Categories
Uncategorized

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 😛

D

Categories
Uncategorized

want to waste an hour?

Rag Doll Physics, just as addictive as planarity.

Props to C-lo for the linkage.

Categories
Uncategorized

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

Categories
Uncategorized

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!)

Categories
Uncategorized

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

Categories
Uncategorized

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.

Categories
Uncategorized

"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.

Categories
Uncategorized

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.)

Categories
Uncategorized

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!).

Categories
Uncategorized

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.

Categories
Uncategorized

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.

Categories
Uncategorized

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… 🙂

Categories
Uncategorized

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… 😛 )

Categories
Uncategorized

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…

Categories
Uncategorized

all puffed up

Image hosted by Photobucket.com

This is a sammers and wheat puffs inspired post…