That's it - This has gone on for too long!

NOTE: All Links are Essential to the Essence of the Article!

To all Ottawans: You should already know, without reading the rest of this post of what I am about to say. The OCT has gone too far and too long on this one.

The OCTranspo has been on strike since yesterday morning at 12:01AM (December 11, 2008), amidst a snowstorm, and has put the entire city in pretty much a standstill, a ground halt. Although the city is currently "earning" money through it, each individual in the city, I guarrantee you, is not. I know my family has already lost the greater half of a grand over these two days which is enough money to buy an annual OCT pass, for an adult.

Just what is this strike about? So far, through reading OCT drivers' comments on websites, I interpret the cause of the strike as a need for respect, safe environment, good wage, and fair hours... Which, in my opinion, is exactly what they are receiving right now, but okay, let's hear them out first.

First off, they are saying they want a wage increase of 10% over three years. This was pretty much their primary term in the initial proposal. The city said, no, that's too much, and offered 7% increase over 3 years with $2000 in lump sum to all transit workers - over 2000 of them. Just in lump sum, that is at least $4 000 000 distributed by the city, a city that currently has financial issues itself.

They refused, and said it isn't just about money, it's about respect and safety. Most of them don't know whether if they will make it home by the end of the night (what a load of bull shit). They say there's a possibility of people puking on them, and "attacking" them, and being rude (and which job that deals with the public doesn't?)

Then their next big term was the scheduling issue. The OCT wants block scheduling, and wants to choose the schedules themselves...

Yes, you must be INCREDULOUS at this point. Have you EVER heard of a job where you get to choose your schedules? 

I can only imagine the conversation being like this:

Worker: "Yo, Boss! I want monday morning  & aft, tuesday morning & aft, wednesday morning & aft, thursday off, and friday morning & aft. That only leaves you with the evenings and thursdays to cover... you want to do that man? Ya, thanks, that'd be great.

While you're at it, fetch me a beer and a paper. Then get down on your knees and suck me off."

I don't even need to say how crazy inefficient this is.

Next comes with the respect. I admit, some bus drivers really do deserve respect. The one I usually encounter on the 87 in the afternoon at Mackenzie King Bridge is very kind and helpful; but the majority of them tend to 

a) drive past you a bit and make you run beside it

b) see you coming, and drive off (probably while also laughing manically, and twirling their handlebar moustaches) just for the schadenfreude

c) be COMPLETELY rude to you when you get on

I had one driver threaten to confiscate my month pass because I forgot to write the numbers in.

Thing is, if you want respect, please earn it. Back it up with actual skill, and the respect will come naturally, this is natural law. You can't be respected if you don't deserve it!

We are in an economic slump right now, and large numbers of people are getting laid off. Yet these chaps are pouring oil into the fire by slowing down the activities of the city, and demanding more conditions while they are at it. Hey geniuses, learn the art of retribution. When you fuck with the economy, the enonomy fucks you 10 times harder.

They just obliterated the Communism/Socialism ideal. I had hopes for communism, but now I realize this: humans do not deserve it. This is a huge blow against my beliefs, and now I will go hang myself.

Unions, what used to be organizations for workers' protection, are now abusing their powers and have lost of their original meaning. What they are doing is actually worse that what the Somalian pirates are doing. They are blackmailing the public and holding the city and the public at a ransom, when they finally do receive what they ask for, what do you think is gonna happen for the public? Nothing. What's the benefit for the public? Nothing. In fact, when the union does finally sink their hands into their pile of dirty money, the bus drivers will keep being rude, and the riders will keep getting screwed over. 

I seriously feel that I am paying more and more for a poorer and poorer service.

I wonder how much the bus drivers make in the first place. I think I heard from more than one credible sources that the average pay is 60k per year. That's a lot considering what they do and how much education they need for this occupation. If you don't like your job, please quit. There are always people who are more than willing to replace you for less than what you make, and less perks than what you had. You knew the terms when you joined. Don't go complaining about the conditions now.

And I love how someone on a forum said

"alot of people have said in this thread "if they dont like their job they should quit" 

why dont those people quit THEIR job and work closer to home so that a bus strike can't affect theM?"

What an intelligent remark. Oh boy, I can't believe how my life could've been complete without that comment. I can't believe how much thought and logic had been put into that rebuttal. Right now, people are disgruntled about OCT employees, not their current employers or their current working conditions. WE ARE ANGRY AT THE OCT, BUT WE STILL LOVE OUR JOBS. So there is absolutely no reason for us to quit... idiot.

Since the OCT crosses 2 provinces, it is out of the juristiction of the city and provinces. It is up to the federal government to enact the law of making transit an essential service, barring transit workers from striking. We all know how efficiently the government is working right now. Face it, we are doomed. All cities require a working public transportation system, pairing them alongside other famous city characters such as CuCu the cop car, Mamby the ambulance, Fucker the firetruck. I guess, in a way, what I'm trying to say is, unless Ottawa gets a proper transit system working, it will never be a very interesting or signifcant city.

Here are a few news clips of reporters talking to the Union head. It's funny because Andre was being totally incooperative for both, and that pretty much sums up what he has to say.

"I have no idea, give me some time to think of some blatant lie"

http://watch.ctv.ca/news/latest/commuter-chaos/#clip120211

http://www.cfra.com/chum_audio/Andre_Cornellier_Dec10.mp3

I got these from Frank.

"No, I will not let my members vote."

Hmm... Well then, the strike has to be justified right?

Here's more information about the discussion:

http://www.octranspo.com/mapscheds/Contingency/FAQs_final%20offer_revLR_en.pdf

You can tell obviously that he is just making up shit. It is just so damn obvious, because if he knew what he was saying or believed what he was doing was justified then he'd have given a proper explanationg without hesitation. Remember, in both cases, the union was being completely disobliging - does that sound like they want to resolve this issue quickly?

Child: "HEY! I think this bread is moldy!"

Mother: "Here's some money, you can go to the store to buy a new loaf"

Child: "No, I want more money, and I want to eat at a restaurant for 5 weeks."

How convincing. This strike is 80% about the money. They think if they extend this shit for a long period of time, then the city will definitely succumb to all demands. Contrarily, I think, when this shit drags on for too long, people will find their own way of surviving in the city. There's a reason we humans, as a species, are still living and existing in this world. Survival of the fittest.

I also love the fact how the picketers are blocking off the university shuttles... even though exams are going on right now. This act pretty much sums up how low these workers will stoop.

Thanks a lot OCT, it's not like I don't have enough things to juggle in my hands. Now you've taken away my independence as well, and made me miss an ortho appointment. What used to be a 20 minute trip for 2 dollars has now been extended to over an hour for 10 dollars of gas, at the same time, parents' are losing work hours, because they have to pick me up.

You've really done it this time you selfish bastards. You chose the worst time purposefully to inconvenience an entire city, causing loss from damages, increased car accidents, and probably patients in emergency situations to not reach the hospital in time. I hope that extra few buck in your pants can buy back your conscience. Go ahead and picket. We have long lost sympathy for you and your kind just because you pulled this dick move. You want respect? Stop this damn strike. I just hope somebody in a position of power will act soon, and send these sloths to their work without any changes to their contracts whatsoever.

"Do you want negotiations? Suck my dick and then we'll talk. "

-=n0n4m3=-

(Btw, I do not agree with privatizing the transit system - there's something sinful to the concept of privatizing a public service)

My Thoughts on the U.S. (World) Financial Crisis

Hello readers of LMOM. I'm sure there are very few of these people still left, but I always found this blog to be a good place to dump my thoughts or opinions.

Today's topic, which has been on my mind for sometime now, is the current financial crisis, an issue which has been bothering us all (if you haven't started worrying about it yet, it's time).

Here's a little background information to those who has not been paying attention or just don't really understand:

*Ahem*

This world has been running on a credit system ever since the introduction of money. What is a legal tender (note)? Why, it's the promise that for whatever services or goods which has been provided toyou, you will pay back that person with that much money's worth in gold. Where is this sum of gold stored? Our national treasuries. This concept of passing down a worthless sheet of paper down as if it's the jewel of the world became quickly popular around the world. What has been a very practical means of transaction was soon taken advantage of by leaders and financially influential people of the world. They started increasing the worth of money when they really didn't have the gold to back up that claim. 

If everyone in the world decided to buy back gold at the same time instead of holding on to our money, we would soon find ourselves extremely short changed. The influence on the worth of our money has been slowly evolving and adapting to the changing demands of the consumers (us) and the dealings of business around the world. 

No longer solely influenced by the amount of gold a country's treasury has, the price of the dollar has been inflated slowly but surely.

This, my friend, is the credit system.

Does it sound unstable? Well that's because it is. As more demand for a certain country's money increases, their money's worth also increases, just like the stock market; and if demand decreases, the opposite happens. This system can be easily taken advantage of by the richest people world, making them even richer... And it has been! Take a look into the Asian Financial Crisis in 1997.

(I'm not exactly sure if I'm completely right on the above and if you wish to correct me, please do so in the comments section.)

But that was just a short prelude to what I'm about to tell you.

Keeping this in mind let's turn our eyes back to Wall St.

Wall St. has been funded under the credit system where you borrow money to make more money. Doesn't this sound stupid, sounding like the theory of perpetual machines? Well, no, a smart person can take advantage of this and become really rich, and the dumb person will make a poor financial decision equal to the degree of the rich person's financial success, balancing the equation (not every single person can be rich at the same time, and ultimately, there are way more idiots than there are geniuses). But this has just always been a floatsam economy (not a real term, it was made by me), where everything looks steady and firm on the exterior, but will surely break apart  or float away one day. 

Here's the problem with the credit system. When the financial situation is good, it will function, and it will keep improving. But as soon as the economy hits one hiccup, we could be facing complete and utter failure. Sure things can seem alright in the present, but a problem will come one day, and no one will know when. 

As soon as there is enough bad finacial news in the media, some people will abandon their stocks and cease to spend more money, because of this, the demand for stocks decrease, and the price of stocks drop. As soon as there is a slight drop in stocks plus the negative news outputted by the media, more people will start to sell, letting bears (people who either believes or wishes for the stocks to decrease in order to make money or just lack market confidence) overtake the market. If the news isn't bad enough, bulls (opposite of bears) will believe that market will make another rise, thus, restarting the cycle.

But what if the news is really bad?

That brings us back to what happened in 1930.

People were borrowing money to buy investments, markets were HUGELY inflated, and one significant drop made the huge mass of naive fools pull out. Markets plummetted, and people wanted their money pulled out of their banks to ensure their assets. Banks ran out of money, because people who borrowed money to make investments couldn't pay back. Banks went bankrupt (bank raped?), people were left with absolutely no hope, no sense of direction, and, of course, no money.

New policies were developed by our governments after the Great Depression to help prevent this event from ever happening again. But pretty much, as long as this credit system continues, it will always just be a band-aid on an open gash. This system pretty much violates one of the first Chinese peoples' fundamental principles, spend what you have, sparingly, earn what you need, diligently. Of course, this isn't exactly right, if everyone was prudent, no one would be rich. This principle was largely founded after the fall of imperialism in China, and the KMT did a poor job of managing the country. Money was worth less than paper, and vests/clothing were put into banks instead of money. The populace faced extreme hardships and went to bed each night dreaming for a fulfilling meal. Of course, 2 generations later, this sense of prudency will disappear along with their generation, and China's attitude will match that of the Americans'.

Anyways, you should always save a portion of your life savings for emergencies, and you should always spend ONLY what you have / will get in a short period of time with guarrantees. Don't live your life with debts trailing you like a piece of toilet paper on your shoe.

Anyways, in the case of the present American financial situation, the news was bad enough, and there are enough people pulling out.

The subject of the news? Negativity on the reign of Bush (he'll doom us all), huge American debts, oil prices rising at speeds which is only second to that of my penis when my right hand is firmly attached to it, and my left hand is opening a playboy magazine.

The businesses, sensing this change of market direction must follow accounting principles and write off a) their projected earnings and b) their receivable accounts (assuming there is an increased number of people not paying). Giving the investors and consumers a conservative look on their financial situation. This write off will dispel current and potential investors, plummetting their stock prices to new lows. That's what happened with the Lehman Brothers, they acquired an immense amount of bad mortgages, and offered 40-50 year mortgages to people who had no steady income or jobs or appeared to have no valid form of repayment. This caused them to rack up monumental debts when the stocks started to plummet. The problem? They only considered the present. When the times are good, no one remembers the bad, when the times are bad, people wish they would've remembered the bad so the times could've stayed good. Make sense?

Anyways, when the markets plummetted in constant 3 digit figures, they had to write off a bunch of bad debts causing their expected revenue to be lower than their expenses. Seeing this, investors are spooked, and creditors demanded their credit  to be paid back in full before they have no more money to pay back (sound familiar?). Since they really don't have the money to pay back creditors - their assets are still tied down with sketchy people who might not even (be able to) pay back - they filed for bankruptcy. Like this, the market crumbles like the dead skin flakes on the back of a 90 year old man. Don't place all your trust in creditors, they will loan you an umbrella when it's sunny, and take it away when it rains.

Just to tell those readers who are confused, the reason the Lehman Brothers offers these of mortgages is because the amount of revenue they earn from interest will be HUGE if the debtors actually pay back in full.

When 1 giant falls, another must be dragged down as well (think of giants falling like dominoes). Washington Manual (WaMu), one of America's BIGGEST banks, the next to follow after Lehman Brothers, fails. The government has to bail it out, people were standing outside bank branches in huge lines waiting to withdraw their money, branches of WaMu run out of money.

This is not a joke, this is not a what if story, this is not a fairy tale with a moral attached recited to kids before they make their tribute to the fucking sand humanoid-monster.

This is happening now.

I want you to take a big breath, and fully grasp that concept. Unless the US government acts soon, more banks will fail, and again, when 1 giant falls, another must be unwillingly tripped in the process, causing a giant(adj) giant(n) rumble on the intersections of Giants Ave and Giantess Blvd, leaving half the world in smoldering ruins, and the other shaking in their own urine, sweat, blood, and tears.

No, it won't be that bad, I'm just exaggerating.

But guys, I mean it, we are witnessing the greatest recession of our time, and the emerging of another world power (after what happens with the US now, no country will be extremely confident with them in a while). Maybe even another Depression, ultimately leading to World War III. This time, we will have the power to wipe this tiny, insignificant, and unspecial planet out of the solar system, and smear it off of the face of the universe. I hope it's not a depression, but who knows what the future can bring us.

What this article meant to do is to inform you people from my point of view. Hopefully, I've done enough to let you want to do research on your own, or to become smart consumer. Know when to spend, and know when to save.

Now's the time to save guys. Technically, in my opinion, now's the time to spend. Everybody in the world, spend your asses off, and our economy will be saved. The $700bn plan will actually help the American people, and probably save the world. But obviously, no one else can hear me, so save up guys, and prepare for an extra harsh, cold, long, and bleak winter.

Oh, sorry, we're already in Canada.

-=n0n4m3=-

PS. Jamie, if you could, can you please ask your dad what he thinks of the situation? He's a prof in Queens teaching economics, I'm sure he has extremely credible opinions, and I'm genuinely interested in what he thinks.

A Follow Up Post

Hello,

Needless to say, it's the summer time....

AND THERE ARE GREAT MOVIES OUT!!

I want to watch them.

So leave a comment in the comment section which movie you guys want to see and we can go see together.

Here's The List:

Get Smart (Just saw it today):



GREAT movie. Fantastic humour. 5/5. A definite must see.


Ironman:



Heard great reviews - many of you probably saw it already. But meh, I'm posting it here.


Kungfu Panda:



Kids movie, but it got great reviews and looks decent.


The Incredible Hulk:



Looks MUCH better than the 2003 version.


The Dark Knight:



I don't usually like Batman films. Correction. I usually hate Batman films - but this one looks very promising.


Hancock:



Not your average, everyday hero. He's got issues - huge issues. That makes the movie interesting :D.


Step Brothers:



Not really sure if I'm excited or not. But I am willing to watch this movie.



And some notable mentions:
Wall-e
Hellboy II (Need to watch Hellboy I first)
The Mummy (Need to watch The Mummy 2 first)
Starwars - The Clone Wars (Need to watch every other Starwars movie first XD)

So ya, leave a comment on which one you want to see, and we can plan for a little something something (Preferably girls... Lot's of girls.. You other guys butt out!! Or a one-on-one with a girl. Or just A girl).

Peace,
-=n0n4m3=-

Summer Time! Hurray! - Epic Update

Needless to say, it's summer.

-=n0n4m3=-

A Random Post About... Nothing?

That's right. You read the title correctly, this is a random post about absolutely nothing.

I feel as if I have lost the will to rant.. lost my vigour.. my youthful "stick-it-to-the-man" attitude.

What could be causing this?


I bet none of you know.. I definitely don't.

Uh oh, I'm starting to reach a topic, better change the subject again!

Man.. I've been meaning to make a worthwhile post to my undying, faithful fans for a while now.

But there is absolutely nothing to be opinionated about anymore. What the hell is going on nowadays?

This is so boring, can't wait for classes to be over, can't wait for exams to be finished, can't wait for summer vacation to arrive... then... school again.

Life is flashing by before us and all we do is work, work, work.

"We need to GRAB THAT NEXT MARK!"

"We need to go to a GOOD UNIVERSITY!"

"We need to have a set plan for LIFE!"

"We need to MATURE!"

"We need to have a PLAN"

....

Fuck it all. Just fuck it -
Print those sentences off, cut a whole in the paper, and start fukkzing it. Or if you are a girl.. you know what to do.

What is procrastination? What the fuck is procrastination? Fuck!

Fuck Fuck Fuck.


What a pointless fucking post. You just wasted 3 minutes of your fucking life. Go back to work work-monkey. Do it.

I promise that I'll do better next time. I feel like I've hit a dead end with rants and opinions.

..So dead..

...

-=n0n4m3=-

Funny Pictures

Some funny pictures:

As a side note, we do not agree with some of the views expressed on some pictures. Or else, I wouldn't find them funny. I laugh only at how wrong they are.

(Credit to Jamie for this one)

Mostly 4chan pictures (views discretion is advised).

The Tibet Situation: The Truth and The Lies

It is I again. I have been dormant for too long. I have too many things to say, but time (or the lack of, should I say) limits what I can write.

I have been called forth from my slumber regarding the issue with Tibet. As I write this, I am wasting what precious homework time I have. Need I remind you that I could also be working on my company (FOR ALL OF YOUR HOSTING SOLUTIONS, CONTACT ME ON MSN).

Therefore, you can safely assume that I have something important to say.

In the beginning, when the mass revolt (and I say revolt because it was not a peaceful demonstration) happened in Tibet I lent an ear here or there listening to what the western world is planning next to derail China from its destined path to greatness. I sat waiting, seeing what would happen.

Finally when I decided that the Western World has given up and has accepted that China is just far too superior, it began (it's a conspiracy I tell you). I don't need to go over the rest of the details with you because I expect you to know about it already.

The whole issue with the Olympics. I now think that the whole situation is a disaster. China took it way too seriously. When I went back this summer, the Olympics-fever was everywhere.

And I tell you, it disgusted me a bit. What is the reason? China is recognized by the western world as a socially stable nation. My opinion, who cares what the West thinks? As long as they get their cheap toys they won't do anything too drastic toward China anyways. They can't do anything drastic, they need us. I expected some small troubles to arise, but as you can see now. It is becoming out of hand.

I was discussing this issue with Jeremy and he agrees with me on this topic.

Here's our conversation:

Matt - just like the whole fecking tibet situation
i bet if u asked 90% of the people where's tibet?
they will tell you:
duh, it's in asia
and things like why should tibet be free?
duh, 'cause they're oppressed
duh, 'cause they're enslaved
from who?
duh, the chinese gov't
how?
using military force
when?
i dunno

Jeremy - yo, matt, believe it or not
just the other day, my mum's bf
whom i have very little respect for
was bashing china
he was like
blah blah blah... china is bad.... blah blah blah
falun gong is good... blah blah blah opressors

Matt - lol
FALUN GONG IS GOOD?!
LMFAO

Jeremy - but basically, his argument boiled down to if you support china
you support the rape of women
and the enslavement of children
and organ harvesting
and I'm like, wow.
and yeah, I did mention the whole brainwash cult thing
but he was like, freedom of religion, bitch
so i tried to explain to him
that falun gong is a brainwash cult that tends to harm it's own devotee's
a la people's temple
see, what I think the problem is is that
people read the news, or watch it or they hear it
and then they jump on it
as if it's the godspoken truth
and then boast about knowing it

Matt - they feel after they heard one snippet

Jeremy - as if it makes them so well educated, so well informed

Matt - yeah
they know about it all

Jeremy - when all they've heard is one damn bit

Matt - from one side
from one view

Jeremy - not comprehensive, not even one sidedly intelligent

Matt - one opinion
exactly
...

*PLEASE NOTE* Jeremy's opinions only pertain to what he wrote in the conversation above. Please don't hold any grudges against him for whatever else I have written

The conversation continued, but that was the general thesis.
Jeremy, by the way, is running for co-prez this year. Based on the conversation mentioned above, I can personally say, he is ready to lead.

Anyways, back to the original topic.

People in the western world are always criticizing bigots. *DING DING DING* I taste irony. For once, I want the western people to stop minding the other people business, and mind their own.

The western nations have done so much wrong, their sins are splattered throughout the pages of the history.
Yet they are so quick to criticize other people, other nations, other communities, other factions, basically to any if not all who oppose their own views and bias.

Have you noticed that the western countries call for change of other countries, but never pronounce their own? Have they evolved to the point where nothing else can ever be improved? I leave that for you to decide.

China has 56 unique ethnicities, and this does NOT include all the other nationalities who immigrated to China over time:



If Canada is multi-cultural, what is China? Food for thought.

I now find the Olympics to be a giant hassle. I was used to be excited for China, now I realize that it was just a huge trap.

That incident in Paris? Mind I remind you that the torch bearer is a handicapped girl sitting in a wheel chair. May that burden the conscience of the terrorists who tried to extinguish the flame, FOREVER.

La flamme olympique chahutée à Paris
Uploaded by rue89

What do I see? A gaggle of peaceful protesters? On the contrary, I see savages.





Pictures are worth 1000 words:





Truth brought by a Tibetan:

*Hard to read, but proves the point none-the-less, can't find another bigger version.*



More pictures: http://military.club.china.com/data/thread/1011/977/03/45/0_1.html

Everywhere I turn, I see sinophobia (a pun from xenophobia). These protesters are not pro-Tibet, they are anti-China.

With that note, I end this entry. But before I go, I will provide you, the readers some more reading material. This is the side less heard about in the World of the West.
If you do agree, these will further our arguments.
If you don't agree, these will broaden your horizons.

Friendly Feudalism: The Tibet Myth
by Michael Parenti, PhD
http://www.swans.com/library/art9/mparen01.html

Tibet: The Truth
http://youtube.com/watch?v=Xsoc4-QnplY

Proof of Western Media Distortion:
http://youtube.com/watch?v=uSQnK5FcKas
http://www.anti-cnn.com/

More information:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x9QNKB34cJo

~n0n4m3