edmonton cougars.

Monday night, I swore I heard an animal growl outside my house.

This was in my inbox this morning...

On (Thursday) Aug 31, 2006 at 2 am, the Edmonton Police Service advised that there was an unconfirmed sighting of a cougar in the area of Stadium Car park and R.C.M.S (116 Street-89/91 Ave). Again, this information is unconfirmed however we feel that the community should be informed. In the event that a cougar is sighted on campus contact Campus Security Services immediately at 492-5050 or the EPS at 423-4567.

That's 4 blocks away...

may is now more than a month.

- Elizabeth May is the new Leader of the Green Party of Canada. The former Executive Director of the Sierra Club of Canada should shake things up on the Canadian federal scene. Should be interesting to see which direction she takes the Green's in toward the next Federal Election.

I really think the Greens are the ones to watch at both the Federal and Alberta political level (as I mentioned here).

- This is an interesting campaign by Lakehead University. Though I was very surprised that an institution would try something this risqe, it is certainly generating the attention it was meant to.

- Federal Liberal leadership candidate Gerard Kennedy is calling for national educational standards.

- Now you can buy "A whale of a day at Marineland with Albina and John!" woot?

I didn't think so.

- "truthliness" and "wikiality" are the new "TV Words of the Year."

ted morton's bill 208 - pwned!

The Alberta Liberal and NDP caucus' were sucessful in filibustering Ted Morton's Bill 208 yesterday afternoon in the Alberta Legislature.

In response to the still-death of his bill, Dr. Morton had these words to offer:

"The Liberals not only were irresponsible in blocking debate today, they were stupid, too."

Liberal House Leader Laurie Blakeman responded with:

"I'm not going to accept arguments from Dr. Morton that he deserves special treatment to get his bill up and I'm frankly not going to accept that from the Speaker either."

ADDENUM - I would just like to send a shout out to all those folks who felt inclined to send me emails filled with lots of nasty names and accusations. Glad to know that you're reading my blog!

there is no chin under chuck norris' beard. there is only another fist.

Hey guess what? A non-political post!!!!

- I saw Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby last weekend. It was pretty funny. It was a typical Will Ferrell movie filled with oneliners. Ali G was good too. Speaking of Ali G, the trailers for Borat are out. I'm really looking forward to this one. It looks pretty ridiculous, but should be somewhat entertaining.

- I registered for the University of Alberta's Parkland Institute Conference this upcoming November. The theme is "Power for the People: Determining Our Energy Future" and the speakers list includes John Raulston Saul, Marc Lisac, Gillian Steward, Larry Pratt, Lindsay Telfer, Gordon Laxer, and Oystein Noreng. It should be interesting.

- This is a cool music video.

- And finally, Chuck Norris is still pretty cool.

let's stop ted morton's bill 208!

Ted Morton's Bill 208 is now posted on the Assembly website. It's very important that this sort of mean spirited and discriminatory legislation be stopped before it can become law in Alberta.

If passed, Bill 208 will amend the Human Rights, Citizenship and Multiculturalism Act, the Schools Act, and the Marriage Act to propose that:
1. educational information about gay, lesbian, bisexual, queer or transgendered rights will will be optional in public schools.
2. public marriage commissionaires could opt out of performing same-sex marriages.
3. that a person expressing their opinion/ideas about homosexuality could not have a claim of discrimination brought against them.

Here is what you can do to STOP BILL 208!

- Phone, Fax, or Email Ted Morton and tell him why you oppose Bill 208 (cc the email to your MLA):
Email: foothills.rockyview@assembly.ab.ca
Constituency Phone: 1-866-843-4314 (toll-free)
Constituency Fax: (403) 216-2225
Legislature Phone: (780) 422-2768
Legislature Fax: (780) 422-1671

- Phone, Fax, or Email your MLA and let them know why you oppose Bill 208. Find your MLA here. Ask your MLA to table your email in the Assembly.

- Come and show your opposition to Bill 208 at the Alberta Legislature on Monday August 28. To get passes to the visitors gallery and be introduced in the Assembly, please call the Liberals (Contact Jill Roszell at (780) 422-0013 or jill.roszell@assembly.ab.ca) or the NDP (Contact Anand Sharma at (780) 415-1803).

Monday's session will run from 1:30pm to around 5:30pm. You must register before 11am on Monday August 28 as they need to send the list of people to the Speaker's Office so you can be introduced.

(Updated with amendments)

abiogenic petroleum will save us!

Phew! I feel better already.

The hypothesis of abiogenic petroleum origin holds that most petroleum was formed from deep carbon deposits, perhaps deposits dating to the accretion of the Earth. The ubiquity of hydrocarbons in the solar system is taken as evidence that there may be a great deal more petroleum on Earth than commonly thought, and that material may exist at depth in the Earth's crust and mantle. Adherents to the abiogenic hypothesis often downplay or dismiss altogether the more widely held view that petroleum is a fossil fuel produced from the buried remains of ancient living organisms.

dome challenged.

1. Seriously. SERIOUSLY.

The legislature begins a rare summer session tomorrow, but Premier Ralph Klein says what MLAs do under the Dome doesn't count for much.

The departing premier says that during his summer travels around the province - a combination farewell tour and fact-finding mission - he's been reminded that what happens at the legislature doesn't mean all that much to the average Albertan.

"I have always said what we see and do here bears no relationship with what is happening in the real world," Klein told the Sun. ...

2. CalgaryGrit has a found a ridiculous video of Florida Congress Republican candidate Tramm Hudson. Here's another ridiculous video.

3. According to the Globe & Mail:

The number of homeless people also seems to be on the rise. In 1992, when Calgary began its biennial count of the number of homeless in the city, there were 447 people without permanent shelter; this spring, the number reached 3,436. In Edmonton, the homeless population hovers at about 2,200.

Even smaller urban centres are now struggling with the issue. Grande Prairie in northern Alberta recently estimated that about 1,159 people -- the majority being men between the ages of 18 and 24 -- didn't have a roof over their heads.

According to the City of Grande Prairie, their estimated population in 2005 was 44, 631. If these numbers are correct, that means that 2.5% of people in Grande Prairie are homeless - that's about one in fourty citizens. We have a problem.