I am 6 months into a 3 year plan with Fido. I won't use my Blackberry Curve ever again.As a matter of fact, I will never own another cell phone again because of Fido.
First off, my wife also has the same make of phone and 2 months ago a black line formed across her screen. She sent it off for repairs and they wanted $200 for a temporary phone. I have no idea if the money was returnable. It took two months to get her phone back. My phone now has a black line across the screen.
Next, when I got the phone, I said yes to the $2 fee for paper billing. I have yet to see a single bill. I cannot access fido online as the procedure changes every time I log on. I then get cancelled after I miss the due date by a day and have to pay reconnection fees every time.
My plan was supposed to be $45 a month but the lowest bill so far has been $69. I do not have email nor internet.
Now they want $25 dollars to change my number with a local #.
Wednesday, June 29, 2011
Monday, May 30, 2011
The wrong trend...
Below is a link that states America is extending the Patriot Act another four (4) years. Here is a news flash. The powers that be, will not let go of any extra policing powers they can scare out of the general populace....ever.
http://www.wired.com/threatlevel/
http://www.wired.com/threatlevel/
Friday, April 15, 2011
Tax wealth, not work!
I don't know about you people, but I am sick and tired of being nickled and dimed to death. Everything, and I mean everything is costing more. I could bring up specifics but some one will point out "it only went up .5 of a percent," or "6 cents a loaf". Sure, that by itself is nothing, bumkis Nada. But when every fucking aspect of life is costing more, it fucking adds up fast.
Then you read about huge corporation that pay less in taxes than you or I do and its a "What The Fuck" moment. Here in Canada, we have an east coast family that basically owns the maritime (Oil and gas) whose grandfather forces them to live outside of Canada to avoid paying taxes. Another WTF moment.
Jerks like me get bullied, pounded and yes raped, by Revenue Canada. I am a big man, I can get in a scrap with multiple opponents (used to) without any qualms, but I tremble, and even feel like crying a bit when dealing with Revenue Canada. That organization does its level best to keep the Blue Collar Worker down with Draconian tactics.
There has to be a fair tax system........What if there was a flat tax of say, 12%? across the board, treat big business as an entity/person and tax the same!
Wait, won't Big Business up and leave the country to a tax haven like Ireland? Yup, they would. In a heartbeat. That's when we use tariffs at the border to recoup our losses. Wait what about the loss of jobs when they leave? Yes there will by loss of jobs when they leave, but there is always job losses. (I worked 3 years for a ship repair dry dock owned by the Right Dishonorable Paul Martin who laid me off just before every Xmas).
He then proceeded to get his ships built in China.
The present system supports the wealthy and big business. The powers do not want stability among the general populous, we are easier to control when we are in debt, sick and uneducated.
Things have to change.
Then you read about huge corporation that pay less in taxes than you or I do and its a "What The Fuck" moment. Here in Canada, we have an east coast family that basically owns the maritime (Oil and gas) whose grandfather forces them to live outside of Canada to avoid paying taxes. Another WTF moment.
Jerks like me get bullied, pounded and yes raped, by Revenue Canada. I am a big man, I can get in a scrap with multiple opponents (used to) without any qualms, but I tremble, and even feel like crying a bit when dealing with Revenue Canada. That organization does its level best to keep the Blue Collar Worker down with Draconian tactics.
There has to be a fair tax system........What if there was a flat tax of say, 12%? across the board, treat big business as an entity/person and tax the same!
Wait, won't Big Business up and leave the country to a tax haven like Ireland? Yup, they would. In a heartbeat. That's when we use tariffs at the border to recoup our losses. Wait what about the loss of jobs when they leave? Yes there will by loss of jobs when they leave, but there is always job losses. (I worked 3 years for a ship repair dry dock owned by the Right Dishonorable Paul Martin who laid me off just before every Xmas).
He then proceeded to get his ships built in China.
The present system supports the wealthy and big business. The powers do not want stability among the general populous, we are easier to control when we are in debt, sick and uneducated.
Things have to change.
Wednesday, March 30, 2011
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=PTUY16CkS-k
this is worth watching, I am no economic expert, but from what I understand from this clip, america is very fucked up. Even if its only half as bad as the clip makes out it still is very bad.
this is worth watching, I am no economic expert, but from what I understand from this clip, america is very fucked up. Even if its only half as bad as the clip makes out it still is very bad.
Monday, March 21, 2011
Another fucking war....Libya
Another fucking war, again with no clear goals or mandates. Sure the UN has put out gobbledygook, but when you break it down it has no meaning. As usual. It will probably be like the second, illegal, Gulf War, destroy Iraq's weapons of mass destruction...but when the search for them petered out the Coalition Of the Willing, (How is THAT for a self serving, grandiose, religious smelling moniker?), they'll change the motive to "Regime Change".
If regime change were the true driving force, then there would be a few more countries ahead of OIL RICH Libya, Sudan and Rwanda come to mind...but wait, these countries don't have oil to protect!!! Who gives a fuck about genocide? Not the west...Well that's my rant.
If regime change were the true driving force, then there would be a few more countries ahead of OIL RICH Libya, Sudan and Rwanda come to mind...but wait, these countries don't have oil to protect!!! Who gives a fuck about genocide? Not the west...Well that's my rant.
Tuesday, March 15, 2011
Nuclear power and deep water drilling
I am a power engineer, we used to be called stationary engineers but that wasn't grandiose enough so we changed it to power engineering. In a former life I was a marine engineer. What I want to make clear is that I am a "feet on the ground, tool in the hand" type of engineer.
The engineers I have trouble with are the "ring" engineer. That is an engineer with formal education from a secondary school such as a university or college and when they graduate they get a ring. I have huge problems with these people, or most of them anyways.
Math is there universe. If it works out on paper its good. Period. 30 years ago if you had doubts about the end result they would haul out there slide rule and wave it in your face like some medieval dagger and explain how you are wrong.....and we, the grunts would slink away.
Today if we question something the wave their calculator or palm pilot at us explaining how we are wrong, then twitter to the world how they beat yet another knuckle dragger back.
Now we come to the title of the post. Nuclear Power and deep, Deep Water Drilling.
The gist of the following is simply this:
"Just because you can do something, doesn't mean you should do it."
Yeah, we can build a nuke plant, and we can drill very, very deep but honestly, with those two endeavors we are at the absolute limits of our technology. And when something goes wrong, new technology has to be developed to fight it. Just look at how many months it took to slow the leak down, let alone plug it! And don't get me wrong on the clean up, gee, lets add a toxin to break up the oil....never mind what this shit will do to whats left of the sea life in the area.....fucking engineers and their inbred cousin scientists.I know the last huge oil fiasco is not in the news any more, that is only because big business did not want the media reporting it any more, believe me when I say there is still a huge disaster on the eastern seaboard of the USA
Now, I am a huge proponent of nuclear power. I think its the only answer we presently have to counter our dependency on fossil fuels. I don't think we should have nuclear power plants at this moment though.
My reasoning is this; We do not have the technology to make them safe enough yet. We do not have exotic materials to make the technology to make it safe enough. it will be a long, expensive process to develop this.
First off, we have to develop a substitute for steel reinforces concrete, that shit flakes away after a few decades, lets call the new material "futurecrete". Futurecrete will have to be synthetic of course, hopefully one big molecular construct that can withstand massive shocks, such as earthquakes, explosives, originating both externally and internally, resist chemical deterioration and obviously be dense enough to contain radiation.
Of course nothing like this exists so we should not have a reactor on line until we do.
Oh, lets not forget about the nuclear waste....other that making weapons, armour plating vehicles (duh!) with it at ammunition for Gatling guns (Can you spell Gulf War Syndrome...I can...r a d i a t i o n p o i s o n i n g).
Of course we won't get rid of our nuke plants, here in Canada I think they supply like 20% of our power, and one at Chalk River creates medical isotopes. But lets not build any more until some thing like futurecrete come along.
Oh, not all design engineer are bad, there is a school in Great Britain that has the graduates make their own rings fro the remains of a centuries old bridge, reminding them that good engineering makes good products.
And in Quebec, a school has its graduates make their rings from the remain of a suspension bridge the collapsed shortly after it was commissioned as a reminder to be diligent out their engineering.....I like the dose of humility in that lesson.
Allan
The engineers I have trouble with are the "ring" engineer. That is an engineer with formal education from a secondary school such as a university or college and when they graduate they get a ring. I have huge problems with these people, or most of them anyways.
Math is there universe. If it works out on paper its good. Period. 30 years ago if you had doubts about the end result they would haul out there slide rule and wave it in your face like some medieval dagger and explain how you are wrong.....and we, the grunts would slink away.
Today if we question something the wave their calculator or palm pilot at us explaining how we are wrong, then twitter to the world how they beat yet another knuckle dragger back.
Now we come to the title of the post. Nuclear Power and deep, Deep Water Drilling.
The gist of the following is simply this:
"Just because you can do something, doesn't mean you should do it."
Yeah, we can build a nuke plant, and we can drill very, very deep but honestly, with those two endeavors we are at the absolute limits of our technology. And when something goes wrong, new technology has to be developed to fight it. Just look at how many months it took to slow the leak down, let alone plug it! And don't get me wrong on the clean up, gee, lets add a toxin to break up the oil....never mind what this shit will do to whats left of the sea life in the area.....fucking engineers and their inbred cousin scientists.I know the last huge oil fiasco is not in the news any more, that is only because big business did not want the media reporting it any more, believe me when I say there is still a huge disaster on the eastern seaboard of the USA
Now, I am a huge proponent of nuclear power. I think its the only answer we presently have to counter our dependency on fossil fuels. I don't think we should have nuclear power plants at this moment though.
My reasoning is this; We do not have the technology to make them safe enough yet. We do not have exotic materials to make the technology to make it safe enough. it will be a long, expensive process to develop this.
First off, we have to develop a substitute for steel reinforces concrete, that shit flakes away after a few decades, lets call the new material "futurecrete". Futurecrete will have to be synthetic of course, hopefully one big molecular construct that can withstand massive shocks, such as earthquakes, explosives, originating both externally and internally, resist chemical deterioration and obviously be dense enough to contain radiation.
Of course nothing like this exists so we should not have a reactor on line until we do.
Oh, lets not forget about the nuclear waste....other that making weapons, armour plating vehicles (duh!) with it at ammunition for Gatling guns (Can you spell Gulf War Syndrome...I can...r a d i a t i o n p o i s o n i n g).
Of course we won't get rid of our nuke plants, here in Canada I think they supply like 20% of our power, and one at Chalk River creates medical isotopes. But lets not build any more until some thing like futurecrete come along.
Oh, not all design engineer are bad, there is a school in Great Britain that has the graduates make their own rings fro the remains of a centuries old bridge, reminding them that good engineering makes good products.
And in Quebec, a school has its graduates make their rings from the remain of a suspension bridge the collapsed shortly after it was commissioned as a reminder to be diligent out their engineering.....I like the dose of humility in that lesson.
Allan
Friday, February 25, 2011
Lame Canadian Government, Libyan crisis
Our lame, limp and ludicrous government sent a plane to Libya to pick up our citizens that need evacuation. It left empty. Our citizens are getting out of the country on allies planes and ships. Even if there was a communications screw up and no one was notified that an evacuation plane was available they should have took other nationals out of the country like other nations took Canadians out...This kind of crap should topple a government but the people here are lame and apathetic. Oh, they are sending another plane as I type.
retired Major General Lewis Mackenzie is speaking the party line like a good little robot. When that asswipe was a colonel he would have done right by his conscience, At one time the man was decent. Ever since he waded into the political waters he was de-nutted. I would add that he was muzzled but that would imply that he might of had an inclination to speak up, he clearly doesn't. He belongs on the wall of shame with another ass hat, General Boyle.
retired Major General Lewis Mackenzie is speaking the party line like a good little robot. When that asswipe was a colonel he would have done right by his conscience, At one time the man was decent. Ever since he waded into the political waters he was de-nutted. I would add that he was muzzled but that would imply that he might of had an inclination to speak up, he clearly doesn't. He belongs on the wall of shame with another ass hat, General Boyle.
Thursday, February 24, 2011
Bad priorities
I follow a blog from the States, it is one of a few non-sailing blogs I follow. I won't post a link here until I get her permission.
She makes some great posts, some are cuttingly inciteful and some are her way of saying WTF is the media paying attention to this wh**e for.
One previouse blog shows how little rights and freedoms are allowed in the states, with only three comments, in which mine, a Canadian, was the longest and most outraged. Her readers seem to be above intelligent and more open minded than what we, the world, generally give Americans credit for. But man oh man, they just don't see what kind of pickle they have gotten themselves into while trying to become safe and secure. Some will give a line or two of lip service concerning rights and freedoms but that is it.
America used to be a bastion of democracy, but look at what its become. Isolationist, secular and totalitarian in all but name. Sounds like half a dozen Middle Eastern countries, doesn't it?
Here is what I wrote; EB, I don't think you Americans (Including you EB, a lawyer)realize how much freedom you have given up in the name of security. That Freedom Act of yours looks like it came out of some banana dictatorships "How to be An Autocratic, Totalitarian Regime" handbook.
Your pre Patriot Act laws covered everything concerning terrorism. But now you guys can fuck yourselves over with impunity. Do you think the powers that be, and I include both parties here, will give up these powers? Not in your lifetime.
Your constitution is the most beautifully crafted document this world has ever seen and you are using it as toilet paper. Re-read it as a refresher, let its perfection flow over and through you, then weep at what it has become.
Fight to get it back.....Allan
She makes some great posts, some are cuttingly inciteful and some are her way of saying WTF is the media paying attention to this wh**e for.
One previouse blog shows how little rights and freedoms are allowed in the states, with only three comments, in which mine, a Canadian, was the longest and most outraged. Her readers seem to be above intelligent and more open minded than what we, the world, generally give Americans credit for. But man oh man, they just don't see what kind of pickle they have gotten themselves into while trying to become safe and secure. Some will give a line or two of lip service concerning rights and freedoms but that is it.
America used to be a bastion of democracy, but look at what its become. Isolationist, secular and totalitarian in all but name. Sounds like half a dozen Middle Eastern countries, doesn't it?
Here is what I wrote; EB, I don't think you Americans (Including you EB, a lawyer)realize how much freedom you have given up in the name of security. That Freedom Act of yours looks like it came out of some banana dictatorships "How to be An Autocratic, Totalitarian Regime" handbook.
Your pre Patriot Act laws covered everything concerning terrorism. But now you guys can fuck yourselves over with impunity. Do you think the powers that be, and I include both parties here, will give up these powers? Not in your lifetime.
Your constitution is the most beautifully crafted document this world has ever seen and you are using it as toilet paper. Re-read it as a refresher, let its perfection flow over and through you, then weep at what it has become.
Fight to get it back.....Allan
Wednesday, February 23, 2011
Outrageous
The local utility company's here in Ontario "Fuck You In Your Own Ass' Canada just got permission to charge more for their 'services'. On top of that they just received permission to increase our usage rates to compensate for their fines they received for overcharging interest rates on delinquent accounts.....Where the fuck is the sense in THAT?....Allan
See if I can post a link....http://www.cp24.com/servlet/an/local/CTVNews/20110222/110222_electricity/20110222/?hub=CP24Home
See if I can post a link....http://www.cp24.com/servlet/an/local/CTVNews/20110222/110222_electricity/20110222/?hub=CP24Home
Sunday, February 20, 2011
Lip service, arrogent elected officials
Both our
One former Prime Minister, Brian Mulrooney, was recorded showing the most disdainful arrogence towards the citizens who elected him, calling us brainless sheep. (Not quite those words, but they'll do. And we are sheep. Our national police force, the much vaunted RCMP laid corruption charged against him while he was Prime Minister and he laid a 5 million dollar lawsuit on them. All charges were dropped. Do you realize how sure, how positive a cop would have to be to level such charges against a national leader? I would say very sure. But we the sheeple of Canada bought it. BTW, his German partner in crime was convicted and sentenced for bribery, but no recipient of the bribes were ever brought to justice. The next Prime Minister issued Brian Mulrooney The "Order of Canada", our highest honour towards heroes and outstanding citizenz. It is a worthless medallion now as far as I'm concerned.
Brian Mulrooney is the poster child for all that is wrong in todays politics.....Allan
One former Prime Minister, Brian Mulrooney, was recorded showing the most disdainful arrogence towards the citizens who elected him, calling us brainless sheep. (Not quite those words, but they'll do. And we are sheep. Our national police force, the much vaunted RCMP laid corruption charged against him while he was Prime Minister and he laid a 5 million dollar lawsuit on them. All charges were dropped. Do you realize how sure, how positive a cop would have to be to level such charges against a national leader? I would say very sure. But we the sheeple of Canada bought it. BTW, his German partner in crime was convicted and sentenced for bribery, but no recipient of the bribes were ever brought to justice. The next Prime Minister issued Brian Mulrooney The "Order of Canada", our highest honour towards heroes and outstanding citizenz. It is a worthless medallion now as far as I'm concerned.
Brian Mulrooney is the poster child for all that is wrong in todays politics.....Allan
Wednesday, February 16, 2011
Inacurate media reporting
No, this isn't about the failure of western media concerning Iraq and its WMDs, nor covering George Ws election "win" down in the States. It is about 4 stories that I have been involved in and how they were reported. 2 of them were direct involvement on my part, and 2 were second hand account. By second hand accounts I mean the persons involved told me what they were interviewed about and how it came out in the papers.
Be warned, my 2 stories have no social, moral nor economic impact on anything or anyone.
Story # 1;
Back in the day when I was a young sailor in the Canadian Navy, I attended an ant-nuclear rally in Halifax Nova Scotia, Canada. we were protesting a nuclear carrier that came to port. (Note: i am not anti-American, I am anti-nuclear anything). There may have been 500 people attending with a smattering of applause here and there.
Well, I had to read the next days papers over and over to understand that they were talking about the same event that I attended. The rag reported that there were thousands in attendance with roaring applause. Go figure.
Story # 2;
We had a submarine commander who was a psycho, truly he was. I was not, nor ever have been a submariner but I had to do mechanical repairs on them from time to time.
So, one time I am replacing a cylinder and cylinder liner on one of its main engines. I had all the part from the head in a plastic box laid out in the walkway between the diesels. there is no room on a sub to put it anywhere else. This nutjob of a Commanding Officer comes storming through, screaming "Get this shit out of my way!" And gives my box of parts belonging to HIS engine into what passes for a bilge on a submarine.
He was brought up on abuse charge (Not for kicking engine parts), but for physically abusing his crew. Media made him look like a hepless, bullied victum of military protocol. Again, go figure.
First second hand story;
A friend father raised and trained dobermans for movies. You must have seen them, They were the dobermans in the movie "The Dobermann Gang", A bunch of bank robbing dobermans. The father also owned a camp site where he rented out cottages. Well, and this is trajic, a two year old child fell into a strem and was being swept away whe one of the dogs jumped in to save him. Dobermans are not retrievers, the animal tore the kids arm of and he died. Media went on how the dogs set upon the boy and tore him up. Not pretty for anyone involved.
Second second hand story;
I'm out of the Navy, working in a shipyard when we went on strike, or we were locked out, I can't remember which now. One of my co-worker was interview by a reported, the guy asked like a hundred questions...My co-worker that was interviewed di not, could not recognize the article the next day. It was not just distorted, it was totally fabricated.
That's all. What I learned is that I have to take whatever I hear or read with a huge grain of salt.
So, with the exception of the childs death, my stories are pretty vanilla but shows you that modern media in pure entertainment, not facts. So sad...Allan
Be warned, my 2 stories have no social, moral nor economic impact on anything or anyone.
Story # 1;
Back in the day when I was a young sailor in the Canadian Navy, I attended an ant-nuclear rally in Halifax Nova Scotia, Canada. we were protesting a nuclear carrier that came to port. (Note: i am not anti-American, I am anti-nuclear anything). There may have been 500 people attending with a smattering of applause here and there.
Well, I had to read the next days papers over and over to understand that they were talking about the same event that I attended. The rag reported that there were thousands in attendance with roaring applause. Go figure.
Story # 2;
We had a submarine commander who was a psycho, truly he was. I was not, nor ever have been a submariner but I had to do mechanical repairs on them from time to time.
So, one time I am replacing a cylinder and cylinder liner on one of its main engines. I had all the part from the head in a plastic box laid out in the walkway between the diesels. there is no room on a sub to put it anywhere else. This nutjob of a Commanding Officer comes storming through, screaming "Get this shit out of my way!" And gives my box of parts belonging to HIS engine into what passes for a bilge on a submarine.
He was brought up on abuse charge (Not for kicking engine parts), but for physically abusing his crew. Media made him look like a hepless, bullied victum of military protocol. Again, go figure.
First second hand story;
A friend father raised and trained dobermans for movies. You must have seen them, They were the dobermans in the movie "The Dobermann Gang", A bunch of bank robbing dobermans. The father also owned a camp site where he rented out cottages. Well, and this is trajic, a two year old child fell into a strem and was being swept away whe one of the dogs jumped in to save him. Dobermans are not retrievers, the animal tore the kids arm of and he died. Media went on how the dogs set upon the boy and tore him up. Not pretty for anyone involved.
Second second hand story;
I'm out of the Navy, working in a shipyard when we went on strike, or we were locked out, I can't remember which now. One of my co-worker was interview by a reported, the guy asked like a hundred questions...My co-worker that was interviewed di not, could not recognize the article the next day. It was not just distorted, it was totally fabricated.
That's all. What I learned is that I have to take whatever I hear or read with a huge grain of salt.
So, with the exception of the childs death, my stories are pretty vanilla but shows you that modern media in pure entertainment, not facts. So sad...Allan
Thursday, February 3, 2011
Doom and Gloom
Very interesting video, it is 20 minutes long and I borrowed it from http://boatbits.blogspot.com. It is worth a watch.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UUmwy0VTnqM&feature=player_embedded
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UUmwy0VTnqM&feature=player_embedded
Tuesday, February 1, 2011
More on the Middle East
What I never even thought about the Egyptian Uprising is the effect of it on the neighbouring state, mainly Saudi Arabia. Could this turmoil have a domino effect? How secure would our oil supply be if the taps s9so to speak) were turned off? How soon would the west (us guys, the good guys) do something about it? can America stretch itself this far? Nope, she will have to let go of Iraq and/or Afghanistan. I would say Afghanistan as there are very few developed economic interests there. (Though apparently there might be a mass of mineral reserves ripe for the plucking). Tough call. $$$$$ or oil. The Ferengi, er, I mean, Yankee Traders have a tough choice.
Here is a good read on the situation: http://kunstler.com/blog/2011/01/the-earth-shifts-1.html
Here is a good read on the situation: http://kunstler.com/blog/2011/01/the-earth-shifts-1.html
Sunday, January 30, 2011
I need this rant.
Good morning, politics ain't my bag, sailing and boats are but I will not sully my sailing blog with crap from the world. But I do need to vent.
To start, I wish to inform you that all opinions expressed here, whether they are right or wrong, are my own. Feel free to comment in a civil manner. I will always be civil, flamers will not be welcome at all.
Let's start off with the obvious; The Middle East! Wow! I am not sure what started it all, but an Autocratic President sure didn't help matters. They are trying to block the Internet so it won't spread. Good luck trying to unring that bell! How can any government isolate a satellite connection these days? It probably can be done since I think it can't.
I am uncomfortable with this unrest in the Middle East because of its nature.....it is NOT driven by religious ideology for once. I understand religious differences, I can live with religious differences, I can survive religious differences.
Dammitall when a group goes off track completely and heads in a different direction. How does one deal with that?
More later......Allan
To start, I wish to inform you that all opinions expressed here, whether they are right or wrong, are my own. Feel free to comment in a civil manner. I will always be civil, flamers will not be welcome at all.
Let's start off with the obvious; The Middle East! Wow! I am not sure what started it all, but an Autocratic President sure didn't help matters. They are trying to block the Internet so it won't spread. Good luck trying to unring that bell! How can any government isolate a satellite connection these days? It probably can be done since I think it can't.
I am uncomfortable with this unrest in the Middle East because of its nature.....it is NOT driven by religious ideology for once. I understand religious differences, I can live with religious differences, I can survive religious differences.
Dammitall when a group goes off track completely and heads in a different direction. How does one deal with that?
More later......Allan
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