Pipelines - Stop Protesting Them and Stop Encouraging Them

Ok, so we've got a hot topic here. How do we protect the environment and "encourage" pipelines and why?
Many of my friends and people that I look up to are against pipelines because they are infrastructure that requires extensive investment, which would be better spent transitioning to a more sustainable economy. Ok. Good point.

What is the response then to those who are looking for work, and being told that the economy is down because of oil prices, but getting access to tide water would make our oil production more competitive, and help revive that same oil economy that used to employ them?

For this reason, primarily, I think that we need to stop being anti-pipeline, and start being pro sustainable economy. I know that sounds like the same thing... but the message is not the same.

The first step is to continue to promote the message that global warming is expensive. The number of denialists is diminishing daily, but what does it mean? Well, it's going to be expensive to deal with the effects, by many estimates billions in Canada, and trillions globally. Let's start hammering that home, so that carbon taxes look like they're not going far enough.

Next, what does a sustainable economy look like? (and no, I'm not talking about us all becoming teachers) The jobs that the oil patch produces, jobs for people who don't mind working hard, for long hours, when the pay is good, and the necessary education is limited, those are the jobs we need to consider replacing. Those jobs will need to exist for some time to come, as those are the people that will drive the construction of the infrastructure that is needed to support a sustainable economy. Eventually though, we can expect a decline in jobs that require hard physical labour and little education as technology continues to innovate. At that point we need Mincome, or negative tax, or whatever you want to call a guaranteed income, which will allow people to work at whatever they want, including creative jobs that we haven't yet thought of.

The question is what will be the economic drivers of tomorrow? Infrastructure building, teaching, etc. are part of the economy, but they're not the fuel in the economic engine. Manufacturing, agriculture, and resources are Canada's historical strength. The number of jobs in agriculture is dropping as technology makes large scale farming more and more efficient. Resource jobs are tied to cyclical price trends, and can be difficult to make sustainable while competing in a global market, however, I think they are still a good chunk of the jobs of the future. Manufacturing is being driven out of Canada by a lack of labour protection in other countries, and a rush to the lowest cost labour markets, which Canada just can't compete with (and shouldn't). To be competitive Canada has to lower the cost of energy, and resources necessary in the manufacturing chain, and/or work to raise the cost of labour globally (no small task, but worth considering).

It seems the well paid oil jobs of the future don't exist (no... there aren't going to be enough wind farm and solar field jobs in the short term to replace the oil patch, but they may help east the transition). Forestry, mining, agriculture, and manufacturing jobs are all getting shipped to places where the pay is less, and environmental protection is lax, or they are being lost to more efficient automated technology. So forgive the oil industry it's attempt to keep those high paying hard working jobs, and look to ways to encourage resource and manufacturing industries to try to fill the gaps, at least in the short term. Pipeline jobs only have so much time left, especially once the accountants start assigning the cost of global warming to the oil industry through mechanisms like carbon tax, but let economics drive the decline, because protests are just pissing off the people who used to be able to make such good money in the oil patch. Put energy into supporting a more complete accounting, and better protection of the commons, rather than stopping something that currently has a strong economic impetus.

Education is Not the Solution

... although it should be available to all who are interested.

Look, while I'm very happy that I got an education, and I very much value the opportunity to have a job that relies on my abilities that are based on my education and intelligence (i.e. my geekiness), I'm beginning to have my doubts about the value of our pro-geek culture.
Let me put it this way, if I was in school, and struggling with math, and everyone around me was telling me that I needed to be good at math, I'm going to look for alternatives. Right now the alternatives are looking less and less appealing all the time. Do I really want to become a fast food worker who goes to church and is forever in debt? Fast food workers are starting to unite to insist that their value to society be recognized... but other articles are very dismissive of this value, and insist that such movements may start to disrupt the system.

So, lets consider that, while education and critical thinking are valuable, they may not be best for everyone, how do we ensure that other strengths are valued in society, and people who do not excel at education or critical thinking, are allowed, and valued for, their ability to contribute to society in other ways? How do we make sure that the value we put on fast food workers, is truly reflective of their value to society when compared to the value of an executive?

While I don't have any magic bullet solutions, this is a critical topic for the left and central political movements to consider, as it has become a dividing issue between the right and the left. It is imperative for a progressive movement to make sure there is room for those who don't want to educate themselves any further, who want to belong to a community that helps them discern between right and wrong, and who are hard working, and valuable members of our society, whether or not they have a post-secondary education. The progressive left needs a coherent and simple enough rhetoric that anyone can feel comfortable that they are joining a moral group that is representing their concerns.

Following up thoughts on Distributed Politics

Distributed Politics - A Local Global System, based on the people you know.

This paper is intended to explore the idea of an alternative, internet based, electoral and political system.

Currently the governing system is made up of a number of people, who propose and debated policies in a house of representatives. These representatives are elected, and are supposed to representing the rights and wishes of their constituents. They are often affiliated with a party of people that are intended to have similar views on a variety of topics. With the increasingly complex and busy world we live in, there has been a decrease in the discussion of policy and an increase in the focus on the personal characteristics of the party leaders.

To improve the transparency of the system and increase populist engagement, it is proposed to introduce a system of Distributed Politics, which this paper aims to explore.

Voting is completed through a web-portal, which can be accessed at home, or in publicly available internet accessible spaces (i.e. libraries). A person can vote over a longer period of time on any proposed policies/projects that are applicable to their local. This includes; block, neighbourhood, city, region, province, country, continental, or global. Policies remain unimplemented until they receive a minimum number of votes (for, against, or neutral).

The number of votes required is related to the area and population affected. Typically political boundaries remain static (with a border changing only when both sides vote to change it).

A block is defined as a geographical unit with approximately 150 persons living in it. Blocks can have a population of +/- 75 people without having to change their boundaries. If the population of a block hit’s 225, then the block is split in half, creating new blocks of 112 and 113 people.

Each block will elect (majority) a block representative, who will partake in neighbourhood debates, and will vote on the neighbourhood representative (transparently). Each neighbourhood representative will participate in citywide debates, and will participate in the election of a city leader, and so on. Policy is still passed through the vote of individuals, but is debated through the representative, or, if the representative feels that an individual that they represent can better present the case for or against the policy in question, than the representative can defer their debating privileges to that individual. To pass a policy, it must be voted on by at least %5 of the population in question.

Each leader will hold “town hall” meetings on a monthly basis, both digitally and physically to present new policies, voting results, solicit comment, host debates, etc.

Each block representative will be given 1/3rd of their time, at their existing salary, to conduct the affairs of the block.

Each neighbourhood representative will be paid a salary equivalent to the mean + 25% of the income of their neighbourhood, and the position will be full-time.

Each city representative will be paid a salary equivalent to the %95 student-t distribution of their city.

Each provincial representative will be paid a salary equivalent to the top paid city representative + 5%.

Each country representative will be paid a salary equivalent to the top paid provincial representative + 5%.

etc.

No person can represent two positions, and the terms are a minimum of 1 year at the block level, or 2 years for levels representing larger populations. Elections are held annually at the block level, with the incumbent representative gaining 1.25 votes for every vote they receive.

Anyone can present a policy for review by their block representative, who will spend part of their time helping to improve the presentation of these policies, and part of their time crafting their own policies for presentation to the neighbourhood representative.

Regarding which types of policy get’s handled at which level, this is determined through discussing the effects of the policy, as well as assessing the geographical area of impact.

With regards to taxes. Taxes are determined through weighted averages, and policy driven tax rates. Each block is responsible for paying tax on their income, which is weighted by their personal income level compared to the incomes in their block. Their tax = Policy driven tax % * Personal Income + (Block Average - Personal Income)/2. Each block is responsible for paying to the neighbourhood, Block Tax = Tax Rate * Block Income + (Neighbourhood average - Block Income). Each neighbourhood is responsible for paying the Neighbourhood Tax which = Tax Rate * Neighbourhood Income + (City Average - Neighbour Income). Tax rates are directly tied to budgets, and are voted on alongside the budget. Tax rates for an individual are determined by comparing the total sum required for the various budgets to the income/asset levels of the previous year. Assets are considered taxable income if they are transferred (i.e. sold/bought, inherited). The rate that taxes are paid on asset purchases is ½ the income tax rate, but asset sales are taxed as income (i.e. the seller pays tax on the income generated by the sale as it is considered part of their income).

Annual budgets are presented at every level. An additional %50 of the annual budget shall be held in reserve against potential budget over-runs (which still have to pass policy elections, but this ensures against tax collection mid-year).

Policy is used to represent any group decision, deference of responsibility to a representative, in principle project approval, project review process, etc. And can be intensively prescriptive, or extremely limited and defer the majority of responsibility to the representative. Representatives are responsible for promoting their point of view with regards to policy, and proposing new or revisions to existing, policies.

So... now that I've got a first, rough draft, of some thoughts, I guess the next step is to see if they have any validity. Do they? Is there a similar proposed system or active system like this? 

Phase 1 of the system implementation would be to start building a web-site that would present currently proposed policies to it's constituents, and essentially try to act as a poll for a current representative, including a forum for debate, and a wiki/document space for interested parties to post their opinion/research/propoganda.

Users would need to be verified through as secure a method as possible, potentially something similar to the federal government's tax system.

Phase 2 would be to refine the above proposed system, and implement it on a city-wide scale, with the goal of eventually moving to larger and larger venues.

Random Thoughts on Electoral System Reform

So... a quick lunch hour blog.

I was reading this article and thinking that a big part of the problem is that media/advertising has left the realm of product promotion, and entered into other parts of our life, i.e. politics. That's just crazy.

The more I think of it, the more it seems like the article is hitting the nail on the head, we're busy, we don't have time to delve into the issues and make educated decisions, so we pick the pretty face, or the sound bite that grabs our attention. This is nuts. It awards the flashiest catchiest and sometimes stupid policies/politicians/platforms...

I'm an optimist though, and I think we still have the capacity to pull up before we become a global Idiocracy. I think the internet, while exacerbating our downfall, is also a tool for the future. We exist in a world where we can get access to anything, and express an opinion on it. Why aren't we using that for our politics? Why are we so attached to electing someone that is like us? Screw that, I want someone who's smarter and more educated, and who's leading a team of experts. How do I get that?

1. Voting is done via internet. Internet access is provided to everyone either directly or through public facility access (i.e. libraries)
2. Voting is done on specific policies and/or platform points (for and against), and is done over a longer period of time. With every user having to click to confirm that they've actually read the policy/platform point in question. The party/person in charge is the one who get's the most votes. Each policy/platform point provides a space for links to popular web-sites/social media for unstructured debate, and links to supporting evidence/rationale as compiled by the party. (i.e. a pro-life policy would potentially provide statistics, scientific articles, etc. supporting the policy)
3. During non-election periods, a party can pass a policy even if it doesn't have popular support (as determined through the still active system described in point 2), but they must clearly state that they are doing so. (Sometimes the masses are stupid, and it's better to have decisive leadership)
4. Funding must be transparent and limited.
5. Peer reviewed journals should be carefully considered to ensure that they're beyond the influence of concerned capital concerns.

The result of this would be that "boring" policies might get only a few votes, while others might get massive attention, resulting in a lively debate. The quality of the evidence/rationale would be a determining factor (rather than the looks or fidelity of the person supporting it). Ad campaigns supported by industry would still potentially exist, but any party/person endorsed advertisement would need to be separate (with transparent funding). No policy is boring to the people it affects, unless they don't really see the difference with or without the policy, and you should only get to vote if you actually read enough to care.

The place of Environmental Development

After reading the first bit of Paul Hawken's "Blessed Unrest" I find myself wondering about how we view the environment and why it is different from how we view economics. Having grown up in a home where environmental awareness has always been an important issue, and environmental activism has been important, I find myself wondering if various mainstream thoughts surrounding economics and science have been unduly influenced by the environmental movement. The increasingly evident necessity of incorporating our surroundings into our accounting is something that may have been actually hindered by the view of the environment as the cause of a movement, rather than an increasingly well understood aspect of our daily lives.

For example, rather than hugging a tree, understanding it's part in creating the air we breathe, leads us to weigh the cost of cutting down the tree against the benefits.

Arguably though, we would not be in a position to have investigated the costs of cutting down the tree without the environmental movement... Chicken or the egg?

Anyway, will probably develop this more later.

A French - Canadian Wedding Party

Well, two of our closes friend, Luc and Emilie, got married on May 26. They arrived back in Canada on Tuesday, and we had a bit of a party for them last night...
It was a blast.
The crowd was relatively small, which turned out perfect, as it was an excellent mix of people. Thanks again to all who came and partied hardy, it was an excellent group vibe (yes I know... sounding like a flaky Hippy from the Koots).
The endurance shown by those who lasted with us until the end (circa 4am) was excellent.

The long awaited breakfast at Havana's this morning was a great follow up to the late drunken evening as well..

Programming Hell

Do While Logic Computes
str.writecrap(I am cursing and loving this dang programming course)
For all GEEKS
str.writemore(logic is of course a thing I will never again associate with computers
_ but of course there is that small part of me that loves to find solutions to problems...
_ which is of course what programming is all about...)
Next
Logic DOES NOT COMPUTE
YouSuck.SystemException unhandled, program will self destruct and take you down with it in
10
9
8
7
6
5
4
3
2
1
.....

On another note, work is almost worse. I'm actually getting pushed and challenged, just when I don't have time to get pushed and challenged. I'm trying to find time to pursue my GIS development baby, it's finally time to start selling, and I get stuck with writing my first Stage 2 (next step from the normal stuff I've been doing). Of course all this happens during the most difficult part of my course too...

Alright, I'll stop my whining, at least I didn't lock myself out of the house (well done Kate).
I'm also finding myself intellectually stimulated... almost like cramming for a final, if only I could find time to do a bit more Rugby.

More for next time, gotta meet my Prof for a 'virtual office hour' (use your imaginations, then forget everything you just thought of, and it's worse than that).

Ciao

Ahh... the geeky life

Well, I'll admit, I'm fully immersed in my geeky life. I've been addicted to watching Battlestar Galactica, and have discovered uTorrent as a source for my addiction. So far the third season is turning out to be very interesting... perhaps someday I'll even catch up with the show...
I'm also starting to dream in code, as this programming for GIS course has some projects that take a surprising amount of time and energy... ah BCIT, how to work yourself into an early grave. It is an interesting course though, and Visual Basic is definitely an easier language to learn than Java (which I just barely passed in Uni). I'm almost getting to the point of being able to write useful programs... i.e. basic accounting etc.

So... besides the geeking out, I'm still brewing beer with Luc (neighbour and good friend). We started a coffee beer a few weeks ago and just had our first taste on Friday... damn good if I do say so myself. It really is a great invention, sort of like vodka and red bull, except it tastes better. That combination of caffeine and alcohol is sure to be my downfall.

Rugby is a bit disappointing these days. I've played a grand total of two games this season, as the only other two games I was injured (getting tackled on a gravel field is a bit painful, and I managed to bugger up my shoulder). I'm hoping to play this next Saturday, but the general lack of players and enthusiasm is starting to make me think of switching clubs for next season. I'll probably play touch with the Burnaby club over the summer and we'll see from there... My new co-worker (no, he's not my lackey) plays for Burnaby, and does some coaching etc. so hopefully I'll have enough of an in, to be able to show up and start learning how to play for real.

Yes the wedding plans are progressing... albeit slowly right now, as we're still struggling with invite design etc...

Merry Christmas

Yes, I know it's been many months since last I wrote to this thought repository. This is not because I've stopped thinking, but rather due to a focus on work and a general business.
So here I am, at the Fitzgerald's for a great family Christmas. Lots of food and fun to be had.
I must admit, I'm more and more sure that I want to marry Kate every day, I am appreciating her family, in all that it is different from my own, and I think we complement each other well.
I do miss having Christmas with my family, but I definitely want to be with Kate, so every second year work's well.
We had a great dinner at Gene and Chuck's house (Patty's parents), with a monstrous ham, Tortiere, a mango salad, home baked buns, cannelloni, cookies and a yule log (large decadent chocolate creation). Needless to say I was definitely full at the end of the evening.
This morning we were up at about 7:30am and opening presents by about 8:30.
Jo & Aaron - Thanks for the fondue
Patty & Dennis - Thanks for the book and the GPS
Ma and Pa - Thanks for the MEC gift certificate and the book
Nissa - thanks for the lifetime supply of tealights
Ryan - Thanks for the bulb
Matt - Thanks for the wine
Marie - thanks for the wine
Caillie - thanks for the shirt (soon to come)

Then an excellent breakfast with a fried potato/egg/ham dish, a tropical risotto, and some Stolen, followed by some clean up and a good run.

Merry Christmas all, hope you're enjoying as much as I am.

Knowledge Economy and Geeks

I find it interesting that the geeks of the world are becoming fully functioning, even overfunctioning people. I went to my ultimate game this week (a game played with a disc, or "frisbee"), and realised I was surrounded by all the slightly socially odd kids who have become the well paid behind the scenes people who run what William Atkinson called the Knowledge Economy (Protoype, 2001). These are the people who keep our systems running, the engineers who design electronics and games, the geeks. Stereotypically social outcasts and just a bit odd, these are the people who have focused on the excercise of the mind and solving easily compartmentalized problems as a method of making up for their social short comings or incomprehension.

A look at the moon

Here's an interesting shot of the moon. I'm not sure what the crescent below the moon is... but as my first semi-succesful attempt at nigh photography, I was quite happy with it. 

Pics from a walk around the neighbourhood

I am very impressed with the image quality so far. The compressed pics that you get on the blog don't do the originals justice. It is very easy to just start pointing and shooting as well, though eventually I would like to know enough to be able to use all the features at will.
This is one of Sunny's favourite poses, head stuffed into my elbow or armpit.
















I'm very impressed at how close I can get to objects.
 

New Camera

Well, I've gone and gotten myself into photography. I have just purchased a Nikon D50, which is an entry level Digital SLR (single lens reflex). So far I am totally hooked. I've probably taken between 150 and 200 shots since I purchased it yesterday. Of course most of them were crap, because all I was doing was pointing it at random thinks and hitting the button.
This is a great camera, I am very happy with everything about the way it feels to the features etc. 

Going to hike the Juan de Fuca!

Kate and I are going to hike the Juan de Fuca trail next week. We've obsessed about the exact plans for long enough to have thoroughly gotten ourselves prepared... at least we hope so. The plan is to arrive at China Beach on monday, as early as possible with a drive from Campbell River, approximately four to five hours away. Then we hike seven kilometers to the first camping spot. Four more days of hiking should put us somewhere near the end, in Port Renfrew. Then it's time to hitchike or find some way to get back to our car, 52 km to the south, by Friday evening. Then one last night of camping and we're rushing back home so that we can go see Caillie's (my little sister) dance performance. Should be a whirlwind tour and a hell of a good change from my usual day in front of the computer.
Unfortunately, getting ready to go means trying to finish up all my projects at work, so I've been putting in ten or eleven hour days, which can get pretty old. Ah well, such is life, at least I feel needed.
One final note, I plan on adding photographs to this blog soon, as I am planning on getting a digital SLR, likely a Nikon D50, as a birthday present to me.

Well, better get back to cleaning out the frog's tank... gotta name him soon.

The sweet mystery of spring

It seems that every spring is full of the strangest self exploration. The dark trips into my psyche often leave me desperately needing escape, and I find myself watching TV or reading in far larger amounts than I usually do. This is the time of year when I feel myself awakening from the slightly darker more introspective time of year. It is almost like I am being re-born.You know that feeling of life that you get when you've been too warm for awhile and you jump into a cold shower. Or that feeling you get when your muscles are just warmed up and you're hitting your stride and the world is in your grasp.The feeling preceeding that has slowly crept up on you, the lethargy, being too warm, losing control... you don't even know it's there until you awaken from it. This feeling is totally necessary to the awake and alive feeling.The world is a balance, at least emotionally, and all feelings of joy must be balanced at some point with feelings of despair. I curse and love this balance, and notice it far too frequently in myself. If I am feeling in the grips of ecstasy I know that I will soon feel in the grips of pain. If I am feeling in control and on top of the world, I will soon feel out of control, and filled with self doubt. Perhaps this is a construct of the self examination, or perhaps it was always there, and only became evident through self examination.
Sometimes I wish I was closer to bodhisattva, the state of neutrality and peace. Somedays I am glad I'm not.

Well... happy spring. 

My strange little world with all its ups and downs

Here I am in my strange little world.
I read, I sleep , my mind starts to twirl.
I think to myself that the end is nigh...
I remind myself that soon I'll fly.
All the ups and downs
They make me smile and frown
Here I am in my strange little world
Thinking endlessly about the girls
If only my thoughts would align
Myself I would no longer malign
I lie, I sleep, I lose myself
I cry, I weep, I forget my health
Here I am in my strange little world
The dark and the light
The day and the night
Without out one there is no other
Without people there is no brother
I cannot co-exist
I cannot go it alone
Here I am in my strange little world

Sunshine Coast pictures

 

The world of religion

Interesting that people are so passionate about religion. It means so many different things to so many different people. I was just talking to my land lord who stated that it was stupid to be religious. In some ways it is. But, as nobody is perfectly intelligent, we are all a bit stupid. Is religion such a bad way to be stupid?
The impetus for war and the forcing of an ideology onto a people are certainly two of the more negative aspects of religion, but perhaps the most harmful aspect of religion is that it is used for an excuse not to think. There are many excuses out there for not thinking, and many perfectly valid reasons not to, and it is extremely logical to use faith as an excuse. The difference between right and wrong, black and white, true and false, suddenly becomes attainable.
These are the aspects that are commonly demonized in religion, but what about all the good parts? You suddenly have something to share with others, something to form a community around. When in the depths of personal depressions, lonlienesses etc. there is always that source of comfort and wisdom to lean on. The leap of faith required to act has been done, it is no longer necessary to question to death each and every action, it is suddenly possible to accomplish many things.
The picture I've posted is an interesting one, the figure in the image is obviously trying to escape the bonds of those around him. This is one of the biggest contradictions in today's world. We don't want to be judged, or influenced by those around us, we just want to be loved. Like everything this is impossible. We cannot only take the good from anything, balance has a way of re-asserting itself in everything.
Isn't that what religion is like? The assertion of the influence of others on us? Ultimately that is demonized in today's culture, where you must be individually strong and powerful, and it is shameful to rely on others. You must become "self-realized", strong and free. Shrug off the influence of the herd, and be not a sheep. And here's some advertisements to show you how to do it. You should work like a dog to be able to buy everything so that everybody around you will not question your independence, and will only love you.
This is ultimately ridiculous, as we all need people, and want to be able to help people. So why can't we admit to needing help?
Hmmm... the juxtapositions of modern society. I realize that I am far from the first person to point these out, but that doesn't stop me from thinking about it. How else can I help to shape the world that I'm in?

Anyway, Ciao for now.

First real blog here...

I watched V is for Vendetta last night, and was quite impressed. It was a visually stunning thinly veiled political statement with all the elements of a well told story. The characters were appealing and the acting was excellent. I hope to see more like this out of the Wachowski brothers (in this movie they were the screenplay writers and producers).
The look at the use of fear by governments to control the masses was certainly an applicable one in today's world, especially in the US. I think it is movies like this, and other forms of free expression that keep these types of governments in check. This is one of the most interesting and scariest/greatest features of today's westernized governments, the ability to adapt and react. With the control of the media, control of the policing system, and control of more and more aspects of everyday life, we tend to look to the government to control the things that scare us. This is a scary prospect in itself, something which V points out in a appealing story. We'd all like to live in a fuzzy world with no worries and notthing to be afraid of, but the only way we can do that is by taking control of our internal fear, rather than trying to control the external sources of that fear. Sounds like a bit of a preachy senetence, but this is the message that I got from the movie, and something that has infected my personal philosophy in various aspects for awhile now.

Anyway, enough on this topic.

Another day another dollar....

It's amazing how much work plays into our lives these days. I know I'm revisiting this issue from my Bebo blog... but I still find it a thought provoking issue. The workless party (a local political movement) definitely has some good points, and yet, if work was all that bad why do we really do it? There are many parts of society that don't work, and, while they may only be fully accepted by there sub-sectors of society, it is certainly a valid option. As technology increases in effectiveness and complexity the not working option may become even more real and appealing. Something like 5% or less of the population in the first world western countries is actually involved in growing and harvesting food, the rest of us are mostly doing busy work. That is work that is not really necessary to our survival, but does keep us busy and thinking that we are doing something. Hmmm... seems like we do a lot of running in circles.

Cameron