Miscellany One

I was an inconsistent blogger. Notice the tense. It has been so long since I actually blogged that I completely lost the ability to log in to my old blog. I think I can retrieve the two hopeful posts I had on there.


In any case, I decided that I had way too much "thinking" pent up inside after weeks of bloglessness, and that I should start again.


I performed at a local event with a very wholesome multicultural flavour. There were musicians, a Capella singers, even some Islamic children's prayers. However, an interesting thought occurred to me as one of the singers, in talking about her song, also talked about her Baha'i faith, and referred to it as "another group seeking unity". It seems to me there are more and more groups popping up, all seeking this elusive unity. Isn't there something fundamentally wrong or contradictory in the statement "groups seeking unity"? Doesn't unity require fewer groups, actually one group, one as in unity?


I think I understand. To most of these groups, the day of unity will be the day that everyone joins. However, this doesn't seem plausible to me. Most groups also claim unconditional acceptance, and yet joining a group cannot be unconditional. In order for someone to join a group, the group must be known to him. If it is known to him, then he has a reason to join. That reason is a condition. It is a benefit of membership. It is not unconditional love. It is a form of lust.


Unity is the disbanding of all groups. Think about it.



How about the stock markets in the past few weeks? Let me understand this bailout thing: Bob Banker lends Owen Owing $1000. Owen is broke and can't pay. Bob is in trouble with shareholders, so he calls his friend George Generous. George buys the debt from Bob. Bob is happy because he has his money. Owen still owes $1000, but now owes it to George. Is that it in a nutshell?


Why not just pay off Owen's debt in the first place?



I have a question: Would there still be the same huge swings in the markets if not for up-to-the-microsecond second news and market data? Would there be anywhere near the stress and panic? I think not.



Hurray! It's hockey season again, and with the Oilers being 4-0, business owners are already ordering plywood for boarding up the windows on Whyte Ave in June. I have been looking forward to the NHL season for over a month. The junior leagues have been going since early September. I also know, that unless the Oilers are in it, I lose interest by the time the snow melts in April. I am not alone. I think the NHL should start at least 3 weeks sooner. That way, come early May, people might still care.



I wonder if this would beat a photo radar ticket: Take a video of your speedometer as you drive along doing 11 km over the speed limit, and make sure in the video you can see all the cop cars that pass you and don't stop you unless you are at least 15 km over. Then go to court and say that trained officers are fine with the way you drive. I hate photo radar, it is the biggest scam going. It has resulted me in driving much more dangerously. I have a photo radar picture with a large transport truck only 3 or 4 car lengths behind me. I got a ticket for following traffic. So now, on this particular radar-happy strech, I drive the speed limit. There is perpetually someone right up behind me, usually mad. Drivers are impatiently waiting to change lanes and scoot around me. Big trucks, too. Am I to understand this is safer? Collisions occur not because of speed alone, but because of a differential in speed. If you are not following traffic speed in fear of a $90 ticket, you are increasing the chances of a collision, since there is now a difference in speed between you and everyone else. It's not rocket science. Besides, the whole photo radar is run by a third party contractor and therefore the motive must by default be for profit rather than public safety. I was caught in a photo radar sting along with countless other drivers. The trap was set up after a freeway on ramp, and everyone was over on the onramp as they accelerated up to highway speed. But if your interest is public safety, would you not put the cops before the ramp? Aren't you knowingly allowing drivers to speed dangerously in order to make some fast cash? Is this not conflict of interest?

I am watching game 7 between the Red Sox and Rays. I just realized they got rid of the Devil. They're not the Devil Rays anymore. Actually, baseball is good to watch while blogging. It seems quite easy to fit sentences and sometimes even paragraphs between occurrences of anything interesting. But it does get interesting in the late innings, I must admit. They should just start the game in the 7th inning using the set-up men as starters. Ok I admit it, I'm rooting for the worst-to-first team formerly known as the Devil Rays.