Living with the health mullahs of British Columbia · Monday April 7, 2008 by colin newell
I am a non-smoker.
And as I wander past the Old Morris Tobacconist, on Government Street – Victoria, like hundreds of times over the last 25 years, I slow down to take in the wonderful smell of leathery tobacco and cigar products – merchandise that represents of all things: Being Male!
My wife even muses, “If you had the occasional cigar… I would be OK with it…”
Thank you, dear wife! This is one (of many) reasons why I love you so much: From time to time (but not too often), she lets me make up my own mind.
Not so in the province of British Columbia! God forbid we actually use our heads occasionally. Oh no. This society wants, no it needs, to be protected from decision making. We need to be protected… from ourselves. And the World around us.
And I here I am, walking past the tobacco shop… for the 4000th time in as many Saturdays of years gone by. Still not tempted. What I do love about adult products in this (apparently) adult World is knowing, at any time, I can have a flight of whimsy and turn right (or left) into the Old Morris and buy myself a big, fat and unhealthy cigar, pipe or cigarette.
Because the ability to see temptation and make up my own mind… Well, it is a wonderful thing. Because God… or whoever she is, gave us the ability to think these sweet temptations out and make up our own minds.
And although I have had the odd cigar and cigarette in my 40 plus years on the Planet, I have not been a regular (or irregular) consumer of tobacco products.
Now, after all these years of luscious free will, the glass windows at the front of Old Morris Tobacconists at 1116 Government St. have been frosted over. Owner-operator Rick Arora knows its not enough – he leaves the doors open. It is part of the draw… part of the experience of letting us make up our own minds.
But that has been taken away. Tobacco products in stores, like Rick’s Old Morris, have been forced to cover-up. Ostensibly to protect us and our children… from the evils of tobacco. New word: To-Burqa – meaning the shrouding of any tobacco product or smoking accessory.
So how about this… To those other Government Street tourist traps that taunt me: Enough with the vanilla waft of the waffle cone vendors! Take those ice cream cones out of the window!
And finally, a message to all grocery stores: How about covering up those displays of candy bars and junk food? I have never been able to resist the siren song of the Salt and Pepper potato chip… or peanut and chocolate in a deliciously satisfying bar.
And don’t get my started on all those coffee shops!
The mind. It was meant to be used… and tuned along the way. Do not let the government take yours away.
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Your Daily Planet #1 · Friday April 4, 2008 by colin newell
Inflation is hitting everyone these days – gas prices up in Canada, the price of wheat, flour and now rice. A local baker recently reported that his price for one particular grade of flour went up 65% in one week.
And however unusual that is, pity residents of Zimbabwe in Africa. Once the breadbasket of Africa and one of the most successful and stable economies, years and years of government mismanagement have left this gem of a country in fiscal chaos. Inflation rates over the past few months have been reported in the double digits – on a typical day, prices rise 10 to 15%.
In February, the national bank of Zimbabwe issued its first 10 million dollar note – to respond, in part, to the death spiral of its own currency and buying power.
And that 10 million dollar note today? It buys a loaf of bread. If one can find a loaf of bread on the many empty grocers shelves that is.
In an even more brazen and pathetic move, the national bank issued a 50 million dollar note this week.
It is worth about 2$ American and buys about 3 loaves of bread.
Keep that in mind when you are queuing up at your local Sobey’s or Target store.
Random acts of criticism #1 · Thursday April 3, 2008 by colin newell
In a continuing series of randomly orchestrated and generally abusive diatribes on the Canadian condition, Colin Newell will skewer, broil and digest items of regional interest… regardless of the outcome, irrespective of those whose feelings he hurts… Oh! Has he no shame!? Anyway… on with the show.
Athletes on Canada’s national snowboarding team are paying their own way to World Cup events or missing them altogether because the Canadian Snowboard Federation has run out of cash.
Canadian snowboarder Alexa Loo claims she racked up a credit card bill of more than $5,000 taking planes to races in Japan, Korea and Lake Placid, N.Y. during the
season only to miss the final race in Italy because she couldn’t afford the airfare.
Stop! Stop! Enough already. I thank God everyday that we did not have children who turned out to be jocks. Such waste. Pity the hard working families whose children turn out athletic. Tragic yes, but it happens to many Canadians…
Take heart: Relief is on the way! The government of Canada is doing its part to put an end to amateur sports. A pandemic of funding cuts to Canadian sports programs has left our Olympic bound skiers in hot water and our swim teams rowing downhill. In America, if an athlete wants to get ahead, he or she need only sign onto a lucrative Nike deal – In Canada an Olympic hopeful signs up on a Girl Guide cookie route – sticky sweet, yes but hardly a solution to their money woes. How can you help? Attend any Canadian athletic event (if you can find one…) and cheer on the swimmers with an exuberant “Run! Run! Run you slacker Run! …and toss large coins. Anything helps.
In Hockey news, the Vancouver Canucks are struggling in their fitful and pathetic attempts to get on the golf course as soon as humanly possible.
With my infallible magic powers, I will grant them this wish tonight!
The nations broadcaster, CBC, continues to astound, amuse and aggravate Canadians with yet more startling cut-backs. By now you have heard of the complete gutting of CBC Radio 2 programming and the axing of the CBC orchestra. News from the inside indicates that Peter Mansbridge’s prime time Canadian newscast is getting the guillotine – and in its place will be a flat-screen TV tuned to CTV’s Lloyd Robertson. It’s bold. It is grandiose. But will Canadians notice this subtle whittling away of Canadian culture?
Walmart law-suit shocks even me · Wednesday April 2, 2008 by colin newell
I have ranted, in the past, about how totally and completely morally bankrupt the Walmart corporation appears to be; alleged exploitation of workers, unsafe working conditions, denial of health care coverage for almost 1/2 their work force, theft of hours, harassment of employees and on and on and on and on. The documentation backing all this up is staggering.
Now for an update: Enter Deborah Shank.
A devastating collision with a semi-trailer truck seven years ago left 52-year-old Deborah Shank permanently brain-damaged and in a wheelchair. Her husband, Jim, and three sons won a $700,000 accident settlement from the trucking company involved. After legal fees and other expenses, the remaining $417,000 was put in a special trust. It was to be used for Mrs. Shank’s care. Or so they thought.
Instead, all of it is now slated to go to Mrs. Shank’s former employer, Wal-Mart Stores Inc.
Two years ago, the retail giant’s health plan sued the Shanks for the $470,000 it had spent on her medical care. A federal judge ruled last year in Wal-Mart’s favor, backed by an appeals-court decision in August. Now, her family has to rely on Medicaid and Mrs. Shank’s social-security payments to keep up her round-the-clock care.
Wow. Walmart must be really hurting financially to go after this woman.
But are they? Not really.
Their C.E.O. made over 17 million dollars last year – his salary alone.
That is twice the average C.E.O. salary of 9.6 million.
So how do Walmart employees fair? They get $9.68 an hour – if they are full time. 26% of Walmart employees are part-time.
How do Walmart’s myriad subcontractor employees do World wide?
Between Bangladesh, Nicaragua, Indonesia, China and Swaziland, the average wage for a Walmart subcontractor is about 25 cents… an hour. When they actually get paid that is.
25 cents an hour. So you can save money.
Back to Deborah: – Less than a week after the Shanks lost their appeal, their son Jeremy was killed in Iraq… Ironically protecting the American Dream, freedom and the pursuit of happiness.
Get this: On the advice of consultants, Jim has divorced his wife, to make her eligible for public aid as a single and totally disabled person. After attending her son’s funeral, she still could not figure out why he was missing from the family circle.
So – how does this all happen with Walmart’s HMO? When Deborah signed onto the Walmart health plan, she agreed that her employer would be first in line for payment out of any subrogation. Yea, it’s in the fine print.
Subrogation – fancy word… It means that if an accident victim is paid out – and that victim was employed when the accident happened – and insured by the employers insurance company – and there is a big pay out – guess who has their hand out?
In this case… Walmart. Cutting the heart out of the American worker by hiring Chinese workers to make toxic junk (for 25 cents an hour) so you can buy something more that you don’t need – that you will invariably throw away – to fill up a toxic landfill in China.
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