Tell me what you really think

A puzzle for me is how many couples aren't honest with each other. There is a sense that it is better not to upset him/her, or he/she wouldn't understand, but if you are in a long-term relationship with that person, then why couldn't you be honest with them?

I constantly ask people for their opinions not because I'm trying to make small talk, but because I really want to know what people think. If I know how people view a situation, or what their opinion is on an issue. If people can't be honest in their reply to me, then why would I ask them anything in the first place?

Diplomacy and tact are virtues, yes, but when someone solicits the question, I would think it is because they really want to know. I know I do.

Do you choose to be envious?

So I was out at the shopping mall on the week-end, running a couple of errands and checking out some prices. I get distracted by someone carrying an ice cream cone, which inevitably leads me to check out what flavours are available. Chocolate chip cookie dough, and I'm done, so I find a place to sit down to enjoy my sin.

As I'm working through my ice cream cone, a woman shows up with a baby stroller and sits down. A young boy is looking at me with big eyes and my ice cream cone, and I start to fear the begging and pleading and inevitable melt down when mommy says no to the ice cream option.

Much to my surprise, the young boy is totally enamoured and fixated on his snack, some bread or sandwich type deal. Totally thrilled, he doesn't even know I exist anymore and happily munches on his meal.

Maybe the ice cream isn't so good after all? What makes you happy?

From the archives

The Globe and Mail reported the following on January 21, 1956:

A Paris man nursed his wounds in a hospital after having thrown his mistress from the window of his fourth-floor apartment. She bounced on the canvas awning of a store below, landed uninjured, went back upstairs, hit him over the head with a bottle, and fainted.

And how was *your* day?

Tories win!

Also cool!

Stephen Harper has the Prime Minster's job and it is his to lose. He now has at least a year to show himself worthy of the title conferred to him by an electorate that is either a) moronic, b) easily frightened, c) suspicious or d) holding its collective nose as it votes. As long as he plays the middle, a majority government can be his as people can now see what he really dows with power, instead of listening to the Liberals scare-monger.

Of note, with Paul Martin resigning as Liberal leader, the Grits may be reluctant to bring down the government too soon, which may give some breathing room for economic policy, but not much room for social policy.

May you live in interesting times indeed....

Seahawks win!

Cool! :)

Coal Miners

Twice in the past month, people have died doing their job in the coal mines of West Virginia. This seems like a shock to most people because they assume that such industrial accidents are not possible in a developped country like the United States. What is less known is just how poor West Virginia really is, and how few economic opportunities there are. For many communities, working in the mines is the only job for miles around and it pays better than most other jobs too. That the mining companies would cut corners in the name of safety is not a surprise to most people, but it is a surprise that it happens in the US.

The bottom line is that you have people who are economically disadvantaged and, perhaps knowing the risks of their job, perhaps not, will gladly take the work because they don't really have much of a choice.

A headline tonight read that the Governor of W. Virginia vows action after the most recent deaths, but the question obviously is why didn't safety regulations become more of a priority sooner?

Or better question: Are the mines safe and the past month just an aberration?

In either case, it's tough, ugly and dangerous work and there is no shortage of people who are willing to do it.

So long Paul Martin

As I expected, the Liberals will be voted out of office on Monday, but still up for grabs is the question of Tory minority or Tory majority. The polls were leading towards a majority, but the words "Tory majority" still needlessly scares people, so it's now levelling off at minority level (maybe 150 seats or so). Opinion polls are pretty tricky this close to an election, but there may be enough momentum to push the Conservative party to 155 or so.

Big gains in Ontario, a few gains in the Maritimes and I'm betting on 7 seats in Quebec.

At the very least, Belinda Stronach should go back to being a daddy's girl, that would make me happy. Scott Brison too. You gotta believe in something other than power, for power's sake.

I forgot to mention it at the time...

...but the blog has had over 1000 hits since stats begain tracking in August 2005. I have no idea what that means, nor what you should think about that. It's just a number.

Discount Airlines changing the face of Europe?

An interesting article that may lead to some provocative conclusions....

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20060113.wxibletter13/BNStory/Business/

PS: I think the cleaning lady makes 1000 pounds a month, not a week.

"Last year was a watershed: These budget airlines actually became more popular, and far more profitable, than even the most successful commercial airlines."

(snip)

"But there is another story behind Ryanair, and it can be seen this morning on Flight 8405. Only a handful of people on this plane, including me, are not Polish. Last year, Ryanair expanded its timetable from a single Polish destination to 11, and the Polish routes are among its most successful.

It is not that Britons have discovered the tourist joys of Silesia -- they haven't (although they should -- it is one of Europe's best-kept tourist secrets). It is that Poles have discovered the economic joys of working in Britain.

Last year, Ryanair carried a million Poles to Britain, almost all of them for jobs in the service industry; Easyjet carried hundreds of thousands."

(snip)

"Women like Bozena are at the heart of the new Ryanair economy. Britain, whose unemployment rate is far below the level usually considered "zero," needs about 400,000 extra foreign workers a year just to keep its economy running. Ireland is in a similar position. But rather than immigrate, a great many workers keep their homes in Eastern Europe and commute on cut-rate flights -- a lifestyle that was once the preserve of CEOs, and is now available for cleaning ladies." (emphasis mine)

Retreat ads

I think most of what has been written about the "soldiers in the streets" ad the Liberals tried to use has covered the essential points, so I will just repeat my belief that the Liberals are so desperate for power, they will say and do anything, even if it is a) false and b) offensive to our military.

This is leadership? Pfftt....

Mike Duffy gets pissed!

I should be in bed now, but I let my mind wander, tried to catch up on the past couple of weeks of the election campaign and found this awesome video clip (two minutes total):

http://www.stephentaylor.ca/Liberal_Military_Attack.wmv

It's that disastrous "military in the streets" attack ad from the Liberals, but it's followed up by a testy exchange between Mike Duffy and a Liberal strategist, and Duffy uncorks completely on the poor schlep, leaving the strategist shell-shocked.

The ads are terrible, and Duffy is right to be pissed. Ten days left in the election campaign, and now comes the test to see if the Tories did learn from the 2004 election campaign. If they did, hello Tory majority....

Good to be back

So it's been quite a week, but I'm home, safe, and wondering what the heck happened to the cold weather. No complaints, sheer gratitude.

Thanks to all who continued to visit despite the absence of new material, but postings should return to normal now.

Thought du jour: Why is Pat Robertson not being medicated? Dissing Ariel Sharon on his deathbed? It's like he's had a stroke of some kind and no one noticed, his mouth is cruder than Sophia from "The Golden Girls". Love thy neighbour my arse!

Well, not so far away after all

So I do have internet until Wednesday, Happy new year to one and all. Mine was pretty quiet, attempts to make it into Times Square were foiled by a) inclement weather and b) a very tight security cordon. So a quiet night at home with important people and it was back to sight-seeing the next day.

The people who came up with the idea of Central Park were geniuses, absolute frigging geniuses. It is simply amazing and a treasure to behold and protect.