Why not raise MP salaries and cut the pension completely? #cdnpoli

Posted on September 27, 2012 by

Conservatives back hike in MP pension contributions – Politics – CBC News.

CBC Image
(CBC Image)

It’s a good start, but I’m actually a firm believer we should pay our politicians more. Yes, controversial, I know, but I have reasons for saying this.

It is a thankless job most of the time, and most work very hard. More money would also help attract more capable candidates who were willing to try what amounts to a 4 – 8 year “contract” position that allowed them to make a difference in how the country runs.

But…

    take away the pension completely!

Let them invest whatever amount they want from their salaries in self-directed RRSPs. Maybe even offer a matching payment scheme, say 5%, like many private employers offer. The savings on pensions alone would more than cover any salary increases.

Just my $0.02 worth.

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Teacher fired for giving student a zero finds new home at ‘old-fashioned’ private school #education

Posted on September 20, 2012 by

Lynden Dorval

Lynden Dorval finds new home at ‘old-fashioned’ private school.

Good for him!

I’m all for formative evaluations. They are far more valuable as an indicator of progress than cumulative evaluations (read ‘final exams’, which are basically the modern-day version of educational dinosaurs).

However… I am also a firm believer in education as a two-sided effort. Teachers are responsible for providing the best possible learning experience, using the best possible teaching techniques and assessment techniques, and provide as much additional help as reasonably required to ensure the learner has every opportunity.

But… Learners must also be accountable for their side of the deal. That means doing the assigned work that is designed to help aid their education/learning. Even using “formative assessment” as a platform, failing to hand in an assessment – without reasonable excuse – can only be assessed with a zero. Just like an apple picker who fails to pick an apple from the tree will starve, a learner who doesn’t do the assignment can’t be assessed formatively or cumulatively if they haven’t submitted anything.

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Outer Space Treaty

Posted on August 21, 2012 by

With us being close to going to Mars, this seemed an interesting read…

Outer Space Treaty – Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

Interesting part:

The treaty explicitly forbids any government from claiming a celestial resource such as the Moon or a planet, claiming that they are the Common heritage of mankind.[2] Art. II of the Treaty states that “outer space, including the Moon and other celestial bodies, is not subject to national appropriation by claim of sovereignty, by means of use or occupation, or by any other means”. However, the State that launches a space object retains jurisdiction and control over that object.[3] The State is also liable for damages caused by their space object and must avoid contaminating space and celestial bodies.[4]

Question that popped into my head:
So… when does Molly Maid go to the Moon and Mars to clean up NASA‘s debris?

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How to Trick Your Taste Buds Into Enjoying More Healthy Foods

Posted on March 16, 2012 by

A friend of mine posted this article from theatlantic.com (@TheAtlantic) on Facebook:

How to Trick Your Taste Buds Into Enjoying More Healthy Foods

Image from www.theatlantic.com

It makes great arguments about how we have evolved to eat certain types of foods (crunchy, sweet, and salty) based on survival instincts, and how we must use those instincts to replace processed foods with healthier choices.

While I agree with this article, particularly with regards to the “crunch” (chips are my Achilles heel…), it omits another – and potentially the biggest – “crunch” to which processed/junk foods appeal – the “time crunch“.

The processed food machines have also spent billions selling their “quick fix” meals to a society that, whether real or perceived, is also addicted to a time crunch. They have convinced us that time spent preparing meals is wasted, rather than time that can be enjoyed. As a result, many people would rather plunk their fat a$$ down in front of the TV with a pre-processed dinner cooking in the oven or microwave rather than take a little extra time to prepare a healthy meal. That needs to be addressed as well.

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Top geek @SaintJohnShawn wins $10K for hospital wait time app

Posted on March 9, 2012 by

Shawn Peterson, a young man I have the pleasure of knowing from his days as a student of mine at the New Brunswick Community College.

His current achievement was noted on his own blog post here.

His idea? From his own blog posts:

What if the data already collected by hospitals was used to display real-time estimates for emergency rooms wait times? 

His product gives patients an idea of how much time they should be able to expect to wait in a hospital emergency room, based on their injury. It can be accessed via computer or a mobile device. 

Shawn worked closely with Saint John Regional Hospital staff and administration for this project and hopes to have the project implemented provincially next.

Shawn has always been a go-getter. He is also the wonderful wizard behind Propertize.ca, a web site that puts the Province of New Brunswick’s existing property tax assessment information pages to shame.

A shining example of local creativity, determination, and talent, I can’t wait to see what Shawn comes up with next!

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