Nigeria (again!), Canada and a new chapter!

Hi gang,

Back in Nigeria again and it is hot and humid! The middle of the rainy season which lasts for about another four or five weeks and, I will tell you, here you shower and change clothes often!

The project is going well and I am beginning to feel some confidence that we can actually build this network. I am here with my colleague Doug and we are doing what we can to keep the momentum and build upon it. I will keep you all updated as we go forward.

Onto the subject of my adopted country. My friend Roz came across this article in the UK's (my birth country) Sunday Telegraph. As much as I love Britain, Canada has been my home for so many years that I cannot imagine living anywhere else and this article speaks to part of the reason why:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/comment/personal-view/3575633/The-country-the-world-forgot---again.html

I hope the soldiers in question and their comrades who proceeded with them rest in peace.

Finally, folks, bandwidth limited, I will keep this short. There is a new chapter to the eBook Hey Fasto, want to run a marathon with me?. I hope you enjoy it.

Paul

Cars and the Rush!

Hey everyone,

So our cousins to the south have finally gotten rational, and are dragging our idiot Prime Minister along with them.

We are moving toward North America wide, fleet wide, mileage standards of 35+ miles per gallon. This is great, I am so excited! Particularly since the Camery Hybrid that I am thinking of buying gets 50 miles per gallon. That car by the way, is a joy to drive. I am talking leather. I am talking SatNav, I am talking good acceleration, I am talking Power Doors, Windows and every bloody thing. Bluetooth. iPod interface. Security System. Car would grant you sexual favours if it could and for $15,000 less than what I am driving now. With a $2000 government rebate no less. Roll on December - I like this new car!

This car is, of course, manufactured in Canada - so I am not supporting foreign workers, parts are made here at Magna too, comes with a 8 year, 150,000 km drive train warranty and a 60 km warranty (extensible) for all other major components. Parts have never been a problem for the 20 years that I have owned Toyotas.

Yeah, we here in North America are really moving the technology forward. Yeah!

There seems to be real surprise as to why the North American Automotive Industry is in trouble but only among idiots and morons. Sad, really.

Mr. President, sir, Stephen (you cheap follow on, you!) I hope this is only a first step. It really does need to be.

So, as to the rush part. Much as I like the new Hybrid Camery, I will admit it is quick but not that quick. Had it up to 120 km on the highway in about 10 seconds - faster than I need - and it seemed to have plenty of head room. Still, no rush. Well, we need our rush don't we. How about a lot of rush. How about all Rush, all the time.

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Sigh, are the "Ditto Heads" really that stupid?

Paul

Telescopes, the death penalty and really stupid ideas (beyond the death penalty, I mean)

Hi there everyone,

Let's take a minute and talk about the sexiest woman in the Universe. The lady Hubble now being lovingly serviced by the brave astronauts of the Space Shuttle Atlantis.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/30721431/

This is really important, friends, this device has revolutionized astronomy and, after this servicing mission, it should continue to function well through to 2014. Personally, as NASA seriously over-engineers things, I give it to 2025!

Here is the video of the actual capture from YouTube. Consider that they are doing this at 27,000 km per hour. A remarkable accomplishment.



OK so, from something sublime to something ridiculous. You know I used to be a death penalty supporter. I mean it makes sense. Kill the bastards and you never need to have the risk of them getting out, you don't have to pay for their incarceration, and, good lord does it ever help the victims of a horrible crime cope. Great!

Except none of that is true.

First off, the risk of a serial killer getting out is negligible. Most murders are crimes of passion and they the death penalty does not represent a deterrence to the death penalty nor are suck killers likely to repeat themselves. Second, the US government, who has more people in prison as a percentage of population than you would ever believe, pays more to execute someone than to incarcerate them for the rest of their life. Why? Well, the cost of the appeal process. OK, so we limit that. Great, but, as we have learned in Canada, we often find people guilty when they are not. Well, maybe the US has it down better and that is why, next to Iran and China, they execute more people than anyone. Don't think so:

http://edition.cnn.com/2009/CRIME/05/13/tennessee.exonerated/index.html

Finally, the last point. Hmmm... this is difficult. I would argue that nobody can help the survivors of a murdered family member. I know that if anyone in my family were murdered I would feel incredible rage and want to personally deal with the person who had committed that crime. As a society, however, we have to balance off against that. We have to protect ourselves of course, but revenge is not, at least outside of idiot books like the Bible, representatives of the base ethics of a society.

OK - I have probably offended enough people, I will move on.

Really stupid idea time. I will turn it over to Keith Olberman.

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Really dumb. These guys have been sent a serious message and they just aren't listening to it.

Until next time, folks.

Paul

So, why do you think they call him...

DICK!

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God, I hate this bastard.

Paul

"Buckle Up!"

Guys,

Tonight was one of the best night's of my life! The new Star Trek film is amazing. The only bad part of it was that it ended - good news, I am going to see it again tomorrow.

OK - Paul Mackin's quicky review:

Five things I liked: (mild spoilers ahead)

1. Karl Urban as Dr. Leonard McCoy - this can only be called "Channeling"
2. Leonard Nimoy as Spock in his meeting with Kirk. "Jim, I can't begin to tell you how gratifying it is to see you again, old friend"
3. Spock's relationship with Uhura
4. Spock's emotions - young, adult and older
5. God damn it, The Enterprise!

Five quibbles:

1. The mechanism by which Kirk and Spock Prime get together is somewhat clumsy
2. The fate of a certain shoplifter - although I see the need
3. The drastic changes to the Star Trek universe and Canon (necessary in a relaunch, I recognise)
4. The swollen hands
5. In warp after the warp core is ejected

Five emotional reactions:

1. Sentimentality at the evolving Kirk/Spock relationship
2. Joy at hearing certain classic trek lines
3. Awe at seeing the Enterprise
4. Anger at a certain event that cannot be described (see the movie, dammit)
5. Admiration at a scene involving a wheel chair

My overall rating: A whomping 5 out of 5 stars.

Ranking in the pantheon of Trek Films: #1

Here is the Globe and Mail's detailed review, written by a professional reviewer, not a man who may have named his son after the film's main character:

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20090506.wtrek0507/BNStory/Entertainment/home

That's it for this blog folks - I am too overwhelmed to say more. Oh, sorry, not quite true, the company this evening was fantastic - Big Al, we all owe you a great thanks for arranging things. Barb, appreciate the holding of hands during the "Scary bits".

Paul