My Kingdom for a horse

Or at least of picture of Newmarket Aurora MP Lois Brown being pushed in the run down, sputtering, black smoke belching model T that she was riding for the Newmarket Santa Claus parade. This is just a minor thing yet it seems to mirror the backward, sputtering, ineffectual, planet destroying ideals of the Conservative Party.

Mind you MPP Frank Klees was in a horse drawn carriage which I'm sure was as fragrant as the "stuff" his cabal spouts.

Why is it the so called important people are too damn lazy to walk a short parade route but the 6 year olds dance students and 8 year old playing a flute can?Recommend this Post

The ROMs new look is Fugly

I have to day I agree with the sentiment of Virtualtourist.com that what they've done to the facade of the ROM is an abomination ranking it the 8th ugliest building in world. I'm all for Modern building forms but why the hell do you have to destroy existing landmarks? Our historic buildings have value as there were. If you want modern design on new builds fine but don't destroy our heritage.

I'll also bet that in 20 years the East side of the building will still look mostly the same as it has for 100 years(+-) but the Fugly steel and glass on the north will not weather so well. I also have an issue with the image the Toronto Star used. This pic is of a brand new building, properly lit, clean and quite probably doctored all to hell in the lab. Go down in the day, overcast, not cleaned since they built it and you realize the pictures shown are not reality.

Besides, don't we have enough steel, glass and glare downtown?

I admit I've been inside the ROM and the space itself is not too bad but that alone does not justify what they've done to the outside.Recommend this Post

A good H1N1 story

For all intensive purposes the H1N1 story has been a total clusterfuck.

First we have a pandemic that has not presented itself as any more deadly than the normal flu we get every year. Sure it’s very contagious and does not kill only the usual suspects, killing a few people in their prime as well as the young and very old but statistically it just not that deadly. Second we have governments who appear to have acted slow, promoted panic and then cannot understand why huge line ups are taxing the system, Duh!! The Media is no better for flogging the story of a 13 year old death but ignoring the fact that the Southern hemisphere’s death rate for this flu was not extreme. Finally we have a health minister who blames the panic on the people rather than her own government’s failings. The Auditor General says the Government has totally failed in its duty to be prepared for such emergencies. We are so lucky this is not as deadly as the Spanish Flu because the system would collapse.

Whether we blame the drug company for being slow or the Cons for not placing the order soon enough, for poorly educating the populous and causing panic, or we blame the local Governments for a bad distribution plan it’s certainly a case of too little too late. I give my son’s kindergarten class as example considering they had ½ the kids out last week. I also know several people who got have the flu after getting the shot. Now I’m not claiming the shot made them sick, I know better, but the shots came too late and the system of 3-4 hour line ups to get the shot probably infected more people than it protected.

So what is the good news? I’ve got a great doctor.

This morning our GP called my wife and told her that my two kids (3 and 5) were in the high risk category, told her he had the vaccine, was willing to discuss the vaccine and asked if we wanted to come in for shots. WTF!!!! A doctor that goes out of his way to cold call patients to see if they want the shot, I definitely have an A list GP who never over books, almost never lets you wait past your appointment time and apparently actually cares.

Of course it was irrelevant since we all had the flu last week, but still My GP Doctor Feldman deserves a big ATTABOY!

And no, he’s not taking patients

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France 1 Scientologists 0

Some days are worth getting out of bed, some not so much. This morning when I rose to find out that the Church of Scientology (stupidtology) was convicted of fraud in France and fined about $1 million dollars I knew this was going to be one of the good ones. (expect appeals)

The illegal activities in question included "commercial harassment" and the pressuring of inductees to make large payments or take out loans to pay for books, courses and other crap that had no purpose but to enrich the Church.

Since when does a church force to you buy salvation or religious favours,,, oh yeah, but they stopped doing that a long time ago,,,,, didn't they?

This ruling continues the trend of legal losses in Europe as we saw in December 07 when Germany declared that this organization was not a Church stating "that we do not consider Scientology an organization that is compatible with the constitution," In other words did not meet the German definition of a Religion

No tax exempt status in Germany Bahahahah!

What I want to know is why the U.S. State department has previously criticized Belgium and Germany for labeling the organization a Cult/Sect and passing laws to restrict their operations?

Rather than defending this organization someone in U.S Government should be moving to crush them on their home turf. Of course considering the number of legal cases they've fought over their attempts to libel, hound, harass detractors including a Canadian Crown attorney as seen in the Canadian supreme court ruling on Hill v. Church of Scientology of Toronto, [1995] 2 S.C.R. 1130,
perhaps people are too timid to take them on.

Here is a little clip from paragraph 194 of the Supreme Court ruling which cost the Church $1.6 million

In summary, every aspect of this case demonstrates the very real and persistent malice of Scientology. Their actions preceding the publication of the libel, the circumstances of its publication and their subsequent actions in relation to both the search warrant proceedings and this action amply confirm and emphasize the insidious malice of Scientology.

Insidious Malice Wow! maybe they need more courses

Overall its been a bad press week for Scientology as Paul Haggis, Canadian director and screenwriter who both quit and denounced the Church for its Same sex marriage stand and takes a shot claiming the church does force members to shun those who leave the flock.

Oh, I gotta stop grining so much , it hurts

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Final harvests

I'm just getting around to posting shots from my final harvest at the Newmarket Community Garden. I can't say it was a bumper year as I suffered the same horrible blight that destroyed many a urban farmers tomatoes this year but on the other hand the constant rain allowed me the leisure of NOT going to water 3 times a week. Yeah I'm a lazy slob, what's it to you?

Next year I will certainly do some things different,
no cucumbers: we simply can't eat more than a few
no corn: to much space for too little corn
no cabbage: while I like them they are no one else's favorites and for the five I planted I got one, the slugs got three, a thief got one(the nicest one) making it just not worth the space.
No broccoli: Not to hard to grow but timing the fine line between florets and flowers was a royal pain when the plants were not just outside the back door.

More root crops :the yield per sq ft is quite high
More beans staggered throughout the season : it was certainly feast and famine with this years beans
I'll probably keep my tomatoes in containers at home where the soil seems to be blight free


I did have some success this season with good crops of potatoes, zucchinis, beans, peas, carrots, and the above Parsnip That Ate Sheboygan


Peak Oil, food security and localization are important issues to me and having access to a garden through the York Region Food Network were I could grow good quality chemical free food that was good for my families health, good for our budget and good gardening experience was a valuable gift. Now if only I could get the little trolls we are raising to go help me without starting a water fight or sulking because I've asked them to come with me, I'll have it made

I have to say the people at the York Region Food Network do good work even if they do get their garden land taken away from them once a decade. Today I ventured out on a YRFN sponsored gleaning program and was able to collect nearly a bushel and a half of windfall apples. There were many varieties but I brought home Spartans, Northern Spy, Macs and Red Delicious. Yes they were dirty but it was very easy to find undamaged fruit laying on the ground that the people paying good money to Pick Their Own refuse to purchase. I suspect that much of this windfall actually gets collected by the orchard staff on most days and sent to the cider press but this morning they opened up their operation to the YRFN so people could glean free apples. I must say I was appalled at some of the recipients of this opportunity who once they got out in the fields picked from the trees against the owners instructions. @#%%@# Scum!!

As well as the gleaning program and the community gardens the YRFN also runs a food bank, community kitchen, shelter and various support programs. I would recommend this organization as a worthy cause for financial support or for any local students looking to log volunteer hoursRecommend this Post

Planet killing idiots strike again!

I'm just heading out but first I had to share this story which makes me want to pummel certain people with concrete donuts.

The Canadian Government aka, the Corporate Self Interest Club wants the EPA to back off on regulations that would stop the burning of Bunker fuel on Great Lake ships. Bunker fuel is the low grade crap left over from oil refining and it burns dirty, real dirty with up to 1.5% sulphur and releases high levels of smog creating nitrogen-oxide.

The EPA wants higher fuel standards to save the Great Lakes basin from smog and sulphur emissions while the Canadian Government aka (today at least )The Canadian Shipowners Association wants a delay until 2020 so they can install new scrubbers on the smoke stacks even though the tech does not exist today.

There is no health or environmental concern that these guys won't discount if the corporate lobby stands in their way.

Bastards today, bastards always.Recommend this Post

Things I want to see for Newmarket/Aurora

In light of peak oil, pollution, global warming and those pesky food security issues that are dear to my heart(and belly) there are a great many things I’d like to see happen to make Newmarket Aurora a better and more sustainable place for what I believe will be a harder more austere future.

No more irrational development, yes we should increased density but stop building those damn 4000 sq ft homes, and stop allowing big box developments. Mixed use high density is the best model, each block should have a grocer, a restaurant, a bar, a play ground etc. Grouping all the retail and services around main arteries that no one can walk to is insane.

LEEDs certification for all new homes and major rebuilds, simple additions must be at least R2000 compliant. If people’s houses are so inefficient that they cannot heat them affordability you will get people freezing in the dark or installing in wood stoves that create smog and lead to deforestation, not to mention the number of dumb asses that burn down their houses or gas themselves when they bring the BBQ inside.

New Commercial buildings must utilize their roofs as green roofs, Solar PV or Solar thermal applications, 20 year phase in for all existing commercial buildings.

I’d like to see more open mindedness in the building codes regarding alternative building materials; Straw bail, earth bag, rammed earth etc. The carbon footprint of the building process must also be taken into account, not just the day to day carbon use.

No more drive through businesses with notice that existing ones must be phased out in 10 years. Having both an anti idling law and numerous drive throughs makes absolutely no sense.

I want the city to stop planting foreign ornamental trees everywhere. All trees should be indigenous species with at least half being productive varieties of fruits and nuts, providing both natural foods for wildlife and energetic citizens.

I don’t want the Widening of Davis Drive for public transit lanes.
Peak oil is going to severely reduce the amount of public traffic on the roads within the next 10 years. Widening this road to accommodate transit on the assumption that oil availability or price will never impact car use is blinkered thinking. The age of the car is ending, stop building infrastructure that perpetuates a broken model.

I want people to come forward to found a transition town movement (I’ll certainly join and take part but I won’t kid myself that organization or consensus building skills are my strong point, I’m too much the lazy malcontent)
Transition towns is a great movement devoted to helping towns and communities adapt to peak oil and more self reliance.

I’d like to see the creation of a food not lawns movement. The waste of water, energy, time and fertilizer on grass is a national disgrace. The potential benefit to food security, biodiversity and the survival of pollinators greatly outweighs the benefit of the uniformly boring dead zone we call lawns. While it’s your right to have a lawn I it’s also my right to utilize my soil to grow food.

I also want a lobby for the legalization of small urban livestock, hens, rabbits, dwarf goats as part of a greater Right to Farm legislation.

I want to see tax relief and zoning concession that encourage land owners to lease, donate or even use their honking big lawns to grow food locally. Just drive around the Pony and Stellar Drive industrial area, the lawns on some of these properties could supply 100s of people with produce. The utilization of urban lands to feed people is becoming more prevalent

Stop jerking us around on community gardens. After years of improving the soil in Newmarket’s community garden the region is giving urban farmers the boot, our new location will be a dead field of clay adjacent to the Magna center. In reality Magna should be additional garden plots not replacement plots

I’d like Ontario hydro to allow us the use of the hydro corridor for garden plots. There are many acres of untended and usable land going to waste.

I want a local food cooperative selling locally grown fresh and canned produce as well as bulk purchases of food staples.

I want to see the careers ended for those local politicians who think that the only thing they must offer to get my vote is more public ice rinks. There is more to life and their jobs than facilitating hockey…arrgggg!

I want to see strict enforcement of the no free range cat bylaw. If your dog, child or spouse is running amok in my yard I can call the police, if it’s a cat however you must trap it yourself because police or animal control won’t do anything. Cats and their freakishly zealot owners are apparently above a law that protects indigenous species like song birds from being hunted by a foreign and destructive species. If you’re too lazy to clean your own cat box put the cat down, don’t send it to crap in my garden

Ban golf courses- a place that Ontario exempts from the pesticide spraying laws

I want to see a group of environmentally aware people create a slate of like minded candidates in the next round of municipal elections.

I’d like the Newmarket Farmers market to have its board fired and a neutral party placed in charge. The market has lost good vendors because board members did not like losing market share to a better product, (the best meat pies are sold by a guy at the Aurora market now.) It also looks pretty obvious that many current vendors are breaking the rules and bringing out of region produce from the food terminal.

I’d like to see at least one weekend Go train that goes down 9:00ish a.m. and came back at 5-6 pm so that people can do the Ex, trade shows, theatre, the islands etc.

There are so many things that I want done yet I see no awareness to the need for change. I guess there are several answers but they all boil down to 2 categories

I’m a delusional crank
or
People are inherently short sighted and stupid

Or maybe there are people out there who will say, "Those are great ideas, I want to get involved" and will contact me to do something.

No, you are right. I must a be delusional Crank!!! bwahahahahaahah

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