I think it's time to get mad again. Tune up your car, check the tire pressure, take your foot out of the carburetor, and only drive when necessary. Better yet, get a motorcycle and park that gas hog 4 wheels in the garage. Many motorcycles achieve anywhere from 50 to 150 mpg, which doesn't hurt at the pumps. $20 lasts me almost three weeks. My loud pipes is a celebration of my fuel economy.

William Perry

Dear Editor:

"Retain the Downtown Core Area’s position as the Heart of the Region: The role of the working harbour as an essential part of Victoria’s economic base is enhanced through land use and development policies", according the the city's web site.

As the city attempts to balance the economic benefits of tourism and development with maintaining a 'working harbour', the residential developments conflcit with this objective with a long-lasting affect on property values, lifestyle and the environment.

Where working harbours such as Halifax maintain the Port's global competitiveness, while reserving new and redeveloped sites for marine industrial and marine commercial uses, when we consdier the sustainability of the Point Hope Shipyard and the limited benefit it brings to the local economy: Are we flogging a tired old seahorse?

There are clean industries such as high tech, that combined are a billion dollar a year generator, that possess no smells, dust and noise disturbances, and do not require an opening bridge to accommodate it's needs.

William Perry

by Victoria Adams

Well, it seems that we’ve barely begun the New Year (incidentally it’s the Year of the Rabbit according to Chinese astrology), when the minority federal government, led by a colorful political personality some have called the “Mad Hatter”, has decided that it would be helpful to Canadians to launch a salvo at the opposition Leporidaen leaders (“The White Rabbit”, “Thumper”, and “Bugs Bunny”).

As an aside, no one dares to heave anything at the secular symbol of fun, fitness, and fiber food choices – the Easter Bunny - for fear of alarming the kids, (future voters in the Canadian parliamentary system devoted to “peace, order, and good government”).

Alas “attack ads”, whether they are created by the Liberal, Conservative, New Democratic Party, or the Bloc Quebecois, appear to be increasing both in size and scope. Perhaps this should not be surprising given the declared international “war” on drugs, terrorism, and now politically-incorrect language used by the revered 19th century American author, Mark Twain in his classic tale, “The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn”.

Rather than respond with inflamed passion to these political party “attack ads” or to try and grab the fin of a rather slippery “red herring” (like “merit pay for teachers”) thrown out by a candidate wishing to ‘chum the waters’ in a bid to secure the leadership of a BC provincial political party, perhaps voters should keep a level head and a firm grip on their pocket books -- particularly when floppy-eared folks come knocking on their doors promising to secure their homes from “The Rabbit of Caerbannog” (a killer rabbit from Monty Python and the Hold Grail). No fuss, no muss, just three easy payments of $14.95 plus 12% HST to eradicate the pest, or, alternatively, the “no cost” option of an electoral approval in the form of a “yes” vote in the ballot box.

More to the point, perhaps voters might consider not becoming attached to a particular political party or to a political personality and their particular way of seeing the world. Instead, voters might consider the merit of relying on their own experience of life and lessons learned as a useful way to identify the key issues they want addressed by any political party or by any political personality wishing to represent them.

In my humble opinion, as long as voters get caught up in the deals and dramas orchestrated by various political parties and personalities they become drawn into a self-serving game of “Kick the Can” replete with all manner of “dirty rascals” vying for top spot as “King of the Castle” and the right to carve up the public treasury pie as they wish. For those who don’t like playing this game, they can always become a spectator (provided they have purchased an expensive ticket and are willing to applaud the “winning” team or the actors performing in an amusing play about bread and circuses).

Canadian voters will not be able to address difficult problems and find appropriate solutions to issues they face, nor will they be able to exercise their fundamental right to “peace, order, and good government” if they become sidetracked by slugfests, soap-operas, and slippery scales being foisted upon them by political parties and their personalities, all which are designed to undermine the act of engaging in serious dialogue, discussion, and decision-making about things that truly matter to the majority of people living in a representative democracy.

By Quipping Queen

1.  The best wintertime outdoor entertainment is slipping and sliding on Canadian Goose guano, available for free in any park near you.
2. The crows aren’t arrested for disturbing the peace, but you may receive a summons in the mail for violating a noise bylaw prohibiting the operation of a lawnmower at 7:00 am on Sunday.
3. The fetid fragrance of fresh horse patties becomes part of the “quaint” ambiance of the neighborhood.
4. You have to share the sidewalk with feisty four-wheeled folks operating perambulators, electric scooters, or speed-demon skateboards.
5. You are outnumbered 40 to 1 in the summertime by American cruise ship tourists stampeding down Oswego Street looking for the Queen.
6. Pigeon poop and seagull shite are considered by many residents to represent some of the best examples of amateur abstract art to be found in the neighborhood's natural environment.
7. The next world-class visitor attraction features a “hot air” balloon tour of the neighborhood powered by huff-and-puff politicos from the BC legislature.
8.  A trusty leaf-blower is a more popular household necessity than a snow-blower.
9.  The stray blue peacock from Beacon Hill Park Petting Zoo has decided to make your backyard his home together with your cat, canine, and kids.
10. The sacks of smokestack soot collected from your summer sundeck can be converted to lumps of coal to put in the Mayor’s Christmas stocking.

Are you new to Victoria? We would love to meet you.

Join us for lunch at 11:30 am on Wednesday, January 19^th at the Cedar Hill Golf Club, 1400 Derby Road.

 Our speaker is Sherry LePage, a Victoria filmmaker specialising in arts and social issue documentaries and educational videos.

 For reservations call Kathy (778) 430 1892

The Victoria Fibromyalgia Networking (Support) Group Meeting will be on January 10/11 at 1:00 at the First Metropolitan United Church, corner of Quadra and Balmoral. Please enter from the Balmoral side courtyard....watch for balloons and sign.

Parking on Balmoral (2 hours!!) or in chuch parking lot off North Park. Meetings from now on will be on the 2nd Monday ofeach month, except July and August. This meeting will be an open discussion session.

$2 donation requested at door goes towards xeroxing costs. 

For further info call 250 381 5202

Settling the Salish Sea

Author Richard Mackie will recall the life and times of George Drabble, Vancouver Island's pioneer settler. This talk is based on Mr Mackie's book The Wilderness Profound: a Victorian Life on the Gulf of Georgia. January 27^th 2011 at 7.30 pm at the James Bay New Horizons Centre, 234 Menzies Street. Everyone welcome. More information at victoriahistoricalsociety.bc.ca.

Please note the following change of venue for the Victoria Evening Newcomers Club dinner meeting:

Tuesday, November 16
6:30 for 7:00 p.m.
Venue: Gorge Vale Golf Course at the corner of Tillicum and Craigflower Roads

James Bay will have a new addiction support group called LifeRing Secular Recovery starting at 7pm pm October 28th at the JBCP and thereafter every Thursday evening. This will be our seventh group in the Sothern Vancouver Island region and growing. LifeRing is an alternative to the present AA groups. We are quite different in a numbers of ways and we provide an important option for those that do not find success with other groups.

ABOUT LIFERING:
LifeRing Secular Recovery is a popular alternative for those confronting addiction. We have a three point philosophy: Sobriety - 100% abstinence from drugs and alcohol; Secularity - without religion (not anti-religious), discussions avoid divisive belief systems like religion or politics; and Self-Help - by creating a Personal Recovery Plan that is designed by you and works for you. In Victoria we currently have 5 meetings weekly (4 in the community and one closed meeting at the Victoria Community Medical Detox) We also have one meeting in Langford and Qualicum. LifeRing USA offers scheduled online "meetings" and "chat rooms", and has a tremendous number of resources available. We are a provincially registered non-profit.