Pet Peeve Time

Have you ever looked at a best before date on a product one to see : 01/11/07 ?

Now does that mean January 11, 2007 or does it mean November 01/2007 ?

There doesn't seem to be any standard set and it must be driving other consumers nuts as well as me. That product is either outdated or not, who knows?

And it's not just expiry dates that can be confusing. Any one writing a date without using the Month name and is indicating any day or month by numeral under 13 is going to piss someone off somewhere.

Can't we make a universal law of month day year order that we can all (everyone in the world) agree on?

Culture vs. Culture

I was loading my recently purchased iPod Shuffle with my favorite tunes from my iTunes Library yesterday and I came across an old song I hadn't heard for a while.

"Ride The Tiger", by Jefferson Starship, released around 1975. Not a great song but worth listening to now and then.

The chorus goes like this:

It's like a tear in the hands of a western man
Tell you about salt, carbon and water
But a tear to a chinese man
He'll tell you about sadness and sorrow or the love of a man and
a woman.

I don't think things have changed much in the world attitude towards Western and Eastern Cultures.

That is that the east has "Good Culture" and the West has not, if you'll excuse the flagrant generalisation.

We in the West tend to put our culture down, like we have some inferiority complex and think that Eastern Beliefs are somehow elevated beyond our superficial and consumerist society.

There are bad apples in every barrel. You can't judge the West just by it's profligacy of pornography, Sports/Celebrity Idolisation, Technological Gimmickry, Fast Food eateries, Daytime Dramas, and the Dumbest U.S. President EVER.

We are a Humanist Culture. Most of us have broken away, or at least are trying to break away, from the Shackles of Religious fear and oppression.

When I think of eastern Culture I think of self-indulgent Superstitions, Mysticism and Religious Sects spawning a population controlled by fear and ignorance. A population afraid of free thought, afraid of "being human".

It may be said that Ignorance is Bliss, but Knowledge is Power.

Much of the turmoil in the Middle East is being caused by this clash and misunderstanding of West vs. East. There is a lot of western sympathy for the Muslims in that area, much of it justified.

But if you have to pick sides, I am rooting for our side, The West.

Yes we are a superficial Consumerist Society. But consumerism is fueling the daily technological breakthroughs which are going to save this Planet and going to make our lives more pleasurable.

No amount of praying or hoping will do that.

The Lord Giveth and the Lord Taketh Away

Telus hangs up on mobile porn service

This story is hilarious for a couple of reasons.

First of all I cannot imagine anyone, male or female, young or old, putting out up to $4.00 to download nude "pornographic" pictures and videos (apparently no sex) on to their tiny cell phone screen.

Especially when there are thousands, if not millions, of such pictures, in high resolution and detail, as well as videos available free of charge from a variety of internet web sites. Photos that can be downloaded and saved to your computer.

How desperate for titillation can someone possibly be that they can get satisfaction from such a pathetic presentation of pornography?

It boggles the mind.

Just as bizarre is the reaction of the general public which forced Telus to reverse its policy and withdraw the service.

As I have stated before in a previous post, Erotica, I believe viewing pornography is a fundamental right of every male.

I have absolutely no problem with it. And I often wonder about the people who do.

My understanding is that viewing these images on your cell phone involved an elaborate age verification process, it's not like these images where popping up on your phone without you asking for them.

It's another case of the self-righteous goody goodies in our right wing ultra conservative (read that backward) society imposing their sexual hang-ups on the rest of us.

All we can do is roll our eyes and shake our heads and wait for the day when these dinosaurs of the past will become extinct.

Vancouver 2010 Olympics

I don't support the 2010 Olympics in Vancouver. I don't see why I should in any way or why anyone should.

I don't care about the Olympics or the Olympic athletes. I don't care how well or how poorly Canada does at the Olympics.

If Canada wins zero medals I won't feel badly about my country. And if they win 20 Gold medals I won't feel any better about Canada.

That's because I don't judge my Nation or any other Nation on how well their athletes perform.

I refuse to give any money to the Olympic "Charities". To those athletes who are giving up their childhood and social life to make Mommy and Daddy proud with the hope of qualifying for the Olympics. I say, get a real job!

I sympathize with the protesters in Vancouver who are justifiably concerned that poverty stricken people are being displaced by landlords who are using the Olympics as an excuse to raise rental rates to extortion levels.

The principal beneficiaries of the Vancouver Olympics will be Big Business. Make no mistake.

The masses of population watching on TV will be suckered into an event they are being sold as something that really matters.

Nothing could be further from the truth.

Escapism, maybe that's its only value. But I'll be mourning the loss of my regular TV and NHL schedule for those two weeks, not cheering on some so called athletes that I hadn't heard of previously and won't hear of again.

Canucks Update

This is why I don't Video Blog

Is It Really About the Oil?

I'm talking about Iraq of course.

As I recall the original reason for the United States invasion of Iraq was to capture and destroy the Weapon's of Mass Destruction that US Intelligent sources claimed were there.

Finding none, they then continued campaigning to topple Saddam and install a "free and democratic society".

I don't think anyone but the most naive gung-ho young soldier believes in that one. Especially since the US is supporting several ruthless dictatorships all over the world.

Then, cynically (God Forbid) it became about the Oil. Of course Bush and Cheney (old Texas oil men from way back) would never admit that. So the oil became the underlying reason for all the strife and really, although the Bush Gang never openly admitted it, they were prepared to allow the American Public and Press to push that agenda.

Because a consistent and regular oil flow out of Iraq meant harmony for the US economy.

And when it comes down to it, the people vote with their wallets.

It can't be about the oil. The US consumes 20 Million Barrels of Oil per day. Of that, 527 Thousand barrels comes from Iraq or 2.6% of the US total Oil consumption.

So far the United States has spent $367 Billion Dollars and 3139 Lives in Iraq.

All of that to protect 2.6% of their Oil?

If that's the case then Bush and Cheney are crazier then we all thought. And the American Public are even crazier to let them.

Even if the whole middle east were totally unstable and the oil supply was temporarily suppressed or even cut off (something that would never happen because they love to sell us oil) would it be worth the Billions and the Deaths?

The amount of money saved by the US Treasury by ending the war could subsidize the businesses and the consumers for years.

Is the American Public not willing to spend $5.00 per gallon to save their young soldiers?

It can't be about the oil.

So what's going on? Why does the US continue their presence in Iraq? The latest official reason is to prevent a Civil War between the Shiites and the Sunnis.

There are several respected sources that claim that the US is actually encouraging the infighting and would love Iraq to continue teetering on the edge of Civil War.

This gives them a valid reason to still hang around. If one looks at the history of Islam in the area, The Shiite and Sunni communities have lived peacefully together for years.

The Civil War threat might now be real, only because US Intelligence forces are doing everything they can to make it real.

Are they there to suppress Terrorism? Everyone with a brain agrees that the US presence is fostering a multitude of would be Terrorists whose goal is not only to expel the US from their lands but to attack them in their homes.

The prime directive of the US Administration is to continue a large US Military Presence in Iraq and so in the Middle East.

And now they are talking about the possibility of a military intervention in Iran???

Why?

The US has always needed an enemy to justify their Military Machine and to control their population. For a long time it was the Communists, then after a scary peaceful and economically wonderful gap in the Clinton Nineties the Terrorists thankfully came along, much to the relief of the Bush/Cheney Gang.

Remember when the biggest issue in the States was Monica giving Bill a Blow Job? Ahh the good old days.

It might seem crazy but I really believe that Bush's Fundamental Christianity is at the heart of what Iraq is all about.

I really believe he sees Islam as a sinister threat to his Christian "Values". And that now it's come down to Christians vs. Muslims.

It seems bizarre, but when it comes to Religious Beliefs, well Bizarre is the only word that fits.

Bush believes himself to be the Great Christian Crusader defending the Faith against the Muslim Heretics.

Sometimes the only viable reason is the least reasonable.

Pierre McGuire

I was really looking forward to last night's Canucks/Minnesota Wild Game. For a couple of reasons.

One, it was a game between Division Rivals with first place on the line.

And two, it was being Broadcast by TSN which meant that Pierre McGuire was going to be the "Color Man".

Usually I see Canuck's Games broadcast by Rogers Sports network or CBC. In most cases we get the duo of Play By Play man Jim Hughson (who is getting really tiresome) and "Color Man" John Garret.

Garret is OK, I've heard a lot worse. But like so many so called color men and game analysers they state the obvious.

I've been watching televised hockey games for many, many years and I don't need a Broadcaster to tell me what any fan can see.

Many of the Color men used today are ex players and they see the game from a players, or even a fans, point of view.

McGuire is an ex coach and he analyses the game from a Coaches viewpoint, picking out little nuances of the game only a coach could see.

Sometimes only a side comment of a few words is all that's needed to raise an interesting aspect of the flow of the game, a mistake here, a good play behind the scenes there.

I always learn something about the game when McGuire is in the Broadcast Booth.

Last night's game (won by the Canucks 3-2 in OT) was amazing, full of intensity and great hockey, one of the best games I've watched all year.

The addition of McGuire's keen analysis made it all that much better.

Good job Pierre!

Domestic vs. Foreign Auto Makers

A Subaru Crankshaft


I regularly watch a weekly TV show called Autoline Detroit.

It's a show about the Automotive Industry from a Detroit Perspective. They usually have guests representing the Detroit Auto Makers or Journalists, pundits on the Industry.

A frequently occurring theme of the show is this assumption:

The general public feels that products made by GM, Ford and Chrysler/Daimler are in some way or other inferior to Japanese and German Products.

The obvious questions are: How did this happen and what can be done about it?

I've owned several Domestic and Foreign Cars over the years. Currently I own a 1994 Mustang GT and a 2006 Saturn Vue (albeit with a Honda drive train), both Domestic.

Speaking for myself, when I look for a car I want something that is Unique to that car.

Something that makes that car different from all the others.

And I don't mean Cosmetically different. It could mean the presence of a Turbocharger, all wheel drive, a DOHC engine, 4 Variable Valves per cylinder, a convertible, or just extra power.

As you can see most of these features represent an engineering or technological feat that maybe the majority of other cars didn't have.

In the Fifties and Sixties, when Detroit Cars were Kings of the Hill (because there was virtually no competition) the emphasis was on style and exterior design.

I remember as a kid in the Sixties waiting with eager anticipation for the September unraveling of the latest Chevrolet Impala, Pontiac Parisienne or Chrysler Imperial. It was big deal then, unlike now.

When the Japanese vehicles arrived they weren't very good.

I know because I owned a 1969 Toyota Corolla and let me tell you, it was a piece of junk.

For those that can remember that far back, I think you'll agree that the early Japanese or even European Cars weren't going to win any design awards, at least not in North America.

The Detroit Manufacturers were not threatened and failed to develop their vehicles. The result was two decades, the Seventies and Eighties, of very forgettable, throw away vehicles.

While the Big Three were fashioning the latest chrome bumpers and superficial accents to the exterior/interior of their cars the Japanese were concentrating their efforts on improving the engineering prowess of their vehicles.

I think the Big Three vastly underestimated the importance of developing and then selling the technology and engineering of their products, while over-emphasising the appearance and unnecessary styling cues.

And in the last 10 years or so I believe that Foreign vehicles, for the most part, are now styled sharper than Domestics. They just look like a cleaner design all around.

When I was shopping for a vehicle in 2003 I was very impressed with Subaru's approach to presenting their vehicles. I think one of their slogan's was "Driven By What's Inside".

In other words they built their cars from the inside out, concentrating on leading edge technology and engineering, not on how pretty their cars looked. They even had a section of their web site describing how they made their Crankshafts! You have to love a company that drools over their own Crankshafts!

I really believe that now the quality of a North American car is equal to that of any car built.

There is no doubt that Ford and GM and Chrysler have the capability to produce an excellent product, after all GM does make the Corvette.

What's killing sales now for "the Big Three" is the perception that the quality is not there and very low trade-in/resale value.

So, how does GM, Chrysler and Ford turn it around? Concentrate on the technology and not on the fashion. Maybe they should talk about their Crankshafts!

Sell the substance, not the style.

But first and foremost, acquire the substance to sell.

Surreal Art

I honestly don't know anything about Art. But if I was into it, this is the stuff I would be into.

Amazing imagination. Are these from dreams (or Nightmares)? LSD? Think about walking around daily with these images in your head.

This is a Gallery with links to Surreal Artists and Their Works.

Power Index for Vehicles

As many who follow auto trends might know there is a serious Horsepower War going on in the Motor Industry. A much larger war than was fought in the late 60's.

In that war a very few vehicles, mostly family sedans and bare bones coupes, were transformed into drag racers via a few engine modifications and weight reduction schemes.

The price paid was a tremendous thirst for fuel and in many cases a very Spartan Interior with few luxuries.

Not only that, the cars handled and stopped poorly. Frankly they were very unsafe.

Thanks to today's technology, smaller engines are developing a lot of power and still providing good fuel economy.

A good (Honda, Toyota, Mazda, Subaru) 2.4 Liter 4 cylinder engine now provides 160 to 180 HP.

Similarly, a 3.5 Liter V-6 should give 230 to 260 HP, numbers that were the sole property of V-8's not so long ago.

But what do these Horsepower numbers mean for the car shopper?

For me, having a powerful motor is the single most important factor in purchasing a vehicle.

And that's not because I like to speed or go racing. It's true I enjoy the responsiveness of a powerful engine when I step down on the throttle.

Most important is the safety factor in having extra power on tap. The High Speed pass is the most risky maneuver undertaken in a car. The quicker you get it over with the better.

I think everyone has been in an underpowered car attempting a highway pass. You are pressing the accelerator through the floor and saying "C'mom baby, c'mon" as your knuckles turn white on the steering wheel, your eyes glazing at the lights of the rapidly approaching oncoming car, sharing the same lane.

It's not fun and it's not safe. Many of these same underpowered cars are not designed to handle or brake well at speeds that are involved in a passing maneuver.

That's why I like power. For effortless and tension free passing.

Auto manufacturers like to boast about the Horsepower of their vehicles, but what does that number really mean?

It's just a number, a kind of index based on the amount of Torque (a real number) at a given engine RPM (Torque x RPM/5252).

Without knowing the Weight of the vehicle, it means nothing. It tells you what the engine does but it tells you nothing about the performance of the vehicle.

Sure, there is a Horsepower to weight ration you can figure out on your own and that should be the very least the manufactures should supply.

There are quite a few (Japanese) small motors that seem, on paper at least, to create a lot of power. But in many cases that power isn't realised until the motor reaches RPM's of 5000 or more. Not too many of us take our engines up into that rev range.

These engines seem anemic at low engine speeds, because they haven't got the torque needed to "feel" fast.

Conversely, engines with relatively high torque (for example, older American V-8 pushrod designs) but relatively low horsepower, "feel" fast at lower speeds (everyday driving).

Therefore I propose that all manufacturers prominently display a Power Index. That being a formula that takes Horsepower, Torque and Weight into account.

My Formula would be :

HP + Torque /2 (average) / Weight * 100

My 1994 5 liter Mustang GT would have a Power Index of 7.43

This is based on a weight of 3600 lbs with 300 lb/ft of Torque and 225 HP.

A new 2007 Mustang GT would have a Power Index of 8.89.

A 2005 Dodge Viper would have a Power Index of 15.03!

A 2007 Kia Spectra: 5.07

A GMC Yukon SUV, even though it can have a HP of 380 and Torque of 417 only has a Power Index of 6.93. Because it weighs 5747 lbs.!

If we had an index like this established, a shopper, especially one that researches on the Internet first, could easily compare the Effective Power and "feel of power" from one vehicle to another.

Let's Ban Aggresive Dogs

Most of us like, if not love, dogs. After all they are "Man's Best Friend". And most dogs like people and have a need for their care and affection.

In most cases everything works out nicely for both dog and master. Most breeds of dogs get along well with other life forms, even cats.

Everyone that wants to own a dog and has the space and resources to own one, can.

There are lots and lots of breeds to choose from, each with its own characteristics, shape, size and temperment.

Incidents of dogs attacking people are very rare but they do happen. Usually small children are the victims, often ending in death.

I don't have the stats but it seems most of these attacks are from a very few breeds. Specifically, Pit Bulls and Rottweilers.

There are a lot of people that bring up the argument that it's not the dogs fault, the fault lies with the owner. It's the same argument that says People Kill, Not Guns.

My reply is the same too, the cause doesn't matter, the result does.

Eliminate the guns and there will be no gun deaths. Eliminate these breeds and the incidents of maulings will almost disappear.

While some people might feel they need guns, no one needs to own a Pit Bull. There are plenty of much nicer, more intelligent and more people friendly dogs out there.

I wonder if a study has been done on the psychology of those wanting to own a Pit Bull? Why would anyone want one? They are Ugly as Sin and and have a reputation for violence. Are they reflective of their psychopathic owners?

Even if the risk is small it's still there and doesn't need to be.

Already some Provinces in Canada have outlawed these little monsters, it's about time the whole Nation did.

Who Googled Marg Koetsier?

I have a nifty little counter built into my blog. You might notice the small logo in the top right hand corner: RiteCounter

Basically it counts how many hits each of my Blog Sites has attracted. Not only that, it will say what search keywords led them to my sites.

Much to my surprise, someone Googled Marg Koetsier, a housemate of mine from way back in 1977/78.

Her name was in a post of mine from my Blog, Places I Have Lived, specifically where I described the North Burnaby House I shared with three others, including Marg.

I knew her just a short time. She was going to Simon Fraser University at the time, forget what she was studying.

She was a very athletic and outgoing person, extremely friendly and positive. She was fun to be around.

I wonder if she was Googling herself or maybe an old Boyfriend or acquaintence was wondering what became of her?

Interesting. So whoever was Googling Marg Koetsier drop me a line if you want: keith_ryan2000@yahoo.com