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My Letter to the editor

Importing a car into Canada

Here are the things that bother me to some extent; some major, most minor....

Stuff that really does not matter..
Great Inventions	Some may say the inside toilet, can opener, computer... no; great steps forward in civilization include seedless grapes,seedless watermelons and synchronized traffic lights... and the internet - of course.

Truly great people
Winston Churchhill	OK, as an EX-Brit, I may be bias, but the leader of the last holdout against Hitler's Germany; Churchhill's leadership was an inspiration for the free world.
Mary Seacole	This Scotish Jamacan female is a true inspirational figure. In the Crimean war she volunteered her services as a nurse to the War Office and other military agencies, including Florence Nightingale's nursing group. She was told by all that her services were not needed. She went to the Crimea at her own expense and worked steadfastly to care for the sick and wounded.
Raoul Wallenberg	A Swedish diplomat, Raoul Wallenberg put himself at considerable risk to save the lives of many Jews near the end of WW2. He provided Swedish protective passes to help the Jews against the Germans at the height of the "Final Solution". Sadly, he "dissapeared" at the end of the war. He probably died in a Russian (USSR) Jail.

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Bob's blog at mybest

Traffic	High Occupancy Vehicle (HOV) lanes The highway lanes that are set aside for vehicles with two or more occupants are a "Waste Of Road" (WOR)..... Traffic is bad enough during rush hours without wasting that road. The road is built; we should use it to the maximum; all lanes at the fastest safe speed. That is how we get people to their destination - and off the road. On the subject or WOR: drivers on busy highways with an increasing, and perpetual space in front of them should be encouraged to move to the slower lanes - or off the road completely. That is drivers who do not keep up with traffic. They are "Wasting Road" (WOR). Those high density lanes within cities are also a WOR. People are trying to get to their destination as quickly and safely as possible; yet they are confronted with heavy traffic - and a near-empty lane so frustrating close and tempting.... A recent statement, here in Ontario, by out transportation minister stated that the newly open HOV lanes saved commuters an average of 11 minutes per trip. Wow, 200 people save 11 minutes. Imagine if those lanes were opened up to the thousand frustrated drivers; maybe 1200 commuters could save 5 minutes - you do the math.... All traffic authorities should have a mandate to "get people and goods to their destination as quickly and safely as possible". Traffic Lights Traffic lights that are sequenced according to public pressure (several families pressuring a local politician) to divert traffic for convenience - not for overall traffic flow. See Canadian politics about self serving politicians. Emergency Vehicles Why do people get stupid when they see or hear a fire-truck or ambulance with flashing lights and sirens? The law says we should pull over to the side of the road and stop. So the law is stupid. People hauling over and stopping while distracting lights/sounds are evident must be the cause of many fender-benders. The law dates nearly 100 years when there were no dual-carriageway roads; so it made sense then. Now, the law should simplified to "GET OUT OF THE WAY AND STAY OUT OF THE WAY". Tow trucks with very distracting flashing lights while "whipping" along at (usually greater than) highway speeds - unnecessarily distracting and dangerous. Traffic Cameras: At intersections.... no problem. Running a red light is unquestionably a dangerous activity. It would be nice to "get" the driver, but getting the car owner will not cause me much loss of sleep. Although, there has been some suggestions that authorities are reducing the amber time to catch drivers who use the amber light correctly. Beware the tax grab... On the Highway... On an open road with good visibility - assuming the car and driver are capable -, then it is just a frustrating cash grab. Certainly dangerous driving should be apprehended. Otherwise, let the vehicles and occupants get to their destinations as quickly and safely as possible. School buses I know our children are our future, and we have to protect them - from themselves and others. So we have ridiculously strict rules around school buses (Here in N. America anyway) whereby all traffic goes into contortions around an active school buses. If the same children are getting off public transport, or are playing at a roadside; then just being a good, considerate driver will (and does) suffice. I know North Americans cannot contemplate an alternative, and it would be political suicide, but teaching children road safety from the earliest age and/or having designated "crossing guardians" would help. Accidents will, and do, happen. Often because of inattentive drivers. I suspect accidents are CAUSED by other drivers screeching to a halt when they see a school bus disembark. And, what about those same buses having to stop at railway crossings??? In rural areas; Okay, it makes sense, but on urbane areas with with controlled crossings!!! Anyway, all major Railway lines and roads in urbane areas should have a bridge or underpass.
Canadian Politics	Wow, we are in bad shape here in Canada. Firstly, Quebec is playing a different game than the rest of the country. Quebec is more concerned with sovereignty, identity, cultural independence; while The Rest Of Canada (TROC) is concerned (in the most part) with political ideology to drive, or drag, us forward. So, at federal election time, Quebec with 25% of the country's population is smothering the outcome of those Canadian elections. It is no wonder our politics is in a mess. Well, we are still rated one of the best countries to live in; not bad - Eh. Self serving??? It is extremely frustrating to see our politicians consistently looking out for their own good before the country's good. There is a general frustration and growing distrust with our politicians. I do not have a solution. When it is all said and done, we vote these people into power. Sometime the choices are poor, but we must expect more from our elected representatives. Keep hoping......
Religion	Not an easy subject.... It gives comfort, it give people a common cause where otherwise they might not, It raises money and effort for good causes - and often carries through to give real help.... It is a money machine, it is a controlling mechanism. It is like having your wallet full of cash, but unbeknown to you - it is counterfeit. It feels good to have the money. Just don't try buy anything with it. Ignorance is bliss..... Perhaps the best phrase to sum up religion. There is no such thing as "God's will". That is lazy thinking. If something goes wrong, it is up to us mortals to try and understand what went wrong and try and improve the environment/situation. What wars/conflicts would the world have avoided without religion? There is probably no god, so stop worrying and enjoy life. SHARIA LAW Here in Ontario, the provincial government has decided to remove any legal standing of sharia rulings. They have also removed any legal standing of other faith-based "courts". A good decision. We cannot have laws which cannot be questioned and/or amended by government. Furthermore it is wrong to have different laws for different people within the same jurisdiction.
Lotteries	State run lotteries produce lots of money for the states. I object to the persistent advertising, implying that we (the plebes)actually have a realistic chance of being independently rich. Hospital, and fundraising lotteries are a better bet/gamble. Buyer beware and be educated...
Live 8	Wow, let's get a bunch of punkers and rockers for a singalong. When it is all sung and done, there will be more dung than sung. Instead of forgiving loans, we would be better off supporting private agencies in these poor countries. Perhaps if we in the "great 8" gave up some of our protective subsidies, then the poorer countries could be selling some of their produce to us - to everybody's benefit (except the few who are the benefiting from the subsidies). The whole Live 8 thing .... Where did it go..... do we still care?
Plastic bracelets	Suddenly people are wearing coloured plastic bracelets to commemorate, or recognise... something... It is a bit like coloured ribbons attached to car antennas. Are the non participants considered inferior because we do not outwardly demonstrate our support for a cause. If we all dig deep, we all have concerns. Showing them off implies that your causes are more important than mine. So instead of having different coloured wristbands up to our elbows, just get rid of them and support your cause quietly and without competition. Better still, support my cause.
Terror	I confess a little sympathy to the idea that "The West" is terrorising Afganistan and Iraq by bombing where innocents are getting killed.... Then I think about it. Yes, the USA and his allies are directing the action, but the big difference between "US" and the insurgents - who are bombing/killing innocents in Afganistan, Iraq, Britain and elsewhere - is that democrocy ensures that our leaders are accountable to the people of their countries. Yes, they were elected to their position of leadership, and even if they were misguided in their actions. They will face their electors sooner or later. What of the the bombers/insurgents? They may represent a following, but who are they really responsible to....? Who is going to remove them from power if/when they lose popular support? Without democratic elections, those leaders legitimacy must be questioned. Here's hopping Obama can move things forward in a timely and responsible way. So, when Islamic leaders (and others) complain about the "Terrorist Actions" of The West, they should be asked how they, or their leaders, are accountable to those they represent. Everybody is entitled to an opinion. I am just wary of people who say they represent other people when they are NOT ELECTED to that position. The Solution Religious leaders should lead their "flock" to the realization that "their" religion/faith is one of many legitimate religions. They must teach their people that other opinions are legitimate and should not be scorned with the use of violence. Become a free thinker.
Surveillance	Thirty years ago, it was reported that satellites could read newspapers over the shoulders of Moscowvites in Red Square. Ok, so they were highly focused. What we need now are satellites that can monitor everything - or at least in cities. So your car get stolen; Log on to the website with the time and coordinates and watch the car being moved..... We could rid the world of car thieves instantly. A child goes missing from a playground... A bank, or store, gets robbed.... A home invasion.... Terrorist attacks (unfortunately, after the event).We can bypass the privacy issue by making all the data public domain; Everybody has access to the data - not just governments. We may have to redefine the word "Public" - but not much.
Crime - Fraud	There is so much Credit Card fraud. It is increasing. I, and my brother, were both subject credit card fraud within a two-week period. In both cases, when we were away on a vacation. The credit card companies absorb the costs of the crime but make little effort to really catch he crooks. With increased use of surveilence cameras, why are these crooks getting away with these crimes. It is also a case for shreading all documents before discarding them - although that would NOT have prevented the above crimes.
The Future	You may call then identity cards, but imagine having a piece of plastic which is encoded with your DNA and your family history. You meet somebody; you match cards (or, alternatively - and more likely, transfer your profile PDA to PDA) and it tells you how you are related. It may be just a number, like 8, which will indicate how many generation back you have to go for a common parent. A low number is good; wow, we are cousins. I high number is interesting; wow, we can share ideas. Any number is good - unless you are escaping from another planet!. Imagine the possibilities - and the near futility of creating wars. ..