Canada At War

CANADA/POLITICS - Ever wanted to see what is going on behind the scenes with Canadian forces in Afghanistan?

Now you can. Check out the documentary "At War" by Scott Kesterson, a soldier/photo-journalist who was embedded a group of Canadian soldiers known as the "Red Devils" near Kandahar.

What is strange about this film is that the Canadian military wants to censor this film because it shows what is really going on in Afghanistan, with all its brutal qualities.

Do-not-call-list a disaster

CANADA/TECHNOLOGY - The Canadian Do-Not-Call-List has proved to be a technological nightmare and a public relations disaster.

The problems with the do-not-call list fall into three categories:

1. There are far too many exceptions that allow for the majority of telemarketing calls to continue unhindered. With exceptions for survey companies, political parties, charities, newspapers, and businesses with a prior relationship quite a few telemarketing calls are not covered by the do-not-call legislation.

2. The list – all six million numbers – is available to any telemarketer, including those outside of Canada. With numerous reports of abuse, the danger of making the numbers available to the very organizations precluded from calling those same numbers is now readily apparent. Although frankly I don't see how they plan to make a profit when these people have made it abundantly clear they will just get angry and hang up.

3. The third problem is tied to enforcement. The do-not-call legislation includes provisions for significant penalties, but it falls to the CRTC to investigate complaints and pursue penalties. So far there have been thousands upon thousands of complaints filed, but to date, no penalties.

What we need to do is a software system that can automatically block calls from telemarketing companies, both within Canada and outside of Canada. The software system would screen calls for known telemarketers.

But to create such a software the Canadian government, not the CRTC, would first have to declare telemarketing illegal and an invasion of privacy.

How can you help? You can start by emailing Prime Minister Stephen Harper at pm@pm.gc.ca and Industry Minister Tony Clement at Clement.T@parl.gc.ca and tell them you support making telemarketing illegal and a class action suit against the telemarketing industry for abusing the system/invading the privacy of Canadians.

See Also:
Telemarketing Should Be Illegal
Telemarketers not taking the hint
Boycotting Yak Canada
Dealing with Telemarketers and their Economics
Advertising in America

HMS Victory shipwreck found

ENTERTAINMENT - Deep-sea explorers have found a legendary British man-of-war that sank in the English Channel 264 years ago during a storm. The ship was found more than 80 KM from where it was expected to have sank. Pieces of the ship had washed up in various places after the storm, but its final resting place had remained a mystery until now.

The wreckage of HMS Victory, found in about 100 metres of water, is believed to have been carrying almost 4 tonnes of Portuguese gold coins. The ship was returning from Lisbon, Portugal and was probably transporting approx. 100,000 gold Portuguese coins for merchants, according to research.

So far, two brass cannons have been recovered from the wreck.

Thirty-one brass cannons and other evidence on the wreck allowed definitive identification of the Victory, a 53-metre sailing ship that was separated from its fleet and sank in the English Channel on October 4th 1744, with at least 900 men aboard. The ship was the largest and one of the most heavily armed vessel of its day, carrying 110 brass cannons. The cannons alone will be worth a fortune to British museums and collectors.

The famed ship was the inspiration for the other HMS Victory, the ship famously commanded by admiral Horatio Nelson decades later.

Two years ago the same exploration company, Odyssey, announced in May 2007 that it had raised 15 tonnes of silver coins from an Atlantic Ocean shipwreck. The company later said it believed the wreck to be the Spanish galleon Nuestra Senora de las Mercedes y las Animas, which sank off Portugal in 1804.

Wiarton Willie sees his shadow

CANADA - Canada's foremost furry forecaster, Wiarton Willie, saw his shadow this morning as he emerged from his den.

According to tradition/superstition, Willie's glimpsing of his shadow means there will be another six weeks of winter. Not seeing his shadow would have meant an early spring.

For the last four years in a row, the groundhog in the community near Owen Sound, Ontario failed to see his shadow. In the last 20 years, he's only seen his shadow seven times on Groundhog Day.

Punxsutawney Phil in Pennsylvania also saw his shadow today. Punxsutawney is the town around which the now classic Bill Murray film "Groundhog Day" was based in.

Shubenacadie Sam in Nova Scotia likewise saw his shadow, the third groundhog confirmation of a long winter.

Wiarton Willie is the more unusual of the three famous groundhogs, being albino.