archives
03/28/2004 - 04/04/2004
04/04/2004 - 04/11/2004
04/11/2004 - 04/18/2004
04/18/2004 - 04/25/2004
04/25/2004 - 05/02/2004
05/02/2004 - 05/09/2004
05/09/2004 - 05/16/2004
05/16/2004 - 05/23/2004
05/23/2004 - 05/30/2004
05/30/2004 - 06/06/2004
06/06/2004 - 06/13/2004
06/13/2004 - 06/20/2004
06/20/2004 - 06/27/2004
06/27/2004 - 07/04/2004
07/04/2004 - 07/11/2004
07/11/2004 - 07/18/2004
07/18/2004 - 07/25/2004
07/25/2004 - 08/01/2004
08/01/2004 - 08/08/2004
08/08/2004 - 08/15/2004
08/15/2004 - 08/22/2004
08/22/2004 - 08/29/2004
08/29/2004 - 09/05/2004
09/05/2004 - 09/12/2004
09/12/2004 - 09/19/2004
09/19/2004 - 09/26/2004
09/26/2004 - 10/03/2004
10/03/2004 - 10/10/2004
10/10/2004 - 10/17/2004
10/17/2004 - 10/24/2004
10/24/2004 - 10/31/2004
10/31/2004 - 11/07/2004
11/07/2004 - 11/14/2004
11/14/2004 - 11/21/2004
11/21/2004 - 11/28/2004
11/28/2004 - 12/05/2004
12/05/2004 - 12/12/2004
12/12/2004 - 12/19/2004
12/19/2004 - 12/26/2004
12/26/2004 - 01/02/2005
01/02/2005 - 01/09/2005
01/09/2005 - 01/16/2005
01/16/2005 - 01/23/2005
01/23/2005 - 01/30/2005
01/30/2005 - 02/06/2005
02/06/2005 - 02/13/2005
02/13/2005 - 02/20/2005
02/20/2005 - 02/27/2005
02/27/2005 - 03/06/2005
03/06/2005 - 03/13/2005
03/13/2005 - 03/20/2005
03/20/2005 - 03/27/2005
03/27/2005 - 04/03/2005
04/03/2005 - 04/10/2005
04/10/2005 - 04/17/2005
04/17/2005 - 04/24/2005
04/24/2005 - 05/01/2005
05/01/2005 - 05/08/2005
05/08/2005 - 05/15/2005
05/15/2005 - 05/22/2005
05/22/2005 - 05/29/2005
05/29/2005 - 06/05/2005
06/05/2005 - 06/12/2005
06/12/2005 - 06/19/2005
06/19/2005 - 06/26/2005
06/26/2005 - 07/03/2005
07/03/2005 - 07/10/2005
07/10/2005 - 07/17/2005
07/17/2005 - 07/24/2005
07/24/2005 - 07/31/2005
07/31/2005 - 08/07/2005
08/07/2005 - 08/14/2005
08/14/2005 - 08/21/2005
08/21/2005 - 08/28/2005
08/28/2005 - 09/04/2005
09/04/2005 - 09/11/2005
09/11/2005 - 09/18/2005
09/18/2005 - 09/25/2005
09/25/2005 - 10/02/2005
10/02/2005 - 10/09/2005
10/09/2005 - 10/16/2005
10/16/2005 - 10/23/2005
10/23/2005 - 10/30/2005
10/30/2005 - 11/06/2005
11/06/2005 - 11/13/2005
11/13/2005 - 11/20/2005
11/20/2005 - 11/27/2005
11/27/2005 - 12/04/2005
12/04/2005 - 12/11/2005
12/11/2005 - 12/18/2005
12/18/2005 - 12/25/2005
12/25/2005 - 01/01/2006
01/01/2006 - 01/08/2006
01/08/2006 - 01/15/2006
01/15/2006 - 01/22/2006
01/22/2006 - 01/29/2006
01/29/2006 - 02/05/2006
02/05/2006 - 02/12/2006
02/12/2006 - 02/19/2006
02/19/2006 - 02/26/2006
02/26/2006 - 03/05/2006
03/05/2006 - 03/12/2006
03/12/2006 - 03/19/2006
03/19/2006 - 03/26/2006
03/26/2006 - 04/02/2006
04/02/2006 - 04/09/2006
04/09/2006 - 04/16/2006
04/16/2006 - 04/23/2006
04/23/2006 - 04/30/2006
04/30/2006 - 05/07/2006
05/07/2006 - 05/14/2006
05/14/2006 - 05/21/2006
05/21/2006 - 05/28/2006
05/28/2006 - 06/04/2006
06/04/2006 - 06/11/2006
06/11/2006 - 06/18/2006
06/18/2006 - 06/25/2006
06/25/2006 - 07/02/2006
07/02/2006 - 07/09/2006
07/09/2006 - 07/16/2006
07/16/2006 - 07/23/2006
07/23/2006 - 07/30/2006
07/30/2006 - 08/06/2006
08/06/2006 - 08/13/2006
08/13/2006 - 08/20/2006
08/20/2006 - 08/27/2006
08/27/2006 - 09/03/2006
09/03/2006 - 09/10/2006
09/10/2006 - 09/17/2006
09/17/2006 - 09/24/2006
09/24/2006 - 10/01/2006
10/01/2006 - 10/08/2006
10/08/2006 - 10/15/2006
10/15/2006 - 10/22/2006
10/22/2006 - 10/29/2006
10/29/2006 - 11/05/2006
11/05/2006 - 11/12/2006
11/12/2006 - 11/19/2006
11/19/2006 - 11/26/2006
11/26/2006 - 12/03/2006
12/03/2006 - 12/10/2006
12/10/2006 - 12/17/2006
12/17/2006 - 12/24/2006
12/24/2006 - 12/31/2006
12/31/2006 - 01/07/2007
01/07/2007 - 01/14/2007
01/14/2007 - 01/21/2007
01/21/2007 - 01/28/2007
01/28/2007 - 02/04/2007
02/04/2007 - 02/11/2007
02/11/2007 - 02/18/2007
02/18/2007 - 02/25/2007
02/25/2007 - 03/04/2007
03/11/2007 - 03/18/2007
03/18/2007 - 03/25/2007
04/08/2007 - 04/15/2007
04/15/2007 - 04/22/2007
04/22/2007 - 04/29/2007
04/29/2007 - 05/06/2007
05/06/2007 - 05/13/2007
05/13/2007 - 05/20/2007
05/27/2007 - 06/03/2007
06/10/2007 - 06/17/2007
06/17/2007 - 06/24/2007
06/24/2007 - 07/01/2007
07/01/2007 - 07/08/2007
07/15/2007 - 07/22/2007
09/02/2007 - 09/09/2007
09/16/2007 - 09/23/2007
10/07/2007 - 10/14/2007
10/21/2007 - 10/28/2007
11/18/2007 - 11/25/2007
11/25/2007 - 12/02/2007
12/02/2007 - 12/09/2007
12/09/2007 - 12/16/2007
12/16/2007 - 12/23/2007
12/23/2007 - 12/30/2007
12/30/2007 - 01/06/2008
01/06/2008 - 01/13/2008
01/13/2008 - 01/20/2008
01/20/2008 - 01/27/2008
01/27/2008 - 02/03/2008
02/03/2008 - 02/10/2008
02/17/2008 - 02/24/2008
02/24/2008 - 03/02/2008
03/02/2008 - 03/09/2008
03/09/2008 - 03/16/2008
03/23/2008 - 03/30/2008
03/30/2008 - 04/06/2008
04/06/2008 - 04/13/2008
04/20/2008 - 04/27/2008
04/27/2008 - 05/04/2008
05/11/2008 - 05/18/2008
05/18/2008 - 05/25/2008
06/01/2008 - 06/08/2008
06/08/2008 - 06/15/2008
06/15/2008 - 06/22/2008
06/22/2008 - 06/29/2008
06/29/2008 - 07/06/2008
07/20/2008 - 07/27/2008
Saturday, December 10, 2005
Feeding the Net.
Heh heh.
Which is original and which is the parody?
I hate making posts that are only links, but if you want to hear about how Neil had to be held back, you hafta ask him about it.
I wasn't really sure if I believed him, but it turns out that Shawn Tse is in a movie after all. Or an elaborate hoax.
More Fun With Math
Because I was procrastinating I decided to determine whether or not student's marked easy prof's higher on Rate My Profs. The answer will probably not surprise you:
(Regression line: y = 0.3487x + 1.7471, R^2 = 0.2156). The data set was from when I was bored in July. Anyway I just googled Rate My Profs and found this guy had already done it. He found a linear didn't work as better as others. For my graph an exponential line fits better y = 1.7701x^0.3986,
R^2 = 0.2416 but there both pretty imprecise that that line is pretty flat anyway.
The Economist had some pretty crazy statistics about GDP per capita in each province. Guess with one is the biggest? The answer will surprise you: The Northwest Territories at $95,000/person, over double the national average! Alberta's only at 60k and Ontario's at 40k. [Highlight to read]
I was thinking of voting Green but I don't like the local candidate. Seems to be one of those pet-issue type guys who are attracted to a small party in order to promote them, not the party. His pet issue is reforming foreign affairs and defense, which he will do by renaming everything::
DND, CIDA and the Department of Foreign Affairs (minus Citizenship & Immigration functions) would become IACSA, a rapid reponse force would be created called the CISF, the Coast Guard and domestic DND would become the Canada Guard (and the Canada Guard Reserve) which could get transfers from CISF and (most bizarely) the Ministry of National Defense would be renamed the Ministry of Defense. The report also mentions how the US and Canada combined spent over half of all spending on defense and if only 20% were redirected it could save all the childrens. Of course, the Canadian Green Party can't redirect any money the US spends so it's really a pointless anacdote to throw in. So it's really all pie-in-the-sky stuff. Of course "Green Party Government" is by definition a pie-in-the-sky thing (regardless, the Greens would probably be against pie in the sky for environmental reasons).
GOSH
Because everyone likes education films from the 1940's. Many of the lessons are still applicable today (shocking I know).Friday, December 09, 2005
ProcrastinApetion
Done my 'xam and a major essay. Done classes. Left still: 1 editin' prawjekt and 1 production planning prawjek.
Just thought I should let everyone know that the TRUTH is alive and well.
Shit, Onimusha, let go of my leg. I don't have time to slay Lord Nobunaga!
I call bullshit
The problem with the story below is that it's from an advocacy site and not a news source. So I went to the actual proposed regulations:First of it's important to define what we're talking about here. We're not talking about putting children into a room and spraying them with pesticides. That is still banned:
70 FR 53865 26.420 "Prohibition of research involving intentional dosing of children. Notwithstanding any other provision of this part, under no circumstances shall EPA or a person when covered by Sec. 26.101(j) conduct or support research involving intentional dosing of any child."
So what are they talking about then?
70 FR 53846 B. Proposal "Human studies that do not involve intentional exposure are limited by the terms of this proposed definition to those where the exposure of the subjects would have occurred even if the subjects had not been participating in research. For example, under this definition a study would not be considered to involve intentional exposure if it monitored agricultural workers (such as professional fruit thinners or harvesters or other workers) who perform their usual work in areas that have been treated with pesticides at rates and using methods registered and approved by EPA."
-So, for example, people spray their lawns with pesticides. Researchers can study this.
The exerepts that the organic consumer site has are highly misleading: Here's their quote in italics, with the material they cut out in bold.
70 FR 53865 26.408(c) "If the IRB determines that a research protocol is designed for conditions or for a subject population for which parental or guardian permission is not a reasonable requirement to protect the subjects (for example, neglected or abused children), it may waive the consent requirements in subpart A of this part and paragraph (b) of this section, provided an appropriate mechanism for protecting the children who will participate as subjects in the research is substituted, and provided further that the waiver is not inconsistent with Federal, State or local law."
(OCA NOTE: Under the general rule, the EPA is saying it's okay to test chemicals on children if their parents or institutional guardians consent to it. This clause says that neglected or abused children have unfit guardians, so no consent would be required to test on those children. This loophole in the rule must be completely removed.)
-It seems reasonable that abused or neglected children should not be at the whim of their parent's and there should be an alternate system in place (which is very different then what this website insinuates that if you get an abused kid you can do whatever the fuck you want with him).
Also remember where all this is coming from, some college students were paid to have chemicals sprayed on them and there was a big outcry. The website Matt links to is concerned that the purposed changes won't go far enough, but even they would concede the new system would be better than the existing system.
Thursday, December 08, 2005
Again with the children
The Environmental Protection Agency of the U.S. thinks it is perfectly acceptable to test pesticides on children. If you don't, take a gander.
Dawn of War is a fantastic game. If building a huge wall of Ork corpses is wrong, then call me Mr. Wrong. "Cus I've done it about a dozen times in the last two days.
Tuesday, December 06, 2005
Pressure's On
Golly. Let me start by fleshing out Neil's version of things.
For the record, everything began when Brendan Bane brought up Ancient Sumeria. Neil did not believe that aliens or magic was involved in the ancient society, a point with which Bane and I vehemently disagreed. I spit out a Canibus line on the topic:
Back before Sumerians landed in the canyon,
Carryin' bacteria with antigens,
Nine-foot stone mannequins,
The key to nuclear power and (something) genarians
This inspired in Bane a full-out rhyme attack on Neil and his position. At Bane's request I beatboxed for him, and the guy went for at least a minute and a half. Don't be fooled by the eye-liner, he's a tight rhymer. Then when Bane ran out of rhymes I picked up the diss and he beat-boxed for me. Witness Sam described it as "a schoolin'".
After we left the outdoor patio at Clinton's, I saw a big sign on the street for Olivia Chow. I looked up and saw - Olivia Chow! The building was her political HQ and her and three other women seemed to be wrapping up and walking briskly to a new Civic. I turned to Salmon Eel and said "Holy shit! It's Olivia Chow! Look, I swear! She matches the sign!" Olivia seems to hear but ignore it, then almost at the car she turns around and addresses us. She is friendly and very professional, not batting a lash at our obvious drunkeness on this Monday night. She tells us that the NDP can do better than ever this election with support from the youth. She asks us where we're from and Sam slurs out "Trinity-St. Paul's" to which Chow replies, "That's a good neighbourhood to be from." A good part of the next 15 minutes of conversation was concerned with the inappropriate questions we could have asked her and the lies we could spread to the media. All kidding of course. She was swell. I might have still had beat-box spit on my gloves when I shook her hand, but I think it was frozen by then.
Special Family Edition
So my cousin Liam and his girlfriend Lisa have started up a website EndCanadianPoverty.ca. Basically it's a database of anti-poverty charities. They hope to cover bandwidth costs by google ads, so--sotto voce--go on over and click on a few of them. You can also recommend anti-poverty charities in your own community that you want added. It's a nice little site... my guess though, Canadian poverty will still be around (don't tell him I said that).Also, my mom is in Savage Love this week, pretty much it's just her and her co-authors of The Ultimate Guide to Sex and Disability answering the questions.
This post probably would've been a good place to link to the story about the prof walking in on two people having sex in his office because he has the same last name as me (and thus, all the people in the story). Ah, hindsight.
I don't know if this will be coherent
Yeah so last night I was supposed to be studying for the test on political theory I had this morning at 10 am. Before studying I needed to do the dishes during which I sliced open the tip of my middle finger and bled forever because I was full of beer (4). When I finally got down to studying at 2 am I had two delicious english muffins, one with peanut butter and honey, the other with margarine and brown sugar. I actually managed to study Hobbes, Locke, Machiavelli, Marx and Plato, which was pretty boring. I believed that if I put myself in this state a couple nights in a row I could write the Great American novel. But this wouldn't be some shitty Steinbeck knock-off, mine would be full of conspiracy theory, CIA agents, black ops helicopters, assassination plots, dune buggy races, Mongolians and ridiulously engineered college love triangles. Plus there would probably be several of zombies/ninjas/robots/cowboys/astronauts/ pirates. It would be totally rad! Eventually I was talking to Kimi about Eugene Ionesco (!) and I revealed that I had done Rhinoceros in grade 12 and we used a pylon for an awesome rhino horn. I got to bed around 6:30.This morning I nailed my test, at least in my delusional, sleep deprived mind I aced it. In the essay question about John Locke, I went from social contract theory to advocating the use of blunderbusses against highway brigands. After my diatribe about filling their bellies with hot lead I believe I wrote " WILD APPLAUSE CROWD CHEERING! NRA NRA NRA ". Now it is in the hands of the person marking my essay. This will either be the best or worst exam I have ever written, either way I'm going to crash and burn later in the week. After that happens I am going to get DREEEUUUNK, I have earned it.
Sunday, December 04, 2005
Yo, so:
I was walking home the other day, at about 12.30 or 1 in the morning, and I was thinking I was going to go get a lovely falafel from The Empire, the Somali place at the end of my street.
Anyways. As I was walking, this black dude was coming towards me kind of gesturing violently and saying something. I wasn't sure if he was talking to me or not, so I kept an ear open. He was saying, "Just let me live, man, just let me live." As we got closer, he walked in front of me and put down his bags and started punching the air right in front of my face. I just kind of stood there with my hands still in my pockets. He didn't hit me at all, but it was a bit disconcerting. He stopped and stepped to the side, fuming, and picked up his stuff. I said, "Okay, man," and started walking again. He kept on saying "Just let me live."
I'm not sure what was up with that. It kind of bothered me for the rest of the night.
