Last night was cold and miserable. It was raining, the wind was chilling to the bone and there was some sleet mixed in with the rain. Just trying to take a quick run to the store was an effort not to freeze. Getting home and snuggling in my bed with a  book was heaven afterwards. I noted that they were calling for more rain overnight, so I was to expect the same weather the next day. But low and behold...

IT SNOWED!

Lake effect snow! It wasn't too much, but enough to cause havoc with drivers and cause accidents to those who were not prepared for winter conditions. Last year seeing the first snowfall didn't really mean anything to me, because it was still so fresh after my mom's passing. This year seems to be a little different. I am actually getting into the spirit, as my mom would want me to do. North of Toronto, they are getting slammed with lots of snow. Part of me wishes I was up in Barrie, just for the adventure of it. You won't see me complaining about today's snow. Hell, I'll be out there making a snowman and hanging up Christmas decorations. Why not?

                                                    

I was reading the local new on the web for my area, and came across this:

A Richmond Hill man is accused of setting fire to a rental home in town last summer.On July 15, fire crews doused the blaze at a home on Benson Avenue, in the Yonge Street and Crosby Avenue area.

No one was hurt in the fire, but damage to the property was estimated at $60,000, York Regional Police said. A probe later determined the fire had been deliberately set.

On Tuesday, police arrested a tenant of the home in connection with the arson. Andrew Allan, 36, of Richmond Hill is charged with arson causing damage to property.He is scheduled for a court appearance Dec. 19.

That house is just a little down the street from me. Its a small one story house, most likely wood frame. Most of the damage was to the back of the house, as very little was visible from the front. But that acrid, sooty smell after a house fire was lingering in the area for some time after. I wasn't home during the actual fire, but was surprised to learn about it from a neighbor. I wouldn't mind showing up at the courthouse to see this guy, and bash the living crap out of him. He put the lives of those firefighters and neighbors in jeopardy. And all for what?

 

Loonie Reaches New Milestone: 108 US And Rising

Tuesday November 6, 2007

CityNews.ca Staff

In the 1960s, when the limbo was popular, the catch phrase was 'how low can you go?' In 2007, when the loonie is on everyone's mind, the question is 'how high can it fly?' Canadians received a partial answer to that question on Tuesday, when the dollar closed at  yet another record high of 108.52 cents US.

Rising oil prices - now at almost $97 a barrel - are helping buck up the buck, which is now at its highest level since the 1800s. And there are indications we may not be done yet. Demand for oil as the winter months approach is expected to send the price of crude even higher, with some analysts believing it could break the psychological $100-a-barrel mark this week.

And most won't be surprised by their other prediction - that the loonie could easily hit the 110 cents U.S. peak before the end of the year. The situation has fueled higher gas prices and something else - a mad dash across the border to take advantage of the increased purchasing power.

Canadians have also begun to demand retailers here lower their prices or lose out, despite the fact merchants say distributors, suppliers and levies all contribute to their being unable to adjust the costs.

Just watch and melt in your seat.

 

 

Yah you heard me. Before you decide to flame me, let me knock it through your skull that this is not a racial rant, this is against the people in the Chinese government. We all bleed the same color, regardless of race, creed, sexual preference, religion...

Let me give you a brief background first before you read on about why I'm upset with the Chinese government for getting all pissy in their panties over the Dalai Lama. (it's not Canada's problem that the Chinese government doesn't get along with others)

-The Globe and Mail reported Friday that China's embassy has confirmed the meeting between Ambassador Robert Wright and China's Foreign Ministry. Details of the meeting aren't available, and Canada's Foreign Affairs Department won't discuss the matter. China views the Tibetan spiritual leader as a separatist who is attempting to undermine Chinese national sovereignty.

The Chinese government has referred to Canada's actions -- such as Prime Minister Stephen Harper receiving the Dalai Lama in his Parliament Hill office on Monday -- as "disgusting conduct." "It's gross interference in China's internal affairs. The Chinese side expresses its strong dissatisfaction and resolute opposition," Foreign Ministry spokesman Liu Jianchao declared earlier this week in Beijing. "This disgusting conduct has seriously hurt the feelings of the Chinese people and undermined Sino-Canadian relations," he said.

In Ottawa, the Dalai Lama repeated that he only seeks autonomy for Tibet within a sovereign China and is not interested in separation. While calling in an ambassador is considered a strong signal of displeasure, one pro-Tibet activist in Canada noted that China signed a $590-million deal with Bombardier this week to supply rail cars. There is some speculation that China may cancel some planned meetings between Canadian and Chinese government officials as a further means of expressing its displeasure.

The Chinese embassy has also announced that a group of five "Tibetologists" will make stops in Canada and the U.S. to "engage in some exchanges with the local scholars." Other national governments have held face-to-face meetings with the Dalai Lama, and China has also expressed its diplomatic displeasure with them.

The Chinese Foreign Ministry called in Germany's Ambassador Michael Schaeffer before Chancellor Angela Merkel met with the Dalai Lama in September. China lodged a protest with U.S. Ambassador Clark Randt one day after President George Bush met with the Dalai Lama. The U.S. also honoured the Dalai Lama with the Congressional Gold Medal.

In Canada's case, the Dalai Lama remains just one friction point between China and Ottawa. Earlier this year, China sentenced Huseyin Celil, a Chinese-born ethnic Uighur who is now a Canadian citizen, to life in prison for "separatist activities."

Celil has alleged links to groups seeking independence for Xinjiang, a region in western China where the Muslim Uighurs are the main ethnic group. China has refused to recognize Celil's Canadian citizenship.

Holy hell in a handbag. Looks like someone (or some people) woke up on the wrong side of the bed. So basically, the Chinese government wants to meet with our Canadian ambassador to literally bitch about Canada allowing the Dalai Lama to visit. As far as I know, the Dalai Lama has preached nothing but peace and acceptance. Why the fuck is that so wrong?

Let's get something straight. With all the tainted toys that has come from China, you would think that the Chinese government would bow their heads and show some humility on this one, even if it stung them in the ass. That's all I hear countries do to each other, bitch and whine, bitch and whine. Tibetologists? LOL! That's a good one. That was even cute, trying to shed a dark light on a peacekeeping, spiritual people, giving them the reputation of a sect or some kind of cult, like scientologists. That's a bad insult to any Tibetian, considering the cult that Scientology is.

As far as I'm concerned, the Dalai Lama is welcome is my country. The kids in the Chinese government definitely need to go to bed earlier, or get a good spanking from their mommies and stop whining and bitching in other countries' ears about their 'displeasure' over our 'disgusting conduct' about the Dalai Lama.

No wonder the Dalai Lama doesn't want to visit China.

Pacifier anyone? 

/end rant.