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Submergible bird sanctuary reporting for duty!
The Canadian Navy is silly.
The questionable purchase of four submarines from the British in 1998 is still haunting our humble navy.
“In the year 2010 alone, the Canadian navy spent $45 million on repairs to HMCS Windsor. It had budgeted to spend just $17 million, the documents show.
It appears that every system on the British-built submarine has major problems, according to the documents, including bad welds in the hull, broken torpedo tubes, a faulty rudder and tiles on the side of the sub that continually fall off.”
One would think that if, when buying a new vehicle, one would check to see if you could actually steer it. Apparently a radical notion back in the heady 1990’s.
There is an upside, the birds seem to looooove our submarines!
“Because the submarine has been in drydock in Halifax for so long, it has become a bird sanctuary. The navy spent thousands of dollars just trying to keep the pigeons from roosting in the vessel.”
Imagine the changing of the submarine guard with all the regal and pomp of any important military, tourists flock to see the changing of the pigeon patrol and the handing over of the air horns and .22’s. If this regal spectacle is not on your eastern Canadian trip itinerary you are missing out. “But what about the torpedoes Arb?” says my gentle readership. I’m getting there, be patient the stage needs to be set to fully appreciate the magnitude of how far the Canadian navy is willing to piss up this particular rope.
“The country’s stock of second-hand submarines – already beleaguered with repairs and upgrades — is incapable of firing the MK-48 torpedoes they currently own.
When Canada purchased its current fleet of four submarines from Britain in 1998, they were fitted for British torpedoes. At the time, Canada was heavily invested with the modern MK-48 torpedo system and did not want to abandon it.
Like any shopper trying to justify a second-hand purchase in the face of an obstacle, they figured it was still a good deal. They “Canadianized” the submarines, but, 13 year later, they still haven’t got around to the “weaponization” part.
“The Canadian Forces has always intended for the Victoria Class submarines to carry and fire the Mark 48 torpedo,” wrote Denise LaViolette, the director of navy public affairs, in an email. “Initial weapons certification will be progressed early in 2012 in HMCS Victoria for Pacific operations followed that year by HMCS Windsor for Atlantic operations.”
It is like buying a car without a windshield for highway driving. The splatty-stingy bug impacts of common sense have no effect on our heroic Navy highway-driver, damn the windscreen we need to upgrade the tires! No torpedoes AND submarines that regularly catch on fire, sounds like a good idea upgrade them further:
“In late March, Canadians discovered their government has been cross-border window shopping for 36 “Torpedo Conversion Kits” when the U.S. Defense Security Cooperation Agency issued a release. These kits come with spare parts and logistical support to upgrade the current stock of MK-48 torpedoes from Mod 4 to Mod 7. The estimated cost is $125 million, but the sale hasn’t been completed yet.”
While our benevolent conservative government pleads poverty and belt tightening they spend like drunken sailors on torpedoes we can’t fire on submarines that are better suited to be bird sanctuaries than actual naval vessels.
Canadians support their political parties economically as each vote a party receives is worth two dollars. Also in Canada we have a First Past the Post federal electoral system which often favours larger more established parties, so when you throw your vote away voting for a electoral long shot (any other party than the conservatives here in Alberta) then at the very least, the party will receive some financial backing.
“The Chrétien government created the per-vote direct subsidy in 2004, when it banned corporate donations to parties and limited contributions to ridings or candidates to $1,000 per year. Individual donations were capped at $5,000, down from $10,000.
In 2006, the new Harper government dropped the individual limit to $1,000 (adjusted to inflation; it was $1,100 in 2010 and 2011) and imposed a complete ban on donations from corporations, unions and organizations.”
The public funding of parties is a good thing, it (at least on the surface) keeps some of the corporate money out of the electoral process. I look at the recent money = free speech decision by the SCOTUS and shudder as the political corruption Olympics ascend to even a greater level in our neighbour to the South. And of course Steven Harper want to get rid of this nod to democracy:
“Harper, who has long opposed the $2-per-vote subsidy, said political parties enjoy “enormous tax advantages” even without the additional subsidy and taxpayers should not financially support political parties that they don’t support with their votes.
“I’ve wanted to change this. But we were very clear: unless we have a majority government we will never attempt to change it because we know in a minority government you can never move this forward,” Harper said.
Harper tried to scrap the funds in 2008, a move that led to a revolt by all three opposition parties.”
Not particularly surprising given the Conservative’s general contempt of the democratic and parliamentary processes.
Given the polls right now, it looks like we are heading for another minority situation although I am hoping that the numbers support a Coalition of the Liberals and the NDP because we need a change from the reckless, ideological based course we have been frogmarched down these last couple of years.
Just a reminder to the wimmenz, your “NO” is really just a yes in disguise and yes, how you dress will make you rape worthy or not. Attitudes from the 50’s? Hell no, here in the 21st century we have misogyny blooming in full masculine glory, and we should rejoice! (?)
“A convicted rapist will not go to jail because a Manitoba judge says the victim sent signals that “sex was in the air” through her suggestive attire and flirtatious conduct on the night of the attack.”
Are you kidding me? But it gets better.
“Kenneth Rhodes was given a two-year conditional sentence last week which allows him to remain free in the community, in a decision likely to trigger strong debate. The Crown wanted at least three years behind bars.”
Sir…Sir! Please hold out your wrist…fetch the wet noodle. *whap* You Sir have been punished!
“Rhodes and a friend met the 26-year-old woman and her girlfriend earlier that night outside a bar under what the judge called “inviting circumstances.” Dewar specifically noted the women were wearing tube tops with no bra, high heels and plenty of makeup.
Which really means: ignore everything I say and stick your penis in my vagina.
“They made their intentions publicly known that they wanted to party,” said Dewar. He said the women spoke of going swimming in a nearby lake that night “notwithstanding the fact neither of them had a bathing suit.”
Holy Frak! These sluts were asking for it!
“The foursome left the parking lot and headed into the woods, court was told. Rhodes began making sexual advances towards the victim, who initially rejected him but later returned his kisses. Rhodes then forced himself upon the woman once they were alone.”
The frigid bitch was playing coy and obviously got what she deserved! But let’s here the longer version in Lawyerese.
“She had a very different understanding of what was in the accused’s mind than he did,” said Coggan. He said Rhodes never threatened the woman, didn’t have a weapon and was simply “insensitive to the fact (she) was not a willing participant.“
Ohhhh, now I get it. He was insensitive to that fact that he forcibly had sex with an unwilling partner. I’m guessing the screaming and the sobbing and the consistently repeated “No’s”, not to mention the struggling, suggested he should continue…
Where does one even start? How women dress determines if they are “asking for it” or not? Or perhaps the venerated idea that one “yes” cancels all the “no’s” after? It is shocking that such attitudes still rest in the minds of supposedly educated people. Consider the impact on women who have been raped:
“Lorraine Parrington, who co-ordinates the sexual assault crisis program at Klinic, a community health centre in Winnipeg, said Dewar’s remarks show there needs to be more education about how women should be treated in sexual assault cases.
‘I was appalled. I was outraged. I was disheartened.’—Lorraine Parrington, counsellor
Fewer than 10 per cent of sexual assault cases are actually reported and Parrington worries Dewar’s comments will discourage future victims from coming forward.
“I’d like to say I was shocked. Unfortunately, I’m not after doing this work for lots of years,” she said. “But I was appalled. I was outraged. I was disheartened.”
Men have to learn women can change their minds, and no, at any point in an encounter, means no, she said.
“People have a right to change their mind. If I decide that I want to be engaged in certain sexual behaviour with somebody I can do that and I’m allowed to say, ‘Stop, I don’t want to do it any more.’ That needs to be respected.”
One part of this quote really jumped out at me…I’ll repeat it:
“Men have to learn women can change their minds, and no, at any point in an encounter, means no, she said.”
You don’t say. Women as autonomous beings, not just objects for the male gaze? Get out of town. If our culture was not a rape culture men would not have to “learn” this simple little fact, it would be implicity known from sea to frakking shining sea. But no, it is most explicitly is not known, hence we get men who are “insensitive” to women’s wishes when it comes to sex, and really it must have been her fault for skinny dipping earlier and wearing high heels and a tube top.
This ruling is being appealed and had better be changed forthwith. The women of Canada are watching.
Canada, at times, seems to have so much potential when it comes to protecting Canadian citizens from wrongful neglect and abuse, witness bill C-389:
“Bill C-389 would amend the Canadian Human Rights Act to protect the rights of transgender or transsexual citizens. It would prohibit discrimination on the basis of “gender identity” or “gender expression” in the workplace or elsewhere, and would amend the Criminal Code so that crimes committed against people because they are transgender or transsexual would be treated as hate crime.”
What a forward looking piece of legislation, treating more people like human beings. How outrageous. Something though has to done to derail this crazy human rights train before it really takes off. Thankfully, we have the Canadian Senate for that.
“Since Prime Minister Stephen Harper does not support the transgendered rights legislation, it may well face similar purgatory when it arrives in the Senate.
The Conservatives, who have a majority in the upper house, have adopted the tactic of using the Senate to block private members’ bills passed by the House of Commons that don’t accord with the government’s agenda.”
Ah, can you feel the all the reflection going on? All the deep thoughts and decidedly non-partisan sombre musings?
Me either. It is nice to see the unelected branch of our government quashing human rights legislation as the status-quo most definitely needs to be maintained.
Ah yes, the Alberta Blizzard Season, the most wonderful time of the year.
I like a clean sidewalk.
Nature has provided me yet another series of opportunities to show the world how much I really prefer my snow to be in neat piles rather than unruly drifts on my parking spot or in front of my house. After work yesterday, I spent the better part of 2 hours pushing too much damn snow around creating 5 to 6 foot piles of snow at various points near my house.
Poor Intransigentia she was also caught up in the madness and was eventually tasked with digging the first pile of snow out and transferring it to the new second pile, in an effort to make room for the next snowfall. She almost disappeared into the mighty drifts that were accumulating, but did a heroic job in fighting her way out and giving me more space to put the new snow.
It is now, the next morning, it is still snowing and my back has more than a few things to say about yesterdays orgy of shovelling and scraping. It is the dull throbbing pain that makes me write this particular post and the amusing fact that I seemed to have frozen my posterior yesterday so much so that I made cold spots wherever I landed, sitting inside for at least three hours.
Not me but I can relate.
The best part is that, it is still snowing, so I have more good times to look forward to after work.
The first mass produced electric cars have made their way to market. Sales are still slow and availability is limited. Is this the first step toward reducing individual contributions to green house gasses? Perhaps. Depends where you live and get your power from. B.C or Quebec Hydro you would be laughing. The rest of coal fired Canada, probably not so much.
“GM sold between 250 and 350 Chevy Volts in December and Nissan’s sales totalled less than 10 Leaf sedans in the past two weeks. Production for both is slowly increasing.
It will be well into 2012 before both the Volt and Leaf are available widely. And if you’re interested in buying one, you’ll need to get behind the 50,000 people already on waiting lists.
It’s still unclear just how large the market for electric cars will be once those early adopters are supplied. The base sticker price is $40,280 US for the Volt and $32,780 US for the Leaf, much higher than most similar-sized, gas-powered cars. Canadian pricing has not been announced for either car.”
Price is going to be a big hurdle once the cars are more readily available. The other choice is a pure electric or gas/electric hybrid.
“The Leaf is the only all-electric car on the market. It can travel about 160 kilometres on battery power before needing to be recharged. Using a standard outlet, that takes 16 to 18 hours. Nissan recommends that Leaf owners install a 220/240-volt outlet in their homes so they can recharge in about seven hours. The Volt goes about 65 kilometres on battery power alone before needing to be recharged. But it comes with a backup gas engine that GM says can extend its range to 600 kilometres as it kicks in to recharge the batteries on the fly. GM believes the backup generator will make it a hit with customers who worry about being stranded with a dead battery.”\
It seems to me that not having to worry about running out of charge would be a good thing. At least on the surface , but one must factor in maintenance and reliability into the decision on which, if either, car to buy.
Sparsely populated, cold for half the year and a relatively well off population makes Canada a lively hub of Internet activity.
“Canadians spend more time online than users in any of the countries tracked by measurement company comScore, which also said Canada had the highest penetration of internet access. About 68 per cent of the Canadian population is online, comScore estimated in April, compared to 62 per cent in France and the United Kingdom, 60 per cent in Germany, 59 per cent in the United States, 57 per cent in Japan, and 36 per cent in Italy.
Canada was the only country in which users logged an average of more than 2,500 minutes online a month, which is almost 42 hours. Israel was second with an average of around 2,300 minutes, while a few other countries were around the 2,000-minute mark.”
Most Internet couch potatoes! Hurrah notoriety! And we like watching youtube videos with reckless abandon!
“In Canada, YouTube per capita consumption of video is No. 1 in the world. It’s just absolutely crazy in terms of how passionate Canadians are about YouTube,” said Chris O’Neill, Canada’s country director for Google. It’s estimated that about 21 million Canadians visit YouTube each month, compared to 147 million Americans. But considering the U.S. has 10 times Canada’s population, Canadians are way ahead on a per capita basis.”
There is some heartening news though, apparently we reference Wikipedia more than anyone else in the world. Hopefully as a starting, not an endpoint, to data gathering.
“The average Canadian web surfer reads 16 Wikipedia pages a month, which is the most in the world — one more than German users, two more than Polish users and four more than Americans. Canadian users generate about 217,000 edits a month, which ranks 8th among the most productive countries.”
We should really keep this story quiet, as with the “economic recovery”, I’m sure Steven Harper will try to take credit for it.
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