The Definition of a Catch-22

Hey, CFS! Over here, UMSU, UWSA and the government of Manitoba! It is quite a conundrum facing university students and their socialist "leadership."

Caught between the surge in enrolment that happens in every recession, and the looming slowdown in government grants and private donations, Canada's colleges and universities must consider hiking fees.

It would also boost student aid and cut the ranks of big-ticket senior staff, said the report.

I wonder to what extent university Administrations will abuse these findings, and how the hyperindividualized undergraduate students will stick their head in the sand to the realities facing their institutions and demostrate against tuition increases?

Flaherty plays into Ignatieff's hand

"Mistakes will happen," says Finance Minister Jim Flaherty, "in pushing through billions of dollars in economic stimulus this year."

Flaherty says the government is taking some shortcuts to get stimulus spending of almost $40 billion over two years out of the door and into the economy quickly.

The minister says officials at Treasury Board, which must approve spending, are modifying their procedures and some initiatives are going directly to cabinet for approval.

Imagine that, after admitting that there will be shortcuts taken, billions of dollars in stimulus are going to be by cabinet instead of parliament. Proroguing parliament was just the beginning, the PMO is the decision making body for the country now.

Ignatieff was right and his strategy was well played. Who cannot disagree with taking stimulus shortcuts? Curtailing the responsibilities and duties of parliament? Are these "tough times" really worthy of acting opaque? I don't see most Canadians agreeing with these measures.

Dippers will be appalled that this is going on and that Ignatieff foresaw it and did nothing. The solution: vote for Jack Layton! Perhaps defeating Harper on the principle of accountability and transparency is too juicy of an irony to pass up for most Liberals, but it is nonetheless a strategy that will persuade centrist voters and soft-conservatives.

I blogged earlier that there is a long-term plan in action here, and that the social assistance that Red Tories, socialists and liberal internationalists (in other words, progressives) seek will come in due time. And we'll get much of what we want, unintentionally, from a scared-shitless CPC hoping to buy votes. They votes they ought to be worrying about is their base and the pragmatists that gave them their vote in October 08.

The next Liberal government might not be as progressive as a Dion-led LPC, but it will be a compromise between some of the economic principles given lip-service by the CPC and the ambition of the LPC left.

Flaherty is preparing for the worst and he's trying to cover his ass right now for the next election. It won't work. You'll see.

Moments when I'm not all that proud to be a Calgarian

George W. Bush will give one of his first post-presidential speeches to a crowd of 1,500 people in Calgary on March 17th.

Invitations to the event say Bush will share his thoughts "on eight momentous years in the Oval Office" along with providing his insights into the challenges facing the international community in 21st century.

Tickets will include dinner, the speech, and knee pads for worshipers...er... attendees.

While this shouldn't be surprising, it nevertheless makes me want to bash my head against a brick wall. Stigma be damned, Calgary will continue to project the view that all of its citizens are Republican neoconservatives. Ugh...

Today's Starbucks Rant

What the hell does a Venti, no-foam, Caffe Misto mean to some Barristas in KW? Apparently, it means a large, some foam, Caffe Misto. I guess the instructions of my order are: add equal parts of brewed coffee and steamed milk to a Venti to-go cup, and then spoon a smidgen of foam on top. Just little. Not too much.

I didn't say "not too much" foam or "a tad" of foam. I said no foam. As in, none. Zero. Don't mistake "no-foam" to mean "some" foam. Don't assume that you know what I want or that I don't know what I'm missing.

I hate these foamoholics who are obsessed with it. I don't want a third of my $2.65 coffee to be foam. I want 100% of my beverage to be the beverage I ordered.

Sometimes when I say "no foam," I get a response like, "Whaaa? No way! This foam is BEAUTIFUL!"

Really? Alright. Well, that's your prerogative. But I don't want any of it. Save it for the idiot behind me who agrees with you.

Imagine if you ordered a hamburger at Wendy's and you asked for no onions or pickles. And the server at the counter responds with "Oh, comeon! They're sliced so perfectly!" What a convincing argument!

It's time for me to do some real work, but let this be known from now on: I won't tolerate this pro-foam stance so many Barristas are taking any longer. From now on, this is an anti-foam blog. No foam, however "perfect" it may look, will not be accepted here.

You've been warned.

*** UPDATE ***

Thanks to the insightful comments below, my rage has subsided. Starbucks, don't worry, I'm over it.