Danny Williams vs. Paul McCartney

And who, you ask, is Danny Williams? I'm not talking about the heavyweight boxer... I'm talking about Newfoundland's beloved premier! (Newfoundland is a Canadian province, people!!!) Newfoundland is home to the much discussed seal-hunt that has been a "cause célebre" for several years in the past, both in Canada and internationally. I watched a debate on this subject take place on Larry King Live yesterday night (yes, I was watching TV on a Friday night). Today, I found the CBC article that talked about it.

It's interesting that even though the entire world is being told by strong media and celebrity endorsements that the seal-hunt is extremely inhumane and cruel, the Canadian media tends to be supportive of the hunt. General Canadian reporting seems to indicate that everyone else in the world is being misinformed. Although most internet sites and international media will make the seal hunt sound really bad, it is very interesting to see the Canadian government's page on Seal Hunt myths, which supports the opposite viewpoint.

This debate came to a head in the live CNN debate where Paul McCartney and his wife attempted to convince people that the hunt is cruel, not to mention their economic solutions for Canada. I was initially swayed by their argument, until premier Williams came on (about half way through), and started questioning their facts and arguments. Not that I think Williams presented a greatly eloquent argument, but he did make me stop and actually contemplate the other side. To be honest, I'm now a little unsure of what the truth is, but I'm more in favour of the hunt than against it. The premier raised some very interesting points, including that he felt that the McCartneys were being used (he's a brave man!) by some sensationalist and very well funded organisations like PETA, while more reputable organisations like the WWF supported the hunt.

The McCartneys (Paul was wearing a nice Canada sweater) were in favour of banning the seal hunt and setting up an eco-tourism industry akin to the whale-watching industry that replaced the now-illegal whaling industry decades ago, along with government subsidies that would supplement the fishermen's incomes. It should be noted that the seal population is not currently endanged, even though the McCartneys said it was only a matter of time that it soon would be, an assertion which was challenged by the premier. The show did show some live video of the seal hunt which was admittedly not pleasant, but I wondered how representative of the hunt this video is or isn't, as it is hard to judge. It didn't show whether or not the seals suffer much, or at all. I also wondered if there is any good way to kill any animal. I guess this animal suffers more because it is so cute.

In my opinion the premier didn't come off as the most eloquent person, but he did force thoughtful viewers to consider that there is another viewpoint. The McCartneys were defensive at times, but they presented a fairly unified and consistent approach that was on-topic. I think the premier felt defensive, since he was going off topic a little, but really, how could you not be defensive when arguing against McCartney, whom everybody loves. It was probably a lost cause to start with, so I think he did really well.

Best quote from McCartney's wife:
KING: Well, what do you make of the argument that most of them are shot, Heather?
H. MCCARTNEY: Well, it's just not true. It's complete and absolute rubbish. It's just not true. Most of them are shot and clubbed in a hacky pick thing, which is a tall, long hook and then they hit them once with it and drag them along the ground. And they only use the one bullet. Again, because it's used for fur. It's not used for any other thing.
Best quote by Danny Williams:
WILLIAMS: Larry, let me tell you a couple of things. First of all, Heather is incorrect. There are 90 percent of these animals that are basically killed by firearms. So I had to set the record straight because I live here and I actually know. As well, you know, there's an unfair comparison that if you go into a beef slaughter house or a pork slaughter house or a chicken slaughter house and you put white sheets down on the floor, well then you're going to see blood. And that's not nice and that's not pleasant.

Here's a full transcript of the show.

Daniel

Thirty Six Months

Today I celebrate my 3-year anniversary working at GM. I think its a big accomplishment. But there's another significance to this day. Today, I've finally fulfilled the experience requirements required to get my Professional Engineer's License from Professional Engineers Ontario! I've just got to make sure that I fill in that application next week (on my list of goals, I was supposed to do it this week, but I'm out of time... because I will be celebrating on Saturday... read on)

And how am I celebrating, you ask? I will be going to work at 6:30 on a Saturday, that's how! For the first time ever (when not travelling). After resisting for many years, I now have to do it to meet a deadline (someone else's deadline). I suppose I'm only complaining because I did already work 52 hours this week. But still, it was my decision to accept coming in on Saturday, and 52 isn't that much really. I guess I'm just over-dedicated sometimes. Maybe I let it happen because I actually enjoy work to some degree. Well, I don't mean I'd rather be at work. I simply enjoy getting the work done, and the sense of accomplishment when I'm making real progress. I also believe it will reduce my stress level next week. It may also be because I like my job, I enjoy the work, I think I'm good at it (and getting better everyday), and there's so much to learn. And therein lies the issue, but its a great issue to have I think. Having to work one Saturday is better than having a job that I hate.

Daniel

Turning Up The Heat

According to this article, the planet is hotter than its ever been in a long time. And its our fault, say our scientists. It seems they are always attributing the warming effect to all the greenhouse gas emissions. I bet that is most of the answer. But what about the fact that we're just burning a whole bunch of stuff! We're burning more than ever before. We're burning coal, oil and other things faster than the planet normally does. And we're doing it more and faster everyday... does this heat just dissipate? The planet is not a closed thermodynamic system, taking heat in from the sun, and radiating heat into space... but just as what once seemed like a small amount of carbon dioxide is now having an effect on the atmosphere, doesn't this widespread burning contribute at all to thermal (dis)equilibrium? I wonder if anyone has tried calculating the effect of growing combustion on the planet? Typically the burning releases greenhouse gases which makes the planet a better insulator, but what about the heat from burning itself? My instinct tells me its negligible, but we're are burning lots of stuff constantly and permanently. Now excuse me, while I turn up my thermostat... its cold in here.

Daniel

Smiters #1 - Batman vs. Spiderman

This is the first match in a series of tournament bouts pitting two powerful forces, which I'm terming "Smiters" (as in one who smites), against each other. Eventually when enough matches have been decided, I'll have the winners fight each other.

To vote, write a comment with "I Vote for _____" in it. You can also campaign for your favourite smiter, by commenting about the reasons they would win, or why their opponent is terrible. At the end of each match, the smiter with the most votes (or most convincing arguments if no votes have been made) will be declared. I'll even even the playing field by weighting in my vote equally with your vote!

Smite Challenge #1 - Batman vs. Spiderman

Batman's Advantages:
-Cool toys
-Batmobile, Batcave
-Lots of money to buy cool toys
-Highly honed physical abilities
-Willing to play dirty/has a dark side
-Secret Identity

Spiderman's Advantages:
-Web-fighting action
-Superhuman physical abilities
-Spidey sense
-Secret Identity
-Social conscience/integrity

I vote for Spiderman -- I think the fight would climax in a hand-to-hand combat situation where Spidey could basically fly around and web batman into a state of submission. True Batman could use his toys, but Spiderman has really fast reflexes.

Daniel

Reflections On Another Year

To be honest I couldn't remember where I was on my birthday last year until I dug into my records and realised that the reason was probably because I was alone in Germany for work. The night was an uneventful one, spent at a hotel in Coburg. I guess the company bought me dinner though. But its always better to spend a birthday with at least one person that is truly important to you. This time I spent the evening with my friends John and Mel in Dashwood, so it was time well spent. Actually this birthday turned out really good, as I got a wonderful surprise in an email. Anyway, this seems like a good time to be introspective, and to ask how I've bettered myself.

Some good things I've done:

• Took my Professional Practice Exam with PEO, for my engineering license in Canada (no result yet, but I'm pretty sure I passed)
• Undertook significant new projects and management responsibilities at GM
• Bought my first major purchase: my car (which I have named "Ruby")
• Travelled so much my that I've almost been refused entry to some countries because of my tattered passport (my stats: 27 stamps, 10 of 20 pages used so far)
• Been to 2 new countries: Netherlands (I drove across the entire country), and Italy, to bring my count to 15, if I'm not missing any: Canada, USA, Dominican Republic, N.Ireland, England, France, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg, Italy, India, Japan
• Learned to speak German (understanding German is still difficult!)
• Drove a car the fastest I have ever personally driven anything (this was on the Autobahn)
• Became a Platinum member at the Marriott
• Started my blog
• Officially moved out of Toronto -- I'm now residing in Windsor
• Started swing dancing -- I'm no longer a beginner
• Joined my Jazz Quartet
• Finally wrote my first really good song
• Took my first real vacation in 3 years
• Visited my grandparents in my ancestral home
• Spent my first Christmas without any of the following: snow, cold weather, being in Canada, my parents

Important lessons I've learned:

• Don't forget to talk with the people you care about regularly
• Not deciding something is a decision in itself, and usually its a bad decision
• Work is important, but not the most important (I only put the second half of this into action recently)
• Accept your feelings, and don't suppress them
• Recognise when you've received a gift - It's too easy to fail to see the ones that are not wrapped
• Don't be afraid of love
• Confidence will greatly enhance your life

Now, to establish goals for the next year!

Daniel

There is Nothing to Fear but Fear Itself

I was recently thinking about the struggle between fear and action. Sometimes, I find that when trying to make a decision, I put too much pressure on myself. I can convince myself that something I want to do must be arranged perfectly or else it will fail. But this is simply negative thinking. This is fear controlling me.

It is by doing the thing that we are afraid of that we can conquer our fears and pursue the great things that we wish for ourselves. And if it goes well, we learn much. And if it goes badly, we learn even more. I must constantly remind myself that I do not know exactly where my life will go. And I must remind myself that it is not necessary or good to know. In life, circumstances can change. People can change. Hearts can change. Climate can change. Everything can change at a moment's notice. How can we predict the way things must be or will be? It is almost foolish to try!

Things will never be exactly as I imagine them, so it is useless to pressure myself to choose certainty over uncertainty. Certainty simply does not exist. Life is a path that either you can choose, or your fear can choose for you. We can be our own worst enemies. If we have a chance to do something important, it can be so important to us that we are afraid to even try.

Maybe this stems from a fear of failure or inadequacy. We don't pursue the possibilities of so many greater things, because we create mental roadblocks for ourselves. It is so easy to remain in misery for which we refuse to take responsibility. But it is truly scary to admit that we cause the very fear which makes us unhappy. As Nelson Mandela said: "Our greatest fear is not that we are inadequate, but that we are powerful beyond measure." Have no regrets, but never make the same mistake twice. Fear and faith struggle against each other at all times. As humans, we would do well to understand, conquer and learn from our fears so that we can achieve our potential. I'm starting now. Again.

Daniel

Fleece Me, Please!

Making purchases in India is vastly different from what I'm used to. Certain things just don't exist, generally, like price tags. The main reason is that you never pay the asked-for price anyway. Unless, of course, you're a tourist... in which case, get ready to be cheated, or "fleeced", as my sister and I now call it.

The first few days, we were always busy calculating what the asked-for price converts to in Canadian Dollars, (multiply by 0.036) and we thought to ourselves that the deals were better than home. What we didn't know was that first, the price was inflated as a matter of routine, and then, inflated again for us. The latter is what I refer to as Tourist Tax, which is often between 100% and 3000%, and is levied as soon as they see that I speak English instead of Konkani. For example, early in the trip, I was buying a gift for someone and they quoted me something like 1000 rupees (almost $35 Canadian) which seemed high, even to me. I bargained similarly to this:

Me (in tourist english): 1000?! How about 800?
Them (with a smile I didn't notice): No, no, give me good price... see high quality, ya? ...okay, best price 900.
Me (thinking I'm doing pretty good): Hmm... 850?
Them: OK... You take. (as they think "Ka-CHING! What a sucker! Lets take a vacation!")

And I thought I fleeced him! I suppose its happy when both people thinnk they got a good deal. Us Canadians are way too polite.

Of course, the next day I saw it for 600 rupees (first price). He was even willing to give it to me for 450. Later on, I was able to make an offer on another one for even less. It seemed that every day we were getting smarter, but then we'd realise that we still weren't very smart because we had begun from a point of complete ignorance. We've figured out that once we start saying "Well... its still good in Canadian Dollars!", then we've probably been fleeced pretty badly. My sister really hates getting cheated (especially when we know we're getting cheated). Personally I consider it the price I pay to get educated. And hey, maybe I'm doing my part to further fair trade, or something.

We've since come up with a few methods to help us get good deals:

Method 1: Take our grand-mother with us. She once bought me some tea and then fleeced me by 600% when I wanted to reimburse her (as a joke because we're so bad at bargaining). I totally fell for it.
Method 2: Ask "How much?". Then whatever they say, just laugh really hard. Then cut it by anywhere from 60% to 90% depending how bad it was (just guess). Then whatever happens, walk away if you're not satisfied. This has worked a few times, but we learned it way too late. Laugh shows that we know about the Tourist Tax. Still it's no guarantee to get a good deal.
Method 3: This method is 100% effective -- don't buy anything!

So for all you people who I bought gifts for, I paid way too much! Unless I got it right at the end, in which case, I hope I got a good deal. So I guess you'll never know. But its the thought that counts right?

Daniel