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Showing posts from January, 2016

Bank of Japan stuns with surprise move to negative rates

BNN Um, I dunno what to make of this. Sounds like a farce, really. Let's give more money to people who already aren't spending enough. I'm sure the last people on Earth who need more money are the ones who already have all of it, and letting it rot in bank vaults. Governments world-wide have this utter desperation to avoid actual, real-world policy, clinging to monetary-only policies to try kick-starting their economies. What the hell are they counting on? They keep repeating the same old nonsense, again and again. Let's be cynical about this. World leaders have no interest in making this world a better place. They're happy enough with how the joint already is for themselves. They're content so long as they can make this world better for themselves, and their peers, only. Every body else can go fuck themselves.

NDP takes aim at new Clerk Michael Wernick over aboriginal role

Ottawa Citizen The Nurenberg Defense? We First Nations value symbolism. Who's appointed by the government to work with us is important. That it's Charlie Angus criticizing this appointment is also important. This may be a case of 'hippie punching': the Liberal government not wanting to appear to consent toward leaning too far forward toward reconciliation with First Nations. At the same time, who in the Liberal Party is well-known for working with First Nations, now? Bob Rae? But he's retired. It'd go a long way if he were to comment on this appointment. If he doesn't comment, that would also say much.

Steven Stamkos, ufa

I've been reading forum and twitter responses toward the news Stamkos was offered $8.5 million per year from the Tampa Bay Lightning. Stamkos, in terms of hockey salary, is probably worth more than $8.5 million per year. I'd even consider him in the same tier as Malkin, Toews, and Kopitar. Crosby would be in a tier of his own, especially considering he has one of the few lifetime contracts in the NHL. Anyway, Stamkos is getting eviscerated by Tampa Bay fans, for no reason at all, it seems. He's getting no love. Some people are even claiming he's not even worth that $8.5 million offer. Which is insane. Stamkos has a value to the Lightning that might not even be measurable. He currently has 37 points in 48 games, which is down from seasons past. At first glance. He leads the Lightning in Even Strength points, though, with eighteen. And while his own shooting percentage remains largely the same as years past, his team's shooting percentage when he's on the ice

Let's pay attention to Bernie sanders for a moment or two

Let us observe what happens down in the US. The Seven Stages of Establishment Backlash: Corbyn/Sanders Edition I suggest paying attention. We in Canada will need to do so as what is being done in the US for our own left wing party, the NDP. What happens to Sanders, and to Corbyn in the UK, will be very instructive. Their successes, and their failings.

Lightning suspend Drouin without pay, agent says he won't play until traded

Puck Daddy The NHL is a business, right? Therefore, the product... uh, the, players, probably should have a say in their own development. Of course, it's also the Lightning's own business how it handles the development of the players it has under contract. It's about money, really. Drouin's probably going to miss out on his first real contract, stuck playing behind the top three lines in Tampa. Well, he's suspended for now. Reminiscent of the Eric Lindros, Kyle Turris, and Nino Niederreiter situations. Drouin's somewhere in-between the talent of those three players. Perhaps elite, or perhaps simply good. At any rate, the players will be watching closely, probably even secretly cheering Drouin on. Doubtful the NHLPA takes a side in this position, until it has no other choice if this drags on too long. GMs will be throwing Yzerman anchors, for now. They have no interest in meeting his demands for Drouin for the time being. It will be interesting to watch this

Alberta NDP, federal Tories demand pipelines to help 'crippled' energy industry

CBC There seems to be a disconnect here from reality. Not matter how many pipelines are laid, oil prices won't recover because of them. No matter how much oil is wrung from the tar sands, it won't be enough to offset the fact Canada's economy won't recover any faster because there's no infrastructure to do so. We squeeze oil out of the tar, but we don't refine it. Whatever profit there is, we don't tax it. We don't have any industry to speak of to make use of our oil, anyway. Canada's a consumer nation. All our manufacturing, excepting what may even be less than the bare minimum to sustain a small workforce, has been off-shored. Canada can't react. Can't even act. Feet still. Pants around our ankles. Pipleline profits are a pipe dream. All they'll do is off shore more profits for the energy industry. One needs to question the motivations for Notley's government on this.

Just a quick post...

To announce, I'm still alive. Slogging through the detritus of my own mind, lately. I'm mentally ill, and face difficulties getting out of bed, and after that, getting out of the home. My pessimistic attitude regarding the direction the world is heading helps none, either. But, I'll try. I'll try to make a habit of writing, this year. I'll try to keep up to date on what's happening, these days, and to inform myself of what might happen next. For instance, there's rumblings out there in the world of a serious recession, this year. Are you all saving your money? I hope so. Times will get tough, this year, again. We're at a point, now, where there's a slight danger of entering into an uncontrolled deflationary cycle. Do you think Canada's prepared? The USA? Even if they were prepared to do something, what could they actually do? Not much. Manufacturing was heavily shipped over seas. Manufacturing is the backbone of any economy. And with the remo