Stephen Harper and the GST reduction

I would like to personally and publicly thank Mr. Harper for the 1% reduction in the GST. I have given him a hard time here in this blog, but I will give credit where credit is due. He said he would reduce the GST, and he has done it. 1% doesn't amount to a whole lot of extra money in a person's pocket, but every penny counts. For example, my morning coffee is now 1 cent cheaper. You may be thinking, "Wow. You can take that early retirement now" in a sarcastic manner. However, in the course of a year, given that I drink a coffee pretty much every day, and occasionally, twice a day, then that works out to 2 or 3 free coffees per year.

It may not be a lot, but I'll gladly take it, with a warm "Thank you!" to our Prime Minister.

McCain Fruit Smooth-eez

I have recently seen the commercial for the McCain Fruit Smooth-eez product. This may be a good product (I haven't tried it yet) , but I have to say that the commercial itself is quite offensive.

The commercials are usually divided into 2 segments, where one person does something upsetting to the other. For example, a man stepping on a model airplane being built by a young boy, presumably his son. The father is shown rushing to the kitchen, plopping the ingredients for a Fruit Smooth-eez into a blender, mixing it up, pouring it into a glass, and giving it to his son, before he had a time to react negatively. This is apparently done to appease the child, to keep him from getting upset.

Way to go, McCain. You've set back the fight against childhood obesity by 20 years. In case you haven't noticed, the idea is not to perpetuate the myth that giving treats everytime someone is upset is a good thing. This is how obese kids are created. Nothing like encouraging people to shove your products into their kids mouths whenever they are upset.

This is what they are referring to when they talk about a corporation acting irresponsibly. As a Canadian, I am ashamed of what this Canadian company is implying in their ad campaign.

Added on June 13th:

I had an idea last night, on how to show the McCain's marketing people who came up with this ad campaign why it is stupid. I could beat the crap out of them with a baseball bat, and then afterwards, give them a Fruit Smooth-eez drink and let them decide for themselves if it makes them feel better or not.

First Anniversary

Today marks the first anniversary of this blog. It was 1 year ago today, on my 40th birthday, that I started this. The entries haven't always been frequent, but I hope that what entries I have made have been worth reading to all 2 or 3 of you who actually read these.

Flags at half-staff on the Peace Tower

There is a lot of discussion lately on when the government should lower the flag to half-staff on the Peace Tower on Parliament Hill. Here is the official description of the times it is appropriate, from the Government of Canada web site:

Flags on federal government buildings, airports, military bases and other establishments are flown at half-mast when directed by the Department of Canadian Heritage. The following are examples of the practice:

• across Canada and abroad, on the death of the Sovereign or a member of the Royal Family related in the first degree to the Sovereign (spouse, son or daughter, father, mother, brother or sister), the Governor General, the Prime Minister, a former governor general, a former prime minister, or a federal cabinet minister;
• within a province, on the death of the Lieutenant Governor, the Premier or another person similarly honoured by that province;
• within his/her own riding, on the death of the Member of the House of Commons, or the Member of the Provincial/Territorial Legislature;
• at his/her place of residence, on the death of a Senator, a Canadian Privy Councillor, or a Mayor.

Apart from occasions when flags on all government buildings and establishments across Canada are flown at half-mast, the flag on the Peace Tower of the Parliament Building at Ottawa is flown at half-mast:

• on the death of a Lieutenant Governor;
• on the death of a Canadian Privy Councillor, a Senator, or a Member of the House of Commons;
• on the death of a person whom it is desired to honour.

In effect, the Government of Canada can lower the flag on the Peace Tower to half-staff for anyone it chooses to honour.

It should also be noted that the description talks about lowering the flag to half-mast. This is technically incorrect, since half-mast is a naval term, where the tradition started. At sea, on naval vessels, flags are indeed lowered to half-mast. However, on a land-based flag pole, the proper term is half-staff.