Photo of the day

Near Hopewell Cape, New Brunswick. Taken at the end of November 2005.

Cutting off dictators . . . what a novel idea

Donor governments including Canada's, will withdraw 375 (m) million dollars U-S in aid to Ethiopia's government. Apparently, the decision was made after the Ethiopian government's crackdown on the main opposition party and the independent news media. Unrest claimed the lives of at least 46 people in November in that country.
The money is expected to be used instead by the U-N and aid agencies working to end poverty among the bulk of the country's estimated 77 (m)million people - many of whom live on less than a dollar a day.
Countries like Canada, Britain, Ireland, Germany and Sweden, along with the World Bank,European Commission and African Development Bank provide direct budget support.
The flow of cash is expected to dry up to the government until they can get their act together and the political situation improves.
What an excellent idea - though I wonder how much money has been pissed away up to the point that this decision was made. One question - will the Ethiopian government now feel less inhibited when cracking down on dissent because they're now less beholden to the West?

Photo of the day

A great Fall shot, taken in November 2005 near Hillsborough, New Brunswick. It was from the inside of River View Cemetery looking toward the highway.

You think we've got it bad?

Over a thousand people have been killed on South Africa's roads since the beginning of December 2005. Car wrecks usually peak in that country during the holiday month because of a deadly mix of speed, alcohol and, of course, carelessness. More than 11-hundred were killed in the same period last year.
This year's number includes a minibus taxi that recently smashed into a cow, killing five people who were heading to a funeral for the victims of an earlier bus crash that killed 21. In South Africa, the summer vacations begin in mid-December and continues until after the New Year.
At the start of a road safety campaign earlier in December, the minister of transport said about 12-thousand people had been killed on roads there in the past year alone.
Recently in Canada, there have been calls to increase the age of beginners from 16 to 17 years of age among other things. Considering you're driving 2,000 lbs. of weapon, keeping the keys out of a mid-teens hands doesn't sound all that bad when you consider the fact an extra year doesn't mean much when our average life spans continue to increase.
Of course, putting a cautionary note beside a story about the unfortunate number of deaths on the highways of a foreign country might not make sense, but perhaps the number of vehicle related deaths might help some parents push for extending limitations. Afterall, better to be picking up the kid or dropping them off then to be standing in a line accepting the condolences of others.

You mean the election is still on?

With the Canadian federal election heading into the new year, it looks like the main political parties are set to drop the gloves in an effort to outdo the other in the negative ad department. In other words - release the bloody hounds.
The question we have to ask ourselves - and I mean those who aren't a part of any campaign - is it really that important to hear once again that Liberal leader Paul Martin is the leader of a corrupt government? Or that Stephen Harper has a hidden agenda and will eventually lead Canada back down the road to intolerance and further between the butt cheeks of the American? Or do we have to hear Jack Layton and the N-D-P blather on about injustices and indiscretion and the need for greater understanding in the world?
Essentially, Martin is the captain of a ship labouring under the weight of asinine party members and golf ball toting memories of a past leader. We all know that. Harper on the other hand looks like and gives the impression of the Joker in the Batman comics. He wants in the big chair, but at what cost? Jack Layton - well, he looks like the guy who delivers mail to my parents place. Without him being the head of the N-D-P, you'd never be able to pick him out of a crowd (even a crowd of four).
What's actually humorous is that rather then removing the gloves, we'd like very much if they just removed those rubber masks each party leader has donned. Meaning, Paul Martin is really Brian Mulroney while Harper is actually Paul Martin in disguise and, of course, Jack Layton is really the prime minister's chauffeur.
While Canadians are bracing themselves for an onslaught of ugly personal attacks by party leaders - thrown in amongst their new year television watching, it looks like the Tories are off and running. A Conservative ad features a black and white close-up of a grim-faced Paul Martin has hit the airwaves with some guy telling us about corruption. Ah gawd! When will it stop?
I think all the parties, rather then bashing us over the heads with attack ads, should run ads apologizing to us for subjecting the country to a $300 million federal election during a time of the year when we're still trying to figure out which shovel will take the least amount of paint off our grey coloured cement front steps. I think they should apologize for not being able to work like adults in parliament, rather than like 12 year old boys in a street hockey game.
Notice I haven't mentioned Gilles Duceppe? Nuff said. . .