snap in a zee formation

for your viewing pleasure- PLEASE specifically note Merlin at 1:04. Sass.

"He is the MASTER of sass. Absolute master....I'm not sure if I would've been able to handle a personal sass attack."
-E. Bod.

Lend me your hand and we'll conquer them all

"If people bring so much courage into this world, the world has to kill them to break them, so of course it kills them. The world breaks everyone and afterward many are strong at the broken places. But those that will not break it kills. It kills the very good and the very gentle and the brave impartially. If you are none of these you can be sure it will kill you too, but there will be no special hurry."

-Ernest Hemingway

petite déjeuner

"And these children that you spit on

as they try to change their worlds

are immune to your consultations.

They're quite aware of what they're going through." 

-David Bowie

three blind mice

we can ride bikes without helmets

As I am late getting this response up, the date for Canada’s next federal election has now officially been set for May 2, 2011. Why they bothered calling an election at all, I am not sure because we only ever end up with a minority government anyway, but good on ‘em for trying, right?

However, ignoring the seemingly doomed-to-be-repeated results of past elections and setting aside most negativity and cynicism, I do intend to vote in the upcoming election. Perhaps it is all my early education on what it means to be a citizen of Canada, or the many conversations with my Grandpa in which he pressed the importance of being an active member of society...either way, although I do not typically concern myself with events over in Ottawa any more than they worry about me here in Alberta, on May 2 I will head to the polls and fill out my ballot. 

I believe voting is important for two major reasons 

(as well as a couple less substantial ideas). First, because it is my duty as a citizen of Canada- a democratic nation- to participate in government affairs. Secondly, because it is important for me to have my voice heard by the government and in voting I ensure a better chance that I am represented by someone who shares my opinions and whom I respect. I must also admit there is some subtle gloating after I vote (hence the less substantial bit of rational) because it is such a novelty- how often does the government ask for your opinion on something concerning everyone? Exactly.

I am also a strong believer in the age old phrase “speak now or forever hold your peace”. If you choose not to vote, as far as I am concerned, you opt out of any right to bitch, moan, complain, or grumble about anything the big-wigs in Ottawa do. I don’t care how “it is so unfair” and “if [you] were making the decisions, it would be [like this]...” No. You had your chance to have a say, you chose to not participate, and now you get to watch from the sidelines. You made your bed, now lay in it and watch the news as they tally the results of the vote and don’t you dare say anything because you were too lazy to get up and fill out a couple boxes that morning. 

Although I think it is a vital part of democracy that all eligible people vote, I think it is especially important that young people, specifically students, vote. It is important that we, as young people, take interest in our government because, let’s face it- we’re the ones who will be running it in another 10 years (SCARY THOUGHT). It is also important for us to take interest and participate in our government because as students we have new ideas and wants and dreams for our nation; things that should be heard! The needs of our generation will be different than those of previous ones and it is critical that we be aware of how to have our voices heard and our demands met.

Unfortunately, Canadian students seem to struggle with the execution of this concept. According to Elections Canada not only has general attendance steadily decreased (with voter turnout at only 58.8%) youth attendance at the polls is specifically, disturbingly low. In the federal election of 2000, only 22.4% of 18-24 year olds voted and in 2008 only 35.6% of the eligible electoral population between 18 and 21 years of age voted (Elections Canada). There are many speculations as to why  our generation exhibits such a pathetic sense of duty but regardless of the cause, the consequences are clear: if the youth continue to be unassertive and inactive in government, it spells a long and difficult road for them in both national endeavors and the global community in the near future. 

Assigned Blog Entry #5: ‘Final Blog- A General Election’)

Timbits and Bobbins

I have a talent: I can tell stories. 

Now I don’t mean tales of princesses and frogs and made-up shenanigans that involve heros and dragons, but events that I have witnessed or experienced during my regular-day life.  

Now this is a particularly important skill for an average person, such as myself, to possess because it helps to distinguish me from other members of the roiling sea made up of similarly standard-edition human beings.

I can make an adventure out of nearly anything.I promise- grocery shopping will never have sounded so exciting.

I rejoice in taking the mundane events of normal life and bringing out the excitement and humour in these every-day moments. If nothing else, it gives a bit more light to my life. 

Man-eating, Brazilian Giant Millipede vs. Kamikaze Camel Spider of Afghanistan

Some time ago, Witty Professor posed this question to us:

“Is Alberta doing enough to create a vital and dynamic economy to maintain the kind of standard of living for a similar population when oil starts to become less of a factor?”

I think a better, surely a simpler question, would be- is Alberta doing anything to create a vital and dynamic economy? 

Any economy for Alberta is vital. In the 2006 census by Stats Canada we boasted a population of 3.2 million people- that’s approximately 5 people per square kilometer of this beautiful and relatively flat province. Lots of people means lots of jobs, lots of money, lots of energy, and lots of resources are needed to keep them happy and keep them here. But how were we able to attract and maintain such an impressive population living with such a splendid standard of living in the middle of the bald-ass prairie? 

Oil, and tons of it.

This begins to address the second part of the question: dynamic. Does Alberta have a dynamic economy? Well, it’s certainly not our strong suit. We’ve got two main commodities in Alberta: beef and oil- dead cows and dead dinos power our economy. And although everyone sees the potential problems this will impose when the one resource runs out (as it inevitably will), no one within the system seems to give two decayed, superheated, compacted and human-refined dino shits about it; so long as they make money, there’s no need to worry. Thus, it is no surprise that there is hardly any investment in non-oil related industries within the province. 

I understand that no one wants to invest in something they will never get any returns on, but in Alberta’s case, procrastination to do so will result in the ruin of our economy. All of our money is tied up in oil and natural gas production, but this is not a renewable resource and some day it is going to run out. For years industry ‘experts’ have been forecasting doom and gloom for the oil sands of Alberta and for years we’ve kept pumping it out- but this can’t go on forever. It is practically guaranteed, at the rate we burn the stuff, that within 50 years the Earth’s oil and gas will be gone. It is even more likely that within 20 years oil and gas will become almost obsolete as the rest of the world proactively gravitates toward new technologies and becomes less dependent on fossil fuels.

So where should people be investing their money to ensure Alberta’s future?

I believe that Alberta’s future lies in its past- in agriculture. For all intents and purposes Alberta is Saskatchewan’s twin because, although slightly bigger and much better looking, we are perfectly equipped to have an agriculture focused economy. Alberta has well established markets for pork, dairy, poultry, eggs, and grains. The beef industry in Alberta is particularly well established, but the problem facing cattle farmers in Alberta is that there is no money in it. It is expensive, both in time and money, to ranch- most ranchers are forced to have a second career so that they can afford to keep even a small herd. It is sad to see their lifestyle reduced to little more than a hobby. More money in this market would not only mean better returns for Albertan ranchers, but it would encourage other smaller, niche markets (such as those for sheep, goats, elk, bison, and deer) to grow and become profitable as well.  

Of course even more concerning than what we are going to do without oil, is what we are going to do with what the big oil companies leave behind once they ditch. The most prevalent concern of environmental groups is the tailing ponds of the oil refineries. They are great vats into which the byproducts from the processing of oil sands are poured. It would be foolish of us to think that these corporations were going to stick around until the very end and clean up every last trace of their work. These biohazardous soup pots, would pose a significant threat to the environment if the containment system were to fail. Not only would the health of wildlife and our own population be at serious risk, but the future of our province’s economy. Alberta would not be able to fall back on agriculture as its main economy if the land were polluted by the leaking toxins of the previous market. 

Now I imagine that when the economy shifts from oil and gas to [insert awesome, new, sustainable, profitable, well-invested economy focus here] there will also be significant changes in the overall lifestyle for Albertans. Without oil there is no way that Alberta could support its current population with the same standard of living as we are all accustomed to. Although I have always imagined myself to be on par with my parents when I reach their age, I realize that is unrealistic for the times in which I will be living my mid-life. But, fear not, for as usual, I thought this one through:

Presenting, Plan A:

I will get an agriculture degree in animal science so as to meet some basic credentials, pair that with my cooking skills, ability to clean a house, and *cough* charm, I will marry a farmer. Or a rancher depending on who is available and dumb...I mean, willing enough to take on a city slicker as a wife. And I get a pony. 

Of course, if this doesn’t pan out there’s is always Plan B in which I take off to India and become a dedicated yogi. I’ll keep you posted on how this goes.  

(assigned blog entry #3: ‘A future for Alberta’)