Would Angus MacLean or Robert Stanfield vote for Harper?

by Teresa Doyle on Thursday, April 28, 2011 at 1:57pm

I grew up in a fiercely loyal conservative household. These two men were held in the highest regard. They were Progressive Conservatives we could all be proud of. Angus MacLean realized how dangerous nuclear power could be. Harper fired the head of Atomic Energy Canada for doing her job. She insisted that safety guidelines be followed to prevent a Fukashima here in Canada.

Stanfield and MacLean supported conservative fiscal responsibility. Harper has wracked up the biggest deficit in history and takes credit for saving the economy. He frittered away our surplus before the economic meltdown even started. Stanfield and MacLean would be looking at the hard facts and I doubt they would commit us to 30 billion dollars for fighter jets when what we really need to fight is un-employment and the devastation of our farming and fishery sectors.

Harper has done nothing for farming and fishing but has given billions in subsidies to the oil sector. He eliminated regulations requiring a full environmental assessment on off shore drilling. His buddies at Corridor Resources are set to drill in the Gulf of St Lawrence with no regard to the consequences to our fishery or our beaches.

MacLean and Stanfield had un-wavering respect for parliament and the institutions of democracy. Harper doesn't. His last mean spirited act was to get his Tory appointed Senators to over turn a bill giving cheaper generic drugs to women and children dying of AIDS in Africa. Even 26 Tories supported this bill. What kind of family values is this? What kind of family values shuts down 43% of women's groups many helping the victims of sexual abuse and violence. The Progressive is indeed gone out of the Conservatives. We have some very decent people running for the Harper party here in Atlantic Canada. Don't be duped. A vote for them is not a vote for the PCs of MacLean and Stanfield.

===================================

Technorati Tags: Political Comment,Human Nature

IPTypewriters: Last manufacturing plant shuts down production

 

The final typewriter manufacturer shuts down in Mumbai

BY: Brett Register

CATEGORY: Trending Now

An old manual typewriter is seen in Finca de Vigia, the villa where author Ernest Hemingway lived outside Havana, Cuba

(Credit: GETTY)

(CBS / What's Trending) Today in Mumbai the doors to the final typewriter manufacturing company Godrej and Boyce closed its doors. With over 140 years of production under its belt, the typewriter has stood as the definitive writing utensil for many generations. But, with the "electric" typewriter serving as the last major update, the speed of technology has finally overcome the primitive writing device. We must say goodbye.

The passing of such an iconic piece of our history has struck a vein with the social populous, as one can't help but ask the question, "What's next?"With Flip video closing due to the iPhone's market dominance and touch screen computing is putting serious fear in the hearts of people -- and inferior non-touchscreens, it's important that we keep our eyes trained to the future and try to remember only the good times had with these obsolete devices.

VIDEO: The typewriter is officially dead

And, while it's sad to think that in the next generation people will only know of typewriters from what they read in books, see in museums and dig out of their hoarding grandmother's basement, it's important to remember that this is not the first time the death of a beloved device has touched our lives:

But, while the world sheds a single ink stained tear for this revolutionary advancement in modern word processing,  I can't help but wonder, "Who will buy the last one?"

More on CBS News: 500 machines left at world's last typewriter factory

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Last Typewriter Manufacturer Shuts

 

 

Best divorce letter & answer

 

Dear wife:
        I'm writing you this letter to tell you that I'm leaving you forever. I've been a good man to you for 7 years & I have nothing to show
for it. These last 2 weeks have been terrible. Your boss called to tell me that you quit your job today & that was the last straw. 
       Last week, you came home & didn't even notice I had a new haircut, had cooked your favourite meal & even wore a brand new pair of silk boxers. You ate in 2 minutes, & Went straight to sleep after watching all
of your soaps.
      You don't tell Me you love me anymore; you don't want sex or anything that connects us as husband & wife. Either you're cheating on me or you don't love me Anymore; whatever the case, I'm gone......
      Your EX-Husband,
P.S. Don't try to find me, your SISTER & I are moving away to Oklahoma together. Have a great life!
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Dear Ex-Husband
        Nothing has made my day more than receiving your letter.
It's true you & I have been married for 7 years, although a good
man is a far cry from What you've been.
       I watch my soaps so much because they drown out your constant whining & griping. Too bad that doesn't work.
      I DID notice when you got a hair cut last week, but the first thing
that came to mind was 'You look just like a queer!' Since my mother raised me not to say anything if you can't say something nice, I didn't comment. And when you cooked my favourite meal, you must have gotten me confused with MY SISTER, because I stopped eating pork 7 years ago.
       About those new silk Boxers: I turned away from you because the $49.99 price tag was still on them, and I prayed it was a coincidence that my sister had just borrowed $50 from me that morning.
       After all of this, I still loved you & felt we could work it out. So when I hit the lotto for 10 million dollars, I quit my job and bought us two tickets to Jamaica , but when I got home You were gone.
       Everything happens for a reason, I guess. I hope you Have the fulfilling life you always wanted. My lawyer said that the Letter you wrote ensures you won't get a dime from me. So take care.
Signed,
Your Ex-Wife, Rich As Gates and Free at last!

P.S.  I don't know if I ever told you this, but my sister Carla was born Carl.   I hope that's not a problem!

Technorati Tags: Humor,Divoirce,Les Muise

Seal Caucus–Rick Mercer Rant!!!

It seems to me that the media is a little too obsessed with how controlling Stephen Harper is.  I don't really get this debate.  I mean, can we blame the Conservatives for wanting this in a leader?  A man who is firmly in control?  Because Stephen Harper is all that and a bag of chips. 
And his idea to scrap the long form census is a perfect example of his abilities.  Because scrapping the long form census has never been an issue among Conservatives.  No this idea, just like rewriting O Canada, this is Stephen Harper’s baby. 

And you talk to anyone close to the guy, they will tell you, every now and then he gets in a funny mood and he comes up with his funny ideas.  He just woke up one morning out of the blue and said to his best people, hey, what would happen if we scrapped the long form census and go to a voluntary survey?  And they all said the same thing: Well, the

Technorati Tags: Rick Mercer Rant,Harper,Seal Cabinet

data will be worthless, scientists will go crazy, business leaders will freak out, and plus, it will cost an extra 30 million dollars.  And Harper said, 30 million dollars?  I’m sold!  And then he walked into caucus and said, hey, I’m gonna spend 30 million dollars in the middle of a recession, getting less reliable data, who's with me?  And then 143 Tory MPs started clapping.  

Which again is a testament to his abilities.  Because do you have any idea how hard it is to get 143 seals to do the same thing simultaneously?  He's more than a Prime Minister, he's like... he’s like Siegfried and Roy all wrapped up in one.  The difference being, of course, is no matter how many tricks he makes them do, none of his MPs will ever make a peep. 

So let's stop this debate about how controlling Stephen Harper is.  We know what he’s made of.  It's his MPs I worry about.

Posted: 05/10/2010 9:07:17 PM |

To read / view more of Rick’s work http://www.rickmercer.com/

This may be the best Living Will I've Seen

I,__________________, being of sound mind and body, do not wish to be 
kept alive indefinitely by artificial means. 

Under no circumstances should my fate be put in the hands of pinhead 
politicians who couldn't pass ninth grade biology if their lives 
depended on it, or lawyers/doctors interested in simply running up the 
bills. 

If a reasonable amount of time passes and I fail to ask for at least one 
of the following: 
Glass of wine 
Chocolate 
Margarita 
Sex 
Martini 
Cold Beer Chocolate 
Chicken fried steak 
Cream gravy 
Sex 
Mexican food 
Chocolate 
French fries 
Chocolate 
Pizza 
Sex 
Ice cream 
Cup of tea 
Chocolate 
Chocolate 
Sex 
Chocolate

It should be presumed that I won't ever get better. When such a 
determination is reached, I hereby instruct my appointed person and 
attending physicians to pull the plug, reel in the tubes, let the 'fat 
lady sing,' and call it a day!

Have a Drink IT'S 5 O'CLOCK SOMEWHERE 

Technorati Tags: Humor,Living will,Les Muise

Unzip American Sexuality and What Do You Find? Tech

 

 

 Sex Drive   Commentary by  Regina Lynn  Culture  :  Lifestyle

Unzip American Sexuality and What Do You Find? Tech

By Regina Lynn     03.14.08 | 7:50 PM      

Brian Alexander investigates how Americans have sex in his new book, America Unzipped: In Search of Sex and Satisfaction.

When journalist Brian Alexander set out to investigate how Americans have sex, he didn't expect to be studying it through the lens of technology.

"I knew I was going to find that digital culture has changed the way people get sexually involved, but I surprised even myself at how true it really is," he says.

Alexander's new book, America Unzipped: In Search of Sex and Satisfaction found that you can't write about contemporary sexuality without bumping into technology.

Virtual worlds, chat rooms, social networking and Catholics using birth control -- sex is infused with tech at every turn.

Alexander is the Sexploration columnist at MSNBC.com and a contributing editor at Glamour magazine, and it sounds like his inbox looks a lot like mine. Like me, he noticed a shift in what readers were asking in the past year or so. More sophisticated queries ("Where can I learn more about safe ways to use electricity during sex?") were replacing questions about the basics ("If my husband wants me to put my finger in his ass, is he gay?").

Unlike me, he pitched a multimedia investigative series to find out why. The result is America Unzipped, which includes articles, online videos and discussion forums in addition to the book.

Alexander traveled all around the United States, delving into smaller communities and conservative regions as well as sexually progressive cities like Seattle and San Francisco, to uncover what we're really doing under the covers.

It turns out that Americans are not nearly as Puritanical, frightened, angry or perturbed as the religious groups and politicians waging the war on sex would have you believe.

We’re not even terribly bothered by the notion that technology has become an integral aspect of sexuality. In fact, "love and let love" is a much more widely held philosophy here than is generally assumed.

In the South, Alexander found that faith and sexual freedom can blossom side by side; plenty of Southern Baptists and Catholics see no conflict between their relationships with God and their choices to use birth control, sex toys, pornography or to have sex outside of marriage.

He tried his hand as a sex educator/retail clerk at an adult store in Tempe, Arizona for a week. ("The longer I worked there, the more I realized it's a very middle-class bourgeois thing to do, going to an adult store.") And as a Passion Parties assistant in the Midwest, he learned that mothers, daughters and sisters can sit comfortably around the living room to shop for arousal-enhancing gels and vibrating cock rings.

In Maryland, he spent time with a couple that uses Craigslist to find other people for group sex. "In five minutes she opened the laptop on the kitchen table, found responses to ads they'd placed, and decided who to meet up with," he says. "While it's not news that people can do that, to see people do it so easy and so quickly was almost startling to me."

Over and over again, Alexander's subjects told him that the internet had opened their eyes, dispelled their fears, given them new avenues for pleasure, and provided support as they figured out what they really wanted from sex.

(In the book, he confesses to reaching a point where he simply refuses to allow one more person to gush about the internet. "Isn't it possible," he muses, "that we're just bored?")

After touring the Adam & Eve toy factory in North Carolina, attending a fetish conference in Florida, watching a hardcore BDSM porn shoot in San Francisco, and taking in an all-kinks-welcome sex party in Seattle, Alexander concludes that while this explosion of sexual exploration is not hurting American culture, the culture that enables it may actually be hurting sex.

"I think we are living in ever more disconnected times without great senses of community, family, belonging," he says. "People go looking. Some turn to fundamentalist religious views. Some turn to phony tribalism -- I mean, really, white boys with Maori tribal tattoos? Come on.

"Turning to sex is at least as rational a response as religion. Maybe more so, because at least it is a connection with another human being. Sex is believable in a world which offers us very little to believe in anymore.

"But sex gets hurt when this response leads to a loss of subtlety, of romance and sex as an art form, a dance, a work of imagination."

And yet, by definition, we lock the investigator out of those subtle, romantic, imaginative spaces. The dance he speaks of may be too subtle for an observer to notice (especially amidst the sensory overload of a fetish ball or the extremely cerebral work of sex in virtual worlds). If you haven't experienced the subtleties, the art, the works of imagination that are particular to sex tech, can you learn to see them in others?

Alexander is skeptical about critics who suggest personal experience may be necessary to present a truly balanced chronicle of contemporary sexuality.

"It's called journalism," he says. "If I'm going to cover a war, I have to kill people? "

See you online,

Regina Lynn  

- - -

Regina Lynn unzips at reginalynn.com.

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See Also:

Internet Pushes Polyamory to Its 'Tipping Point'

Unexpected Sources Drive Progress of Sex Tech

Real Sex Tantalizes as Processed Porn Gets Boring

'Sensual Intelligence' Gives New SaSi Sex Toy an Erotic Edge

 

Technorati Tags: America Unzipped,Wired,Regina Lynn

10 Things Every Adult Should Know

f*cking c*nts because there are far too many of them in this world

Feel free to stalk our every post with the f*cking c*nts RSS feed, subscribe to f-ckingc-nts.com by email, or follow our new posts and random comments on Twitter. Go on. You know you want to! All the cool kids are doing it ...

Sometimes it's hard to come up with a full-length, balls-to-the-wall rant, but a lot of "too long for Twitter, too short for a whole post" ideas float in and out of my head all the time. Here's 10 things every adult really ought to know, but a lot of people are apparently just too fucking stupid to figure out:

1. Having sex can cause pregnancy. This one seems too obvious to mention, but judging from the number of accidental children in the world, I thought it bore repeating. Nothing is 100% effective against pregnancy except abstinence, or the removal of your ovaries or testicles. (Incidentally, abortion is still legal in the US and most of Europe, just in case.)
2. If you cover your face with piercing jewelry, you may not be able to find a job. This also goes for doing weird things to your hair, and getting tattoos in conspicuous places. And for fuck's sake, don't give me any bullshit about "freedom of expression", you little dumbass. You go right ahead and express yourself all you want, but body modification is not a constitutionally protected belief system. They can't not hire you for being a Jew, but they certainly can not hire you for looking like a fucking freak. (caveat: I have both piercings and tattoos … nothing against tattoos, piercings or fucking freaks. Just don't whine about it when you're treated like one.)
3. It's 2008. Racism is seriously outdated. That means, yes Virginia, it is TOTALLY FUCKING UNACCEPTABLE to refer to that black guy on TV as a "junglebunny." Also, don't use the word "they" as though black folks are some separate species who all think and act the same way. They're "They" are humans, not dogs. And do I really need to remind you that "nigger" is a bad word?! Here's a nice rule of thumb for you, dearie: If you wouldn't say it to a black person's face, you probably shouldn't be saying it at all. (For those of you who really don't get it, this also applies to spics, pakis, chinks, gooks, jews kikes, towelheads, gringos and anyone else you care to slander.)
4. Spontaneous anal sex often involves small amounts of feces. Yes, yes it does. This point is mainly aimed at straight guys, who seem to have a frighteningly widespread lack of understanding on this issue. If you want your backdoor action all nice and sanitary, you need to plan ahead. Buy a little something called an anal douche, and find a way to gracefully suggest she use it before bed if you want a little booty nookie. If you just swap holes in the middle of the action, without such careful forethought, things often get messy … because guys, it's a butt, and [big secret]there's poop in there[/big secret]. And as long as we're on the subject of anal …
5. Anal sex does not make you gay. Again, for the benefit of you straight boys. Even if you secretly want your girlfriend to bend you over with a strap on, it's OK. You're not gay. You know why? Because you want to be assfucked by a girl, not a boy. That's what the whole "gay" thing is about: Liking boys instead of girls. Anal sex is irrelevant. [added]I am a straight white female … and fwiw, I have never given it to anyone with a strap-on. I just also happen to NOT be an ignorant homophobic twat.[/added]
6. Marijuana is not a "gateway drug". Oh sure, maybe 99% of "hard" drug users also smoke pot. And maybe a lot of them smoked pot before they got into crack or heroin or whatever. But that's not because the pot made them do it, it's because damn near fucking everyone has smoked pot at some point.
7. Creationism is bullshit. Seriously. A big magic guy in the clouds did not wiggle his fingers and create the earth in 6 days. Didn't fucking happen. And I think anyone who professes to believe such a thing ought to be barred from political office. What if there was a religion claiming the world was flat, and the whole "round" thing was just an optical illusion created by God to test our faith? Would ANYONE be suggesting we teach it in schools? Would anyone vote for a politician who claimed to believe it? For fuck's sake, people. It's 2008. We have fossils. We have carbon dating. Get a clue!
8. You have no right to be proud, unless you did it yourself. That goes for anything from racial pride to patriotism. Your race, gender and nationality are fucking accidents of birth. Being proud of something you got stuck with when mamma squeezed you out is stupid. You have a right to be proud of your own personal accomplishments, and perhaps those of your children (if you were actually a good parent, and your kids didn't succeed by sheer bloody-mindedness alone). That's it. Your parents fucked, Mom got knocked up, and ~9 months later, there you were. Race, gender and nationality handed to you out of some cosmic lottery machine. Fuck your white pride, black pride, national pride, and all the horseshit that goes along with it.
9. Police and Politicians have a lot in common. Maybe half of them go into their chosen careers wanting to genuinely do good. Save people, and make the world a better place and all that. The other half are greedy, power-hungry fucks. And the good half? After a few years on the job, most of them have become so corrupted and/or insulated from the real world, they become vicious, rotten twats too. You can't trust 90% of either of 'em.
10. America is not #1. Well, not unless you count military spending and handgun related deaths. We're shit at public education. Our health care system is both the most expensive and the least effective in the developed world. Literacy, infant mortality, per capita living below the poverty line and/or without any health insurance … etc., etc. We're kind of horrible at a whole lot of things, if you want to be honest about it. We're also, on average, fat as fuck.

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7 Kinds of SEX!

I buddy of mine passed this on to me on Facebook tonight & I just had to post it

Results of a recent research shows that there are 7 kinds of sex:

The 1st kind of sex is called Smurf Sex.

• This kind of sex happens when you first meet someone and you both have sex until you are blue in the face.

The 2nd kind of sex is called Kitchen Sex.

• This is when you have been with your partner for a short time and you are so needy you will have sex anywhere, even in the kitchen.

The 3rd kind of sex is called Bedroom Sex.

• This is when you have been with your partner for a long time. Your sex has gotten routine and you usually have sex only in your bedroom.

The 4th kind of sex is called Hallway Sex.

• This is when you have been with your partner for too long. When you pass each other in the Hallway you both say 'screw you.'

The 5th kind of sex is called Religious Sex.

• Which means you get Nun in the morning, Nun in the afternoon and Nun at night. (Very Popular)

The 6th kind is called Courtroom Sex.

• This is when you cannot stand your wife any more. She takes you to court and screws you in front of everyone.

And; Last, but not least,

The 7th kind of sex is called Canada Pension Sex.

• You get a little each month, but not enough to enjoy your self.
  

Technorati Tags: Sex,Lists,7 Kinds of sex

If You're A Wanted Fugitive In The US And You Blog

Maybe Don't Mention Plans To Travel To A US Territory   from the just-a-suggestion dept

The LA Times has a story about a Japanese man who has been wanted on charges of murder for over 25 years, who was finally arrested thanks to him tipping off authorities on his blog that he would be traveling to the US territory of Saipan. Kazuyoshi Miura is believed by US authorities to have killed his wife, while the pair were visiting the US in 1981. He was tried and convicted in Japan -- but the case was overturned. US authorities have been trying to arrest him ever since. Apparently, a few years back he set up a blog, and US police have been monitoring it to see if he would do something so silly as to mention the fact that he'd be traveling to a US territory -- which he actually did. So, just as a public service announcement: if you're a wanted fugitive in the US, perhaps don't announce on your blog that you'll be traveling there.

 

Technorati Tags: TechDirt,Fugitive Bloggers,just a suggestion

25 Comments | Leave a Comment..

Have You Fallen for these 7 Negative Attitudes Pushed by the Media?

The following came from   john place online . com

The Pursuit of Happiness in the Modern World

Like it or not, we live in a media driven world. We spend on average 11 hours a day bombarded by television, radio, Internet, and other forms of media, a non-stop onslaught on the psyche, an ever-churning series of images, sound bites, opinions, and advertisements, but precious little substance.

The media provides shared experience, collective memory. Unfortunately, many of the ideas we’re exposed to are negative and self-defeating. The pervasiveness of these negative ideas makes them hard to ignore; easy to internalize.
If you’re curious about the cumulative effect of all this media upon the mind, here’s a list of 7 negative attitudes common in the media and tips for dealing with them.

1. Mindless Consumerism: The average American is exposed to 247 commercials everyday. Buying things has become reflex, due partly to the ideal lifestyle flickering on the television: big house, giant SUV, three-car garage, flat-panel television. There’s nothing wrong with enjoying life, but are you buying things to improve your life? Or to compensate for feelings of emptiness? Find something to believe in; fill the void with something real.

2. Poor Body Image: Never before in history have we been surrounded by so many examples of physical perfection, shaped by cosmetic surgeons, airbrushed by artists, and distributed by print and video. Remind yourself that fitness is more important than perfection. And while it’s true that Americans outside the media are fatter than ever, even physically fit individuals struggle with a poor body image. Yes, attractiveness is an advantage, but your value runs deeper than your appearance, and those actors don’t look half as good without make-up and lighting.

3. Roaming Eye: Television gives everyone (men in particular) the idea that the world is overflowing with beautiful, willing sex partners; even if it’s true (which depends largely upon your own skills with the opposite sex), that roaming eye, that tendency to want what you don’t have, can be destructive if not monitored and controlled. Like all the elements in this list, human nature is the root here. Remind yourself that relationships are built upon more than physical attraction.

4. Destructive Communication: Electronic media brims with insults and anger. On message boards, gentle persuasion has collapsed beneath the weight of incivility. In real life, victory is seldom obtained with witty one-liners or rude put-downs. Hone those communication skills. Learn to Persuade without offending. Connect.

5. Clique Mentality: As if cliques weren’t prevalent enough, television programs often have casts that are socially, ethnically, and racially homogenous. That’s fine; it’s free enterprise at work, for the most part, and not every story involves a melting pot. I make no bones about it; I’m simply reminding everyone not to be afraid of diversity in the real world.

6. Stereotypes: As evolved as we believe we are, television is overflowing with stereotypes: the dumb jock, the bubble-headed blonde, the geek with a pocket protector, all products of lazy writing. Most of us are smart enough to recognize a stereotype for what it is, but I question the subconscious impact of such repeated exposure. The best defence is to remind yourself that every human being deserves to be evaluated as an individual, no matter how prevalent or justified a stereotype might seem.

7. Danger Fixation: We’re wired to pay attention to danger, which is why the Discovery Channel broadcasts so many programs that show the world being destroyed by tsunamis, earthquakes, and giant asteroids; why the news leads with gunfire and bloodshed. Remind yourself that there are just as many positive forces in the world as negative; your focus on the negative is a matter of personal choice and perspective.

Listen, I’m not trying to say all media is bad; it’s not. Movies in particular can be wonderful works of art or much-needed distractions, and there’s nothing inherently evil about television, radio, print, or the Internet; quite the contrary, all forms of media provide wonderful channels of communication. I’m simply saying that the media’s darker side is bound to seep into our collective conscience; it surrounds us. And we’re receptive to it.

Earlier this year, I watched a short film entitled Evidence. More art film than documentary, the film focused on the faces of a group of small children as they watched television: their blank expressions, comatose eyes. Every now and then, their facial expressions hitched in response to some image on the television, but for the most part, they appeared undead.

I’ve never forgotten that film. And now, whenever I’m watching a sitcom or game show, I think of the way my own face must look, staring blankly up at the glowing screen. Sometimes, this compels me to turn the tube off and go outside, exchanging the gloom of the TV room for the calming brightness of sunlight, the sound of commercials for the chirping of birds; detaching from the hive mind long enough to find some peace and quiet and develop some memories (and a few ideas) of my own.

Technorati Tags: 7 negitive attitudes,Media,Lists,john pace online.com

You don't have to be from the Maritimes per say, but if . . .

1. Your idea of a traffic jam is ten cars waiting to pass a tractor on the highway.

2."Vacation" means going to Moncton for the weekend.

3. You measure distance in hours.

4.You know several people who have hit a deer.

5. You often switch from "Heat" to "A/C" in the same day.

6. You use a down filled comforter in the summer.

7. Your Grandparents drive 100 km through 13 feet of snow during raging blizzard without flinching.

8. You see people wearing hunting clothes at social events.

9.You install security lights on both your house and garage and go and leave both unlocked.

10. You think of the major food groups as: Meat, Fish and Tim Horton's.

11. You carry jumper cables in your car and your wife knows how to use them.

12. There are seven empty cars running in the parking lot of the Canadian Tire store at any given time.

13. You design your kid's Halloween costume to fit over a snowsuit.

14. Driving is better in the winter because the potholes are filled with snow.

15. Your lingerie consists of tube socks and flannel pajamas.

16. You know all 4 seasons: Almost Winter, Winter, Still Winter and Construction.

17. It takes three hours to go to the store for one item, even when you're in a hurry because you have to stop and talk to everybody in town.

And Finally: You know you live in the Maritimes when...

18. You actually understand these jokes and forward them to all your friends from the Maritimes.

Technorati Tags: Joke,You know your a Maritimer,Peoplearefunnylikethat

The Best: Geek Sports — Segway Polo, Anyone?

By Mathew Honan 11.27.07 | 12:00 AM

Illustration: Barry Blitt

Start

1) Race walking
The sporting equivalent of marching band. Inhaler required.

2) Segway Polo
The only sport in the world in which Woz (and his trusty personal transporter) could make the A team.

3) Badminton
When tennis balls get silly drunk, they dress up like shuttlecocks.

4) Hacky Sack
Based on our exhaustive research of this game, prog-rock T-shirts and ponytails aren't mandatory, but they help.

5) Curling
More a physics exercise than physical exercise. Bonus: tracksuits.

6) Jousting
Armor + the potential for internal hemorrhaging = pretty cool. If only the Ren Faire were every weekend.

7) Fencing
The fake swords — they're actually fake lightsabers. (Jedi mind trick.)

8) Disc Golf
In an ideal world, we would all put down our clubs and pick up a disc. Frolf, anyone?

Previous: Star Wars-Obsessed Rocket Geeks Build and Launch an X-Wing Fighter

next: Japanese Schoolgirl Watch: OMG! MMORPG on My Cell Phone!

      

Technorati Tags: geek sports,list,Wierd

Students of the Pickup School for Geeks

Inside the Bizarre World of Japanese Pickup Schools

By Lisa Katayama

02.18.08 | 12:00 AM

Satoshi Fujita's Pickup School for Men Who Can't Get Any promises to turn any awkward geek into a womanizing pro. "Men who can't pick up girls all have some sort of trauma in their past," Fujita says. "My course work teaches them to overcome their trauma, gain confidence, and find sex and happiness with a beautiful female."

Fujita has appeared on TV shows, magazines and on various online discussions about how to pick up women on the street. Meet the man and some of his top students.

Left:
Name: Satoshi Fujita, aka Zurad Pitt (Zura is slang for wig.)
Age: 48
Occupation: Founder and director of the Pickup School for Men Who Can't Get Any
Specialty: Magic tricks, jokes, cheesy lines women can't say no to
Trauma: Premature balding
Notable quote: "People call me Human GPS Fujita, because I always know where to take a woman."

Photo: Lisa Katayama

1 - 10 of 10 images

TOKYO -- Satoshi Fujita is not a good-looking man. He has oily skin, beady eyes, short legs and a boy-band wig to cover his balding head. But that hasn't stopped him from becoming Japan's most sought-after dating coach for geeks.

Fujita's Pickup School for Men Who Can't Get Any teaches geeky, insecure men of all ages how to gain confidence, score dates and get laid -- all based, he says, on a proprietary "science" he discovered after a decade of careful research.

"I always teach my students that sex comes first," he says. "Then you figure out whether the woman is worth marrying later."

The school is just one of many bizarre after-work coaching institutes in Japan. There are schools that specialize in everything from simple math problems to memory improvement. There are even schools for successful dating-by-text-message. Taking night classes is deeply ingrained in Japanese culture -- starting in childhood, when parents enroll children in juku, or cram school.

Nanpa, or the act of picking up women, is one of the newer but more popular categories of cram schools in the country. There are at least half a dozen nanpa schools in the Tokyo area alone.

Some of Fujita's classes take place in a classroom, but most of them are held on street corners to simulate real nanpa situations. Fujita estimates that he teaches more than a hundred students a month, with some classes -- like How to Use Magic to Gain Popularity and How to Seduce Women -- attracting dozens of students. Each class costs 30,000 yen ($280).

His students -- electronics company executives, engineers who have little interaction with women except through online porn, and average-looking college geeks who need an extra oomph -- seem happy with what they're learning.

"Since joining Mr. Fujita's school, I have had five successful relationships," says Hachioji Robocop, a 27-year-old civil servant who has been taking the course since 2004. "I lost my virginity six months into the course, and now I can now communicate with women. I'm very grateful."

Fujita opened up his first dating crash course for geeks in 2002. Today, he has written three self-help books for unpopular guys, and his techniques have been featured in magazines and television shows.

Through most of his 20s, Fujita was introverted and completely clueless about women. "It was so shocking when my hair started to fall out," he says. "I was scared to look in the mirror and completely froze up when I talked to women." For years, he hid behind his receding hairline, avoiding social events and wondering what it was like to be intimate with a girl.

Then, in the mid-1990s, he started studying the techniques of masterful pickup artists and charismatic celebrities in an effort to hone his own womanizing skills. He registered with a professional matchmaker, who started setting up dates, but things turned around only when Fujita bought his first wig at age 34.

In his book Zura Ga Kanojo Ni Bareta Toki (The Time My Girlfriend Discovered I Was Wearing a Wig), Fujita describes how his confidence soared after this slight change in appearance. He felt like a woman who had just gotten breast implants, he wrote.

He also learned that a few simple tricks can go a long way: Women like laughter, compliments and magic tricks. Using these concepts, he devised a proprietary "science" for picking up women that takes into consideration things like reading signals and timing.

After 10 years and 10 new wigs, he'd become so successful with women, he says, that he decided to quit his job and make dating his profession.

Among other tricks, Fujita's method involves a deck of "psychoanalytic" cards that help him determine what kind of girl he has picked up.

He's also got a bag of tricks -- literally -- that includes flaming wallets, talking ferrets and animated algae balls. Fujita asked Wired.com not to disclose anything more detailed, for fear of giving away his closely guarded trade secrets.

"This may seem ridiculous, but if you follow a specific equation, it really works," he says.

One bit of advice Fujita was willing to dish out concerns online dating: It doesn't work, he says.

"If you're not tall and good-looking, or you don't work at a top-rate company, then you can't really score dates on a dating website," he says.

Instead, "Picking up women on the streets is the best method for people who need miracles."

Technorati Tags: The Ultimate Pick Up School,Wierd,Japanise

Will the new remote control work on the TV?

Twelve years ago my sister Corinne [Harland] developed NeuroSarcoidosis which is an autoimmune system dysfunction  that causes the atrification of the lymph nodes in the body. In Corinne's situation it was the lymph nodes in & around the brain stem & her spinal / nerve system. As a result she is now legally blind [unable to drive] has difficulty walking, has to deal with a major loss of memory, & has suffered the usual complications of being on massive steroids for an extended period of time; she is a drug induced diabetic, has had liver & kidney problems and lives with the sever chronic pain of diabetic neuropathy {pain in the extremities, feet & ankles}, the steroids [Pregnazone at as high as 100mg/day – 12x max recommended dose] have caused her bones to become brittle and for her to gain massive amounts of weight.

Despite all of the above she has continued to live a full life with her husband [Richard] and kids Laura & Charles.

Her positive attitude and the firm belief that she can beat this disease, has been astounding to see. My little sister has always been someone who exudes love, creativity , compassion and support to all who have the privilege to know her. It has been this strength that has made her a survivor.

Dr Ivar Mendez, who has been in the news a lot lately for his ground breaking work in Neurosurgery, [developed here in Halifax] is going to implant a computer in Corinne's back that will interrupt the message of pain as it is sent to my brain, he will then give her a remote control and Corinne will be able to use it to send a different message to her brain. Apparently Corinne will feel a buzz that she can increase or decrease to mask the message of pain. The white noise will drown out the pain.

Sounds amazing doesn't it ?

Her surgery will be divided into 2 parts:

The first will last a minimum of 2 ½ -3 ½ hours. For this part Corinne will be AWAKE (!) this is when they will be mapping out which nerves are controlling which part of her feet, so Corinne will need to be able to concentrate and tell them.

For the second part, Corinne’ll be asleep, that is when they run very fine wires up her nerve core of both legs and put the computer control inside her. It will be placed into the side of her abdomen. Corinne will then go to recovery and later to the the Neurosurgery unit.

• The next day Corinne will be taught how to use a remote control that will control the base computer. When she has extreme pain Corinne will increase the impulse that is sent by the computer. This message is sent 900 times faster than the pain message, therefore it is supposed to interrupt the pain and send a buzzing sensation instead.
• If all goes well Corinne will leave the hospital on ½ of the morphine and other pain medications that she is currently on and will have a plan for tapering down and hopefully completely off about 5 medication that Corinne has been taking .
• Corinne will likely be discharged the second or third day and will soon be able to resume going to CURVES and even into the pool at the rehab for my Physiotherapy.

Sounds exciting doesn’t it ?

The biggest worry that the medical team has is the risk of infection. Because Corinne has been on steroids for over 11 years and is now diabetic it takes her longer to heal so Corinne will start on IV high dose antibiotics as soon as she arrives in the hospital and can expect to continue on a low dose for at least a month after.

So that‘s the scoop for now. Her surgery is scheduled for 7:30 am so I should know by 1.00 – 2.00 pm how things went & will pass on the news as soon as possible once I've heard.

Monday will be a long & stress filled day but there are no options & the success with this new procedure has been remarkable so I'll be crossing my fingers for the next 24 – 48 hours.

For more info on the amazing research being done in Halifax click on .....

DR. IVAR MENDEZ

As a clinician, Dr. Ivar Mendez is pioneering the use of robotics in neurosurgery. As a researcher, Dr. Mendez is breaking new ground in the field of neurotransplantation. At Canada’s only Cell Restoration Laboratory, Dr. Mendez is working to answer questions posed by neural transplantation teams around the world - where to transplant the cells, how to improve their survival, how to transplant the cells without damaging the brain and, most recently, which other types and sources of cells may offer even greater possibilities for neural transplantation and with fewer disadvantages.

As one of the founders of the Brain Repair Centre, Dr. Mendez has developed a world-class collaboration of researchers and physicians all working towards treatments and innovative solutions to diseases and injuries of the brain and spinal cord.

At the Brain Repair Centre (BRC), researchers from a wide variety of disciplines work together to develop new treatments to overcome the debilitating effects of neurological disorders such as Alzheimer’s, Huntington’s, and Parkinson’s disease, ALS, stroke and spinal cord injury. BRC researchers have access to state-of-the-art facilities, including a 4 Tesla research MRI with the capacity to image patients, and basic science laboratories dedicated to the development of therapies for neurological diseases.

DR. IVAR MENDEZ 

• Dr. Mendez is Chairman of the Brain Repair Centre and is a Professor in the Department of Surgery (Neurosurgery), and Professor in the Department of Anatomy & Neurobiology at Dalhousie University. He is Director of Research with the Department of Surgery, and Director of Canada’s only Cell Restoration Laboratory.
• As a clinician/scientist, Dr. Mendez’ research focus is in functional neurosurgery, neural transplantation, stem cells and robotic neurosurgery.
• Dr. Mendez and his team performed the first remote robotic tele-mentoring neurosurgery in the world between Halifax, Nova Scotia and Saint John, New Brunswick – 400 km away.
• Dr. Mendez has invented a system for transplanting healthy cells into the brain. The system consists of a specialized piece of equipment called a transplantation cannula and micro-injector device. The Queen Elizabeth II Health Sciences Centre has patented this device for transplanting new cells into the brain as a restorative therapy.
• Dr. Mendez has been recognized by his peers nationally and internationally. He has won a lengthy list of awards including:
• the Murray L. Barr Junior Scientist Award,
• the Young Neurosurgeon Award,
• the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada Medal Award in Surgery,
• the William P. Van Wagenen Fellowship of the American Association of Neurological Surgeons
• and the Discovery Centre’s Award for Science and Technology (Professional of Distinction).

 

Technorati Tags: Brain Repair Center,BRC,Dr. Ivar Mendez,Corinne Harland,Halifax

Plaskett fills his ECMA basket

Rocker wins six categories; Canyon picked top entertainer
By STEPHEN COOKE Entertainment Reporter for

The Halifax Chronicle Herald
Mon. Feb 11 - 6:33 AM

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Joel Plaskett has been a Halifax Star for several years & I love his music and the pure energy of his live performances. Its clear that his band is having a blast on stage & the crowd is always pleased. If you ever have the chance ... GO SEE JOEL PLASKET ... you'll never regret the Experience.

Joel Plaskett performs at the East Coast Music Awards show at the Aitken centre in Fredericton on Sunday. (INGRID BULMER / Staff)

FREDERICTON — Halifax rocker Joel Plaskett traded in an ashtray for an armload of East Coast Music Awards on Sunday night, winning a record-breaking six silver trophies at the 20th anniversary of the annual ceremony held in Fredericton’s Aitken Centre.

Ashtray Rock, the Joel Plaskett Emergency’s concept album about teenage hijinks, young love and friendship in suburban Halifax was named the FACTOR recording, group recording and rock recording of the year, while the tune Fashionable People earned the indie-music icon group single, video and SOCAN songwriter of the year honours.

"It’s humbling," admitted Plaskett after the gala, still a bit jet lagged from a five-week solo tour of Australia. "It’s really flattering and kind of embarass-ing at the same time.

""We set out to make a record as ridiculous and ambitious as possible, and I’m glad it paid off creatively and captivated the imagination of everyone who listened.""

Plaskett’s big night tops the five ECMAs won in one evening by artists including Lennie Gallant in 1995, Ashley MacIsaac in 1997, Bruce Guthro in 1999 and Great Big Sea for Sea of No Cares in 2003.

It’s been a good week for Plaskett; his sardonic hit Fashionable People also picked up a Billboard World Song Contest honour in the pop category on Thursday.

I like to write about where I’m from, I think any good writer tries to do that," said the Clayton Park-raised musician. ""I like to think I captured something of that in a fictional account of growing up in suburbia.""

The only other multiple winners Sunday, with two apiece, were fellow Nova Scotians Dave Gunning, Cherry Brook R&B favourite Jamie Sparks and the reunited Rankins.

Pictou County bard Gunning’s House for Sale was named the male solo recording and folk recording of the year.

""I did not expect this, it was a surprise,"" said Gunning backstage. ""I’m writing a lot right now, getting ready for the next record, but I’m certainly proud of this one.""

The Rankin Family’s Reunion CD was picked for roots/traditional group recording of the year, while the video chronicle of the Cape Breton family band’s live show, Back Stage Pass, earned DVD of the year.

""This is quite the honour . . . I can’t seem to shake this band,"" grinned Jimmy Rankin after stepping to the podium for the DVD award.

""(This reunion) is something I thought would never happen, so on behalf of all the Rankins, thank you very much. This one’s for John Morris.""

Other Nova Scotia winners included country star George Canyon, picking up the coveted fan-voted entertainer of the year honour, Juno Award-nominated MC Classified for rap/hip-hop single track recording for Hard to be Hip-Hop and Halifax-based singer-songwriter Rose Cousins in the female solo recording category.

Up-and-coming Sackville performer Chelsea Nisbett won gospel recording for her debut CD New Beginnings, which has already won an African-Nova Scotian Music Award and a Music Nova Scotia Award in recent months.

""I’m shocked, when I first had the idea of making an album all I just thought of it as something people could buy at my shows,"" said the petite singer-songwriter backstage.

""But since it came out it’s been one opportunity after another, meeting more people playing more shows, things are really starting to develop.""

Besides the Rankins, Nova Scotian Celtic music performers winning ECMAs included Antigonish’s Troy MacGillivray for instrumental recording for Live From the Music Room and Cape Breton fiddler Kimberley Fraser for roots/traditional solo recording for Falling on New Ground.

Former Slainte Mhath singer Stephanie Hardy was blessed with the CBC Galaxie Rising Star Award (which comes with a $5,000 prize) for her contemporary songwriting on Brand New Skin.

Veteran Halifax pianist Bill Stevenson earned jazz recording of the year for For the Record, recorded with his nephew, Hot Toddy bassist Tom Easley, while Hot Toddy singer/guitarist Thom Swift got props for his solo debut, Into the Dirt, named blues recording of the year.

""I’ve been with Hot Toddy for about 10 years, and after a while you build up a blanket of security,"" said New Brunswick native Easley to reporters. ""Like any successful group, you need those outside influences to keep growing.

"I’ve been playing with Bill since I was a teenager, and I think if you’re a real musician, you want to keep playing until you can’t play any more."

Hosted by This Hour Has 22 Minutes wit Mark Critch, the two-hour gala featured performances by Joel Plaskett Emergency, hearty Newfoundland folk band Shanneygannock, Jimmy Rankin, New Brunswick gospel group the Lapointes and alternative recording winner Nathan Wiley.

"The big news this year is that the CBC isn’t broadcasting the awards live," said Critch, to a chorus of boos from the crowd.

"Oh, you don’t have to tell me, I work for the CBC, I’ve seen the ratings. But not being on the CBC means more people than ever will see the ECMAs!""

Halifax band Wintersleep, which followed Plaskett with five nominations, unfortunately left the Aitken Centre trophy-less.

However, the show was a great showcase for the broad variety of New Brunswick performers, including country recording winners the Divorcees, fiddler Samantha Robichaud, Swift and Moncton rocker Chris Colepaugh and the Cosmic Crew.

A special honour of the evening was presented to New Brunswick’s Acadian music pioneers 1755. The group’s achiviements in popularizing Atlantic Canadian Francophone music earned it the Dr. Helen Creighton Lifetime Achievement Award for a landmark career, taking its music across North America and over the Atlantic between 1977 and 1984.

Earlier on Sunday afternoon, the East Coast Music Association honoured behind-the-scenes figures and music business builders with its annual Industry Awards.

The sound technician of the year, engineer Mike Shepherd from Cape Breton’s much-honoured Lakewind Sound studio seemed pleased that for once he wasn’t too busy to attend in person.

""I’d like to thank Fred Lavery and Gordie Sampson, the co-owners of Lakewind,"" he said. ""They’re my guys; working for them these past nine years has been absolutely amazing.""

Halifax photographer Chris Sm!th, the Funk Factor founder, had a few more people to thank after his win, rapidly reading off a list of clients as long as his black T-shirt clad arm.

Media person of the year went to veteran P.E.I. writer Doug Gallant of the daily Guardian newspaper, who remarked that his love of music has deep roots.

""The people in this industry really make it worth getting up in the morning,"" said the bearded island scribe. ""I’ve been around it since I was 14, hauling gear for acts like Sam Moon and Matt Minglewood and I can’t imagine a better industry to be involved in.""

Cape Breton’s Celtic Colours International Festival was named event of the year, and co-founder Max MacDonald was effusive in his praise of the ECMAs’ effect on the

AND THE ECMA GOES TO . . .

• Entertainer of the year: George Canyon
• Recording: Ashtray Rock (Joel Plaskett Emergency)
• Female solo recording: If You Were For Me (Rose Cousins)
• Group recording: Ashtray Rock (Joel Plaskett Emergency)
• Male solo recording: House For Sale (Dave Gunning)
• Rising Star recording: Brand New Skin (Stephanie Hardy)
• Group single: Fashionable People (Joel Plaskett Emergency)
• SOCAN songwriter: Joel Plaskett for Fashionable People (performed by Joel Plaskett Emergency)
• Video: Fashionable People directed by Randall Thorne (Joel Plaskett Emergency)
• DVD: Back Stage Pass (The Rankin Family)
• African-Canadian recording: It’s The Music (Jamie Sparks)
• Alternative recording: The City Destroyed Me (Nathan Wiley)
• Bluegrass recording: Saddle River String Band (Saddle River String Band)
• Blues recording: Into The Dirt (Thom Swift)
• Classical recording: Forbidden City Tour (New Brunswick Youth Orchestra)
• Country recording: You Ain’t Gettin’ My Country (The Divorcees)
• Francophone recording: 11:11 (Vishten)
• Folk recording: Looking Back — Vol. 2: House For Sale (Dave Gunning)
• Gospel recording: New Beginnings (Chelsea Nisbett)
• Instrumental recording: Live From the Music Room (Troy MacGillvray)
• Jazz recording: For The Record (Bill Stevenson & Tom Easley)
• Pop recording: Little Jabs (Two Hours Traffic)
• Rap/Hip-Hop single track recording: Hard To Be Hip Hop (Classified)
• Rock recording: Ashtray Rock (Joel Plaskett Emergency)
• Roots/Traditional group recording: Reunion (The Rankin Family)
• Roots/Traditional solo recording: Falling On New Ground (Kimberley Fraser)
• Urban Single track recording: If You Were (Jamie Sparks)
• Dr. Helen Creighton Lifetime Achievement Award: presented to New Brunswick group 1755

INDUSTRY AWARDS

• Graphic designer: Jessica Rhaye
• Photograper: Chr!s Sm!th
• Independent company: Sonic Entertainment Group
• Radio station (small market): 101.5 The Hawk, CIGO Port Hawkesbury
• Radio station (major market): Q104, Halifax
• Sound technician: Mike Shepherd
• Media person: Doug Gallant
• Broadcast: East Coast Countdown
• Volunteer: Valerie Hillier
• Industry builder: Marc Chouinard
• Retailer: CD Plus
• Label: Landwash Distribution
• Event: Celtic Colours International Festival
• Manager: Lynn Horne
• Musician’s achievement:
• Michael Doherty
• Industry professional: John Poirier

STOMPIN" TOM AWARDS

• Cape Breton: Aldun MacVicar
• New Brunswick: Ivan & Vivian Hicks Newfoundland & Labrador: The Ducats
• P.E.I.: The Tremtones
• Nova Scotia: Oakley

Technorati Tags: Joel Plasket,ECMA,Fredricton,The Halifax Chronical Herald,Guthro

What a Nasty Letter for Only $16.96!

 

 

Feb 1, 2008

BUFFALO, N.Y. (AP) — A collection agency tried to collect a $16.96 debt with an letter that addressed its recipient with a four-letter word for excrement.

"Dear S---," began the letter attempting to collect from an old record club membership. The word was spelled out in the letter, which arrived in an envelope addressed to "S--- Face."

"I've never seen anything quite so brazen," said attorney Kenneth Hiller.

He said his client plans to sue Nationwide Collections Inc. of Fort Pierce, Florida, next week.

Under U.S. law, debt collectors are not allowed to use profanity to collect a debt, Hiller said, nor are they supposed to threaten legal action over such a small amount.

Nationwide President Phillip McGarvey said the October 2007 letter was automatically generated after his company bought about 350,000 Columbia House accounts. "S--- Face" is the name under which the account was opened and the way the coupon to start the club was filled out, he said.

Hiller's client has signed an affidavit saying he never signed up for the music club membership under that name.

"It looks bad to the observer who is not familiar with the industry," acknowledged McGarvey, "but anybody who understands the volume would understand how this could happen. ...You've also got people filling in famous people's names."

Technorati Tags: Nasty Letter,Collection Mess Up,Columbia House

Marshall McLuhan Quote

“ The past went that away. When faced with a totally new situation, we tend always to attach ourselves to the objects, to the flavour of the most recent past. We look at the present through a rear-view mirror. We march

backwards into the future. ” Marshall McLuhan

Technorati Tags: backwards into the future,Marshall McLuhan Quote