Phendrana Drifts

So I am now acutely concerned I have to look at buying a new computer. I've mentioned before the first wave of new games that likely won't play well on my computer have come out, and the more I look at Star Wars: Empire at War, the more I think I really, really want it. Of course there are other things influencing this - our computer really is getting quite slow and I know Wes wants a more modern computer and would inherit this one. Still, this presents obvious dilemmas. Like how to pay for it. And how much of a computer to buy. I mean I know I could try and get an Alienware dream system, but I don't think is the best use of resources. Originally I decreed we would wait for Longhorn to be released, but although new announcements surrounding the new Windows OS, I can't nail down a release date. Soon I guess.

Given that:

my laptop has died
all of my bosses were with me the past three days
I was really busy
I saw Allie everyday

I haven't checked my e-mail in three days. There is a scary 100 or so messages. If you are one of those, you now know why I haven't replied.

It would appear the laptop I use for work has died again. And it appears to be the same problem. I suppose there is a silver lining (at least for my employer, who owns the computer) - if it dies again the extra warranty protection states we get a new one. But this isn't the ideal time for it to die. Fortunately, I could sort of sense it was coming, and backed it up Thursday night.

I am a proud Albertan. And I blog. Hence the desire to be listed on Alberta Blogs. But I have to write a post not unlike this one to join.

I wish I could make this either coherent or elegant, but man am I disgusted with the Conservative Party of Canada's move yesterday. Deciding to support the NDP budget additions in return for putting the same sex marriage bill on the shelf until fall.

Let's put this in a little perspective. One of my favourite movies, The American President summed up governing like this:

The environment got screwed. Nothing happened to you today, Sydney. Governing is choosing. Governing is prioritizing. I've made no secret of the fact that the crime bill was my top priority.

I suppose I should have added some context to the scene, where the President threw an environmental bill off the legislative agenda in order to get three votes for his crime bill. The President decided that the crime bill, and the issue of crime was more important than the environment. Throw that back to the present situation, the Conservatives have decided that stopping same sex marriage for six months is more important than stopping billions of dollars in extra, unplanned spending. As a fiscally conservative, socially progressive person, this is perhaps the most disgusting thing I could imagine. Gosh, what is Harper thinking? Will he govern my nation in the same method. *shudder* In other news, Peter Mackay thinks Stephen Harper has a sense of humour:

He actually has a very good sense of humour. It's sometimes subtle, you can miss it, [but] you know, I think Canadians will get to like him when they get to know him.

I'm going to share a secret with you. After three years I am going to get to watch cable tv again! There is a good chance it is for the summer only, but exciting. If someone hasn't watched a television show in three years (except stuff he bought on DVD), what other than Desperate Housewives will he have to check out?

It is odd, but those who have Shaw as their ISP can't see my site. Others can. And it is the fault of my host. But because my e-mail is also tied into my site, I've gone the whole day without e-mail. Possibly the weekend now too.

On the whole, I am indifferent to public vs. private delivery of health care. Oh sure, I hate the Americans, and as a result think my system is better. And of course, I don't always have a tonne of cash (who am I kidding, I never have a tonne of cash) so I don't want to die simply because I don't have enough money. But those in themselves are not a good enough reason in my mind to have socialized health care.

In my opinion, the drawbacks of a "two-tiered" or even entirely private health care system can be addressed through other vehicles of public policy. A health care loan system, or public insurance plan that low to middle income Albertans/Canadians qualify for could potentially work. The argument that the Canada Health Act is the only way to guarantee access to medical care for each Canadian regardless of financial background is simply false. No, the United States does not have the model I'm thinking of, but there are ways.

That said, I am huge fan of socialized health care. Why? Because it is cheaper.

My "progressive" friends (I don't know when, but apparently the term "lefty" or "hippie" got replaced with "progressive" at some point when I wasn't looking) think this is fantastic. See, right-wing boy thinks medicine should be communist. But before they get too excited, the catch is that if someone came up with a cheaper package for society that offered decent health care, I would probably embrace that.

And that is why I think my Premier is doing the right thing. Not because I agree with him on introducing private health care. Because I don't. But because he wants a cheaper system. And he wants to talk about that. And while he doesn't get to this point often, the painful reality is that health care is turning out to be more and more expensive for everyone. Not just the state, and their portion, but everyone. The health care stuff that isn't covered by the state is also going up in total cost. Certainly I can prove that the governments of Canada are spending more on health care, but so are individual Canadians. And the reality is this inexorable climb in cost cannot go on forever. There is only so much resources in Canada.

Personally I don't think further introduction of private health care is the answer. From everything I've read, it will simply move more of the cost onto the shoulders of individual Canadians, and at a premium. And frankly, I don't have the answer. Chances are if I did, I would be Prime Minister or Premier right now. But looking at the numbers, someone needs the answer sooner or later, otherwise some provinces (not mine as long as people buy oil at $50 a barrel) will abandon health care completely. Cry out to Ottawa and say you take it. Screw our constitutional rights to health, we can't afford it. And as with most major public policy problems, if Canadians don't talk about it, we won't solve it. So certainly in that sense I'm content with the Supreme Court decision (I'm no lawyer, but I did find it strange that the court ruled the Province of Quebec can't outlaw private health care when it isn't so good at public) - it will provoke discussion. Heck look at me, when do I post about public policy?

As demanded of me by Colin, here is a meme.

Number of books I own

Lots. I wouldn't want to count. Boxes and shelves full. I certainly won't list them all, as many are indeed in boxes waiting for the transition to shelves. Sadly, Home Depot believes I must leave a form of currency in exchange for said shelves. So, they sit in boxes. I would guess-timate the total at around 400 between Allie and I. But really, that is a guess. It could be more. It could be less. But more than Colin.

Last Book I Bought

I bought Allie a thesaurus of sex words yesterday, because it was on sale for $4.99. Did you know that "shaking the lettuce" is slang for a woman urinating? Well you do now.

Last books I read

Alberta's Camelot: Culture and the Arts in the Lougheed Years and The Politics of Educational Reform in Alberta

5 books that mean a lot to me

I don't know who to tag. I wonder how many I am supposed to. I don't usually do memes, but I am usually not actually named. So, I'll go with Allie, Beatrice, Brett, and Michele.

Taping Tory takes stress leave

Yeah, no shit. Wow, Gurmant Grewal, how bad can something be screwed up. What does an MP do while on stress leave after becoming a mockery on so many levels.

I went to the library yesterday, something I used to do a whole lot, but lately (and by lately I mean about four years) I haven't. I was walking around, picking up books on a variety of subjects and realized it was the internet that replaced the library in my daily world. Kind of like a microwave of my reading life. The internet is certainly faster, much less effort, it kind of has flashy lights, and it has a built in clock. Yay internet.

But I also noticed something else. I have become accustomed to two or three screens of information on a topic rather than a whole book. I picked up a book on interior design, not because I am planning to redo my house or something, but mostly because I am vaguely interested. It is a topic I would normally turn to the internet about, but I imagine it would be quite a different experience and vastly different information I would ingest. Not that either way is superior to the other, just it is interesting how my intake of information has changed.

One thing I can certainly say I've noticed is that rather than broadening my horizons in this respect, it has actually narrowed me. Take the interior design example. If I decided I was going to do a interior design project and I used the internet I would likely immediately know what room I wanted to redo and the style I would want. So, we would be redoing my room in a Japanese motif or make a rec room in the basement in a Star Wars theme. But what I wouldn't have done is discover what other ideas are out there. Nothing about the bathroom, and more importantly, no other styles researched. Which I guess is a shame.

Of course, the library is small. Smaller than it was in my mind at least. Maybe I was spoiled being at university for seven years, but Allie wanted a book on the 1918 influenza epidemic. My first thought was no problem. But as it turned out, the Jasper Place Library does not have a book on the 1918 influenza. There are plenty of websites though.

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