Wednesday, July 30, 2008

IOC double standards

The International Olympic Committee has banned Iraq from participating in the Beijing Olympic summer games, saying 'political interference' was happening in Iraq.
Meanwhile the Chinese hosts of the games have cut off internet access to Chinese citizens during the Olympics and only says they will allow journalists covering their games, limited access to certain sites. Some writers have already complained about broken promises regarding their articles. Maybe censorship. Wouldn't that be political interference too?
The IOC was promised all kinds of freedoms by the Chinese Communist government when it got the games, none of the promises yet delivered. Looks like two standards to me.
Now if the USA was seriously interested in helping Iraq make its way in a post Saddam world, they might want to step up and suggest no Iraq, no USA. It would show that they won't accept the Chinese tampering with the rules, even if the IOC does.
And if worst comes to worst, and it's a no-go, they'll be saving their athletes lungs.

Truth in packaging


Well, they're not exactly lying. They do tell you there are 100 pills in the bottle.
But isn't that bottle like 10 times too big? Isn't it made of plastic? Isn't that something like made from oil? See the pills, way down there in the bottom? taking up 1/4 inch of space in a 4 inch high container.
Oh, but I forgot, business isn't supposed to cut down on greenhouse stuff, only us menials. We're supposed to save the world while they keep destroying it.
I think it is a bit fraudulent.

Telemarketers - how to win

You can now go to a certain website or call Bell Canada to register your phone number on a 'do not call' list. This is a measure taken by the CRTC because of the huge increase in bothersome calls, mostly at dinnertime. However, many organizations will be exempted under the new rules. Charities, political parties, polling firms and newspapers can continue to make unsolicited phone calls. This is no fun.
And how many people will actually add themselves to that list?
Telemarketers wouldn't call anyone unless it was profitable. People actually stay on line with them and buy the product! I suspect it is lonely 80 years olds who have no one to talk to.
But would telemarketers continue to make thousands of calls per day if you bought the product but didn't pay for it? If everyone did that they couldn't possibly sue us all.
And don't forget that they are calling YOU, interrupting YOUR privacy, and you are not obligated to tell them the truth about anything. Including where you live. So just buy the product on COD and have it sent somewhere else! Maybe to a law firm downtown, lawyers can look after themselves. Maybe you gave a wrong credit card number? That's just human error. MISinformation to them but DISinformation for you.
Y
ou might want to lie to pollsters too. As a matter of fact, if everyone did, polls would soon become so unreliable they would be of no use to the polling interests. And no use to call you to ask your opinion at supper time! Political parties are especially good to lie to. Just tell whoever calls that you'll vote for them. You already KNOW that whoever gets into government WILL lie to you.
If everyone always lied all the time ... silence for dinner.
You can have your number taken off the list, but you'll be missing out on the fun of lying if you do. Answer the phone.
My number is 555-IM1-RU12.

www.lnnte-dncl.gc.ca

Monday, July 21, 2008

Canucks - seasonal excitement

The hockey season is gearing up. Everyone's excited.
We might get Matts Sundin, the big 37 year old 33 goal scorer for the losingest team in Canada, Toronto Maple Leafs. He'll make a good defenceman for Coach Vignault. For 10 million a season. Is that the league's highest? Naslund is gone. Morrison is gone. The Canucks are looking for more grit. Maybe they can get Cooke and Ruutu back. And more scoring. Maybe Vignault will be able to re sign Marc Chouinard and Jan Bulus, they could add about five goals a season, he loves those guys. They don't want Anson Carter. I heard Rick Blight is ready to return. The rumour is that the Canucks are actively seeking Sumo wrestlers in Japan to stand beside Luongo. Now that would be a Vignault defensive team. And they are testing a new technique where they put nicks in the skate blades to stop them from slipping on the ice.
There is so much to get excited about .............................not.

But get ready for the media spin anyway.

Wednesday, July 16, 2008

Bruce Break - but not broken

The Canadian Broadcast Standards Council recently concluded their 'investigation' of Bruce Allen's comments via radio about people coming to Canada and wanting to change the laws or at least not abide by existing Canadian laws. Part of the comments by Ron Cohen of the CBSC were that although Bruce is "arrogant. ignorant and offensive", he was not discriminatory and didn't break any rules. Cohen also commented that public media MUST have balance.
These rules of balance may be what causes the problems. Radio, newspapers and TV are so conscious of the need for 'balance' in reporting, (because of the CRTC and CBSC etc.) that in publishing street polls, for instance, we ALWAYS get this so-called balanced reporting, which in some cases may actually distort the truth.
Ask the question and make sure the answers are never more than 3 to 2 one side or the other. A street pollster once told me that if 10 people in a row say one unified answer, that media rep will just go on and on until they can publish their favorite 3 to 2 snap-shot of what people think. Maybe they asked 100 people the question before they found 2 who countered the feeling of the other 98. Then they publish five of their results, choosing 3 for and 2 against. So the very act of balancing the reporting becomes artificial and NOT reflective of community standards.
The poll therefore distorts the truth because it is manipulated and fraudulent. Sometimes with disastrous results ... 3 November, 1948, the Chicago Tribune proclaimed “DEWEY DEFEATS TRUMAN.” Because the polls told them so. 1972, the polls said WAC Bennett was a shoe in for another term as BC Premier. The next morning it was Dave Barrett who was smiling as he read the results. The polls may have been 'adjusted' for political reasons.
Personally I lie to all pollsters, you are not obligated to tell them the truth.
One can expect a poll to ask, "Do you love war?" and the results to be 3 to 2.
Meanwhile Bruce is free to express opinion about our society, but we'll never know if he is 100 percent correct or only 3 to 2. Balance, remember, is everything, even if it's a lie.
At least Bruce Allen is telling us HIS 100 percent truth, the polls are not!

Sunday, July 13, 2008

my POLL - how sneaky could Campbell be?

Overwhelming answer - really sneaky.
One person believes he could be THIS sneaky .....

Developer friend - "We could use the property that BC Place Stadium is on to make millions."
Gordon Campbell - "Don't worry, I've got it under control."
Df - "But you just announced a new roof for the stadium?"
GC - "Look, we'll get past the games, then we'll start the campaign to tell the public they don't want a new roof."
Df - "How would that work, Gordon?"
GC - "We'll start right in telling them it's an unstable building. Then go to massive new construction expenses. The public will see we are being responsible with their money. Even use the toxic waste beneath the building ploy. "
Df - "Wow. You think you could pull that off?"
GC - (chuckle) " I sold their BC Rail didn't I? We're by-passing BC Hydro on river power. We built BC Ferries ships using Germans, didn't we? And they all forgot they once owned BC Gas already. And they're going for the gas tax, aren't they? Need I say more?"
Df - "Okay, Gordon, I guess you have got it under control. I'll start drawing up designs for the high rises. How's that plan to sell Vancouver Island to the Americans going?"
GC - Shhhh.

Monday, July 07, 2008

Carbon Tax - brilliantly saving the planet

Most of the time I just don't get it. But I just heard an ad on the radio that explained the government's carbon tax.
It basically stated that the Campbell tax you're going to get on your gas fill-up will enable you and your children to breath fresh air forever.
Seems too simple doesn't it? Tax is the answer. This must have been thought up by the same guy in the basement of the Royal Bank (ba-ad vernacular, they only want to distract you nowadays with RBC) who thinks up fees and ways to sneak dollars out of your account.
So if there is a world wide food shortage, we could tax bread higher. Make it like twenty bucks a loaf. Voila! Everyone has a full stomach!
Water droughts? Meter your glass. Tax every spoonful. Maybe five dollars a sip. That way the water will be drinkable even in the swamps of Africa.
So the carbon tax will surely stop the building of those 65 coal fired energy plants that Dick Cheney announced. All those diesel truck fleets will suddenly stop emitting foul black smoke. China's pollution will stop blowing across the Pacific into our lungs. Butterflys will fly, the grass will grow and the sky will be blue. All it takes is taxes.
Speaking of lungs, what about, say, 10 cents a breath? Might as well eliminate emphysema while we're at it.
I get it now.