Category Archive: 2005

Jan 01

“Don’t have a cow, ride one”

Far be it from me to ever defend big oil (or big anyone), but on September 1, when last year’s gasoline prices had reached their peak, I was sent out for some milk.  I was amazed to discover that it cost me $1.00 per liter (actually 3.99 for 4 liters) of milk – a renewable resource.  It’s something to think about (while we sip on our bottled water at $1.50+ per liter).  The oil companies and their oily political puppets still deserve a serious slap – but maybe their crime is not so much the price of gasoline as it is their collective efforts to avoid and/or suppress the development of alternatives.

Did You Know?  Canada uses more energy per capita than any other G7 nation.  The USA now burns less than half as much energy for every dollar of gross domestic product than it did 30 years ago.

Jan 01

“The High Price of Homeland Security”

In the immediate wake of Hurricane Katrina, oil companies around the world responded immediately with unprecedented gasoline price increases.  Three days later, Texas oil millionaire and part time (when he is not on vacation) President of the U.S. decides to cut his vacation short by two days, to rush to neighbouring Louisiana via Washington D.C. Five days later, federal relief starts to roll into the affected areas at gunpoint apparently to protect their homeland from the an unruly and hungry mob.

In a related story: A spokesman for the President declines a suggestion that the Bush Ranch could be used to handle the overflow of flood refugees saying, “Haven’t we already got enough problems what with Mad Cows in Texas, I don’t think we can cover-up the Mad Crowds too.  Okay, I admit, I am making this one up, but since the news media is unusually silent on this latest Mad Cow scare (the one they couldn’t blame on Canada), I needed to put it somewhere.

Jan 01

“AfterMath in the land of opportunists”

Over 10,000 dead in New Orleans.  Oops make that 118 all across the State of Louisiana and a total of 337 in all affected states (circa Sept 10). Meanwhile across the pond, Central Europe is quietly coping with the tragedy of what is their worst flood season in years.  There is not a peep in the North American press nor appeals for cash and sympathy for those flood victims.  Perhaps, if we weren’t so used to our politicians and media crying wolf, more lives might have been saved in those southern States as there is a good chance that they might have heeded the warnings and evacuated.

Jan 01

“When the going gets tough – it’s Oil for one, so what’s your beef”

On the heels of demands that Ottawa pitch in to subsidize the Mad Cow losses in Western Canada, Alberta Premier Ralph Klein tells Feds to back off on any sharing of this year’s windfall oil profits in Alberta.

June 8, 2003:
Alberta Premier Ralph Klein accuses the federal government of a double standard because Ottawa relaxed employment insurance rules for workers affected by SARS in Ontario but not for Western beef industry workers. “We think the federal government should treat B.C., Alberta, Saskatchewan and wherever beef is produced the same as Ontario,” he said.

June 9, 2003:
Western premiers say Ottawa should provide $360 million in compensation to help the cattle industry recover from lost revenue from the mad cow scare.

March 29, 2005:

The federal government will give farmers $1 billion to help them through hard times brought on by a high Canadian dollar, low prices, drought and the closed border with the U.S. Payments will begin next month and the sum will be split between grain and oilseed producers, and cattle farmers. Farmers have received about $2 billion in mad cow relief since last March, but the industry is expected to be in the red again for what will be the third year in a row.

Jan 01

“Rising Star”

Not content with making everything on the planet, China makes for the stars when it successfully launches its first manned space flight.

Jan 01

“Falling Star”

The family of Star Trek’s Scottie announces they will be launching his dylithium crystals into orbit.

Jan 01

“They aren’t a Viking our Canadian way.”

Canada puts the boots to those Danish marauders not once but twice.  First, they attempt to rape and pillage our puffins on Hans Island in the “Canadian” Arctic.  When they are finally forced to lego our archipelego, they counter with the childish attempt at throwing a brick through our window; however, the Courts overturn their claims that Canada’s MegaBlocks stole their ideas from Denmark’s Lego Inc.

Jan 01

Predictions for the Year 2006

General Predictions:

In:

LED lights

Mini cars (the kind that can be carried home when they run out of gas)

Cowboys

Out:

Sport Utility Vehicles

Short-term memory retention

On the Horizon:

Amish Fundamentalism

 

Specific Predictions:

Millions of viewers worldwide enter a class action suit stating that they are all getting sick of Reality TV shows.

 

Canadians everywhere trade their SUV’s in for a dairy cow.

Top 10 Reasons Why Canadians are trading their SUV’s in for Dairy Cows

10.  They don’t need gasoline.

  9.  The kids want a pet.

  8.  They are not as dangerous as chickens.

  7.  Got Milk (and natural gas – but we won’t go there).

  6.  A Minivan can’t mow (and fertilize) your lawn.

  5.  They don’t rust (and are, in fact, biodegradable).

  4.  They are harder to tip over than the new fuel efficient pocket cars.

  3.  The Americans aren’t mad at them anymore.

  2.  No Lost jobs (oil patch and autoworkers retrained as cowboys).

  1.  You can’t eat an SUV when it’s no longer roadworthy.

Pope John-Paul II is declared saint by popular demand four years before the usual five year waiting period expires.  Proponent’s claim that it was a well deserved appointment listing many as opposed to just one documented miracle that was attributable to him during his life, including his ability to appoint 482 saints which is more than were appointed (264), by all of his papal predecessors combined (and eclipsing the patronage appointments of both Jean Cretien and Brian Mulroney combined).  The required post mortem miracle will be attributed to the record time of his declaration in a church not known for its quick resolution of anything.  In a related prediction, there are now more saints in the catholic faith than Nuns (whose numbers have been declining rapidly through old age in the America’s and sexual harassment in Africa).

 

Embarrassed Canadian officials announce plan to close all of our laboratories.  A government spokesperson explains that this move is in the interests of foreign affairs and national security because: 1) they were actually testing beef and publishing honest reports at a time when honest reports were not in our best interests when dealing with our trade neighbors to the south;  2) they had publicly embarrassed our neighbors to the south by uncovering and reporting the only serious threat to global well-being as having emanated from American labs rather than North Korea, Iran and/or a cave in Afghanistan; and 3) on strength of a sound business case whereby the funds could be better spent supporting our Olympic athletes’ ability to travel to all the posh resorts around the world in pursuit of the off chance they might be able to win a medal (and make Canadians proud).

 

The Canadian scientists who saved so many lives when they sounded the alarm over the accidental distribution of a deadly H2N2 virus to laboratories around the world still do not get an invitation to the Governor General’s Mansion, the White House or the UN for any kind of award ceremony.

 

17 tropical storms, 10 cloudy days, and 2 baby showers in the Gulf Coast area of the United Sates are upgraded to Category 5 hurricanes by the chief meteorologist of the U.S. Weather Bureau, each prompting a 25 cent price spike at the gas pumps.

 

Several Texas Oil barons and the Chief Meteorologist of U.S. Weather Bureau surpass Bill Gates’ as the wealthiest persons in the world.

 

Federal courts indict Oil companies, the Chief Meteorologist of the U.S. Weather Bureau and the Media on allegations of bribes, collusion and conspiracy resulting in this year’s sudden spike in severe weather anomalies (of the category 5 Hurricane kind). Defense attorneys suffer a setback when the report that a “whistle blower” for the prosecution will be flown in to testify at a Texas district court is upgraded and widely reported as a Category 5 hurricane.

 

In a show of appreciation and compromise for the Church’s ongoing support and campaign contributions, Western leaders promise to recognize the Church’s right to censure and burn opposing voter ballots, in lieu of any heretics that would dare to caste them.

 

Thinking they have purchased the only cure for an as yet to be mutated strain of the avian flu, millions die after ingesting anthrax tablets that were advertised and purchased over the internet from OsamabinLaughin.com

 

The U.S. Office of Homeland Security adds hurricanes to their list of terrorist organizations and confiscates all relief funds collected.  When asked why, President Bush replies, “Terrorist front, weather front – what’s the difference?”

 

Boston Legal, arguably the best TV show since Get Smart is discontinued after it’s second season because it has “pissed off” every potential commercial sponsor on the planet over the course of its first two years.

 

Investigative reporters break the conspiracy story of the decade when they discover “Get Smart” (the only TV show since Pontius Pilate was an air cadet that has yet to be released in a DVD box set), was purchased and destroyed by the Telecom Industry in order to suppress the idea that shoe phones and other irritating forms of telephone interruptions in public are fundamentally stupid.  The discovery of their plot prompts the industry to postpone its plans for a new advertising blitz to convince Fido enthusiasts (a.k.a. the sheep) that its time to ditch their stodgy old cellular dinosaurs that only take pictures, download favourite tunes and launch nuclear missile strikes on neighbouring countries in favour of the latest “must have” model that is housed in a glow in the dark neon plastic helmet that doubles as a cone of silence and blow dries your hair while you multitask dial all your friends telephone, cell-phone, blackberry, e-mail, fax and Swiss bank accounts just to tell them where you are and how long you were waiting for that bus tonight.

 

A retired electrician in Nova Scotia becomes world’s latest hi-tech billionaire and Nobel Peace Prize winner when he designs a wallet sized jamming device that subjects cell phone users within hearing distance to a high frequency squeal and a low voltage shock that causes them to drop their “radio callers” and quack like a duck.

 

Apple introduces its latest “must have” MP3 music spin-off. Dubbed the I-potty, spokespersons for Apple claim they were inspired by the musical potty introduced last year in Japan.  The Apple I-potty will take whatever crap the music industry continues to release but an improved 2-way interface with the musical potty is expected to serve up a wealth of new material that just might improve what the industry has to offer.

 

Canada’s Supreme Court magistrates quit in order to get in line for the more lucrative (and more frequently used) higher court of Canadian appeals known affectionately in patronage circles as Public Inquiries.

 

Only North America is singled out and devastated by an Avian Flu epidemic.  Experts from the rest of the world believe it was due to the fact that, although the disease did not manage to mutate to a strain that could jump species from bird to human, North American Drug Company and Media hype vis a vis the inevitability of such a mutation created a continent of “chickens” (the perfect host for said virus).


Jan 01

Memory Lane at Our House 2005

Ma quietly went about her business of getting physically fit again after last year’s operation while at the same time scoring her Orange belt in karate and coaxing Thing 1 to hang in there too.

With a gammy knee, sore shoulder, aching back, throbbing kidney and hurting gut, Pa breaks down and goes to the Doctor.  I request my first complete medical check-up in a decade on the grounds that I can’t do anything I like to do anymore.  Two weeks later the doctor informs me that he can’t find anything physically wrong but provides me with a list of food and drinks that I should be avoiding.  Now, not only can’t I do what I like, I can’t eat or drink what I like either.  Praise the Lord and pass the Alfalfa!

Thing 1 scored in the top 2% of all Grade 3 math students in Ontario provincial exams.  Despite obtaining his Yellow and Orange belts in karate on top of his already busy Academic and Nintendo itineraries, he remembers his discovery of the “One Piece” (a Japanese cartoon series) television show and comic books as his most memorable event from 2005.  The “Treetop” rollercoaster in Upper Clemons Park, Nova Scotia was his least favorite memory.

Thing 2 tells me that he will remember 2005 most for the time he finally beat Ma at chess.  The “Treetop” rollercoaster in Upper Clemons Park, Nova Scotia was also his least favorite memory.

Jan 01

New Year Resolutions 2006

This year I will spend more time exercising than I spend on the internet and lose another pound per month over the next 12 months.  I will also never let my brothers-in-law mix my drinks again.

 

Ma will resolve to spend less time looking after the boys and more time letting them look after themselves.

 

Thing 1 and Thing 2 will spend less time “wired” to Nintendo and more time encouraging me to get off my butt to try an keep up with them – i.e. a little more by way of structured family outings and routines.

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