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Sunday, July 31, 2005

hmmm. can't think of a generic title. any ideas?


Me in the morning.

Well, it's hot outside and I watched all 3 Jurassic Park movies last night. I was up until 4:20am.

It wasn't worth it.

I've been thinking of how much I miss chillin' with Ms. Amika Schodie (both of them). Alas, September will come and the former Ms. Schodie is off to Toronto (York Uni) and the latter Ms. Schodie is still in London, UK.

Well, if all works out, I'll join the latter Ms. Schodie in Prague next May.

Tonight: Finish Finnish PSE Case Study.

I'm going outside now.

D :)

Saturday, July 30, 2005

2 random lists.

List One: Random things that annoy me (in random order).

1. People with honourary Ph.D.'s who go around calling themself a Doctor. ie: Dr. Joe Smith.
2. People who stand on the "walk" side of an escalator and then are too daft to move when 20 people are waiting for him or her to move.
3. Cell Phones. In general.
4. People who talk really loud on their cell phones on the bus or train.
5. People who turn their iPod or Diskman up so loud that everyone with a 20 feet radius can clearly hear what they're listening to! It TOTALLY defeates the purpose of having headphones in the first place!!!
6. Pretentious rich kids who brag about not having to work while going to school.
7. Bouncers at bars. In general.
8. Reality TV.
9. How artificial the cheese in Kraft Dinner tastes.

List Two: DVD's I own
(This list is more of a response to the gazillion DVD's that my chum C-lo owns)

1.
Family Guy Seasons 1 & 2 (Box Set)
2. Family Guy Season 3 (Box Set)
3. Seinfeld Seasons 1 & 2
4. Back to the Future I, II, & III (Box Set)
5. Chicago
6. Good Bye Lenin! (German)
7. Get Shorty
8. Bowling for Columbine
9. Buena Vista Social Club (Cuban/German)
10. City of God (Brazilian)
11. Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring
12: Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers
13: Lord of the Rings: Return of the King

good dtimes.*

It's a beautiful summer day and I'm semi-tired and semi-hungover. After a wonderful dinner last night at the U of A Faculty Club (where I dined like I was a member of the bourgeosie) I went out partying. It was good dtimes*.

Started at the Billiards Club on Whyte at about 10pm-ish and ended at Hudson's at closing time. It was great. I'm tired. Big thanks to Ms. Cassie Brown for letting me party and chill with her and her urban intellectual hipster friends (There's nothing like sipping Martini's while discussing the finer points of post-modernism). ;-)

Also, a big "hej" to the Swedish women's rowing team that I was dancing with at O'Byrne's (I'm assuming they're in e-town for the Masters Games).

Sweet.

D :)

PS. The Amazing Wonderdog has a pretty interesting post on the UK's controversial shoot-to-kill policy. Check it out.

*Pronounced goou-de dimes (the "t" is silent).

Friday, July 29, 2005

random brain fart

Jurgen Gothe has the best name in radio.

I wish I had a name as cool as his.

UPDATE: Holger Petersen also has a cool name. HOLGER.

Thursday, July 28, 2005

sasquatch hair was positive...

...ly old buffalo hair.

Along with my chums Colin Robertson and Jason Tobias, I went to the Sasquatch Hair press conference at the University of Alberta today (partly because we’re nerds, and partly because we all work on campus).

And yes, Dr. David Coltman announced to the world that the hair sample from the Yukon was not that of Big Foot, but was in fact old buffalo hair, at least a year old.

It was a big deal I guess, because over 20 reporters and 5 news cameras came out for the show. I guess this was big news.

At least it was entertaining.

More Sasquatch related news can be found here.

rick bell rocks.

Rick Bell rocks today.

Wednesday, July 27, 2005

bill's our guy.

Image hosted by Photobucket.com

Sorry, Warren. Bill's our guy.

D : )

salute to new alberta city & town!

Daveberta would like to salute the newly minted City of Brooks and Town of Onoway!

Today, both municipalities had their municipal status upgraded respectivly from Town to City, and from Village to Town. Congrats!

For those of you interested, in Alberta, there are now:

16 Cities
4 Specialized Municipalities
113 Towns
99 Villages
and 50 Summer Villages.

alberta falling off the wagon?

Only one year after declaring Alberta a “debt-free” province, the Alberta Tories are talking about getting back in the business of borrowing money.

According to the Edmonton Journal, yesterday, "[Alberta Premier Ralph] Klein signaled he will back a proposal by Infrastructure and Transportation Minister Lyle Oberg to borrow money to help clear a $7.2-billion backlog of schools, highways and health centers that need to be replaced or repaired."

According to the Calgary Herald, "Premier Klein says there's merit to the idea of Alberta going back into debt to catch up with seven billion dollars in building projects."

Now, I think it about damn time they start working on this massive infrastructure debt and began investing in Alberta's lacking infrastructure (which is a result of Klein's cuts in the first place).

But, it left me thinking, will the Alberta Government be breaking the law if they borrow money?

According to Alberta's Fiscal Responsibility Act, which forbids the government from running a deficit and limits government spending:

"The Fiscal Responsibility Act sets requirements of the annual fiscal plan:
- It requires balanced budgets. Deficits are not allowed, as expense and capital must not be more than revenue."


Now, I honestly think this is probably the dumbest law ever thought up. How the heck is it supposed to be enforced? It was a cheap PR stunt from a government that was desperate to look fiscally responsible way back in 1993. Would the police arrest the Finance Minister for running a deficit?

Will Alberta be running a deficit if they borrow $7.2 Billion?

I'm no lawyer, but will they be breaking the law? Should I call the police?

Tuesday, July 26, 2005

blog of the week: gopolitical

This week's blog of the week is none other than GoPolitical.

I've always enjoyed nic's insightful and entertaining blogging over at GoPolitical. In fact, her's was one of the very first blogs I ever read, and is part of the reason I started up this seudo-blog known as daveberta.

Check it out and enjoy! :-)

Cheers.

D :)

PS. BTW, I made it to Warren's blog today. Thanks again for the link, WK.

daveberta joint task force twelve

Last week, Aaron over at Grandinite tagged me with some sort of Joint Taskforce Twelve list game (Aaron also challenged Doucheblog, MKBraaten, and Bound By Gravity).

Here are the groundrules:

"If there were twelve blogs, as of right now, I think anyone should be visiting on a daily or hourly basis, it would be the Grandinite Joint Task Force Twelve, which is one more than Kip Esquire’s Elite Eleven. Joint Task Force Twelve requires twelve specialists, none of whom replicate the same area: in short, there must be very little overlap between the subject matter of the blogs in order to give the reader the maximum input potential.

The Joint Task Force Twelve also requires that the blogs in question be updated more than once a day (but if the content is great, this is totally unnecessary). The fact that there are twelve blogs on the list will mean that readers of the Joint Task Force Twelve are already in the elite of blog readers themselves - that select 5% of internet users who read blogs. On average, a blog reader will read 5-7 blogs per day. By reading through the Grandinite Joint Task Force Twelve, blog readers will already be in the elite of the elite."


Okay, here's my list...

1. Section 15 - This is at the top of my daily blog read list. Mark is a great blogger who always has fun posts (his comment sections are just as great).

2. Born with a Tail - Always a prolific writer, Mr. Raymaker has recently shifted his blog focus towards entertainment and music posts. Very cool.

3. Child of Regan - Okay, it's been a couple of weeks since anyone over at this site has posted, but it's an interesting read for those looking for a right-wing American response to world events.

4. Toronto Tory - Fun political posts from a Toronto political minority.

5. Little Man in a Toque - A fun blog, especially for Edmontonians. :-)

6. Ask the Pope - I'm not going to comment any further than saying that this is one of the funniest blogs I have ever read (POPE MY RIDE!!!). Anyway, check it out and make your own decision...

7. ~we will always be a light~ - A fellow blogger with whom I share many mutual acquaintances, but have never met.

8. Kevin G. Powell - Always an interesting and insightful read.

9. Four Bad Men - One of the funnest and bestest group blogs out there.

10. A Newspaper called Gateway - Another fine group blog written by a bunch of kids who write a "newspaper" called Gateway.

11. Ahab's Whale - Another group blog, but this time... by Canadians in the UK!

12. Grandinite - Not just because he challenged me, but because I am fascinated daily with the stuff he digs up and posts about.

There we go. Daveberta's Joint Task Force Twelve (aka The Fantastic 12).

So, at this point, I am supposed to challenge other bloggers to join the elite group and create their own Joint Task Force 12. So, if the're up to it, I challenge...

Scott Tribe

Section 15

Stephen Taylor

Any of the guys over at freethought.ca

PS. To the guy in the apartment above me: Thanks for BBQing that nice juicy steak at 10:30pm last night. I hoped it was even better after I opened my balcony door and blasted Michael Jackson and MC Hammer on my stereo just for you. Jerk.

Monday, July 25, 2005

the next great gg

There seems to be a decent amount of talk as of late about who will replace current Governor General Adrienne Clarkson when her term as GG is up later this year. Some of the names being dropped by other bloggers and the MSM include Bob Rae, Ed Broadbent, Joe Clark, Marc Garneau, James Bartleman, etc.

Here are some of my suggestions...

John Ralston Saul: Intellectual, author, and husband of Ms. Clarkson. I saw him speak at the University of Alberta a couple of years ago. This guy is amazing. I think he would be an interesting choice for GG (plus, think of how much taxpayers would save on moving costs!).

Preston Manning: Former Reform Party MP and Leader, bested by Stockwell Day, son of Ernest Manning. Though I think that the GG position shouldn't be a dumping ground for old politicians, I think Mr. Manning would serve Canadians well in this position. I don't tend to agree with his politics, but I have a large amount of respect for this man and think he would be a good choice.

Warren Kinsella: Author, Chrétien Advisor, Punk Aficionado etc. Born in Calgary, lives in Toronto (Pan-Canadian). I would love to see Monte Solberg's reaction to this one. Just think of the cool GG blog!

Gordon Lightfoot: Canadian Music Legend. He scores pretty high on the "old white guy" scale, but I think he would do a decent job.

Knowlton Nash: Former CBC National News Anchor, correspondent, etc. Being an unabashed Knowlton Nash fan, so would love to see him become our Governor General (read his book: History on the Run: The Trenchcoat Memoirs of a Foreign Correspondent - It's awesome!).

Naomi Klein: Author, Anti-Globalization activist, etc. She *might* be a little too controversial for the GG position, but I would LOVE to see the reaction from right-wingers on this one.

And finally...

William Shatner: Actor, Music Artist, Fiber Advocate. Come on, how cool would that be?!?!

Friday, July 22, 2005

jason's throw down the gauntlet

Well, it's Friday and I'm going out of town until Sunday. So here is some reading...

1. Jason Morris over at Gauntlet has thrown down the gauntlet at Jason Cherniak over the latter Jason's recent post defending the outdated and unrepresenative First-Past-the-Post electoral system. Check it out, this is fun.

2. My Calgary Stampede Weekend Chapter 2 is near completion. But, since it's really really sunny outside and I'm leaving for the weekend, you'll all just have to wait another couple of days for it...

3. If you are in Edmonton this weekend, there is tones of stuff to check out! Klondike Days! World Masters Games!

4. And, another reason why Edmonton Mayor Stephen Mandel rocks.

5. I am still up to the Fantastic 12 challenge which Grandinite threw down and will show my hand very very soon.

Thursday, July 21, 2005

wild rose roundup

Wander on over to the Catalytic Coral to check out the latest Wild Rose Roundup by my good blogging buddy Senator Catalyst. These things take quite a bit of effort, so tones of props are sent the Senator's way.

On another note, it appears daveberta has graced the pages of Edmonton's Free Weekly Magazine, SEE Magazine care of the Dew Line. Thanks for the mention! (It may not be as fancy as the CalgaryGrit getting mentioned in the MSM and Robert over at My Blahg on Antonia Zerbisias' website, but hey!) Anyway, you can check it out here.

Also, it seems like I've been tagged by Grandinite in some sort of Fantastic Twelve game. I accept the challenge and my response will come soon.

And for all of you wondering where my second chapter of my Calgary Stampede Weekend is, I am finishing it up tonight for a GRAND PREMIERE tomorrow (rumour has it that Paul Wells is on tenterhooks waiting for it!).

And: Soon to come, "The Best of Emil: Quotes and Salutations from an angry right-winger."

Cheers.

D :)

Wednesday, July 20, 2005

klein to stay until '07???

According to both the Edmonton Sun and Edmonton Journal, Premier Ralph Klein has reiterated that he's sticking around for a few more years despite the fact that many of his cabinet ministers have already begun jockeying for his job.

Klein told reporters yesterday that he plans to step down in late 2007 in order to allow time for a leadership race and to give his successor ample time to prepare for the next provincial election. More here.

Norris is in.

Former Economic Development Minister Mark Norris (who looks suspiciously like this character) reacted to Klein's announcement by gushing "I think it's great news, I am running, there is no doubt about it." Norris was soundly defeated in Edmonton McClung during last November's provincial election by Liberal Mo Elsalhy. So, that makes Oberg, Dinning, Stelmach, Hancock, Morton, and Norris...

And, by the way, Bill C-38 has been approved by the Senate.

UPDATE: More Ralph retirment quotes:

AUPE President Dan McLellan: "I would be surprised if you can put the toothpaste back in the tube, the websites are up, the hospitality suites are going and supporters of the candidates will want a race."

ND MLA Ray Martin: "It is baffling to me. He shows absolutely no interest in the job. The government is running on auto-pilot. Nobody is in charge."

U of C Political Science Professor David Taras "I think Ralph Klein has put everybody on ice..."

Monday, July 18, 2005

blog of the week - canadian expatriates: the expat blog

This week's 'blog of the week' goes to a very cool blog - Canadian Expatriates: The Expat Blog.

As mentioned in the previous sentence, this is a very cool blog which describes itself as "A collection of articles and observations written by Canadian Expatriates from around the globe."

Not only do I really like the concept, but the three bloggers (Bethanie, Expat, and Nicole) are entertaining as well. It also links to blogs of other Canadian expatriates and a message board for Canadian expats.

Definately check it out. I recommend it.

a list for a monday

1. Well, it appears that my right-wing blogging buddy has decided to call it quits for a bit. Peter, over at Rempelia Prime is taking a break from blogging. As much as I disagreed with him on close to 90% of the issues, I found his right-wing rants totally entertaining. Come back soon, Peter!

2. I saw War of the Worlds on Saturday. My thoughts: The aliens were cool. The little girl was annoying.

3. Sheamus has written another great post reviewing Dr. Leon Craig's pro-Alberta independence article. I read Dr. Craig's article this morning and all I can say without wasting too much space on this page is that it was nothing more than a rant against the Federal Liberals.

4. Jason Cherniak has promised us a blog post on electoral reform in the next couple of days. Make sure to check it out.

5. I can't remember where I found this, but this article titled "Congressman Threatens Islamic Holy Sites" is worth a read. I think he has qualified himself for the Stockwell Day "Foot-in-Mouth" award.

6. Dick Cheney is coming to Alberta to bathe in our oil and drink the blood of a sacraficial virgin in Fort McMurray. More to come.

7. Alberta's Solicitor General Harvey Cenaiko and Calgary Hays Tory MLA Art Johnston, are going to the UK to "learn about special constables," which sounds suspiciously like "sit on the beach and drink Guiness" to me...

8. I had tonnes of fun at last week's Edmonton's International Street Performers Festival in Chuchill Square! It was fun. The Art Walk down Whyte Ave was cool too.

9. I'm very near completion of my the second chapter of my Calgary Stampede 2005 adventure...

10. According to the Detroit Free Press, Eminem is planning to hang up the mike this fall after ending his European current tour.

Saturday, July 16, 2005

coup d'etat in the republic of holtopia



According to sources within the daveberta Ministry of Spies and Plots, a "Palpatine-style" coup d'etat occurred in the Republic of Holtopia this evening.

According to daveberta's Ambassador to Holtopia, Lord Smith Murray, rebel forces loyal to Cucumber Party Leader Hot Datum marched on the capital city with apathetic resistance. Hot Datum's forces were easily able to secure the Althingi and capture the Grand Chancellor.

Rumours are spreading that the President and the ruling oligarchy of the Thermodynamic Party have fled to the exclusive golf resort island of Papuaholtopiau to set up a government in exile.

Rumours are also circulating that Hot Datum's coup against the ruling Thermodynamic Party was spurred from House Party member Harrison Horn's comments: "Okay everyone, hands up all who think that the deception Hot Datum, would look sexy in a cop uniform. I didn't think so."

Dantum may have also received support from rebel logarithms from the Northern provinces, which Holtopia has recently declared war on.

Though these rumours are unsubstantiated and purely circumstantial, Ambassador Murray has denounced the coup as a war against the 'cucumber roots' of Holtopia.

More to come.



UPDATE: More news on the "Crisis in Holtopia" can be found here.

Friday, July 15, 2005

i'm not as big a harry potter nerd as nickol or lindsay....

Well, I made the last minute decision not to go to the Harry Potter "party" with my lovely friends Ms. Nickol and Lindsay. But we are going out partying tomorrow, so it's all good.

And... in the spirit of the always wonderful Buckets and Right Ho!...

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince Harry Potter and the Half-Blood PrinceHarry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

That was fun :P

D

want to waste an hour?

Rag Doll Physics, just as addictive as planarity.

Props to C-lo for the linkage.

it's about damn time!

"The ruling is effective immediately. We are immediately taking steps to resume the importation of cattle under 30 months of age from Canada," - U.S. Agriculture Secretary Mike Johanns

Thursday, July 14, 2005

july 14: slam ralph klein day :)


"ooga booga!"

Calgary Sun: Busy Bureaucrats by John Carpay.

CBC Saskatchewan: Romanow slams Klein's health care plan.

Edmonton Sun: Health-care critics slam Klein's plan.

Globe & Mail: Mr. Klein's health squib.

National Post: Alberta: Better Health Care for wealthy.

Ottawa Citizen: Alberta adds elite level of health care.

24 Hours News Service (Vancouver): Klein admits defeat.

Vive Le Canada: Rich Albertans get Private Health Care.

and my favorite...

Globe & Mail: King Ralph's Time has Come by John Ibbitson.

UPDATE: Rick Mercer has decided to join the "Slam Ralph Klein Day" festivities with some lovely tributes to our beloved leader. (Props to Manatee for the heads up!)

chapter 1: the road to calgary

I was originally write a monster 'minute-by-minute' post, but I thought this would be funner. So, here we go. Enjoy.

Daveberta's Stampede Weekend 2005

Chapter One: The Road to Calgary

The weekend began Friday after work. It was about 3pm and I cut out early from my job at the book depository just outside the warehouse district on the southside of the river. It had been a busy week. New shipments of publications from the far east had just been delivered that morning, so it had been a pretty busy day. It was a hot day. A sweaty day. A day to lie down in the shade and open a beer. Not just any beer, good beer. The kind of beer they used to make back when the mob was bootlegging Moose Jaw gold across the border.

It was that kind of day.

After skipping out of work, I made my way back to the rooming house which I call home. It was a dusty little joint, filled with lost souls and crazy Russians, but not the scary kind. Nope, the kind that could tell you stories of old and far. The kind of stories that should be told in history books, but aren’t. Stories of crimson, crime, and lost opportunities.

After picking up my .45 and flask, I made my way over to what the average person would know as the ‘Greyhound Station.’ This may look like just a regular bus depot to the slackjawed suburbanite, but looks can be deceiving.

This was the bus depot across the street from the Grand Hotel, one of the nastiest little gin joints in all of etown. Yes, that’s right, you don’t want to get stuck in this hell hole for one second. They say after one night in the Grand Hotel, you’ll be ready to sell your soul to Satan to forget what you saw. The screams. The smells. The haunting. I’ve heard of folks that walk in and never walk out.

I hopped on the Greyhound Express to Calgary at ten to five. The air was humid and still, like something was about to happen. The sun was still high in the western sky, like it should be in July on a mid-afternoon.

I took my seat and settled in for the long ride down the QEII when something caught my eye. I slowly glanced up and noticed two unlikely folks sitting across the lane. These were the kind of people that you would never expect on the ‘one-way’ to Calgary. Nope, these were good Edmonton folk. Respectable, hardworking, tax-paying citizens. Citizens who like their taxes high and their politics Liberal. Not the kind of folk you’d ever think to find mingling with those questionable cowboy characters in the wild south.

It was a long ride, longer than the usual express. As we moved along, somewhere past Ponoka, I saddled myself in for a deep sleep. I fell into a dream of horses, spirits, and days gone by. Days before cowboys and iron horses. Days before greyhounds and book depositories. Days of innocence. Days where any horse on this side of Winnipeg could ride for miles and miles without running into any gun toting white-guy from Toronto who want to mount something on his wall. Those were the days.

I awoke as the bus pulled its way into Calgary. As any normal Edmontonian, my guard went up. My guard went up like a jackrabbit caught in a thunderstorm. Most folk have heard stories of other folks who never returned from this rough and wild southern city, but I was nothing a little shot from my flask couldn’t solve.

I dismounted out of the bus at around a quarter to nine, Calgary time. The air was smooth and jovial. A little too jovial. But not jovial like the sound of a laughing fat man on pancake day. Nope, jovial like the sound of a cowboy at the bordello. That’s right, stampede season had begun.

I made my way to a hopping little gin joint north of the river in Kensington. It was a tiny little joint filled with wanna-be cowboys showing off their belt buckles and cowgirls willing to give it all away on the first night. The kind of joint that was made for pleasure and enjoyment in liquid fashion.

I made my way to a table in the corner. I sat myself down and took a long and hard look across the room. It was certainly an interesting crowd.

After about twenty minutes, the waitress finally made her way over. She took her sweet time, but when we locked eyes, I could see what her trouble was. She had the body of a 20 year-old saloon dancer but the tortured soul of a war veteran. She’d been stuck delving out barley sandwiches to old has-beens and young wanna-be’s for 4 long months. She drew the short straw in life and she knew it.

After three or four pints of Calgary’s finest ale, I decided it was time that I find my self some sleeping accommodations.

An old friend from a previous life had offered me a space on her floor for the night. We were old friends going back years. Good friend. We met when I was running guns for the Bolivians back in ’58. The good old days. The days of idealism. The days of youth and new ideas. Of course, those days died long ago. Lost deep in the shadows and damp corners of this realistic world we live in. Crushed by the steam engine and chewed on by the fea infested rats who live under the docks. This was now a dirty harsh world. Filled with dark and cold realities that could only warmed up with the help of a shot of whiskey.

And so I made my way to my final destination of the night, moving down the dark and dusty streets of a city ready to explode with excitement and shameless debauchery.

A city with no shame. A city that was proud to be wild. This was Calgary

Next: Chapter Two: Riding with the Cowboys

Wednesday, July 13, 2005

dorm cougars...

I'm tired, busy, and don't have the time or energy to write a post today.

So, I refer you to this. As interesting an article as it is, don't you think a 50 year-old woman living in rez might raise a few eyebrows?

PS: Make sure to read the comments below the article.

Tuesday, July 12, 2005

"natural causes"

Though I'm very glad to see 'Natural Causes' at the top of the list, I'm a little concerned at how close the second, third, fourth, and fifth causes are to the top...

You scored as Natural Causes. Your death will be by natural causes, though not by any diseaese, because that is another option on this test. You will probably just silently pass away in the night from old age, and people you love won't realize until the next morning, when you are all purple and cold and icky.



Natural Causes


73%

Posion


67%

Gunshot


67%

Bomb


60%

Disappear


53%

Stabbed


47%

Suicide


47%

Eaten


33%

Disease


33%

Cut Throat


33%

Accident


27%

Suffocated


7%

Drowning


0%

How Will You Die??
created with QuizFarm.com

Props to Mark at Section 15 and Toronto Tory for the quiz link.

student loan, comrade?

On an average weekday, I spend about 8 hours researching tuition and PSE releated issues.

I found this today and thought I would share...

"In 2002, the Savings Bank of the Russian Federation (Sherbank) announced the start of what was then described as Russia’s first student loan program, The Educational Credit Program, which was to provide loans to students from low and middle income families to cover up to 70 percent of tuition costs, to be repaid with interest over a period of up to ten years. The bank announced that 1.5 billion rubles (then about $1.5 million) had been set aside for the venture. However, at least through 2003, it appeared that no loans had actually been granted by Sherbank, and the bank spokespersons at that time were reported to have been very reticent even to discuss it, leaving some doubt as to whether there had ever been an intention to implement the announced program (Protapenko 2002, Mac Williams 2001). In all likelihood, however, the program as proposed—with no prospect either of a governmental subsidy or a governmental guarantee—was not viable even if the intentions had been sincere. As of 2004, the only Russian governmental initiative for student loans has been a proposal to provide workforce contingent loans. These would be grants or vouchers to institutions in place of the institutional grants that provide tuition-free higher education to students scoring high enough on the institutional or national entrance examinations. By this proposal, students who fail to obtain a tuition-free place could be admitted as though they had qualified for a tuition free place as long as they agree to work for a certain period of time after graduation in an appropriate profession or place. If they do not abide by this agreement, the institutional subsidy must be repaid. Thus, the government subsidy is to be treated as a full tuition grant—but only as long as the student in fact accepts the critical need work assignment—and as a tuition loan if he or she declines the assignment. (Protapenko, 2002 p. 5). Significantly, however, there is to be no interest charged on the tuition loan, so there would appear to be no real penalty on the student who declines the assignment, and in fact a substantial incentive (i.e. an interest free loan) to take the higher education with no intention of compliance. As of 2002, it was not clear exactly how the program of subsidies was to be administered, the students selected, or the tuition loan—if it were to become a loan—was to be handled. (Protapenko 2002, Vossenstyne 2002). As of 2005, then, Russia seems still to have no governmentally-sponsored student loan program."

Can you say "needlessly complicated?" I'm willing to bet that the 1.5 billion rubles were never there in the first place.

(The full paper, titled "Higher Educational Accessibility and Financial Viability: The Role of Student Loans" by Dr. D. Bruce Johnstone of the International Comparative Higher Education Finance and Accessibility Project (ICHEFAP) at the University of Buffalo, can be found here.)

a preview of klein's 'third way?'

Image hosted by Photobucket.com

Soon to come: Self-Serve Emergency Rooms.

Actually, this is a pic from my weekend in Calgary (A HUGE THANKS TO DAN AND HIS DIGITAL CAMERA!).

Monday, July 11, 2005

the republic of alberta

In the past couple of days, there has been a sizable amount of noise in the blogosphere about the editorial piece that Senator-in-Waiting, Link Byfield, wrote in this past weekend's Calgary Sun. The piece, which spoke in favour of Alberta separation from Canada, quoted former U of A Prof Leon Craig's recently written paper supporting Alberta separatism (which no one wants to publish). Duh, I wonder why.

Now, I'm going to lay it all out. I have absolutely no tolerance for the tiny right-wing fringe that so desperately wants Alberta to leave Canada. I have NEVER heard an argument in favour of Alberta separatism that has reached beyond the usual wing-nut banter and paranoid xenophobia. Until this group of crazy right-wing 60-year old white guys come up with a better argument than "because the Liberals suck" or "because of Trudeau and the NEP," I will no longer waste space on this blog dignifying their bunkness.

These extremists do not represent the views of even a fraction of mainstream Alberta society and their main competitor will continue to be the Alberta Communist Party. These people do not speak for Albertans, just like I don't speak for Albertans.

They speak for themselves, the small disgruntled crazy-right. These are the same crazies that thought Stockwell Day was too much of a socialist to lead the Canadian Alliance, the same crazies that post on the Free Dominion webboards, and the same crazies that thought Canada would suffer the rath of God if C-38 was passed. These guys are loonies.

Wow, that felt good to get that off of my chest. Thanks.

If you are still interested, there are posts on this topic at Go Political, MyBlahg, A View from Calgary, and Calgary Grit.

UPDATE: Sheamus Murphy at The Muck Shoveller has written an awesome post on this topic.

blog corporatization

On Saturday, an article was published in the Financial Post which talked about the corporatization of blogs and the newly emerging blog markets...

I encourage you to read the article.

In the story, there was an interview with Mr. Om Malik, a senior writer with Business 2.0 magazine, which got my attention.

"I'm very patient so I know one day my blog will make money," said Mr. Malik, a senior writer with Business 2.0 magazine whose technology blog can be found at gigaom.com. "The problem is at some point I do need to make money. I have enough traffic and enough money from Google ads to pay the bills but the profits [now] are just enough to buy me a carton of cigarettes."

I find it a little discouraging that more and more corporate blogs are joining the blogosphere. With the exception of a few, the quality of corporate blogs seems to be lacking in a major way.

While I don't think the majority of bloggers are in it for what little money the average blog could potentially generate, it seems to me that the more and more people who become 'in it for the money,' the more diluted the ideas and debate will become. I look at the Canadian newspaper industry for example and the downward turn in quality of the Canwest papers for example.

Am I right or wrong?

Any thoughts on this?

UPDATE: It just dawned on me that this kind of turned into a rant against MSM blogs. Out of those, I still only think that a few are read worthy.

Sunday, July 10, 2005

edmonton is better than calgary...

...but the Stampede kicks the bejesus out of Klondike days...

Just got back from Calgary this afternoon... tones of awesome posting to come... i'm currently operating on a 4/72 sleep/hour ratio for this weekend, so you'll just have to wait until tomorrow for daveberta's exclusive Calgary Stampede recap...

Gossip going around Edmonton says that tomorrow's long awaited recap will include:

- Alberta PC Leadership gossip...
- Ministerial "invisible" organ playing and rumoured bottom groping...
- Liquid Breakfasts...
- Belinda Stronach, Joe Volpe, and Paul Wells... oh my...
- Cowgirls with pink hats... :)
- and much much more...

It's gonna to be a fun post... :)

Friday, July 08, 2005

yee haw!



Well, i'm off to the Calgary Stampede in a couple hours.

I should be in Cowtown until Sunday, so you'll have to bear without me until then.

Here's some weekend reading...

Wonderdog has a great post on terrorist groups.

Ahab's Whale has more reaction to the London bombings.

I'm hoping that Mr. Rempel (aka the Ambassador of Conservative Maturity) will have some Calgary Stampede commentary.

Rick from the BC Heartlands the hackishness of the BC Liberals.

And last but not least, Calgary Grit has started rating Stephen Harper's Glad as Hell Tour '05.

INSERT: Today, U.S. Treasury Secretary John Snow visited Alberta's tarsands in search of the missing WMD's... (yes, that was my lousy attempt at humour... :P )

why is gwn so angry?

Wow. Well, it looks like I've officially 'made it' in the dark realm of blogdom. As of this morning, I've been added to Angry in the Great White North's quote list.

The quote follows the announcement that that Angry in T.O. had won the official daveberta 'most moonbatish wacko right-winger post of the year' award for the post "London Bombings: Canadian socialists aren't much better than British socialists"

It looks like my quote will be joining those left by right-wing blogging sensations and heartthrobs such as Mike Brock and Stephen Taylor on the sidebar of Mr. Angry's blog... wow.

I'd like to thank Angry in T.O. for this dubious honour...

Thursday, July 07, 2005

all puffed up

Image hosted by Photobucket.com

This is a sammers and wheat puffs inspired post...

holy shit

CBC is reporting that 4 bombs went off in London during their rush hour. Reports say that over 30 are dead and 300 injured. My thoughts are with the people of London, what a terrible day.

More coverage:
CBC

BBC


Foreign Affairs has set up a hotline for Canadians with strong reasons to believe their relatives might have been travelling in London transit this morning. They should have on hand the missing person's full name, date of birth and passport number before calling the toll-free hotline at 1-800-387-3124.

I've been trying all morning to get ahold of some friends of mine in London: Amika, Charlie! If you read this, return my email and phone message!!!!!! I'm worried!!!

UPDATE: I did get ahold of Ms. Amika Schodie in London and she is fine. She's decided not to go to work this evening. I feel a world better right now.

Wednesday, July 06, 2005

blog of the week - little man in a toque

This week's 'blog of the week' goes to Little Man in a Toque!

As far as I can tell, Mr. Toque is a Brit living in Edmonton. I've become quite addicted to his entertaining and witty posts. They're damn funny! Make sure to check it out!

More notable blogaction includes...

- Scott Tribe over at the Blogs Canada E-Group and Progressive Bloggers has written a great mini-essay on Canada's Maple Leaf flag.

- There's a huge boondogle going on in the Republic of Holtopia!

- Robert at Five of Five has a hilarious Canada Day list.

- Mark at Section 15 and I share the same opinion on Mr. Ezra Levant.

the rath of marina bai

Russian astrologer, Marina Bai, has launched a lawsuit against NASA for "ruin[ing] the natural balance of forces in the universe" after their Deep Impact probe punched a crater into the comet Tempel 1 late Sunday.

According to Associated Press, Bai is seeking damages totalling 8.7 billion rubles ($300 million US) - the approximate equivalent of the mission's cost - for her "moral sufferings," Izvestia said, quoting her lawyer Alexander Molokhov. She earlier told the paper that the experiment would "deform her horoscope."

london baby!

London is set to host the 2012 Summer Olympic Games!

For more info on upcoming Olympic Games, here are some websites...

Turino 2006

Beijing 2008

Vancouver 2010

London 2012


Also, Lyle Oberg is somewhat of a superhero... Can anyone think of a Lyle Obergesq superhero name????

And, the University of Alberta is interested in buying the Hudson's Bay Building in downtown Edmonton. Read the story here...

howdtheyvote.ca

How cool is this?

Tuesday, July 05, 2005

councilors can make a difference...

According to the US magazine, Inside Higher Education, "[w]hen it comes to convincing kids at low-income high schools that they can find a way to pay for college, a single optimistic adviser can make the difference for hundreds of students..." read the rest here...

alberta child labour continued...

Alberta's Human Resources and Employment Minister told reporters yesterday that the Tory Government would not revisit changes to the province's employment rules that make it easy for 12-14 year-olds to work in restaurants.

From an interview with the Edmonton Journal: Minister Mike Cardinal said Albertans as young as 12 should have the opportunity to work if they want to.

"Albertans are very hard workers,"

"You have to give them credit. They work hard, including the young people."

...

"Some parents may be in a position where the children don't have to work, but not everybody is like that."

"There are some areas where some parents are not in a financial situation where they can afford to completely support the children without the youth going to work. I think that option should be there."

Cardinal said he worked his first job at the age of five, earning a nickel once a week for emptying a slop bucket for the store owner who lived next door. Then at the age of 12, he worked for $2 a day skidding trees for a sawmill on horseback. He went to work full time at the sawmill at the age of 15 to help support his 12 brothers and sisters.

"Thank God I had the ability to work (at a young age), because we wouldn't have survived, probably," he said.

...

"Work is healthy, it doesn't hurt. That's what keeps our high standard of living in Alberta and in Canada," he said. "People work, everybody works."


How about improving social programs to help low-income families so their 12-year old son or daughter won't have to go out and find a job? How about allowing 12 year-olds to concentrate on their schooling so that they can increase their chances of one day attending a post-secondary institution? What happend to childhood?

Quotes from the story: Child labour law will work, minister says
Cardinal notes some families need cheques from 12-year-olds; child advocates say education should be bottom line
in the Edmonton Journal.

calgary here I come...

I've decided that it would be a good idea to go to the Calgary Stampede this weekend. So, away I go.

Monday, July 04, 2005

money money money

According to the CBC, the Federal Tories raised twice as much as the Federal Liberals in 2004.

The numbers, released by Elections Canada show that the:

Conservatives raised $10.9 million.

Liberals raised $5.2 million.

New Democrats raised $5.19 million.

Bloc Québécois raised $897,000.

Look at the Liberal-ND numbers. Wow. That is quite close.

In the spirit of money, here's an appropriate zinger...

 
For The Love Of Money

By: The O'Jays

Money, money, money, money...MONEY!!! (repeat 2 times)

Some people got to have it
Some People really need it
You wanna,
Do things, do things, do things, bad things with it!
Well, you wanna,
Do things, do things, do things, good thing with it!

(For the love of money)
People will build from their minds
(For the love of money)
People will right their own wrongs
(For the love of money)
People can't even walk the streets
Because they never know in the world they're gonna meet!
Oh that mean...oh mean, mean green!!!

On my Desire!! My money!

(For the love of money)
People will laugh God's name and cheat!
(For the love of money)
People don't care if they turn on me
(For the love of money)
A woman will show her precious findings
For a small piece of paper, it carries a lot of weight!
Oh that mean...mean, mean, mean, mean green!

Oh my desires! Talking 'bout, talking 'bout...
Whoa that...money, whoa!
People do wonderful things!
Some people, give me a nickle, brother can you smell now?
Money can drive some people Out of their minds!

(For the love of money)
Got to have it, I really need it!
(For the love of money)
How many times have I heard you say,
(For the love of money)
Don't have, don't have, don't let money rule you!
(For the love of money)
How many times have I heard you say,
(For the love of money)
Don't let it, don't let it, don't let money fool you!

People dont let money,
Don't let money take you!
Oh my desire! Keep on tellin you
People want their money,
But don't let money take you!
Oh My desire!

fox's tart

John Gibson, you suck.

UPDATE: John Gibson still sucks.

UPDATE: One of the four Dark Horsemen has joined in with some Canada Day bashing of his own.

alberta 100 & student debt

I thought this was pretty cool.

I also thought this would be interesting for anyone with a load of student debt.

Sunday, July 03, 2005

back in the edmonton groove



I'm back in E-town and I've become addicted to Johnny Cash.

More later.

PS. Check out Civitatensis for the latest edition of WILD ROSE ROUNDUP!

UPDATE: Because I feel like sharing... I spent my weekend in the bush up in northern Alberta at a cabin that had no phone line or electricity. It was great. Nature rocks. So does Alberta. It was so nice up there...

Friday, July 01, 2005

blogs of the week alumni

The morning of June 11, 2005 began what was then was and now is known today as the 'blog of the week.'

The idea of specially singling out a blog was something that I thought would be a neat feature on daveberta. In choosing the blog (sometimes bi-weekly, sometimes by-monthly), I use four main criteria.

In order to qualify for this prestigious position in blogdom, the blog must be:

1. Smart
2. Entertaining
3. Informative
4. A blog I enjoy.

BLOG OF THE WEEK ALUMNI

2005 Alumni

June 12 - 18 - Buckets of Grewal
June 19 - 25 – Ahab’s Whale
June 26 -July 2 - Grandinite
July 3 - 9 - Little Man in a Toque
July 17 - 23 - Canadian Expatriates: The Expat Blog
July 24 - 30 - GoPolitical
July 31 - August 6 - Folk Fest Blog
August 14 - 20 - Section 15
September 4 - 10 - The WingnutererSeptember 18 - 24 - Doucheblog
October 16 - 22 - John Gushue...Dot Dot Dot
November 6 - 12 - Ponies and Pachyderms
December 11 - 17 - taracool

2006 Alumni

March 19 - 25 - Phendrana Drifts
March 26 - April 1 - Practical Pragmatism
April 9 - 15 - Gauntlet.ca
April 16 - 22 - Summer's Daydream
May 14 - 20 - Walking the Four More Blocks
May 21 - 27 - Capitalist Pig vs. Socialist Swine
July 23 - 27 - The Daily Canuck
September 3 - 9 - What is the Point of this Story?
September 17 - 23 - Swing State Project
December 3-9 - Ken Chapman