Miners: To rescue or to forget about them????

Http://andrew-wright.blogspot.com

Well I know I've been focussing on American news alot, and hopefully I will have something more to talk about soon. But this one really ticked me off.....

So 3 people died trying to save the miners.... that is a tragedy.

But you really have to ask some questions about what this company has been doing? I was watching a report the other day that said that they took down the pillars that support the mine in order to make more profit. Of course the company denied, but I wouldn't doubt it.

There is nothing more important to business down south (US) then PROFIT. Regardless of what they do to the environment, or other people. I guess it is just that way of our world now.

Anyways, they have now determined that the mines are too dangerous and that the bodies are likely to never be recovered.

I was just telling my girlfriend last night, how would she feel if her sister worked for a company and they bailed on her and left her to her death, not knowing if she was dead or alive. I understand it is dangerous but they have just given up and what makes it worst is that they plan on mining in that area again.........PATHETIC.

http://edition.cnn.com/2007/US/08/20/mine.unstable/index.html

Plane on Fire in China...

Saw this on TV the other day, and thought I would share.....

A plane in China caught on fire. I believe everyone managed to escape!


Http://andrew-wright.blogspot.com/

Ruining the City of Toronto: Part Deux

So, here we go again.... I just can't help but venting today at the incompetence of our city of Toronto officials. They are plainly and simply ruining our city!

What have they done now you ask??? They are coming up with more measures for cutbacks since they don't have enough $$$ to run the city. INCOMPETENCE I tell you.

How has the city of Toronto been run so efficiently since I was a kid, without having to worry about losing essential services-library, community centres, snow shovelling.

Here are a few examples:

http://www.thestar.com/article/245340
"$1 million by providing sidewalk and windrow plowing only when there's 15 cm of snow. The current standard is 8 cm."

"$700,000 by closing all city community centres on Mondays beginning mid-September."
"Because of the hiring freeze, "significant delays" are anticipated in issuing licences and responding to requests for inspections and bylaw enforcement, such as calls about graffiti.
Expect longer lineups at the counters dealing with parking tags, taxes, water payments and building applications."

"Park maintenance reduced.
Residential tree planting reduced.
Green Roof Initiative delayed.
Seasonal litter-pickers will be let go two weeks earlier than usual; litter vacuuming will be reduced.
Grass cut less often on streets and expressways.
December yard waste pickup cancelled.
Automated leaf pickup, in areas that have had it, will be reduced from two pickups to one.
Introduction of curbside garbage pickup at townhouses cancelled.
Night shift at Etobicoke's Disco Rd. transfer station cancelled, requiring contractors
and residents to drop waste there during daylight hours.
Adoption of a bylaw to regulate construction-related vibration delayed.
A hiring freeze means delays in bylaw enforcement, "particularly for graffiti eradication."

"Less street cleaning.
Fewer potholes fixed.
Sidewalk plowing and clearing of snow left in driveways will only occur if there is a minimum of 15 centimetres of snow, versus the former 8 centimetres"

The funniest one is that the city wants to cut its parking police stuff.... hahaha. These fools don't realize that is probably one of the best revenue sources going. You can't leave your car for more then 5 minutes in Toronto without getting a ticket.

So by cutting the amount of time that community centres and the library are open, the city hopes to save money. Yet they haven't thought about how many people they might hurt. Seniors must be excited to know that unless there is a snow storm they will have to deal with the problem.

I was reading in Fortune magazine that the New York transit is $2 per ride..... how come Toronto can't compete??? It feels like rates will be going up soon. Or they may just shut down a subway line. INCOMPETENCE.

Somebody needs to stick up to these bullies at city hall, this isn't what I voted for.

Contact them and let them know what a circus act they are running!!! mayor_miller@toronto.ca

Http://andrew-wright.blogspot.com

Bridge Collapses - However.....

So a bridge collapses yesterday in Minnesota, that is a tragic event and I couldn't imagine what it would be like to go through something like that.

However in the back of my head, I am hearing voices. They are saying wait a second isn't the US busy chasing terrorists and creating civil wars in other places to bother worrying about something like infrastructure????? Yes they are. They have refused to rebuild their society, or strengthen it rather and as a result this is the sort of stuff that I have come to expect under that government. To be honest, this is the kind of stuff that could happen to Toronto if we aren't careful.... incompetent self-serving leadership is only out for itself not for the greater good of society.

Rebuilding infrastructure is a normal function of taxes isn't it????

And I know everyone is going to hate me for not focusing on the tragedy, unfortunately I have to be the one to say well HOW DID THAT HAPPEN?

Http://andrew-wright.blogspot.com

David Miller Continues to Destroy Toronto....

In my last post about David Miller.... I was suspect to just what he was doing to improve Toronto. These two remind me of Statler and Waldorf from the muppet show...

See here... http://andrew-wright.blogspot.com/2007/05/david-miller-and-taxing-toronto.htmlogspot.com/2007/05/david-miller-and-taxing-toronto.html

However now I am livid! They want to shut down the Sheppard TTC subway line.....
So the city needs money because they apparently don't have any....how can this be so??? We must be one of the most taxed cities in Canada. Now what really irritates me, is that because they don't have the support to implement new taxes on real estate, Liquor, parking, and whatever else.

I had to email the city- to let them know what a garbage job I think they are doing. Every city needs money, but Toronto practically begs for it and the ads for 1 cent are embarrassing. I thought we were a world class city, apparently not!

I find out on the news tonight they want to cut the subway line across Sheppard Ave, that cost BILLIONS of dollars to construct a few years ago AND they plan on cutting some programs that the city provides as well. Now call me stupid but if they had saved the money in the first place they wouldn't be whining now, would they?http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20070719/ttc_cuts_071907/20070719?hub=TopStories

This is more like a "screw you" tactic for not getting their way with tax increases. But if you keep squeezing people, they will eventually scream. ARRGGHHH!!! And while some may say "
but you could have voted for someone else"... that is true but the other candidates weren't even worth my consideration.

I'm really angered that the city can't get its act together with something so simple. Don't hesitate to send an email to the city to let them know what a joke they are becoming!!! No wonder we didn't get the olympics- good grief! mailto:mayor_miller@toronto.ca

Live Earth and Al Gore...

Not sure if anyone tuned into Live Earth over the weekend.... I thought it was an incredible event. I found myself watching it all day. I have to say, I haven't seen an event like this since the big concert in the 80's/90's (I don't remember cause I was so young) for Ethiopia....

It is funny that it is always a matter of reaction then prevention that these things occur.

I'm kind of glad Al Gore lost in 2000 now (um well sort of), he obviously was meant to do bigger things.... one of the more modest people I have seen.

Anyways the event is on msn and it is posted by concert/artist....if you missed it here is the link to the videos

http://www.liveearth.msn.com/concerts

My visit to the hospital/ sprained ankle

So a week and a bit ago, I sprained my ankle playing capture the flag. Yes haha capture the flag, being chased out of enemy territory. Anyways I sprained my ankle pretty badly. Now being the guy I am, I just let myself naturally heal. However after a week and a half I grew tired of listening to my girlfriend tell me to go to the hospital and get it checked.

It is/was still pretty swollen and quite painful. And there might have been a slim possibility for it to be fractured from turning it while I was running full speed.

Anyways I went to the hospital which I hate doing, heck I don't even like going to the doctors office. I probably haven't been there in a decade. The last time I went to the hospital, I had a broken wrist that I went to go get checked 4 days after it happened.

Now here is where it gets interesting..... someone comes in my room to look at me and he is a STUDENT DOCTOR, not a real doctor a student doctor. He then asks me questions, pokes around me..... and then goes to talk to the real doctor, then comes back and says I need an x-ray. I get an x-ray that came back negative and he says ice and elevation.

My question: WHERE IS THE REAL DOCTOR???? We pay between 300-1000 bucks for a health care premium now, on top of what comes out of our taxes..... that being said I WANT TO BE SEEN BY THE REAL DOCTOR AND NOT SOME STUDENT. Besides that it took nearly 4 hours for me to leave the hospital.

Hope everyone sees my point....it drove me mad!!!!