Good-F’ing-Bye, 2009!

Thanks for stopping by and reading this.  I thought I would say a proper, deserved good-bye to 2009 (and in keeping with my foremost feelings for 2009, good riddance).

Let me list the good things about 2009:

1. Started the Electrical Engineering Technology Program at Fanshawe College in September 2009.
2. Emilee turned 9, Darren turned 4, Shayla turned 2.  All are happy and healthy.  Same for their parents (although much older than 9, 4 and 2).
3. This is the last day of 2009.  That is about all I have.

I would list the bad things about 2009 – but quite frankly, my anger and frustration and despair and depression of the last 364 days (although some of that comes from 2008 as a carry over -  thanks Karma) would very much taint the words which you are now reading, and it would all become stream-of-consciousness and would spiral downward and bring you down with it.  Purple Monkey Dishwasher.

So, instead, I will tell you that I have mourned those lost this year.  I worry about some who are left behind.  I have learned lessons that I thought impossible to conceive just a short time ago.  Things like “Faith is the opposite of Knowledge” – which only the strongly religious will see as an attack on Faith rather than a simple truth about Knowledge.  I have collected enough knowledge now that there is nothing I have faith in.  However, this is not something I would assume fits for everyone, it is just a principle that seems to have become a theorum in my life.  Besides, having faith in nothing means never being disappointed again.

I look forward to 2010, mostly because I am planning for and striving for better things, but partly because I don’t plan to look back on 2009.

I am glad that today is December 31, 2009.  I won’t even have to write that date again. 

Good-bye, 2009

And for everyone else, Happy New Year, and I hope that 2010 finds you happy, healthy and prosperous.

 

M’eh

From the LTC Website

To London Transit Customers and Citizens of London

On Monday, December 14, 2009, the Amalgamated Transit Union Local 741 and the London Transit Commission voted in favor of a new collective agreement that has our operators, inspectors, dispatchers, ticket clerks and maintenance personnel beginning to return to work. This means regular transit service will be phased in over the coming days and weeks. We are pleased to have our employees back to work and hope you will let them know that you are also glad they are back.    

Throughout the disruption in service, Londoners have made it clear that London Transit services are important to them. The London Transit Commission offers its thanks for your messages and for your patience and understanding during the strike. We know many lives were made more complex and difficult during this time and we are genuinely sorry we were unable to provide the service you have come to expect.

As service resumes, whatever your views of the strike, we kindly ask that you treat our returning employees, fellow customers and our equipment with respect and should you encounter any issues with the service, please contact our Customer Service staff at 519-451-1347.   Further, we have provided answers to frequently asked questions regarding the resumption of service.

In closing, you our customers are important to us and as such transit service on Saturday, December 19, 2009 and Sunday, December 20, 2009 will be provided free with the Commission’s thanks and appreciation.

Sincerely,

David Winninger
Chair
London Transit Commission

 

The Drivers Of The Bus Went Round And Round

The LTC / Transit / ATU Local 741 strike is over, after a little over 70% ratification of the agreement set out Friday, December 11, 2009.

It lasted 29 days, however, the buses will not be running until all maintenance and certification has been done.

What did this strike mean?

The strike according to most of the Union Members I have talked to was actually forced by the City and the Commission.  I have yet to hear what the reason for this would be, however, since I have seen London’s municipal government in action and I know some of the players within it, it won’t be long before the reason comes out and makes someone look stupid. 

I won’t get into my personal feelings about or dealings with City Hall. 

The strike according to the public statements made by the London Transit Commission and the Office of the Mayor is simply about greed and although she refuses to talk about the strike Anne-Marie has taken the side of the Commission (which is not separable from the city council since members of council are members of the Commission), made ridiculous accusations toward the Union president because of a public statement he made which is much less offensive and less damaging to women than at least a dozen things she has said publicly (not to mention her husband got drunk, drove, and then evaded police … maybe the “footsteps” she hears will be Mr. Best staggering up to her office to tell her he got another DUI, but I digress).

The Union got a little more money.  This is a real sticking point for anyone with an education:

• Taking the moral High Road, the Commission (and mostly from the large mouth of the city) said that the Union was simply demanding more money.
• Being affronted by this, the Union stated that the only issues were that of safety, working hours, working conditions and such things as benefits when it comes to getting the crap beaten out of you while on the job.
• After 29 days, the Commission (read:  City) offered money.
• After 29 days, the Union took that.  Not much else was really addressed.
• People are sick of Anne-Marie, David, Larry and most of the people who are not Union because of this strike.
• People are sick of Pat and most of the people who are Union because of this strike.

Regardless of the outcome for any of these people, taxes WILL go up, fares are GOING UP in January, and all so we could spend money on taxis, carpooling, missed work and school, loss of income, loss of opportunity.

This is no joke:  One of the restaurants downtown closed permanently because the foot traffic disappeared.  A business which employed young men which were similar to casual labour had to be let go in favour of those with their own transportation.  People who can’t (or shouldn’t) drive have had no way to get to work, save “illegal taxi”, walking for hours, or in the case of the unemployed looking for work, unable to get to interviews or even to job search facilities like WIL, Goodwill, HRDC etc.  There are a lot of stories where people really were injured by this strike.

The strike that got the drivers and mechanics a 13% raise.  I hope that they understand that holding 100 000 people hostage was not worth what they got.  They would have had more support if they stayed on the job and got those 100 000 people with them.

Now, not only 100 000 bus riders in London are NOT behind them, but also another 100 000 or so who have had to cover for them, drive them, wait for them, suffer without them, babysit extra time for them … those people have had it with the LTC and the Union as well. 

What is surprising is that Anne-Marie, Larry and Pat all think that they some how have clean hands.  Each and every one of them is fully, jointly and severally responsible for screwing over half of London.  That sounds like just enough votes to make a statement, I think.

 

Yay for WP Subscriptions!

Do you have an RSS reader, but have to sort through it to find things you want?

Hate losing stuff on your reader, or having it expire before you can read it?

WordPress has given ‘Bloggers the ability to allow subscription via e-mail.

If you add the widget to your blog, signed in and anonymous users can subscribe easily.  If your reader is a signed-in member, they simply click the button.  If they are not a regular WP user (or if they FORGOT TO SIGN IN) they can simply enter their e-mail.  It is a great added service, and thank-you WordPress.

PS – anyone with whom I am using an RSS feed right now to keep up on your blog, who adds this widget, will see me subscribe right away. 

 

Can’t See The Forest For The Woods

I have to wonder what the world is coming to.

No, scratch that. That sounds like I am one of those pseudo-Christians who likes to follow all of the popular tenets of Christianity but make the truly devout want to kill babies.

I want to know how it is that [intelligent?] human beings can worship another human, such as Tiger Woods, and when that human being turns out to be just human, treat him WORSE than any other human.

Kinda sounds like the problem isn’t with some guy messing around on his wife … sounds like the actual problem is with all the people who have misplaced their worship/infatuation/idolization on someone who is just an ordinary man.

People have sex. Even though the popular belief in places like the US of A and parts of Western Canada (the whiter parts) is that violence is natural but sex is taboo – even the leadership of the United States of America seems to have had problems with sex. Sending thousands of people to their deaths, taking over other countries, running the economy in the ground for the commoners while the elite make a LOT of money (and then get more from the same government) is ok … but wow, the whole country seems to get right up in a guy’s face (that’s what SHE said) if he has sex with someone … or shoves a cigar up an intern.

Oh, and don’t be fooled. If Tiger wasn’t married – it would still be an issue – so although the RR’s would like to blow smoke up ever ass they can about it – it has nothing to do with the sanctity of marriage. Friends of mine would always wonder if it isn’t something to do with skin colour, too. She’s white, he isn’t. Let’s watch to make sure he doesn’t get out-of-hand and need to be “corrected”. The man plays golf. He plays well. He gets paid a lot for it. He didn’t asked to be anyone’s role model.

I mean, what did these “Tiger Worshippers” expect? What golfer do you know that only plays ONE hole?