La ministre de l'éducation, Michelle Courchesne, a beau dire que "le régime parfait n'existe pas", il n'en demeure pas moins que le gouvernement doit souvent procéder à des saisies, se payer à même des remboursements d'impôts, ou même inscrire des hypothèques légales sur les propriétés des étudiants, qui ne se sont pourtant pas gênés quand fut le temps de demander des prêts.  Seulement en 2006-2007, pas moins de 1241 étudiants ont tout simplement déclaré faillite, au lieu de rembourser.

Le plus drôle, dans cet article, ce sont les réactions des porte-parole des fédérations étudiantes.  Le président de la Fédération étudiante universitaire du Québec (FEUQ), David Paradis, se dit d'avis que "le programme d'aide financière est déconnecté de la réalité en surévaluant la capacité de payer des étudiants".  Je dirais plutôt que c'est David Paradis, qui est déconnecté de la réalité, parce que tout le monde sait, dans le vrai monde, que quiconque emprunte, que ce soit pour des études, pour financer une maison, ou pour acheter du "pot", doit un jour rembourser.

Pour sa part, Merlin Trottier-Picard, de la Fédération étudiante collégiale du Québec, affirme que des étudiants, qui ont cumulé parfois plus de 20,000$ de dettes, "frappent un mur" en terminant leur formation.  Il déclare que "C'est facile d'emprunter.  C'est plus difficile de rembourser".  J'ajouterais une suite, à sa déclaration.  Quelque chose comme "C'est facile de boire ses prêts et bourses dans toutes sortes de partys, dont plusieurs organisés directement sur les campus.  C'est plus difficile de réussir ses examens."  Ça revient à dire que si l'on décide d'entreprendre des études, il faut y mettre un peu de sérieux.  Il semble que nos deux porte-parole aient oublié ce petit détail.

Personnellement, je me demande quelle est la dette étudiante de ces deux individus, juste pour le fun.  Un tableau, qui accompagne l'article, mentionne que le prêt moyen attribué en 2006-2007 est de 3254$, et que la somme de 21,376$ représente la dette d'études moyenne d'un finissant au doctorat.  Il me semble qu'un finissant au doctorat, ça ne se retrouve pas à travailler au salaire minimum.  La dette moyenne d'un finissant au baccalauréat se chiffre à 11,467$, alors que 25,390 étudiants ont obtenu une aide financière, alors qu'ils vivaient toujours chez leurs parents.  Alors si je prends les paroles de Merlin Trottier-Picard, ses amis, qui ont accumulé parfois plus de 20,000$ de dettes ont dû user leurs fonds de culottes pas mal longtemps dans les CEGEPs.  À moins qu'il parle de ses amis universitaires.

À mon point de vue, ceux qui ont des dettes étudiantes mirobolantes, et qui n'ont pas les moyens de les honorer, malgré les plans de remboursement avantageux, parce que beaucoup moins sévères de n'importe quelle hypothèque, sont certainement ceux qui ont étudié dans des programmes de "sciences molles", qui sont impressionnantes sur un CV, mais qui ne valent rien de plus que la feuille de papier sur lequel leur diplôme est imprimé, quand vient le temps de faire la besogne pour laquelle ils finiront par être embauchés.  Ce serait probablement aussi le cas des "gosses de riches", qui passent le plus clair de leur temps au CEGEP ou à l'université, parce que leurs parents sont écoeurés de les voir flâner à la maison, et leur dit des trucs du genre "si tu veux pas travailler, au moins, fais quelque chose de ta vie, et vas étudier".  Ces "flancs mous" sont d'ailleurs d'excellents clients des concentrations de sciences molles, subventionnées par le gouvernement, pour flâner dans les institutions d'enseignement supérieur, et certains d'entre-eux pourraient même sûrement devenir porte-parole de fédérations étudiantes, tellement ça fait longtemps qu'ils passent d'un cours, ou d'une concentration, à un autre.

L'une des solutions à ce problème d'endettement, que tout le monde finit par payer, en bout de ligne, avec ses impôts, serait de ne fournir l'aide financière que dans les secteurs à grande demande, comme la médecine, par exemple.  Toutes les sciences molles, qui ne garantissent que peu - ou pas - d'emplois, ne devraient permettre ni bourse, ni prêt, et ce afin que les fonds disponibles encouragent la formation d'étudiants vraiment désireux de participer au développement et à l'avancement de la société.  Une autre passerait par le refus pur et simple de prêter de l'argent à un étudiant qui change de cours, et ce à partir de la troisième fois.  Il existe des processus d'évaluation très efficaces, qui permettent à un étudiant de se diriger vers la bonne formation dès le départ; aussi, on pardonnerait un "recommencement", mais les autres seraient aux frais de l'étudiant.  Je crois que ces deux mesures garantiraient une baisse du nombre de prêts non-remboursés, à long terme, parce que les étudiants seraient attendus sur le marché du travail, et ce dès leur graduation.  Ils pourraient ainsi rembourser promptement leur dette d'étude.

Mais je vais sûrement me faire dire que de telles mesures vont "à l'encontre du libre choix des étudiants d'étudier dans ce qu'ils veulent".  Mon but n'est pas d'empêcher les étudiants d'étudier dans ce qu'ils veulent.  Il est de faire en sorte que le gouvernement finance les futurs diplômés dont la société a vraiment besoin.

He says:

If you create petty laws, then petty people will arise to enforce them and will do so with glee...We must begin making it more difficult for these Lilliputian tyrants...

With which I would entirely agree.

He also provides a YouTube clip of a telly chap, apparently Australian, who dresses up in a vestie and goes around awarding people on-the-spot fines for such offences as 'being a parking inspector', 'having a wanker's number plate', and 'being a complete tool'.

Strongly recommended. It made me laugh.

As to the little Hitlers, once again I would suggest taking their names (and pictures). They are public servants, paid from public funds. We are entitled to know their names.

They couldn't resist pointing out, though, that she was quite eccentric, to the extent of subscribing to the 18th-century habit of taking snuff. Despite being a bit of a Derbyshire fan I never knew this. I suppose it might be true.

The BBC's news magazine has an article about the resurgence of snuff-taking. One of the commenters advises stocking up now, before the government finds out, launches yet another health scare, and taxes it beyond affordability.

CNN’s special report “Black in America: The Black Woman & Family,” which aired Wednesday night, turned out be very disappointing. Based on a blackvoices.com Q&A with reporter Soledad O’Brien, this documentary series is the cable network’s attempt to educate people about the black community.

 “About 18 months ago I was brought in because [CNN] had been exploring stories on Black Americans and how to do them and it became clear that it needed to be more of a documentary, it wasn’t a number 2 or 3 minute stories, you just couldn’t do it justice,” O’Brien answered when asked about why this “Black in America” report was done. (The entire interview can be read at black voices.)

 I’m hoping the executives and editors at this Atlanta-based network aren’t patting themselves on the backs in a congratulatory manner on a job well done. This was a poor attempt to portray the facets of being “Black in America.”

 As a journalist, this was a poor example of investigative journalism. This probably should have been called “Being Black and Poor in America.” Of course, poverty exists but that’s not what it means to be  a black American.  This special was a complete disservice to the black middle class.

 Since CNN is trying to educate people about blacks, the execs should next air a two-hour special on the positives of being “Black in America.”  At this point, it’s necessary to discuss the silent black majority that are succeeding, but remember, we like to see people crying, struggling and depress. That’s what drives ratings!

 In other words, it’s not nearly enough to research the long-standing problems of healthcare and how blacks are impacted, single parents and AIDS to say justice was done. Being black in America doesn’t always mean being arrested, poor, uneducated, a single parent or living below poverty. There are numerous organizations, non-profits and efforts in place to enhance our communities, and this would be a great opportunity for such a prominent network to demonstrate that. But keep in mind, this all boils down to ratings.

 As a 26-year-old black women, I am constantly reminded daily of my race. I don’t think there’s a day that goes by that I don’t consider the struggles of my ancestors. Being a black American has forced me to develop a spirit of competitiveness and so called ‘thick skin,’ which comes in handy when you’re the only black in a group of your highly privileged white counterparts.

You have to keep in mind, that we’re (black people) in a unique position right now, with the first ever real chance of having black president. Something like this was long overdue but not in the way that it was delivered. AIDS has been considered an epidemic in our community for a long time. Yes, as blacks we need to definitely think before we act, but this is not new information.

 I didn’t start watching the report until 15 minutes into the program, where the father struggled on one income to take care of his children. Interestingly, at no point was the children’s mother mentioned. If the roles were reversed, the reporter would have stressed how the kids are suffering from their father’s absence. The media usually makes sure that we’re well aware that the missing black father is either in jail, selling drugs or dead.

 Another thing, the Harvard economist has somewhat of a good idea, but can I call him just to ask how many classes did he try that ‘pay you to learn’  on for size. In the real world, where a large number of public schools are segregated and kids aren’t assigned homework because there are not enough books to go around, who’s going to pay these kids to learn? It’s not too surprising that the black kids were overly eager and anxious to learn. I would be too because, unlike most parents, my father didn’t believe in giving us money for good grades.

 Briefly, I’ll mention, what some might call ‘the black marriage crisis,’ after watching the section about how none of us are getting married. They spent at least 15 minutes telling us how black women are beginning to date outside our race. This is nothing new!!!!! Black men have always dated white, Hispanic and Asian women, and I haven’t seen any reports on it. Has CNN seen the need to interview Motel Williams, Ice T. or Kobie Bryant on how marrying white women has impacted their lives.

 It’s absolutely wonderful that we’re going to school in droves to meet our goals and aspirations. Like many white women, we too want to experience independent living before tying the knot. Why should we have to limit ourselves and wait on a man to buy us a house, car, clothes and pay the bills. If a guy’s intimidated by me simply because I so call ‘have it together,’ then maybe he needs to rethink what he wants.

 It’s obvious I’m not excited to catch tonight’s “Black in American: The Black Man,” but I must watch it to see how CNN will attempt to cover all black men. Hopefully, we’ll see more than the light-skinned, poorly educated, drug addicted brothers within the two hour report.

Overall, CNN is a descent cable network because it’s probably the leading network for real coverage of international, war and political issues. However, this “Black in America: The Black Woman & Family” was a poor reflection of the actual black community. 

As my flat-hunting is slowly and surely coming to a close, I'm trying to decide who to room with for the next 6 months or so. As I weigh the pros and cons of the situation I'm left with one very relevant question at hand. Should I, or anyone else for that matter, live platonic-ally with someone I've become terribly attracted to overnight?

Last night I went to visit a guy, Seth, who I'd been referred to by current rent-free friend  extraordinaire, Carla. She had brought to my attention last week that her friend had just rented a house on the east end of London that was fully furnished and in a nice area. The rent was questionably affordable, but I thought since I was so tired of speaking with loonies on the phone that I couldn't even touch 1st base with, I'd give this guy a try.

I arrived early outside Tower Hill station and luckily caught a few free minutes of the Jack the Ripper tour guides' speech. (Which is something, by the way, I've always wanted to do but no one will ever go with me)

Seth, a Kiwi from Wellington, who's lived here around 2 years now, is a very neurotic character, currently living on scholarship working on his PhD in Politics. He also has Asperger's Syndrome (a very mild case of autism) which makes him even more neurotic. He's clearly too intelligent for his own good and due to his 'disability' not very personable.

He's the kind of person who would never give you a direct compliment, but hidden ones you can only decipher by knowing how to properly analyze him. And though Seth has an odd, sort of fun appeal about him,  this isn't the guy I was attracted to.

No, no, not even close. After viewing the house from the outside, we walked through a beautiful port and dock where rich yuppies of London keep their yachts, a fancy grocery store where the rich yuppies shop and oh yes, did I mention the 'Island of Starbucks?' It's actually a small dome shaped gazebo holding mocha-chinos, chai lattes and biscottis in the middle of the Thames river that you can only access by boat.

We traveled past parks, cemeteries and the Tower Bridge (which Seth promptly pointed out Americans like to call the 'London Bridge.' When we finally reached our destination, which was a pub (typical) it turned out to be a rather peaceful one with a view of the Thames and a calm breeze.

We were there to discuss the house's floor plan and to meet his other flat mate, James from Scotland. He walked in a bit late, which Seth excused earlier for him wanting to 'get all prettied up before he met someone new.' But once I met him, I highly doubted this.

James was laid back and friendly with a nice disposition and very little physical grooming. He was dressed both sensibly and fashionably, as he might have been able to either go to a sporting event or business casual party in the same evening simeltaneously.

His looks weren't entirely appealing altogether but after about 2 minutes into the conversation I realized I was attracted to him. It just goes to show, once again, that it's never all about looks, is it? I've never been one for the pretty boys anyways. If I wanted a pretty boy, I would just date a girl. 

His accent, I must admit was a complete turn on, as I've always had a thing for the Scots. (Don't ask me why) He didn't have one of those extremely harsh accents either that doesn't even sound like English, since he was from Glasgow. He had just moved to London not too long ago from Edinburgh (my favorite all time city thus far, sorry London) after leaving a staff position at The Scotsman.

He then mentioned he'd left his job to work in publishing, which led him to London. I asked him why, and he replied with both wit and decorum, "Well, my boss said if I wanted to steal his job, he'd have to die somehow, so he suggested going somewhere with more opportunity." Seth then made some snide comment about killing his boss. Yeah....moving on.

So James started asking questions about where I was from and what I did. I always reply, "I'm a writer" just to sound pretentious and annoying. I rather get a kick out of it actually. I told them about my job as a sort-of journalist and Seth recommended I interview their friend who currently lives in a field to protest the expansion of Heathrow airport. I delightful expressed interest.

James and I soon discovered many commonalities thanks to Seth constantly repeating that we were "twins." We'd both gone to film school, we were both sort of 'writers' and we both had a shared love for Scotland. Not to mention, I believe, a shared attraction for each other that was practically instant. Don't you love that?

James told me he'd met Seth during college when he was a young lad and Seth was the resident hall leader, which is something I can't honestly picture Seth doing, but it must mean he's responsible on some level, which is a good thing.

When I told James I was from America he told me a funny story about his first brush with US customs and how part of the entrance form's questionairee included 'Are you intending to commit violations against humanity?' That's a good one, America. A great way to weed out terrorists.

Anyway, I digress. His brush with tourist deportation in America was quite amusing as it involved his accent. He said during his oral questioning, an American woman asked him what he was planning to do there during his stay. He didn't really have any set plans so he just said he was planning to "poke about and see what he could find." The woman, not understanding him, thought he'd said he was there for 'poaching.'

So he was made to stand in the 'bad' line until time for interrogation, aka, doom. They asked where he was staying, he didn't know. They asked if he had a contact there, he said no. They asked if he knew the pledge of allegiance, he said no. Okay, so the last one isn't true. But nonetheless, it wasn't exactly looking good for James. Eventually though, he apparently made his way in, most likely with his Scottish wit and charm.

So I'm now trying to decide if I should decline their good offer as potential flat mate because of my initially strong pharamonal reaction to James. A part of me thinks I could just be friends  with him and have a good old time, but another part feels it may be difficult.

Does anyone have an opinion on the matter? If so, feel free to share.

Three years ago I was encouraged to get my daughter immunised. Three injections given over an 18 week period would immunise my daughter against meningococcal disease. The encouragement was in the form of multiple letters from my daughters pre-school, our medical centre, and also numerous other medical organisations. To be honest, I felt hounded and harrassed by all this encouragement.

My eldest child, who will be celebrating his 22nd birthday tomorrow, was born with meningococcal disease. He was in such a severe state that doctors literally gave him less than an hour to live. Imagine being a very young teenager giving birth to your first child only to be told that he is not going to make the hour out, and that he needs to be christened, because you can't bury a person in NZ that has not been christened. (This is exactly what the doctor said to me and I will never forget it)

I am happy to report that we got him christened in less than an hour, and that by the time the hour was up, he was starting to faintly show signs of improvement. He shows very little signs of having had the disease now, thank goodness.

Because of my son I decided that I did not want my daughter and the son I have with me to be part of this program. My understanding of how devastating this disease can be does not mean I am going to let my children willingly be guinea pigs for the scientists. (At this time I believed the serum to be still in the experimental stages.)

After almost a year of being hounded I finally gave in and let my children have the shots. BIG mistake.

My son responded well the the vaccine. However, my daughter had such a serious reaction to the first one that I decided she was not having any more. I told the doctors this, only to be told that the vaccine is so strong that it does have this kind of effect in some children. Protecting her for the years to come was more important than two weeks of swelling, fever, nausea and not being able to eat. So I agreed to the second shot being given.

The second shot was given a few months after the first one, after the doctors wore me down and made me see reason. This time the reaction was so bad that two days after the shot we took her to hospital to have her checked out as her leg had swollen so badly that we were worried that she might lose her leg. Also, we could not get her fever under control, and she was literally almost hotter than the Sahara desert.

At the hospital we were reassured that it was just paranoid parent syndrome and that this reaction is quite common amongst children and to take her home and put cold compresses on the sore part. Which we did.

My daughter was so ill that she was at home, in bed, for almost a month after this shot. And many visits to the medical centre, only to be reassured that this reaction was quite normal.

We decided that our daughter was definitely not having the final injection, no matter how much they hounded us to get it done. District nurses and practise nurses assured us on many occassions that we were making a grievous mistake in not allowing her to go through with the final injection.

Imagine my surprise when I heard on the radio yesterday that the full course of immunisation is only effective for maybe up to a year at best. I put my daughter through hell because I was ASSURED that this would keep her safe.

Listening to them discussing this made my blood boil. Seriously, as parents we try to make sure we are doing the very best we can for our children. How the hell is putting them in danger in this manner and causing them so much pain and torment, only to find out that it really doesnt work anyway, the best for our children?

Society today have become so dependant upon doctors that we allow them to treat our pride and joy as guinea pigs. I have decided that I am not going to allow anyone to use my children as guinea pigs any more and from now on they can send as many text messages, mail out reminders, and make as many phone calls as they like. I am not falling for their lies any longer.

Marc Lacour - 09/2007

After she died in 2001 a total of 267 tapes were found in her attic. A BBC news story, including some samples of Derbyshire's unpublished work, is here. David Butler, from Manchester University, who has digitised the recordings, told BBC news:

"The next thing that we want to do is make the archive available to everyone who wants to hear it...But also this has to be a living, breathing archive so we are going to commission new works as well."

Hmm. Whose money is being spent on commissioning these new works? Perhaps not Manchester University's.

The BBC treated Derbyshire appallingly; to decline to publish her unheard work without contemporary 'improvement' is adding insult to injury.

BSF still contiounes killing Bangladeshis.

But this time is in Jessore.

The BSF shot dead two Bangladeshis on Chougachha border in Jessore Saturday, a day after two BDR members were killed by The Border Security Force of India (BSF).

The dead have been identified as Rezaul Islam (32) and Zainal Abedin (35) of Sukh Pukuria village under Chougachha, Jessore.

BDR Jadavpur company commander Mosharraf Hossain alleged that the BSF had killed the two Bangladeshi youths without any "provocation". [In my just previous post I wrote that BSF's regular duty is to kill Bangladeshish regularly and it is just an example.]

"Rezaul Islam and Zainal Abedin were near the barbed wire fencing in Panchpirtala border area around 5am, Hossain said. "At the time, BSF members from Moshrumpur border opened fire on them."

Rezaul and Zainal collapsed in a hail of bullets and died on the spot, the BDR officer said.

The patrolling BDR members hearing the gunshots retaliated with rounds of blank fire.

BSF dragged the bodies into the Indian territory, the BDR officer said. (In my just Previsous post I also metioned that BSF took the dead body to India after killing)

Indian border guards gunned down two BDR men on the Raghunathpur border in Chapainawabganj early Friday, which coincided with a two-day foreign secretary-level meeting between Bangladesh and India in New Delhi.

Following the incident, the BDR and BSF members held a flag meeting, where Bangladesh border guards pressed for a probe into the killings of the BDR officers.

But I know that it will do nothing. Because BSF will continoue killing and Bangladesh will talk about peace and Indian media will focus the news like that-"Two Bangladeshi smugglers were trying to enter India and they warned them but they didn't hear and they fired and killed the smugglers."

BDR officials said BSF guards opened fired on their personnel when they challenged the latter for illegally entering about 1,300 yards into Bangladesh territory shortly after Thursday midnight.

A group of BSF guards from Neemtita camp under Murshidabad district entered Bangladesh crossing the River Padma on a speedboat and walked over a risen shoal to Raghunathpur village of Durlobhpur union under Shibganj upazila near pillar No 110.

Being informed, a patrol team of BDR from Raghunathpur border post led by Habilder Abdul Hannan Sarker rushed to the village and challenged the intruding BSF men for violating the line of control, reported our Chapainawabganj correspondent.

Two BSF bullets hit Hannan while six hit Lance Nayek Krishnopodo Saha as BSF men suddenly opened fire on them, killing them instantly.

Forces from the 39th rifles battalion later recovered the body of Hannan, 55 of Kritunia Durgahat vilage under Gabtoli in Bogra, and of Saha, 28, of Kholabari Shimakhali village under Shalikha upazila in Magura.

The bodies of the slain BDR soldiers were sent to their homes after post-mortem in Chapainawabganj Sadar Hospital.

A villager Atul Gani that the bodies were recovered from a pool of blood. "Blood marks were also on the trail of BSF men's escape path," said the villager. (Source: The Daily Star)

Immediately after the killings, BDR retaliated with full force trading over 200 rounds of shots with BSF for about an hour.

"BSF intruded illegally and opened fire without any provocation," Director (Operation and Training) of BDR Col Abdul Halim told a hurriedly arranged news briefing at BDR Headquarters in Dhaka.

"In the face of BDR's counter attack, the BSF men fled leaving their speedboat behind," Halim said adding that they also arrested an Indian national from the spot.

"We've been informed that a BSF member also died in the gunfight," he told reporters. "The incident could have been prevented had the BSF not opened fire."

BDR strongly protested the incident. "It's a serious border violation by BSF," Lt Col Golam Kibria Md Neyamatullah, commanding officer (CO) of the 39th battalion, told The Daily Star.

BDR members seized the speedboat left by intruding BSF personnel, a walkie-talkie, a BSF cap, and bullet casings from the scene.

It is not the first time BSF crossed Bangladeshi border. They crossed it several times before. They don't obey the border and crossed several times before and we can say regularly. Previously some BSF people was killed inside Bangladesh in a crops filed few years ago. Except these many prove are there of BSF aggression in Bangladesh.

The killings stirred tensions at other frontiers also where BDR deployed reinforcements ordering them to remain on high alert.

Reinforcements were made at the borders and were kept alert since the morning. Residents of border areas were also seen on guard shoulder to shoulder with BDR personnel.

BDR also warned villagers and farmers of border areas to refrain from going to zero point areas for cultivation. An uneasy calm has been prevailing at the frontiers.

At the flag meeting between sector commanders of BDR and BSF held at Masudpur border point in the afternoon, BSF defended their actions and rejected Bangladesh proposal for a joint investigation into the incident.

Rajshahi BDR sector commander Col Mohammad Iqbal and Bahrampur BSF sector commander DS Sidhu led their respective sides. BSF also did not admit that they had violated the international border but agreed to reduce tension on the borders, meeting sources said. This clearly indicates that BSF truly crossed Bangladeshi border and open fired BDR men.

BBC Bangla Service, however, reported that BSF expressed regret for the killings at the flag meeting as it is normal in heir behavior and which is not new.

BSF regularly killed Bangladeshis inside Bangladeshi border and take they body to India.  It seems that it is their regular duty to kill civillinas of Bangladesh.

He says that he is expecting some £50 for having filled in a lot of their surveys.

One hears these surveys occasionally being quoted on Radio 4. It had never occurred to me that they might be anything other than another government put-up job.

Having looked at their website, and read their terms and conditions, I won't be signing up myself; not even for £50, with which I must say I could do just at the moment. My conclusion is either that Vindico is even poorer than I am, in which case I sympathise, or that he does not share my concerns about the security of personal data.

YouGov's T&Cs includes:

YouGov reserves the right at any time and from time to time, to modify or amend these Terms or any part thereof, without notice to you. Your continued use of the YouGov WebPages or continued participation in the YouGov Panels or the YouGov Activities constitute an affirmative acknowledgement of any modification and your continued agreement to be bound by the modified Terms.

So they can, without telling you, make an arrangement to (e.g.) pass all of the personal data they have compiled upon you, being the data you have given them plus the conclusions which can be drawn from the answers you have given in their surveys, to a third party (perhaps the Home Office; perhaps the NSA; perhaps Tesco). The next time you log onto their website, without any knowledge of this, you will be deemed to have agreed to whatever it is that they have done in your absence.

I couldn't get any of the FAQ section to work, but I did look at some of the letters.

On the subject of the surveillance state, prompted by a letter from the BBC's John Humphrys, the following:

Unless I am doing anything wrong in the eyes of the law, I should have nothing to worry about...surveillance is a step in the right direction.../...we need a certain level of surveillance as our borders are too open and terrorist activity is rife...ID cards seem like a good idea.../...One might find the idea of a surveillance state reassuring in some ways...(etc.)

OK, quoted out of context, I know. However, I felt that I should stop reading the letters at this point, because on my internal instrument panel there were big red lights flashing the words 'Master warning' and 'Blood pressure exceeds 100psi'.

For crying out loud! "Our borders are too open." Has it never occurred to this author that we live on an island? Apart from that of Northern Ireland, a special case if there ever was one, we don't have any 'borders'. We have a 'coastline' instead. Behold the triumph of NuLabor 'education'!

Vindico, who describes himself as a raving libertarian, is apparently in very poor company here. It seems to me from this cursory inspection that people who contribute to YouGov surveys are mainly NuLabor's BBC-programmed sheeple, anxious to advertise their obedience and conformity in case anyone's in any doubt. Either that or, having already handed over their ID, they just want their £50 and are not prepared to stick their necks out for it.

It could be argued that for the sake of balance libertarians ought to join YouGov and contribute to an adjustment of this bias; it could also be argued that getting paid for so doing is a fine example of guerilla free enterprise. I would not argue with Vindico on either of these points.

Call me paranoid, but it would be fairly easy for this setup to be turned quietly and without any fuss into an automated generator of arrest-lists. People like Vindico, whose views appear to be similar to mine, will, simply as a result of their answers, assuming those to be true, stick out like a sore thumb from among the majority who write letters like those (selectively) quoted above.

Unless, of course, they conceal their true views and answer exactly as they would expect the sheeple to do, merely for the sake of the £50, which would tend to reduce the value of the survey (putting it mildly).

Vindico (doubtless with good reason) does not disclose his strategy on this point, but it's all too deep for me. I will leave this sort of thing to people like him who are clearly sufficiently streetwise to get away with it, and continue to treat YouGov as just another put-up job.

97.484% of all statistics are made up on the spot anyway.

Our population problem is not diminishing. Instead, it continues to grow and grow. But our world is finite and our resources limited. Therefore, each person’s share in this world must lessen with the increase in human number. But what is happening now? Each person grabs whatever resources he can for himself and his family. As a result, imbalance is gradually becoming evident in our society, and soon, in our world. We, as human beings, keep doing what we want instead of what we need: reproducing and satisfying our own needs. We increase our demand from this earth’s resources yet we refuse to sacrifice even the most unnecessary inconveniences. Basically, human population continues to increase while the world’s resources continue to decrease. This is tragedy in itself when we think of the generations that will follow.

Illegal logging is one of this topic’s most relevant environmental issues. Illegal loggers only wish to retrieve lumber to sell. They don’t have the slightest regard for the future of this earth. These are the people who don’t look at what will benefit the world and the people around them in the long-run. When the time will come that they realize their mistake, it might be too late. By “too late” I mean that we will barely see green pastures surrounding us, that more animals will become extinct due to their homelessness, that many, many people will die because in the past years, pollution was slowly but surely killing their health. Aren’t we seeing the effects of people’s carelessness now? How much more will our children and our children’s children? That is if they will live to see this world as we see it now. That is if pollution will not kill them before they reach an age of maturity to see what our world has become, or rather, what their fathers and their father’s fathers have done to their world.

Chemical wastes are being dumped into rivers and seas, killing underwater creatures. Sure, this won’t take immediate effect on our water resources, but it eventually will. Imagine if all factories start dumping their wastes in rivers and seas just because “the rest are doing the same.” This will kill fish, turtles, and the rest of the marine life, and then we will lose our food supply from freshwater and seawater. Not only this, but we will lose our water supply as well. What will we do then? Can these factories supply us with water that is safe to drink, safe to bath in? Or will they sell us overpriced water artificially manufactured with chemicals? When that time will come, we won’t have the heart to complain, we won’t even have the choice to refuse them.

Air-conditioners and heaters have become a necessity. When it is cold, we want it hot. When it is hot, we want it cold. Human beings cannot be content, can they? When can we start looking at the “bright side of life” instead of focusing on what we don’t have or what we want to have? We were blessed with a world so abundant with resources, so full of life, so generous. But what have we made of it? We, the “stewards of God’s creation,” have abused it, disregarded its needs, its fragility and want for care. Yes, I am saying all of these while my air-conditioner is running. Yes, I am saying all of these yet I can’t use the shower without a heater. Many of us are doing the same. What I am really trying to say is that many of us want change. Garrett Hardin wanted change. But how can we change a world inhabited by human beings who seek their own comfort, who seek to have the earth’s resources all for themselves? It is all too tragic and true.

Many more examples can be cited regarding this tragedy. I can go on and on about the selfishness of the human race and their inconsiderate behavior towards Mother Earth. I can continue to tap on my keyboard and express my disgust over what has become of this world, to condemn myself for what I have done to this world. But instead of looking at all the mistakes that were made and are still being made, maybe, just maybe, it is time we ask ourselves and the people around us this question, “What can really be done?”

( written~ June 10, 2008 )

It is a sad reality that our government has abused the resources of Mindanao. Mindanao is so abundant in resources yet it is so poor. It is our country’s greatest source of electricity nonetheless it doesn’t benefit from its own resource. Despite these, I believe that the Philippine government has offered peace talks and offerings of assistance time and time again to Mindanao. I believe that there can be no national unity because Mindanao refuses to be peacefully associated with the national government. Instead of trying to prove that it is capable of self-governance, it is creating the opposite impression. Instead of gaining good attention, it is frightening its fellow Filipinos with terrorism. Thus it is stereotyped.

We are one country. I believe we shouldn’t classify ourselves into what specific race we stemmed from, or whether we were able to prevent our area from being colonized in the past. Because at the end of the day, we are still Filipinos, with the blood of Filipinos, living in the land of Filipinos.

I consider Mr. Abbas’ statement regarding the non-Moros’ ignorance of their own identity unnecessary. I am a non-Moro and may be a “mixed-breed,” but I want to emphasize that I do know my identity. I have a faith, though it was taught by the colonizers. I have a native tongue, though it was tainted by the tongue of colonizers. I have a culture, though it is not wholly my own. This is my identity.

Luzon and Visayas were colonized. Nothing I say can ever change this fact, but I believe they were left with no choice. They fought, yet they failed. Here is a simple thought that left me thinking - If I see my family member killed and my home burned down, would I still fight at the risk of losing everything I have left? And for what prize – keeping a pure identity? If all these happened to me, rather, let me give a more specific citation – If a Spaniard came up to my door with a sword and asked me to submit, I would willingly kneel in submission rather than see him enter my home and slaughter the people I love. I wouldn’t dare sacrifice the lives of humans for my own dignity, not even for my own identity. And then again, this is only in my point of view and many might see me as a coward, but I would rather risk everything I have in this world for the people I love rather than sacrifice their lives or mere comfort for the preservation of my identity.

It was wrong for the Spaniards to sell Mindanao alongside Luzon and Visayas when it didn’t belong to them in the first place. But as I have said earlier, we are one. Allow me to expound by giving another citation. If live fire was consuming my home, I wouldn’t save myself and leave my family to burn. I would rather join them. Not that I would especially want to burn in live fire, but what I am saying is that as a family, whatever happens, this holds true – all for one and one for all. My views may not be supportive of the legality of the situation, but my knowledge is limited and my beliefs different. So forgive me for my incessant disagreements.

Progress – a word that gives a positive impression, is slowly devouring our country. Why do I use the term “devour?” Because as Atty. Abbas wrote, the youth can barely speak their native tongue. Progress is one of the plagues consuming our identity. Yet we have to be grateful, because where else should our country be heading? Would you rather have us return to our tribal state but be fluent in our native tongue?  Personally, I would rather not. And in these four decided words I believe I am being realistic.

Economically and educationally, I believe we are progressing. With the bilingual policy and everything that came with it, I believe that the Filipinos can eventually be competent once again in trade, politics, and education itself. Why should we limit ourselves to our native tongue when we can expand our knowledge for our own benefit? This might be a selfish thing to say, but I am speaking in behalf of us, the educated, who could someday be the root of more progress in the Philippines. What is to be done for the uneducated? The answer lies in the hands of the educated.

Do not get me wrong. I do not disagree with the whole of Atty. Abbas’ writing. In point of fact, I agree that “the Bangsamoro children, women, and old men, do not deserve to be caught in the crossfire,” nor do they deserve to be “the fatalities and casualties of war.” I agree that “peace does not immediately translate into economic development.” And that “no amount of economic development would ever give the Bangsamoro what is theirs by right.” I look up to Atty. Abbas for reminding me of the history of the Moros, for it made me admire their courage. Again do not get me wrong, for I just had more to say for conceptions which struck me as a difference of   opinions. My declared sentiments may be naïve misconceptions, but I am openminded. My views may be strong, but they are not settled.

( written~ June 28, 2008 )

The Science of Baseball is a cool and interactive site dedicated to America's National Pastime. The specific link my dad sent was Can you Hit a 90-MPH Fastball? It explains just how hard it is to hit the easy pitch in baseball. Also included are tutorials on breaking balls, a time machine to move players (like Babe Ruth) into different eras, and too much other good stuff to mention. Check it out.

さっき始めてMRIを体験した。何か特別な感じでもなく、ただ面白い経験だと思ってた。後にまたあるけど。

そして、毎時間小さな調査と反応テストをしなきゃ。その反応テストは、でっけえ携帯ボックスらしいきかいで不規則のパルスにボタンを押して反応する。今まで、ベストタイミングは１５１ミリ秒、つまり０．１５１秒。平均は確かに２００よりちょっと少ないと思う。

それから、今晩は寝ていけないってこと、知ってる？知らなくてもいい。後みんな寝てから、DVDを見る。

While I would agree with him in what he says, I would take it a little further by mentioning the career of Admiral Augustus Keppel (1725 – 1786), who is portrayed as a diminutive but ram-you-damn-you midshipman in Patrick O'Brian's The Golden Ocean, which is about the Anson expedition in 1740 ("The secret expedition ho; the secret expedition hee," as the character of Keppel puts it).

Keppel went to sea when he was ten. He was despite this an educated man, capable of both the abstruse mathematics of navigation and of the refinement expected of a post-captain. He suffered no substantial cultural loss by starting his career so early (thirteen being a more usual age), though he did lose most of his teeth to scurvy on Anson's voyage.

The outrage of 'protective parents' at any suggestion that such things should happen again is predictable. However, the country could do with a few more chaps like Keppel, as opposed to chaps like Brown, and when I was a boy I and most of my contemporaries would have given our eye-teeth for the chance of a career like the famous Admiral Keppel's.

As, of course, did Keppel himself.

They are preaching to the converted with me, to be honest, and Redneckshire is already so xenophobic that people from a certain town about fifteen miles from here are alleged to regard people from the other side of the same town as 'strangers'.

The problem is not changing attitudes to the EU, which is already cordially hated by all with whom I've recently discussed it, but persuading people that it is worth trying to do something about it.

It was a heart warming and good story of a Sargent in the Canadian Armed Forces who was accompanying a fallen comrade, killed in Afghanistan, home to his family. The person telling the story in the first person is moved by the whole idea and is requesting that we, the general public, participate in a movement to show support for the Canadian Forces personnel stationed in Afghanistan by wearing something red every Friday. Hence the title "Red Friday". The intent is for a ground-swell of support for the military across Canada. It is attributed to an employee of the Workers' Compensation Board.

It was a good story! It succeeded in its intent--to involve the reader in the emotional turmoil surrounding the Canadian Forces presence in Afghanistan. But there was something about the whole thing that bothered me then and is still bothering me. Let me explain.

1. The language of the story wasn't Canadian. I am not aware of fallen soldier's bodies being returned home on commercial airlines by a single NCO. There is considerably more flag waving and attention given to the return of our dead.
2. The phrase "...and are voicing our love for God, country and home... " is not a Canadian phrase. While I am not a linguist and have nothing other than instinct on which to base my comment, it is a phrase more commonly associated with American politics: e.g. ...God country and the American way... Canadian's don't normally talk of God and country in this manner. Although I do note that Prime Minister Harper is using that phrase more often in his public appearances.
3. The whole of the message was attributed to an emloyee of title with the Workers' Compensation Board thus lending an air of authenticity to the whole thing. The message has been sent by an individual, in authority, in a Government institution. It must have weight. I checked! The person who apparently originated the message does exist in all the details reported in the email.
4. But the message goes on to request the recipient to pass the message on to all and sundry; to help create a movement, aground swell of support for our members of the Armed Forces deployed in Afghanistan. To not forward the message lays the guilt trip--"IF YOU COULDN'T CARE LESS -- THEN HIT THE DELETE BUTTON". So what is one to do if you don't agree with the message but sympathise with the loss of a life?

I did some checking and the message originated in the United States in 2005 and has gone through a number of iterations until its present form today relating to the Canadian Armed Forces. You can find the details at http://www.snopes.com/politics/war/redfriday.asp . So here we have a rehash of a movement that started in the States in 2005 to involve the American public in supporting the involvement of the American Military in Afghanistan. Surely we don't have to borrow ideas to show support for the Canadian Military. Are there ways we can show support that is more meaningful than wearing a red piece of cloth once a week or hanging a ribbon-shaped 'fridge magnet' on our cars.  How about writing a letter to some of the soldiers you know currently serving at home and abroad. Afghanistan is not the only place in the world where Canadian Armed Forces are currently serving. Whereever our military serve there is danger. Many of the youth I taught are currently serving in areas of conflict and I pray for their safety frequently.

But sometimes I wonder what all the "To Do" is about. Here we have a group of Canadian citizens who have chosen a particular career--the Armed Forces. It is a career choice that involves a high degree of risk and the possibility of death. One choosing a military carer has to consider those options when serving for it is the nature of the military to be involved in conflict. Governments have a military to be deployed in actions that are hazardous to one's health. I deliberately emphasize the verb 'to chooe' because we do not have the draft in Canada.

Our government has chosen to place our Armed Forces into Afghanistan where there is increased risk of death for those serving. But that is the nature of military and govennments and soldiers. So, we have a group of people who have chosen this work and now that they are doing their jobs there is a movement to have all Canadians acknowledge the action in some way. The reality is not all Canadians agree with the action of the government. But I digress. There have been 85 Canadian military deaths in Afghanistan specifically in the 5 years Canada has been involved in this action. On average 17 deaths per year is the count to date. Each one of those deaths is a tragedy for the families and friends of the fallen.

I look at that number and other numbers come to mind. According to the World Health Organization's Mortality database there were 1,034 deaths in Canada in 1997 and 30,49 deaths in the US attributed to firearms. The Canadian Motor Vehicle Traffic Collision Statistics for 2001 from Transport Canada report 2,778 vehicle related deaths. The Journal of the American Medical Association reports 43,000 motor vehicle deaths in the US in 2005.

Each of these deaths is a tragedy and yet little is done to curb the root causes here at home. The dead don't get flag draped coffins or parades or people lining overpasses as the funeral cars travel the route. In fact the practice of pulling to the right and stopping when a funeral procession aproaches is mostly ignored these days. These numbers make me wonder why Canadians are not equally upset by the annual figures of senseless deaths here at home; particularly when the numbers are significantly higher than the deaths attributed to a military Action in Afghanistan.

Back to my dilemma! With all these thoughts stirring in my mind along with my own political views about the Canadian Armed Forces presence in areas of conflict, how shall I respond to the e-mail? I think I will make time tomorrow to write a letter to each of the men and women from my community currently serving in the Canadian Armed Forces. I think I'll go and visit my friend Jack, one of the few remaining WWII veterans still alive in our community. I think I'll send a donation to MADD while I'm at it.  I'll have to see what is available to support regarding firearms in Canada. As for the e-mail--well I don't think I'll wear red this Friday. GRB

Ex-Gurkhas who claim they have been racially discriminated against by the UK government have won the right to stage a High Court challenge....The judge told a courtroom packed with Gurkhas and their families that "an authoritative decision of this court as to whether or not the policy is unlawful" will be made by the end of September 2008.

Mr. Eugenides remarks mildly:

...it is little short of obscene that [the Home Office] are cavilling at the cost of letting men who have risked their lives for this country enjoy a dignified old age here...

The word 'obscene', now degraded to a mere legal term used by professional prudes to describe pictures the smuttiness of which happens not to coincide with their personal tastes, seems to me somewhat inadequate to describe the government's behaviour in this deplorable case, but I'm afraid that it's difficult to suggest anything more suitable.

Ghurkas represent very competently the values which once made this country great. Perhaps that's why the provincial government hates them so much, and why it will certainly do everything in its power to delay and to stall this case in the hope that all of the plaintiffs will die of old age before they have a chance to obtain justice.

How I wish that it were possible to deploy the Gurkhas against those who have so comprehensively betrayed us all. One of their more effective tactics, according to legend, is silently to enter the enemy barracks in the middle of the night, and silently to cut the throat of every other sleeping man. This tactic might be called "Don't forget: tell your friends."

On the other hand, it might be considered demeaning for such excellent fighting-men to be put to the mere extermination of that which is lower than vermin. It could be argued that such inadequate life-forms as the home secretary are unworthy even of a round of ammunition. Perhaps we should just carry on putting down poison.

The comments on this have fallen into two predictable groups. On the one hand, the dyed-in-the-wool Clarksonians; cheering, honking, revving their engines and pawning their grannies in order to afford a tankful of fuel for the fun car. On the other, the nanny statists; whining, scolding, won't-anyone-think-of-the-children, etc. etc.

On investigation I found this , which comes from the Swindon Advertiser (if not the horse's mouth, then at least that of someone who can see the horse's stable from where they live).

Apart from retailing the demands of some residents that the cameras should be switched back on, it reveals:

At present many of the town's speed cameras are out of action because the council believes it should receive the revenue from speeding fines instead of the Government.

Enough said.

today my red counts were just at the transfusion cutoff. I*, my nurse practitioner, decided to order two bags of blood because my counts were going to drop below the cutoff soon anyway. unfortunately, i broke out with some hives after the first bag. this was despite all of the pre-medications that i was given to prevent my body from reacting to foreign blood. it wasn't that bad--just an itch on my throat that i didn't even notice. after the transfusion, my nurse A*, however, freaked out a bit when she saw it--i suppose that a small reaction could be something big if it isn't suppose to happen.

she admonished me for not telling her sooner--but how was i to know? i couldn't actually see that the area that i was itching was pinkish until i went to the bathroom and looked in the mirror. and with the amount of pre-meds that i am given with each transfusion, its hard to distinguish what is a side-effect of the drugs and what is a reaction to the blood. for example, i often feel my heart beating a little faster during the transfusion. is that because of the hydrocortisone (a steroid) that they pump me up with OR is it the blood? is my light-headedness caused by the benedryl that i'm given OR is it the blood?

my rule of thumb is to use my past experience to guide me in what is "normal". i've had itchy reactions before, and they usually resolved within an hour. so with today's reaction, i didn't bring it to her attention because it never really grabbed mine. this heuristic has served me well, and despite A*'s admonishment, i'm still going to use it--otherwise i'll just turn into a basket case scrutinizing every burp and bloop.

in any case, i'm feel alot better after the transfusion--my fingers are warmer, and my tongue is redder. i celebrated the transfusion by taking a nap :)--benedryl makes me very sleepy!

incidentally, i cut my toenails over the weekend--yeah i was living life on the wildside. yesterday, however, i noticed that one of my toes got infected :-O. so much for a low probability event huh? but don't worry, i'm not going to die--i've got neosporin :-D! [queue applause]

I am generally a calm, mellow person. However, when in the presence of my love and feeling vulnerable, when feeling scared and when under the influence, I frequently do the wrong thing (See I am a dum dum). Now that I am not drinking, my life choices, my REACTIONS are all coming into plain view.

What I see I don't like.

My reactions are not what they should be. Many of them are emotional, especially in matters of the heart. So, to add to who I am going to be.... I AM GOING TO REMAIN CALM DURING EMOTIONAL SITUATIONS, TAKE A DEEEEEEEEP BREATH AND THEN DECIDE IF I REACT AND WHAT THAT REACTION IS.

I know, easier said than done so send some positive vibes my way so I can do this!!!!

It was all going great until an errant Rice Krispie fell onto the stovetop and Lane tried to pick it up... burning two of her fingers in the process.  :(  I realized what she was doing and grabbed and pulled her hand away before it could have been much worse, thankfully.  But I'm still disappointed that I let it happen at all.  :(  I was right there!  Oh well.  It could have been much worse, and it wasn't.

They're not bad.  Her index finger has a blister just a bit bigger than the size of a pencil eraser, and her middle finger has one a bit smaller than a pencil eraser.  Oh man, did she cry.  She's not exactly a child of reasonably-scaled reactions to things (to call her intense is unjust to the word "intense") so this smallish boo-boo sent her off the deep end.  The wailing went on for at least 20 minutes, followed by sniffling and recurring bouts of tears for 20 minutes after that.  It wasn't for at least an hour that I managed to get a smile out of her.  We did all the requisite first aid for a second degree burn -- cold running water for as long as I could get her to keep her fingers in the bathroom sink, then sitting on the couch watching a baseball game with her fingers in a cup of cold water after that.  (See, baseball!  Even an All-American distraction for my little girl!)

So now she's in bed, fingers intact.  My heart has mostly recovered.  And hopefully our upstairs neighbor hasn't called Child & Family Services on us.

A note on dates: mass market paperbacks (marked here as paperback) usually appear in the middle of the month prior to their scheduled date, trade paperbacks around the beginning of their scheduled month. Hence why Fearful Symmetry has been out for several weeks, Infinity's Prism is just coming out, and Greater than the Sum should be out shortly.

July 2008

Fearful Symmetry
Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, Olivia Woods, paperback

Already out, read, and reviewed here.

August 2008

Echoes and Refractions
Myriad Universes, Geoff Trowbridge, Keith R.A. DeCandido, and Chris Roberson, trade paperback

More alternate timeline joy. It's interesting to try and work out exactly what the points of divergence are, and how history would have evolved from those points - indeed, Trowbridge's "The Chimes at Midnight" - which I read an extract from in the latest Star Trek Magazine - starts from a well-established PoD, from the episode "Yesteryear". As it's set in the late 2280s, however, it's a veritable feast of timeline alteration, if a little confusing. Still, highly anticipated.

Greater than the Sum
Star Trek: The Next Generation, Christopher L. Bennett, paperback

While Before Dishonor was extremely disappointing (to the point of anger), I have faith in CLB to pull the TNG relaunch back from the abyss. This lead-in to Destiny should be a strong character piece, with fascinating scientific discussions. The Borg will only be a backdrop, methinks. This mysterious controlled slipstream will be the main plot.

The book should be out in the next two weeks or so. 

September 2008

Star Trek 101
Non-fiction, Terry J. Erdmann and Paula M. Block, trade paperback

The first proper non-fiction reference work (I'm not including that completely idiotic Captain Kirk's Guide to Women) since 2006. It may be intended for novices, but I'll be getting it anyway - Erdmann did a fantastic job with the Deep Space Nine Companion, and I'm looking forward to what he does with this. Not sure about the cover, though...

Kobayashi Maru
Star Trek: Enterprise, Michael A. Martin and Andy Mangels, paperback

Continuing the Enterprise relaunch, with the story behind the 'no-win scenario'. The Good That Men Do was an intriguing novel, and most enjoyable. We're building up to the Romulan War here (of which more later). An interesting tidbit - TrekMovie says this also ties in to Destiny (again, more on that in a moment), which suggests that all may not go well for Columbia in this novel... 

October 2008

Wounds
Star Trek: Corps of Engineers, Ilsa J. Bick, Keith R.A. DeCandido, John J. Ordover, Terri Osborne, and Cory Rushton, trade paperback

I haven't really followed Corps of Engineers - I own the first two print collections, and whilst I have no problems with eBooks, I've never got around to catching up, either in eBooks or in print. Still, the series has a strong premise and interesting characters. Maybe one of these days I shall get caught up.

Gods of Night
Star Trek: Destiny, David Mack, paperback

And here we go. This is the big crossover epic to close out the year. Now, the solicitation blurbs have cooled several people's anticipation for the trilogy, and I can understand why (I might make a blog post about that in general). But, looking at the follow-up novels to come, it looks as if we're going to get a fundamental shift in the Trek universe here - one with measurable and permanent impact. And the cover is lovely (but anything with Ezri on automatically gets a thumbs up from me... :D).

November 2008

Mere Mortals
Destiny, David Mack, paperback

Continuing on. This cover was first seen at the New York Comic-Con, and I had a very blurry and over-saturated image of it from then. The official release makes it look even better. 

Academy: Collision Course
Shatnerverse, William Shatner, with Judith & Garfield Reeves-Stevens, paperback reprint

I got this from the library in hardback. It's... OK as a piece of literature, tightly plotted and executed as you would expect from the Reeves-Stevens, but its characterisation of young Kirk and Spock fell a long way short. I won't be getting this - I stepped away from the Shatnerverse after Preserver, and was glad of it. It seems too much like an ego thing for Shatner now - Kirk is too powerful a protagonist.

December 2008

Lost Souls
Destiny, David Mack, paperback

Interesting, no cover has officially been released online for this. Marco previously said that all three covers would be released at the same time - I wonder what's on this that would make them hold it back? I mean, obviously Riker will be there, since the other two covers have the two captains named in the blurbs, but what else is there?

2009

January 2009

Shards and Shadows
Star Trek: Mirror Universe, various authors, trade paperback

The two novels that started this series were intriguing for the most part (although Greg Cox's "The Worst of Both Worlds" failed to excite me as much as I'd hoped). Whether a short story anthology like this will have the same impact is difficult to say - there are a number of strong authors and interesting concepts involved, though.

Errand of Fury: Sacrifices of War
Star Trek: The Original Series, Kevin Ryan, paperback

I haven't been following this set of two trilogies, and they didn't strike me as being something I'd be interested in. Still, it's the culmination of a long series, and I'm sure the fans of the work have been eagerly awaiting this. Of course, it's an expanded look at "Errand of Mercy", so it could be interesting...

February 2009

A Singular Destiny
Keith R.A. DeCandido, paperback

The first novel to deal with the aftermath of Destiny. All we have to go on is the cover, and the origin of the title. Now, the cover, showing what appears to be a devestated city, and a galaxy with some missing pieces, is very suggestive. KRAD gave the origins for the title, and I tracked down the full quote it sources from for Memory Alpha. That, combined with something I gleaned from Before Dishonor, led me to an interesting, but shocking, speculative conclusion. I shall recount this in another post sometime soon.

The novel is also in some ways a sequel to Articles of the Federation, DeCandido's fantastic West Wing homage. This time, he's tackling Tom Clancy (one of my favourite authors), and taking some of the characters from that previous work along for the ride. We'll be following a completely new character though, and I have my reservations about whether they will be established quickly enough to work as a strong protagonist.

March 2009

Mere Anarchy
Original Series, Mike W. Barr, Christopher L. Bennett, Margaret Wander Bonanno, Dave Galanter, Dayton Ward & Kevin Dilmore, and Howard Weinstein, trade paperback

Omnibus of an eBook series released in 2006. Not sure about this one - the premise of the series didn't make me hugely enthusiastic. I might get it from the library and check it out that way.

Over a Torrent Sea
Star Trek: Titan, Christopher L. Bennett, paperback

The second of the Destiny aftermath stories. I loved Bennett's last entry in this series, Orion's Hounds - he brought a ton of astronomy and astrophysics concepts into the story, but kept the characters strong as well - and he should do well mixing the impact Destiny has on the characters with the exploration angle here.

April 2009

Treason
Star Trek: New Frontier, Peter David, trade paperback

I haven't been keeping up with New Frontier - I stopped reading after the Excalibur trilogy. I doubt I'll pick this up. Interesting is the fact that it's a trade paperback, instead of the hardback which has been the norm since Stone and Anvil (and was part of Peter David's contract, IIRC, at least up to and including this book). Perhaps Pocket has decided that a HB then a MMPB reprint isn't working - after all, the reprints have taken up monthly slots that could be used for new material.
 
Full Circle
Star Trek: Voyager, Kirsten Beyer, paperback

I wasn't a fan of the Voyager relaunch - I gave up after the first duology, as the writing felt too much like fanfic, and the storyline felt leaden and uninteresting. But here we have a new author for the series, and it covers Destiny as well as the events of Before Dishonor and the Titan novels (which have Tuvok in them, hence the link). I might give this a shot.

May 2009

Crucible
Original Series, David R. George III, hardback

An omnibus collection of the three novels in the series. I already own these, and was bitterly disappointed by the Kirk volume (I can understand George's desire to undercut fandom expectations, but at least get a good book out of doing it! I would have much preferred a more intellectual study of Kirk, since it's an angle not normally explored; but that was the expectation he undercut - and badly, I'm afraid), so even the promise of additional material probably won't bring me to buy it again.

Open Secrets
Star Trek: Vanguard, Dayton Ward & Kevin Dilmore, paperback

Vanguard is a fantastic series, and the scenario we were left with at the end of the last book, Reap the Whirlwind, should provide another strong entry from Wardilmore. Will we finally find out the truth of the Taurus Reach project? And exactly how far have our characters gone to keep their secrets?

June 2009

Troublesome Minds
The Original Series, Dave Galanter, paperback

Not much known about this at the moment, only that it's set during Kirk's five-year mission - it all depends on the plot as to whether I get it or not. I've only read one thing by Galanter, and I can't recall anything specific about his writing, so I can't base it on the author's strength. Still, it's nice to see an Original Series novel beyond the Errand trilogies.

July 2009

Losing the Peace
The Next Generation, William Leisner, paperback

This is the TNG Destiny follow-up. Judging from the title, it doesn't bode all that well. Either whatever happens during Destiny destabilises the quadrant/galaxy in general, or a hostile force arises as a result. In general with these follow-up novels, it suggests that we will be getting a significant shift in the status quo - which should be interesting.

August 2009

Seven Deadly Sins
various authors, trade paperback

An intriguing concept, and unusual for an anthology not to be tied to any specific series (OK, Tales of the Dominion War, but you could easily associate that with DS9). The subjects of the stories match with their assigned sin very well, as do most of the authors set to write them (although some are new, or tackling subjects they haven't really covered before). It's nice to see David McIntee again, as well - his more humourous entry in The Sky's The Limit should bode well for a Ferengi story.

The Soul Key
Deep Space Nine, Olivia Woods, paperback

Carrying straight on from Fearful Symmetry. I guess we'll find out exactly what "betrayal" Sisko has visited on Vaughn. If this is as strong as Side A of Fearful Symmetry, I will be very pleased. Hopefully, we'll get to see how Woods tackles action sequences this time around.

September 2009

The Never-Ending Sacrifice
Deep Space Nine, Una McCormack, paperback

McCormack wrote the Cardassia segment in Worlds of Deep Space Nine, and did very well with it. This one will also focus on the Cardassians, and is part of the relaunch (two in two months!). My hope is it will also evolve some of the plot strands from the Terok Nor trilogy, and develop the reborn Orelian Way, which I found most intriguing - they seem to be connected to the Prophets, and may have a role to play in the coming war with the Ascendants...

October 2009

The Romulan War
Enterprise, Michael A. Martin, trade paperback

It's the big one - pretty much the ultimate entry in stories chronicling the missing chronology of the Star Trek universe.

Now, this was originally mentioned as being a trilogy, way back before The Good That Men Do. I guess with the number of strong novels they've got coming through this year, they chose not to lose three months worth of MMPB slots, and instead do a trade paperback with a larger page count (to fit the trilogy into a single release), and gain the three slots back.

Another interesting point - Martin is doing this book alone, instead of in collaboration with Andy Mangels. Mangels has said they'll tell us what's going on in the next few days - my guess is they just want to try and explore solo projects right now.

Title TBA
Voyager, Kirsten Beyer, paperback

Pocket obviously has faith in Beyer to commission this even before Full Circle is completed. They must expect a strong positive response from readers, as well. Well, it is understandable - the Voyager relaunch under Christie Golden apparently sold quite well (amazingly), and Beyer's ordinary Voyager novels have also. It'll all depend on the path she takes the characters on.

November 2009

Title TBA
Myriad Universes, authors TBA, trade paperback

The first volume having only just started to hit the bookshelves, and they have a third lined up to go. With this, the Voyager relaunch, and Olivia Woods' second novel, Pocket are showing a lot of faith in their authors and concepts - they must believe they have a good thing with them.

Title TBA
Titan, James Swallow, paperback

I've been a fan of Swallow's work since he wrote Star Trek: Invasion, and his Day of the Vipers was a brilliant piece of writing. I am intrigued to see how he'll tackle the Titan crew - there are a lot of interpersonal relationships and conflicts, the sort of thing he did well in Vipers.

December 2009

Out of the Cocoon
Corps of Engineers, Robert T. Jeschonek, Kevin Killiany, William Leisner, and Phaedra M. Weldon, trade paperback

See my reaction to Wounds above.

Title TBA
Vanguard, David Mack, paperback

Two Titan books, two Voyager, two DS9 relaunch, and two Vanguard in one year?! Magnificent! This one is written by the series creator, too, so it will be strong. Will this mark the next stage of the Vanguard story? Only Open Secrets will tell us for certain.

2010

These books have not yet been given a specific release month.

Unspoken Truth
Original Series, Margaret Wander Bonanno, paperback
The Millennium Bloom
Original Series, Mike W. Barr, paperback

These two books are both by authors who I would term 'old school' Trek writers - Bonanno famously fell out with Pocket Books over the Probe/Music of the Spheres fiasco, and it is a magnificent thing that the current editors have brought her back into the fold; Barr wrote a number of the DC comics, including the outstanding Mirror Universe Saga. Both are telling stories filling in gaps in Trek continuity - Unspoken Truth follows Saavik after Star Trek IV, which should be interesting, and hopefully answer once and for all whether Saavik became pregnant by Spock after helping him with his pon farr in Star Trek III (a scene that was removed from the script of IV); The Millennium Bloom features a very early adventure in the life of the USS Enterprise, with Robert April commanding. Both should be extremely interesting, and I look forward to reading them.

Conclusion

Looking at the schedule overall, it looks like Pocket is listening to the fans, and giving them what they want - reviving the Voyager relaunch, bringing the DS9 series back up to speed, covering more series instead of focusing on one or two (well, they have an excuse there, with the two anniversary years one after the other), and commissioning newer writers, whilst keeping faith with the well-established ones. There seems to be something for everyone. The last few years have been fantastic in terms of the breadth of material being offered, and it looks set to continue for the forseeable future. I, for one, am very pleased about that.

A complete list of first aid procedures might contain a number of “sublists.” It might, for example, have several supplementary lists under the main heading “animal bites.” While most information on first aid care focuses on dog bites and scratches caused by a cat, no list of first aid procedures should leave-out information on injuries caused by other types of animals.

An insect bite can set-off an allergic reaction. A list of first aid procedures should include information on how to care for those who display the symptoms associated with an allergic reaction. Adequate first aid care should include recognition of those symptoms, along with the realization that such symptoms send a message—a message that the bite victim needs immediate professional care.

A list of first aid procedures should include words such as “anitvenom” and “rabies.” The victim of an animal bite needs to get rabies shots, if there is evidence that the bite could have exposed the injured party to the organism that causes rabies. The victim of a snake bite might need to go to an emergency medical facility, where that victim could receive antivenom...

A list of first aid procedures needs to provide those who will administer first aid care with details about the symptoms that can arise, following an insect or animal bite. The victim of such a bite is apt to display marked swelling and redness. That victim might also complain about intolerable pain and unrelenting itching. In cases where the victim has received a severe bite, first aid care needs to correct for the loss of body tissue.

Following the administration of first aid, most injuries require an acceptable level of after care. In some cases, those who need to provide the extended care for an animal bite know very little about the animal that caused the bite or the sting.

That was the case some thirty-five years ago, when a young girl vacationing in South Carolina was stung by a jelly fish. She received the necessary first aid, but she returned home during the period when she needed extended care for her injuries.

Since that young girl had traveled to South Carolina from Illinois, her return home forced her to consult with a physician who knew very little about how to treat the skin, after that skin has felt the sting of a jelly fish. That doctor did not know that by recommending either calamine lotion or 1% hydrocortisone cream, he could relieve the itching about which his patient complained. That doctor had no doubt lived in Illinois for most of his life. He had never taken the time to study the first aid procedures that might be called for at points close to the ocean.