Bits & pieces

Are you like me in doubt about what you buy at the supermarket then go and read In Defense of Food by Michael Pollan - you will not want to go to a supermarket again but instead move onto a farm and grow your own food, just to be on the safe side, and to contribute to the survival of the still remaining animal and plant species. They really have a hard time with modern agriculture and food science. Although it did not appeal to me to start with, it's an interesting book, especially the science behind our food industry and what food scientists forget, neglect, ignore and hide when they tell us what to eat or not to eat.        

If the Western Canadian Rednecks thought it's all leftist eco-freaks in the East they  have just been proven wrong. My hubby dared to tell me that the new Toronto mayor decided to lower taxes for cars and raise those for public transit. Dumbhead! Prime idiot Harper appointed Peter Kent as new environment minister and after Kent's first comments, especially the one that caused a media outcry about tar sands oil, I wonder which stance he takes towards the environment - protection and conservation can't be it. Someone who promotes the tar sands oil as ethical because it apparently does not support "terrorism, injustice or tyranny" seems to support the exploitation of our environment and is therefore in the wrong job! He's pretty uninformed too, I guess, because it's known that Canada's biggest foreign aid goes to the second most corrupt country in the world, Afghanistan. And surely, that's a terrorist-free and fair country, isn't it. Maybe I'm getting confused here.

The city of Edmonton has 100 pieces of equipment of their own and another 100 from contractors out on the streets to clean up the snow. Really? I wonder what those pieces are, shovels? snow blowers? at the best bobcats? The excuse for the lame removal of the recent snow fall was the fact that it's been the biggest snow fall in 6-7 years and that the city does not pay any longer to be prioritized by contractors. That means that contractors first clear snow where they get paid more and private businesses, especially malls, seem to be much better off - or not as cheap as - the city of Edmonton. Never mind, you might not be able to get out your own door but once you pushed and shovelled your car to the mall it's all easy driving from there. Not everybody is as cynical as I am about the whole issue. A survey on our neighbouring community league's website showed that 23% of residents are happy with the service. Where did they live before - the North Pole? Or maybe they belong to the weird part of the population that has lived forever in Edmonton - they just don't know it any different.