High-Speed Rail in Canada
This article was what I was talking about over the weekend.
Now, if only we had the visionary leaders like those in the US, some action might happen. But no, Parliament thinks it is okay to not work until March. Prorogue - a jargon term to alienate the general public. Pfft.
FORA: Have Profits Corrupted US Healthcare?
"The entire medical system is corrupt. Start at the head of the NIH to the deans of the medical schools, to the heads of departments - they're all out there cause their department does better as the drug companies kick in $100-200 million."
"Old people don't need to take a pill, they need to take a walk."
"Medical illiteracy kills more people than cancer or heart [disease]."
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(TL;DR version: I completely agree with Dr. Walter Bortz of the Stanford University School of Medicine and have similar views about Big Pharma overstepping its bounds.)
I agree completely with this guy. Big Pharma has swinging far too much influence on all levels of government and healthcare to suit their interests and the interests of shareholders than they should. Though this is in the US, expenditures in prescription drugs in Canada have tripled in their share of the GDP and continues to grow. That means less money for education and the environment, which also ties into health.
No amount of healthcare can help someone who cannot access higher education needed to get a decent job and provide the healthy food and clean shelter for his or her family - or someone who made the ill-informed decision to not eat everyday cause their fad diet said so. No amount of healthcare will protect you from the suffocating smog and chemicals in the air that absorb into your skin, the extreme weather and its temperatures, or the waste that gets into the water. It's a diminishing return on investment when it comes to healthcare; you can only put so much before it starts taking away from other important sectors due to losses from corruption and waste.
One of the comments raises an interesting point:
"You are completely ignorant to the sad economics of our times if? you think that big pharma and all the insurance companies and lobbyist groups aren't contributing to and affecting the medical illiteracy of the US population. Through relentless TV advertising alone they have completely bastardized the doctor-patient role for society. They don't want doctors to consult with you about your health in relation to Condition X, they'd rather design a pill then have you go to the doctor and ask for it."
Many docs may be annoyed when every patient brings in a laundry list of "stupid questions" for himself and his friend that he brought along without an appointment. And when the patient skips all consulting and just asks for x drug because that commercial on TV said, "Ask your doctor!" But with the way things are now, they are going to see a lot more of it. When we set aside more money for people to attain higher education and medical literacy or train more doctors to educate the population rather than dumping it into a black hole of inefficiencies (part of which are the greedy drug companies) within the system, there will be a lot less of this non-sense and revolving door treatment in the office.
I realize now that back then, when those suits come in and throw around gift cards and tickets to concerts where the money comes from. In an oversimplification, it's self-bribery. I have had my qualms with drug companies for many years now and I'm glad many people higher up in influence are speaking out. If I end up working for one, well, I'll just feel like how Marshall felt when he worked for Goliath National Bank on How I Met Your Mother: terrible about myself for selling out.
For me personally, I'm all for prevention just like Dr. Bortz up there. Get physically active now and I won't have to deal with drug regimens consisting of 10+ pills a day or being unable to climb stairs and having to burden a caregiver/family member.
"If [people] knew how to take care of themselves - it's not rocket science - we can live to be 100 if we but honor our genetic endowment."
London Bus Strike
You know, I think it is absurd to continue protecting the striking workers when the LTC is partly subsidized by taxpayer dollars. When the public pays taxes, there is a trust in which the government will render services to the public with those tax dollars. This strike is a direct breach of that trust. This is more so among those who based their decisions on their living arrangements on the assumption of readily available public transit.
Branding carpoolers who charge a fee for their gas and trouble as "rogue taxis" is asinine, given the situation. People should not be handcuffed to either walking or paying exorbitant taxi fees everyday and should be free to find their own solutions. I think workers lose their right to protection from being replaced when some part of their salary is linked with public dollars. Why protect the workers of a publicly subsidized monopoly? Let private operators step in and let free market forces work its magic and problems like these city-crippling strikes disappear. Look at Tokyo and London. Or ban transit strikes like Ottawa did and opt for mandatory arbitration through an independent third-party to settle disputes.
With unemployment holding at 9.3% in Ontario, it is absurd to ask for more than $23/hour + benefits. This is more than a starting salary for a nurse, who also has to deal with similar verbal and physical abuse on the job but is often more stressful than cruising along Richmond Street. I can only hope that they accept this "final offer" and get the buses back on the road in time for the upcoming exam period and the holidays. With so many people out of work in an economy that has only begun to recover, ATU 741 will only look greedy in the public eye should they reject this offer, which they have already recommended to its members to do.
What is worse is that they've already cost people their jobs as small businesses have laid off workers due to lack of business. Can't serve customers if they can't get to your store, right? Quality of life for seniors has been impacted with many social and physical activity events around town have seen a drastic drop in attendance. Food banks, Salvation Army, and other charities have suffered because volunteers, such as students who don't own a car, cannot attend their shifts. I need not mention the impact this strike has had on students and their learning.
I can only hope that the members of ATU 741 are not as consumed by greed as the union leaders are and see how good they have it compared to the many who are less fortunate or even those who went to university and cannot find a job! When the economy hopefully makes a full recovery in 3 years time, then it would be more reasonable to renegotiate for something better. But right now, the public is being held hostage and only sees the greedy asking for more.
This is just my opinion that is also shared by many. Now if you excuse me, I have to get ready for my long walk tomorrow.
Obama’s Speech to Students
Those who thought this was controversial need to be educated. Show me the hidden political agenda in telling kids to endure hardships, work hard, and stay in school. I guess those who protested this speech are in favor of their kids failing, dropping out, and leeching off welfare. Oh wait, now THAT would be the "socialism" they were all afraid of indoctrinating the youth with. Way to go, morons over at Faux News/Fox Noise.
On another note, I wonder, where are Canada's inspiring leaders today? Too busy playing partisan politics to give a damn about what the people really need it seems.
"You can't let your failures define you. You have to let your failures teach you. You have to let them show you what to do differently next time."
Thanks Obama, I'm pumped for the coming challenges ahead (while my leaders run their smear campaigns). This speech could very well have inspired the future inventor of cold fusion power or the researcher who discovers the cure for cancer. You never know.
P.S., X-Box fanboys must be jumping for joy. /facepalm
Bill Clinton the Hero
If you still don't know what this man did, get out from under the rock and just Google. He rescued two journalists from 12 years of hard labour. People on Twitter were all up in joy yesterday when news broke out.
And as of this moment, Republicans are criticizing him. Wow. Like they have the right to speak. I guess they should be threatened by the Democrat's surge in publicity. Well, after Bush for 8 years, the resulting global recession, and two unfinished wars, Republicans have very little credibility and left a huge mess for Obama to clean up.
I do regress that in the aftermath of such a happy ending comes the scrutiny and speculation of what happened "behind the scenes" ... that this might be too good to be true. It is not enough that they are free and home with their families it seems.
Regardless, not a single shot was fired and relations have improved. Surely, the US cannot afford another war and we don't want our [Canada's] biggest trade partner imploding under the pressure of three wars. Freedom won through diplomacy and not through bloodshed. This is the antithesis to Bush and Cheney's approach to foreign policy.
The picture they wanted...
Freed journalists reunited with their families. Such an emotional moment for all around.
(Photo: Jae C. Hong/Associated Press)
As an aside:
I'm Canadian but the truth hurts: Harper and Ignatieff bicker on Parliament Hill as Canada falls into insignificance on the world stage. We failed on our own formulated plan of climate change and now all I see is power struggle this, mudslinging that. This says it all when two Canadians say the following:
"Why is it when US journalists are held, CBC provides endless coverge [sic]. And when Canadians or Canadian journalists are held captive CBC reports nothing?"
Because nothing happens.-CBC News, comments on "Freed U.S. journalists reunite with families"
Our national pride is falling by the wayside.
And to those criticizing the reporters for getting themselves into trouble in the first place, the real issue is that the punishment did not fit their crime. Surely, they needed to be saved from that at least? Of course, conspiracy theorists are quick to believe that they really were CIA operatives. I roll my eyes.
Independence
As America celebrates theirs, many other countries fight for theirs and some have no hope of achieving it. It's been three weeks since #IranElection made top trending topic on Twitter and it is still going strong. The grassroots movement has become an inspiration to me and to the world and the outcome will have a lasting impact. It seems the Iranian theocracy has failed to protect the rights and freedoms of its people and by allowing innocent blood to be spilt, it has lost its legitimacy.
As much as I'd like to remain in blissful ignorance and denial, I can't help but draw connections. Global security to oil prices, fundamentalism to democracy, the conflict over there is tied to a lot. As 29 innocents stand to be executed, the conflict is a reminder to us why we keep religion and the state separate.
Though, I believe the Green movement will win. It's only a matter of time. The younger generation wants change and as long as they resist being indoctrinated with the old ways, the older generation will fade away clinging to tradition. Even now, the current regime has lost a lot of support internally and on the world stage, which they cannot afford in this age of "post-globalization".
North Korea continues to fire missiles with no concern to others. Iran recently launched a satellite and continues to enrich uranium. Add those two technologies together and you eventually have the capability to nuke any location in the world.
Don't even get me started on "climate change". We've heard it all before. I just hope we don't resort to that drastic measure of pumping sulfur/water vapour into the atmosphere to cool Earth down in the event of severe global warming.
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I recently saw Watchmen again and despite being a comic book movie, it really does beg the question: is humanity really doomed to destroy itself?
I used to be quite the humanist, believing we have the capacity to basically take care of ourselves. But now, as I see more and more of the world, is Watchmen is right? We absolutely need to live in fear of God's wrath? Are we inherently flawed and destined to destroy ourselves? Do we need a "common enemy"? Too often we focus on our differences only to forget we are all human.
"Five minutes to midnight," they say. With a push of the wrong button or the turning of two keys, the world's institutions, governments, and infrastructure could all collapse as everything turns to dust. That degree hanging on my wall and the money in my wallet will all mean nothing in a land turned cold and lawless as everyone fends for themselves. What a bleak future.
I can draw many parallels of what I saw in the film to the world today. Giant squid monster aside (if you've read the graphic novel), perhaps it is true that a great calamity - depending on your beliefs, either by God or by our hands - is what will unite us and save us from a greater tragedy. The lives of millions to save billions. Or maybe, to be an optimist, that will never be necessary and we never were on the path to self-destruction.
I'll close with this thought though. As much as the media loves to instil fear by bombarding us with the above stories, I still keep hope alive that we will do better. The future looks gloomy but the future can change and I hope our world leaders never stop trying. I cherish every moment I have now and shared with others. For that, every day isn't so "emo" and pointless.
You Can’t Stop the Signal, Mal
I'm just amazed at the unity and the fight for what's right in Iran and Twitter right now. People all over the world are banding together to get the truth out while Iran's recently and questionably elected government tries to clamp down on information getting out of the country. Tweeters are changing their time zones to Iran's to confuse Iran's Intelligence agents and to hide those who continue to get the word out about the wrong that is being done to them in the country.
Today, we see an end of an era of modern day news reporting as news agencies such as CNN were prohibited or too slow reporting on the situation in Iran. This means that the latest up-to-date news on the situation is from Twitter and its Iranian users hiding and getting the word out. So much for freedom of the press and freedom of information. But hey, we can be our own broadcasters! Even the US State Department demanded that a scheduled maintenance on Twitter that would have brought it down for hours be postponed because Twitter has become such a crucial outlet for live information to them.
Looking through images posted under #iranelection, university dorms are being raided and destroyed (So much for safe higher education...). People are getting shot and human rights activists arrested. Reporters are getting kicked out of the country. Democracy itself has fallen as people were robbed of their votes by an oppressive regime. I just pray we do not see another Tiananmen.
"My death is irrelevant. What's important is that you not forget my words. We want freedom. I will die for that."
It's scary how that may have been someone's last words...
Some more notable tweets:
"I've learned something today. Americans DO care about the world outside America. Their media just doesn't."
"We are all Iranian now."
"First they ignore you, then they ridicule you, then they fight you, then you win." -Gandhi
If you're a Twitterer, do NOT post the person's name when you retweet. And make sure your source is real and not counter-Tweeters spreading misinformation. There's a lot of 1984 going on.
What happens there matters because the climate for dialogue between Iran and the Western world (US and well, us) will never improve if the government in power does not represent the views of its citizens. And it's unknown if Iran will continue to seek nuclear weapons. If they do, it could spark an arms race in the Middle East.
