book store, and was browsing about, when I stumbled upon a copy of something along the lines of "The Ten Minute Guide to Democracy" - the who's who in the zoo of democracy. I turned it over to read the description on the back, and I noticed something very interesting - above the UPC code was a note that read Not For Sale in Canada.

How odd. Why would they not allow us to buy this pocket guide to democracy - unless our democracy was, in fact, a complete sham - and the publishers (or perhaps the government) do not want any Canadians to figure out that the world that we live in doesn't truly exist (for more on this, rent the Matrix ;)

Anyways... I have ranted half my lifetime about the system, and how it sucks - and here is a solution to fix the problem.

The quick solution is to implement what they call proportional representation. One where the number of votes truly reflects the number of seats that a party holds in parliament (and ultimately the power). Here is how the pie is sliced after the recent election (stolen shamelessly from the fairvotecanada blog):

Bloc: 1 MP per 30,432 votes
Conservatives: 1 MP per 43,305 votes
Liberals: 1 MP per 43,457 votes
NDP: 1 MP per 89,333 votes
Greens: 0 MPs for 665,876 votes

The entire picture is not complete without a little more information - the approximate seat distribution, with a proportional representation would have looked something like this:

Conservatives (36.3% of the popular vote): 113 seats (not 124)
Liberals (30.1% of the popular vote): 93 seats (not 102)
NDP (17.5% of the popular vote): 59 seats (not 29)
Bloc (10.5% of the popular vote): 31 seats (not 51)
Greens: (4.5% of the popular vote): 12 seats (not 0)

Quite the different picture, but it doesn't end there. Because the need for strategic voting goes away (i.e. I don't like the Conservatives, so I am going to vote Liberal - who I don't particularly care for either - just to try to avoid having a Conservative represent me). Instead - I can go vote for the party whose platform I believe in, and my vote would TRULY count... resulting in a higher voter turnout (apathetic people generally couldn't be bothered to vote today, but they might be convinced IF their vote actually counted for something).

This is the system that needs to be implemented. We are in dire need of electoral reform, and the message needs to get out there. It seems as though the damage has already been done for this round - but there is always the future, so let's get on this thing folks. Visit the Fair Vote Canada website and sign the petition or give them some money, or both.

Things have got to change... and soon!

Harper wins... what?

Bloomberg.com: Canada

Well, Harper has won the title of Prime Minister - but this should be good. Another minority government. I am looking forward to his funny dance - the one where he tries to push his agenda through, only to have it fall flat on the floor.

His line about looking forward to working with the opposition parties is a good one. Good luck Mr. Harper.

This is what I anticipate - a year or two of Harper doing his dance around the opposition, a non-confidence vote, then another election. Then you will have the Liberal party pointing at all of Harper's failed promises since he was elected, and the Conservatives will be out with the bathwater.

But then - that is just my guess :)

Pills for obesity?

Pills for Fat People - Reuters

So this is perfect - I almost wish I were a shareholder of GlaxoSmithKline. And I do mean almost.

I can see the lineups of fat Americans at the drugstores now.

Can you be serious? And I quote: "studies showed patients taking Alli lost 1.8 to 2.4 kilograms, or about 4 to 5 pounds, more than those taking a placebo after six months"

I will tell you this - if you took a fat person and had them walk half an hour a day - changing nothing about their undoubtedly unhealthy eating habits - they would experience far better results than this AND they would lower the risk of heart diesease, cancer, and other health ailments.

Plus, they might actually enjoy a bit of fresh air... and they could have a little extra coin to spend on their stamp collection.

Good grief. Someone ough slap people like Dr. Alastair Wood upside the head. Risks with the drug are low indeed... but profits are at an all time high.

I could write a book, but I will stop here.

Mad cows... or mad politicians?

Guardian Unlimited | World Latest | Canada Confirms Case of Mad Cow Disease

Guardian Unlimited | World Latest | Canada Confirms Case of Mad Cow Disease

Wow - the Americans have decided that it is OK if a cow has BSE suddenly. Funny how the tables turn once you discover one case on your own soil.

Now... is it really safe to eat beef? That is the real question. What do you think?

Is the government truly looking out for your safety, or for the best interests of big business??

Hmmm.... would it not just be best avoided?

Don Cherry - as dumb as... cake

The Globe and Mail: Cherry lashes out at athletes who waive the flag

I would say that this was laughable if I wasn't so offended by his ridiculous comments.

Don Cherry needs more than a new suit jacket and tie - he needs some respect, a brain, and perhaps a little actual pride.

He certainly doesn't know what it is to be an athlete, much less a professional athlete - one who has committed their own life to the pursuit of their sport and their country.

Be ashamed Don Cherry - very ashamed.