Can You Believe This?

What does human rights mean to you? There are many things that fall under the category of human rights, one of them is the basic right of life that was given to us by our parents. Unfortunately I read a press release today about capital punishment. The press release was from Amnesty International. Let's just say that I was far from impressed and a little outraged OK actually it was more like enraged by learning that the ancient practice of stoning was still alive and well. When some one is stoned to death I'm not talking about overdosing here they do not use what I commonly refer to as stones; no, the stones they use are specifically large enough to inflict as much pain as possible with out immediately killing the individual. This form of death by torture is legal in Iran.

I cannot believe what I am reading in the press release. I know that the facts are real and the people that have been sentenced to die this way are real; but shouldn't this practice have been outlawed many years ago? In Biblical times stoning was an acceptable practice for punishing criminals, you can read about torturing and killing criminals in the Bible some of the crimes these committed are enough to grant them sainthood in today's society e.g. John the baptist being beheaded for spreading the word of the coming Saviour. Is it not time for us all to outgrow the mistakes of the past and finally learn from them? Are there really so few people that think life is not something that should be cherished regardless of one's transgressions? Don't get me wrong, people who break the law should be subject to fitting punishment; but death?

The part that really made my blood boil was the part about some of the people who are signing these confessions that allow for sentences of death by stoning cannot even read. For all we know they could be told that they are signing a confession that carries a sentence of two or three months imprisonment but is actually a death sentence. I cannot understand why anyone could do that to some one who's crime is something that makes porn stars rich. I can understand that the whole middle east region is not only torn by warlords but is also extremely religious, but who made you God?

I am aware that people have different views on capital punishment, the country to the south of my local practices capital punishment. My opinion is that people should not be put to death for their crimes. I am also aware that in some cases those that are sentenced to death are mostly deserving; but is it really our place to play the role of God and decide if their life should be ended? I was brought up Christian and whole heartedly believe that it is not our place to judge. If I may quote the Bible here, Jesus said "Let him who is without sin cast the first stone." Are we so uncivilized that we can actually let people be put to death intentionally?

I am sure that everybody has an opinion on capital punishment; I just shared my opinion with you. If you need more information please visit Amnesty International for the latest news. Please leave a comment with your opinion, I really want to hear what your opinions are on this outrage.

Canada's Economy is Growing

I was spending some reading a few articles online today and came across another interesting one. While I was on CBCs website I found an article about the Canadian economy. In April of this year 19,200 jobs were created. Although this is good news for the economy the national unemployment rate went up by a tenth of a percentage point mostly because more people began to look for work. This really is not a bad thing, I must say my reaction to the news is a little mixed.

Inside the article I found that the majority of the jobs were in the food services sector which is known for lower paying positions. On the plus side 16,000 jobs were added in the construction sector - a very seasonal sector, gains are mostly expected to rise in Canada's second season: Construction. Now granted that jobs were added in both the food services and construction sectors both have some draw backs. Housing markets are cooling at least that is what I am reading which really cannot be all that good for sustainability. But there is a silver lining, our country is growing despite all the talk about recession in the US.

At least in the face of adversity our Canadian Dollar is still holding its ground. Even if there are some mixed reports about job growth in Canada the overall picture that I am getting from the article is that Canadians are buying into our own markets. One of the keys to keeping our GDP on track is to support our own industries and rely less on imports for the many things we purchase everyday. I have never claimed to be an expert economist but I do like sharing my opinion; in any case even though there are mixed reactions to the news, there still are more hurdles to jump over. For example: crude oil continues to become more expensive but the problem with oil is that if you use less they're going to raise the price anyway. The cost of gas is not the only problem facing us today but it is one of the most broadcast problems.

Part of our problem lies with the snails pace of battery technology. We have the knowledge to build and produce electric cars for the market but current battery technology limits the range on these vehicles to about 20km don't hate me if this number is wrong, its an old number there may have been some advancements. But I seem to be going on a tangent again, back to the article.

The Bank of Canada is still wary of our domestic economies robustness as the weakening in the US markets continues. A strong Canadian dollar has been the reason for a lot of closures in Canada last year and this year. The company I work for used to have a manufacturing plant in Canada, shortly after the dollar peaked and was trading for $1.10 with the US One Hundred and Sixty-Three people were laid off and the manufacturing went back down to the US. Our domestic robust economy certainly could be linked to the withdrawal of US manufacturing companies and a lot of people showing an entrepreneurial spirit. I don't know every thing but I like to think positive. In any case this has been my opinion, what do you think?

News Story: Canadian economy adds 19,200 jobs

Birthday Contest

Today is my birthday! I am not going to tell you how old I am, but I will say that I am between 16 and ancient. At the beginning of the month I said I would be announcing my first Contest that I will be running here. Well I have not run a contest on my blog before so I am a little new at this. The prize will be 500ec and for the duration of the contest I will be giving away an additional 100ec every week to a randomly selected commentator from Entrecard. (Be sure to leave a link to your Entrecard Profile so I can be sure you are eligible for the 100ec). There can only be one winner and the winner of the contest will be my top dropper over the next 30 days. See I told you it would be easy to enter the contest. The winner of the 500ec will be announced on June 10th 2008. Thanks for stopping by and let my first contest begin!

Image Source: Wiki Media Commons

Wordless Wednesday: Domino Is In The House!

Well Domino has made it to my house and he is quite the handful. At least he is slowly becoming a little more obedient which is good, less messes in the house I have to clean up!

Yawn ... So Tired ... Wait, I'm Awake, Really I AM!

Today I was watching some reactions to campaign speeches from the two front runners in the Democratic Primaries. I know that some people are thinking the same thing I was; "You mean they still are campaigning for a nomination?" Well maybe not everybody; politics is really big in the US and I am OK with that. Although north of the border with an outsiders point of view I really am surprised that the American people are bringing this race for the nomination right down to the wire. I am sure that voter turn out rates are increasing but I do remember one of the anchors on CNN mention that some democrats are flip flopping to the republican side because of the lengthy campaigns.

I am certainly glad that people are going out and making their opinion count when it matters. This up and coming election will be interesting to watch from the outside; I think I'm going to need to get some more popcorn. I can vaguely remember the last federal election in the US; I do not remember much from the primaries considering there was only the democrats because W. was running for his second term. But what I do remember is that there was some really good mud slinging going on. We have had a few good mud slinging contests up here between our politicians, I just think it is more entertaining when you can watch from the outside. Hmm... I wonder; do you need a degree in Dramatic Arts to get into politics?

All jokes aside I am glad to see that the American people are very picky about who they want to run for President. My view on voting is that it is the most patriotic part of a democracy. Think about it for a second, you get to choose who leads your country. Now this can or cannot be the easiest decision you have to make; you do have to weigh the pros and the cons of the promises the candidates are making. One thing that kind of struck me as a blatant plea for your vote was a gas tax relief program that is really only good in the short run. Granted there are a lot of people who live pay check to pay check; but the oil companies have been preying on our fears for many years which probably will not change. I know that this is only one of the issues but I can't know all of the issues facing Americans; after all, I am Canadian.

Yawns. I am a little tired right now so I will have to end this little observation of mine. I apologize for being so tired but after long day at work and watching the same thing get broadcast over and over has kind of made me sleepy. I will have to find some toothpicks to hold my eyes open for the rest of the Democratic primaries; they seem to be dragging out, but in a good way. The good thing about having a lengthy Primary is that you really get a sharp picture on where the candidates stand. America, it is your time to make your opinions count during this election, choose your candidate well and make sure you show up at the polling stations to make your voice heard. As for what this means for Canadians, we will work with whoever you choose to lead your country; but I'm sure quite a few of us Canadians have either lost interest or also going to get some toothpicks to hold their eyes open. If you have made it this far in my post please leave a comment and share your point of view, I look forward to hearing more opinions on the elections. Thanks for reading my opinion.

Image Source: WP Clip Art

Thought of the Day: May 1st

Well it is the end of the first day of May for me. April has had some good points but I am just glad that it is over and warmer weather is on its way. We are getting really at busy at work so I may find it hard to post, but I will find something to write about; no more writers block for me thanks. Some of you may have noticed that I have started doing a Wordless Wednesday here, I will be keeping that up as long as I can get a flash card reader so I don't have to use the camera on my phone to get pictures on my computer. I am also thinking about giving away 500ec this month although I am still working on what kind of contest I want to run. I will probably announce the contest on my birthday, but I will not disclose that date just yet. Thanks for stopping in and dropping your cards or comments or both they are all appreciated and I look forward to reading them every time you leave one. So in closing, let's see what the month of May has to offer!