crocodile poo, anyone?

i know. i know. but it's funny! apparently their minds aren't in the gutter at gacha usa.

pooh just keeps on getting cuter! haha
.......sorry.

thanks scott!

ignorance is bliss

this is just some commentary by arlo eisenberg from the interview section in a movie called Black Market. it's an amazing overview on the rollerblading industry and where it fits right now in the grand scale of action sports; and society i suppose.

you can ctrl/right click here and save as/download file or just go to my iDisk.

don't worry, it's the last one.

so the more and more i understand this whole election process, the more and more i get frustrated with it. so there are 4 candidates (party "leaders") and then there are riding, kind of like community, candidates. so, really, who are they? why are their names even on the ballots? regardless of what riding candidate you vote for, the big picture is you are voting for the leaders. the riding candidates are basically just puppets. their job is to deal with our, the communities, problems following the ideology of the party. i just found it sort of redundant to look at my ballot and not recognize the names on it.

for example, what if you met and don't like the person in your riding that is supporting the party of your choice? then pretty much, you're screwed, right? because you wouldn't vote for another party. not a damn chance. then what? you don't vote? see what i'm saying? you watch the debates, you read the papers, you listen to the leaders. they are the ones dictating and deciding what the party has to offer and what they "plan" to accomplish. it would be nice for the riding candidates to come around and meet the people, which you think they would want to do, but it doesn't always happen. regardless who the riding candidate is, your vote is for the leader.

anyway. that's that.

little more information

a quick read. check it out. be informed.

voter's guide

to download pdf right click/ctrl click here

don't count out green.

Elected Greens and their achievements worldwide

Europe

Over the last 23 years, Green parties have participated in governing 15 European countries, including Finland, Italy, France, Germany and Belgium. There have been 44 cabinet-level Green government ministers across Europe during this time.
In 1995, Finland became the first Western European country to have the Green party serve in government. With seven years in government, the party remains the longest serving Green party in government.


Starting in 1996, Italy's Green Party participated in government for six years. Currently, the Green Party has nine senators.


In 2002, the German Greens took 55 parliamentary seats, taking office in a coalition government with the Social Democrats. Hans-Christian Ströbele was elected to the Bundestag as a district representative for the Kreuzberg-Friedrichshain constituency in Berlin – the first-ever Green to achieve this in Germany.


This coalition government ruled for three years, and the Green Party was instrumental in pushing to shut down nuclear energy reactors. The German Green Party's Jürgen Trittin, who was the country's environment minister, oversaw Germany's huge investments in renewable energy sources, primarily wind power. As Foreign minister, Joschka Fisher pushed for and insisted on Germany's disapproval of the war against Iraq.


German Green legislation enshrined the protection of gay and lesbian couples. Greens have also given continued support to a bill for an Anti-Discrimination Law in the Bundestag and to Agenda 2010, a major reform of the German social security systems that was planned by former chancellor Schröder.


Belgian Greens began governing in a three-way coalition with Socialists and Liberals in 1999 for five years. Currently, five ministers, four deputies and two senators are Green Party members, including the Vice Prime Minister, Minister of Transport and Mobility Isabelle Durant, and State Secretary for Energy and Sustainable Development Olivier Deleuze. As in Germany, the party has played a key role in the phase-out of nuclear energy.


In 2004, Latvian Green Party co-chair Indulis Emsis served as Prime Minister of the country. The current Minister of Environment, Raimonds Vejonis, is a member of the Latvian Green Party.


In Austria, the Green Party has elected representatives in almost all regional parliaments as well as in the European Parliament, and in national and city councils.


In Spain, the Green Party on Barcelona's municipal council enacted the Barcelona Solar Thermal Ordinance, a far-reaching solar-thermal policy that has increased the city's use of renewable energy. By 2010, Barcelona aims to reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 20 per cent from 1999 levels. The policy has since been adopted by Madrid, Valencia, Seville, Burgos, and Pamplona.


In the United Kingdom, the Green Party has 63 Principal Authority Councillors and two members of the Greater London Assembly. The Greens represent the fourth largest political group in the European Parliament.


As well, Greens are in power-sharing governments in Castle Morpeth, Kirklees, Leeds and Lancaster. Furthermore, there are Green MPs in Scotland, Greens in the House of Lords, and Greens in the London Assembly Members, and Green councillors in towns, parishes, counties, and boroughs across Britain, including Brighton and Hackney in London and Green councillors in Oxford.


In Ireland, there are 6 Green MPs and 28 Green councilors. The Green Party has been pushing for sustainable development indicators and more ambitious climate change targets.


Switzerland has 15 Green Party members in parliament.


European Union
The Green-European Free Alliance has 42 seats in the European Parliament. Green MEPs called for and achieved a resolution calling for the ban of radioactive warheads and cluster bombs.


The International Criminal Court was founded on a model developed by the Green-European Free Alliance.


Green Party MEP Dr. Caroline Lucas is an outspoken critic of the Common Agricultural Policy, and has campaigned for an organic, local and safe agricultural system. She has proposed ways of reducing the impact and buying power of large supermarket chains, and has lobbied the UK government to use EU money to help farmers promote local food initiatives.


Green MEPs have campaigned for a binding legal framework for corporate social responsibility; Green MEP Jean Lambert has pushed for EU legislation extending full-time employment rights to temporary staff.


Thanks in large part to the efforts of Green MEPs, there is a substantial push for cuts in aircraft noise and for the airlines to pay for damaging the environment.


Green MEPs have also pushed for bans on the use of carcinogenic, mutagenic or toxic substances in the production of cosmetics.


EU Greens have lobbied for proper and precise food and consumer products' labeling, and are behind numerous air quality, water and nutrition initiatives. They introduced the "polluter pays" principle and succeeded in improving laws on issues such as animal welfare and GMOs.


German Green minister Renate Künast lobbied the WTO for the right to sufficient and safe food and the access to global markets for a fair global economy.


New Zealand
There are currently six Green Party members in the New Zealand Parliament, who effectively hold the balance of power in a weak Labour Party government. Thanks to the Greens, the country New Zealand is officially a nuclear free country, and is free of genetic engineering.


The Green Party developed and helped pass the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Bill, New Zealand's first-ever piece of legislation designed specifically to address climate change.


The New Zealand Green Party has led the way on issues of peak oil production and of contingency plans to cope with eventual oil shortages, higher prices and international turmoil.


The party has been instrumental in the establishment of an Independent Prison Inspectorate, as well as launching a jointly developed first national walking and cycling strategy.


It has called for complementary health practitioners to be integrated into the health system, and in the 2002-03 budget negotiated $3.2 million towards cleaning up and recording highly contaminated sites.


Australia
The Australian Green Party started in 1992. Today, it has five senators, 15 state legislators, and 80 members of local government.


In Melbourne, Green city councillors have enacted Nuclear-Free Melbourne, making the city nuclear-free. They've adopted and promoted The Earth Charter, and pushed for equal justice for refugees. They further developed a 20 Year Water Management Plan, as well as a blueprint for a 30 percent increase in green power.


Mexico
The Mexican Green Party has four federal deputies and five senators.


United States
213 Greens in 27 states and the District of Columbia hold elected office as of November 2005. This includes city councillors, mayors, boards of supervisors, school boards, constables, commissioners and others. Some of their achievements include the pioneering Living Wage ordinance in Santa Monica, California.


Green legislator in Maine, John Eder, passed a bill to protect children from cancer causing chemicals and another to establish energy efficiency standards in rental housing.


Canada
15 members of the Green Party were elected in B.C. municipal elections on November 19, 2005 including Sonya Chandler of Victoria, Lisa Barrett of Bowen Island, Garmen Gustafson of Golden, Janice Harris of North Vancouver District, Jane Sterk of Esquimalt, Peter Waterman of Summerland City, and Lee Ann Johnson of Gibsons.


Other countries
Today, the Mongolian Greens have 3,000 members nationwide, and has six seats on the municipal and provincial level.


Brazilian Greens now have 54 mayors and seven MPs.


In Japan there are 19 Green city councillors.

green party canada

thanks korey.

"a hirsute appendage of the upper lip, with graspable extremities"

i knew it.

the handlebar (moustache) club

conservative, no no

Some Reasons NOT to Vote for Stephen Harper and His Conservative Party

1. Stephen Harper does not respect the Supreme Court of Canada, and undermines the Canadian Charter of Freedom and Rights in a biased manner. Harper will change the Supreme Court system to his liking if elected.

Canadians for Equal Marriage - Is Harper saying gays and lesbains have no human rights under the Charter?

Toronto Star - Harper unveils plan to change judiciary

Politics Canada Webpage - Harper agenda includes changes to Supreme Court


2. Warnings from handful Conservative Party members about Harper's unknown agenda due the merge of the left wings gave no time for internal policy debate and Harper's ambivalent, intolerance and discriminating attitudes on hot-button social policies (such as same-sex marriage).

CTV News - Ex-Tory MP warns of party's 'unknown agenda'

Globe and Mail - Ex-Alliance official warns on social agenda


3. $11 billions of deficit will be resulted from Conservative proposed budgets.

Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives - Can they pay for what they say?


4. 22 Canadian mayors are warning voters that a Conservative victory in the upcoming election would mean big trouble for the country's municipalities. The group of mayors described the Conservatives as "the barbarians are at the gate".

CTV News - Mayors warn against Conservative victory

CTV News - Metis leaders slam Harper, endorse Martin


5. Regressive approach towards minorities (women's rights, and First nations rights)

CBC News - Women's rights at stake if Harper wins: Morgentaler

CTV News - Metis leaders slam Harper, endorse Martin


6. Homophobic and hostile attitudes towards gay and lesbian Canadians. (Larry Spenser, Cheryl Gallant, Frank Luellau, Conservative MPs)

Canwest News Service - Tories will tweak hate-crime law

Globe and Mail - How far would he go to stop gay marriage?


7. Harper's Conservative Party of Canada is not the same as the Conservative Party of Sir. John A. MacDonald at all. Harper's Conservative Party is really just the old Canadian Alliance becomes larger. Harper has a secret plan to fight the social order from the left.

CanWest News Service - Harper essay warned of sliding social order, need to fight left


8. Non-supportive of Canada heritage of bilingualism.(Scott Reid, Conservative MP)

CBC News - Conservative language critic resigns


9. Return of death penalty to Canada (Tom Jackson, Conservative MP)


10. Increased involvement in warfare and military spending, which is not a Canadian peacemaker value. (Stephen Harper, Conservative Leader).

CTV.ca | Harper open to missile-defence talks

seu jorge

if you LOVED life aquatic, and got the cd, and wanted more than the 5 seu jorge songs that were on the album, there you go. well, even if you didn't do all that jazz, you should check it out anyway. it's not english, but who cares?

that's all.






ps don't forget to vote on monday, if you're canadian.

coming soon!!!

x3

your opponent has 8 wins and 8 knockouts. fight!

so it's 2 o'clock in the morning and the just showed a mike tyson fight from his early years. i already know all about it but i still find it absolutely hilarious. he was a machine. for one i noticed that the broadcast started and ended in half an hour. not even thinking, i figured that this must have been on of his post every-fight-was-a-first-round-knockout phase and they would just show his fight for the 30 minutes, but i was wrong. the first 20 minutes was the first fight on the card leaving 10 minutes for the tyson main event. haha i knew where this was going so i didn't look away cause i might have missed it. so they introduced him and his opponent, michael johnson, and they went at it. 20 seconds later, michael johnson was on his back. 8 counts later michael johnson was standing up, and groggy. 4 seconds later michael johnson was on his back again probably dreaming of the time he was riding his tricycle on the driveway. it was just that fast. how would you feel as a professional fighter, standing in the ring against a 19 year old that was 8-0 with 8 knockouts, 7 in the first round. i don't know about you but i would be pretty terrified, regardless. the best part was the post-fight interview. they had mike tyson in the ring, not even a drop of sweat i might add, with some boxing specialist, i didn't catch who he was. he was speechless. tysons trainer wants to get him experience but nobody lasts more than a round. a half round at that.

"we've got a huge problem here. we have a 19 year old that throws... hydrogen bombs."
"no one can take his punches so how can we get him any experience? anyone of those punches has the potential to knock out any professional fighter."
"this is a huge problem because any punch is a knockout punch. this is a huuge problem"
"finding sparring partners is extremely hard. it's hard to get him sparring partners nevermind opponents."

i hope michael johnson got paid well.

i have to get my hands on a dvd set of his first 20 fights.
too funny.

proof,

that the environment isn't quite right.

no one in toronto is complaining. that's for damn sure!

ps CELSIUS not fahrenheit.

love hate relationship

love apple computers. love them. love them. love them. but, i have to agree with the aggrevated people that just recently purchased new iMacs and Powerbooks, who are just now finding out that something new and better is now available. i remember a few years ago, there would be a keynote/announcement of upcoming products, a release date, and dropped prices on the current models to be replaced. it's not exactly lying, i don't think, but it is totally unfair to spend a bunch of money on a top-of-the-line computer only to find out weeks, sometimes days later that you could have gotten something substantially better for the same money. it's dishonest.

but then again, this is 2006. technology is moving faster than ever. you're always going to be behind. period.

"what an asshole!"
a disgruntled dave lang who just recently purchased a "new" iMac.

"steve jobs" on SNL

another aggravated customer

ps - i'm going to love my macbook hehehehe!

mind your surroundings

so before my AMAZING trip, that i will tell you about later, i had an interesting visit my dealership to get my oil (car haha) changed. it's amazing what you can learn just by observing. such as:

1. there are crazy people everywhere, even at car dealerships. while waiting, i saw this older man walk through the dealership. then around it, then back through it, then across the street, then back over to dealership, then he stared at a tree for awhile, then continued his tour. i thought maybe he had a car there and was just trying to pass the time but then i heard one of the mechanics ask "who's this guy? that guy? he's been here for hours!"

2. does every business have a bossy figurehead who appears to have no job but to tell other employees what they are doing or what they should be doing? well, i guess for all i know, that could have been Don Howson of "Don Howson Chevrolet" but regardless, he didn't seem to have much of a purpose other than to ask meaningless questions and make redundant requests, and in a "dickish" manner at that.

"hey, can you move this stuff, to there?" it was A (one) box. i'm sure he could have handled it other than disturbing the cashier dealing with other customers. there was a guy in there painting because they had just gone under renovations. he asked the painter to move his things because "this is a business." it was a can of paint, and a paint tray, that he was using to paint. what an ass!

3. apparently burping is no longer considered rude in public. there was a gentleman sitting across from me who let loose a pretty good one, of course not excusing himself but was no comparison to the earth shattering rumble that came out of the woman beside me minutes later. she didn't flinch or anything. it was like a natural reaction like breathing. i jumped, looked at her, and of course started to laugh to myself. she just went on reading her harlequin novel.

4. women actually DO read harlequin novels. you know, the love books you can find in grocery stores with simulated paintings of fabio on the cover sitting on a rock in a waterfall or something like that?

5. 6 seats are not enough, in any waiting room. unless it's a prosthetic limb repair shop for pet grasshoppers or something that rare of that nature.

6. apparently watching someone paint is entertaining, relaxing, and DANGEROUS. i looked up from reading my book and i noticed everyone kind of looking in one direction. when i say everyone, i mean EVERYONE. what were they gawking at? the painter, painting the wall, sloooooooooowly. i looked away quickly so i wouldn't get hypnotized and fall under the same comatose as the others. i'm waiting to see him on the news. he may be the next villain - The Painter. he renders his victims unconscious with his slow, deliberate strokes as he pretends to be an everyday painter, and then has his way with them.

7. have you heard of the mustache imp? well, apparently he comes to you (men) when you turn 50 or so and outfits you with some mega facial hair and a styling guide. the facial hair sits thick and stringy and is immediately ready for twisting and forming. at the dealership i saw a group of older man talking in a circle, all with ridiculous mustaches. they might as well have been playing double dutch. i can't wait to be 50. i wish i had my camera on me. would have been a photo-shoot!

8. women read more then men. every woman in the waiting area was reading something. cosmopolitan, the newspaper, harlequin novels, something. of course before being hypnotized by The Painter. every man was looking at the ceiling or the floor. a couple picking their nose and the others styling their mustaches.

9. black people trust black people. if a black person enters a building, store, or in this case, a dealership, and there is another black person in there, they will ask them their question whether they work there or not. a nice little lady came in, passed the information desk and started asking me questions. maybe she thought i was employed there in my green burton jacket and thought that information meant something else but i doubt it. it took me two tries to for me to direct her to the information desk. i'm not quite sure what to say here..... loosen up people?!

10. mechanics don't like humour at their own expense. ages ago on my older blog, i had a little confrontation with a John Grad. he tried to charge me like a hundred bucks basically to check something that you didn't even touch my car to check. luckily another agent told him it was his mistake and it was actually FREE of charge. anyway, i saw him again that day. it's been like 8 months or so since i'd been there and honestly, i was still a little bitter at the guy. after dealing with another agent he directed me to the waiting room. as he opened the door he asked how i was doing and i could have a seat in the new waiting room, i laughed and replied "you're not going to charge to to sit are you?" laughing in reality but inside SO SERIOUS! he smiled and walked away. stuart 2 - john grad 0 but 50 douche points