My Two Cents

More Things That Bug The Hell Out Of Me

2009-12-08T19:29:00.000-08:00

Well, even though it's been a while since I've posted, I have come up with more things that bug me to no end.

- winter

- stupid drivers in winter

- the government for banning cell phones while driving. Why not ban people driving with there stupid little dogs on their laps, or having those stereos with the 7" TV screen in them and DVD player?

- Unions

- University of Saskatchewan for their policy of charging stupid fees

- City of Saskatoon for increasing parking rates and transit fees to the highest in western Canada

- City of Saskatoon for approving the moving of the Mendel Art Gallery to River Landing

- River Landing

- Mayor Don Atchison

- Indians wanting to have their own separate school division. They can't even run their university, casinos, reserves, etc. They say they want everything separate, but yet they want all of our money.

Hunt for Nazis' 'Dr. Death' ends in Egypt

2009-02-05T20:14:00.000-08:00

Fugitive war criminal, still sought around world, buried in pauper's grave, German TV station says
Feb 05, 2009 04:30 AM

BERLIN–The world's most wanted Nazi war criminal, Dr. Aribert Heim, thought until now by some to be still alive, died in Cairo in 1992 after converting to Islam, German television station ZDF said yesterday.
The state-run broadcaster said that in a joint investigation with the New York Times, it had discovered Heim spent nearly 30 years in Cairo, having become a Muslim in the early 1980s and assumed the name Tarek Farid Hussein.
Heim, nicknamed "Dr. Death" for killing hundreds of inmates at Mauthausen concentration camp in Austria with injections of toxins to the heart, had been missing since evading West German police in 1962.
An Austrian doctor with Adolf Hitler's infamous SS, Heim is said to have removed organs from victims without anaesthetic. He kept the skull of a man he decapitated as a paperweight.
A U.S. war crimes investigating team took testimony about his crimes from Josef Kohl, a former Mauthausen inmate, in 1946.
"Dr. Heim had a habit of looking into inmates' mouths to determine whether their teeth were in impeccable condition," Kohl said, according to a transcript of the interview.
"If this were the case, he would kill the prisoner with an injection, cut his head off, leave it to cook in the crematorium for hours, until all the flesh was stripped from the naked skull and prepare the skull for himself and his friends as a decoration for their desks."
ZDF said that Heim died of rectal cancer on Aug. 10, 1992, when he would have been 78 years old.
In footage from a documentary due to be aired this evening, ZDF showed Heim's son, Ruediger Heim, admitting his father spent years in Cairo. Excerpts broadcast yesterday showed investigators talking to people who knew Heim in Cairo, and photographs of him attached to official documents in Arabic. The investigation obtained more than 100 documents Heim kept in his Cairo hotel room, the report said.
Heim was captured by U.S. forces near the end of World War II, but released in late 1947.
He practised medicine in West Germany until coming to the attention of war crimes investigators.
Reports have periodically surfaced in recent years about Heim's supposed whereabouts.
At the headquarters of the Baden-Württemberg state police in Stuttgart, small magnets freckle a world map, marking spots where clues or sightings were reported. Investigators appear to have come close to his hiding place in Egypt.
"There was information that Heim was in Egypt working as a police doctor between 1967 and the beginning of the '70s," said Joachim Schack of the state police. "This lead proved to be false."
According to his son, Heim drove through France and Spain before crossing into Morocco, and eventually settling in Egypt.
In Cairo, he was funded by money transferred at irregular intervals by his sister, ZDF said. The funds were drawn from a rented property in Berlin that belonged to Heim.
ZDF said Heim's friends and colleagues in Egypt had been unaware of his past. According to them, he asked for his body to be donated to medical research at his death.
But ZDF said this did not happen, for religious reasons.
It is believed Heim's body was buried in a pauper's cemetery near Cairo's old town, the broadcaster said. Such graves are freed up again after a few years, so the chances of finding his remains are slight.

Reuters with files from New York Times

My newest blog

2009-01-31T22:40:00.000-08:00

Click the link below to view my astro-photography blog -

Astro-Nuts

Enjoy!

Police in Action

2009-01-17T15:28:00.000-08:00

Driving home today, I noticed there was a large number of police cars surrounding an apartment building a block from my house. I decided to take a bunch of pictures of the incident. Must have been serious, as there was about 13 police cars in total, including K-9 and police with rifles. I've included a number of photos of the police in action.

Political Leaders Out Of Their Minds - What Else Is New?

2008-11-29T14:06:00.000-08:00

It seems that the leaders of the opposition parties want to bring down the government that we just elected 6 weeks ago. Due to the economic times and the need to be somewhat frugal, Prime Minister Stephen Harper wants to cut the $30 million "payout" that goes to all political parties.

The system works like this - there is some stupid law in place that says that all political parties get paid for each vote they receive. $1.95 per vote is the going rate they get. So, the Bloq Quebecois will receive about $3 million, the NDP $2.5 million, Liberals I'm not sure about, and PC $10 million. Keep in mind this is all tax payer money.

Because the Prime Minister's party has a minority government, the three other parties want to form a coalition and topple the government in a non-confidence vote to get rid of the PC's. I say this is one of the most idiotic things I've ever heard. We should not have to have another election again in a few weeks just because the P.M. is excercising caution with tax-payers money. I, for one, do not want my money going to the Liberal, NDP or Bloq parties, because I do not support any of them. I don't vote for them, so why should they get my money. Another election will cost multi-millions of dollars again, when we just finished paying that for the previous election in October.

These guys need to get their heads out of each other's asses long enough to hear what people are saying - NO ELECTION! If you can't raise enough money to cover your election expenses, then too bad for you. Do a better job at getting votes then.

Ah Winter - Idiot Season Officially Opened Today

2008-11-19T21:52:00.000-08:00

I hate winter. But what I hate even more is winter drivers in Saskatoon. First of all, we have terrible drivers (speed demons, left lane bandits, people who don't realize that a left turn always yields to a right turn, pedestrians getting run over, etc.). Winter is like an invitation to start driving completely ridiculous. It's as if people forget how to drive as soon as it snows. All of a sudden, three driving lanes become one. Did people suddenly forget that yesterday there were three lanes, but as soon as the snow flies, it automatically becomes one giant lane. They drive in the middle so you can't get past on either side.

And magically, as soon as it snows, it's too slippery to stop for the red lights, so you may as well not even try. Oh, it's winter, so you can get away with it, right? Big bunch of B.S. Just the same is driving 10km an hour. Drive it like you stole it or get the hell off the road, jerkass.

Not only to people turn stupid when it snows and drive like morons, they park like lunatics too. Well, if you can't see the lines, maybe those two spots are just for you, so you had better park in both so no one else can get too close to your car. Ugh! You jerks are making the rest of us look bad too. Oh I know, it's winter so, you're just a bunch of lazy assholes who just park stupid because winter is a ticket to do dumb things and have no regard for anyone else.

Smarten up you dumbasses.

And yes, I do feel better now that I got that out,thanks for asking.

Nutana Collegiate Should Change It's Name to Nutana "High" School

2008-11-17T21:40:00.001-08:00

The principals and teachers at Nutana must get high during their PD days, because on Friday, Nutana Collegiate initiated a proposal that is the first of it's kind in the country - not failing students in school. I'm not even sure where to start with this one. First off, let me say that this is one of the stupidest ideas I have ever heard of in my life! Who runs this school - monkeys? Get real people. What is this teaching our kids? If you can't fail, why try? Why go to school at all? You're just setting these kids up for bigger failures in life.

For example, if they never receive a mark below 50%, get a huge student loan to go to university, flunk out or drop out because it's too hard (and there's no one to hold their hand like in high school), can't get a real job because they have no useful educational skills, and are in debt forever but they can't pay it off...You catch my drift. Or do you because you are to stupid to understand what I'm saying even though you "passed" high school.

There is probably a reason why no one else is doing this in the country. I imagine it's because it's a ridiculous idea with life-long consequences. What's next? We're going to let people slip through the cracks just because we want to be politically correct? I can't even voice my frustration at these staff members who support this idea. I have no words strong enough. When a person is hired for a job and sees an "incomplete" instead of a fail, what message is that saying to the employer. Not only did you fail, but you didn't even try. At least if you tried and failed, you put in an effort. It's giving a free pass to people who don't deserve it and bringing down those who do try and do succeed. We already have enough unskilled workers in this province, we certainly don't need more. If I wanted that, I could hire a bunch of monkeys to work and accomplish the same thing.

They're worried about hurting the kids feelings. Well, let me tell you, when I failed classes in high school, it made me go back and do them again once I realized that I couldn't get a real job. And what about the people who do put in the extra effort and do really well? What about their feelings? This isn't a big love in; it's the real world and students need to be prepared properly, not spoon fed. You people should know better than that.

I did go to Nutana and as for me, I would never hire anyone who came out of that school once this goes through (providing it does).

Here is a link to the story on this topic:

Nutana Collegiate No Failures

Bowing To Conformity At Christmas

2008-11-16T22:30:00.000-08:00

If I say Christmas, are you offended? If you are, then too bad for you I guess. I really hate that one can't say Christmas anymore because someone might be offended. I say, too F*ckin bad. I will never stop saying it, no matter what. It's been called Christmas for hundreds of years. I don't get offended when someone talks about Ramidan or Ash Wednesday just because I don't celebrate those.

It's really a shame that all of the big companies, such as radio stations, department stores, etc. have been calling Christmas time the holiday season instead. So what, is Christmas music going to be banned from being played too? Seriously people, there are bigger things to worry about that what a particular time of year is called.

Another example of what I am talking about is when the public schools take holidays at Christmas and Easter. Why? What are you celebrating if you won't allow Christmas to be said in school or Easter prayers, or anything like that? Why should you get that time off to "celebrate" when obviously you're not doing that because you don't believe in it? Our whole system is screwed up.

So, my other question is this - if you won't allow Christ or Christmas to be mentioned at that time of year because you feel he may or not have been real, can we ban Santa Claus and the Easter bunny too (because I don't believe in them) if I don't like what they represent?

And for you retailers and businesses out there who are bowing to conformity, grow some balls and stand up to the pressure.

Tommy Douglas "The Greatest Canadian" - Not In My Mind

2008-11-13T22:41:00.000-08:00

In 2004, Tommy Douglas was voted the Greatest Canadian ever. What a crock in my books. I didn't vote for him for that honor. I never would have either. I think he did terrible things for our country.

For those of you who don't know who he is, let me tell you. He was a politician with the NDP party in Saskatchewan. He was also premier from 1944-1961. He brought about radical changes, such as introducing many of the crown corporations. He is also, and probably, best known as the father of universal healthcare (basically free).

If it wasn't for him, we could probably afford healthcare in this country. As it stands today, healthcare in our country eats up a majority of the budget. We pump billions of dollars into healthcare every year. The government has had to cut back on other services to pay for healthcare. Pretty soon, our whole budget will go to healthcare.

I think that free healthcare is a terrible idea. I would rather pay a nominal fee and lower taxes, than to try to afford free healthcare. The government can't make any money off of free. At least Alberta has been doing it right by charging a monthly fee. The Province of Saskatchewan wonders why we can't keep doctors here. How are you going to pay them the obscene amounts of money they make when you don't charge for the service you are providing. I'll tell you how - with double-taxing other services. For example, the government charges tax on tax for fuel. They also charge PST on used goods, even automobiles, after the PST was paid on it when it was new.

He also brought in legislation to bring about the unionization of the public service, whose employees make ludicrous amounts of money. The unions cause inflation to increase.

So, after all is said and done, I think Tommy Douglas was one of the worst Canadians ever.

Auto Industry Woes Sort of Self-Inflicted

2008-11-13T10:59:00.000-08:00

GM and Ford recently announced that they had multi-billion dollar losses. First of all, let me say that I am not surprised. GM, the largest auto maker in the world, had the biggest losses, to the tune of $3 billion; Ford was around $1.5 Billion. Chrysler is also in a bit of trouble. They are all asking the U.S. and Canadian governments for money to help them get through the economic downturn. Collectively, they are seeking between $25-70 Billion from the U.S. government alone.

Here is my problem with all of this. They are a private business for one thing. If they can't make a go of it, then maybe they need to look at cost-cutting measures and re-structuring. If one looks at the salaries of their top executives, one would notice that each of them is paid multi-million dollar salaries, plus bonuses. If the governments agree to pay these companies any money, I sure hope they stipulate that these huge salaries get slashed.

The other problem with the auto industry are the unions, such as the CAW. They are causing the costs of producing automobiles to increase at a ridiculous rate. If the car companies were smart, they would get rid of a huge number of unionized workers and save a pile of money. Unions are the main reason why so many companies are in trouble. They can't afford to pay union members the huge dollars that they demand. Why does a guy building a car need to make $95 per hour to drop in a windshield? They have to cut salaries and get rid of the unions. Plain and simple.

If they do some restructuring and make necessary cuts, then maybe they can start making affordable vehicles again. I don't know too many people who can pay $60,000 for a truck. That's ludicrous.

In a way I don't believe that the government should be helping out private industry like this. I don't believe they should be helping the banks either, who have posted record profits for the past number of years; but that's another topic for another day.

The government can be helping out in other ways, such as broader tax cuts and putting money back in people's pockets, not by throwing money around like it's going out of style. Hmm, I guess it almost is as the world economy weakens.

Disappointment with Google

2008-11-12T23:01:00.000-08:00

This will probably sound kind of silly, but that's okay. Google always has graphics that they add to their home page image. For example, the make the Google name look like other things, such as using Lego blocks to make the letters when Lego turned 50 years old, that sort of thing. Well, Google Canada, I am truly disappointed in you for your lack of graphic (I believe Google calls them oodles or something like that) for Remembrance Day. You could have easily done one. So, to that end, I am posting one that I made. I think one reason why is that the Remembrance Day is not too important to Americans. Canadians had been fighting in World War 1 from 1914-1918. We lost hundreds of thousands of soldiers. The Americans didn't join the war effort until April 1917.

Likewise with World War 2, American took a non-committal stance when war broke out. Canadians had joined the war effort on September 10, 1939. American waited until December 7, 1941 to declare war. We were fighting two years earlier than the Americans, and yet they are so proud of how they came in and cleaned house and saved the world during World War 2.

So yes it is a copyrighted image of Google's. I can't demonstrate what I'm talking about without using it. I searched for over an hour trying to locate a way to contact Google and share my disappointment with them. I only found a way to send them a snail mail letter. Not good enough Google. People need to be able to get ahold of you. So, I believe that with me posting the image I created using your trademarked name, that you will contact me. You know how to get ahold of me.

Remembrance Day

2008-11-11T19:50:00.000-08:00

Today is Remembrance Day (originally known as Armistice Day, and to a lesser extent, Poppy Day) in Canada. Today is the 90th anniversary of the signing of the Armistice with Germany. We reflect on the sacrifice made by thousands of soldiers (and civilians), specifically Canadians, fighting in armed conflicts, specifically since the First World War. Although this day was first designed to commemerate those who fought in the First World War, it has been expanded to recognize those who served in World War 2, the Korean War, Vietnam, the Gulf War, and more recently Iraq and Afghanistan. However, I'm more of a purist and believe that it should be used to observe what it was designed for - moreso observing those who served in the World Wars, not necessarily those presently serving in Afghanistan.

Don't get me wrong, I mean no disrespect to those serving in the armed forces now. They are invaluable to our country. What I am getting at is that we wouldn't be where we are without those who fought to get us here. The soldiers of World War 1 and 2 fought to preserve our freedom to ensure we live in a democratic society, free from oppression and tyranny. The soldiers fighting presently in Afghanistan are not really fighting for our freedom per se, but to help those who live in that country.

So, to all of those who fought in the Great War and subsequent wars, thank you for your sacrifice.

This is the World War 1 Vimy Ridge memorial near Vimy, France

This is the war memorial at the Lancaster Museum in Nanton, Alberta, Canada

FSIN Vice-Chief Morley Watson Is Out To Lunch (Again)

2008-11-05T18:23:00.000-08:00

FSIN Vice-Chief Morley Watson is way off his rocker again. He is demanding the Saskatchewan Government hold a public inquiry into the shooting deaths of a number of Indians over the past year or so. There have been seven Indians shot and four have been fatal. He insists that there is a pattern with the police only shooting their people. Well, news flash Morley, if your people weren't out committing crimes, then they wouldn't get shot would they. Give me a f*ck*ng break. Your people's population is exploding and we have the highest per captia concentration of Indians in the country. Not something I'm proud of. We'll be in the minority soon. If your people could control themselves and get working, etc. instead of just trying to squeeze money out of the government, then maybe these problems would take care of themselves. I hope the government doesn't cave in to this bully tactic from the FSIN. It's not racism, Morley, it's reality. Stop committing crimes people and you won't get shot, plain and simple.

Indians Want More Money - Surprised?

2008-11-05T18:06:00.000-08:00

Surprise, surprise, the Indians in Saskatchewan want more money. This all came about a couple of weeks ago when the Saskatchewan Government announced huge tax cuts for everyone, debt reduction, etc. Well, in pipes Chief Lawrence Joseph basically saying that the Brad Wall government doesn't care about the Indians because there was no money announced for them. Well, boo frickin hoo Lawrence. Maybe if your people worked and paid taxes, then they would see the benefit this brings to everyone. This is the largest amount of personal income tax cuts in the provinces history, so get off your racist horse and start taking responsiblity for your own people. You want more money all the time, yet you people cannot manage it. You want to be self-governed, yet you want all of our money too. You can't have it both ways Lawrence. Good job on the Sask. government for not caving in to these greedy people who think everything belongs to them and we owe them everything we have.

Coincidences?

2008-09-09T23:28:00.000-07:00

So, it appears that our unemployment rate has climbed, even though everywhere one looks, businesses are hiring. I know where I work, we never have enough staff. Also rising is our violent crime rate, which is per capita the highest in the country. Smoking is on the rise too. What do I attribute this to one might ask. Well, we also have the highest per capita population of Indians. Coincidence? You decide.

Time

2008-06-24T08:45:00.000-07:00

Where does the time go? To quote an obvious cliche, "it seems like only yesterday..." that I started this blog. I just haven't had time to add to it. Life is very busy every day. I think time must be moving faster than it used to. Anyway, I do hope to be on here more regularly. Not that I have more time, but I want to make time for certain things, this being one of them.

CUPE Strikers Need To Suck It Up

2007-11-27T09:17:00.000-08:00

CUPE (Canadian Union of Public Employees) is one the largest unions around. Unfortunately, that means they have workers in many different areas that can affect our lives when they go on strike. For the past month or so, CUPE members at the U of S and U of R have been striking. They've mainly been striking for more money and the fact that they don't want their pay increases based on performance reviews. Well, welcome to the real world. I know that in the union you feel you're above all the rest of us poor laborers who have to work everyday where our performance is evaluated, and thus come year end, our increases are directly related to our performance.

All I have to say to all of you is BOOHOO. Suck it up and deal with it. The only ones who should be worried are thosewho don't perform well. The rest of you shouldn't have any problems getting the more than generous 17.85% raise over the next three years. The ones who perform well shouldn't be carrying those who don't. My raise only amounts to barely 3% each year, so consider yourselves very lucky to be getting that much. They complain that their standard of living is suffering because their raises aren't large enough. With inflation at around 2-3% each year, your raise is well above that. Some of these people are the same ones who are the first to complain when their kids' tuition increases just to pay for their wage increase.

You can bet that tuition will be increasing as a result of this wage increase. So, I feel for the students who are paying for this more than once - first by missing classes because their professors won't cross the picket lines (which is completely stupid) and then next year when their tuition increases.

Congratulations Riders!

2007-11-27T09:12:00.000-08:00

Well, in case you haven't heard, which would almost be impossible around Saskatchewan these days, the Riders have won the Grey Cup. Even though I'm not a big CFL fan, I will offer congratulations to the team for their big win. I watched parts of the game and it wasn't pretty. It was an ugly game and the Riders should consider themselves lucky that Winnipeg just played worse than themselves as they didn't play good football either. I'm not a big Kerry Joseph fan. I don't think he's that good a quaterback, but some of the other players did well - James Johnson, Andy Fantuz, etc. So, good job to coach Kent Austin on the win and keep up the good work.

Things That Bug The Hell Out Of Me

2007-11-22T21:11:00.000-08:00

Periodically, I'm going to have a list of what bugs me. It'll be my outlet to keep me sane. Anyway, here are some of them -

- CSI Las Vegas - there are numerous problems I have with this show. I was watching it tonight. I can't ever remember one of the shows where they didn't get the guilty person. Also, how could they ever do what they do when it's always dark in the building?
- unions bug me to no end.
- winter
- CSI Miami. More specifically, Horatio Cane on that show. Always looks at everything sideways and is over-dramatic.
- ER. How can so many bad things only happen to the staff of the ER?
- Canada's child custoday laws. Completely favor the mother in almost every way.
- Canada's child support laws. Again, favor the mother.
- Canad'a gun registry. Has done nothing to keep guns off the street. Makes criminals of otherwise law-abiding citizens. Should be done away with all together.
- people who want tasers's banned.
- Canada's pronunciation of the word lieutenant. For those who don't know, up here it's pronounced Leftenant. Stupid if you ask me. I pronounce it the proper way, not the Canadian way.
- continuity in many TV shows and movies I watch. People hate when I point out a mistake because I tend to notice many of them.
- public schools (or anywhere for that matter) who won't allow the word Christmas to be used. It's a friggin Christmas tree, not a holiday tree people. I have to laugh when public school employees won't have anything to do with Christmas, yet they want the Christmas holidays off. Why, what are you celebrating?
- Quebec in general and the French that live there.
- Microsoft
- Telus Mobility's digital rights management policies.
- Sasktel's monopoly over the digital network in Saskatchewan. They won'd allow Telus customers such as myself access to their digital network outside of the major cities, so I have no cell coverage outside of the city. I wonder if a person could sue Sasktel if they had a major emergency and didn't have access to cellular service because Sasktel wouldn't allow them to as is the case now.
- Americans who think they came in and saved the whole world in World War 2. The fact is that they sat back and watched Canadians (and others) die for a couple of years before they decided to help out.

Anyway, I think that's enough for now. I'm sure there'll be more soon.

Saskatchewan Roughriders in Grey Cup

2007-11-22T14:09:00.001-08:00

Well, many of you have probably heard that the Riders are in the Grey Cup, which is the CFL's (Canadian Football League) highest honor (and yes I realize I'm using the American spelling, but I will continue to because I think the Canadian was of spelling some words is kind of dumb). Anyway, some people who know me know that I don't really watch the CFL. I prefer the NFL. I think it's more exciting and rougher and all around more interesting. Yes, some people think that football's football and there is no difference. Watch some games of each league though. They are different. The other reason I don't really watch the CFL is that most of the games are on TSN, which is a channel I don't receive. I don't receive that channel because I'm not going to pay for it just to watch the CFL. Football is the only game I watch and there are only a handful of games on CBC, but the commentating is terrible. I watched one game a couple of weeks ago, and the commentators wouldn't shup up long enough to hear the officials announce the penalties. So I muted the game and just watched it.

Anyway, back to my point. My prediction is that the Winnipeg Blue Bombers will squeak out a win. I don't want to be negative against our team, but the Riders somehow manage to lose key games, especially in the second half. That being said, even though I don't really care who wins the game because my team is the New England Patriots, the only thing else I will say is GO RIDERS GO.

My Blog

2007-11-22T14:05:00.000-08:00

Well, I've succumbed to the pressure. Actually there was no pressure. I just couldn't think of anything better to say. I just wanted to do this and get my thoughts (not that I have many profound ones) out there. Not quite sure why, but I'll give it a shot and see how it goes. Anyway, thanks for stopping by, and I'll try to keep this as current as I can.