Thursday, April 15, 2004
I'm very pleased. I've been getting regular updates via email from the Green Party about the (presumably) upcoming election. It's one of those things that the more I read, the more I really think that they offer by far the best solution to the country's problems. Like I've said before, I don't think they should actually form the government, but I'd be pleased as punch if they got a handful of seats in the house in order to force discussion and offer real alternatives to real problems. (Before I lose all of you...the sens won! This means my productivity is destined to take continued hits through the next week atleast!)
(From a news release)The Green Party of Canada is calling for a re-evaluation of the poultry industry, by linking avian flu compensation to the promotion of more diverse, humane, and economically sound farming
practices, said Green Party deputy leader Andrew Lewis today.
19 million chickens in the Fraser Valley will be slaughtered by the
Canadian Food Inspection Agency, because of the avian flu threat. The federal
and provincial governments are now considering public compensation to
support the industry during these devastating times.
"Before we give away a dime of taxpayer money, we first need an
alternative to intensive factory farming in the Fraser Valley that directly
contributed to the avian flu threat. Taxpayers, organic small farms and 19 million
chickens will pay the price if governments proceed with their short-sighted
compensation plans", said Lewis, Green Party Deputy Leader.
With 80% of B.C.'s poultry in the Fraser Valley, de-clawed,
de-beaked, cooped 10,000 to the barn in some cases, and fed antibiotics, it is
inevitable that poultry immune response systems will be compromised, and that
epidemics such as flu will spread farm to farm in such a small geographic area.
"It's time for the Canadian government to ask whether the corporate
health of Colonel Saunders comes first or the health of Canadians", said Lewis.
The concerns of the Green Party are that compensation without
promoting change will lead to a further loss of genetic diversity in poultry,
increased density in cages, increased concentration in the Fraser Valley, and further
taxpayer costs when the industry needs to be bailed out next time. Lewis said,
"this is an opportunity to diversify poultry farming, break the unhealthy
concentration in the Valley and support local economies across B.C with locally
produced, humanely raised chickens and eggs".
***
Seems like a pretty reasonable approach if you ask me!
Anyways, I think a bunch of you are having your last exams today! Best of luck to everyone!
(From a news release)The Green Party of Canada is calling for a re-evaluation of the poultry industry, by linking avian flu compensation to the promotion of more diverse, humane, and economically sound farming
practices, said Green Party deputy leader Andrew Lewis today.
19 million chickens in the Fraser Valley will be slaughtered by the
Canadian Food Inspection Agency, because of the avian flu threat. The federal
and provincial governments are now considering public compensation to
support the industry during these devastating times.
"Before we give away a dime of taxpayer money, we first need an
alternative to intensive factory farming in the Fraser Valley that directly
contributed to the avian flu threat. Taxpayers, organic small farms and 19 million
chickens will pay the price if governments proceed with their short-sighted
compensation plans", said Lewis, Green Party Deputy Leader.
With 80% of B.C.'s poultry in the Fraser Valley, de-clawed,
de-beaked, cooped 10,000 to the barn in some cases, and fed antibiotics, it is
inevitable that poultry immune response systems will be compromised, and that
epidemics such as flu will spread farm to farm in such a small geographic area.
"It's time for the Canadian government to ask whether the corporate
health of Colonel Saunders comes first or the health of Canadians", said Lewis.
The concerns of the Green Party are that compensation without
promoting change will lead to a further loss of genetic diversity in poultry,
increased density in cages, increased concentration in the Fraser Valley, and further
taxpayer costs when the industry needs to be bailed out next time. Lewis said,
"this is an opportunity to diversify poultry farming, break the unhealthy
concentration in the Valley and support local economies across B.C with locally
produced, humanely raised chickens and eggs".
***
Seems like a pretty reasonable approach if you ask me!
Anyways, I think a bunch of you are having your last exams today! Best of luck to everyone!
Wednesday, April 14, 2004
Man. I am very entertained by this. If you have time to kill(or an exam to write) this will surely brighten your day. Don't question the motivation behind it, just appreciate its brilliance.
1) http://www.subservientchicken.com/
THEN, only after you've played for a while...
2)http://dev.magicosm.net/cgi-bin/public/corvidaewiki/bin/view/Game/SubservientChickenRequestList
1) http://www.subservientchicken.com/
THEN, only after you've played for a while...
2)http://dev.magicosm.net/cgi-bin/public/corvidaewiki/bin/view/Game/SubservientChickenRequestList
Wednesday, April 07, 2004
Tuesday, April 06, 2004
I have to admit it(yes, this indeed shames me)...I watched a good 20 minutes of Average Joe last night. I've never seen the show before...but when I tuned in this guy was introducing this girl to his parents. His parents absolutely adored the girl, and she seemed seriously uber cool. Needless to say she was also a mad hottie! Anyways, it turned out that he picked some other girl. This I must say, I don't understand. She could not POSSIBLY been as much of a find as the girl he rejected. I hope the girl he picked turns out to be nothing special!
Monday, April 05, 2004
Still nothing overly exciting on the home front. I'm not really a fan of this site, and so will probably end up switching again at some point down the road, likely back to www.eng.uwaterloo.ca. Anyways, had a good weekend...spent a big chunk of it working on stuff for JUMP, and a big chunk hanging out with Laura. I took her out for a hot date on Friday..I was pleased that I managed to keep ALL of my plans under wraps, so it was a total surprise which is always fun. Took her to see Jersey Girl, then went to Just Desserts for a stupendously yummy slab of cake!
Everyone seems to be wrapping up their undergrads pretty quickly! I feel out of the loop! It sounds like everyone is going to have a very relaxed and fun summer. I expect lots of postcards and letters and phone calls and visits!
Blarg. I'm going to head back to getting cracking on work here...
Everyone seems to be wrapping up their undergrads pretty quickly! I feel out of the loop! It sounds like everyone is going to have a very relaxed and fun summer. I expect lots of postcards and letters and phone calls and visits!
Blarg. I'm going to head back to getting cracking on work here...
