2006-02-28

Save Until Space is Needed.

Now that the Winter Olympics are over, you probably need to program your DVR (aka TIVO). You don't have one? Get one now!

Here is what I think is the best TV this post Olympic season.

Tuesday is a good day:
Rick Mercer Report (CBC): Humour across Canada. Rick is gay but still funny.

Amazing Race 9 (ABC): The second best show on TV (next to The Simpsons). Travel from your living room.

According to Jim (ABC): Innocent humour. Visual humour (fat brother in law in various costumes.). I'm not sure why the brother AND the sister are always there, but even that is funny in itself.

Rodney (ABC): New show, finding its rhythm. Funny and endearing.

Scrubs (NBC): Old show, last season, still funny.

Consider as well:
La facture (SRC): French version of CBC's Market Place, only better.
Enjeux (SRC): French version of CBC's The Fifth Estate, only not as good.
Nova (PBS): Some subjects are inaccessible. Some are fascinating.
George Lopez (ABC): Latin American humor in English

Wednesday:
Still Standing (CBS): According to Jim with teenagers. Hot mom. Teenage cleavage. Homer Simpsonesk dad.

Weeds (Canada's Showcase, from Showtime): Comedic dram with no laugh track. You will find yourself rolling on the floor laughing.

Yes Dear (CBS): This show shouldn't be funny but it is. Lots of adult cleavage.

Thursday:
Survivor (CBS): I don't know why I wtach this show. I think you have to care about the participants. Kind of like watching sports. If it is two teams you don't care about, you wont like it as much. The best way to care about the participants is to watch the show from the beginning.

My Name Is Earl (NBC): Funny. Hot women. Great acting (go out and rent Poison Ivy for proof).

The Office (NBC): More sit com than fake doc, still hilarious. I want that red head.

Infoman (SRC): The French version of Rick Mercer Report, only way better. Current affairs has never been so funny.

Friday and Saturday

Sunday:
The Simpsons (Fox and Global): If I miss it, I cry.

The War at Home (Fox and Global): How many jokes about sex can you make in the presence of teenagers? Watch and find out.

Desperate Housewives: Sardonic humour in a soap opera format that will get you hooked. Attractive older women.


Monday:
Corner Gas (CTV): The show is funny enough to make you move to Saskatchewan. The female cop in hot.

The Apprentice (NBC): This show is really good. Reality TV at its best. Firing and being fired is horrible, watching it is quite entertaining. I keep waiting for the show where Trump will confess: "OK, I'm bankrupt again. Any of you have an idea how I can climb out of this?"

King of Queens (CBS): Laugh out loud funny.

How I met Your Mother (CBS): Doogy Houser is a washup.


Two and A Half Men (CBS): Attractive women, funny script. Live vicariously. You will quickly forget why you laughed, but you will laugh.

Daily:
The Daily Show (CTV, Comedy Network, in the USA on Comedy Central): Four days a week is a bit much. On par with This Hour has 22 minutes and the Air Farce. First 15 minutes only, the rest is rubbish (who reads books?).

The Colbert Report (CTV, Comedy Network, in the USA on Comedy Central): Almost as funny as the O'Reily Factor, but more engaging. Blame the bears.

Cheers (Comedy Network): Catch the jokes you were to young to get the first time around.

Roseanne (CMT): Immigrants should watch this show before they come to the USA. "I hate this town".

Reba (CMT): What life must be like in Texas post Dallas (Mercifully, no country music)

Lizzie McGuire: Excellent kids show. Hot mom. Funny and, for adults, pure escapism.


Good shows I can never figure out when new ones play.
Trailer Park Boys (Canada's Showcase): Acquired taste. Watch it drunk or stoned the first time. Poor is funny. Immigrants should watch this show before they come to Canada.

Reno 911 (Comedy Network): Sardonic humour.

That 70s show (Fox): They are still making these!? Still funny.

The West Wing: So good you can buy the DVD collection. This is the last season. Plays Sundays, sometimes. (If you like political TV on DVD, check out Yes Minister, Yes Prime Minister and Benson).

The best of the UK is endlessly playing in reruns on BBC Canada, BBC American and... PBS!
All series had very short runs in the UK (1 to 3 years)

Monthy Python: Funny.

Fawlty Towers: Funny. Newhart on speed.

Two Pints of Lager and a Packet of Crisps: Funny. Endearing. Attractive young women.

Coupling: Unbelievably funny. Very hot women. So good they tried to make an American version.

The Thin Blue Line: Relaxed but funny cop show with the Mister Been guy (Rowan Atkinson) playing a speaking part.

Yes Minister/Yes Prime Minister: One of the best comedy shows ever. John Manley, former Canadian Cabinet Minister, said his deputy minister told him the book version was required reading (the book was written after the show). As a former employee of the Province of Ontario's Ministry of Municipal Affairs, I can confirm the show is very accurate.

Black and white comedy classics (endless reruns, buy in DVD or Google video):
I love Lucy.


The Dick Van Dike show.

Cheaper than cable: Get unlimited DVDs from Blockbuster (USA ONLY)

Global Climate Change

And you thought Pat Robertson was nuts

And you thought Pat Robertson was nuts.

Tassimo 234x60_s5

2006-02-27

Taxes in Canada

En français

I originally wrote this for new or potential residents of Canada. However, even long time residents may find this useful.

Taxes in Canada
It is difficult to compare taxes from one jurisdiction to another because there are so many variables. For most people, federal income tax is the highest, followed by provincial income tax, provincial sales tax, federal sales tax and municipal property taxes (municipal, regional and school). To taxes, you also have to add fees. They are generally more prevalent at the local level (where the only alternative revenue source is property tax). However, they do exist at other levels of government (such as the passport fee). At the municipal level, they fees are generally related to the actual cost. However, at higher levels of government, the fees are often less related to the actual cost (such as the fee for a passport or the immigration fee).

Great sound; Great skin; Great Canadian Books; Great perfume, low prices.

Sales tax
The sales tax in Quebec, New Brunswick, Nova-Scotia, and Newfoundland is harmonized with the federal sales tax (although Quebec has some exceptions such as books). The rate varies from province to province but applies to all products and services with some exceptions like food and public transportation. In other provinces, the sales tax is calculated in different ways and applies to different products and/or services.

In Quebec, the sales tax on products and services is 15%. In the Atlantic Provinces it varies from 15 to 17%. In Ontario, the 8% provincial sales tax does not apply to most services. So you will only pay the federal sales tax on a hair cut whereas in Quebec you will pay 15% tax (federal plus provincial). In Ontario, there is no provincial tax on children's clothing or on meals of $4 or less (which explains the popularity of $3.99 meals). In the oil rich province of Alberta, there is no provincial sales tax. In all cases, people with low incomes (approximately $30,000 or less) will receive an allowance four times a year that is supposed to compensate a bit for the sales tax. You will only receive this money after making your first income tax declaration in April (for the previous year from January to December).

Great sound; Great skin; Great Canadian Books; Great perfume, low prices.

Income tax
The income tax year is from January first to December 31. You must declare all your income including income from other countries. The province that will receive your tax dollars will be determined by your address on December 31. The income tax declaration, which is mandatory in April, is relatively complicated. Most people deal with professionals or use computer software. There are all sorts of tax credits and exemptions that will determine your taxable income. If you have children, your taxable income can be a few thousand dollars less than your actual income. If your revenue has fluctuated over the year, you may either get some money back or have to make up the difference from what you paid throughout the year.

In Quebec, you must make two declarations, one for each level of government. The income tax rate varies depending on income. The higher the income, the higher the tax rate. Note that the income tax rate is determined based on individual income whereas the income tax credits, that will affect your taxable income, are often based on your family's income.

Great sound; Great skin; Great Canadian Books; Great perfume, low prices.

Fake premiums
Certain provinces, Ontario and Alberta for example, have tax rates that appear lower. However, to their income tax in these provinces you must add a more or less fixed amount called "health insurance premiums" which, in fact, only covers a small percentage of the actual cost of providing health care (the rest is cover by income taxes).

Great sound; Great skin; Great Canadian Books; Great perfume, low prices.

Income tax and family
When it comes to income tax, a couple where the husband earns $100,000 a year and the wife $0 (or vice-versa) is significantly disadvantaged compared to a couple where each partner earns $50,000. Of course, if there are children, the cost of childcare will probably cancel out this fiscal advantage. These childcare fees can vary from as low as $7 in Quebec to as high as $30 in other places! Keep your receipt from childcare fees. The federal government and most provincial governments will give you income tax credits in relation to actual expenses (the fees you paid will reduce your taxable income, but less than what you spent).

Even outside Quebec, childcare spaces are often subsidized by municipalities, by universities or by your employer. Generally, the less you pay, the less flexible and available will be the childcare service. Warning to parents in provincial border communities (Ottawa-Gatineau, for example): Your eligibility may depend on your place of residence!

The best way to avoid paying for childcare is to not work. If you have a full year of work behind you, you can get a maternity leave payment in accordance with the amount normally paid out for loss of employment. Your employer must give you a non-paid 52-week leave in case of pregnancy. The length and timing of the leave are at the sole discretion of the mother. If the mother takes less than a year, the father can take the remaining time (non-paid). Since the amount for loss of employment is based on the average hourly income of the previous 52 weeks, be sure to have at least one full year between maternity leaves.

Although the maternity paid leave is part of the federal employment insurance program, Quebec has special rules that were negotiated with the federal government in what is called asymmetrical federalism. Although generally more generous than the rules in other provinces, there may be the occasional comparative looser. The big winners in Quebec are men, who can get paid parental leave. Quebec also gives maternity leave to self employed women via the pension plan! (Which in Quebec is independent of the Canada Pension Plan)

Great sound; Great skin; Great Canadian Books; Great perfume, low prices.

Municipal property taxes
Municipalities being under provincial jurisdiction, generally, the lower the provincial income tax rate, the higher the property taxes. In Ontario, the price of new homes includes a "development charge" that can reach $20,000 per new home. This obviously affects the cost of housing in Ontario.

The property tax rates are determined by municipalities in relation to their responsibilities that are determined by the province. In many urban areas, around 70% of property taxes go to the regional government. For this reason, the property taxes vary little from city to city in the same urban area. Of course, the lower the average property value per person, the higher the property tax rates.

Notwithstanding that local councils are democratically elected, financially, it's in their interest to raise property values per person while keeping costs as low as possible. In many municipalities, councils favour large single family dwellings over other types of housing. Favouritism is translated into zoning bylaws that clearly favour that type of housing. This perverse effect is compounded in provinces like Ontario where municipalities must pay part of the cost of health care and social assistance.

When renting, property taxes are included in the rent as they are charge to the owner. Sometimes, but not notably in Montreal, their renters must pay water rates in relation to consumption (just like for electricity and natural gas). There is usually a fixed amount in addition to the variable user rate. Unless you have a large household, these fixed rates are often higher than the variable rate for consumption!

The inclusion of electricity (lighting, hot water, heating), natural gas (heating, hot water, and oven) and of the water rate in the monthly rent by the owner can make for some substantial savings. In some large apartment buildings, the cost of television cable is also included in the rent. Most utilities require a hundred-dollar deposit. If you have a low income, you may be eligible for an income tax credit that is supposed to cover the cost of property taxes.

Great sound; Great skin; Great Canadian Books; Great perfume, low prices.

Other taxes on salaries
From your salary, an amount for the Canada Pension Plan (or Quebec's) will be deducted, as well as for workers compensation and unemployment insurance. Many employers also have mandatory insurance programs (life, pharmaceuticals, dentistry, etc...). The amounts paid to the government vary in part in relation of the salary and nature of the job (for workers compensation).

Deductions for Employment Insurance and the Canada Pension Plan do not apply on the part of the salary that is approximately $45,000. These fees must also be paid by employers. Therefore, there is a certain incentive for employers to pay you under the table, as an independent contractor or to force you to do paid overtime. Note that employers must pay you one and a half times your hourly rate when you work more than 41 hours in Quebec, 44 hours in Ontario and more than your regular work week when under federal jurisdiction (certain industries such as banks and telecommunications are under federal jurisdiction). When you do overtime, employers have the unfortunate habit of resetting the tax rate as if you had gotten a raise. If this happens, you will get a reimbursement at the end of the year after making you income declaration.

Great sound; Great skin; Great Canadian Books; Great perfume, low prices.

Import duties
Import duties are significantly lower than in Europe. Duty is 0% for products from the USA, Mexico, Chile and Israel and almost 0% for products from Africa and the Caribbean. Duty is around 15% for products from Europe and Japan.

Great sound; Great skin; Great Canadian Books; Great perfume, low prices.

Special sales taxes
Gas tax is significantly less than in Europe. Gas and diesel fuel is taxed by the federal and provincial governments and, in Montreal and Vancouver, by the regional government. Toll highways are rare. There is usually surtax on the sale of new cars and on sports utility vehicles (SUV).

Alcohol is taxed at a high rate by both the federal and provincial governments. These taxes are usually included in the sale price (except sometimes the normal sales tax). Alcohol tax is lower than in Scandinavia. Distribution of wine and spirits is done by provincial agencies (that add to the cost). The alcohol surtax is based on the quantity not the quality. Since the sale price is fixed by government monopolies, some prestigious French wines or Scottish whiskey can be sold for less that in their home countries! However, this is the exception, not the rule.

Great sound; Great skin; Great Canadian Books; Great perfume, low prices.

Other taxes, exporting money
You must pay tax to take money or financial instruments out of Canada.

Not taxed

-Inheritance (contrary to the USA and Japan)

-Capital gains tax on your home (contrary to the USA)

-Capital gains of small businesses

-No TV license (contrary to the UK)

-Licenses for 3G cell phones (contrary to the UK)

-Accumulated wealth (contrary to some US states)

-Income at the municipal lever (contrary to the UK)

-No municipal sales tax (contrary to the USA)

-Income of Canadians having broken links to Canada for at least two years (but who have kept their citizenship)

-Property value of telecommunications infrastructure (contrary to the USA)

-Tuition

Great sound; Great skin; Great Canadian Books; Great perfume, low prices.

Taxes, bottom line
As mentioned in the introduction, it is difficult to compare one jurisdiction to the other because of all the individual variables. But to give you an idea, income taxes are generally lower than in France or Sweden, but higher than in the UK or the USA. Sales taxes are slightly lower in Canada than in Europe but higher than in the USA. The free healthcare system (free except for pharmaceuticals) means that many Canadian workers take home more than if they worked in the US and paid health insurance (healthcare uses up about 50% of provincial budgets).

Property taxes are generally lower in Canada than in the USA (to boot, the school system, under municipal jurisdiction in the USA, is so rotten in some urban areas, most notably New York, that only the poorest children go to public school).

At the moment, the richer provinces are Ontario, Alberta and British Colombia. Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Quebec, New-Brunswick, Nova-Scotia, Prince-Edward-Island and Newfoundland are poorer. You can expect to pay proportionately less tax and receive better quality services in the richest provinces. In the same way, the cost of living (mainly housing) is lower in the poorer provinces.

However, as energy prices rise, keep in mind that Alberta, Quebec and Newfoundland are energy exporters. Nova-Scotia and British-Columbia are newly rich in natural gas but their reserves will be depleted before long. Ontario is the biggest energy consumer in the country and still uses coal and nuclear energy of meet part of its needs. At the moment, the federal government is keeping its hands off energy revenue (other than normal income tax).

Great sound; Great skin; Great Canadian Books; Great perfume, low prices.

2006-02-26

Shanghai Maglev: 431km/hr

The Shanghai Maglev train is the only one in commercial operation in the world. It links the airport to a subway station. A 40 minute trip done in 8 minutes! As you will see in the video, the train accelerates to 431 km/hr just in time to decelerate back to zero.

The train runs every twenty minutes. Unfortunately, the maglev train is afraid of the dark. No official reason has been given. However, one can assume it has something to do with the lower visibility. The train now runs in the early evening, but a reduce 375 km/hr, just to be safe.

Sure this line costs billions of dollars, but it is German engineering, you get what you pay for! Besides, with all those Chinese products we are buying, the government has to spend its money somehow. More importantly, as there is no friction between the train and the track, the maintenance costs should be much lower than for the TGV. So the train should pay for itself...

This train almost makes you wish you lived in a communist dictatorship. Hey Castro, where's your maglev train?



Something to consider while you wait for the 7m36s video to download. The trip takes 8 minutes, there is a train every 20 minutes... yet the track is double (one track in each direction)! You have to assume this initial section will be part of a bigger network (assuming the government doesn't get overthrown first). Still, you have to wonder about the logic.

Toronto subway video

This video shows a section of Toronto's subway system that regularaly shuts down in snow storms causing delays on the whole line. (See video)

If you use public transportation and watch a lot of TV, chances are you may have bad credit. Perhaps it is because you are suffering from mesothelioma, or worse, malignant pleural mesothelioma, both a form of asbestos cancer, which is a form of lung cancer.
Now, if you do suffer from bad credit, and despite your best efforts at search engine optimization, you still cannot make a diagnosis, then read on.
You could contact Lexington law about your debt problems, but all they would do is suggest a home equity line of credit. By the way, you can contact the Lexington law firm, or Baines and Ernst, by video conferencing. You see, bad debt is a serious problem. There is no way you will get some American Express credit if your Trans Union credit bureau file is negative.
My fico score is fairly lousy. Hopefully, these Adsense adwords will be lucrative enough for me to avoid free credit reports by enabling me to make extra money.
Identity theft is a big problem. For that reason alone, you should probably verify you fico score with Trans Union or Equifax.
But let's face it. Who doesn't have debt problems? Thankfully, there are debt solutions that don't involve cash loans or signing up for a mesothelioma lawsuit. Consumer credit, just like cancer, are unfortunate parts of life.
Learn how to avoid them!

Melbourne light rail video

This video is an example of Melbourne's light rail system.


If you use public transportation and watch a lot of TV, chances are you may have bad credit. Perhaps it is because you are suffering from mesothelioma, or worse, malignant pleural mesothelioma, both a form of asbestos cancer, which is a form of lung cancer.
Now, if you do suffer from bad credit, and despite your best efforts at search engine optimization, you still cannot make a diagnosis, then read on.
You could contact Lexington law about your debt problems, but all they would do is suggest a home equity line of credit. By the way, you can contact the Lexington law firm, or Baines and Ernst, by video conferencing. You see, bad debt is a serious problem. There is no way you will get some American Express credit if your Trans Union credit bureau file is negative.
My fico score is fairly lousy. Hopefully, these Adsense adwords will be lucrative enough for me to avoid free credit reports by enabling me to make extra money.
Identity theft is a big problem. For that reason alone, you should probably verify you fico score with Trans Union or Equifax.
But let's face it. Who doesn't have debt problems? Thankfully, there are debt solutions that don't involve cash loans or signing up for a mesothelioma lawsuit. Consumer credit, just like cancer, are unfortunate parts of life.
Learn how to avoid them!

Portland, Oregon, subway video

This is a video of the Portland, Oregon, subway. Actually, it is more of a light rain system. The station in the video is under Washington Park Zoo, just outside Portland. The train is a Siemens LRV. (See video below)

If you use public transportation and watch a lot of TV, chances are you may have bad credit. Perhaps it is because you are suffering from mesothelioma, or worse, malignant pleural mesothelioma, both a form of asbestos cancer, which is a form of lung cancer.
Now, if you do suffer from bad credit, and despite your best efforts at search engine optimization, you still cannot make a diagnosis, then read on.
You could contact Lexington law about your debt problems, but all they would do is suggest a home equity line of credit. By the way, you can contact the Lexington law firm, or Baines and Ernst, by video conferencing. You see, bad debt is a serious problem. There is no way you will get some American Express credit if your Trans Union credit bureau file is negative.
My fico score is fairly lousy. Hopefully, these Adsense adwords will be lucrative enough for me to avoid free credit reports by enabling me to make extra money.
Identity theft is a big problem. For that reason alone, you should probably verify you fico score with Trans Union or Equifax.
But let's face it. Who doesn't have debt problems? Thankfully, there are debt solutions that don't involve cash loans or signing up for a mesothelioma lawsuit. Consumer credit, just like cancer, are unfortunate parts of life.
Learn how to avoid them!





Watch out for low bridges 'on' this bus

Not recommended during rainy season. (See video below)

Mesothelioma is an uncommon form of cancer, usually associated with previous exposure to asbestos. In this disease, malignant (cancerous) cells develop in the mesothelium, a protective lining that covers most of the body's internal organs. Its most common site is the pleura (outer lining of the lungs and chest cavity), but it may also occur in the peritoneum (the lining of the abdominal cavity) or the pericardium (a sac that surrounds the heart).Most people who develop mesothelioma have worked on jobs where they inhaled asbestos particles, or have been exposed to asbestos dust and fibre in other ways, such as by washing the clothes of a family member who worked with asbestos, or by home renovation using asbestos cement products.
From wikipedia.org
Who knew you could make money from cancer?
Well, I guess mesothelioma attorneys and mesothelioma lawyers knew it.


On the bus, hamsters pay extra?

Policies regarding pets vary from one company to the other, but this is why you should have a policy in place.





Mesothelioma is an uncommon form of cancer, usually associated with previous exposure to asbestos. In this disease, malignant (cancerous) cells develop in the mesothelium, a protective lining that covers most of the body's internal organs. Its most common site is the pleura (outer lining of the lungs and chest cavity), but it may also occur in the peritoneum (the lining of the abdominal cavity) or the pericardium (a sac that surrounds the heart).Most people who develop mesothelioma have worked on jobs where they inhaled asbestos particles, or have been exposed to asbestos dust and fibre in other ways, such as by washing the clothes of a family member who worked with asbestos, or by home renovation using asbestos cement products.
From wikipedia.org
Who knew you could make money from cancer?
Well, I guess mesothelioma attorneys and mesothelioma lawyers knew it.

Next time, take the bus

Listen closely to the car in this video...

2006-02-25

Celtic culture



This post is really just an excuse to post this picture that I found. However, Celtic culture and politics go hand in hand. Would Ireland, for example, be an independent country were it not for the Celtic language that is Irish Gaelic? Granted, many people in Northern Ireland are of Scottish heritage, so perhaps the Irish would of split even if England wasn't part of the United Kingdom.

Will Scotland and Wales stay within the UK? Time will tell of course.

I highly recommend the March issue of National Geographic for the articles on Celtic culture. If you are English, Australian, Canadian, American or French, than you should understand the Celtic influences of your country and cultures.

Bad credit and Trans Union

If you use public transportation and watch a lot of TV, chances are you may have bad credit. Perhaps it is because you are suffering from mesothelioma, or worse, malignant pleural mesothelioma, both a form of asbestos cancer, which is a form of lung cancer.

Now, if you do suffer from bad credit, and despite your best efforts at search engine optimization, you still cannot make a diagnosis, then read on.

You could contact Lexington law about your debt problems, but all they would do is suggest a home equity line of credit. By the way, you can contact the Lexington law firm, or Baines and Ernst, by video conferencing. You see, bad debt is a serious problem. There is no way you will get some American Express credit if your Trans Union credit bureau file is negative.

My fico score is fairly lousy. Hopefully, these Adsense adwords will be lucrative enough for me to avoid free credit reports by enabling me to make extra money.

Identity theft is a big problem. For that reason alone, you should probably verify you fico score with Trans Union or Equifax.

But let's face it. Who doesn't have debt problems? Thankfully, there are debt solutions that don't involve cash loans or signing up for a mesothelioma lawsuit. Consumer credit, just like cancer, are unfortunate parts of life.

Learn how to avoid them!

Mesothelioma

Mesothelioma is an uncommon form of cancer, usually associated with previous exposure to asbestos. In this disease, malignant (cancerous) cells develop in the mesothelium, a protective lining that covers most of the body's internal organs. Its most common site is the pleura (outer lining of the lungs and chest cavity), but it may also occur in the peritoneum (the lining of the abdominal cavity) or the pericardium (a sac that surrounds the heart).
Most people who develop mesothelioma have worked on jobs where they inhaled asbestos particles, or have been exposed to asbestos dust and fibre in other ways, such as by washing the clothes of a family member who worked with asbestos, or by home renovation using asbestos cement products.


From wikipedia.org

http://www.boosterblog.com

Locate your remote control


In keeping with the subject of this blog (TV, Politics and public transportation), I though I'd write a quick one about remote control locators.

Face it, we have all lost our remote control. It is one of the most aggravating experiences in human existence. Remote controls are black, not fluorescent yellow as they should be.

You have also probably lost your keys. Finding your keys is equally aggravating. For keys, one solution I have seen is a number lock on the front door (eliminating the need for keys, assuming you use public transportation).

There are many locators on the market. I'm not sure which is the best. Wired magazine recently had a blurb about Loc8tor. Unfortunately, it is not yet available. It looks cool, but for US$170 it should eh.

Anyway, hopefully Adsence has generated a bunch of related links that you can check out. If you have a favorite key or remote control finding tool, let us know.

2006-02-19

La politique d'immigration du Canada

La politique d'immigration du Canada envers les citoyens de pays riches* est ridicule. Le Canada devrait permettre à ces gens de venir travailler, étudier ou prendre leur retraite sans toutes les procédures légales et administratives. Évidemment, en retour, le Canada devrait solliciter des accords mutuels de ces pays afin de permettre une plus grande mobilité à ses citoyens.

*Pays riches: Union-Européennes, Norvège, Suisse, États-Unis, Japon, Singapour, Australie, Nouvelle-Zélande.

http://www.geocities.com/merdealorsen/immigration.html

Extrait du blog de Aurélie:

"Pour ceux qui ne le savent pas, il faut, pour immigrer au Canada, accumuler un certain nombre de points, calculés en fonction de son niveau d'études, de son expérience professionnelle, de sa maîtrise de la langue nationale (ou provinciale), des sommes d'argent dont on dispose sur son compte-épargne et d'un certains nombre d'autres critères que je ne connais pas en détail. Or de nombreux immigrants, recrutés pour leur compétence, qui doit être le reflet de leur capacité à s'intégrer dans le pays, ne trouvent pas de travail. Du moins pas en rapport avec les compétences en question.

Dans ce cadre, et je parle pour le Québec, car je connais (encore plus) mal la situation des autres provinces, les Ordres Professionnels sont régulièrement montrés du doigt. [...] Il existe au Québec un nombre ahurissant d'ordres professionnels. 45 au total, il me semble. Et si l'ordre ne veut pas reconnaître le diplôme de l'immigrant, comme c'est souvent le cas, celui-ci ne peut pas travailler. Et il ne lui reste plus qu'à se reconvertir. On cite régulièrement l'exemple de médecins devenus chauffeurs de taxi.

Mais les Ordres Professionnels ne sont pas les seuls responsables. Le principe même d'immigration sélective est biaisé. Car quand on est sélectionné, on s'attend à ce que ce soit pour de bonnes raisons. A quoi bon prouver qu'on est hyper qualifié pour se retrouver au chômage? Du fait même de cette sélection, l'immigrant a des attentes élevées quand il arrive au Québec. Et ceci sans compter le discours du Ministère de l'Immigration qui serait prêt à jurer que la température ne descend jamais en dessous de zéros degrés l'hiver si cela pouvait convaincre les jeunes prometteurs de venir s'installer ici.

Le problème, au fond, est celui-là : le gap
[l'écart] entre les attentes des nouveaux immigrants et ce que le pays a réellement à leur offrir.


Moi je vous le dis : pas d'attente particulière, pas de déception possible. Voilà la clé!"


Publié le 6 janvier, 2006, sur le blog de Aurélie , une Française installée à Montréal.

The immigration policies of Canada

The immigration policies of Canada for citizens of rich countries* are ridiculous. Canada should allow these people to come to Canada to work, study or retire without all the legal and administrative procedures. Of course, in return, Canada should seek mutual agreements with those rich countries in order to allow more mobility and freedom to its citizens.

*Rich Countries:

European-Union, Norway, Switzerland, United-States, Japan, Singapore, Australia, New-Zealand

http://www.geocities.com/merdealorsen/immigration.html

C'est Pepsi icitte!

(English follows)
(El español sigue)
Merci au blog d'une jeune française, installé au Québec, qui nous soumet une publicité de Pepsi qui a passé à la télé en 2004. Vous me direz que c'est un veille nouvelle, mais, voyez-vous, à cette époque, comme c'est le cas présentement, je n'habitais pas au Québec...

L'annonce est du même genre que le "I am Canadian" ("The Rant") de Molsen Canadian. En fait, on pourait même dire que c'est un spoof de cette annonce.
Évidemment, depuis ce temps, Molsen a été acheté par Coors des États-Unis. Donc le "I am Canadian", qui est surtout un "je ne suis pas Américain", ne passe plus.

La publicité de Pepsi est aussi un clin d'oeil envers les préjugés des Canadiens-anglais, des Français et des autres. Certainement une publicité pour consommation locale seulement!

La publicité et un petit article (requiert JAVA et QuickTime).
La publicité et juste la publicité (en QuickTime): Pepsi_Icitte.mov

La publicité est très drôle. Notez le gars qui lève une buche dans la dernière scène

English Translation (El español sigue)
Thank you to a young French woman's blog who, now living in Quebec, submits this hilarious Pepsi commercial that played in Quebec in 2004. I was living in Ontario at the time so this is the first time I have seen it.

The add is the same type as the I am Canadian Molsen rant that ran a few years ago. You could even say that the Pepsi commercial is a spoof of the Canadian rant. Now that Molsen has been bought by the USA's Coors, the I am Canadian Rant, which is really more of a "I am not American" rant, no longer plays.

The Pepsi commercial is also a wink at the (old?) predjudices of English-Canadians, the French and others. Certainly a commercial for local consumtion only!

Note the guy lifting a log in the last scene!
Pepsi_Icitte.mov

En Espagnol
Gracias al blog de una mujer francesa joven que, ahora viviendo en Quebec, somete este anuncio hilarante de Pepsi que jugó en Quebec en 2004. Vivía en Ontario que éste está en ese entonces tan la primera vez que lo he visto. La adición es el mismo tipo que soy Molsen canadiense rant que funcionó hace algunos años. Usted podría incluso decir que el anuncio de Pepsi es un spoof del canadiense rant. Ahora que Molsen ha sido comprado por el Coors de los E.E.U.U., soy Rant canadiense, que es realmente más de "yo no es" rant americano, ningunos discos de larga duración. El anuncio de Pepsi es también guiña en (viejo?) predjudices de Ingle's-Canadienses, del francés y de otros. ¡Ciertamente un anuncio para el consumtion local solamente! ¡Observe a individuo que levanta una conexión la escena pasada!

Si la Suisse peut gaganer au hockey...

  • L'Action nationale

  • Bloc Québécois

  • Génération Québec

  • Impératif français

  • Institut de recherche sur le Québec

  • Le Québécois

  • Québec-Radio

  • Le RIQ (Rassemblement pour l'indépendance du Québec)

  • Mouvement national des Québécois

  • SPQ Libre !

  • Parti Québécois

  • Opération Québec

  • Québec, un pays !

  • RPS Québec

  • Société St-Jean-Baptiste de Montréal

  • L'aut'journal

  • IPSO - Les intellectuels pour la souveraineté

  • Union des Forces Progressistes

  • Vigile

  • Souveraineté La Solution

  • Groupe Le Québec, un pays ! - Outaouais

  • La Table Ronde de l'Indépendance

  • Le Conseil de la souveraineté du Québec
  • Down with the Queen

    This subject isn't new. But since I chose "The Canadian Republic" as my title, I figure I should write something about it.

    Get the Queen off my money
    No constitutional amendment would be required to get the Queen off Canadian money. The Queen isn't on money in Scotland or Northern Ireland!



    Reference

    I pledge allegiance to Canadian Democracy
    The pledge to be admitted to the House of Commons as well as the pledge that many other Canadians have to make, such as civil servants, should be amended to replace "Queen" with "Canadian Democracy". Once again, no constitutional amendment would be required.

    Insulting
    It is insulting to many Canadians to have a foreigner, residing in a foreign country, to be the head of state of Canada. Many Acadians (20,000!) were deported because they didn't want to pledge allegiance to the King of England, head of the Church of England. Imagine if we asked Protestants to pledge allegiance to the Pope!

    The Anglican Church of Canada isn't even the most popular Protestant church in Canada! (The United Church is the most popular Protestant church in Canada).

    How can Aboriginals, French-Canadians and immigrants feel Canadian with a foreigner as Canada's head of state? Amending the constitution is too complicated. However, simple measures to hide this shame are easy.

    http://altavistagoogle.blogspot.com/2006/10/abolish-monarchy-in-canada.html

    Olympic TV coverage

    Local reactions
    You know in the TV reality series how they have "live at such and such a bar" in some town supporting their local reality contestant. Well, we need this for the Olympics.

    Switzerland, land of the tax evaders, beat Canada two zero yesterday. Do the people of Switzerland care? Are they dancing in the streets? Are they happy? Do they watch hockey in Switzerland?

    I can Google in French and get an idea of the local Franco-Swiss media reaction. But I want to hear from the locals, including the majority of the Swiss who don't have French as a first language.

    You talk too much
    I have a digital video recorder (DVR aka TIVO). If you don't have one, get one now! So I've been recording the Canadian Broadcasting (CBC) and Société Radio-Canada's (SRC) live Olympic coverage. I only have one tuner on my DVR, so unfortunately have to choose. Either one has too much talking, both during and between the events.

    You quickly realize that "live" has its disadvantages. The most notable is the unscripted live commentary that can quickly irritating. NBC, which shows recorded coverage later in the day, seems to have better commentary. I suspect they have more time to prepare what they are going to stay while still commenting on the go to keep it real.

    I wish you could get the coverage without commentary. Like switching to the SAP audio channel to get the sounds of the event without the comments. I might switch back mind you, but I'd like the option.

    The networks should use DVRs
    I don't want to watch the event 9 hours later like on NBC, but if commercials are so important, why can't "live" coverage be live towards the end. For example, they could delay the start of the hockey game, on TV, allowing editors to insert commercials and omit the boring parts like the zamboni between periods or time between whistle. They could do that with other sports. Granted, it wouldn't work all the time, like when there is a 2 hour weather related delay, but at least the producers would have time to react and offer us something more interesting.

    If they did this, then wouldn't have to record 14 hours of Olympic coverage a day and I could just flick between channels. Hey, I might even catch a commercial or two.

    Bell Beavers
    Speaking of commercials, I actually press the play button when I see the digital "Bell beavers". In English, Norm MacDonald is the voice of one of the beavers. There are enough versions of the commercials to keep them entertaining. In French, they hired two unknowns (at least to me) to do the voices, although one of them is clearly an actor.

    The English and French versions aren't quite identical. This is understandable as they are meant to be humorous. The differences themselves are humorous. In English, Norm MacDonald, as a beaver, tells the marketing director that wearing a tuque would be too much since they are beavers. In French, the French Norm asks his clueless buddy to leave the room and then proceeds to hit on the marketing director (her enthusiasm drops dramatically).

    They have a lame site, http://www.frankandgordon.ca/ , not to be confused with One Degree's gordonandfrank.ca spoof of the URL. I didn't even notice they had a web site (and I've seen the commercials dozens of times), I found it while searching for some pictures to insert here.

    If you find decent caps of the commercials, let me know.

    Day one. Jour un

    Hello, my name is Sam and I've been using the Internet for over ten years. To my amazement, blogging is a fad that hasn't gone away. I've never blogged. I'm not Howard Deen and I'm not running for President so what is the point?

    However, I've realized that I have occasionally been reading blogs. And since you can search blogs with search engines, they can be useful sources of editorialised information.

    For example, I just spent a great deal of time reading about Shanghai's Maglev train on a guy's blog. I got to that blog for Live from the third rail, a blog about public transportation.

    I have a web site. In fact, I was one of the first members of Geocities. Then I got bored and stopped. Geocities canceled my site and now the only way to access it is with the Internet Archives. Unfortunately, the archives are incomplete. I set up a new web site (with Geocities). What amazes me is web publishing was easier then than it is now! My web site back then was cool with wallpaper and scrolling messages and wav and midi files. Ah, those were the good old days.

    Now I'm clueless. Web publishing is so much more complex. Geocities is now harder to use. Plus, I got hooked on the idea I could make money from my site (something that never would have occurred to me when I was publishing my site in 1996 from my dorm room). So I went and put Google adds on my pages. Then I tried to generate traffic by posting clever advice postings in newsgroups. When that didn't work, I posted topless pictures of young stars (now that would have worked in 1996!). I've forgotten how to html. So every time I make a change, especially with all that Google Add sense Java script, it takes for ever.

    There are errors on my site and I can't be bothered to change them. I'd have to buy some decent software or hire a highschool kid. But I don't want to spend money, I want to make some! Anyway, my site has generated a grand total of US$5.59.

    But this guy in China with the Maglev posts claims he generates 45.000 visitors a month!

    So this is why I'm going to try blogging. If a guy/geek in China (China!) can generate that kind of traffic, why not me.

    I'm not yet a complete convert to blogs mind you. And if it does turn out to be a fad I reserve the right to say that "I told you so" and invite you to my web site. And we could discuss what a crazy fad it was in a newsgroup, listserv or in IRC.

    Here is what I really don't get about blogs. Posting to the Internet is like writing in a diary that everybody can read, now or in 20 years.

    Yet many bloggers post pictures and other personal identifiers.

    When they run for office, even for the condo board, some enterprising Internet surfer is going to find these old posts, take them out of context and embarrass the hell out of them.

    So here is my disclaimer: If someone figures out who I am, now or in the future, please be advised that all the embarrassing posts in this blog were added by one of my enemies/opponents/ex-girlfriends/ex-wives in and elaborate attempt to discredit me. They hacked into my blog, possibly using my password which is on a Post-it on my screen, in order to usurp my identity.

    However, if by alternative measures (writing style, opinions) you conclude that is was indeed me, than please understand that I was probably drunk, hungover, trying to impress a girl, smoking pot (in a country where it is legal), deprived of sleep or purposely trying to provoke a reaction by posting the exact opposite of what I believe in. But most importantly, realize that my opinions change constantly. And I am very opinionated. I really do like a good argument, and I do play devil's advocate.

    Live from the third rail

    China's Howard Deen

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