Friday, February 16, 2007

Rambles...

I've been off the blog beat this week for a number of reasons. Mainly, I've been busy with work and what free time I've had I've devoted to playing with my kiddies, a bit of Guild Wars, and obsessing about running, which I've just been able to start back up after a month off (broken rib, see playing with kiddies and man, I'm getting old). For the record, and once it's in print here I suppose it's more or less official, I'm actually going to try to run my first marathon this year. Specifically, the Blue Nose International Marathon here in Halibedmouth. After missing a month of running, I'm starting off behind the eight ball, but I have nice shiny new shoes, my Forerunner, and the desire to turn my one-pack into a six-pack by summertime to motivate me. I'm not trying to BQ, just finish it smiling, so I'm looking forward to a managable challenge.

I'm glad to see that Dan and Flash have kept the fires warm here in my absence. I promise to be more on the ball next week when things settle down.

I'd be remiss if I failed to mention Nova Scotia Premier Rodney's Valentine's Day emission to the federal government that $400 million just ain't gonna cut it as the fed's committment for the Commonwealth Games. It's going to be interesting to see what the final budget for this monstrosity is when it's released later in the spring. How is the city council reacting to the spiralling costs estimates? Deputy Mayor Sue Uteck, who supports the bid, says:

I have no intention of leaving any local legacy of debt.

Which I suppose means that she has also forgotten that there is only one taxpayer and would love to offload as much of the cost on other branches of government as she can. However, she also restated that if the costs of the Games are too rich for the city, Council can pull support and the issue dies.

Ultimately, this means that, since the provincial government is broke, the city might pull support for the bid if (oh please!) the federal government does not pledge more money from its famously open pockets.

So, Mr. Prime Minister, when considering The Diddler Fiddler's request for more money, please keep in mind that we're not Quebec. Continue to ignore the East Coast, "move along sir, nothing to see here." The federal Conservatives have won just about as many seats as they're going to win in Nova Scotia, so money thrown into the Commonwealth Games is money lost as far as you're concerned. Save it for where it's really needed - undermining the federal Liberals in Ontario and buying votes in Quebec for your best pal Jean Charest, who in turn will tickle your prostate when the next federal election rolls around.

(h/t to Mrs. Flash for pointing me to the CBC article.)

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Friday, February 09, 2007

We present The Disgruntled Seven

Owing to the fact that the Disgruntled Seven have now filed their lawsuit to get their $8,200 per year back thusly:


In a democracy, elected members of a school board or other representative body may have firmly held views, the verbal expression of which is messy... That does not mean that we should abolish democracy. A breach of the code of ethics, resulting in the partisan and impolite statement of opinion, can never be grounds to remove the board from office.
In a democracy no less!

We here in Eastern Kogistan are fully in favour of the messy display of firmly held views, which is exactly why we allow anonymous commenting. (Hell, that's why we blog! With this messy display comes some responsibility, however. We request that those that comment respect one rule(including ourselves): that while they might find the ideas presented in a post or comment odious or facile, they address the argument and refrain from insults, however tempting. This is done in an effort to make commentors feel comfortable that they will not be "flamed" (to use a '90-ism). It increases participation. It makes us feel warm and fuzzy: it veritably curls our toes to see that sometimes someone not us takes the time to not only read what we write, but think and write about it back to us. We may well disagree with the response, but we hope no one storms out in a huff. Well, not as often as say, a Halifax Regional School Board meeting.)

The fact of the matter is the elected board of the Halifax Regional School Board was not dismissed because of a difference of opinion, messy or otherwise. No, you were dismissed because you were unable to reliably produce a quorum at meetings owing to your juvenile reaction to the "firmly held views" held by various members, even after repeated warnings. In short, you wouldn't grow up when told to, and you got sent to your room.

Too goddamned bad.

So now you sulk. I guess that's the next logical step, isn't it? What's next, refusal to make your bed? Screams to your parents to "go die"?
I guess we'll have to wait and see.

P.S. This announcement, more precisely, the wording of this announcement, seems to confirm that one of the D-7; Gary O'Hara, Deborah Brunt, Grace Walker, Bridget Ann Boutilier, Debra Barlow, Wade Marshall, or Darren Watts, must have commented to this post earlier in the week under the clever pseudonym "Democracy". Note that in the comment, they cleverly tried to hide their identity by using the third person to describe their selfless efforts to defend democracy from the march of tyranny (I quote: "You are free to say what you want because people like this fight for our rights.")

Fight on, Defenders of Democracy, fight on! At least now you're not fighting amongst yourselves.

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Thursday, February 01, 2007

HRSB update

In case anyone had any question that (a majority) of the former members of the Halifax Regional School Board had any pride, dignity, or maturity, today's anouncement that they are launching a lawsuit to get their jobs back should settle the issue. As of yet there is not confirmed announcement as to which members are participating, but it appears that at least Debra Barlow, Deborah Brunt, Grace Walker, Darren Watts and Bridget Ann Boutilier are. Recent comments by Gin Yee, who is proving to be the one grown-up in the group, lead me to believe at least he is not.

The "participants" claim that they are suing for the principle, not for the ~$8K annuity they receive as Board members. If this was truly the case, I would suggest to whoever is doing public relations for these loathsome whiners that they should maybe have launched the suit immediately upon the dissolution of the Board, not two days after having their stipends stripped.

Childish and stupid as shit - excellent qualities in a school board, no?

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