wongrs
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Posts posted by wongrs
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I saw Simon last year and his demo was INCREDIBLE. Regular day at the office for him though.
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Bottom line for me? If the workers are treated fairly and paid a decent wage compared to the country's standard of living, I have no problem with corporations that use cheap labor. Keeps costs low, and frankly I'm keeping it real here folks. Companies are always going to be attracted and migrate to areas where cheap labor - which account for the majority of expenses - exists.
Fair trade as it relates to laws, and regulations, and the WTO are a larger issue of course, in that sense, one could say 3rd world countries have been exploited for decades because of the lack of a level playing field, subsidies paid by the rich countries, tariffs etc.
Smitty
This is the whole point to have fair trade labels. It identifies which companies treat their labour fairly from both economic and social perspectives. If something was not labeled fair trade, then the buyer wouldn't know if they were buying from the responsible or the plunderer unless you did a lot of homework. It helps those out who are interested to buy goods made responsibly rather than exploiting the labour.
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Fair trade in Latte shops is just slick marketing to make the left wing eco weiners feel good when they pay $5 for a coffee, nothing more. Where do they think thier ipods and iphones are made, do you think all this stuff is "fair trade"
A product that is certified as "Fair Trade" means that a minimum amount of money is paid to the workers who've made that product. In the case of coffee bean or cocoa bean farmers, that means that they get a fair consistent price for their product rather than depending on the world market fluctuations. Same goes for cotton or any artisan products. Canadian beef and pork farmers can relate as their livelihoods are also tied to spot market prices. Fair trade creates a market for goods that are made using environmentally and socially responsible practices. There is a market demand for fair trade which is why you are seeing it more often.
It's a personal choice and it's not for everybody. Either you like supporting people who are in a worse spot than you or you don't. Some people care about how the workers were treated to make the goods that they are buying and some people don't.
Labeling people who are trying to help out those less fortunate as an 'eco-weenie' is something I don't understand. Would you put the label 'eco-weenie' on someone who donates money to cancer charities or is involved in a streamside weed pull?
There are lots of resources out there to learn about fair trade. Just have to ask google.
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here's an idea. take a page out of the greenpeace or david suzuki foundation handbook and put together some campaign-styled advocacy. these organizations, while you may not agree with all of their views, are effective at producing easy-to-understand educational materials. they are also effective at influencing various stakeholders such as industry, government and the public.
a letter writing campaign can be effective if there is a common message among the letters. if everyone on this forum wrote their own letter with their own suggestions, what would Ted Morton do with all the suggestions? in my opinion, it would be more beneficial to get buy-in from differing stakeholders and put forth recommendations that are supported by all.
i also suggest that any campaign be targeted at the public as well. education may help to curb poor behaviour. a big enough stink will make the evening news and you will be speaking to thousands of albertans who share this resource.
my suggestions:
1) document the problem with pictures, reports and whatever data is available to illustrate the problem visually (i.e. on a website)
2) consult professionals in the industry (i.e. Harps, Stelfox and others)
3) consult other stakeholders (ATVers, trout unlimited, forestry sector, government personnel, other fishing groups) mentioned by pipestoneflyguy as having common interests to this group
4) propose regulatory changes that satisfy all stakeholders
5) present results to media or SRD
another good idea would be to head down there and film some nasty stuff, produce it professionally and put it on youtube (and send to media).
approaching various media outlets to do a story on the area would also help throughout the process. flushing out ideas here is a good start and it happens every year but fizzles out. i think you need to get consensus on what the problem is, regulatory changes on how to alleviate said problem, and outreach to the broader public and other stakeholders who don't understand what said problem is and who wouldn't normally care about it.
there are many professionals on this forum who have the ability to put together a substantial outreach campaign. putting together these efforts would produce more than a simple letter writing campaign. i bet you could get some good input if you called up an enviro org and asked for their opinion on some ideas.
2 cents worth from an accused 'eco-weenie'. while i don't live in ab any more, i still care about the condition of the area.
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as someone said, i bought a new bottle but i diluted my thick bottle with some new thinner stuff from the newer bottle. when it's fresh, it's not thick enough for me as i need an excessive number of coats to make flies such as buzzers.
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i haven't read any of the previous 2 pages, but to me that picture looks more like a llama than a horse. perhaps even a kangaroo.
my 2 cents. carry on.
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hi all, first post in a while...
i believe that i've lost my camera on the Waterton river near a bridge while breezing through town for the past couple weeks. not sure which bridge but it was outside the national park (i might have also lost it on the waterton golf course or on the campground i was camping at). anyways, it would be much appreciated if it is returned. i'm also willing to throw a couple dozen flies at the returner and pay for shipping (obviously).
olympus 720sw waterproof and shockproof with a silicone skin. silver.
man do i miss the alberta foothills and rockies. the sunshine in summer is incredible.
thanks for reading.
rich
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i just watched a fairly candid interview on cnn with palin post-election. it was refreshing to hear her speak honestly and openly instead of trying to use the word 'maverick' in every sentence. she was surprisingly down to earth and believable. she was probably being pressured by the rnc to put forth a certain image that just wasn't her and came across as fake to me.
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Sorry, I've been traveling for work and was not able to reply in a timely fashion. Perhaps it's not even worthwhile posting a reply at this stage but I thought I'd try to clarify some of my statements anyways.
Rick, I entirely agree with your statements. I don't believe she is not intelligent and I should apologize for my vague comments earlier. When I use comments such as 'stupidity' and 'moron' in a colloquial setting, it refers to lots of things that are socially bad and I did not intend the comment to be taken literally to mean that she has a low IQ. I agree with you that she can't be entirely stupid and be a governor of a US state. I'll even admit that even George Bush Jr. is likely more intelligent than people give him credit for.
Orvis, clearly I've written something that you have taken exception to and I apologize for that..You probably don't realize it but I agree with you statements to some degree (although a small degree). I agree with you that various sources of information (newspapers, tv, radio, internet collectively known as 'the media') have inherent biases. I believe these are based on the personal beliefs/values of individual reporters rather than an over-arching goal of the media organization controlling the message getting out.
Regarding Palin, I still believe that she is not suited to be the VP or P of any country at this stage. I've watched dozens of interviews from different media and the vice-presidential debate. I believe she was chosen for entirely political purposes to woo the dejected Clinton voters. She hasn't said a single thing yet that I would consider to be a credible concrete thought that belongs to her. That's my interpretation of all interviews but I realize it might be for different reasons such as she's being intensely coached by the republican party to say certain things like 'maverick' or whatever. And I realize that she hasn't been on the national stage before and is new to it and national issues. Personally, I find that she's not trustworthy and all of her answers are shifty and vague.
Hopefully this clears up my comments. I'm curious to know more about where the mistrust for 'the media' comes from. An idea for another thread.
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BC
Saskatchewan
Manitoba
Montana
North Dakota
South Dakota
Wyoming
pretty well pick any state in the US - royalties and taxes are lower, regulatory is less onerous.
Alberta has small drilling targets, high and growing regulatory requirements, and high royalty rates.
thanks.
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Very good points. If you could just point to the part where I said that the media was liberal-biased, I'll be on my way.
Perhaps you think I was referring to the media as being liberal-biased because the media has been delivering a message that anyone that criticizes the media is accusing them of being liberal biased. In reality, I specifically said that both liberal and conservative media groups distort the information you receive.
You believe you saw the full interviews? What you saw were the portions of the interviews that were chosen by the network to air. However, the media will show you what you want to see - so I don't blame them. I blame you for taking that and basing your beliefs on it.
Imagine if the statment made by Barack Obama about 'his Muslim faith' was all that you saw of the interview with George. Would you believe he was really a Muslim? Probably not, because you wouldn't want to believe it. But others would want to believe it, and so they do.
You probably look down on anyone who gets their information from the National Enquirer. The 'respected' media outlets are not much different, they just deceive a different group of people - sometimes with bias and intent, other times the deception is just a product of ingorance.
if i am understanding you correctly, there is no way to receive information on facts or events from any kind of media because it is inherently spun. is that correct?
i go back to my previous point, if somebody is asked a question and they open their mouth and total stupidity comes flying out of there (uninterrupted), then yes, i believe that person is a moron.
hey orvis, do you support palin? are you offended that i'm slamming palin because if so, i can stop.
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i'm basing my opinion on palin based entirely on the full interviews she has given. if someone talks like a moron, then guess what, i think they are a moron.
claiming that they are portrayed as a moron because the media is liberal-biased is way too easy of a cop-out. i haven't seen much republican support of palin either. is that a coincidence?
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Ed Stelmach is definitely a liberal. The NDP mantra is tax and spend big, the Liberal mantra is tax and spend medium, and the Conservative is to tax and spend small. It makes me sad.
By this definition, the federal conservatives would be liberals. Have they not spend a bajillion dollars in the past 2 years? They blasted through the 13Billion dollar surplus and have also spent a lot of money.
The energy industry is voting with money and jobs are leaving where companies have the choice. For small companies like mine, it's more difficult to pull up stakes and find projects in areas where the government is friendlier. I run the numbers on projects several times a week. This province is a tough place to invest.I disagree with bringing Klein back as his policies for education and health care helped create problems we see today.
Curious to know where alternatives to Alberta are for oil/gas extraction. where else is the capital investment safer than Alberta? How to royalties/taxes compare?
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The Canadian Liberals and the media are expounding on the US turning liberal and yet they clearly show they have not taken social studies or understand the faintest thing about US politics.
The US Democrats are more conservative than Canadian right wing conservatives. The Republicans are even more right wing. The US system would see the Canadian Liberals like Canadians see the left wing socialist NDPers compared to Canadian Liberals.
The Liberals are claiming to a degree that there is a liberal victory in North America.
What a laugh...
CBC radio has mentioned through their hosts and their guest speakers that the US democrats are 'further right' than Canadian conservatives several times over the past few weeks that I've heard.
Also, why wouldn't 'Canadian Liberals' be happy that a democrat was elected? It's either got to be a republican or a democrat so it's the better of the 2 options from their perspective. Seems logical to me but then again, not everybody values logic.
Really, I think everyone should be relieved that Palin isn't in a position to be president. Her in control is scary. She can talk up a useless verbal storm though if we ever need that skill.
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BUUUUURRRNN! nice one. even though for hockey this season i really only care whether detroit goes on a huge losing streak.
The reel is a Dragonfly Kamloops, I believe. I have a couple. Very nice sturdy reels.thanks for the info.
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nice fish. also a real attractive reel. make/model?
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fyi, albright tackle has a 70% off until the end of the month on their 14' 9/10 GP two-hander rod. it ends up being $90 or so. call the number and talk to burke white. he's a super nice guy that can give you the info. feel free to pm me about my delivery experience. it's a good price if you're just playing around with double-handers and want an entry rod.
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Curious to see the top 25 selling trout flies in the US this year? Some nice pictures and slight tweaks to common patterns. I like the variation on the parachute adams and the prince as well as others.
check it:
http://www.fieldandstream.com/article_gall...of-the-Season/1
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congrats matt. sounds like the event went really well. you must feel like a million bucks.
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sounds like a great day. are there any pics from the event?
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BOW RIVER CLEAN UP UPDATE: Edited Oct 14, 2008
When: Oct 19 @ 9:30
Where: Meet at Poliecemans Flats parking lot to pick up maps, garbage bags, gloves, and hand sanatizer, and be divided into groups based on the number of folks who show up.
BBQ: Fish creek park- Glennfield Group site B (see attached map pdf below. Spulombos sausages on the grill and side dishes from M&M meat shops. Prizes to be drawn at the BBQ.
http://www.tpr.alberta.ca/parks/fishcreek/...June%202008.pdf
Sponsors:
Hansons fishing ---------------- Fly rod (thanks Wayne, 813 1st St SW)
St Croix Rods------------------- 2 - 40% discount cards for any rod and reel
Cabelas ------------------------- 2 -fishing vests, 10 camo Cabelas hats
Bauer Premium Fly Reels------ Premium fly reel
Twin Butte Energy-------------- Cash Donation towards garbage trucks and bags
Private donor-------------------- Two night weekend stay at the Hyatt Regency Calgary
Spolumbo's fine foods--------- BBQ Sponsor for all spicy and chicken sausages and buns
The Fishing Hole---------------- Shimano fishing package (spinning rod/reel combo and a Shimano tackle bag) $200 value
Bow River Troutfitters---------- 2 person beginner or intermediate fly fishing school"
Simms Fishing Products-------- River shed aquastealth wading boots (Size 11, may be )
Morin Realty (278-2900)--------Large arbor Fly reel
M&M Meat Shops----------------- $100 credit for BBQ event
MANY MORE TO COME And be sure to support out sponsors as they are supporting such a great event!
NOTE: Please E-Mail me madams@twinbutteenergy.com and let me know if you will be attending
PRIZES: All prizes will be drawn for at the BBQ event, you will enter your name in the morning or at the BBQ via numbered tickets DONT LOOSE THEM! We are still looking for people to offer a clinic at the BBQ
DIRECTIONS TO POLICE MANS FLATS (like you don't know) : (East on Dunbow Road, and south on Bow Bottom road to parking lot) Google 50.842070, -113.951280 for exact location
dang dude, this is looking pretty wicked.
where the hell were you last year when i needed the help!?!?!?! ha, just kiddin'...wish i could be there.
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Us against them is not healthy, regardless of which side you are on
thanks for pointing that out rick. i've noticed that you're really good at seeing different perspectives and hearing people out on their arguments.
so many people these days (including myself and our political leaders) are so partisan and biased that they'll simply dismiss arguments or policies that come from 'the other side' regardless of their merit. it's immature, disrespectful, selfish and irritating.
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I've run into a retailer in Toronto this past weekend who sells Grey's Rods. Anybody have any experience with them that can comment?
Specifically, I'm looking at the 10' GRXI in an 8wt for great lakes salmon and ontario bass fishing. If you have had any experience with them, then your comments would be much appreciated!
I'm also considering the Sage Launch and FLI (although the Sage's don't seem to come in 10' lengths) and the TFO TiCr.
Wild Salmon In Bc - Are They Important To You?
in News Discussion and Current Issues
Posted
I've signed the petition and recently viewed some of Alex's videos. Pretty scary stuff with the sea lice. I've committed to not eating farmed atlantic salmon due to those videos combined with the SeaChoice reference card.
Thanks for raising the issue!