Herbinator

Police spending $267,000 to save on health costs.

2011-11-19T10:21:00.000-07:00

Spending money on health to cut health care costs! A novel idea. Should we call that health care spending? Analogous to changing the oil instead of replacing the engine.

Too bad our health care system administrators are incapable of fathoming this logic.

Struggling Health Orthodoxy

2011-11-15T08:40:00.001-07:00

I get thoroughly entertained by orthodox views of the Alternative-health paradigm in Alberta; indeed, I am often reminded of a not-to-be-identified close relative. It is always rather fun to read of someone unknowingly constrained by a monopoly construct being slowly exposed to intriguing yet sacrilegious ideas of a competing ideology.

Remember when other monopolistic, status quo ideologies ridiculed competing interests? In my lifetime I witnessed the defeat of blatant religious discrimination, sexual discrimination, political discrimination, and more. These discriminations all occurred because one social construct suppressed another. And the same thing ensues in health care – to its detriment. The truth of health practices can never be properly vetted within a monopoly construct.

The drug and surgery mantra of monopoly medicine suppresses competing views on health care. This is especially true in Alberta where the legacy of draconian legislation has created a scholastic environment devoid of competing health views. Only ethereal, touchy-feely concepts were tolerated here as they were seen as no threat to the established medico order. Alternative-paradigm strategies are not so apologetic of modern evils as the medicos tend to be.

The orthodox view places emphasis on proof and placebo as discrediting argument, yet fails to note that Standard-paradigm medicine suffers from the same shortcomings. A significant portion of medical care is simply feckless, ineffective, inefficient, or unevaluated.

Do people pay hard-earned cash for Alternative approaches in lieu of subsidized medico care because it holds no merit? I enjoy seeing health bigots struggle in resistance to the palpable tide of open dissent toward the health care system. Rights activists know that a plurality of theories and methods must openly compete in order to demonstrate their respective validity. Praise to computers, desktop publishing, and the internet for giving voice to the populace.

The government, in my name, transfers to the medico monopoly over $5000 per year on health care. I think we would get far more efficient, appropriate, and effective health care if those monies were transferred to Mr. and Mrs. Public for allocation or accumulation toward the future. After all, we self-direct our pay cheques for the betterment of the whole economy … except in health care. And consumer-funded (instead of supplier-funded) health care complies perfectly with the Canada Health Act.

Hmm, at $5000 / year for 58 perfectly healthy years, including compound interest at 2%, that's $547,624.84 in my Alberta Treasury Branch health trust account. More than enough for any old age health issues that may emerge in the future.

UN Walkouts

2011-09-28T16:11:00.000-06:00

Canada walks out on Iran's UN speech in 2009.
Canada walks out on Iran's UN speech in 2010.
Canada walks out on Iran's UN speech in 2011.

I wonder what the rules are for UN Walking? We should have some guidelines, shouldn't we? From the last three walkouts I've determined that the existing rules are: "when Iran talks, we walk."

Not very UNy.

Kinda got me thinking how we (in Canada) could formalize this sorta thing so that we know when to walk out on a speaker. My criteria for walking out would be:
- walk out on states that refuse to separate church and state;
- walk out on states with fewer than three viable political parties;
- walk out on states with "live fire" military forces in more than two foreign countries; and,
- walk out on states with gradated human rights (eg sexual, religious, political).

Hmm, maybe I'll add to this list later ...

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Consumer-directed health care.

2011-09-14T16:25:00.000-06:00

Why should the government cover ONLY a drug-and-surgery mantra when the consumer (along with the health care provider and other taxpayers) believes an alternative to be more efficacious (eg acupuncture and herbs)? For this reason I want:
1) An end to the medico monopoly via recognition of a vetting, competing health paradigm;
2) Pro-rated funding of the health-care consumer rather than the health-care provider (ie choice in health care); and,
3) A restriction of the governmental role (ostensibly) to approval, certification, inspection, and enforcement.

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Health queue jumping

2011-06-07T07:28:00.000-06:00

Don't be surprised at health queue jumping. We have a medico monopoly in all of its aspects. In this type of atmosphere there can be no health truths and no retribution. Hell, even the President of the CMA can endorse queue jumping without nary a boo in protest.

Break the medico monopoly! Introduce real-life healthcare.

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Some improvement.

2011-05-30T08:02:00.001-06:00

My hockey skills improve ... slightly.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L1sTRwxX2YQ

That is J playing centre.
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Terrorist? or Pardoned?

2011-04-27T17:21:00.000-06:00

Hamas and Fatah to join. All terrorist Hamas supporters are now pardoned here in Canada; OR, all Canadian Fatah supporters are now home-grown terrorists!

Stupid politics we have here.

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Yeah, but howz your hockey?

2011-04-03T23:06:00.000-06:00

Needs work.

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Political Quadrant

2011-03-27T09:29:00.000-06:00

I consider myself to be VERY Green and yet the CBC poll places me closer to Liberal. I am 57 years old and have seen many Liberal governments ... I know I am not Liberal. The poll simply shows how far the Greens have drifted from the Charter of the Global Greens.

Civil War

2011-03-20T09:18:00.000-06:00

In Libya, Canada is involved militarily in yet another civil war. I am disgusted. Is there no political party believing in peace, non-intervention and self-determination of nations? Is there no end to Canada's new American-style role of meddling militarily in the affairs of other nations?

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The F-35 is needed, question mark

2011-03-03T11:18:00.000-07:00

I'm sitting here all juiced up from a pot of strong coffee and it pops into my head that the F-35 purchase may not be necessary, at all. I mean, we don't pack F-35s onto our frigates.

Is the F-35 supposed to protect us from the Russians? or the Americans? I think not. To fight these guys we would need something more insidious and intimidating -- like mobile surface-to-air and drone air-to-air thingys.
Is the F-35 supposed to protect us from the Taliban air force? Is a 5th generation fighter really necessary for shooting down airliners?

I guess we need F-35s for enforcing no-fly zones over Libya, and the such. Hmm. I can't really see why Canada would ever be extending foreign policy in such a way. I do remember that Canadian fighter pilots shot some half million dollar air-to-air missles at some fleeing pick-up trucks in the Iraqi-Kuwait adventure. I am not convinced that justifies investment in a 5th generation fighter.

My preferred role for the Canadian military, other than clever defense of sovereignty, is as impartial third-party guarantor of two parties desiring peace. A nostalgic view, I know.

Anyway, as the franchise is MY most powerful weapon, the Conservatives with their predilection for picking sides in civil wars may rest assured that they will NEVER get my vote.

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Libya

2011-03-01T23:18:00.000-07:00

It looks to me like Canada is again willing to pick a side in a nation's civil war. This is a definite no-no in my book. If you don't like a nation then don't trade with it or maintain connections to it. A blockade is an act of war. All nations have the right to self-determination!

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Egypt

2011-02-10T15:57:00.000-07:00

Good luck to the people of Egypt in the trying times ahead.
Self-determination of nations.

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Cancer is common.

2011-02-07T11:02:00.000-07:00

Fourteen percent of people who have a heart attack will get cancer within three years.

Just thought I would relay this statistic.

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Measles

2011-01-31T09:57:00.000-07:00

I just watched CBC's wonderful "fart in the mist"-sized Wendy Mesley do a measles-oriented video piece on Autism and the MMR Vaccine. The piece was quite good (as compared to the hatchet job Marketplace did on Homeopathy). My criticism is that it was done from the context of the monopoly medico paradigm.

Let us assume that the unacknowledged war between the medicos and the monopoly dissenters is a given and is static relative to today's situation. In other words, assume that there will always be those choosing not to vaccinate their children (I'm an example). The question is: just how dangerous is measles?

Well, to those who believe in the medico monopoly and are vaccinated then there is no perceived danger. It really shouldn't be much of an issue. You are protected.

To those of us who do doubt the veracity of the medicos and avoid the vaccination then there may be danger. What is the danger of avoiding the vaccine? It is that if things continue as they are then, odds are, there will likely be one measles death in Canada within the next 300 years.* Now, to me, I'd rather avoid the vaccination (and other things).

I generally discount the verbiage of the monopoly medico construct. Their credibility is suspect. My assessment of risk differs from that of the medicos.

A supposedly debunked study on Autism and the MMR vaccine is of little relevance to the argument. What I see is poorly explained sky-rocketing illness and disease. The monopoly medicos seem only intent upon acting as apologists to unrestrained growth and development. We who choose what we think are healthier options are constantly butting heads with the apologists.

That is my position.

*10 measles cases in Canada per year. One death per 3000 measles cases.
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Self-determination of Nations

2011-01-29T07:51:00.001-07:00

I am glad for the people of Egypt. Self-determination of nations at its best.

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The force (of the inquisition) is strong, ObiWan.

2011-01-19T08:50:00.002-07:00

Women are inferior. Conservatives are criminals. Homosexuals are sinners. Catholics are doomed to hell. Homeopathy is sham. What! Hold on! Homeopathy is a sham? (Nod to Woodshed for the opening-line inspiration.)

I'm a little surprised at the degree of medico bigotry rearing its ugly head wrt homeopathy. I can understand disagreeing with homeopathy but out-n-out calling it a sham is a bit severe, I think.

I can understand the medicos calling it a sham. After all, they are inculcated within their system of medicine. I wouldn't expect them to be tolerant of alternate thought any more than I would expect the Pope to endorse Islam. Still, I naively expected ordinary people to be tolerant of differing health care views. I was wrong. There are still cross burners out there.

The history of homeopathy is fascinating. It was an organized and practicing medical system in North America even before allopathic medicine. It has a long history of treating epidemics far, far more successfully than the allopaths. Indeed, the allopaths still have no defense from pandemic. I can see why the logical, thinking, result-oriented person would choose homeopathy over allopathy for protection. I can see why parents would opt for homeopathic "immunization."

Medico bigotry, of course, can tolerate no disaccordance. The allopaths can only gnash their teeth at superior health outcomes in China with TCM after both bird flu and swine flu. The medicos here merely whacked people with their supposed anti-virals (ex oseltamivir) and corticosteroids, and if the patient lived claimed to have saved them.

The ironical credo of herbalists is "a plague upon humanity." It is wishful statement for an end of modern society's cornucopian thinking and, one of its inherent horsemen of the apocalypse, the apologist medicos. And, it represents firm belief in an alternate system of medicine that would prove far more successful than allopathic medicine during such events.

Homeopathy is not my way. I have differing views. Still, I would not ban homeopathy. I would not question whether children should be removed from a household if parents chose homeopathic options. I recognize alternative health care systems and the right of choice amongst them. I would not denigrate one system to maintain and support a single monopolistic, bigoted health care paradigm.

What triggered this post? The Marketplace hatchet job on Homeopathy: Cure or Con and the dross of dangerous opinion which emerged afterward.

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Margarine, healthy yet again.

2011-01-17T09:22:00.001-07:00

Holly shit! Margarine (aka shortening and hydrogenated oil) is a health food again.

Two little babies, lying in bed
One was sick and the other 'most dead
Sent for the doctor and the doctor said
"Give those children some shortnin' bread."

Mammy's little baby loves short'nin', short'nin',
Mammy's little baby loves shortenin' bread.

Probably the greatest killer of modern times is again being touted as a health food! We have still not been able to shake the sixty-year legacy of corporations promoting margarine as heart healthy (better than butter) and they want to promote more industrial waste by-product additives as a health solution. The utter gall.

The old margarine-great-for-the-heart stuff has virtually been eradicated from history by the monopoly medico revisionists. Now the evidence, again, is being lined up to prove margarine to be good.

Gotta love evidence-based medicine.

Edit: added this wiki link.

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Homeopathy and CBC's Marketplace

2011-01-16T09:43:00.000-07:00

I watched CBC's Marketplace show on homeopathy entitled Pro or Con. It was a hatchet job.

I am no believer in homeopathy. Still, I do not show distain for those choosing it in health matters. Choice in health care is a fundamental human right which has been severely suppressed in Canada for the last 85'ish years. Fortunately, it is an emerging right here in Canada. The internet, computer publishing, and personal communications are all allowing health information to be disseminated beyond the control of our current monopoly health care system. No one can deny the strengthening groundswell of support for choices outside of Standard medicine's "approved" heath care behaviours.

I do not state one religion is superior to the exclusion of all others nor do I state one political party deserves monopoly positioning over all others. We are inundated by religious truths and by socio-economic facts yet a plethora of systems exist. This blog aggregator is an example of I'm-right-you're-wrong power mongering.

Truth in health care is determined by choice of people. The medico monopoly needs to be destroyed, to be replaced by parallel and competing health concepts. Only in this way can truth (as determined by CHOICE) be vetted by citizens within the populace.

I do not have much respect for those claiming superiority of religion, politics or of health care beliefs. It is discrimination, pure and simple.

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We can recognize Lebanon!

2011-01-12T13:11:00.000-07:00

Hey, now that the nasty terrorist organization, Hezbollah, has resigned from the Lebanon government we are finally free to recognize the country.
; )

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Fluoridation, again

2011-01-09T11:11:00.000-07:00

Calgary may once again have a chance to get added fluoride out of our water supply. I found this to be a good site arguing against fluoridation.

I don't have much to add except that I've noticed that ALL the countries with longer life expectancies (the gold standard in health care) do NOT fluoridate.

I really can't think of any good reason to fluoridate (or even iodize salt) in this day and age. And I can think of many reasons not to.

I'll be voting against fluoridation.

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Alberta Election

2011-01-02T13:03:00.000-07:00

I am starting to look forward to the upcoming Alberta provincial election in 2012. Of particular interest to me are the candidates who will emerge in support of Green Principles. In a manner similar to the American Tea Party movement, Visionary Greens will again stand candidates bringing to voters viable options and interpretations of the Charter of the Global Greens.

It will be nice to have a party (or a candidate) with universally known values and predictable tendencies.

I suppose other parties (based on historical action) have generated their own pseudo manifestos.
Conservatives: Corporate globalization and harmonization of all business and culture. Buy from Fortune 500 companies!
Liberal: Status quo. The nation does not seek change.
NDP: Guaranteed jobs for life.

Greens: (based on the six Green Principles -- see side-bar)

Ecological Wisdom
Duh. Who can possibly doubt that Greens won't work to protect the environment?
Social Justice
All should have full opportunities for education, health, sport and artistic development.
Participatory Democracy
Increased civil service support of local and regional communities. Dependence upon your smarmy MLA should be a thing of the past. And, of course, proportional representation.
Non-Violence
Addressing the causes of aggression, strife and inequality within society is a Green priority (as are all the six tenets).
Sustainability
Long-term sustainable use of renewable resources and long-term sustainability in finance.
Respect for Diversity
We honour cultural, linguistic, ethnic, sexual, religious and spiritual diversity.

The people of Alberta deserve a chance to vote Green. The franchise is a citizen's most powerful tool.
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Herbal Medicine may be risky for kids

2010-12-24T12:42:00.000-07:00

Herbal medicine may be risky for kids, says a CBC headline.

"Perhaps the most serious harm occurs when effective therapies are replaced by ineffective alternative therapies," he said. "In that situation, even an intrinsically harmless medicine, like a homeopathic medicine, can be life-threatening," Ernst said.

The danger noted is quite broad and all encompassing. It could range from the herb itself through to doing research and having a different prioritization of health care options. I didn't know that being informed was a "risk." One must not disagree with the medico monopoly, I suppose. The consumer of health care is apparently not allowed to have a different risk aversion priority set than the provider of health care. Differing values is a problem with all monopolies.

The dangerous and often feckless modern medical paradigm does not like competition. Fortunately, the individual's right to choice in health care is exerting its power (just as choice has overcome monopoly religion and monopoly politics).

Consumer-driven health care will continue to grow the Alternative paradigm. And, eventually, the Alternative paradigm will hold the same responsibility in life and death as the medicos. One should not be surprised by this development. And this is a good thing.

Just as in politics and religion, only competing views can properly vet truths. In health care, if the medico monopoly cannot hold the trust of individuals because of differing beliefs then competing interests should prevail.

"Choice" and "each to their own" will make for a better system.

X-spouse from Hell

2010-12-23T18:03:00.002-07:00

I have been reading up on the new 2010 changes to family law in Australia. Apparently significant changes have been made there with respect to family law and child rights.

Specifically, what tickled my fancy was:

A Child Has the Right to Spend Substantial and Significant Time With Both Parents.
Equal shared parental responsibility.
A child has the right to a relationship with both parents.
The principle has changed the way fathers and non-custodial parents spend time with a child. Where circumstances allow and it is in a child’s best interests, weekly time is now split more evenly with children spending half the time, including school time with each parent.

This is very much in tune with my sentiments.

In Canada, 97% of child custodies are awarded to the female parent! Clear institutionalized discrimination. This alone probably accounts for most pay and poverty inequities.

Nice to see the Green Party (Green Vision 4.11.2) making some noises about protecting the rights of children and eliminating gender inequities.

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Control Group

2010-12-23T09:40:00.002-07:00

I want somebody to pay me a million bucks to state the obvious. I can prove that black is darker than white, for example. Or that cars can go faster than turtles. Or that a "Healthy diet tied [is] to longer life in 70s" ... oh, wait, somebody did that already.

Most of us know that Canadians are choosing alternative-health treatment options both to treat illness and to maintain health. Few of these options are covered by our health care system. And despite evidence that more and more Canadians are paying out-of-pocket for health, by-passing free monopoly health, there has been little policy discussion about alternative health within the political parties of Canada.

I have written before about establishing a voluntary, healthy health-control group. Such a control group could be used to prove medico efficacy (or its fecklessness).
I have written before of idiot studies like the healthy-diet one above. I call these studies Duh-factor studies.

Canadians have a right to health information, a right to access health care, and a right to practice health care of their choice. None of this currently exists.

The solution is to break the medico monoploy and fund consumer-driven health care, instead.

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Savage Review of Alberta Health Care

2010-12-17T11:29:00.000-07:00

Enlightened Savage wanted some debate on these points.

Not enough experienced and trained medical professionals, incl. family doctors
Misuse/overuse of the system for non-essential services
Lack of care for the poor
Limited access to non-trauma Urgent Care Centres
Organizational instability/Governance issues
Acute care beds being taken up by people well enough to leave but who have nowhere else to go (lack of long-term beds)
Lack of personal responsibility for maintaining health/education regarding healthy & preventative living
Over-medicalization of seniors
Lack of home care support for seniors/disabled
Lack of a team approach
Front line staff bogged down by distant/out-of-touch/large bureaucracy
Rising costs created by increased use of technology
Lack of public education about which health care provider is appropriate in a given situation

So here goes:

1. Not enough medical professionals.
Pretty bogus, this. With a snap of the fingers plus six months an army of health professionals can be brought to the fore. Thousands of immigrant medical professionals are here and virtually every one of them can be a GP or a Nurse. Also, hundreds and hundreds of Alternative practitioners are trained up to near GP standards.

The system restricts practitioners because it is its only way of restricting costs. Stupid and gut-less politicians caused this to happen. (One can't really blame the medico monopoly).

2. Misuse of system.
Nonsense. People are not insane. There are simply no suitable choices available and no suitable system of health care. It's a monopoly! ... What would you expect?

3. Lack of care.
Just a prioritization issue. The suppliers of health care have different priorities than the consumers of health care, and the suppliers hold monopoly power. Again, what would you expect?

4. Trauma and Urgent Care.
We need concentrated specialization in emergency care. We also need access to a full gamut of non-emergency care services. They are separate issues. I can see the government running emergency care centers. There is no reason, none at all, for the government to run non-emerg facilities.

5. Governance.
Screw'em. Allocate health care dollars to the consumer of health care instead of the suppliers of health care. The medicos will very quickly and efficiently optimize their delivery systems according to consumer demand.

6. People, if given the option, will always choose the most appropriate "bed." It is a supply-of-bed failure within the monopoly medico system. The system is not responsive to health care consumer demand (but is instead responsive to the toys demanded by the suppliers of health care).

7. Personal responsibility. Why should any health care consumer be practically responsible for something over which they have absolutely no control. Give people free houses or free cars and they would simply burn through them one after the other. Everyone will demand the biggest and best right from the git-go.

My pay check is never enough, of course, but I manage to responsibly allocate it and prioritize it. Same thing would happen with a health-care-pay-check that I could spend or save for future contingency.

8. Over-medicalization of everybody! This is an efficiency issue. There is no restraint mechanism other than bottle-necking entry into the monopoly system. The suppliers of health care must excessively treat to cover-their-ass from pie-in-the-sky, unrestricted consumer demand.

Consumer demand can be restricted if appropriate, demand-driven health care is available.

9. Lack of home care.
This is simply inappropriate resource allocation. Perhaps our aging population would re-prioritize health care dollars toward this issue if they had the power. The suppliers of health care don't care to prioritize their dollars toward this end.

10. Team. Screw that. If I have consumer heath care dollars to spend then the health providing professionals will fall all over themselves with services trying to pry those dollars from my hand ... just like the malls at x-mas.

11. Front line staff are constrained by the mega-monopoly. No mega-monopoly works well. If we had one political party and one religion we wouldn't see any change there, either, and front-line staff would simply decry the system.

12. Technology costs.
Again, no mode of cost-benefit testing as there is only health care supplier control and no consumer of health care counter.

13. Make suppliers of health care flog their wares like everyone else. Truth is attained by competing opinion for a constrained dollar. We buy cars, clothes, toasters according to we miserly allocate our dollars in the face of infinite supplier encouragements.

Thar you go. Change things for the better. Fund the consumer not the supplier.
Kill the medico monopoly.

CSIS influence

2010-06-23T06:41:00.004-06:00

Canada's spy agency suspects that cabinet ministers in two provinces are under the control of foreign governments, CBC News has learned.

This sounds very McCarthyesk. I wonder if CSIS is under the influence of an affluent foreign government.

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Body World

2010-04-30T10:56:00.001-06:00

I will not be going to Body World ... an exhibit of plastinated human bodies.

An Alternative health practitioner respects the human body. There is no gainful reason for me to view human indignities.

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Protecting rights

2010-04-23T10:37:00.002-06:00

Imposing our values on others: dirty job but somebody has to do it. Perhaps when we are done converting Afghanistan into a fleshier state we can invade the Amazon and convert it to a clothier state. Gotta teach the world how to get the balance right.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=16fvTonR_gA&feature=related
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Yaa Canada!

2010-02-17T17:28:00.003-07:00

We are number four! The richest country in the world is number 13.

Seems to me, long, long ago, we used to oscillate between 1 and 2. A certain country is probably a bad influence on us.

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Two tales.

2010-02-08T15:25:00.003-07:00

Postulate: We need to increase our blood pressures excessively to reduce heart attacks.

Proof:
According to the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada, high blood pressure rose 77 per cent among Canadians between 1994 and 2005.

The Health Indicators 2009 report by the Canadian Institute for Health Information suggested the rate of heart attacks in Canada dropped 13 per cent between 2003-2004 and 2007-2008.

Science works!

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Obese teen surgery, AGAINST

2010-02-05T09:13:00.003-07:00

I see a hospital in Canada wants to perform surgery as a treatment for obesity. I am against such treatments and I disapprove of MY health dollar supporting such efforts.

We frequently see people in clinic who are way, way over 200 pounds AND have had such surgery in the past. It does not work. It is a waste of resources and does not address why someone is morbidly obese. It is like giving bullets to an multiple and repeat killer.

Still, such treatment may not be against YOUR best judgment. You may think it is a great idea for your child, given full and complete information on the myriad of potential alternatives and the option to exercise your choice from amongst them.

Which brings me to my point. Medicos prefer exercising their mantra of drug and surgery solutions, all the while restricting access to potentially more viable options. Now as much as I may like funding the medicos to the point where they can play freely with all their electronic toys and other such beeping and blinking things, there may actually be better alternatives outside of the medico domain that are not currently accessible due to funding constraints. The medico monopoly always likes their options best.

There are many employers now that give their employees a health spending account. Employees may spend their account on pretty much anything they like from yoga through to spa sessions -- no questions asked. The idea being that rational individuals spend wisely and rationally. Kinda like you are the only one who spends your pay check despite dire consequence.

Yes, I support the health allowance. Make the medicos compete for your health care dollar. Fund the consumer NOT the provider. In this way dollars are allocated according to will of the populace instead of directed by a professional monopoly.

Vaccine study

2010-02-03T16:08:00.001-07:00

Gee, I am a fair bit surprised to see the amount of play this Journal-renounced vaccine study is getting. The study is almost 20 years old and was done on only twelve children. No conclusion of any kind that it made should have been of any screaming import.

We all know that proving anything definitively in medicine is well-nigh an impossibility. The medical system has moved from proving-things-safe to managing-risks, instead. And herein lies the rub -- a clinician's judgment of risk differs markedly from a patient's informed judgment of risk. The patient is inclined to consider alternatives not within any specific physician's purview.

Informed consent [have the procedure or not] is quite a bit different from informed choice [an unbiased explanation of alternatives]. In our current system there is no "informed choice." We have a single paradigm system of health care. A single paradigm system is much like having only one political party or of allowing only one religion -- why would they lie?

Well, it is the credibility of the medical system that is highly suspect. There is no good source of drug information except from drug companies. Studies are largely funded by drug companies. Medical schools are funded by drug companies. Careers are made and broken by drug companies.

The medicos simply have no credibility; kinda like politicians. People know that the MMR was introduced as a super wad vaccine in 1970'ish and that since then autism has increased some ginormous amount; four hundred percent or seven fold or whatever. People know cancer rates are sky rocketing, even among youth; and, heart disease is reaching ever further across the years (30 is the new 60). Virtually all women will have detectable thyroid cancer on autopsy, half of all men prostate cancer; breast cancer among women may soon be 50% or more.

And where are the medicos? Nowhere helpful to be sure. Who banned plastic baby pablum? Activist groups not medicos. Who lobbys to ban transfats? Activists, not medicos. Pesticides, saturated fat, salt, soft plastics, fluoride?

If we choose to avoid the highly suspect products of modern medicine then there is no one to blame but the medicos themselves. They have a monopoly and they abuse it.

Sickness is caused. The medicos won't, or can't, prove it because proof in the scientific method is impossible. How convenient for the money makers.

If we choose to avoid vaccines it is because OUR multi-paradigmed risk analysis says it is likely safer in the long run.

No ideology -- religious, political, or economic -- can redeem the exercise of monopoly power.

Without open dissent, there can be no effect consent. Without available alternatives, the people cannot exercide their sovereign authority.

In science and technology, for example, a plurality of theories and methods may openly compete in order to demonstrate their respective validity ... Ultimate questions concerning the nature and meaning of life are settled, not by government fiat, but by individual choice.

Down with the medico monopoly!

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Autism study retracted

2010-02-02T16:38:00.002-07:00

"A medical journal in Britain has retracted a controversial study it published in 1998 that linked the use of a vaccine in children to autism."

Galileo: Yes, you are right. The earth is the centre of the universe.

Inquisition: See, I told you so.

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We'll rise again ...

2010-02-01T15:13:00.000-07:00

Well, it looks like the Alberta Greens are again stirring in the primordial, tar ponds-infested ooze and are perhaps attempting a comeback. Read all about it at
vision2012alberta.ca
not to be confused with just plain old
vision2012.ca which predicts the end of the world or something.
Or perhaps Revelation actually means the emergence of the Green Party?

The problem remains: just how does one keep those scorched-earth ultra rightists out of the party? You'd think somebody would have reminded potential entrants to read the Charter of the Global Greens first. Maybe an entrance test is in order?

Maybe we should try some sample test questions out on the federal greens first:
Provoking civil wars in far-flung parts of the world? Y / N [answer = N0]
Limiting the rights of people to vote before an election? Y / N [answer = No]
Fiscal sustainability? Y / N [answer = Y]

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WE should not negotiate with the Taliban.

2010-01-29T08:34:00.001-07:00

WE should not be negotiating with the Taliban at all! We should bring our troops home immediately.

WE should have discussions, later, with whatever government the Afghans are able to establish of their own initiative, if we so choose and if they are so willing.

Does anyone remember why we are there in the first place? Canada should not be picking sides in a civil war.

We remain in Afghanistan for VERY dubious reasons. Let's invade the Amazon, too. I'm sure all kinds of human rights are being violated there!

We, and all nations claiming to be superior and enlightened, need only lead by example. Surely other less enlightened nations will simply evolve toward our example at a rate as best they are capable, if our way is the best way (for them). But they must be left free to do so.

Foreign-directed imposition of immediate enlightenment is, of course, a recipe for disaster. Do we never learn?

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Wussa matter, Medicos? Not enough profit?

2010-01-26T10:46:00.000-07:00

"The problem was worst among those aged 35 to 49. The prevalence of high blood pressure in that age group increased 127 per cent, diabetes by 64 per cent and obesity by 20 per cent."

Normal blood pressure used to be that tired old saw of 120 / 80. That reading is now called "pre-hypertensive." Wow. We're all just a bomb waiting to blow up. Better drug that puppy.

I live in Calgary. Here they once passed a law restricting transfats in food (funnily, to just above the level found unnecessarily in milk). Then they unbanned it because it wasn't fair to other regions. Then the head provincially-appointed health guy walked away with a massive and gross severance package.

Eat healthier, they say. Maybe eat like 20 years ago when there was no such thing as ice cream or chocolate or cake. We were all so responsible way back then ... NOT!

My mother brought over some ice cream for X-mas dinner. The first ingredient -- "modified milk ingredients" (aka imported US milk/fructose blend). Mmm, that sounds healthy. And also there is glucose, mono & diglycerides, and the ever popular polysorbate80. This same brand, long ago, only had the ingredients cream [what's that? cream], sugar, vanilla. No wonder the ice cream is still in the freezer taking up space.

Ever read the long, long list of ingredients in cakes or sweets at your local grocery store. Need a chemistry degree to understand them.

Blame heart disease on bad eating habits ... shame on you. Blame heart disease on a population being poisoned by corporations and their apologist henchmen -- the medicos.

Transfats, guaranteed heart disease. Ban them. And turf your incumbent politician for it, too.

Break the health care monopoly.

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Raw Milk

2010-01-24T09:14:00.003-07:00

Finally, some common sense ... even though it took a trip to the Supreme Court of Canada to do it. Raw milk is, essentially, legal in Canada now. The deadly, toxic brew is now a healthy, unadulterated product -- just like in many US states and in Europe.

The stubborn medico monopoly and its corporate backers have been forced to blink.

I drink raw milk. All of my children were raised on raw milk.

Look at your carton of milk. See any transfats in it? Look at North American made milk-chocolate bars. See any transfats in them? You bet! Stop letting medicos poison you.

If your province hasn't banned transfats then vote out the party in power.

Transfats. Guaranteed heart disease. The leading cause of death.

Iran's moral case

2009-06-22T09:03:00.003-06:00

I rarely judge other counties as I am a firm believer in self-determination of nations. However I feel let down by Iran, even disappointed. Iran was a country bold enough to lecture the USA on principles and morality. Rigged elections places Iran firmly in the "immoral by one's own standards" camp. No longer a respectable international voice.

Having elections and rigging the result -- bad form. Just a bunch of petty despots using religion to maintain power.

Dishonest in elections, dishonest in everything ... I say.

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Bread'n Roses

2009-05-25T09:17:00.006-06:00

I took this picture last summer in Annapolis Royal, Nova Scotia. A bed'n breakfast called Bread and Roses Country Inn. It just sorta reminded me of PB. This house is just a couple of blocks away from PMS Studio. Annapolis is rather an interesting town.

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Water Power

2009-04-24T11:46:00.004-06:00

Back from Nova Scotia. This is a picture of the stream I have high hopes will provide one-third of the Retreat's electricity.

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Out of Afghanistan, Now

2009-04-04T23:42:00.002-06:00

Calgary, 2009, April, 04. Peace demonstration. Get out of Afghanistan, now!

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Calgary un-bans trans fat ban

2009-03-12T07:13:00.006-06:00

Trans fats now allowed in Calgary. A whole lot of people who are purported to represent our health interests should lose their ridiculously high paying jobs ... including the Alberta Minister of Health, Ron Liepert. I am disgusted!

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Posts I would have made

2009-03-07T09:05:00.000-07:00

Too much work; too much school work. No time for any of my trademark unique postings. But .. must .. post ..
So just some running headlines so you know I strut an alternate swagger:

I have nothing against the Taliban;
Polygamy (polygyny), maybe, especially with polyandry.

Al Capone was done in by tax law not murder conviction. Do in the polygamists with child custody and property settlement provisions. For the record, I do not oppose polygamy ;
Tax shifting, not debt creation.

Tough times, I know, but personally I'm holding onto my savings not driving up personal debt. Tax shifting would be an investment in the future. And let GM go bust ... then buy up the Canadian assets for penny on the dollar and create a Canadian car company or two;
Always a "fund the consumer of health care, not the supplier" supporter;
I consider myself Green but the party is currently too militaristic and health orthodox;
I do so dislike first world patriarchy. Should massively fund progressive, reformist third-world countries and forget about us "teaching" the world. Good examples always lead;
One state, one person, one vote Israeli solution. Support one religiously bigoted state and soon everybody will want one;
I support proportional representation for Canada.

Sorry for drive-by posting. Frustrates me, too. Gotta run.

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Battlestar

2009-02-13T13:41:00.006-07:00

I am sitting on 4, season four Battlestar Galactica DVDs. No time to watch them. The temptation is driving me crazy. Someday, I'll get to them.

This three-year acupuncture program is tough. OK, back to studying for mid-terms.

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Patient health records

2009-02-10T17:41:00.004-07:00

Oh, la-de-da, a health group finally says patients should have access to their health records. Well, duh!

I have been belaboring that for years.

Long past time to make health care responsive to consumers.

(Oh, gotta stop this. More mid-terms!!)

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Bank of Montreal anger

2009-02-10T16:21:00.003-07:00

I posted before about how infuriating it is to deal with the Bank of Montreal. I have since closed all of my accounts with them. Still, however, I have two business Mastercards. And that continually drives me crazy, too! The statements either do not arrive or they arrive late.

Today, for example, February 10th. Statement arrives by mail. It is postmarked February 6th. It was printed (they say) on January 28th. My bill is due Feb14! The buggers!

Is this a deliberate ploy to maximize interest penalties?

I think Royal Bank credit cards are in order.

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Cell Phone Cooking 2

2009-01-30T14:32:00.004-07:00

Alright. I'll bite, again. My Cell Phone Cooking first post has provided hilarity throughout the blogosphere. Cooking an egg by cell phone .... hoax. Still one of my highest hit pages! Linked-to by joke pages around the world.

Now a second cell phone cooking posting. This time popcorn!
Check out popcorn cooking by cell phone.

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Stampede

2009-01-26T06:05:00.003-07:00

And, just like Afghanistan, Canadians stampede toward debt. This time it is who can brag the biggest debt.

Again, we are being manipulated to a course of action not in our best interests.

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Balanced Budget

2009-01-25T07:52:00.004-07:00

Is no political party going to argue in favour of a balanced budget?
Are pundits frozen into the position of seeing who can buy the most votes?
Politicians are scrambling to save their own jobs?
People are looking to see their mutual funds restored at tax payers expense?

Balanced budget. Tax shifting. That is my position. If the ideology is good then one should believe in it ... and practice it.

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Facebook

2009-01-18T22:42:00.002-07:00

No time for postings. I would truly like to toss in a post or two on polygamy since the arrest of the two Morman-sect polygamists (one was not a polygamist but just a PIG ... should be a law) and the killing of a senior level Hamas leader with his four wives. But no time, really.

I have to content myself with an occasional one line update in Facebook.

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Back to School

2009-01-04T09:03:00.004-07:00

Back to school tomorrow.

Will not have time to make any postings. I do so dislike seeing low (or NO) postings in a month but there is nothing for it.

School is SO difficult. I'm wondering how the youngsters manage to get through it at all. I find that I have zero time ... and every diversion simply sets me back further. How do the youngsters do it when they seem to be perpetually diverted by one thing or another. Must be a serious lack of brain-power on my part.

Of course I won't really miss being exposed to the many spleen-venting, personal-attack blogs out there -- even some Green ones.

One serious drawback (for me) of going back to school is the suspension of my activities to keep the various divisions of the Green Party green. I cannot continue to preserve dilution of Green values in the face of a swelling membership of people from other parties: can't work toward Peace behaviour; can't promote community emphasis in ideology; and can't stress cultural aspects of society. I have to let it all go as Green drifts toward politically expedient vanilla.

In the last federal election I never even picked my head up from the text books. Really feel guilty for not helping the election team out. And the nest-fouling behaviour of some Greens here in Alberta ... don't really feel guilty about turning my back on that!

Oh well, no matter what I do I have no doubt that the world will continue to turn. Politics can consume a person. Guess that is why I retreat into the Health realm ... working to break the medico monopoly, bring choice and empowerment to people, and imagining I'm accomplishing something.

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I can write!

2009-01-02T11:52:00.002-07:00

我住在加拿大。

Hey! I discovered how to write chinese characters. Still, my vocab only allows for a couple of sentences. Gotta work on it a bit more.

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Learning Mandarin

2009-01-01T09:31:00.004-07:00

This learning Mandarin thing is kinda fun. My vocabulary is still very, very basic. Just for fun I troll for Chinese blogs in the hope that I might be able to read something. Not yet, really. A few pronouns, connectives'n stuff. Never a full sentence.

各位亲爱的博友~
不管你是走过,飘过,经过,路过...希望你留下你的部落格名字和url(可以的话也留下你的email).请按这里
非常感谢你们!
*其实也是为了方便我link你们~谢谢哦!

This looked sort of simple but still can identify only one in ten'ish. To me it is:

ming ? ? ? de ? you
bu ? ni shi ?, ? ?, ? ?, ? ?...? ? ni ? ? ne de ? ? ? ming zi ? url(? ? de ? ? ? ? ni de email).? ? ? ?
? ? ? ? ni ?!
* ? ? ? shi ? ? ? ? wo link ni ? ~ ? ? ?!

Not really a fun read for me, yet. "Friend" to me is "peng you" but I guess "friends" is different. Or it could be that Mandarin is not quite what is written in Malaysia (the locale I discover after the fact). Anyway, Google translator made sense of it:

Bo Dear Friends ~
Whether you come, drifting away, after passing through ... I hope you leave your blog name and url (you can also leave your email). Please click here
Thank you very much!
* In fact, in order to facilitate the link you ~ Thank you, I Oh!

A bit of a stretch from the words I know: good morning, come in, see you, where do you live, etc. Another three months of effort and then we'll see.

Update: Hmm, might take longer than three more months.

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Year-End Wish List

2008-12-31T07:32:00.002-07:00

Here is my wish list:

1) Bring the troops home, now!
Warmongering and establishing Vichy governments is not really the Canadian way.

2) Immigration designed around extending family instead of economics. My priorities tend to arts, sports, family, and culture. Sorry to all you stock market freakezoids.

3) It's the Environment, stupid. I hear there is a good deal on picking up some heavy manufacturing facilities in Ontario. Some urban utility vehicles and wind turbines made in Canada might be nice. Gotta end NAFTA.

4) The coalition should demand proportional representation ... if nothing else.

5) An end to sexism in child custody ... that alone should eliminate the gender gap.

6) And, of course, a world blockade of Israel.

Happy New Year.

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Woken Up

2008-12-30T10:01:00.005-07:00

I was woken up at 2:00 AM by city crews removing snow from the road under my bedroom window. Loud, repetitive, forthing and unforthing ... how can they clean up the city when they have to go back and forth so many times?

Eventually I gave up on trying to sleep. I went onto the little balcony in my shorts and watched them work. Then I said to myself, "why not make a little recording of their efforts?" So i did.

I really have no idea how to put a video on the internet. YouTube, maybe? Instead, I thought I'd make a little project of it. I made three movie files: a flash file, an MPEG file and a WMV file.

The flash file was 1.57 MB and crappy quality, so I deleted it.

The MPEG came out huge at 68 MB! A tad big. So I deleted it.

I made the WMV and it was a mere 18.8 MB for the 37.12 second clip. High Definition. 1280 x 720(30p).

Took a while to FTP it to the webserver. Here is the link: WOKEN UP.

I suppose now I should try to figure out how to make one of those cute little movie boxes where all one has to do is click the "play" button.

... update ... oooo, this is too easy ...

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Going for a run

2008-12-29T09:57:00.002-07:00

A picture of Christina going for her daily run. Two days before X-mas with Cayenne (the dobie).

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New Glasses

2008-12-26T10:48:00.000-07:00

Time for new glasses. The demands of acupuncture training have necessitated a pair of progressive-lens glasses. No more peering over or under the old frames. And Christina forbade me wearing my old-old pair of aviator style glasses even though they were progressive lenses.

Here is an animated gif of all three glasses. I rather like the new Lenon-esk frames.

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Ecological Footprint

2008-12-24T07:36:00.001-07:00

I took another FOOTPRINT test. The last one I took was in 2005 and my score was 2.9. Or, we would need nearly three earths for the world to live as consumptively as I do. Well, x-mas 2009, my score with a more refined test was ... 3.18. I'm getting worse!

Ever play with a child's balloon, especially a longer one? Squeeze one end and the other gets fat. Always fun trying to prevent the non-squeezed end from expanding. That highly elaborate balloon analogy applies to the real world, too. It popped into my head as I read Capitalist Pig's ancient posting on footprints.

His posting was about ecological footprints or, alternatively, how much of the rest of the world do we have to suppress in order to maintain and improve our own standard of living. Socialist Swine (CapPigs counterpart) has to dominate 4.5 times his entitlement for the priviledge of living as he does. And I have to hog 200% more than is due to me. Plutocracy is so unbecoming and hypocritical.

Back to Balloon Theory: how does one make the sides more equalized?
Hint.

See how many earths it would take to sustain your lifestyle. My score in 2005 was:

Good thing the world has plenty of poor nations filled with poor people or we'd really be in a pickle.

Summer of 2009

2008-12-23T07:36:00.000-07:00

I have not made a Retreat posting in quite a while. This is the tentative plan for the summer construction season of 2009.

Yup, a garage with a storage loft. Initially to be used as a garage and storage structure but later to be turned into the power building. The power building to house batteries and electrical for the wind and solar components of the Retreat. We have water generation in the plans, too.

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Last of the X-Mas Shopping

2008-12-22T07:29:00.000-07:00

The girls are finally back having finished the last of their x-mas shopping. Phew! The credit card strain will be severe this year, I'm sure. But sometimes these things simply have to be done. The next several years may be lean by comparison ... and I am not complaining. Perhaps nothing is better for the environment than a grand downsizing of the global economy as human-kind can't seem to get its global responsibilities in order of their own accord.

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In the Top 100

2008-12-21T09:12:00.001-07:00

Hey, I'm in the top 100 herbal medicine blogs. Thank you Christina Laun. I was in the top 50 Alternative Medicine blogs just a little while ago. Maybe I should lobby for a new, and relevant, Canadian Blog Award category. Best Health?, no. Best Green?, hmm, maybe but who knows if I'll be Green next year what with all their warmongering and disrespectful (politician-like) ways. Best Always Right in the Long Run?, naw. How about Best Would Be Dictator of Canada? Closer. How about the Best Peace, Order and Good Government Blog? That sounds good.

Could expand on that; perhaps there should be a blog roll: no warmongers, no sexists and no political hacks. I smile ... that would narrow the field some, especially on the PB roll.

Every year it's the same thing ... sour grapes. Guess I'll just go play (the not so great) Call of Duty 5: World at War.

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Festive Dinner

2008-12-19T09:16:00.000-07:00

Well, we had a bit of a festive family dinner at the Petroleum Club in Calgary last night. The talk may have touched upon the economy a bit. The concensus is that as long as we can keep on working then all will probably be well. Our business, Arcady Holistic, is a bit quiet now but that is expected for us this time of year what with the the winter weather, hideous Calgary traffic, and seasonal diversions. The economic adjustments necessitated by NAFTA and globalization probably will not affect us that much.

Still, I can't help but think about what could have been had we not sold our rights (under NAFTA) to employ our citizens productively. Maybe we would be producing some spiffy little urban utility vehicles, or even a wind turbine or two. Perhaps even evolving unique Canadian livable communities. But, no, vanilla culture is the order of the day.

I suppose the old free-trade saw of no government subsidy is passe now as all rich governments are doing it. Is that one of those do as I say things?

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Present Creep

2008-12-18T08:45:00.000-07:00

There appears to be some serious present creep happening under the Christmas tree.

And there are a few more days yet to go. May be a motherload of an x-mas, this year.

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X-mas Concert

2008-12-17T11:02:00.000-07:00

It has been a while since I have been to a Christmas concert. Anyone with kids knows how wonderful they truly are. Now I get to go to concerts to see Christina playing the fiddle. She picked up the instrument 10 weeks ago ... her very first instrument!

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Still alive

2008-12-15T16:06:00.000-07:00

I am still alive. Not blogging because I am back in school. This is taking up most of my time ... and I continue to work part-time. It is all very, very difficult for an old fart like me.

I ride my bike to school, and back, each day.

Boy! Am I glad that we are now in x-mas break. The temperature is -32 C (without the wind chill factored in!).

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Voting

2008-09-18T16:35:00.000-06:00

I WILL be voting Green this election simply to guarantee that the global warming issue remains front and center. The world is out there and I do rather have a tendency to look past the end of my nose.

However, future elections are up for grabs as Green health dogma is too conformist and, of course, Greens support one side of a civil war (which is against the primacy requirement dictating self-determination of nations) in Afghanistan.

Back from NS

2008-09-08T14:03:00.000-06:00

I am just back from Nova Scotia. I have been gone for a long time. You may have noticed that I made no postings while gone.

It occurred to me that somebody might actually check this blog for Green political postings ... seeing as how there is an election'n all. However, I have no plans to make any postings, political or otherwise, for the next while. I am working on business webpages and am back in school (of all things).

May pick this blogging thing up later, but not now.

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Power Supply

2008-04-10T08:55:00.000-06:00

This alien looking thing is the power supply that died in my computer last week. Fortunately, it is a relatively easy thing to replace.

No lasting harm. Phew!

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Ookpik. Remember me?

2008-04-09T09:10:00.000-06:00

Remember the Ookpik? (photo)

Lilah has a bit of an Ookpik collection. These Ookpiks were given to her by my sister.

I do not remember seeing Ookpiks around these days. They used to be very popular. I remember an Ookpik cartoon on TV when I was a child. And I used to draw little Ookpik doddles.

No longer fashionable, Ookpiks, now. I suppose it is no longer politically correct to make dolls or toys from seal skin. Still, I remember my seal skin winter boots as a child. Great boots.

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Earth Hour - What was it good for?

2008-04-08T09:23:00.000-06:00

Earth Hour - What was it good for?

Well, I can think of a couple of things (photo).

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Another T-shirt

2008-04-03T10:09:00.000-06:00

Another t-shirt to add to my collection. I bought two of these. One for Calgary and one for Nova Scotia. One can never say, "Bring the Troops Home," too often and in too many places.

You can get your own from this place.

And you can see some of my other t-shirts in this post.

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Pulse weapons knocking airliners out of sky

2008-04-01T08:24:00.000-06:00

American secret weapon knocking domestic aircraft out of the sky. After 9/11 ultra-secret defence systems have been put on automatic as human communications are too slow. However, the systems are not perfect and sometimes mitigating factors such as a no-fly list passenger or an undocumented flight path variation triggers a non-lethal, defensive reaction from the defensive grid.

Pulse weaponry, when used for defence, must necessarily be used by automated systems. Typically accidental (or deliberate) firings occur as aircraft cross into a defended national boundary.

A defensive grid system has been set up around 75% of the U.S., around Heathrow airport, around Japan, and plans are in place for a defensive grid to be established around Gaza Palestine.

Flasking didn't get me on the watch list (I don't think) but this one might.

What is up with counter demonstrators?

2008-03-28T09:34:00.000-06:00

What is up with counter demonstrators?

If I am organizing, for example, a support local soccer parade, is it respectful for community hockey types to come out and attempt to divert attention and potential monies to their cause, instead? Or should the hockey types simply organize their own parade the next week? I think one cause should be respectful of the other and hold separate events.

Seems obvious. Fund-raisers hate alternative cause gate crashers and scuffles may result. I would blame all scuffles on the gate-crashers.

And so the “white supremacist” parade had their demonstration deliberately (date1, date 2) gate-crashed by an anti-racism rally organized for the express purpose of counter-demonstrating. Both causes gaining more publicity than they normally would, as a result. There was, of course, much bad behaviour, leaving the police sorely taxed, which would not have occurred had they demonstrated separately.

Counter demonstrating is near warfare and is, in my opinion, a separate issue from having the freedom to express an opinion. It is deliberately provocative intimidation.

So, too, with all of the peace demonstrations. The pro-war demo-crashers show up and insert themselves in the very midst of the peaceniks. And the pro-war demo-crashers are a foul-mouthed aggressive lot to be sure. They show up on purpose to counter demonstrate.

If an anti-war activist sabotaged a pro-war headlined newspaper run then a crime would have been committed. Counter-demonstrating should also be a crime. Or, more precisely, interfering with free speech should be a crime. Clearly, it is bad behaviour.

At least it is health-thinking progress

2008-03-27T09:15:00.000-06:00

Well, at least it is health-thinking progress

Calgary Herald, Danielle Smith, Talking the Right Talk.

Danielle Smith is making noises about funding the consumer of health care instead of the supplier of health care. And one political party has picked up on it.

Wildrose Alliance leader Paul Hinman raised this issue several times in the provincial leaders' debate, when he said that funding should follow the patient.

Unfortunately, despite my best efforts (example 1, example 2), it is not the Greens that have picked up this concept … not by a long shot … although both provincially here in Alberta and federally for a great many years they have long been exposed to this rational. They do, instead, prefer the politically easier, paternalistic throw-money-at-it solutions. That is what happens when you listen to unionized nurses or trough-feeding medicos instead of analyzing the needs and demands of people.

The consumer, for whom the health care system is supposed to exist, is the best prioritizer of health care delivery. The suppliers are simply pigs at a trough, after all, they are not a moral lot.

What Danielle Smith is missing, though, is that the medico monopoly needs to be broken, as well. If it is not broken then the medicos will simply price-fix services and no gain in efficiency will be attained.

Danielle Smith recognizes that most of health is already outside of the health care system.

Whether it is a doctor's office, a naturopath, a pharmacist, a massage therapist, a dentist, an orthodontist, or any of the myriad private clinics offering optometry, podiatry, dermatology, MRIs, and hundreds of other services, when patients come into contact with the health care system, it is more than likely through the thousands of health care entrepreneurs who provide these services every day.

She still needs to understand that consumers of health care need to be in control of the health care system.

Alberta is ready for high speed rail – NOT

2008-03-26T09:15:00.000-06:00

Alberta is ready for high speed rail – NOT

Alberta is not ready for high speed rail. Plunking a high speed rail line between Calgary and Edmonton will accomplish very little, in my opinion, except make some people very rich. And that is a poor reason for high-speed rail.

Alberta, as everyone knows, plans nothing. Everything is throw-money-at-it and hope to avert a crisis. Health care, unplanned. Education, unplanned. Child care, unplanned. Labour, unplanned. Housing, unplanned. Growth, no plan. Alberta is a wild west for corporate exploitation. And so it will be for high-speed rail.

Where is the plan for high-speed rail? An economic feasibility study by various special interest groups is not a plan.

A plan is supposed to tell Albertans just how this high-speed rail line integrates into an over-all transportation policy designed to improve efficiencies and connect livable, walkable inclusive zoning communities. No such thing exists.

If this expensive high-speed rail link does not address social issues within Alberta then what is the good of it?

I get frightened when I see the Calgary Herald supporting something. One just knows the people of Alberta do not enter into the equation.

I am Top 50 in Alternative-Health Blogs

2008-03-25T10:23:00.000-06:00

Well, well, well, I am in the top 50 Alternative-Health Blogs. Such an honour. I would like to thank the academy.

Actually, I feel kinda bad. What with all this election stuff that has been flying around since the beginning of the year I have not been making many health postings. Yet I still get listed in the top 50. Yea, me.

And I did a quick calculation of my tags. All told only 146 health-related posts out of a total of 724. That is 20 percent. Yet I still get listed in the top 50. Yea, me.

I have been watching the health news of late and, of course, lots to criticize. But they have been too easy targets for me to get worked up about. And I have been feeling rather repetitive of late in always trying to make the same points over and over again but with twists thrown in for holding one's interest.

And trying to educate a rather uneducatable lot within the Green Parties is always difficult, too. There are astute health thinking people in the party but the throw-money-at-ems are far less risky a position to take. Politicians can ignore the fact that people seek health options outside of the medical system but that will not address health issues. The feds are particularly bad. And I have not written about that stuff for a while. Yet I still get listed in the top 50. Yea, me.

And now I am slightly disappointed not to win some sort of top 50 in Anti-Poverty Blogs. I do rale against the oppressive orthodoxy and conformity surrounding this issue, just as in health.

So all this political stuff is putting a crimp in my health activism. Maybe I should just be happy with my bit of notoriety. Maybe I should just dump this political stuff especially as most political types are rather unsavory obsessive diddlers of every little thing. No fun, them, really. They use way too many words.

I suppose I should start thinking about making a health post. I have a reputation to uphold.

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The Tibet struggle is not my struggle

2008-03-24T09:17:00.000-06:00

The Tibet struggle is not my struggle.

Tibet is a part of China. I have no interest in fomenting dissent in a region of China by supporting a separatist cause. And I especially am not keen to endorse a Tibetan leadership based on sexism and religion.

Most Progressive Bloggers seem to say separation of church and state is good; except where fashionable to be otherwise. Most Progressive Bloggers pronounce favorably for non-sexist representation in government; unless it is for monks.

And I am not wild about the religion. The Dalai Lama now says he can pick a re-incarnation successor even before he dies so as to perpetuate political/religious agitation. Is the Dalai Lama a political leader or a religious leader, or both?

I side with China on this. I do not favor multi-generational resistance of a land dispute, and outside agitation in favor of perpetuating it. Tibet is part of China. Done deal.

And just what country is good enough to hold an Olympics? The US?

I ordered two t-shirts

2008-03-21T09:00:00.000-06:00

Oooh, I can hardly wait to start wearing the two new t-shirts I ordered. Here is a picture.

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I Should Have a Column

2008-03-20T10:00:00.000-06:00

I Should Have a Column

Re Editorial, Coal Could Be King, Barry Cooper, March 19, 2008.

I think the University of Calgary is far worse than the University of Chicago in terms of giving voice to kooks, whackos and out’n out weirdos. And the Calgary Herald newspaper insists on printing U of C (it must be the letter combination!) nihilisms day after day after day.

Yes, I am talking about global warming. It is a figment of our imagination. And CO2 is a friend of the environment, we should encourage it more.

I am a graduate of the U of C economics department. And, yes, maybe I am a little crazy at that, too. I had one graduate professor who was the economics advisor to the Alberta separatist party or the Western Canada separatist party or something like that. All he did was spout Hayekisms and supremacy of corporate-controlled capital … a very non-human representation of society. He deliberately gave me a B- (a failing grade) stating I was too idealistic for the real world. Gotta wonder what world he lived in.

Day after day after day I have to read extremist crap. So too does half the province. No wonder people vote Conservative here. The Herald gives Albertans permission to run amok in the candy store.

I should get a column. I am original. I have unique views. I am from Calgary and the U of C. I can write about reforming education or health care, over and over again. It cannot be any worse than telling people we are actually helping the world by producing pollution and burning hydrocarbons and polluting the atmosphere as much as is corporately possible; day after day after day.

Re-enfranchise voters

2008-03-19T09:13:00.000-06:00

The community is the most powerful tier in Green governmental philosophy. Not the feds; not the province; not even the city; but the community. It is one of the six tenets that makes a person Green. We call this tenet Participatory Democracy.

Well, I remembered an old post I made a while ago, after the 2006 federal election, where the election turnout was noted to be remarkably low in Calgary. I wrote:

What three things would I most like to see which can re-enfranchise the residents of Calgary East?
75% of gross municipal revenue pro-rated, per capita to each community;
Alter immigration to be family-oriented ... away from economic orientation; and
Publically-funded, yet consumer-driven education and health care; for responsiveness to demand.
This would see the end of "downtown" business prioritization and the beginning of community living. It would re-introduce family and extended family and social re-enforcement. It would see the end of monopoly health delivery and the end of publically-owned schools and corporate-driven education.

Well, after this 2008 Alberta provincial election, to re-enfranchise the residents of Calgary-Fort (a subset of Calgary-East) I would ADD:

Municipal funding (provincial portion) set to a fixed percent of provincial revenue; and
Electoral Officer pays $40 to each voter at time of voting.

Communities like the idea of receiving funding. They are always searching for government grants for one thing or another. Communities do good work. They should be empowered and let go. Seniors' groups (clubs) are always looking here there and everywhere for grant funding. If they are viable the community will fund them. Hundreds and hundreds of clubs should not have to beg funding for community-service projects from a cold, distant and seemingly corrupt central government. The community knows where to best allocate its resources, and with what emphasis; and, disparate community groups will be eager to join the community for funding as opposed to being isolated as they are now.

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Alberta Government is a poor educator

2008-03-18T08:25:00.000-06:00

The Alberta Government is a poor educator. Poor in terms of: it costs too much for very little product. It should get out of the education business.

Government is incapable of performing as a proper business unit. For example: unfunded pension liability. It padded teacher pay by drawing down teacher pension reserves to the tune of a $7.4 billion debt. Now just why the teacher union allowed this is a complete mystery to me. The logic of it seems almost global-warming like. But why the employer would deliberately do this is plain and simple just bad management – just like refusing to control CO2 emissions. And the tax payer foots the bill for billions of extra dollars when, instead, the pension fund should be making billions of dollars. Bad, bad, governing by the Conservatives, yet typical of everything they do here.

My alternative would be to disband public delivery of education and, instead, publicly fund the consumer of education with an education credit. I would have the education credit accrue monthly for every month of residency in the province. Life-long learning enabled. Others (eg parents, grandparents) may transfer their credits for direct use (ie transferred sums cannot be transferred again) to individuals of choice. All this very simply done with a two-balance government account: own-balance field and transferred-in balance field. And cleverly accessed through one’s Alberta drivers license or Alberta Id card. The ATB should be able to handle that.

And guess what? The same thing should be done in health care.

Peace Demonstration Calgary

2008-03-17T09:30:00.000-06:00

14 Photos.

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My Desk

2008-03-15T09:35:00.000-06:00

A picture of my desk.

Gadzooks! And the power of cameras these days. A simply blow-up of the previous picture.

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A few rays

2008-03-09T09:59:00.000-06:00

Nuthin much to do cept soak up a few rays (photo).

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BC and Simple Proportional Representation

2008-03-07T09:27:00.000-07:00

I feel sorry for BC. They are going to have to vote (and probably reject) another proportionally representative provincial voting system.

in May 2009 British Columbians will be voting in a referendum on a fairer voting system called BC-STV, recommended by the BC Citizens' Assembly on Electoral Reform

People are sold one bill of goods and then swapped with another. In BC's case, the people are told proportional representation is good and then some convoluted, politician-diddled system is put in its place.

Same thing is happening to Alberta. Fair Vote Canada explains that simple proportional representation will make everything more fair:

"With a fair voting system that treats all voters equally, the number of seats won by the parties closely matches the will of the voters," said Broscoe. "We can never know exactly what the results would have been under a different system, but if all votes cast had equal value, Albertans would likely have elected about 44 PC, 22 Liberal, 7 NDP, 6 Wild Rose Alliance and 4 Green MLAs. We would have seen a much stronger opposition, a more balanced legislature, more accountable government, and most importantly, Albertans would have seen their votes accurately reflected in the election results."

And then they work to establish a massive citizen assembly to design some convoluted, complex, mob-influenced outcome instead.

I say stop using Simple Proportional Representation to sell more complex systems of democracy. Simple is simple. Why not use one of the three examples already developed (and rejected) in Canada: specifically in BC, Ontario and PEI? Fair Vote should stop tarnishing the name of Simple Proportional Representation. Use SPR to sell proportional representation? Then recommend SPR to the people. Stop with the bait-and-switch, already.

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Alberta and Simple PR

2008-03-05T11:35:00.000-07:00

Under Simple Proportional Representation the Alberta Greens would have four members sitting in the Alberta legislature. The members would be the Leader of the Alberta Greens and then the next three highest percentage green vote getters. Specifically, George Read, the Leader, of Calgary-North West; Joe Anglin of Locombe-Ponoka; Edwin Ericson of Drayton Valley-Calmar; and Dan Cunin of Banff-Cochrane. And, as I stated before, the Liberals would have 21, the NDP would have 7, and the WAP would have 6.

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Proportionately Alberta

2008-03-04T08:44:00.000-07:00

My first reaction is to cry in my bountiful beer. I only increased my Calgary-Fort Green vote from 5.7% in 2004 to 5.9% in 2008. And I came in last. Although I have exceeded my own success criteria, it still feels a little shallow.

But then I think, the Conservatives beat the drums and forced out the voters who only know how to vote Conservative. I think the Liberals did badly. I think the NDP declined overall by 1 (proportional representation) seat. The WAP lost their only seat. I think the Greens are the only party that improved their overall situation: more votes, more second place finishes, higher percent of votes.

The Conservatives won but the Greens came in second in terms of expectations.

Here in Calgary-Fort, Julie, of the NDP, did great for an NDP’r. She achieved 14.25% of the vote – doubled! Yet, the NDP vote was down overall. Her one year campaign and money expended in that effort did pay off, I guess.

So the Conservatives won big. They went from a minority government (if we had proportional representation) to a majority government. The NDP went down to seven seats, and the Greens increased from 3 to 4 seats. The Liberals went down from 24 to 21 seats. Ironically, the WAP would have six seats! Too bad they do not like proportional representation.

It is all moot, as the Conservatives have a majority government no matter how one spells it.

Happy ninth birthday

2008-03-03T01:06:00.000-07:00

Happy ninth Birthday, George, born on February 29. And a belated happy birthday to Marie.

George's birthday wish is to be an MLA by the time he is ten.

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Greater of Two Goods

2008-03-02T11:25:00.000-07:00

Gee, activist icon, Grant Neufeld, writes:

I don’t know of anyone [Julie Hrdlicka, NDP] running in this election who I can more highly recommend as a strong voice for the real needs of our communities.
Calgary-Fort, where she’s [Julie Hrdlicka, NDP] running, is fortunate to have another very social justice-minded candidate running — J. Mark Taylor for the Greens. Most elections I’ve voted in have been “lesser of two evils” kind of choices, but Calgary-Fort voters have a “greater of two goods” choice to make.

I feel slightly battered about the head and shoulders by this back-handed compliment. Thanks, Grant. Does that make me second over-all province-wide??

This is a picture of Julie I took at a peace rally we both attended back in 2005. And I wrote a bit of a posting on it at the time, too.

Well, the personal objective for me in this election, other than to win, go to Edmonton and be a very boring person, is to improve the Green position in Calgary-Fort. And to do that:
I want greater than last election's 439 votes or a percentage vote greater than 5.7%, or both!
Last election results: Total votes cast = 7681 (all parties)
Potential voters = 23271 (Calgary Fort)

Well, for those wondering, the big differences between the Greens and the NDP is that we Alberta Greens are business friendly, not so state ruled and definitely not so micro-managed; and, we have a vision of positive change for the betterment of the community and the lives of people.

Julie's campaign has been one of undermining the credibility of the Conservative record. Same with her public speaking events. Same on her web material. Old-style politics. Or maybe real politics. I just assume people know if the government is performing up to the expectations of the populace. I certainly know that I would like things to be better.

In contrast, I make all my remarks informative of what Greens will do, would do or hope to do; informative debate, really, educating of the Green values and platform and even policy. This approach probably makes me a poor politician.

So last election, in 2004, the NDP garnered 584 votes in Calgary-Fort. That is 7.6%.
I am curious to see how things turn out. I wonder if the actions of other parties detrimentally affects the outcome of our Alberta Greens' positive message of vision and change.

Still, it would be nice for we Greens in Calgary-Fort to over-take the NDP, too, in addition to just increasing the vote. Cross your fingers for the Alberta Greens!

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The Real Government of Alberta

2008-03-01T17:44:00.000-07:00

The real government of Alberta is a minority government. It is, in fact, a long lasting 43 seat minority government consisting of the PCs (39 seats), the Greens (3 seats) and the Social Credits (1 seat) in a fiscally conservative, environmentally respectful coalition government. The 40 seat opposition consists the Liberal, NDP and Alberta Alliance. The Alberta Government faces an election on Monday.

Proportional Representation makes the Alberta landscape especially attractive to Alberta voters. The days of idle-headed mono-government are long over.

Results the 2004 provincial election:
PCs with 47% of the popular vote took 39 seats. Next came the Liberals with 29% of the popular vote and a resulting 24 seats. The NDP are represented with 10% of the vote and 8 seats in the legislative assembly. Next come the Alberta Alliance and 8 seats. Then the Greens with 3% of the popular vote and 3 seats. Finally, the Social Credits, with 1% of the vote and one representative seat in the legislature.

The up-coming election on Monday the 3rd has trouble brewing for the ruling coalition, however, as the Greens, the only value-based party, insist on prioritizing livable, walkable, inclusive, funded communities, and a strong Alberta Advantage Social Justice (health, education, justice, child care, housing) safety net for Alberta residents.

We shall just have to see where the cards fall on Monday to see if Alberta citizens wish increased respect of the human condition, or further increased commercial exploitation and high-salaried labour unions.

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Artists of the World

2008-02-29T11:46:00.000-07:00

Inglewood, here in the riding, my riding, of Calgary Fort, is one of the ten best neighborhoods in Canada. It is a fine example of a great community. And it is great communities, BY DESIGN, is what the Greens will encourage and create.

Every once in a while, however, I venture out of the community with friends.

My Sundays are orienting themselves into a bit of a ritual. Rather like my Fridays where we go out for dinner with Mom. Only on Sundays I go, with a few friends, to Artists of the World, 514 – 11 Ave SW, 1:00 – 5 PM, for a bit of artistic enlightenment.

Now, me, I am not an artistic fellow. The small groups that come and play in an intimate setting to we supposedly cultured types in the know are simply fantastic, even to me. This Sunday is Steve Pineo; last Sunday, Billy Manzik; and the Sunday before that, Heather Blush. I have never heard of any of them but some very few of my friends have. Some people simply waste too much time listening to music, I guess.

But now I have the artists’ CDs. And it is all located in an art gallery where everything I like, with my false artistically knowledgeable nod, is $5000+. I must admit that the venue is fabulous, if a little intimidatingly uncomfortable.

Still, great entertainment and over-priced beer, on a Sunday; very classy, I guess. I do rather prefer playing darts at Swans Restaurant, though, a restaurant nowhere near sophisticated enough to have a web page or even a web presence. And, truth be told, I would rather stay in Inglewood on Sundays.

The things I gotta do to hang out with friends.

Alberta Greens place last in Doctor poll

2008-02-28T15:29:00.000-07:00

ROFL

Greens place last in Alberta Medical Association pre-election poll! Great job.

Is health care Alberta’s number one issue? If yes, then we know that the poll winners, the Liberals, have no plan other than stuff the medicos pockets with dollars. Happy, happy doctors.

What party even dares to question the demi-god bastions of monopolistic power? The Greens. If you want change in health care then Status Quo is not going to get it for you.

A party that dares to question why emergency rooms have huge wait queues at the front door instead of the back door. A party that dares to ask why patients have no access to their records on the much touted computerization of health records. A party that questions the use of the rarest resource, the doctor, being the point person for everything medical. Where is the patient follow-up to prove that procedures actually do what it is they are supposed to do? A party that listens to Public Interest Alberta when it writes in Seniors Care in Crisis that an Independent Seniors Advocate could be making volunteers useful through “a corps of trained elders to help the many seniors outside of the care system” – something we Greens call Task Shifting and, indeed, have it in our platform.

Want change in health care? Vote for a party that speaks for people and community, while the other parties cater to labour guilds and big pharma.

One hundred and fifty doctors judged the poll results. Why not let 150 Alberta citizens judge the results and see what we get?

Vote GREEN.

Scenario: Your grade 12 daughter is pregnant

2008-02-26T12:29:00.000-07:00

I have my own views on child care (photo). Nothing like good’ol, secure, supervised daytime child care.

And believe me, having been a single parent, I have some pretty strong views on child care, family, sexism and justice.

This time though I want to post on Guaranteed Annual Income or, more accurately, the Alberta Advantage.

Here is the scenario: 18 year old girl doing simply superb in last year of high school with plans to attend major city university gets pregnant. Assume aging parents, due to circumstances beyond their control, are suddenly of no significant help.

Outcome One: Girl drops out of school. Gets married. Has baby. Has another baby.

This would be the Conservative outcome. Good family values.

Outcome Two: Girl drops out of school. Gets married. Has baby. Gets student loan for university. Works in franchise chain or gas stations to help pay bills. Day care subsidy helps. Has another baby. Ends up with a long-term bookkeeping job.

This would be the Liberal outcome. Lots of approved day care spaces with well remunerated staff. Day care gets women into the work force.

Outcome Three: Girl stays in school. Does not have baby. Stays single. Works in restaurant for tips. Free university tuition gets her a liberal arts degree.

This would be the NDP outcome. Unlimited free money for established institutions.

Outcome Four: Girl stays in school. Girl has baby, at home no less. Parents’ difficulty resolved through responsible lifestyle choices. Girl tries university for one year but changes to community college where she learns to be a millwright and ends up designing custom stainless-steel glassware for an international company.

This would be the Green out come. Complete flexibility in allocating one’s Alberta Advantage. YOU get to prioritize monies that government would normally spend in your name. Alaska gives yearly cash, Alberta did a one-time Alberta Advantage cash payout, but the green Alberta Advantage would give more control of Social Justice (health, education, housing, child care, justice) spending to YOU. You, with your unique life, know best how to allocate within each field your share of Social Justice funds.

Greens Maturing

2008-02-25T09:56:00.000-07:00

Well, the Alberta Greens are popping up on the scene more and more. Not only are we intruding into the media's rather staid debate criteria, we are also becoming an organization of more depth and experience.

More members have run in elections. More members have been working behind the scenes in policy. More members are involving themselves in organization. Things are beginning to work and, dare I say, even make sense.

Helping me in my efforts are volunteers wanting nothing more than to do their bit in the making of a better world. They want nothing more than to make life fair and deserving for people. They want nothing more than to help other people come to make the correct vote. Yes, there are people still in this city who have maintained their idealism in the face of harsh pressures to conform to the vanilla status quo.

Throw money at our problems; not us. We prefer to address them.

In my constituency alone, Calgary Fort, I have a wealth of experienced help. I have Jim Kenny, a United Church minister, who ran for the Green Party of Canada in 2006. I have Tyler Charkie, an executive for immigrant assistance, who ran for the Alberta Greens in 2004. And I, J. Mark Taylor, ran for the Green Party of Canada in 2006.

We are getting better, more savy, more informed, more astute. Voters are getting more experience, more vision, more ideals; better representation.

Vote from your heart for people who have heart. Vote Green.
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Green Leader answers Leadership Debate questions

2008-02-22T15:45:00.000-07:00

http://www.albertagreens.ca/george_read_in_youtube_leaders_debate

Gotta love George Read of the Alberta Greens; everybody does.

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Handouts and Mailboxes

2008-02-21T09:55:00.000-07:00

Dropping handouts in mailboxes is not as much fun as you may think. I know it sounds all glorious n’all, and it can be rewarding, especially for we Greens. Everybody, but everybody I spoke with wants my Alberta Greens handout … except one person, and she reminded me of the rare type that refuses to sign a candidate’s nomination papers which enable one to be listed on the ballot (in Alberta we need 25 signatures from people eligible to vote presumably for the purpose of proving that we are not a dog or a cat – looks bad when a REAL animal qualifies to run).

There are handout-to-mailbox rules: never walk on someone’s lawn unless you can do it in two steps or less; always rattle a gate before opening as there might be a dog on the other side; always clank down mailbox lid after depositing handout as it attracts the owner who simply must get the handout right away … rather like must-answer-phone syndrome (this keeps the person from throwing out the handout with the junk mail).

Lots of home owners have “No Flyers, Save Our Trees” tags on their mailboxes. Ignore the warning if you are a Green party person because these people all want the Green handout. The Green handout is 100% post-consumer recycled paper. The other parties use glossy paper which is clayed and hence not recyclable.

Skip the homes which have “no politicians, this means you” on their mailbox. Only saw one of those. And yes, no handout. Angry looking “no flyer, I mean it” mailboxes also get skipped. Everybody else gets a handout.

So far no falls on ice, yet.

Three dog bites … all from the same dog. I wear thick leather hiking boots and it was a struggle not to snuff the life out of that dog. There should be some kinda law where homeowners are not allowed to own a breed more intelligent than the owner – it wrecks the dog.

And a word on the Greenest communities. The communities with the highest Green vote are the communities with green space, natural views, play areas and park-like settings, even trees and birds. The communities with the least Green vote are sterile, cold, human dump style places where humanity definitely does NOT prevail. Greens are all about people and life. Broken, destroyed people do not vote Green; and I guess the people who like breaking and destroying people also do not vote Green. A pity, really, as we Greens want everybody to live in a well-designed, diverse community where none are excluded from value and purpose. Community, community, community, we Greens are all about community.

My advice: read the Charter of the Global Greens. Everything we say and do derives from this document. Maybe YOU are Green and do not know it.

I have a stabbing pain in my left Achilles tendon. Maybe no handout delivery tomorrow.

Call for signs!

79 of 83, not bad

2008-02-19T09:50:00.000-07:00

79 registered Alberta Greens out of 83 ridings. Not too shabby.

Just ordinary people working to achieve good things for Alberta.

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Officially Registered

2008-02-18T10:44:00.000-07:00

Well, today is the deadline for registering as a candidate in the 2008 Alberta Provincial election. Here is a photo of me, J.Mark Taylor, registering (photo) with Returning Officer Sheila Cooper.

No problem as I registered last Friday. Plenty of time.

Oh, yes, and I registered to run as a candidate for the Alberta Greens in Calgary-Fort.

And, just for old times sake, here is a picture of me registering as the federal candidate, Calgary East, Green Party of Canada, in the 2006 election.

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Candidate training

2008-02-16T10:42:00.000-07:00

We Alberta Greens candidates are some tough. Here we are holding a candidates training session in an unheated room. The boiler pipes had burst in our sub-sub-zero weather and the basement flooded. No heat. Heaters were brought in but in the morning we had to keep bundled up to keep from freezing.

There is the great and glorious Leader of the Alberta Greens, George Read, Calgary North West, sitting in the centre oblivious to the cold. On the left with glasses and moustache is Mark MacGillivray, Calgary Egmont.

Susan Stratton, Calgary Cross, centred, President of the Alberta Greens. And looking on is Fred Clemens, Calgary Montrose.

Centred is Kate Haddow, Olds-Didsbury-Three Hills. On the right side (looking forward) is Diann Duthie, Chief Financial Agent, Calgary-Fort.

Smiley face at the back is Ryan Smith, Calgary Mackay. And wavey is Steven Rickets, Calgary Buffalo. On the way right is Keely Bruce, Calgary-Hays.

And there is Ross Cameron, Calgary East, on the left. Centred is Heather Brocklesby, CALGARY-MCCALL. Oh, and that Mark MacGillivray guy again.

There is Nick Burman, Calgary-Nose Hill standing on the right. Sitting on the right is David Brandreth, Airdrie-Chestermere. Standing on the left, the hair-challenged guy, is Sol, owner of the burst pipe Movie Poster Shop where the meeting is being held. I was too afraid to ask him if his injuries were from frantically trying to fix the burst water pipe fiasco. Sitting is (I hope) Graham Mackenzie, Calgary Currie.

Ian Groll, Calgary Foothills