Please Don't Vote

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Stay home and please don't vote.
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Every election, as the case of our upcoming election, there is talk of voter turn out. We look in disgust at the low percentage of people that take the time to enjoy one of our greatest freedoms, democracy, and the right to vote for representation. Some even suggest that this is not only a right, but a requirement.. even to the extreme of making voting mandatory.
I firmly believe that so many wars have been fought, so many lives have been lost in the worlds history for people to be provided the right to vote and chose their representation - that indeed we are obligated to respect this right and get out and vote.

But, I would like to adjust the phrase of "we have the right to vote", to "we have the obligation to make INFORMED choices and vote"

I suggest that higher percentages of voter turn out, or god forbid, mandatory voting would bastardize the democratic process, and ad genuine risk to the outcomes of such elections. You need only consider the fact you may have paid close attention to all of parties platforms, you have watched debates, you have looks at the costs/benefits of the political promises, you have considered long and short term affects of these promises, and with this information you make a decision to support a party. Behind you is someone that has no idea of any of the information that is readily available, but votes for a party, because his/her family always supports a particular party.. And that persons vote negates yours. I think, if it was public knowledge, within the existing low turnout of what percentage of votes are not based on any fact, or even worse -the "eeny meeny miny moe" voters, we would be disgusted as informed voters,

We can only hope, as the statistics of non-informed voter percentage will never be available, is that those that do go out of their way, leave their homes and stand in line, have enough respect for their time and the election process that they at some level have informed justification for their vote.

So with this understanding, maybe we should be thankful for low voter turnout. As public opinion is that we should have a much higher turnout, I would support that whole heartedly if every voter needed to qualify, or prove their understanding of exactly what and who they are supporting.. although tongue in cheek, maybe a little quiz on each ballot - you get all the answers correct, your vote counts.. if not - it is shredded and not counted.

What could a little quiz look like?
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Question #1 - Name all of the party leaders in your district
Question #2 - Name one party platform item for each party
Question #3 - Are you aware of the costs (economic, financial, environmental, social) that must be paid to meet your parties promises

If you are able to answer all of these questions, thank you for voting.
If you are unable to answer all of these questions, get the hell out of here and go home.
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So yes, we all have the right to vote. We have the obligation to be informed before doing so.
You do not have the right to negate my vote by ignorance - Stay home and please don't vote.

October 2013 Bitches

*** now accepting nominations for 

November's IDIOT OF THE MONTH*** 

submit nominations HERE

Welcome to Bitches For The month of October 2103 !!!
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Lets review the ground rules

• Lets try to keep it clean, at present, I do not moderate (preview and approve posts), and I don't want to.
• We are all here to vent, compare and add insight to your and others bitches - lets respect others
• Topics can be anything that piss you off
• ORIGINAL pictures/videos are great, and I will post anything you send - if you provide a good reason. Email them, along with a description to da_moderator@live.ca

So how do we post here?? At the bottom of this post, there is a link to click "view comments" - or the comments may already be visible (depending on your browser. If you have a new bitch to post, simply type away in the text box. If you want to comment on another's post, click reply directly below their post - and type away.

And don't forget to buy darryls-soapbox T-Shirt.. if you are in the Fredericton Area, simply email da_moderator@live.ca or if you are anywhere else in the word, get em HERE .

$29.00 each - Sizes S/M/L/XL

To enter to win one, click here and follow directions.. 
Draw - Nov 1,2013

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SOAPBOX T-SHIRT SPOTTED IN ACTION!!

Alex G. from Eastern Canada test drove his new Soap Box T-shirt.. 

and tested (apparently) if it was beer proof - which it is not.

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ANNOUNCING 

IDIOT OF THE MONTH AWARD 

awarded to....

MARGARET ATWOOD for heading the drive to make O Canada gender-neutral

Congratulations.. clearly, you are very familiar with at least LOOKING gender-neutral

Idiot
Submit Nominations for next month's Idiot of the Month
HERE

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ORIGINAL RANTS 

CALL ME, BITCHES!! (language warning in effect) 

This voice-mail came into my main line (after hours). My office 800 number was frequently misdialed and we would receive calls that should have been to a government agency in Florida. The office Administrator, Jenn C, was brilliant to take the time to record this.. and now here it is on the internet.

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SOMETHIN' TO BITCH ABOUT 

First Nations Protests and Blockades against Shale Gas Development in NB, Canada

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I WANNA DO THIS!!!

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I had a good reason to post this,

 but found something more interesting to do, so I forgot the point

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GOT TO AGREE!

Paul D -Canada : "And another freakin train crash and fire ... 

When will people realize a pipe line is not a bad thing?

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NOW THIS GUY CAN RANT!!! 

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When you have no one to bitch to.. Call 911 !!!

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FOR THE LOVE OF ALL THIS HOLY - 
ENOUGH ALREADY!!!! 

Dear Federal Government, 

Please forget this guy, or throw him in jail.. we dont care, 

JUST GET BACK TO RUNNING CANADA

Sincerely.

Canadians

OCTOBER BITCHES
(at the bottom man, follow the arrow) 

Tax Increases - A New Episode of Hoarders

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"Government decision makers are hoarders"

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Federal and Provincial budgets are a complex and convoluted mechanism. So much so that we, without having Ph.D’s in Economics and/or Political Science are at the mercy of the political spin doctors and the press to see what the impact of new budgets will have on us.

As with any complex issue, lack of understanding leaves us helpless to comprehend what the real causes and effects of the messages may be. At this time, we are being prepared for increases in income taxes, sales taxes, user fees as well as new methods of taxation such as health care user fees and highway tolls.

All of these messages are being delivered hand in hand with the announcements of uncontrolled deficits, and potential reductions of services.

How about we find something to consider that might be easier to wrap our heads around. There is a rather successful television series that I confess I seem to be drawn into. The program is called “Hoarders”. A simple premise for a reality program actually. The producers seek out home owners, with the mental disorder of hoarding – filling their homes to extreme with collectables, useless items, garbage, and outdated junk. Their homes are filled to the ceilings, often impassable and dangerous.

Even with their homes filled near to collapse, many of the hoarders continue to acquire junk, to the point of bankruptcy, borrowing money to fill rented storage buildings. Even leaving a house filled with their clutter to rent a new home just to fill that as well.

A professional therapist and assistants enter the scene to attempt to change the hoarders ways. To stop buying, stop spending and clear out the mountains of expired belongings. Inevitably the hoarder fights vigorously to keep their excesses as seeing them all so important, and even on occasion continues to spend as the effort to clean out is in progress.

This is a frustrating show to watch, as a layman, even we can see that they need to stop acquiring junk, and the belongings they have serve no purpose other than take up space in their home. But it is not a complicated program to watch, nor solve their problem.. Clean the house, and stop buying junk, and for gods sake, don’t rent a storage unit and fill that also.

Back to the point - Federal and Provincial Budgets, and tax increases. Now it is much easier to understand. Our government decision makers are hoarders. It is that simple. We have an infrastructure filled to overflowing with waste, with duplication of services, with inefficiencies, with million dollar useless bureaucracy, uncontrolled spending on non necessary acquisitions. But they (our government) are unwilling to clean up this mess, this hoard of waste. Instead, they continue to spend - to near bankruptcy levels, like our friends in the television program. But unlike our friends with a finite amount of spending money, than can result in bankruptcy, our hoarding government continues to go to the bank for more money. But alas.. Taxpayers are their bank.

I wonder, if the therapists on the program, who are often successful in curbing hoarder’s behaviour  could come to the governments front door, ring the bell, squeeze inside past the millions and millions of dollars wasted daily within our government, and have an intervention. Have a nice sit down with the government, and (as they do on the show) have the hoarder, our government, sit on a chair, and look at, item by item and ask, is this expense needed, are these bureaucrats needed, is this new office lease needed, do we need to have two hundred employees doing a job that twenty-five could.. And start throwing out the trash. Part of the therapy would also require that they learn, not to continue to spend and add to the useless clutter, because although the government can’t go bankrupt – their bank sure can (the taxpayers)

The Lure of Political Promises

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"This is just a single example of a political proposal that finds company with hundreds of others that are bait for those tasked with placing an “X” on a ballot."

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As from my Blog description, I trust it is clear that I am not a unconditional follower of any political party, rather I enjoy the whole display of political entertainment that can range from comedy, horror, suspense, thriller, fiction, non-fiction or more frequently head in hands disbelief.

Equally as indifferent, do I have passionate about particular party platforms, or who is standing on the platform at the present time. What I am fascinated with is the political process, and the mechanics that go into a party’s election or maintaining their power.

A recent article on a local politicians attempt to “fine” the government in power for breaking campaign promises is a shining example of how political parties prey on the naivety of the voting populous. By no means is this an insult to voters that are excited about the concept of forcing the elected government to stand by election promises, as at a glance, this seems like an excellent idea.

This is what our local politician, Kelly Lamrock is proposing:

"The Fredericton lawyer said political parties should be forced to register their promises during an election. And when that party forms power, an independent office would hold them to account to make sure they follow through on their campaign commitments.

“If an independent office finds for instance they have not delivered, that they have lied their way into office, they should see a reduction in the funding they get from the Political Process Financing Act,” he said".

This is just a single example of a political proposal that finds company with hundreds of others that are bait for those tasked with placing an “X” on a ballot.

Upon a bit more examination of this example, and taking a few additional steps in understanding the ramifications of this particular suggestion. This simple and attractive sounding idea could derail the democratic system. Running something that is as complex, fluid and ever changing as a provincial government requires adapting to current economic, social and political situations. A party being handcuffed (by potential financial penalties) on promises made at election time, but facing significantly changed landscape of the current time, would be at best dangerous, and at worst, financially devastating to the province. Taxation promises made in a time of a booming healthy economy, may not be fiscally responsible to maintain in the case of a sudden significant downturn in the economy. Promises for employment, healthcare, education etc, may not be responsibly met in the case of a unforeseen trade embargo on our natural resources export (for example).

Having a government that has been elected under the conditions of meeting promises or risk penalties would result in a government that is managing the province, not with the best interest in the population in mind, but their own political party’s financial health. A scary thought to imagine, that regardless of the state that the province dwindles to.. The governing party hold steadfast to outdated, inappropriate mandates, for fear of financial punishment.

This example would result in what would look like a ruling minority government, one unable to make the difficult and occasionally painful decisions in order to maintain a strong province. In a minority government, they are handcuffed on difficult and distasteful, but necessary policies in fear of losing their ruling position, and in a financial penalty model, they would be equally as powerless in fear of fines.

To step back to 30,000 feet, it is an interesting exercise to hold ALL political promises up to the light as this one, and to take a moment to look past the attraction to the simple policies, and see what the long term effect on our province might be.

I often get chastised in comparing public sector to private sector, but at the risk of more ranting email in this regard, I am confident that the CEO’s of large organizations, in order to remain in business, and profitable, look daily at adjusting their organization to current environment. Taking away their ability to change business plans, adjust their workforce, manage costs would result in a slow painful death for their organization. Suggesting they get fined personally for changing company direction is laughable. So how could we expect our government to be any different.

I am going to jump off a bridge!!!

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“Recent poll states that 96.72% of Canadians want to jump off a bridge”

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Far too often, It happens, sitting down for supper the phone rings, and occasionally, you drop your knife and fork and answer it.

“Good Evening, this is Joe Bothersome calling from Interruptus Polling Group and would you mind responding to a question that we are surveying people in your area”... 

“Sure” your reply, looking at your Sheppard’s Pie cooling on your dinner table. 

Joe continues, “Thank you, we have only one question. If you were asked to jump of a bridge, would you?”... 

Your obvious response would be “Not a chance”.. End of survey and you head back to your room temperature meal.

Several days later, mid evening, as you scroll through your television channels, looking for something to break the boredom, again the phone rings. Aha... maybe someone to talk to, to socialize with, and to catch up on the local gossip.  

You are greeted with a pleasant friendly voice “Good Evening, my name is Mary Nicety-Nice; I hope that I have not interrupted you, but we are calling a few people in your neighbourhood with a quick question, do you have time to answer?”  

Keen to respond to this pleasant person, you agree to chat. Mary explains “We are wondering if you were fortunate enough to be on vacation in Cuba, and along with the many beautiful places you visit, you have the opportunity to swim with the dolphins in the clear warm ocean, would you enjoy that?” 

Excited at the premise, your respond “Damn right I would!!”. 

Mary continues, “so you would have no problem stepping off a small walking bridge into the water to join the dolphins?”.  

Your response is an obvious one. “Of course not”.  Unfortunately your pleasant banter with Mary is over and you return back to your channel surfing.

Next morning you read the headlines in the paper. “Recent poll states that 96.72% of Canadians want to jump off a bridge”

I know that this is an exaggerated example, but this is reality as it relates to public opinion polls. Pollsters are obviously much shrewder in the manner they design and deliver polls. But our newspapers are full of results that are almost certainly skewed to present certain point of view. With a little research, it is interesting to understand who has commissioned the poll. And more interesting yet, to look at the specific methods and order of questions being asked.

A simple question alone (the core question within the survey), can lead to a specific response, but also more discreetly, when the primary question is placed within the series of questions. Preliminary questions can soften you up and poise you to respond in a particular favour. Even the method of delivering the poll can falsely represent what the true outcome would be. I leave you to consider, if the time of day, a friendly voice, an abrupt pollster, a written questionnaire, or even an automated “select a number on your phone keypad” would change your responses to questions. The anonymity of a written or automated survey may create a heightened sense of anonymity, verses, having to respond to a friendly chatty pollster.

Why does this matter? We are constantly faced with very complicated social and political issues, and these issues, are frequently provided with public opinion polls as supporting arguments, or combating this issues. We don’t always take the time to personally research and study all of the aspects of these issues, so it is human nature to follow the mob. If 80% of my fellow community members agree with a policy.. it is easier to go with the flow and support it as well.

But blindly following the results of polls may also have you standing at the edge of a bridge, and it is a long, long way down to the water below – and no friendly dolphins to swim with.

There are 10 Types of People; those who understand binary and those who do not!!

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"...far too often we judge these practices and beliefs with (lack of better phrasing) – stating such things as they are crazy, their whole culture is nuts!..." 

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HUH? Ten types of people those who understand binary and those who do not? The grammar and sentence structure police coming to put me into handcuffs once and for all? How can there be a choice of TWO types of people (those who do and do not understand binary) yet I use a number of ten people. Obviously I am nuts and do not understand simple English and the most basic of comparison structures.

So to keep myself from being outcast as an idiot, and judged as mentally deficient, I will rephrase.

“There are two types of people, those who understand binary and those who do not”.. There we can relax now. I can be accepted and must be reasonably able to function in our society.

BUT, for those readers who do not understand binary, I will explain. Binary is a numbering system with a base of 2. Not what we have been raised and educated to count with, a numbering system with a base of 10. Our “normal” system, is based on counting in groups of 10’s

Example:

The number 4,758 is made up of

8 X 1’s =8
5 X 10’s =50
7 X 100’s =700
4 X 1000’s = 4,000

summed up - 4000+700+50+8  = 4,758

Whereas Binary is based on counting 2’s

The number 1110 is made up of

0 X 1’s  = 0
1 X 2’s  = 2
1 X 4’s  = 4
1 X 8’s  = 8

summed up - 8+4+2=14

So in binary 1110 is equivalent to the number 14 in our comfortable base 10 system.

If you don’t understand this... no worries. BUT you will have to trust me that the binary number 10 is actually the number 2 in our regular counting system.


NOW THAT WAS A RECORD CONFUSING PREAMBLE!! But it is a shining example of a case that although something is perfectly accurate and understandable, at first glance, or not bothering to taking time to understand – looks ridiculous and terribly incorrect.

So the statement beginning all of this - There are 10 Types of People; those who understand binary and those who do not! Actually by now having taken the time to learn and understand is PERFECTLY accurate. And looked at in the proper context (10 in binary = 2 in our daily numbering system). In fact , computer programmers (who are thoroughly educated in binary, as it is the most basic component of computer language) find this a very logical and accurate statement.

Thanks for your patience in reading this far.. my point, we exist in North America and observe foreign religious beliefs, political systems, economic structures, cultural traditions and family values. And  far too often we judge these practices and beliefs with (lack of better phrasing) – stating such things as they are crazy, their whole culture is nuts! We ask ourselves as we read headlines of religious wars, political upheaval, cultural traditions, “how can they even think this behaviour is acceptable or normal?”

I suggest that they, following their beliefs, are equally within their proper state of mind as we are, as we follow our beliefs. We may not understand, and from what we know, and from our perspective think they are all wacko. So, I too often have to remind myself as I hear of seemingly unnatural or terrible situation across the big pond, that other peoples do not wake up in the morning and say “ I am going to be nuts today” any more than myself waking up and saying same.

Does 10=2? Matter of fact it does. But only if we take time to be willing to adjust our perspective.

Creating is Better than Dissecting

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"...provides me insight that maybe information on creating something beautiful and practical serves a much better purpose on the internet than digging into topics that are already over thought..."

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It’s time for an intermission, to stand up and give the ole noggin a break. No political ranting, no personal confessions, no community service, no cerebral diagnostics, and certainly no preaching!!

Now it’s time to eat crow. I began this blog to find an outlet to my right or left winged opinions and observations.  Surely items that would cause my readers to react, in protest or in support.. or even better to look at day to day situations in a different light. And I will take reward in the fact that I have achieved a small taste of this in the limited time I have spent typing away.

The mechanics behind a blog are extremely interesting. With a click of a button I can see traffic statistics; how many visitors, from what continent, right down to an hour by hour analysis. I assure my readers and subscribers, your privacy is protected, as I am unable to see specifics as to who my visitors are, I am only able to see numbers and continents and how my site was found. Also I am able to see the source of the referrals such as Facebook, Google, and other Blogs etc.

Why am I eating crow? My son was interested in my blogging and decided to set up his own blog. His interest and amazing skills at tying Salmon flies seemed to be a natural topic that may perk reader’s interest. So the inevitable question was aired last night. “Dad, so how many hits on your blog?”

I was proud to provide what I considered flattering numbers to him. Of course the internet community would be far more interested in the deep thoughts and analysis I shared with the world, than it would be in s step by step instruction on how to tie a “Blue Charm” Salmon fly. And of course the diversity of my thoughts in several controversial topics would draw readers from many different regions of interest, far more than a description and photographs of a fly vice holding a hook and feathers and thread.

I was wrong. Very wrong! As he is my son, and I am extremely proud that he has done a fantastic job with his very first post. His visitor statistics blew the doors off of mine.

Does this discourage me from continuing my brain dumping here??... not one little bit. What it does do is provides me insight that maybe information on creating something beautiful and practical serves a much better purpose on the internet than digging into topics that are already over thought. I believe this observation on human nature has changed my outlook on us more than public interest debates on CBC radio and in the newspapers. Thanks son!

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