Ranter news roundup

Oh, this will pay for itself in no time.

I thought Harper had a tough job.

In Europe, optimism carries the day.

The Irish Economic Mir... oh shit.

Reading this will induce vomiting.

In a time of economic crisis... let's focus on the real priorities.

Can you say "crack baby"?

They had a GPS unit, and they "knew the way home". THEN THEY WEREN'T LOST WERE THEY?!?!

Celebrating a strike well done

ATU Local 279 President Andre Cornellier speaks to the media while he and his fellow union monkeys enjoy a relaxing soak at Le Nordik Nature Spa in Old Chelsea, Quebec.

Cornholio speaks

From the Ottawa Citizen...

“Shame, shame, shame on everyone for putting the membership, the drivers, through what they’re going to have to go through, if they have to go through the layoffs and everything,” he said.

Many drivers are hurting financially, he said, and few have prepared for layoffs.

Can you believe this clown? Apparently the city is supposed to scramble to get as many buses back on the road as quickly as possible - not to restore service to the public - but because his union brothers need the money.

Not once, not once, has this asshole expressed even the slightest concern or regret for the inconvenience and hardship he and his union have put Ottawa residents through. At the outset of the strike, he stated that "maximum inconvenience" to the public was the union's goal.

Later on, when asked about how he felt about the inconvenience and harm he was doing to the city, he responded, "That's what a strike is all about."

A week ago, the ATU refused to even consider allowing its mechanics back to work to start preparing the buses for a quick return.

Then, when the union finally capitulated in the face of imminent back-to-work legislation, Cornholio and company emerged from the meeting with city officials and climbed into a waiting white limousine, to be whisked away in style. Even in agreeing to end their vindictive and selfish strike, the ATU leadership had to rub the public's nose in it, and show everyone that they were personally unaffected by the harm they were inflicting on the rest of us.

Now Cornholio thinks it is "shameful" that all his drivers cannot be returned to work at once, because they're "hurting financially?" Well isn't that too goddam bad.

Maybe, just maybe, the next time Ottawa transit workers have the opportunity to vote on a contract, they'll tell their leadership to get stuffed, and vote according to their own best interests. If they don't have the brains to defy their own union, they do not deserve an OUNCE of sympathy.

The Great Cornholio wants buses back on road NOW!

After dragging out the transit strike for 51 unbearable days, and refusing to allow the mechanics to return to work early to prepare the buses for service, ATU Local 279 President Andre Cornellier is now accusing OC Transpo officials of "unnecessarily" delaying the restoration of bus service. Seems Andre is upset that his members will not be going back to work immediately. (In fact, some bus drivers are facing layoffs of two months or more, as it will take that long before the full fleet is available.) Perhaps he should have thought of that BEFORE GOING ON STRIKE!!!!

Let's dump crops into the oceans!

How can you tell that the whole climate change craze has pretty much had its day? When "scientists" start seriously studying cock-ups like this.

They don't want to dump the crops themselves of course - mercifully, scientists haven't gone quite that batty yet - just the vegetative matter that is left over after the actual crop has been threshed out. This matter is normally left to decay on the field and plowed back into the soil. In fact, it is vital to leave as much of this "humis" behind as possible to maintain the "fibre" of the soil. Otherwise, the topsoil will blow away. Apparently these scientists have never heard of soil erosion. Then again, compared to the coming apocalypse of GLOBAL WARMING!!! (add scary music) what is soil erosion but a petty annoyance?

Another equally asinine idea, dumping iron in the ocean as a means of fertilizing plankton growth, which could allow the oceans to sequester more carbon and thereby slow global warming, has been kicked around for 20 years.

I remember reading about it in 1989 or 1990 in an issue of Discover Magazine. A quick Google of the very specific search term "iron in oceans" + "climate change" (quotations as shown) reveals 573 hits, some going back several years. Some scientists are earnestly promoting more research into this potential climate change counter-measure.

So serious are they about this dumping-iron-in-ocean idea that New Scientist felt it had to quell the irrational exuberance by releasing an article with this cautionary title:

Dumping iron in the ocean may not fix the climate

Got that? They're not slamming the door on the idea. Just allowing for the possibility that it might not work.

I'm betting the crop-dumpers are just as serious about their idea as the iron guys are. Perhaps in the near future, climate scientists will split into rival camps: crop-dumpers and iron-dumpers. Each group can edit and publish its own journal. Each can receive copious amounts of government-sponsored research grants, and they can have at 'er. Eventually, through intense, healthy and open debate, these luminaries will arrive at the truth.

But wait. Maybe they're both right. Maybe we'll end up dumping crops and iron into the ocean! People will gather on shorelines everywhere and cheer on their side. They'll have competitions to see who can dump more extraneous matter into the ocean. Vegas bookies will start taking bets. They'll come up with some mathematical formula to arrive at a crop-iron equivalency. (Because we can't just go by tonnage - the crop-dumpers would have a ridiculous advantage. We'll need to make the crop-dumpers cover the spread somehow).

Or, more likely, scientists twenty or thirty years hence will be scoffing at our ignorance. "Hey, remember when we were in grad school, and they taught us about the potential pros and cons of dumping iron (or crops, or US dollars, or sub-prime mortgage contracts) into the ocean? Did we actually believe that shit?"

David Suzuki warns, "We must listen to what the scientists tell us."

Suzuki has it wrong of course. We must listen to what science tells us. That does not mean abandoning skepticism and listening uncritically to scientists. And right now, far too many scientists are caught up chasing fame and peer recognition to impart much real knowledge to the rest of us. To paraphrase the great modern-day skeptic Nassim Nicholas Taleb, "trust science, not the scientist."

Remember, the truth is out there. Ultimately, science is always right. Just don't rely on the many charlatans and wingnuts who pass themselves off as "scientists" these days to discover it for us.

Oh oh

Danny is not going to be happy with this:

“I want to commend Prime Minister Harper and his government for listening to some of the very significant specific concerns Ontarians have expressed,” Mr. McGuinty said Wednesday.

No, Danny is not going like that at all. I'm betting that Williams will be working the national news programs tomorrow morning - maybe even tonight - in an attempt to neutralize McGuinty's words and regain the spotlight. I'm also betting the national news media will give him as much air time as he wants.

You've got to feel for Danny. He has NOT had a good day. First Ignatieff gives qualified support to the budget. Then Denis Coderre declares the coalition dead. Now Ontario's Liberal premier is singing Harper's praises. And that after most other premiers had already expressed enthusiasm for the budget. Seems like the only friend he has is David Miller. What's a loud-mouth little bugger to do? Start taking down Canada flags again?

Danny Williams assails "vindictive, nasty" budget

The public reacts.

That's odd...

I don't feel stimulated...