Future Prospects of the Conquest of Space

The space travel veteran said in Berlin that the space research conducted over the past 60 years has shown that people face a larger task than the conquest of space: namely, preserving nature on earth.

His point of view was supported by German astronauts Sigmund Jähn and Thomas Reiter.

“If you look down from there on our beautiful planet, you are thrilled by its beauty, on the one hand. But on the other, you are frightened how vulnerable our planet is. And you become very thoughtful when you fly over these many regions where conflicts take place,” Reiter said.

“If we continue this way, we will destroy the ground for the future of the mankind,” Jähn said. “We must understand that any stupid things and crimes that we are doing with our small earth does not go unpunished. So, it is time to protect the earth!” the cosmonaut concluded.

Source: Russian, German Cosmonauts Reveal Future Prospects of ‘the Conquest of Space’

How to think about Vladimir Putin

President Putin with the elected representatives, turned the economy of Russia around, to give Russia back to the people of Russia. The middle class appeared by 2004 and continues to increase to this day. Over 30% of the Russian population is now middle class while the west sinks into poverty. Unemployment is very low so Russia is being careful on immigration. Very little of what he and the elected Duma and Senate have done is told to the western audience. While the west continues to spend trillions on war Russia built a rapid rail system between Moscow and St. Petersburg. A nine hour trip now takes under three environmentally friendly hours.

Source: How to think about Vladimir Putin

The Word You are Seeking is Equality

The age of Empire ended with the decline of the Roman Empire between 400 to 700 C.E. (Common Era)

The vast trade routes of Rome extended to China, India, Africa and Europe. An Empire expands into unknown territories and the Roman Empire did so over more than a 1500 years.

“There was but one Rome: no other city,  either of ancient or modern times, has ever rivaled this astonishing metropolis in the grandeur of magnitude; and not many—if we except the cities of Greece, none at all—in the grandeur of architectural display.

Among empires: the Persians,  the Spanish, French and British cannot but be admired as prodigious growths out of so small a stem. There was but one Rome: no other city, as we are satisfied by the collation of many facts, either of ancient or modern times, has ever rivaled Rome. The earth had its prerogative city and that city was Rome.

Power is measured by resistance. Upon such a scale, if it were applied with skill, the relations of greatness in Rome to the greatest of all that has gone before her, and has yet come after her, would first be adequately revealed. Since that era no land, no part and parcel of the Roman empire, has ever risen into strength and opulence, except where unusual artificial industry has availed to counteract the tendencies of nature.” Thomas de Quincey

How is Your World?

Do you wonder how long it will take for the populist media to mention unemployment or under-employment? Did you receive an increase in pay from your employer during the past two years? Have you noticed how the food industry has reduced the size of the package and increased the cost of food?

When the media writes a story about food or price increases they use the term average price. Average is taking all of the prices over a time frame and dividing it. Only the median price or cost lets you see how many dollars are removed from your budget to cover the increase. It is deceit on the part of the media to leave out the details.

The Truth or Not is in the Wording

Some believe we are in an age of information made simple with electronic devices. I would agree we have improved on a rapidly moving technology. How many people look at their mobile device and think of it as a hand-held computer? Here is the result of a search for the most favored apps being used from the Google Play store.

It doesn’t appear as though many people are using a dictionary in that group. We certainly have no desire to ruin their day by teaching them to understand the meaning of words. Let’s look at another group from Google Play rated as the most used apps.

This group definitely sees no need to learn how to spell or understand composition. Say what you want to say in a myriad of characters and gain fans, friends and followers. Whatever you do keep it short and use one syllable words since very few people read or know how to read an article. The trick to raising your totals on most of these most used website apps is by posting a nude or semi-nude photo.

When you get into an argument with a know-it-all you can get rid of the person with a quick photo such as the one below. The person in this case retorted with “that’s not Moscow..!!” For over 15 years and counting Russia bolted forward while the populist media kept silent. Moscow became a financial hub bringing with it good paying employment, massive reconstruction, a space program second to no one and a rising middle class.

The sanctions placed on Russia go far beyond the Ukraine or Crimea. They were meant to slow down the billions of dollars flowing into Russia as a sound investment. There was a slight pause by investors for almost three or so months.

The Facts Please

Let’s be reasonable with the knowledge the cold war ended when the Berlin Wall came tumbling down in 1989. Followed closely by the wall in Berlin the USSR (Union of Soviet Socialist Republics) began to unravel. Each of the former states within the USSR, including Russia, began to feel freedom for the first time since 1917. (some countries were pulled into the Soviet sphere after WW II)

A marvelous writer wrote an article from an American perspective about the cold war. I re-blogged it a few weeks ago. As the communist Soviet Union came undone I was happy there were no longer Russian boggy men waiting to take my life. Now as the years pass I realize it was all a fabrication of lies to instill fear rather than peace in my life. For whatever reason, the US and its’ NATO allies, need an enemy to create a society for the very wealthy. As for the rest of us there are food banks, poverty, drugs and some food stamps.

We are not Equal in the Eyes of the Wealthiest

This article began by saying a few words about the Roman Empire. Seldom seen in the movies or documentaries are the lives of the slaves. We see the brave Senators while hearing the words of the largest land owners. They are in fact the same people. Rome was built on the backs of the slaves in the same way many western nations were built. A woman had no rights being considered unequal in the eyes of the men who wrote the rules. Simply read the biblical words men wrote on how a proper slave may be worthy of salvation. Why do you allow anyone to fill you with fear by placing themselves in the lofty position over you?

The media moguls should know when the cold war ended the so-called leader of the free world vanished too. Isn’t it odd the media repeats the free world lie while articles about our environment disappear? Follow the money trail whenever you read, listen to, or watch their trail of fear, lies and lack of imagination.

Enjoy Life

“The international community should have learned from the past lessons. The historical parallels in this case are undeniable. Unwillingness to join forces against Nazism in the 20th century cost us millions of lives in the bloodiest world war in human history. If they expected a nervous or hysterical reaction from us, if they wanted to see us become a danger to ourselves as much as to the world, they won’t get it. They won’t get any response meant for show or even for immediate political gain. They won’t get it..”  Vladimir Putin Dec. 2, 2016

They didn’t get it nor do they understand.

Thank you for the Music – Freddie was our Friend too

 

 

 

 

 

 

What Do You Know about Propaganda?

Image from my library – camping in a wilderness area with friends

Lesson One

We will begin with a few simple facts hidden from you by our governments. You are currently being misled into a  campaign of hate by the media meant to derail honest discussions. The western media in particular have side-tracked important issues concerning our future.

Let’s get into lesson one about Propaganda

How many vehicles do you own? How many kilometers do you drive per year and what is the cost of your fuel consumption?

Developers are building what I call mini-castles as a family home. Do you need 7 bedrooms and 6 bathrooms? You might find room to plant a flower beside the 2 or 3 car garage.

The best calculator I was able to find is from The National Geographic website. It gives you a glance at your foot print on our planet.

Give it a try since it is one of the few things really free on the Internet. Everything else is cluttered with ways to save money by spending it called advertising.

This ends lesson one on how propaganda is used every day.

Earth Could Reach Critical Climate Threshold in Decade

The planet could pass the critical 1.5°C global temperature threshold in a decade—and is already two-thirds of the way to hit that warming limit, climate scientists warned on Thursday.Speaking at a University of Oxford conference this week, led by leading U.K. climate researcher Richard Betts, scientists said global greenhouse gas emissions are not likely to slow down quickly enough to avoid passing the 1.5°C target.

Source: Earth Could Reach Critical Climate Threshold in Decade, Scientists Warn

Blame Game: Look in the Mirror

It is apparent you absolutely needed the newest mobile device. You needed the newest TV, computer, DVD, printer, camera all made with petroleum by-products. You had to have an endless list of new merchandise made with and wrapped in chemical by-products. This is the fatal mistake in every industrialized country.

Pipelines were built by placing millions of kilometers of them entering every house and building. Our cities removed the forests nature uses to clean the air, and replaced them asphalt, another oil by-product. Concrete, rather than trees, became the norm for parks with paved pedestrian pathways.

Forests were removed to get the last drop of sunshine trapped in the ground using hydraulic fracking. 1000s of chemicals are used to soak up drops of natural gas polluting the ground water aquifers. When the industrialized counties wanted more they invaded other countries to rob them of every non-renewable resource.

Landfill waste dumps filled up with recyclable products no longer needed. Pulp and paper industries cut down the last tree and closed the plant leaving behind their toxic chemicals. Our lakes and rivers are used as toilets for industrial and domestic waste. We took every mineral from the Earth and poisoned countless hectares with arsenic and other chemicals.

Mountain ranges took nature billions of years to form. They are no challenge to our machinery. We removed the forests, mountains and rivers to dig out coal used for our increased electrical usage. Crushed rock, the remains of the mountains, is dumped into the giant holes leaving small mounds in their place. Once ice-cold rivers, head waters to quench your thirst, were reduced to tiny creeks of lukewarm water. Horses by the hundreds, stand knee deep in shit, as it drains into the same creeks. The owners call themselves trail riders although the natural trails disappeared decades ago. You can happily pay them 12 dollars a night, to smell the stench, while camping next to an RV fully equipped with every noise maker possible.

With 7 billion people on the planet it is an absolute right to own several gas guzzling automobiles. Approximately 20% of the population own over 1 billion wide ranging autos. The green people want to have electric cars with the electricity produced by coal, gas or oil. That kind of thinking is done while sitting on the toilet flushing sewage into the oceans. (It’s a flourishing business as long as you hit the donate button when you arrive at their websites.)

In every industrialized country we point the blame at the governments we elected or the corporations. (most countries have elections even though big media rarely mention it) Governments know promises can be made and never kept. Corporations make products you believe you must have to keep face with friends and neighbors. Besides it’s better to plug your ears, turn your hat backwards, pull up a hoodie than listen to anyone. Good paying jobs have dropped, in the so-called democratic nations, in proportion to the damage done to nature.

The Secret

Of all the renewable resources for energy Solar Power is the only true source. All the others such as wind and water use massive amounts of non-renewable resources for construction and maintenance. Consider yourself lucky if you know where the Sun goes when it sets or clouds cover the sky.

We count on slave labor to ship us products to fill the hunger for material goods. Industrialized countries no longer have the ability to create a simple light bulb or pen. The best we can do is pour coffee, purchased from another country for pennies, with a 1000% mark up from the purchase cost. Hemp does not need to be imported. It is a renewable resource and can be used to replace plastic while creating employment.

The much-loved Joni Mitchell born in Fort Macleod, Alberta, Canada was right:

“They paved paradise
And put up a parking lot
With a pink hotel, a boutique
And a swinging hot spot
Don’t it always seem to go
That you don’t know what you’ve got
‘Till it’s gone
They paved paradise
And put up a parking lot”

I know because I have watched and written about it since the 1970s. My impact is so low it barely registers. Those of us who told you never did so for fortune and fame. Perhaps we should have set up a foundation, to rob you of your money while proclaiming we are scientists, without ever attending a University for a PhD.

Are you a Tourist or a Visitor?

As you toss away a generation of people, who are educated world travelers here are a few words, from one of our musical influences The Moody Blues.

“Ask the mirror on the wall
Who’s the biggest fool of all,
Bet you feel small,
It happens to us all.

See the world
Ask what’s it for,
Understanding, nothing more,
Don’t you feel small,
It happens to us all.

Time is now to spread your voice,
Time’s to come they’ll be no choice,
Bet you feel small,
It happens to us all.

Look at progress,
Then count the cost,
We’ll spoil the seas
With the rivers we’ve lost…”

Moody Blues lyrics 1971

Would someone come up with a solution to the nuclear waste scattered around the planet? Whoever decided to mess with nature by splitting the Atom has the responsibility for cleaning up your creation. You are not allowed to bury it, dump it into the water or blast it into outer space.

 

 

 

PM Trudeau Government Promises

Election 2015 Promises made by the Liberal Government of Canada under Justin Trudeau. The 117 promises listed here are from Liberal Real Change booklet presented to Canadians during the election. You are welcome to add other promises made in the comments section. Promises marked in red are already considered broken. Update: PM Trudeau said there are 122 promises on March, 23, 2016

As a member of Jewish Voice for Peace my vision of Canada rising on the world stage took a dive on February 22, 2016. CTV reported “Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s Liberals have joined forces with the official Opposition to overwhelmingly approve a Conservative motion condemning all Canadians who promote the boycott, divestment and sanctions (BDS) movement against Israel.”

Before anyone or any news outlet calls people participating in BDS anti-Semitic they might want to understand the word. Rabbi Ruth Adar recently wrote about the topic. “Actually, there’s no such thing. Semitic is a designation for a “language group” that includes Arabic, Amharic, Aramaic, Tigrinya, and Hebrew.”

The Trudeau government abused the Charter of Rights and Freedoms by condemning Canadians over and above abuses included in Bill C-51. 

It is our duty to ensure the elected government is held responsible for the promises. We have many long neglected domestic issues to handle. Remarks below in italic are mine.

1. We will give families more money to help with the high cost of raising their kids.

2. We will give middle class Canadians a tax break, by making taxes more fair.

 3. We will cancel income splitting and other tax breaks and benefits for the wealthy.

 4. We will invest to create more jobs and better opportunities for young Canadians.

 5. We will provide Canadians with a more secure retirement. (Will be writing an article about this plus 7 and 8 based on Federal Budget 2016)

 6. We will not end pension income splitting for seniors.

 7. We will make it easier for Canadians to have an affordable place to call home. (link takes you too a project where low income Canadians are placed out of sight)

 8. We will make post-secondary education more affordable.

 9. We will make home care more available, prescription drugs more affordable, and mental health care more accessible.

 10. We will also lift more Canadians, including children and seniors, out of poverty. (To understand poverty Statistics Canada requires funding to define poverty. No additional funding is shown in Budget 2016. Canada signed the United Nations Millennium Development Goals. One of the goals is defining poverty)

 11. We will invest now in the projects our country needs and the people who can build them.

 12. We will invest in public transit to shorten commute times, cut air pollution, strengthen our communities, and grow our economy.

 13. We will strengthen our communities by investing in the things that make them good places to live. (in fact most of this is a Provincial matter in conjunction with municipalities so they can build their pet projects. No accounting for very bad taste and wasted dollars in the hundreds of millions)

 14. We will invest in sustainable infrastructure that makes our communities safer and more resilient. (PM Trudeau better check out some of the craziest projects underway)

 15 We will make the New Building Canada Fund more focused and more transparent.

 16. We will make sure that no money intended for investment in communities is allowed to lapse.

 17. We will establish the Canadian Infrastructure Bank to provide low-cost financing for new infrastructure projects. (How many billions set aside for infrastructure will go to Canadian businesses rather than oversee?)

 18. We will help Canadians get the training they need to find and keep good jobs.

 19. We will kick start investment in innovation to grow our economy and create good, middle class jobs. (explain good middle class jobs)

 20. We will continue to defend Canadian interests during trade negotiations, including supply management. (why is the Trans Pacific Partnership kept secret from Canadians?)

 21. We will reinstate a modernized and inclusive fair wages policy for federal procurement.

 22. We are strongly committed to supporting and protecting workers’ rights, and as government, we will bargain in good faith with Canada’s public sector unions.

 23. We will make parental benefits more flexible

 24. We will introduce a more flexible and inclusive benefit available to any Canadian who provides care to a seriously ill family member. (He skipped Edmonton even though he stated it was inclusive)

 25. We will fix Employment Insurance to better serve Canadians now, and help boost Canada’s economic growth now and in the long-term.

 26. We will develop a child care framework that meets the needs of Canadian families, wherever they live.

 27. We will do our part to help Canadian children live healthier lives, with less exposure to known health risks.

 28. We will introduce a new tax benefit to help teachers and early childhood educators with the cost of school supplies.

 29. We will invest in Canada’s North, to help northern Canadians with the high cost of living, and help our northern economies grow.

 30. It is time to shine more light on government and ensure that it remains focused on the people it is meant to serve. (until PM Trudeau tells Canadians how the massive Federal bureaucracy runs the country this one is red)

 31. We will embrace open data. (started under the Harper government)

 32. We will disclose Parliamentary expenses and make Parliament open by default.

 33. We will protect the integrity of our elections and encourage more Canadians to vote.

 34. We will establish an independent commission to organize leaders’ debates.

 35. We will make every vote count. (or is it count every vote?)

 36. We will restore the voter identification card as an acceptable form of identification.

 37. We will also increase penalties so that there are real deterrents for deliberately breaking our election laws.

 38. We will bring real change to the Senate. (hopefully abolishing it completely. He is going to keep the pigs at the trough now that he appointed more senators)

 39. We will reform Question Period so that all members, including the Prime Minister, are held to greater account. (Trudeau government no longer allows full download of Question Period and other committee meetings for use on websites)

 40. We will not resort to legislative tricks to avoid scrutiny. (condemning all Canadians who promote boycott, divestment and sanctions (BDS) is trickery)

 41. We will not interfere with the work of government watchdogs.

 42. We will make the Supreme Court appointment process more transparent. (it doesn’t matter since every Federal and Provincial politician and judge make an Oath of Allegiance to the Queen of England. No Oath is given to Canadians, the Constitution or The Charter of Rights and Freedoms.

 43. We will make the Parliamentary Budget Officer truly independent.

 44. We will provide better oversight of taxpayer dollars. (Will Canadians be given the cost of wars in Afghanistan, Libya, Iraq and other meddling)

 45. We will deliver stronger national security oversight. (Patronage appointments)

 46. We will also invest an additional $80 million, over four years, to help the Canada Revenue Agency crack down on tax evaders.

 (fact)  – haunting a tax payer over a balance owed without ever showing the person what the debt is based on is wrong. Cutting benefits to an 87 year old Canadian and sending her a letter stating she needs to prove she is Canadian. Family arrived in Canada prior to 1800 AD)

 47. We will save home mail delivery.

 48. We will build a government as diverse as Canada. (do men and women get the same pay? If so, then, why is it not the same for all Canadians)

 49. We will involve young people in government.

 50. We will consider the gender impacts of the decisions we make.

 51. We will deliver easy online access to government services.

 52. We will establish new performance standards for federal services.(create major new forms to fill out using up a forest for the paper used)

 53. We will involve Canadians in policy-making. (Patronage appointments)

 54. We will value science and treat scientists with respect.

 55. We will make Statistics Canada fully independent. (Budget 2016 does not allocate any new funding to Statistics Canada)

 56. We will make decisions using the best data available and will invest only in programs proven to offer good value.

 57. We will provide national leadership and join with the provinces and territories to take action on climate change, put a price on carbon, and reduce carbon

 58. We will protect our communities from the challenges of climate change and grow our economy by making significant new investments in green infrastructure. (the only true green energy is solar power. Wind and tidal use huge quantities of non-renewable resources during construction and maintenance)

 59. We will fulfill our G20 commitment and phase out subsidies for the fossil fuel industry over the medium-term.

 60. We will also work in partnership with the United States and Mexico to develop an ambitious North American clean energy and environmental agreement.

 61. We will also work closely with the provinces and territories to develop a Canadian Energy Strategy to protect Canada’s energy security; encourage energy conservation; and bring cleaner, renewable energy onto the electricity grid. (Patronage appointments)

 62. We will immediately review Canada’s environmental assessment processes and introduce new, fair processes

 63. We will modernize the National Energy Board, ensuring that its composition reflects regional views and has sufficient expertise in fields like environmental science, community development, and Indigenous traditional knowledge. (Patronage appointments)

 64. We recognize the relationship between Indigenous Peoples and the land, and will respect legal traditions and perspectives on environmental stewardship.

 65. We will also do more to protect Canada’s endangered species

 66. We will protect our freshwater and oceans. (Does this mean Victoria, B.C. will stop dumping 82 million litres of raw sewage per day into the Pacific Ocean?)

 67. We will treat our freshwater as a precious resource that deserves protection and careful stewardship.(such as building a nuclear waste dump 1.6 km from Lake Huron?)

 68. We will preserve and promote Canada’s National Parks.

 69. We will make it more affordable for more Canadians to visit and appreciate our National Parks

 70. We will renew the relationship between Canada and Indigenous Peoples.

 71. We will work with First Nations to make sure that every First Nations child receives a quality education.

 72. We will provide new funding to help Indigenous communities promote and preserve Indigenous languages and cultures.

 73. We will work with the Métis Nation to improve the quality of life for Métis individuals and communities.

 74. We will work, on a nation-to-nation basis, with the Métis Nation to advance reconciliation and renew the relationship, based on cooperation, respect for rights, our international obligations, and a commitment to end the status quo.

 75. We will work with Métis people, as well as the provinces and territories, to establish a federal claims process that recognizes Métis self-government and resolves outstanding claims.

 76. We will also make permanent the funding available to provincial Métis communities for Métis identification and registration, instead of it being available year-to-year.

 77. We will review, in partnership with Métis communities, the existing federal programs and services available to the Métis Nation, to identify gaps and areas where strategic investments can be made to improve Métis quality of life. (Patronage appointments)

 78. We will develop a Métis Economic Development Strategy in partnership with Métis communities and existing Métis financial institutions, and will invest $25 million over five years to implement this new strategy. (Patronage appointments)

 79. We will immediately launch a national public inquiry into missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls in Canada. (immediately as in when?)

 80. We will enact the recommendations of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission.

 81. We will give veterans more compensation, more choice, and more support in planning their financial future.

 82. We will honour the service of our veterans and provide new career opportunities through a new Veterans Education Benefit.

 83. We will make it easier for veterans to access services, including mental health services.

 84. We will do more to support the families of Canada’s veterans. (What is currently being done?)

 85. We will give more support to survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault, and sexual harassment, and ensure that more perpetrators are brought to justice. (a man beheads a 19 year old on a bus and the same man is free to roam the streets kind of justice?)

 86. We will repeal the problematic elements of Bill C-51, and introduce new legislation that better balances our collective security with our rights and freedoms.

87. We will create another bureaucracy called the Office of the Community Outreach and Counter-radicalization coordinator. (Patronage appointments)

 88. We will take action to get handguns and assault weapons off our streets.

 89. We will legalize, regulate, and restrict access to marijuana. (do you know the loopholes to do this without breaking treaties?)

 90. We will reverse cuts and make new investments to support our national broadcaster.

 91. We will review the process by which members are appointed to the CBC/Radio-Canada Board of Directors, to ensure merit-based and independent appointments. (Patronage appointments)

 92. We will be doubling investment in the Canada Council for the Arts to $360 million each year. (only pigs currently at the trough know how to fill out the applications)

 93. We will encourage and promote the use of Canada’s official languages.

 94. We will offer greater financial security to the families of disabled or deceased public safety officers, and deliver a new plan to address PTSD.

 95. We will make it easier for immigrants to build successful lives in Canada, and contribute to the economic success of all Canadians.

 96. We will take immediate steps to reopen Canada’s doors, and will make reuniting families a top priority.

 97. We will immediately double the number of applications allowed for parents and grandparents, to 10,000 each year. (how is this funded?)

 98. We will make it more affordable for Canadian workers to send money overseas. (including Cayman Islands?)

 99. We will make it easier and more affordable to hire care givers

 100. We will welcome more refugees from Syria to Canada, and offer more help to those providing aid in the region.

 101. We will also provide a new contribution of $100 million this fiscal year to the United Nations High Commission for Refugees to support critical relief activities in the region.

 102. We will restore Canada’s reputation and help more people in need through a program that is safe, secure, and humane.

 103. We will consult with Canadian and international aid organizations to review current policies and funding frameworks that will refocus our aid priorities on poverty reduction.

 104. We will renew and repair our relationships with our North American partners.

 105. We will work with the United States and Mexico to develop a continent-wide clean energy and environment agreement. (Patronage appointments)

 106. We will restore Canadian leadership in the world.

 107. We will recommit to supporting international peace operations with the United Nations, and will make our specialized capabilities, from mobile medical teams to engineering support to aircraft that can carry supplies and personnel, available on a case-by-case basis.

 108. We will not buy the F-35 stealth fighter-bomber and find a more affordable alternatives to the F-35

 109. These investments will ensure that the Royal Canadian Navy is able to operate as a true blue-water maritime force, while also growing our economy and creating jobs. (Can we return to being called Canadian Armed Forces and ditch the word Royal)

 110. We will put a renewed focus on surveillance and control of Canadian territory and approaches, particularly our Arctic regions, and will increase the size of the Canadian Rangers. (Will you work with every country bordering the Arctic on an Arctic Treaty)

 111. We will assist in domestic security and natural disaster responses, both at home and abroad. (domestic surveillance)

 112. We will implement the recommendations made in the Canadian Forces’ Report on Transformation.

 113. We will end Canada’s combat mission in Iraq. (not quite but close)

 114. We will remain fully committed to Canada’s existing military contributions in Central and Eastern Europe and NATO. (NATO is redundant since their is no longer a Warsaw Pact. NATO was formed to protect us against the Soviet hypothetical threat)

 115. We will cancel child benefit cheques for millionaires so that we can increase child benefits for the middle class and those working to join it.

 116. We will increase the marginal tax rate on Canada’s top one percent so that we can cut taxes for the middle class. (be honest since the wealthiest have many ways to avoid paying any taxes)

 117. We will conduct a review of all tax expenditures to target tax loopholes that particularly benefit Canada’s top one percent. (Patronage appointments)

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World wants More Porous Cities Why don’t we build them?

People of all classes, races and religions come and go in intense and complex Nehru Place. But while Delhi’s electronics market is every urbanologist dream, it is not the sort of space most cities are building.

I am uncomfortable about debates over separation and inclusion which move almost seamlessly to citing violent, extreme behavior as evidence for or against. Which is why Nehru Place is a better example to think about this issue than Molenbeek. Everyday people are going about their business with others unlike themselves, people they don’t know or perhaps don’t like. There is what might be called the democracy of crime here, as Hindus and Muslims both sell illegal electronics; a wave of violence would clear off customers for both. Getting along in this way isn’t particular to India, or to open-air markets. Numerous studies show that in offices or factories that adults of different religions and races work perfectly well together, and the reason is not far to seek.

Work is not about affirming your identity; it’s about getting things done. The complexity of city life tends, in fact, to breed many identities for its citizens as workers, but also as spectators at sports events, as parents concerned about schooling or patients suffering from NHS (Healthcare) cuts. Urban identities are porous in the sense that we are going in and out of lots of different experiences, in different places, with people we don’t know, in the course of a day. When pundits opine on the difficulty of difference, they flatten identity into a single image, just one experience. The modern economy can flatten identity when it sells people on the idea that gated, homogeneous communities are safe, (not true in fact), builds shopping centres only for shopping, or constructs office campuses and towers whose workers are sealed off from the city.

Source: The world wants more ‘porous’ cities – so why don’t we build them? | Cities | The Guardian

Canadian Environment – Election 2015

Canadians vote on Monday, October 13. 2015

During a short discussion with a Conservative she stated: “What does it matter how the world sees Canada” My response was simple. “Do you see any Canadian connectivity with the world?” End of discussion.

Canada is Connected to every Person on the Planet

Where was the debate about Canada’s contribution to world-wide pollution?

A major environmental shift is underway and will likely cause a much shorter lifespan for humans on planet. Some call it climate change or global warming. Others, much wiser, look at it as a shift in the environment between a livable and non-livable habitat.

The Green Party has a narrow view. They pick on one industry while skipping over their own backyard. It is a common thread now to blame someone else while tossing your trash in the Oceans. The Green Party get excited about electric cars and using a bicycle in Vancouver. It is a common delusion, without a minute of thought, as to where and how the electricity is generated.Here are two charts for the Green Party supporters

Blue – Hydro Electric, Pink – Natural Gas, Orange – Diesel

What the map conveniently does not include is shown in the next chart. British Columbia imports of electricity in a deficit. Under the Columbia Basin Treaty the US supplies free nuclear powered electricity to British Columbia.

Canadians consume massive amounts of oil and gas. Your electricity for the most part comes from coal and diesel generating power plants. Ontario is using Nuclear Power while Quebec uses Hydro. Our Maritime Provinces use imported oil. Ontario wants to bury its Nuclear Waste 1 km. from the Great Lakes.

Our larger cities seek billions to expand public transit systems used by a small part of the population. Roads and highways are constantly under construction. The newest insane plan involves spending 100s of millions on bicycle lanes in our ever so warm winter climate.

Big oil companies, most of them US owned, were allowed to create the oil sands project in Alberta. The former Conservative government of Alberta placed little or no restrictions on the clean up process. Newly elected Premiere Rachel Notley has 40 years of Conservative neglect on her governments hands.

Let’s get to the point on how Canada is connected to the world

Canada gives the air a toxic aroma,

Canada daily dumps trillions of liters raw sewage into the rivers and oceans,

Canada pollutes the land and aquifers with hydraulic fracturing chemicals,

Canada uses vehicles that consume ever-increasing amounts of fuel tossing the carbon dioxide into the atmosphere,

Canada for the last 10 years, under Harper’s Conservatives, used 30% of our food grain to create bio-fuel.

Canada, under the Conservatives, sold the Wheat Board to Saudi Arabia, putting independent Canadian farmers at risk of collapse.

All life on the planet is connected

Five years ago Russia invited Canada to a meeting to open discussions about the Arctic Ocean. Harper and the Conservatives refused the invitation. Our two countries border on 80% of the Arctic Ocean. Of course, not to be outdone, Justin Trudeau recently said he would slap the President of the Russian Federation’s face. That would be a wise move at the beginning of talks for an Arctic Treaty. The United States has overblown their importance about the Arctic since their tiny sliver barely hits 2% of the Arctic boundaries.

Everything we do in Canada does affect the world and Canadians. As an environment caretaker we are rated near the bottom. The education system in Canada fell from the top 5 to 69th since Harper’s Conservatives took office. Scientists were silenced by Harper about the same time he burned Canada’s scientific libraries.

When will Canada step up as a World Leader to Clean up the Environment?

What I am about to suggest is done with the greatest amount of sincerity. To those willing to vote for the Green Party please reconsider your vote. In many ridings your vote will let the Conservatives slip up the middle and win the seat. Look up the stats on the Elections Canada website. It happened in over 20 ridings. Consider what Canadians did to Brian Mulroney by leaving the Conservatives with 2 seats in Parliament.

Your turn will come after we have ensured a total defeat of Harper and his Conservatives on October 19, 2015. Where you know there is a high possibility of a Green Party win make it happen. You already have official party status in the House of Commons.

Please watch this 8 minutes video prepared for all Canadians.

Electronic waste is piling up. Here’s why you should care

E-waste, in a society that clamours for smaller, better, faster, newer, is piling up. And there are consequences.

Source: Electronic waste is piling up. Here’s why you should care