Australia's Bright Idea.

I'm not surprised that it happened, I'm surprised that it happened now. I thought this kind of thing would be longer in coming.

From USAToday:

By Rohan Sullivan, The Associated Press

SYDNEY, Australia — The Australian government on Tuesday announced plans to phase out incandescent light bulbs and replace them with more energy-efficient compact fluorescent bulbs across the country.

Legislation to gradually restrict the sale of the old-style bulbs could reduce Australia's greenhouse gas emissions by 4 million tons by 2012 and cut household power bills by up to 66%, said Environment Minister Malcolm Turnbull.

Australia produced almost 565 million tons of greenhouse gases in 2004, official figures show.

Prime Minister John Howard said the plan would help all Australians play a part in cutting harmful gas emissions: "Here's something practical that everybody will participate in."

/

Australia is not the only place looking to replace them with fluorescent lighting, which is more efficient and longer lasting.

Last month, a California assemblyman announced he would propose a bill to ban the use of incandescent bulbs in his state. And a New Jersey lawmaker has called for the state to switch to fluorescent lighting in government buildings within three years.

Cuba's Fidel Castro launched a similar program two years ago, sending youth brigades into homes and switching out regular bulbs for energy-saving ones to help battle electrical blackouts around the island.

The idea was later embraced by Castro's friend and ally, Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, who announced his own program to save energy and in recent months has given away millions of incandescent bulbs in neighborhoods nationwide.

Is It Anything like a Furby?

Yay! I've adopted my very own MP!

The Climate Action Network has started a "Adopt an MP" program.

Thirteen MPs have been assigned a task that would make any self-respecting politician tremble. While balancing pressures from lobby groups, their own political parties and, yes, environmental organizations, they have to improve Canada’s Clean Air Act to make it more acceptable to Canadians.
/
Adoptive parents will be asked to send emails prepared by CAN-RAC to your MP. If you have more time to devote to parenting duties you can follow the committee proceedings and send your feedback on your MP’s actual performance. Unlike real parenting, how much time you spend on your MP is totally up to you.

Interesting. I've selected Ottawa-South MP David McGuinty. Say hello, Dave.

"Hello"

I don't currently live in Ottawa South, but I will in a few weeks...or months. Whenever the hell we finally move in to our new house. There's been a delay in the closing date, don't you know.

But that's neither here nor there. Bottom line is that my current MP is recently-appointed Environment Minister John Baird (I miss you, Rona...call me?), and McGuinty (who will henceforth be know as "D-Mac" to street him up a bit) will be my next one. Sweet!

I lead a charmed life, I tell you. Except when it comes to having houses built. There, karma chooses to kick me in the ass to make up for all the other stuff that's so good.

So...I don't know what to do right now. I don't believe that I'm expected to feed him like a Furby, put a towel over his head to make him sleep or change his diaper or anything. I'm still a little unsure. But I'll think on it for a spell and at least introduce myself at some during the course of the week.

I hope my adopted MP and I get along...

Song for Africa.

I'm signed up for so many newsletters and Google alerts, that if I go a couple of days without checking my e-mail inbox, I can drown in unread messages. I checked around mid-week and I believe at that point I had 138 unread.

Yet there are times I still find it hard to come up with something to post about. I don't want to go over old ground unless it's to add a twist to things previously talked about. There are only so many things you can say about certain subjects without repeating yourself and/or being preachy. I'd like to avoid both (though I probably repeat myself all the time, since I do it in person).

But even though I probably have 200+ e-mails to sort through, the topic of conversation tonight came as a result of trying to see what the members of the greatest band in the world were up to.



That's right, Big Sugar. I've seen these guys nine times in eight different venues, including one in Kingston (thanks again, Kathy). They broke up a couple of years ago but the various members remain in the music business and I'm convinced at some point, they're getting back together.

In any event, my attention was drawn to a link on the website of a member of theirs named Mr Chill (Huh...that's not his real name...). He states...

Mr. Chill participated in the recording of this song, along with Gordie Johnson, Ian Thornley, Danny Greaves, Damhnait Doyle, Choclair and Ian D'sa (from Billy Talent) to name just a few. Please go to iTunes to download the song and video and we urge you to go to Song For Africa for more important info. Learn how you can help fight the AIDS pandemic in Africa.

Gordie Johnson was Big Sugar's front man, and if they did get back together, it wouldn't be Big Sugar without him and Mr Chill reunited.

So what's the deally-o, daddy-o, with this Song for Africa, anyway? Well...

Over the past several years, it has come to the attention of certain key industry players involved in the Canadian Music Industry, that the aids pandemic in Africa has become a worldwide call for concern. It is now a statistical fact that over 21.8 million deaths have occurred since the beginning of the aids pandemic. It has also become harsh reality and statistic to report that over 4.3 million children have been killed by the aids pandemic since it’s beginning. Furthermore, there are over 18 million orphan children living in the world who have lost their parents due to the aids crisis. It has also been suggested that over 6600 people are dying daily from this disease...

With the above facts in mind, representatives based in the Canadian music industry including top recording artists, writers, producers and media have felt the need to utilize their powerful influence in the Canadian popular culture and mass media to raise awareness and call Canadian citizens to action all over the country, those who are not aware of the aids pandemic occurring throughout the world, with a specific focus on Africa.

Ah? I'd be lying if I said that I recognize most of the names of the list of artists involved, but so long as those two are involved (and Tara Slone's name jumps out at me too...she used to sing for Joydrop), I'm interested. Especially if proceeds are going to a good cause. Maybe we'll give this a listen...

Slam Evil!

Couldn't ask for better timing for this story to come out, since I discussed something similar just a few days ago. Another comic company is donating sales proceeds to a charity that helps young people deal with the hardships of war in their country.

The Phantom isn't a character I've ever gotten bit-time into, though I did see the 1996 movie with Billy Zane and a then-unknown, but no less global warming, Catherine Zeta-Jones. I would suspect that, if the character is written true to form, that this would be a non-violent book that parents could buy for their kids. They might even be able to trick them into learning something that way!

Here are excepts from an article on a site called Comic Book Resources:

...people around the world remain exploited and violated...such as in Uganda where children are being kidnapped for use as pawns in a barbaric war.

While it may seem there's not much you...can do to fight these acts of sadism, writer Mike Bullock and Moonstone Books have teamed up to show that you're wrong.

Beginning in June's "The Phantom"#17, and continuing through issue #19, proceeds from the sale of each issue will be donated to the charity Invisible Children to create sanctuaries for these children, safe havens where they may live in peace and with proper nourishment. CBR News spoke with Bullock to learn about these real life villains, what his "Phantom"story is all about and the origins of the tale.

Full article

George W Bush T-Shirt Slogans

Just repeating something I saw on a message board. Many of them cracked me up.

1) (On an infant's shirt) Already smarter than Bush.

2) 1/20/09: End of an Error

3) That's OK, I Wasn't Using My Civil Liberties Anyway

4) Let's Fix Democracy in This Country First

5) Bush. Like a Rock. Only Dumber.

6) You Can't Be Pro-War And Pro-Life At The Same Time

7) If You Can Read This, You're Not Our President

8) Hey, Bush Supporters: Embarrassed Yet?

9) George Bush: Creating the Terrorists Our Kids Will Have to Fight

10) Impeachment: It's Not Just for Blowjobs Anymore

11) : One Nation, Under Surveillance

12) They Call Him "W" So He Can Spell It

13) Which God Do You Kill For?

14) Jail to the Chief

15) Who Would Jesus Torture?

16) No, Seriously, Why Did We Invade?

17) Bush: God's Way of Proving Intelligent Design is Full Of Crap

18) Bad president! No Banana.

19) We Need a President Who's Fluent In At Least One Language

20) We're Making Enemies Faster Than We Can Kill Them

21) Rich Man's War, Poor Man's Blood

22) Is It Yet?

23) Bush Doesn't Care About White People, Either

24) Where Are We Going? And Why Are We In This Handbasket?

25) You Elected Him. You Deserve Him.

26) Impeach Cheney First

27) Dubya, Your Dad Shoulda Pulled Out, Too

28) When Bush Took Office, Gas Was $1.46

29) The Republican Party: Our Bridge to the 11th Century

30) 2004: Embarrassed 2005: Horrified 2006: Terrified

FAX on Junk Mail

Here's a little tip that I spotted in a newsletter from Green Communities:

FAX ON JUNK MAIL. In addition to limiting where you provide your mailing address, stop a good deal of junk mail, and waste, by registering with the Canadian Marketing Association’s Do Not Call/Mail list. Get the low down on CRTC regulations regarding unsolicited FAX use and use a simple ‘No Flyers’ sticker on your mail box. Send the junk back for advertisers to deal with (and pay for through taxes in their own municipality, not yours) by using postage paid envelopes.

Apparently the CMA involves about 800 companies.

More applicable to us, they have a "no call" list as well. The last time I stayed home from work due to illness, the phone rang seven times during the day. Being that no one was supposed to be home, it can be nothing but marketing calls and perhaps a wrong number or two. It's insane.

It's said to take about six weeks to take effect. Because we're moving and likely changing numbers, we may not get to really evaluate how well it's worked but it's worth a shot. And if it makes things worse, we'll know for the new place.

I didn't sign up for the mailing one yet, in the event that it prevents me from receiving mail from certain charities I've supported (I doubt it, but didn't want to take the chance).

I'm Five Degrees from Kevin Bacon.

I work with a guy named Guy Leduc.

Guy has met actor Adam Beach.

Adam Beach was in Joe Dirt, with the lovely Christopher Walken.

Christopher Walken was also in Catch Me if You can, which co-starred Tom Hanks.

Tom Hanks was in Apollo 13 with...Kevin Bacon! God, it's like we're blood relatives!**

From this silly little game, Kevin Bacon started a community of people dedicated to raising funds for their favourite cause. Not surprisingly, he named it Six Degrees. Anyone with a charity that they particularly care for can create their profile and provide people an easy method by which to donate.

I quiet like this idea. I frequent a number of message boards and such, but I know that there are people that do far more of that than I do, and in a more widespread manner (MySpace, etc). I would create a Six Degrees profile and include a link to it in my signature for every message board of which I'm a part. Even if people who view it are not motivated to donate, you can at least increase awareness to your cause.

**Surely Kevin Bacon and Christopher Walken have done a movie together at some point??

Annual Japanese Dolphin Slaughter

I first came across the Japanese dolphin slaughter last summer in a magazine called Shock (if I recall correctly).

As you can determine from the name, the publications intent is really just to curl your toes. I forget what really drew me to flip through it, but among the first few pages was a picture of a boat (I believe in Taiji) and a couple of guys in wet suits one of whom was swimming in what appeared to be V8. Draw your own conclusions.

And I thought I had a shitty job.

There were little details so I wasn't sure how to go about finding out more about it, but I figured sooner or later I'd come across it again. And sure enough it resurfaced in an e-mail from the Earth Island Institute. They refer to a site named savejapandolphins.org, on which I came across the following blog entry:

The Save Japan Dolphins Coalition is back on the ground in Taiji, Japan. The dolphin hunters appear to be extremely angry, even more so than we have ever seen them in the past. Every action has a reaction. Our success in getting the Okuwa Supermarket chain to ban the sale of dolphin meat must cost the dolphin hunters a great deal of money. No doubt this upsets them greatly. Adding to their frustration is the fact that we are currently working to block the export of the Taiji Twelve to the Dominican Republic.

Apparently the dolphin hunters have seen our recent dolphin capture footage, which is running on YouTube and is being viewed by thousands of people worldwide every day. They have reacted by putting 24 new signs up in the same area from where we shot the compelling video. To further prevent anyone from witnessing the dolphin massacres, they have erected a wall that prevents anyone from entering the tsunami mountain – a favorite location for observing the victim dolphins who are driven into the secret killing cove.

There was a time when the dolphin slaughter took place in the open. Those days are gone forever. As the international exposure grows larger and larger, the circle is getting smaller and smaller for these few dolphin hunters in Taiji. It is only a matter of time before their anachronistic and barbaric practice is abolished forever, and they know it: They once told us that if the world ever learned about the annual dolphin slaughter, they would have to stop it. And the world is finally learning about it.

The 13 dolphin drive boats went out to sea at daybreak today. They did not find any dolphins. It is getting late in the killing season and the dolphins are thinning out. The pickings are – fortunately – slim.

In terms of numbers, we're talking about 23,000 or so killed per year.

I'm a little surprised, considering the amount of attention the Canadian seal hunt gets, that this doesn't get talked about more. Granted, it's less than a tenth of the volume of seals killed, but nonetheless I would think that it would generate more outrage ( I know, I know...if they smelled more donations to come from, they'd give it more attention).

Another good source of information about this, from what I could gather at first glance, is the One Voice Project site. And this link you'll be able to contact, if you're so inclined, the International Marine Animal Trainers Association in order to ask that they cease doing business with the Taiji dolphin hunters.

An Offer I Can't Refuse!

Received an offer to help from PETA recently:

Have you ever wanted to participate in one of PETA’s infamous nearly nude protests? Well, this is your chance!

We are currently looking for volunteers to participate in an upcoming “Die-In” demo happening in Ottawa next Thursday, February 22, from noon to 1 pm. This attention-grabbing demo will feature several nearly nude activists – guys and gals – lying silently in a pile with fake blood to depict the plight of Canadian harp seals who are bludgeoned to death and often skinned alive for their fur.

Huh...Let me check the weather network first. This THIT doesn't want to expose his twig and berries to -25 celsius weather any more than he has to. Jeepers...

Got Ice Cap?

A little visual aid, for kicks.