Icebergs off coast of St. Anthony Newfoundland

This is July 1st mind you...not much like California...I spent the day at the beach in Santa Cruz.

“Who are we?” intones Michael Moore about two-thirds of the way into Sicko, his screed against the bloody mess that is the American health care system. “How did it come to this?”
When posing these questions, Moore’s voice drops to a softer pitch than the guffaw-filled Midwestern twang he generally employs. It’s the voice he pulls out in Bowling for Columbine and Fahrenheit 9/11 when he’s at his most emotional, or, cynics might say, most manipulative. But Sicko isn’t as balk-worthy as Moore’s previous work. Gone are the Broadcast News reaction shots that highlight Moore’s sensitivity (and celebrity), along with the fish-in-a-barrel takedowns of bewildered Charlton Heston types. Although he narrates, Moore himself doesn’t appear for at least the first 20 minutes, when he lumbers toward controversy in his EveryAmerican knee socks and shorts. Sicko is Moore in a — mostly — quieter, contemplative zone, and it’s his most successful film to date. In part, the subject helps: gun control and the Bush administration are inherently scrap-inducing subjects, but it’s hard to find an American who will go to the wall for his health insurance company.
Sicko is a jaw-dropping, sprawling tour of the U.S. health care system that visits France (ranked number one in health care by the World Health Organization), Cuba, Canada and Britain. Every stop underlines the systemic illness down south: private HMOs (Health Maintenance Organizations) make billions while the United States lags far behind other industrial nations in quality of care, life expectancy and infant mortality. Moore doesn’t concentrate on the 50 million Americans — his numbers — who have no insurance whatsoever, although we do meet a guy who accidentally cut off two fingers, and had to choose between reattaching the $12,000 US ring finger or the $60,000 middle finger (he went with the ring finger, being on a budget and all, but man, the middle one might have been useful). Instead, Moore wades into the tragedies of the 250 million who are covered, and still get shafted.
Meet the bleeding masses: There’s the mother who took her extremely feverish 18-month-old daughter to an ER that refused to treat her because the family’s insurance company wouldn’t pay at that particular hospital. The girl died. There’s the insured, retirement-age middle-class couple who face the one-two punch of cancer (hers) and heart failure (his), and then are bankrupted by deductibles and pharmaceutical expenses. They end up living in a basement room in their grown daughter’s house. There’s the widowed nurse who recounts the horrifying tale of her husband’s cancer: after her HMO denied payment for several procedures (“too experimental” is apparently a euphemism for “too expensive”), they finally refused him a last-chance, life-saving bone marrow transplant. And he died.
These are the people who are turned into numbers by a bottom-line business. Moore simply allows them to talk, and their great relief at finally being heard is palpable; the film positively vibrates with emotion. The depth of their sadness is matched by the discomfiture of several health-care-industry workers who recount their own horrors policing the system. One medical officer for an insurance company talks about receiving bonuses for turning away sick people. At a government hearing, a doctor who worked for an insurance company called Humana confesses: “I denied a man an operation and thus caused his death,” then outlines how she was promoted and compensated financially for doing so. This footage is devastating enough without Moore adding Samuel Barber’s portentous Adagio for Strings in the background, but Moore’s phenomenal success has come because he’s an entertainer first, a journalist second. The guy likes to pluck a few heartstrings as he’s tweaking a few noses.
Michael Moore approves of British health care in Sicko. (Alliance Atlantis)
Smartly, Moore slots these upsetting vignettes into a bigger review of contemporary life. Putting aside America’s wealth, why is it that a country of such great charity doesn’t have a health-care system that reflects the day-to-day altruism of its citizens? Moore goes back to Nixon, who unlocked the privatized monster, and quickly sketches out the fact that the health-care industry buys — er, donates to — politicians in power, including one-time reform advocate Hillary Clinton.
Then Moore pulls back from partisan politics and goes wider, connecting the dots between credit card debt, unaffordable child care, lack of maternity leave, a workforce in perpetual fear of losing insurance, and a few other infectious modern conditions. He’s reaching a bit, but the resulting picture — of a populace in the land of the free living as un-free as communists working the fields — is exactly as striking as he hopes it will be. Thus, when Moore asks, “Who are we?” any smug Canadians cuddling their health cards should sober up and take note: the question isn’t only about Americans, but we-the-wealthy-consumerist-debt-ridden-joyless-enslaved-first-world-masses.
Marx would call this state of being “false consciousness,” but Moore is never so fancy-pants, and he buoys his dark message with typical pop flourishes, dropping archival footage and cartoon music here and there. If the methods are a little cutesy and the answers a little simplified — exactly what kind of reforms are we talking about here anyway? — Sicko shows Moore, at 53, as less angry and more heartbroken than he was in 1989, when he went after corporate greed in Roger & Me. Whether he strikes you as a showman charlatan or the last great truth-teller, Moore is unquestionably a patriot; America is his great love, his great obsession, and his great shame.
Suiting this more sombre frame of mind, Moore only engages in a few of his trademark theatricals in Sicko. The old me-me-me Michael Moore rears its head when he brags that he mailed an anti-Michael Moore blogger an anonymous $12,000 cheque to rescue the guy from bankruptcy after his wife fell ill. Tacky.
But the biggest groaner is the stunt in which he takes 9/11 rescue workers, chronically ill and feeling abandoned by their HMOs, to Cuba. Of course, the Cuban doctors dole out hugs and 5-cent inhalers, and whether or not the Cuban government staged the whole thing is glossed over. Still, the point is clear: an embargoed, poor country in the Caribbean seems able to take care of its citizens without bankrupting or killing them — or both — so why can’t America?
In Paris, Moore tools around in a tiny car with a state-paid doctor performing house calls all night. Over dinner, a table of expat Americans describe France as the most “family- friendly” country on earth. Daycare costs a dollar a day, and a public health nurse will visit the home of a new mother and — this is an I-have-a-dream moment for all new parents — do her laundry.
How the French manage to pull off this seeming utopia appeals to Moore’s roots as a union activist. “In America, people are afraid of the government. In France, the government is afraid of the people,” explains one expat. Cut to shots of massive demonstrations that show the extremely stylish, scarf-wearing French people getting what they want. There’s no question that France is the kind of ideal living democracy that America is trying to export, but France is also plagued by xenophobia, and in the midst of reforming the very workforce Moore adores. And where is new conservative President Nicolas Sarkozy looking for models? At the U.S.
Of course, Moore has to keep things simple and fast (despite the scope of the subject, Sicko is tightly edited), so he revs up his cloud of optimism and arrives in Canada. In a hospital waiting room in London, Ont., he finds people who say that here, one waits no longer than 45 minutes for care. Bring an umbrella to protect yourself from a countrywide spit-take during that scene.
But as Moore asked a whining Canadian reporter at Cannes: “Would you trade your health card for mine?” Uh, no thank you. Moore is always better at the macro level than the micro, and in Sicko, he’s trying to humanize the rest of the world for the benefit of his huge American audience. He wants to gently guide his shell-shocked, scarred country toward the notion that universal health care is neither freakish nor threatening, and let them know that a state operating on compassion rather than profits is a reality in other parts of the world (FDR would approve). Sicko becomes not just a film about the inhumanity of the U.S. health-care system, but a film about what makes life worth living. Up here, as we ape America more and more in our culture and our politics, “Who are we?” is a question worth asking, even when it’s shouted across the border by a figure as confounding and infuriating — and imperative — as Michael Moore.
Sicko opens across Canada June 29.
Katrina Onstad writes about the arts for CBC.ca.

Sicko

Saw Sicko tonight, Wow! People really get screwed in the US by the health insurance companies. It is really sad. This movie should make Americans angry. The richest country in the world, and the only country in the Western world without some form of universal healthcare. Even if you have insurance, there is a team of eggheads sitting at a desk in a cubicle somewhere trying to deny your claim. Any payment to the patient is viewed as a "medical loss" by the insurance company. I like how one guy that worked for one of the companies put it, "don't think that you fell through the cracks (in the system), it is the job of someone, somewhere to sweep you towards crack". An example given (of the many presented) would be the the woman in movie that had a $7000 claim approved only to have it reversed months later when someone, somewhere determined she had failed to disclose a yeast infection (irrelevant) she had several years earlier. A yeast infection! They determined she was untruthful in her application and went after her for repayment of the $7000.

Americans deserve better.

3 doctors arrested in failed bomb attacks

It goes to show you that many terrorists are not the brainwashed illiterates we tend to think of them as. This latest terror plot in London involves three doctors...educated people. These professionals are supposed to be able to discern fact from fiction yet they selectively disregard this ability when it comes to religion. WHY? There is a quote that roughly goes like this "if one person believes a fantasy he or she is insane, if many people believe it, it is a religion." I am sorry to offend anyone but I am done with religion. People just cherry pick the parts they want and use it to excuse their behavior, be they a polygamist in Utah or the Taliban in Afghanistan. Call it what it is...

Canada Day in the USA

Went to Manresa State beach for Canada Day. Brought the dog of course. We relaxed in the sun all day, played some frisbee, etc snuck a few beers when the lifeguard was not looking.

A good rule to follow....first pets now toothpaste

Maybe people should just stop buying anything meant to go inside the body if it is made in china (click title to read)

Sam Harris

Nico flying

Nico flying
Originally uploaded by jstonernusa

Cool Pic of Nico catching the frisbee at Parkway Park, next to our house.

Amazing video, watch in its entirety

Wow...(click title to read)

This girl gets her boyfriend to kill her parents and this is what she says "I don't know why, I guess it is one of those stupid things that people do".

Paris Hilton

Michael Moore was scheduled for a full hour on Larry King live tonight but got bumped for Paris Hilton. You may not like Michael Moore and I am sure Paris Hilton is easier to look at but really, he is talking about something (the US health care industry) that affects over 300 million people and Paris Hilton is a spoiled rich kid that did some time in jail because she drinks and drives. This is the absurdity of it all. Somewhere someone decided that she is a bigger story than a movie that addresses the failings of the US health care system. Oh well, instead of realizing the health care situation now and perhaps being interested to go see the movie and then mobilizing to petition the government for change, people can sleep better tonight knowing Paris is out of jail.

Krav Maga on Discovery Channel

Ready to dumb down your brain-conservapedia is here!!!

Finally sugar coated information that fits neatly into the little box inside your brain where the world is not what it is but what you imagine it to be. Log on to this site an alternative to wikipedia and you never have to think for your self again. http://www.conservapedia.com/Evolution

What I am reading

This book is very good and very scary at the same time....

Visit this page if you are interested and click through the various statistics presented. 

Schools out forever (Alice Cooper)

The only school in a small town off the southern coast of Newfoundland has closed its doors for the last time.

Grand Bruit, on Newfoundland's south coast, has just a few dozen permanent residents.
(CBC)
The students of Grand Bruit All Grade school — all two of them — have finished exams and will move away to attend high school in the fall.
It is a bittersweet moment for the school's only teacher, Karen Walters.

"It's sad that the school is closing. It's not very often schools close because there's no kids left," Walters said.

"The community is coming to its ending point. There's no possibility of families moving back to Grand Bruit without a school."

Millions shun bank accounts in the U.S. (Click title to read full article).

Millions shun bank accounts in the U.S.
Last Updated: Monday, June 25, 2007 | 10:35 AM ET
The Associated Press
Grandma stuffing money under the mattress isn't the only one living outside the banking system.

As many as 28 million people in the United States are foregoing traditional financial institutions because of mistrust, cultural and language barriers or a belief that by the time all the bills are paid, there will be nothing left for an account.

That can be expensive and risky. People can run up big fees to cash cheques, pay bills and meet their other financial needs. Walking around with large amounts of cash can make them a target for thieves.

The bankless are estimated to earn hundreds of billions of dollars a year in income.

Seeing a business opportunity, banks are trying to draw in these potential customers. So, too, are check-cashing businesses and retailers, including Wal-Mart.

Many people, however, still resist, preferring to remain in the financial shadows.

Working for Facebook...

This is where facebook is located physically (about 20 min from me)

Benefits of working for Facebook - for any techies out there (almost as good as Google in Mountain View or Apple in Cupertino)

Facebook rewards its engineers with great salaries and options packages, plus numerous benefits and perks:
Medical, dental and vision plans with no premium for employees
401(k) plan
21 vacation days per year, plus 8 company holidays and 2 floating holidays
Complimentary catered breakfast, lunch and dinner daily
Complimentary beverages and snacks
Dry cleaning and laundry service onsite
Free downtown parking permit
Subsidized gym membership
Catered Friday Happy Hours at the office
$600/month housing subsidy if you live within one mile of the office
Standard-issue 24" LCD monitors and your option of 15" Apple MacBook Pro or IBM ThinkPad
Worldwide notoriety by having your face on sample Facebook Flyers

Times flies

These Headphones are awesome for the price.

So I was looking for a good pair of headphones and did not want to spend $350 on a pair of Bose noise reduction headphones (or cans as they call them in the UK). After much research online I discovered that Bose is overrated and overpriced. An awesome pair of "good" entry level headphones are Grado Sr80s. They are not not noise reduction but really, you should only be using noise reduction headphones for noisy environments like on a plane. Most noise reduction headphones are not known for their "great sound" they merely spare your hearing so you don't have to crank the volume to drown out the crying baby three rows back. A really good pair of noise reduction headphones are made by JVC and they are the JVC HA-NC100 Noise Cancelling folding headphones. In fact you can get both pairs for less than half of what you would pay for a pair of Bose headphones.

Leopard

Mac OS X Leopard edition comes out in October and anyone that is exposed to it will wonder why they did not get a Mac sooner. Click here to watch Steve Jobs keynote address at WWDC (worldwide developer conference) 2007. To preview Leopard in all of its awesomeness click here and then click the "take the tour" button.

iPhone

So this is the new iphone from Apple. It is pretty awesome. Technology is increasing at an exponential rate. Imagine telling someone living in 1989 that their cell phone would be able to do this. APPLE ROCKS!!!!

Save Darfur

New music on iTunes. The Greenday version of "working class hero" is awesome.

10 commandments for motorists CLICK TITLE FOR STORY ON REUTERS

I agree with the pope (weird for me to say that) that cars bring out the primitive in people although I think praying in cars is probably as distracting as talking on cell phones. I have almost been run off the road on more than one occasion by people that would probably be nice and docile if you met them in a restaurant or at work. 

I think people behave the same way in bars as well. There you have alcohol and its power to cast an illusion of invincibility over you combined with sweaty close proximity to others. In a bar it is a herd mentality like cattle. The littlest noise for cows or an innocent bump and subsequent spilling of a $5 beer for humans can lead to all sorts of chaos.

Anyway in cars I think people revert back to some kind of primitive competition on the highways. I have often had people pass me using the right exit lane only to cut in front of me at the last minute before they would have to exit. I have also had people pass me on the left only to cut me off at the exit and then we both come to the stop light at the same time. Mind you I don't drive slow to begin with. People cannot stand to follow behind someone perhaps because they tend to have to follow behind others for every other aspect of their lives. I guess cars make people feel free.

I think people should stop and realize that there is a person in the other car like you and would you act this way to that person face to face. If nothing else it may actually prevent you from getting shot or stabbed if the person you mistreat on the road happens to be unstable and armed (not an unlikely scenario in large metropolitan centers).

Safari browser from Apple now for windows

Kicks internet explorer's ass. Download from apple, now works on PCs not just Macs.

Planet Earth

Experience the planet as never before with the most ambitious factual series ever produced about the planet earth. Created by the BBC and shot entirely in high definition, this groundbreaking eleven-part series is the ultimate portrait of the planet, providing an unparalleled view of the world's finest landscapes and incredible footage of creatures that could never be filmed in the wild before.

look for it on CBC

The seamy side of donated clothing

A shirt's journey

The seamy side of donated clothing

Google, an awesome company

Google is next to the Shoreline Ampitheater where I go for concerts. It is in Mountain View, California (about 10-15 min from me). I love google because it offers awesome products usually for free. They are even providing free WIFI service for the entire city of Mountain View. This video shows what it is like to work there. Too bad I am not a techie.

Humanism

What is Humanism?
As Kurt Vonnegut succinctly described: being a Humanist means trying to behave decently without expectation of rewards or punishment after you are dead.
Humanism is a progressive lifestance that, without supernaturalism, affirms our ability and responsibility to lead ethical lives of personal fulfillment that aspire to the greater good of humanity.


for more FAQs click here

SICKO

Michael Moore's new movie is called "Sicko". It shows the corruption of American health care. There are more people in the US with no coverage at all (40 million) as there are people in Canada (30 million). This movie is not even about them, this movie is about the 250 million Americans with insurance who inevitably realize that their coverage is not all they thought it was. Working in this system I can really relate to this movie. I personally had a patient go home with a blood pressure of 60/40 because she did not want to pay the deductible for a hospital room. She left against medical advice and her husband was told to wake her up periodically through the night and to call 911 if he could not wake her.

I also had a trauma patient that was self employed. He got into a motorcycle crash on the freeway and refused the ambulance not wanting to pay the bill. He said he already pays about $10000 a year for him and his wife and did not want an ambulance bill on top of that. I did not tell him that a visit to a typical trauma room costs $30 to 50,000 anyway (so I am told)

Finally, I know someone else admitted for one night with a migraine who got an MRI in the morning. The bill was $25000 but she only paid $35. Still, though $25000????

The US ranks 37 in the world for health care (Canada is only 30 by th way) behind Costa Rica. Not really the greatest then is it???? What good is it to have all the guns when you people are not healthy????

The Animal Rescue Site

Click here to visit the site and see how you can help animals.

Fox News is retarded

I am sitting at the Honda dealership, waiting for my car to be serviced and of course, Fox news is on the TV. They keep showing the same footage over and over and over and over and over of these two chicks in Florida fighting each other and one of them has brass knuckles and the other ended up with a concussion. Some jackass recorded the fight on his cell phone or something and posted it online. Anyway, they have had every expert on there by now and seem to be going down the route that teens today are sleep deprived and this lead to aggressive behavior.

So Fox news analyzed a cell phone video and came to the conclusion it is all due to a lack of sleep. Is the target audience of Fox News retarded or undereducated or both? Also why do all the newscasters look like porn stars?? Fox News is not news but the is to News what WWE is to sports. At least people that watch WWE however, tend to know that it is not real.

Christopher Hitchens on CBC's The Hour

PART 1

Christopher Hitchens on CBC's The Hour

PART 2

Human cost of illegal immigration

Crazy, what people will do to come to the US and how many die trying to do so.

They Die in Brooks County
An Observer Web Feature
Images of the Dead
Related Stories
Images of the Dead
There is a human toll to illegal immigration. The corpses of men, women, and children who perished trying to enter the country are routinely found in Brooks County. They are photographed by law enforcement officials and private citizens. Police use the photos to investigate the deaths. Private citizens bring them to their elected officials and urge action. We include here a sample gallery of the dead, which we hope will illustrate the human cost of immigration policy. These images were not included in the Observer’s print edition because they are graphic and disturbing.

Click here to visit page

Arcade Fire - Rebellion (Lies)

More on BFD

So Sum 41 kicked ass, and represented Canada well. Cold war kids were surprisingly good, since I only really knew one song they sang. The Bravery were pretty cool as were the Kaiser Chiefs. When Social Distortion did a cover of Johnny Cash's "Ring of fire" that was a definite high point. Queen's of the Stone Age had just the right amount of 'Cowbell' and Christopher Walken would have been proud. We left after Bloc Party played "banquet" by then I was over it as we had been there for like 8 hours.

Went to BFD yeasterday it was awesome

some of the bands are listed above. It started at 1130 am and end at about midnight. Long day.

Adopt a Wolf

Forget what you think you know about wolves, most of it is probably from Hollywood and Hollywood is full of ignoramuses like Paris Hilton. These animals need our help, they are about to be taken off the endangered species list. For more click the link above.

Click Here to visit site

Click Picture for a larger view

Nursing shortage

Nursing shortage a global problem, convention told
Last Updated: Wednesday, June 6, 2007 3:28 PM NT
CBC News
The widening problems that Canadian hospitals have in hiring nurses are nothing unique, international delegates to a nursing convention in St. John's say.


A lack of job satisfaction is an impediment to recruiting new nurses, says Patsy Doyle, who works in Cork, Ireland.
(CBC) "It's become an epidemic in Ireland, to be truthful," said Patsy Doyle, a nurse from Cork, Ireland, who is attending a conference of the Canadian Federation of Nurses Unions.

"We know that it's a global shortage of nurses … At this time, people would prefer to work in any job bar nursing, because the job satisfaction — what used to be a hallmark of nursing — isn't evident anymore," she said.

A similar refrain was echoed by participants from other countries, who said a worldwide shortage of nurses is causing extra stress in the workplace, and limits the quality of care.

"The most frustrating thing a nurse has to face is going home at the end of the day knowing that they haven't provided the care that's required by their patient, simply because there aren't enough nurses," said Brett Holmes, general secretary of the New South Wales Nurses Association in Australia.

Continue Article

Delegates heard, though, that there are success stories, such as in California.

"By reducing our workload, we're able to keep nurses in California, and we've drawn nurses from other states, and we've drawn nurses back into the profession," Deborah Burger, president of the California Nurses Association, told CBC News.

In many Canadian jurisdictions, though, that is not likely to happen any time soon.


'Nurses are working 16 hours, [and] double shifts have become a routine,' says Teena Noseworthy, who works in eastern Newfoundland.
(CBC) Teena Noseworthy, a branch president of the Newfoundland and Labrador Nurses Union, said working nurses are asked to bridge gaps that are becoming deeper and more frequent.

"The phone doesn't stop ringing, and we have to go in to work for the fourth consecutive shift, or stay on because there's no relief," said Noseworthy, who works in Clarenville.

"Nurses are working 16 hours, [and] double shifts have become a routine."

Just last month, the Canadian Nurses Association warned that the country's nursing schools are producing more graduates than the number of jobs that will be filled. As a consequence, the CNA warned, many graduates will be recruited in the U.S. rather than work as casuals.

Death Cab for Cutie - I will follow you into the dark

One of the simplest yet saddest songs you will ever here.

Death Cab for Cutie - Soul Meets Body

This is one my favorite songs of all time.

Tiny Island Makes Climate a Priority

Click title to visit page and listen to this NPR story.

Imagine if you lived on an island Country of only 20,000 in which there are areas where you could throw a rock from one side of the country to the other. This is what you have with the tiny island of Palau 600 miles southeast of the Philippines and this island is slowing disappearing into the ocean.

David Suzuki's carbon neutral idea

To solve the problem of climate change, we all need to take account of our personal carbon emissions and make continued efforts to reduce them wherever possible.

...Purchasing high quality carbon offsets from projects such as wind farms also helps support the transition to a sustainable energy economy by providing an additional source of revenue to developers of renewable energy.

While voluntary offset programs should not be seen as a substitute for comprehensive government regulations to reduce greenhouse gases (e.g. through implementation of the Kyoto Protocol), they are a step in the right direction, and an opportunity to demonstrate leadership on climate change.

...If you wish to offset the emissions from electricity, you can use either carbon offsets or a special product known as a "Renewable Energy Certificate" (REC), which is like purchasing renewable energy.

...Airlines and travel agents are starting to offer customers the option to offset their flights, and some airlines are offsetting all of their flights.... Movie studios have offset the emissions from the production of feature films and documentaries, and media companies such as BSkyB and MTV are offsetting the emissions associated with their broadcasts Major conferences (e.g. United Nations World Climate Research Programme) and conventions have offset their emissions Organizations as diverse as as Wells Fargo, Whole Foods, the EPA and the city of Vail, CO have purchased large quantities of renewable energy certificates to offset their electricity use Large companies like HSBC, Swiss Re, and Vancity have committed to making their entire operations carbon neutral Many businesses are now offering carbon neutral products or services, such as carpeting, clothing, flower deliveries, and taxi rides Some utilities are offsetting their emissions and allowing their customers to purchase carbon neutral energy Governments (such as the UK) are offsetting the flights of their employees The World Bank has committed to being carbon neutral Schools and churches are voluntarily offsetting their emissions Rock bands like the Rolling Stones, Coldplay, and Dave Matthews Band have offset the emissions associated with their concerts and albums Many people are now offsetting their weddings (including air travel by guests) The list continues to grow – best-selling books, grocery store chains, and even entire cities are all offsetting their emissions.

...As part of its ongoing commitment to sustainability, and to demonstrate that taking responsibility for one’s greenhouse gas emissions is straightforward and inexpensive, the David Suzuki Foundation has implemented a carbon neutral program in its offices.... Due to the many problems with tree planting projects, the David Suzuki Foundation only purchases offsets from energy efficiency and renewable energy projects.

...Finally, write a letter to your political leaders and let them know you've taken responsibility for your greenhouse gas emissions, and encourage them to enact legislation making it easy for everyone to do so.

While reducing energy use should always be the first priority, purchasing carbon offsets is one way to encourage the transition from fossil fuels to clean, renewable energy, and show your support for action on climate change.

The video sums it all up for me

Christopher Hitchens Bests Sean Hannity

Christopher Hitchens Rips Jerry Falwall a new one

Prelude to the end of Cheap gas

Now uncommon, this may become common
original link: http://www.cbc.ca/cp/Oddities/070605/K060504AU.html

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) - A woman was held up during a fill-up. The woman was pumping gasoline Sunday morning when a man stuck something in her back, told her it was a gun and ordered her to start filling up his sport utility vehicle instead of her own car, said Salt Lake City police Detective Jared Wihongi.

...The woman put $15 worth in the other vehicle's tank before her debit card reached its limit.

Wihongi said surveillance video at the station showed two men in a large, white sport utility vehicle with Wyoming license plates.

...The woman was so shaken up by the incident she didn't call police until about three hours later.

kaiser Chiefs - Ruby

Muse - Starlight

Wolfmother - Joker and the Thief

Arctic Monkeys - Fake Tales of San Francisco

What I am currently reading

click title to read more, although the title comes off a little harsh towards those that do believe, it is a very well written book, well researched and full of strong arguments. This guy has seen first hand the horrors committed in the name of belief such as suicide bombings in the middle east or the genocide in Eastern Europe which is why he takes the stance that he does.

Off to work

Well I am off to the Endoscopy clinic for my first shift. I am picking up shifts here and there for extra money to put the final nails in the coffin of my Scotiabank student loan.

Gary Jules - Mad World (Cover of Duran Duran)

Crazy Kirk Cameron

It is funny how Kirk Cameron debunks evolution as not being based on evidence yet where is there evidence of creationism, better yet where is your God??? For if there was evidence of God, it wouldn't be called faith would it? Faith is belief without evidence, belief for no good reason but because. These believers talk about the bible like it is fact yet it's stories and even its origins cannot be tested. These same believers laugh at science which starts out with questions searches for answers and adapts its answers as more information is discovered.

Religion is like a book written in stone-what you see is what you get. Science is like a supercomputer constantly evolving, improving, adapting to new demands, learning from its mistakes and applying new knowledge. Religion provides the answers but science asks the questions. One requires a closed mind, the other demands an open mind.

Other countries are on the cutting edge of stem cell research seeking to end diseases such as diabetes while America is still debating evolution all because of a system of beliefs that can never be accepted as fact. It is a sad state of affairs. Maybe there is a God, but this is irrelevant.

You should not live a good life and be a good person because of some promise of an afterlife made by religion, you should do it for a more simple reason: this may be your only life (i.e. no do-overs).

Funny Rick Mercer Video

Rick Mercer Rant about the Queen

Lil Bush - a new show on Comedy Central

David Suzuki's Nature Challenge

1. Reduce home energy by 10%

2. Eat meat-free meals once a week

3. Buy a fuel efficient, low-polluting car

4. Choose an energy efficient home and appliances

5. Stop using pesticides

6. Walk, bike or take transit to regular destinations

7. Prepare your meals with locally produced food

8. Choose a home close to regular destinations

9. Support alternatives to the car

10. Get involved, stay informed

Dog Thieves???

Criminals targeting pricey, trendy toy dogs
Updated Sat. May. 19 2007 10:27 PM ET
CTV.ca News Staff
The latest target for thieves and kidnappers are the pint-sized dogs made trendy by celebutantes like Paris Hilton.
The toy breeds like teacup poodles and yorkshire terriers are hard to breed and in demand.
Prices of US$1,600 or more for the tiny dogs are not unusual.
Because they are small, their owners can take them almost anywhere.
"They're much easier to shove inside your jacket or into a bag," said pet store manager Samantha Kaplan.
And if the owners can afford to drop thousands on a dog, pampering the pooch isn't a problem either.
"I can pretty much say they get treated better than kids," said dog groomer Karen Cutler.
However, those combination of factors -- high-value, easily portable dogs; well-heeled owners -- make them a target for dognappers.
Security cameras captured the theft of four yorkshire terriers in California from a family's home by gun-toting bandits. Each dog was worth $2,500.
Two men have been arrested and face charges of residential robbery, grand theft and burglary.
Burglars in Illinois trashed one house, stealing electronics, jewellry -- and the family's pug Pixie. "We're all heartbroken because he was part of the family," said owner Doreen Deatrick.
Fortunately, police were able to retrieve Pixie. At one point, a reward of US$4,500 was offered, and one radio station hired a pet psychic.
At a Lombard, Ill. pet store, one clerk got punched in the face when trying to stop two men who stole a one-kilogram silky terrier. In a previous incident involving a silky terrier, the thief sprayed the clerk with mace.
Some pet stores have massively upgraded their security as a result.
The hot pooches are often resold, but in rare cases, some are held for ransom from their owners.
One woman was asked for $2,000 to get her little dog back. She was reunited with her pet after a third party intervened.
At a Montreal dog run, some say they've heard stories that sound an awful lot like dognapping to them.
"A friend lost sight of her dog in the part and someone called her up and said, 'I have your dog. Bring a hundred dollars to old Montreal'," said Ingrid Harrison.
In addition to putting owners on alert, the canine crime wave has created a growth industry in one area. Some are following Ace Ventura's lead and hanging up their shingles as pet detectives.
With a report from CTV's Genevieve Beauchemin and files from Associated Press

Sicko

http://www.cbc.ca/arts/film/story/2007/05/19/moore-cannes-sicko.html

Hearing loss

For example, an average conversation takes place at around 60 decibels. Standing on a downtown street corner in rush hour, you're probably exposed to about 85 to 90 decibels. While using an electric hair dryer or pushing a gas lawnmower, you're well into the danger zone at 90-plus decibels. At peak levels, iPods can hit volumes of 120 decibels, which is louder than a chainsaw or jackhammer. Music in dance clubs can peak as high as 150 decibels.

Ian Murray, a hearing instrument specialist at the Robillard hearing Aid Centres in Ottawa, said that even 30 seconds at a venue at 100 decibels – well below the level created by a single leaf blower, let alone a stack of high-powered speakers - can cause permanent hearing loss.


Click title to read entire story....

28 Weeks later - this movie was so intense!!!!

Funny video

Wife has chores for you? Now a solution

Only $99 for entire package, never be stuck mowing the lawn again!

Drawings by Emily

Drawings by Emily

Nirvana on Saturday Night Live

This is the last time Nirvana was on SNL. They are playing heart shaped box.

The Strokes - Heart in a cage

This song is awesome, The Strokes rocked when I saw them in concert, very cool, voice kinda like Jim Morrison's.

Cold War Kids - Hang me out to dry

Fairly new band, but awesome song.

Bloc Party - Banquet (love this band, the new album is good too)

Jerry Falwell Died.

The hero of right ring Christianity and the enemy of liberalism died today. It is amazing how hatred is ok when espoused by the religious and then re-branded as religion, here is where Falwell stood.

"Over the decades, Falwell has campaigned against abortion, same-sex marriage, pornography, stem-cell research and bans on school prayers.

He drew ire for saying AIDS is punishment for homosexuals, the Antichrist was a Jewish man and Tinky Winky, a purse-toting character on the show Teletubbies, is a gay role model.

One of his most controversial comments came on Sept. 14, 2001, when he blamed the Sept. 11 attacks against the United States on abortionists, feminists, pagans, gays, lesbians and others who "tried to secularize America." He later apologized." excerpt taken from CBC.CA

Tasting the sparkling wines

Taste testing the sparkling wines
Originally uploaded by jstonernusa.

umm sparkling wine.

The Wine Train

The Wine Train
Originally uploaded by jstonernusa.

The train to drunkiness...For more pics of Napa go to my website and click the flickr link

Tasting the sparkling wines

Taste testing the sparkling wines
Originally uploaded by jstonernusa.

Cool pic of rock mushrooms taken on the grounds of the Domaine Chandon winery.

Wine Tasting

DSCF2548.JPG
Originally uploaded by jstonernusa.

Wine Tasting in the Napa Valley. Go to www.jamiestone.com and click Flickr to see the latest pics of our trip.

Pictured here are barrels of wine stored in man made caves at the Rutherford Winery. Each barrel is made of French oak and costs about $800-900 US empty. When full they hold about 300 bottles of wine. This particular winery has about 8000 barrels in its cave at any given time. The barrels are used for about three years and by then most of the oak taste is gone so they sell them off to wineries that make cheaper wines like the $5 kind you can get at Safeway.

Candle Light Inn

DSCF2430.JPG
Originally uploaded by jstonernusa.

Currently in Napa staying in this very nice Bed and Breakfast.

Our First Wedding Anniversary

This a video that I made for Marsha to commemorate our 1st wedding anniversary.

ED Xmas Party Presentation

Stanford Gets Magnet Status

Richard Dawkins pt 1

Richard Dawkins pt 2

Mexico not safe for Canadians

This is happening too frequently, cut the cord to Mexico I say-no more tourist dollars from Canada until they get their act together. http://www.cbc.ca/canada/edmonton/story/2007/05/08/attack-cancun.html

Save a little more and go somewhere better like the South Pacific.

Year Zero (concept album)

(From Wikipedia)

Reznor said that Year Zero is a concept album,[8] "could be about the end of the world," and marked a "shift in direction" in that it "doesn't sound like With Teeth."[7] The 2006 tour merchandise designs featured overt references to the United States military, which "reflects future directions."[7]
In an interview with Gigwise.com, Reznor stated that the concept behind Year Zero was partially inspired by his feelings toward the Bush administration. Reznor further explained,
I really wanted to focus on something that was at the forefront of my consciousness which is, as an American, I'm appalled by the behavior of our government, the direction that it has taken and the direction that it's taken everyone else in the world and its arrogance... I decided to write an essay about where the world might be if we continue down the path that we're on with a neo-con-esque government doing whatever it pleases...[9]
To this end, the storyline of Year Zero borrows heavily from dystopian fiction such as George Orwell's Nineteen Eighty-Four (government surveillence), Aldous Huxley's Brave New World (use of drugs to subdue the populace), Ray Bradbury's Fahrenheit 451 (large-scale censorship and uniformism), and Yevgeny Zamyatin's We (synthesis of church and state).

Nine Inch Nails - Only

Love this video by Nine Inch Nails from their last album and their new album "Year Zero" is pretty cool also.

Monkey see, monkey sue: Austrian activists want chimpanzee declared a ’person’

Interesting concept. We did not come from Adam and Eve after all but from apes.

Suv hits seven kids near Bay Area Middle school

Glad I was not in charge this day. This was a mass casualty incident.

Highway collapse

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070430/ap_on_re_us/highway_collapse

DSCF2395.JPG

DSCF2395.JPG
Originally uploaded by jstonernusa.

Love this picture of Casey.

DSCF2389.JPG

DSCF2389.JPG
Originally uploaded by jstonernusa.

Took Nico for a dip in coyote creek near Anderson's Reservoir. For the rest of the photos in the set click here

hummingbird.JPG

hummingbird.JPG
Originally uploaded by jstonernusa.

More pics of the humming birds from today.

111 days in the Sahara.

check out this website

It is a video of the trek across the sahara.

baby hummingbirds

baby hummingbirds
Originally uploaded by jstonernusa.

Here are the latest photos of the baby hummingbirds. More pics on flickr in the latest set here

Crazy that this still goes on

A half century after the Supreme Court ended racial segregation, parents and students in Ashburn, Ga., were still clinging to old ways, holding whites-only and blacks-only dances. This spring, the school finally broke that color barrier.

click here to read more

Mac and Viruses...

Policosanol

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Jump to: navigation, search

Policosanol (or polycosanol) is the generic term for a natural extract of plant waxes. It is used as a nutritional supplement to lower (bad) LDL cholesterol and increase (good) HDL cholesterol and to help prevent atherosclerosis.

I am interested to see if this will work...I am starting on it today. I don't want to try lipitor or crestor or vitorin as these drugs can have nasty side effects.

Check out article about NFLD in Washington Post

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/04/20/AR2007042000651.html

Celebrate Earth Day...

Celebrate Earth Day...
Originally uploaded by amma_maw.

I like the pic of the lady. Found it on flickr when type an Earth Day search. The picture of planet earth is from Nasa.

"Man does not weave the web of life but is a part of it, what man does to this web he does to himself" - Chief Seattle

Dumbed down version: "Kill the Earth...Kill ourselves."

There is so much wrong with this I don't know where to begin.

Oakland Pizza Shop Owner Fatally Shoots Alleged Robber

Posted April 21, 2007 at 3:00 p.m.

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) - The owner of a popular pizza shop opened fire on three robbery suspects, killing one of them and apparently wounding his own son.

Catarino Piedra, 41, who owns Coliseum Pizza and Taqueria in East Oakland, won't be charged with a crime because prosecutors determined he was acting in self-defense, Alameda County Assistant District Tom Rogers said Friday.

Piedra said he feared for his life, and those of his wife and three children, when he began shooting at three men who tried to rob the store after 9:30 p.m. Thursday.

"I was scared," Piedra said. "I had to defend my family."

He told police he kept a gun under the counter because his delivery drivers were frequently robbed.

The shots killed Allen Joseph Hicks III, 22, an aspiring rap artist known as "Boonie." Hicks was armed with a pistol when he and two other men tried to rob the store, police said. This is so stereotypical, what was he trying to get some street cred????

Hicks was on probation for a marijuana conviction, and was facing battery charges when he died, police and court records show.

Police believe Piedra may also have accidentally shot his 17-year-old son, who was not seriously wounded. You are more likely to kill someone you know with a gun if you use it for self defense.

Oakland police said Piedra appeared justified, but cautioned citizens against arming themselves.

Friends left messages, balloons, candles and bottles of cognac at a makeshift memorial honoring Hicks on Friday.It is good to know that criminals are still loved...

(Copyright 2007 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)