Tuesday-Museum with Meghan and Shayne
Wednesday-Museum with Georgeanne and Kate, bought cheap Canada souvenirs for Kate for France, went to Kate's house and got books for English
Thursday-Branton tournament where I discovered I am a horrible judge with ridiculously high standards, I went out for coffee with Kate, Kees, Georgeanne, Devon, Kelci, Sean and Lisa and Amlaké, walked and talked about debate and politics with Kees from Brentwood C-Train Station to 19th and 24th, walked home and watched Will and Grace (taped), talked on MSN with people forever
Friday-I read Pride and Prejudice
Saturday-picked up Sean (fun drive-only a little complicated to get to his house) and Kate and had fun trying to get down to the Pumphouse Theatre to see Evita, Gee, Kelci and Lisa also came, VERY good I'd say
Sunday-read Pride and Prejudice, Martin and Denphna (friends of my dad's from years ago came down from Edmonton) were over for tea, we went over to Kate's house for supper and had a magnificant dinner and home-made/make-it-yourself éclaires, mmmmmm...
Monday-finished Pride and Prejudice (12:27 am), worked on essay for English, went out to supper with Devon, Kate, Sean, Kelci, Gee, Kate's friend Colleen and Joseph for Kate's going-away party at Chili's.
I must away for school comes early tomorrow.
Monday, January 30, 2006
Wednesday, January 25, 2006
Another article...yes.
So, this one I have commentary for. It's about the US Supreme Court putting a stay on one criminal's execution by lethal injection. Lethal injection and the electric chair are the least pleasant forms of capital punishment used in the United States. This article backs up arguments I heard on CBC at least a year ago: basically that there might be pain experienced by victim but because they are paralyzed, they couldn't show it if they wanted to. There have been several cases of people being paralyzed during surgery who wake up and try to scream in pain but can't exhibit their agony because of the drugs.
Anyways, here's the article. Hopefully the US Supreme Court will realize the potential for lethal injection being cruel and unusual punishment and will eliminate it from the justice system's methods of execution.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/4648782.stm
Supreme Court halts US execution The US Supreme Court has blocked the execution of a Florida man to consider his appeal over the method used to carry out the punishment.
Clarence Hill was to be executed on Wednesday for the 1982 murder of a Pensacola police officer.
But the court wants to consider if the chemicals used in the execution cause pain - thus violating a Constitutional ban on cruel and unusual punishment.
Anti-death penalty campaigners say the move could delay other US executions.
We assume people are just put to sleep, but if you are paralysed it may mask the fact that these people are under extreme pain Richard Dieter, Death Penalty Information Center
Hill had been strapped to a gurney and intra-venous lines were running into his arms late on Tuesday night, his lawyer said, when Justice Anthony Kennedy issued a temporary stay.
The full court continued the stay on Wednesday.
"What a fantastic day! What a fantastic day," Hill's attorney D Todd Doss said, calling the ruling "a relief".
Oral arguments were set for 26 April, meaning it will likely be the summer before the court issues its opinion, Mr Doss told the Associated Press.
'Lethal cocktail'
Lethal injection is the most widely used method of execution in the US, although some offer inmates the choice of alternatives like electrocution or the gas chamber.
METHODS OF EXECUTION
Lethal injection: Authorized in 37 states
Electrocution: In 10 states (sole method in Nebraska)
Gas chamber: In five states (all of which have lethal injection as alternative)
Hanging: Only in New Hampshire and Washington
Firing squad: In Idaho and Oklahoma
Source: DPIC
The exact combination of chemicals used varies, but the process usually involves three stages, according to the Death Penalty Information Center - an anti-death penalty group.
The condemned inmate is injected with an anaesthetic, which puts the inmate to sleep. Next flows pavulon or pancuronium bromide, which paralyses the entire muscle system and stops the inmate's breathing.
Finally, the flow of potassium chloride stops the heart.
Richard Dieter, head of DPIC, told the BBC: "The argument is that the chemicals may mask the pain of what is going on - we assume people are just put to sleep, but if you are paralysed it may mask the fact that these people are under extreme pain."
Mr Dieter added: "It is too early to say what bearing this case will have on the many other lethal injection executions scheduled, but it could potentially be very significant.
"It could hold up a lot of other cases and I think that is why the Supreme Court wants to expedite its consideration of this appeal."
No challenge to injection
The case allows the court to revisit a 2004 ruling in an Alabama death case, in which justices said that David Larry Nelson could pursue a last-ditch claim that his death by lethal injection would be unconstitutionally cruel because of his damaged veins.
While Hill does not have damaged veins, his appeal cites medical studies about the drug cocktail used by Florida and other states.
Mr Doss told the high court that there is a risk his client will not be fully anaesthetised at the time of his death and that courts should look at his latest claims.
Like the Nelson case, the new appeal is more about stopping an execution than a direct constitutional challenge to using the lethal injection.
Thirty-eight of the 50 US states and the federal government permit capital punishment.
In December, Kenneth Lee Boyd, a 57-year-old Vietnam veteran, became the 1,000th person to be executed in the US since the Supreme Court re-instated capital punishment in 1976.
Anyways, here's the article. Hopefully the US Supreme Court will realize the potential for lethal injection being cruel and unusual punishment and will eliminate it from the justice system's methods of execution.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/4648782.stm
Supreme Court halts US execution The US Supreme Court has blocked the execution of a Florida man to consider his appeal over the method used to carry out the punishment.
Clarence Hill was to be executed on Wednesday for the 1982 murder of a Pensacola police officer.
But the court wants to consider if the chemicals used in the execution cause pain - thus violating a Constitutional ban on cruel and unusual punishment.
Anti-death penalty campaigners say the move could delay other US executions.
We assume people are just put to sleep, but if you are paralysed it may mask the fact that these people are under extreme pain Richard Dieter, Death Penalty Information Center
Hill had been strapped to a gurney and intra-venous lines were running into his arms late on Tuesday night, his lawyer said, when Justice Anthony Kennedy issued a temporary stay.
The full court continued the stay on Wednesday.
"What a fantastic day! What a fantastic day," Hill's attorney D Todd Doss said, calling the ruling "a relief".
Oral arguments were set for 26 April, meaning it will likely be the summer before the court issues its opinion, Mr Doss told the Associated Press.
'Lethal cocktail'
Lethal injection is the most widely used method of execution in the US, although some offer inmates the choice of alternatives like electrocution or the gas chamber.
METHODS OF EXECUTION
Lethal injection: Authorized in 37 states
Electrocution: In 10 states (sole method in Nebraska)
Gas chamber: In five states (all of which have lethal injection as alternative)
Hanging: Only in New Hampshire and Washington
Firing squad: In Idaho and Oklahoma
Source: DPIC
The exact combination of chemicals used varies, but the process usually involves three stages, according to the Death Penalty Information Center - an anti-death penalty group.
The condemned inmate is injected with an anaesthetic, which puts the inmate to sleep. Next flows pavulon or pancuronium bromide, which paralyses the entire muscle system and stops the inmate's breathing.
Finally, the flow of potassium chloride stops the heart.
Richard Dieter, head of DPIC, told the BBC: "The argument is that the chemicals may mask the pain of what is going on - we assume people are just put to sleep, but if you are paralysed it may mask the fact that these people are under extreme pain."
Mr Dieter added: "It is too early to say what bearing this case will have on the many other lethal injection executions scheduled, but it could potentially be very significant.
"It could hold up a lot of other cases and I think that is why the Supreme Court wants to expedite its consideration of this appeal."
No challenge to injection
The case allows the court to revisit a 2004 ruling in an Alabama death case, in which justices said that David Larry Nelson could pursue a last-ditch claim that his death by lethal injection would be unconstitutionally cruel because of his damaged veins.
While Hill does not have damaged veins, his appeal cites medical studies about the drug cocktail used by Florida and other states.
Mr Doss told the high court that there is a risk his client will not be fully anaesthetised at the time of his death and that courts should look at his latest claims.
Like the Nelson case, the new appeal is more about stopping an execution than a direct constitutional challenge to using the lethal injection.
Thirty-eight of the 50 US states and the federal government permit capital punishment.
In December, Kenneth Lee Boyd, a 57-year-old Vietnam veteran, became the 1,000th person to be executed in the US since the Supreme Court re-instated capital punishment in 1976.
A whale of an update
Sorry for the bad pun.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/london/4645726.stm
Whale died from 'multiple causes' A post-mortem examination on the whale which became stranded in the River Thames showed it died from dehydration, muscle damage and failing kidneys.
The preliminary findings showed it had been unable to feed for three days.
The 19.2ft (5.85m) female northern bottle-nosed whale died on Saturday as rescuers tried to take it back out to the open sea.
It first surfaced on Friday after mistakenly swimming into the North Sea and up the Thames, experts said.
They said it may have been trying to head west to the Atlantic Ocean where it could feed on deep sea squid, but made a wrong turning, ending up near Chelsea Bridge in the heart of London.
Bacterial infection
Without its normal squid diet, it was unable to rehydrate, they said.
Scientists examined the animal's body for up to eight hours at the dockside in Denton in Kent, and samples were then taken back to the Zoological Society of London (ZSL) for further analysis.
This showed it had a minor cut near her eye, but had been in good health and there was no evidence of any internal injury.
The last few days have been an unforgettable and ultimately sad experience for us all, and we are now determined that the whale did not die in vain Dr Paul Jepson
Further tests to be carried out over the next few weeks will determine whether there was any bacterial infection or pollutants in the whale's body, such as heavy metals.
In the meantime, the bones have been given to London's Natural History Museum and are in the process of being cleaned.
The entire skeleton will be kept for scientific research and made available to scientists from around the world.
On Saturday evening, the whale rapidly became disoriented and distressed.
Anti-submarine sonar
It was then that it was decided to put it down for its own welfare, said ZSL's veterinary pathologist Dr Paul Jepson, who carried out the post-mortem tests.
"While I was drawing the lethal injection, she died," he said.
"The last few days have been an unforgettable and ultimately sad experience for us all, and we are now determined that the whale did not die in vain.
"The incident has demonstrated a clear message of the nation's passion for these animals and their conservation."
Dr Jepson dismissed speculation that the whale's death was caused by anti-submarine sonar from Navy vessels.
Following worldwide coverage of the story, the British Divers Marine Life Rescue group, the small charity behind the rescue operation has received more than £10,000 in donations.
The bill for attempting the rescue was about £5,000.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/london/4645726.stm
Whale died from 'multiple causes' A post-mortem examination on the whale which became stranded in the River Thames showed it died from dehydration, muscle damage and failing kidneys.
The preliminary findings showed it had been unable to feed for three days.
The 19.2ft (5.85m) female northern bottle-nosed whale died on Saturday as rescuers tried to take it back out to the open sea.
It first surfaced on Friday after mistakenly swimming into the North Sea and up the Thames, experts said.
They said it may have been trying to head west to the Atlantic Ocean where it could feed on deep sea squid, but made a wrong turning, ending up near Chelsea Bridge in the heart of London.
Bacterial infection
Without its normal squid diet, it was unable to rehydrate, they said.
Scientists examined the animal's body for up to eight hours at the dockside in Denton in Kent, and samples were then taken back to the Zoological Society of London (ZSL) for further analysis.
This showed it had a minor cut near her eye, but had been in good health and there was no evidence of any internal injury.
The last few days have been an unforgettable and ultimately sad experience for us all, and we are now determined that the whale did not die in vain Dr Paul Jepson
Further tests to be carried out over the next few weeks will determine whether there was any bacterial infection or pollutants in the whale's body, such as heavy metals.
In the meantime, the bones have been given to London's Natural History Museum and are in the process of being cleaned.
The entire skeleton will be kept for scientific research and made available to scientists from around the world.
On Saturday evening, the whale rapidly became disoriented and distressed.
Anti-submarine sonar
It was then that it was decided to put it down for its own welfare, said ZSL's veterinary pathologist Dr Paul Jepson, who carried out the post-mortem tests.
"While I was drawing the lethal injection, she died," he said.
"The last few days have been an unforgettable and ultimately sad experience for us all, and we are now determined that the whale did not die in vain.
"The incident has demonstrated a clear message of the nation's passion for these animals and their conservation."
Dr Jepson dismissed speculation that the whale's death was caused by anti-submarine sonar from Navy vessels.
Following worldwide coverage of the story, the British Divers Marine Life Rescue group, the small charity behind the rescue operation has received more than £10,000 in donations.
The bill for attempting the rescue was about £5,000.
Monday, January 23, 2006
By the way, the Christian right is scary!!!
So, apparently there are fun fundamentalist movements in the States who think that the separation between church and state should be nullified, that Christians shouldn't make friends with non-Christians and that the Environmental Protection Agency and federal Departments of ENergy and Education should be abolished and global warming is a myth and public-school education should be "based upon Biblical principles" and not secular humanism and Darwinian evolution, etc. Creepy much? And apparently 50 million Americans think the literal end of the world is coming and that they will be saved from destruction and will rise up from their cars and homes and office towers to meet their Lord Jesus Christ at the end. Yeah...glad I'm not in the States.
But we are moving towards a Conservative government, what kind of fun will that be?
But we are moving towards a Conservative government, what kind of fun will that be?
Sunday, January 22, 2006
Buttons and elitism
So, I don't like buttons now. I was doing up the buttons at the bottom of my duvet cover and I missed one and it caused a chain reaction that made all the rest askew. While being very useful they suck. Why are there so many buttons on a man's jacket if one is supposed to have the bottom one undone anyway? It's ridiculous. I vow to write an short essay on buttons and why they are good and why they aren't.
Also, I have come to the conclusion that I really am fairly elitist. I talked to Caitlin about elitism in Debate and after a few moments of thought, I guess I really am. But, I'm also arrogant so I know you all love me in spite of my "flaws". :)
So sick of Bio.
Election tomorrow, no idea what we're doing or where we're going or who'll be taking down signs, but that's what tomorrow's for.
Explaining blogging to Mum is tiresome and has to be repeated. Did I mention I'm a brat?
Anyways, I'll go and pretend that I care about Bio and really think about rewriting my Grade 9 story and about buttons.
Wish me luck for Bio,
Me
Also, I have come to the conclusion that I really am fairly elitist. I talked to Caitlin about elitism in Debate and after a few moments of thought, I guess I really am. But, I'm also arrogant so I know you all love me in spite of my "flaws". :)
So sick of Bio.
Election tomorrow, no idea what we're doing or where we're going or who'll be taking down signs, but that's what tomorrow's for.
Explaining blogging to Mum is tiresome and has to be repeated. Did I mention I'm a brat?
Anyways, I'll go and pretend that I care about Bio and really think about rewriting my Grade 9 story and about buttons.
Wish me luck for Bio,
Me
Well then.
Bloody fuck. I can't find my wonderful diagrams for my circulatory system unit, or that unit at all for that matter. And I'm studying for the Bio final tomorrow, and I'm having trouble with that unit. Shit.
Other than that outburst I've had a fairly good day. I now have both of my trips to the Glenbow somewhat organized. And I ate and had a nap just recently.
And I've studied. I really don't care about blood or kidneys any more, really I don't.
But I'll be done with Bio until next year when I'm done this tomorrow.
Election Monday tomorrow. It'll make it official: a Conservative government of some description. *sighs*
We'll see.
Hope you're all well and enjoying your time off between your exams or after your exams.
Until later,
Me.
Other than that outburst I've had a fairly good day. I now have both of my trips to the Glenbow somewhat organized. And I ate and had a nap just recently.
And I've studied. I really don't care about blood or kidneys any more, really I don't.
But I'll be done with Bio until next year when I'm done this tomorrow.
Election Monday tomorrow. It'll make it official: a Conservative government of some description. *sighs*
We'll see.
Hope you're all well and enjoying your time off between your exams or after your exams.
Until later,
Me.
Saturday, January 21, 2006
Feeling almost creative...
Well, I've started my semi-annual reading of Carol Shields' masterpiece Unless and I thought about how I love her style of writing. I attempted to emulate it in a grade 9 short story "Mrs. Ackley's Trip To Belgrad" and I think it's about time to revisit it.
I'm going to type up the final version from Grade Nine and maybe get a few reviews and possibly advice on how to re-work it.
Anyways, something to look forward to eventually.
Hope all your days went well. I did very little. Studying, a little MSN, music.
We had ribs for supper and I went face and eyes into them, they were so good. :)
Anyways, I'll talk to you all later.
Until then,
Me.
(Two days to Election DAY!!!)
I'm going to type up the final version from Grade Nine and maybe get a few reviews and possibly advice on how to re-work it.
Anyways, something to look forward to eventually.
Hope all your days went well. I did very little. Studying, a little MSN, music.
We had ribs for supper and I went face and eyes into them, they were so good. :)
Anyways, I'll talk to you all later.
Until then,
Me.
(Two days to Election DAY!!!)
The whale in London died :(
Kate sent me an interesting story from the New York Times last night about a northern bottle-nosed whale that had somehow wandered its way up to the Thames from the open seas. The BBC reports that attempts made to rescue the whale ended when it died while being transported on a barge to deeper water in the Thames.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/london/4635874.stm
Lost whale dies after rescue bid
A whale that became stranded in the River Thames has died after a massive rescue attempt to save its life.
The 18ft (5m) northern bottle-nosed whale was first spotted in the river on Friday and rescuers began an attempt to save it on Saturday morning.
But the whale died at about 1900 GMT on Saturday as rescuers transported it on a barge towards deeper water in the Thames Estuary.
It was moved after being placed in a special pontoon near Battersea Bridge.
Here are pictures of the rescue efforts:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/in_pictures/4634710.stm
Election blogs have made it to the BBC. Why? Because blogs are great and elections are great and them together are magnificant! :)
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/4622030.stm
I'll plug the Liberal guy's blog again because he's amazing. I especially like his interviews with Paul Martin and in the latest post he answers questions for Stephen Harper because apparently his spokeswoman says he doesn't have time for any formal Q & A sessions.
http://liberal.ca/blogs_e.aspx
Anyways, I'm gonna go have lunch and study for Bio now.
Until possibly later readers,
Me.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/london/4635874.stm
Lost whale dies after rescue bid
A whale that became stranded in the River Thames has died after a massive rescue attempt to save its life.
The 18ft (5m) northern bottle-nosed whale was first spotted in the river on Friday and rescuers began an attempt to save it on Saturday morning.
But the whale died at about 1900 GMT on Saturday as rescuers transported it on a barge towards deeper water in the Thames Estuary.
It was moved after being placed in a special pontoon near Battersea Bridge.
Here are pictures of the rescue efforts:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/in_pictures/4634710.stm
Election blogs have made it to the BBC. Why? Because blogs are great and elections are great and them together are magnificant! :)
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/4622030.stm
I'll plug the Liberal guy's blog again because he's amazing. I especially like his interviews with Paul Martin and in the latest post he answers questions for Stephen Harper because apparently his spokeswoman says he doesn't have time for any formal Q & A sessions.
http://liberal.ca/blogs_e.aspx
Anyways, I'm gonna go have lunch and study for Bio now.
Until possibly later readers,
Me.
Friday, January 20, 2006
No more signs.
As of 8:45 this morning, there are no more Vote for Teale or Vote NDP signs in our garage.
Back to bio study.
me
Back to bio study.
me
Thursday, January 19, 2006
Two interesting BBC stories
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/4620922.stm
Revenge 'more satisfying for men' Men appear to get greater satisfaction than women when witnessing retribution, research suggests.
Scientists monitored brain activity in people while they watched someone they either liked or disliked apparently suffering pain.
While women showed signs of empathy with people they both liked and disliked, men appeared to enjoy pain being inflicted on their foes.
The study, by University College London, is published in Nature.
This investigation would seem to indicate there is a predominant role for men in maintaining justice and issuing punishment Dr Tania Singer
A series of tests was undertaken involving 32 male and female volunteers.
They were joined by four actors whose true identity was kept secret from the rest of the group.
In the first part of the experiment, the volunteers played a monetary investment game.
During this session, the actors established themselves as either likeable by playing fair, or unlikeable by holding on to money unfairly.
Electric shocks
Next, the actors apparently received mild electric shocks while the volunteers were monitored for their responses.
When the "fair" players were shocked, both female and male volunteers showed increased activity in the pain-related centres of the pain - the fronto-insular and anterior cingulate cortices.
When the "unfair" actor received a shock, the women taking part in the experiment showed a similar empathy with them.
In contrast, the male volunteers showed no increased activity in the empathy-related pain areas.
They did, however, show a surge of activity in the reward centre of the brain - the nucleus accumbens.
The researchers noted that the volunteers tended to avoid people who had cheated them, and their antipathy was confirmed by questionnaire responses.
'Sense of justice'
Lead researcher Dr Tania Singer said: "Men expressed more desire for revenge and seemed to feel satisfaction when unfair people were given what they perceived as deserved physical punishment.
"This type of behaviour has probably been crucial in the evolution of society as the majority of people in a group are motivated to punish those who cheat on the rest.
"This altruistic behaviour means that people tend to protect each other against being exploited by society's free-loaders, and evolution has probably seeded this sense of justice and moral duty into our brains."
Dr Singer said it was possible that men reacted more sharply because the punishment being meted out was physical, rather than psychological or financial."
However, she said: "This investigation would seem to indicate there is a predominant role for men in maintaining justice and issuing punishment."
Dr Colin Wilson, a neuropsychologist at Belfast's Green Park Healthcare Trust, said the findings were interesting - but much more work would be needed before one could conclude that there were profound differences between the sexes.
He said: "It might be that women tend to have more reflective, thoughtful responses, and are less likely to make quick, punitive judgements.
"But what would be really interesting would be if the same findings were found if the punishment was a social insult or a put down, rather than physical."
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/4627950.stm
Snake 'befriends' snack hamster A rodent-eating snake and a hamster have developed an unusual bond at a zoo in the Japanese capital, Tokyo.
Their relationship began in October last year, when zookeepers presented the hamster to the snake as a meal.
The rat snake, however, refused to eat the rodent. The two now share a cage, and the hamster sometimes falls asleep sitting on top of his natural foe.
"I have never seen anything like it," a zookeeper at the Mutsugoro Okoku zoo told the Associated Press News agency.
The hamster was initially offered to Aochan, the two-year-old rat snake, because it was refusing to eat frozen mice, the Associated Press news agency reports.
As a joke, the zookeeper said they named the hamster Gohan - the Japanese word for meal.
"I don't think there's any danger. Aochan seems to enjoy Gohan's company very much," zookeeper Kazuya Yamamoto told the Associated Press news agency.
The apparent friendship between the snake and hamster is one of many reported bonds spanning the divide between predator and prey.
Revenge 'more satisfying for men' Men appear to get greater satisfaction than women when witnessing retribution, research suggests.
Scientists monitored brain activity in people while they watched someone they either liked or disliked apparently suffering pain.
While women showed signs of empathy with people they both liked and disliked, men appeared to enjoy pain being inflicted on their foes.
The study, by University College London, is published in Nature.
This investigation would seem to indicate there is a predominant role for men in maintaining justice and issuing punishment Dr Tania Singer
A series of tests was undertaken involving 32 male and female volunteers.
They were joined by four actors whose true identity was kept secret from the rest of the group.
In the first part of the experiment, the volunteers played a monetary investment game.
During this session, the actors established themselves as either likeable by playing fair, or unlikeable by holding on to money unfairly.
Electric shocks
Next, the actors apparently received mild electric shocks while the volunteers were monitored for their responses.
When the "fair" players were shocked, both female and male volunteers showed increased activity in the pain-related centres of the pain - the fronto-insular and anterior cingulate cortices.
When the "unfair" actor received a shock, the women taking part in the experiment showed a similar empathy with them.
In contrast, the male volunteers showed no increased activity in the empathy-related pain areas.
They did, however, show a surge of activity in the reward centre of the brain - the nucleus accumbens.
The researchers noted that the volunteers tended to avoid people who had cheated them, and their antipathy was confirmed by questionnaire responses.
'Sense of justice'
Lead researcher Dr Tania Singer said: "Men expressed more desire for revenge and seemed to feel satisfaction when unfair people were given what they perceived as deserved physical punishment.
"This type of behaviour has probably been crucial in the evolution of society as the majority of people in a group are motivated to punish those who cheat on the rest.
"This altruistic behaviour means that people tend to protect each other against being exploited by society's free-loaders, and evolution has probably seeded this sense of justice and moral duty into our brains."
Dr Singer said it was possible that men reacted more sharply because the punishment being meted out was physical, rather than psychological or financial."
However, she said: "This investigation would seem to indicate there is a predominant role for men in maintaining justice and issuing punishment."
Dr Colin Wilson, a neuropsychologist at Belfast's Green Park Healthcare Trust, said the findings were interesting - but much more work would be needed before one could conclude that there were profound differences between the sexes.
He said: "It might be that women tend to have more reflective, thoughtful responses, and are less likely to make quick, punitive judgements.
"But what would be really interesting would be if the same findings were found if the punishment was a social insult or a put down, rather than physical."
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/4627950.stm
Snake 'befriends' snack hamster A rodent-eating snake and a hamster have developed an unusual bond at a zoo in the Japanese capital, Tokyo.
Their relationship began in October last year, when zookeepers presented the hamster to the snake as a meal.
The rat snake, however, refused to eat the rodent. The two now share a cage, and the hamster sometimes falls asleep sitting on top of his natural foe.
"I have never seen anything like it," a zookeeper at the Mutsugoro Okoku zoo told the Associated Press News agency.
The hamster was initially offered to Aochan, the two-year-old rat snake, because it was refusing to eat frozen mice, the Associated Press news agency reports.
As a joke, the zookeeper said they named the hamster Gohan - the Japanese word for meal.
"I don't think there's any danger. Aochan seems to enjoy Gohan's company very much," zookeeper Kazuya Yamamoto told the Associated Press news agency.
The apparent friendship between the snake and hamster is one of many reported bonds spanning the divide between predator and prey.
So, one of my holds from the library finally came in...
WICKED!!!!!!! the soundtrack!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! YAY!!
I just discovered that Kristin Chenoweth is Glinda and she also plays Annabeth on The West Wing. Now that I think of it, it actually makes sense.
So, I didn't really get to read the book but now it's really dramatic and I'm trying to figure out some more out from the Wikipedia article. It's just amazing really. I love it so much.
Anyways, back to vacuuming.
Bye,
Me
I just discovered that Kristin Chenoweth is Glinda and she also plays Annabeth on The West Wing. Now that I think of it, it actually makes sense.
So, I didn't really get to read the book but now it's really dramatic and I'm trying to figure out some more out from the Wikipedia article. It's just amazing really. I love it so much.
Anyways, back to vacuuming.
Bye,
Me
Wednesday, January 18, 2006
Well, I just read A Modest Proposal by Jonathan Swift (thanks to Project Gutenberg http://www.gutenberg.org/). Just a little disgusting and amazing social commentary.
I didn't go to the forum tonight because I was kinda tired and was waiting for Georgeanne to call me to see if she was going or not and I thought about calling Christopher myself but I didn't. Instead I read on the BBC and CBC and Fiction Press and other people's blogs and Project Gutenberg.
Tomorrow I'll be studying Bio for Monday then I'll be steam-cleaning the upstairs carpets after Joseph leaves and Dad gets home.
I hope to see and/or hear coverage about Teale's magnificant and captivating (or at least long and fairly witty) speeches.
Happy birthday to Jen again, even though she doesn't have this site, I'll probably see her tomorrow, half-hungover from tonight. :)
Anyways, talk to you all later. Meghan, I'll call you Friday about Glenbow and Kate I'll probably call you Monday or so. I'm aiming for Tuesday with Meghan and maybe later on with Kate.
Bye people.
Me.
(PS, Joseph's off to Victoria tomorrow and Mum's going up to Red Deer for a conference with other people that work with TASC/special needs students, so it'll be me and Dad tomorrow night and most of Friday, until Mum gets back. We're gonna go out for supper after we finish the carpets and that'll be fun. I haven't had time alone with Dad for a while. Bye again, Me)
I didn't go to the forum tonight because I was kinda tired and was waiting for Georgeanne to call me to see if she was going or not and I thought about calling Christopher myself but I didn't. Instead I read on the BBC and CBC and Fiction Press and other people's blogs and Project Gutenberg.
Tomorrow I'll be studying Bio for Monday then I'll be steam-cleaning the upstairs carpets after Joseph leaves and Dad gets home.
I hope to see and/or hear coverage about Teale's magnificant and captivating (or at least long and fairly witty) speeches.
Happy birthday to Jen again, even though she doesn't have this site, I'll probably see her tomorrow, half-hungover from tonight. :)
Anyways, talk to you all later. Meghan, I'll call you Friday about Glenbow and Kate I'll probably call you Monday or so. I'm aiming for Tuesday with Meghan and maybe later on with Kate.
Bye people.
Me.
(PS, Joseph's off to Victoria tomorrow and Mum's going up to Red Deer for a conference with other people that work with TASC/special needs students, so it'll be me and Dad tomorrow night and most of Friday, until Mum gets back. We're gonna go out for supper after we finish the carpets and that'll be fun. I haven't had time alone with Dad for a while. Bye again, Me)
By the way guys...
the Conservatives have a bad attack ad out against Jack Layton. "He may speak for special interests, but does Jack Layton speak for you?" Like the Tories don't work on behalf of the oil industry and other big business.
Just thought you'd like to see how the Tories are trying to sway Liberals and NDPers and undecideds to vote for them, by attacking the NDP. To quote Devon "way to be guys, way to be."
Just thought you'd like to see how the Tories are trying to sway Liberals and NDPers and undecideds to vote for them, by attacking the NDP. To quote Devon "way to be guys, way to be."
Guess who's birthday it is today.....
It's Jen from Safeway's 22nd birthday today!!!!!!!!!!!!!! YAY!!!!
Um, anyways, French reading comprehension is dumb. Hanging out with cool people afterwards, much better. I talked with Ryland and Devon about Star Trek for about an hour while waiting for people to be done their French finals. Joseph and Kelci eventually both came out from the gym and we waited for Kees, we expected he would be thrown out because he'd take as much time as he could to do it. We went across the street for pizza then over to Brentwood for coffee at Starbucks where we spent a lot of time talking.
Then Kees didn't take the train with us and we took the train to Dalhousie and then Joseph and I took the train home. And I had tickets today Georgeanne! Hooray!
And so I am supposed to be either studying for Bio or moving things onto my desk because tomorrow (while Mum's in Red Deer for a conference and Joseph goes out to Victoria until Saturday), Dad and I get to steam-clean the upstairs carpets! Oh joy oh
bliss! *ends sarcasm*
So, that's about it people. I'll write some more if anything somewhat interesting happens.
Bye for now,
Me.
Um, anyways, French reading comprehension is dumb. Hanging out with cool people afterwards, much better. I talked with Ryland and Devon about Star Trek for about an hour while waiting for people to be done their French finals. Joseph and Kelci eventually both came out from the gym and we waited for Kees, we expected he would be thrown out because he'd take as much time as he could to do it. We went across the street for pizza then over to Brentwood for coffee at Starbucks where we spent a lot of time talking.
Then Kees didn't take the train with us and we took the train to Dalhousie and then Joseph and I took the train home. And I had tickets today Georgeanne! Hooray!
And so I am supposed to be either studying for Bio or moving things onto my desk because tomorrow (while Mum's in Red Deer for a conference and Joseph goes out to Victoria until Saturday), Dad and I get to steam-clean the upstairs carpets! Oh joy oh
bliss! *ends sarcasm*
So, that's about it people. I'll write some more if anything somewhat interesting happens.
Bye for now,
Me.
Tuesday, January 17, 2006
Just to clarify...
Rob Anders is slimey and I feel bad for having semi-clapped for him at the all-candidates forum at the random Centre today. *shivers*
Anyways, the exam went well, Moquin wants a Teale sign and said I was a good student and that he enjoyed having me in class, Poirier said I somehow got 30/30 on my final essay that I didn't really have a third argument for or a decent (aka more than a sentence long) conclusion.
Me and Kate and Georgeanne hung out after the test in Poirier's room and we left around 12.30 I guess. We went down to Kensington to the amazing toy store and then we went to Higher Ground (I think) where we had...um...curious, that's the word, curious conversations over coffee and a breakfast sandwich.
Then Kate and Georgeanne bought a Newton's cradle (good gift for me too, they're really awesome and only recently did I realize their name) for their Chem teacher Ms Ferdanez and yeah. Then Kate went home and I travelled up to Gee's house via train and bus and we watched Charlie Chaplin movies and her mother fed us and I felt loved.
After Gee's house we voyaged on to Teale's house around 4.30 to go door-knocking for him. It turned out to be fairly good fun. I mostly convinced a non-Canadian citizen why she should vote for Teale and another person was going to vote NDP already so it was exciting. That I know of we only got one bad response between the four of us out there (Eric [with red hair who Gee knows from FolkFest], Gee, Mike and me) and that was doled out to Eric who as soon as he said NDP got an angry "Get out of here NDP, this is Conservative Country!" *slam*
So when we were done stuffing mailboxes and knocking on doors, we went back to the community centre and watched Teale be animated, the Liberal be fairly un-Liberal, the Marxist Leninist be interesting, the Green be fairly animated, Rob Anders being an ass and not answering questions and the Canadian Action Party guy was well-dressed and has a strange party.
So, that's all from me for right now, I'm off to bed 'cause I've got my French multiple choice final tomorrow!
Bye readers,
Me.
Anyways, the exam went well, Moquin wants a Teale sign and said I was a good student and that he enjoyed having me in class, Poirier said I somehow got 30/30 on my final essay that I didn't really have a third argument for or a decent (aka more than a sentence long) conclusion.
Me and Kate and Georgeanne hung out after the test in Poirier's room and we left around 12.30 I guess. We went down to Kensington to the amazing toy store and then we went to Higher Ground (I think) where we had...um...curious, that's the word, curious conversations over coffee and a breakfast sandwich.
Then Kate and Georgeanne bought a Newton's cradle (good gift for me too, they're really awesome and only recently did I realize their name) for their Chem teacher Ms Ferdanez and yeah. Then Kate went home and I travelled up to Gee's house via train and bus and we watched Charlie Chaplin movies and her mother fed us and I felt loved.
After Gee's house we voyaged on to Teale's house around 4.30 to go door-knocking for him. It turned out to be fairly good fun. I mostly convinced a non-Canadian citizen why she should vote for Teale and another person was going to vote NDP already so it was exciting. That I know of we only got one bad response between the four of us out there (Eric [with red hair who Gee knows from FolkFest], Gee, Mike and me) and that was doled out to Eric who as soon as he said NDP got an angry "Get out of here NDP, this is Conservative Country!" *slam*
So when we were done stuffing mailboxes and knocking on doors, we went back to the community centre and watched Teale be animated, the Liberal be fairly un-Liberal, the Marxist Leninist be interesting, the Green be fairly animated, Rob Anders being an ass and not answering questions and the Canadian Action Party guy was well-dressed and has a strange party.
So, that's all from me for right now, I'm off to bed 'cause I've got my French multiple choice final tomorrow!
Bye readers,
Me.
Monday, January 16, 2006
Response to the 2nd Abe Debate podcast since the comments box lost the other one...
So guys. Well done. I must say three people seems like a lot for a discussion. Inevitably one person sounds more excluded, which is unfortunate.
Um, so to start with U of C stuff, Kees, it is strange to debate open people for the first time, me and Anne were destroyed by Amy Robichaud on bilingualism and that was tragic. It will in theory help you kick it up a bit, but I don't think you should or your head would explode and that'd be hard to clean up after. Are you thinking about bilinguals/regionals yet?
Anyways, flipfloppers are always fun politically. If nothing it gives the talking heads something to disagree on and Jon Stewart and other media to point out comically. I remember hearing a while ago that Hillary Rodham Clinton was starting to lean towards the right to improve her appeal, pity really. I guess it's easy for us to criticise the politicians who change their opinions to keep their constituents and party happy but I find I have more respect the people who stand up for what they believe in and what their constituents believe in despite the urgings of their parties. Jim Prentice for example. On the other hand, they need to keep their jobs so occasional deathbed conversions can be understandable...occasionally.
Moving on. Guys, we need to remember that foreign aid and military intervention and working on problems here at home are NOT mutually exclusive. I'm not saying that we've necessarily been doing a good job with balancing that lately but there's a reason Foreign Affairs and Defense are different departments from Health and Transport. They handle different issues and need to be recognized as such but we need to understand that we don't have to use the Green Party's ideas about filching money from the military to help solve poverty. I don't know where they would find the money but I'm sure that with our institutionalized surpluses we could find enough to forgive certain foreign debts to aid those countries' development. I think it is a government's responsibility to satisfy the basic needs of the people and as Rousseau wrote the government has to promote and protect the common good of its citizens. Hobbes wrote that when the government no longer guarentees the security of the population (from foreign threats mainly but I'll expand his definition and forgive me if this doesn't sound right, blame Moquin for my social notes) it deserves to be overthrown.
So, with my social notes in mind, let's look at The Honourable Ken Dryden, as Minister of Social Development. One million children are living in poverty in this country and this government needed the NDP to press for money for social housing in their budget. Interesting isn't it? Sounds like they are having their basic needs fulfilled, doesn't it? Revolution anyone? Along Hobbes' lines, sounds like it, eh?
A little rant now.
It's disgraceful that in a city with oil barons and big business and such plenty (land of wine and honey anyone?) we had approximately 109 000 Calgarians living below the 1992 Low-Income Cutoff in 2000 according to The City of Calgary. Obviously many people are moving to this city for jobs but there simply isn't nearly enough social housing units to help the people we already have let alone the thousands that come every year. As well many people come here looking for a house and are shocked by the prices they face. According to the Government of Manitoba (through the Royal LePage Survey of Canadian House Prices, First Quarter of 2003 http://www.gov.mb.ca/iedm/invest/relocate/housing.html), the average price for a detatched bungalow is 211 900$. From another source (senior marketing analyst Richard Corriveau of the Canada Morgage and Housing Corp. as quoted in "Crowding in Calgary" Allan Connery for the Western Investor in the January 2005 edition) "The average new house in Calgary sold for about $281000 in 2004." The Globe and Mail reported in last Tuesday's edition that Calgary house prices have gone up 59% since 1997.
Anyways, I need to go and do housework and studying now but good on Devon and Kees and Sean for the latest podcast. Way to be Bono and plug Maude Barlow Devon.
Um, so to start with U of C stuff, Kees, it is strange to debate open people for the first time, me and Anne were destroyed by Amy Robichaud on bilingualism and that was tragic. It will in theory help you kick it up a bit, but I don't think you should or your head would explode and that'd be hard to clean up after. Are you thinking about bilinguals/regionals yet?
Anyways, flipfloppers are always fun politically. If nothing it gives the talking heads something to disagree on and Jon Stewart and other media to point out comically. I remember hearing a while ago that Hillary Rodham Clinton was starting to lean towards the right to improve her appeal, pity really. I guess it's easy for us to criticise the politicians who change their opinions to keep their constituents and party happy but I find I have more respect the people who stand up for what they believe in and what their constituents believe in despite the urgings of their parties. Jim Prentice for example. On the other hand, they need to keep their jobs so occasional deathbed conversions can be understandable...occasionally.
Moving on. Guys, we need to remember that foreign aid and military intervention and working on problems here at home are NOT mutually exclusive. I'm not saying that we've necessarily been doing a good job with balancing that lately but there's a reason Foreign Affairs and Defense are different departments from Health and Transport. They handle different issues and need to be recognized as such but we need to understand that we don't have to use the Green Party's ideas about filching money from the military to help solve poverty. I don't know where they would find the money but I'm sure that with our institutionalized surpluses we could find enough to forgive certain foreign debts to aid those countries' development. I think it is a government's responsibility to satisfy the basic needs of the people and as Rousseau wrote the government has to promote and protect the common good of its citizens. Hobbes wrote that when the government no longer guarentees the security of the population (from foreign threats mainly but I'll expand his definition and forgive me if this doesn't sound right, blame Moquin for my social notes) it deserves to be overthrown.
So, with my social notes in mind, let's look at The Honourable Ken Dryden, as Minister of Social Development. One million children are living in poverty in this country and this government needed the NDP to press for money for social housing in their budget. Interesting isn't it? Sounds like they are having their basic needs fulfilled, doesn't it? Revolution anyone? Along Hobbes' lines, sounds like it, eh?
A little rant now.
It's disgraceful that in a city with oil barons and big business and such plenty (land of wine and honey anyone?) we had approximately 109 000 Calgarians living below the 1992 Low-Income Cutoff in 2000 according to The City of Calgary. Obviously many people are moving to this city for jobs but there simply isn't nearly enough social housing units to help the people we already have let alone the thousands that come every year. As well many people come here looking for a house and are shocked by the prices they face. According to the Government of Manitoba (through the Royal LePage Survey of Canadian House Prices, First Quarter of 2003 http://www.gov.mb.ca/iedm/invest/relocate/housing.html), the average price for a detatched bungalow is 211 900$. From another source (senior marketing analyst Richard Corriveau of the Canada Morgage and Housing Corp. as quoted in "Crowding in Calgary" Allan Connery for the Western Investor in the January 2005 edition) "The average new house in Calgary sold for about $281000 in 2004." The Globe and Mail reported in last Tuesday's edition that Calgary house prices have gone up 59% since 1997.
Anyways, I need to go and do housework and studying now but good on Devon and Kees and Sean for the latest podcast. Way to be Bono and plug Maude Barlow Devon.
Sunday, January 15, 2006
Well, apparently there's some more avian flu going round... The BBC reports that Turkey is doing tests to confirm its 4th possible death because of the virus in humans, but of course it hasn't mutated to human-to-human transmission but still. Not good.
Also, completely unrelated topic, the election and possible Conservative cabinets.
Could my MP (Jim Prentice, AbNor Affairs critic) become a Minister? Wouldn't that be interesting? Would he and Harper be able to agree on the Kelowna Agreement? Quite comically, CBC showed in the same report Jim Prentice being proud of the Kelowna Accord and saying they would honour it to Harper saying they wouldn't want it. Make up your minds guys. If this is the kind of rangling we'll see between the old Progressive Conservatives and Canadian Reform Alliance Party (CRAP) what kind of government will they form?
How long would a Conservative minority government last? Obviously the people don't exactly want another election triggered so work it out gentlemen.
Could this possibly lead to a Conservative majority if they manage to get anything done and not scare most people away?
What kind of power will the NDP have considering the Liberals can agree with the Conservatives on many issues, 90% Gilles tells us and that's probably not far off it.
Anyways, I've got studying to do so I'll pretend like it matters.
Bye readers or more likely Georgeanne :)
Mike.
Also, completely unrelated topic, the election and possible Conservative cabinets.
Could my MP (Jim Prentice, AbNor Affairs critic) become a Minister? Wouldn't that be interesting? Would he and Harper be able to agree on the Kelowna Agreement? Quite comically, CBC showed in the same report Jim Prentice being proud of the Kelowna Accord and saying they would honour it to Harper saying they wouldn't want it. Make up your minds guys. If this is the kind of rangling we'll see between the old Progressive Conservatives and Canadian Reform Alliance Party (CRAP) what kind of government will they form?
How long would a Conservative minority government last? Obviously the people don't exactly want another election triggered so work it out gentlemen.
Could this possibly lead to a Conservative majority if they manage to get anything done and not scare most people away?
What kind of power will the NDP have considering the Liberals can agree with the Conservatives on many issues, 90% Gilles tells us and that's probably not far off it.
Anyways, I've got studying to do so I'll pretend like it matters.
Bye readers or more likely Georgeanne :)
Mike.
And thus the sheep was named....
Dafydd. Officially. If anyone would like to view a sheep like Dafydd you can go to http://www.welsh-tartan.com/shopimages/m13b.jpg for a picture.
So I went to a family friend's house for supper tonight. Jig's dinner...m'God it's soooo good. Salt beef and cabbage and blueberry pudding and peas pudding and uh! It was just delicious. I'd been looking forward to it all week and now I've experienced it for the first time in a year. MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM!!! So I'm pretty happy.
Also, Kees sent me the url for the Abe Debate Podcast website (http://www.abedebate.blogspot.com/) and he and Sean talk about Ariel Sharon and the election and avian flu, oh my! Anyways, I enjoyed it and people who are reading this should either know about it or need to listen to it now!
Um...so I'm studying for finals now. I knocked off a chunk of Social and Bio today, not much to do for French really 'cept look over some sheets. It'll be reading comprehension mostly we're told. Oh what a joy that'll be.
But over the break between Election Monday (my Bio exam) and the 31st I'm going to try to go down to the Glenbow with my friend Meghan to see Petra, it looks really interesting and is sponsored by the Queen of Jordan. Fancy, eh?
Anyhoo, I'll be off now.
Bye bye,
Me.
So I went to a family friend's house for supper tonight. Jig's dinner...m'God it's soooo good. Salt beef and cabbage and blueberry pudding and peas pudding and uh! It was just delicious. I'd been looking forward to it all week and now I've experienced it for the first time in a year. MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM!!! So I'm pretty happy.
Also, Kees sent me the url for the Abe Debate Podcast website (http://www.abedebate.blogspot.com/) and he and Sean talk about Ariel Sharon and the election and avian flu, oh my! Anyways, I enjoyed it and people who are reading this should either know about it or need to listen to it now!
Um...so I'm studying for finals now. I knocked off a chunk of Social and Bio today, not much to do for French really 'cept look over some sheets. It'll be reading comprehension mostly we're told. Oh what a joy that'll be.
But over the break between Election Monday (my Bio exam) and the 31st I'm going to try to go down to the Glenbow with my friend Meghan to see Petra, it looks really interesting and is sponsored by the Queen of Jordan. Fancy, eh?
Anyhoo, I'll be off now.
Bye bye,
Me.
Friday, January 13, 2006
well, i'm in the last spare period of the semester right now. i just finished my last social class of the year and i'm going to my last bio class after lunch! no more summach until next year maybe! :D
anyways, kate gave me my wales present and the pen from her dad's programme "Educator Development Program". My present is a stuffed sheep but I haven't found a suitable name for her/him yet. The sheep looks a little stunned and its head is lopsided and occasionally it can stand by itself. A name....*searches for a name* Kate suggested Dafydd, what Kelci apparently turned down for her sheep. It's like David but slightly different... I'll keep looking but I'll use this as a fall-back name. Morgan perhaps... Taffy is apparently a pet name for Dafydd. Hmmm...
Anyways, I have to go study for my Bio test on the kidneys and excretion after our 17 minute lunch.
I might update later in elation when I'm done this semester's set of classes.
Bye for now,
Mike
anyways, kate gave me my wales present and the pen from her dad's programme "Educator Development Program". My present is a stuffed sheep but I haven't found a suitable name for her/him yet. The sheep looks a little stunned and its head is lopsided and occasionally it can stand by itself. A name....*searches for a name* Kate suggested Dafydd, what Kelci apparently turned down for her sheep. It's like David but slightly different... I'll keep looking but I'll use this as a fall-back name. Morgan perhaps... Taffy is apparently a pet name for Dafydd. Hmmm...
Anyways, I have to go study for my Bio test on the kidneys and excretion after our 17 minute lunch.
I might update later in elation when I'm done this semester's set of classes.
Bye for now,
Mike
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