The Barron Blog

Monday, 1 October 2007

Poverty And Global Warming Are Big Issues In The Ontario Election

I'd like to point out that both the Liberals and the Conservative have a poor record on these issues. The Liberals broke their promise to get rid of the Nanticoke coal plant in 2007 and they've also done very little to bring affordable housing to the working poor in Ontario. The Conservative record was barbaric cuts to social services in order to finance tax cuts in the middle 1990s.
Both the Conservative and the Liberals want to invest over 50 billion dollars in dangerous nuclear plants that are very costly to maintain. Very little attention has been put on alternate energy projects that could actually save Ontarioans lots of money.
Business CEOs are hopping on the Green Bandwagon too.
I believe that either the NDP or the Green Party are prepared to address two of today's biggest issues, poverty and global warming.

Posted by qualteam at 11:09 PM EDT

Updated: Monday, 1 October 2007 11:23 PM EDT

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Thursday, 27 September 2007

Being A Good Citizen Of Ontario

This would require not only knowing what the political parties stand for, but also understanding the referendum question about "proportional representation". There are websites that can help you with this. One of the best ones is "Billy Ballot". The other one is "Your Big Decision".
Personally, I'll be voting for "proportional representation" because it allows a voter to vote on a political party as well as an individual. This gives Ontario citizens more choice and more responsibility. If you were a supporter of the NDP or the Green Party, You'd have the feeling that your vote counted for something and it wasn't wasted.
We can only have good government if we have a good understanding of the issues and the different policies.
Watch! Learn! Decide! The election is on Oct/10/2007.

Posted by qualteam at 10:44 PM EDT

Updated: Thursday, 27 September 2007 11:01 PM EDT

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Tuesday, 25 September 2007

Another Look At NDP Leader, Howard Hampton

There isn't any chance that the NDP will become the next Ontario Government, but there's a chance that they could have some influence on a Liberal or Conservative minority government.
Howard Hampton seems to be realistic and idealistic about what he would like to accomplish in a minority situation: This is what he told the Toronto Star yesterday:
"The price of NDP support would include: eliminating the health tax for lower incomes and cutting it for middle incomes; a $10 minimum wage and the rollback of MPPs' pay hikes; new environmental "right-to-know" legislation about air, food, and water toxins and rethinking nuclear power; fixing the school funding formula; expanding home care for seniors, and cutting university and college tuition fees".
The above program seems to be a humane and thoughtful approach to social and enviromental issues.
Anyone recommending more alternate energies besides nuclear and a rollback of MPPs' salaries is definitely on the right track.
Howard has been in Ontario politics longer than John Tory or Dalton McGuinty. I think he deserves a chance to prove himself.

Posted by qualteam at 11:07 PM EDT

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Sunday, 23 September 2007

Leisa Way's Tribute To Patsy Cline
Mood: a-ok

To begin with, Leisa Way isn't a country performer. She's a musical theatre actor who has done many plays and musicals in Canada including a six year stint as Anne in "Anne Of Green Gables".
Leisa has also done a Judy Garland tribute, but that's alright because Judy was one of Patsy Cline's role models.
The show was part biographical theatre and part musical. Leisa wasn't really believable as a Hillbilly cowgirl who was trying hard to succeed in country music, but wasn't doing so well. There were lots of recordings(i.e. 57) with Four Star Records, but only one hit, "Walking After Midnight".
When a new manager (Owen Bradley) came on the scene, he changed her sound to "pop country", suddenly, Patsy had a string of hits like "I Fall To Pieces", "Sweet Dreams", "She's Not You", and "Crazy', etc.
Almost over night, her venue moved from "The Grand Ole Opry" to "Las Vegas" and "Carnegie Hall". This kind of success was the first of its kind for a country singer.
Leisa's greatest success was demonstating how a country performer went from "hillbilly country" to "hillbilly rock" to "pop county" to "pop rock" to "standard pop" in a few years.
Two of the highlights of the evening was Patsy's/Leisa's version of Frank Sinatra's "Always" and Bobby Darin's "Won't You Come Home Bill Bailey".
Patsy Cline brings memories back to me when there weren't big barriers between musical styles. In 2007, this great music still endures even though the performers may have died. Three stars. This tribute is well worth a viewing.
You Belong To Me

Posted by qualteam at 6:29 PM EDT

Updated: Sunday, 23 September 2007 9:53 PM EDT

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Friday, 21 September 2007

I Know Who I'm Not Voting For In The Ontario Election

The leaders debate last night was predictable and orientated to the converted of those parties represented.
I know now that I'm not voting Conservative or Liberal in the upcoming election. I was looking for an energy plan that could make Ontario an example for the rest of the world, but I didn't get it.
Both Dalton McGuinty and John Tory seem to have the same energy policy, more expensive, high-maintenance nuclear reactors for Ontario. Only Howard Hampton (NDP) seemed to stress other energy alternates.
I'm either going to vote for the NDP or the Green Party.
The Government should be encouraging "alternate energy" companies to come to Ontario and create good jobs with enviromentally friendly products.
Oil, Gas, Coal and even nuclear fission reactors will be phased out in the 21st century and replaced by renewable energy sources and nuclear fusion. Anybody with some foresight can see this coming.
Unfortunately, some politicians seem to think they can only get votes through negative attacks rather than having dynamic visions of the future.

Posted by qualteam at 2:50 PM EDT

Updated: Friday, 21 September 2007 3:41 PM EDT

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Thursday, 20 September 2007

The Ontario Election Oct/07

I'm not a big fan of anyone in this race.
I feel environmental issues have been given the short shift because of personal attacks on "Dalton McGuinty's Broken Promises" and "John Tory's Stand On Public Funding For Religious Schools".
Dalton McGuinty is the Premier of Ontario and I'm certainly not enamored by him. Neither do I support opposition leader, John Tory's position on school funding.
Both the Green Party and NDP are too socialist for my liking. Ontario needs to encourage big business to settle in Ontario. High taxes on them would discourage that and this province needs good jobs (Unemployment runs higher than the national average here.).
The best newspaper for best coverage on the issues is "The Toronto Star".
There's a referendum on proportional representation which I support. Probably, I'll decide who I'll vote for after I put my dot on "the proportional representation question".
The public funding for schools should be handled with a referendum just like it was in Newfoundland ten years ago. Here's my own poll on this "public funding question".

Posted by qualteam at 11:19 AM EDT

Updated: Thursday, 20 September 2007 10:01 PM EDT

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Wednesday, 19 September 2007

Soul Travel/Dreams/Past Lives

Besides this planet and our present lifetimes, we share other realities with each other that are beyond our five senses.
In fiction and modern day mythologies we can find things that remind us of our true natures or where we came from.
The stories in literary and film works like Harry Potter, Star Trek, The Wizard Of Oz, Peter Pan fill a need in us that religious dogma used to fill.
Native North Americans are guided by animal spirits, but spiritual guides can be found in other religions too.
To some, Earth is like "Grand Central Station." Souls are collected in top secret areas and then sent somewhere else.
The Highwayman

Posted by qualteam at 10:02 PM EDT

Updated: Friday, 21 September 2007 11:59 AM EDT

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Tuesday, 18 September 2007

Feel Good Video Of The Week: Bless You

"Bless You" was the first 45 that I bought in the 60s.
I was pleased to come across this uplifting video of the song on YouTube.

Posted by qualteam at 10:03 PM EDT

Updated: Tuesday, 18 September 2007 10:06 PM EDT

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Monday, 17 September 2007

The Sacred Garden And Fellow Travellers

It's really great when someone connects with a website that was created from a personal vision of mine.
This is what she said of it:
"Your website seems odd yet familiar. You speak of gardens. The only garden I remember was the one I played in as a child with other "children" that no one else could see. I have had many dreams, lost time, and various odd contacts".
This website can be found at www.sacredjourney.biz and you are welcome to visit it too.

Posted by qualteam at 10:42 PM EDT

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Sunday, 16 September 2007

Canada's Greatest Hero: Terry Fox

Actually, in a documentary done a few years ago for the CBC, Terry Fox finished second in polling for the greatest Canadian, right behind Tommy Douglas, the father of our health care sytem, but in front Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau who repatriated our constitution from Britain to Canada.
Terry was a warrior not against communists, terrorists or the nazis. He was a warrior against the most hated disease on earth, cancer.
I'll always remember his face on television filled with pain and determination.
Not only his actions were inspirational, but his words as well. His marathon wasn't just another marathon. It was a "Marathon of Hope". He firmly believed that "one person could make a different in this world in the fight against cancer". He also believed that "there would come a time when the suffering would end."
For the first few years, I ran "The Fox 10k Run" with my own "Marathon of Hope T-Shirt". I collected money for cancer research and over the next 26 years 400 million dollars was collected from Terry Fox marathons around the world.
Much headway has been made in the fight against osteosarcoma and cancer since then (1980).
I think it's fitting that Canada's too biggest heroes (i.e. Terry Fox and Tommy Douglas) fought against something that attacks almost every human being, ill health through cancer and unaffordable health services.

Posted by qualteam at 6:43 PM EDT

Updated: Sunday, 16 September 2007 7:19 PM EDT

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