The Words on What...

Being a bookkeeper is a surprisingly physical job

Rob F — Sat, 08 Jun 2013 01:46:03 +0000

With other people, spent all day collecting and packing several months’ worth of files.

Drove them to another location elsewhere in Metro Vancouver.

We took the files up several flights of stairs, and organized them in that building.

We’re not finished yet.

Victoria Day 2013

Rob F — Mon, 20 May 2013 17:40:55 +0000

Happy Victoria Day, everyone.

2014 Women’s World Championship info

Rob F — Sat, 18 May 2013 05:29:29 +0000

The IIHF has released dates and venues for all of its upcoming tournaments, including the senior and U18 Women’s World Championships.

Unfortunately here is no senior World Championship next year (2014), only the Olympics. Shame on you, IIHF.

However, there are tournaments for all the lower levels. The Division I Group A tournament will take place April 6–12 in Prerov, Czech Republic. The competitors will be Czech Republic, Denmark, Slovakia, Austria, Norway, and France. Notice that last years winner, Japan, isn’t in it? This therefore seems to indicate that they were indeed promoted. I’m no sure what happens to the team that wins 2014′s edition. Possibilities include simply not promoting them (bad), holding a qualification tournament between Japan and the 2014 winner (my favoured solution), or nine teams in 2015 (awkward but doable).

Orange crushed

Rob F — Wed, 15 May 2013 06:50:51 +0000

Well, the election is over and there is a result no one expected. Christy Clark and the BC Liberals were re–elected to another majority government. The NDP will be the official opposition, and Green Andrew Weaver and independent Vicki Huntington will round out the legislature. In what might end up being BC’s version of Don Getty, Clark might lose her own seat (Vancouver Point Grey); she was trailing by a few hundred votes as of this writing. Nevertheless, she still qualifies as the first female to be elected Premier of British Columbia. Update (2013–05–15): Clark did lose her own seat, narrowly. This will be no barrier to her keeping her job. Some liberal in a safe seat will resign to let her come in in a by–election.

Everyone who looked at the polls would have easily predicted an NDP win. The Liberal win is therefore truly an upset. I myself said that “it seems likely that NDP flags will fly in enough ridings tomorrow to give them a narrow majority government.” I made that prediction, and unlike American political operatives who melt down on live television, I admit that I got it wrong and accept responsibility for my error. Let this be seen as an opportunity to improve polling methods and voting projections so that there will be no more surprises in the future.

As I indicated, British Columbians had a chance to end our perverse “tradition” of putting women in charge of political parties in ruins. From Rita Johnston losing her seat in 1991, to Kim Campbell taking charge only to lose in the PC wipeout, to Joy MacPhail becoming Leader of the Opposition with only two seats, to Carole James taking over that position, for far too long a British Columbian woman leading a major political party has meant that her party is (about to be) in ruins. But with Clark winning, that streak is finally over. That ought to be one good thing everyone can agree on.

And voter turnout was dismal yet again. Folks, I know you can do better.

Election day today

Rob F — Tue, 14 May 2013 13:47:32 +0000

Election day is today. The polls open at 8am, and remain so for twelve hours until 8pm. Make sure you vote.

Elections BC has more information.

Even if you live in a safe Liberal or NDP seat, you have no excuse. I live in a safe seat, and always vote.

Election day tomorrow

Rob F — Tue, 14 May 2013 04:58:22 +0000

Voting day is tomorrow in British Columbia. Make sure you vote.

Based on the polls and predictions, it seems likely that NDP flags will fly in enough ridings tomorrow to give them a narrow majority government. It was a lot bigger margin weeks ago, but after Christy Clark’s performance in the leaders’ debates, her party acquired a big jolt of momentum, causing the gap to narrow. Frankly, the election can’t come soon enough for Dix and the NDP. Part of me is happy that there won’t be a Liberal wipeout. First, a strong opposition is always necessary, and second, the strength of the Liberal showing will have a large influence on whether Clark stays on until the following election. This means that we British Columbians still have a chance to end our perverse political “tradition” or streak of putting women in charge of political parties in ruins.

I am glad that the Liberals will be out of power. But I am not particularly thrilled that the NDP will be taking power; for various reasons, I believe that Dix will be a disastrous premier. And it is a sad reality of a two–party system that only the Liberals and NDP have a realistic chance of forming government. And furthermore, although exceptions exist, in general, only those two parties manage to recruit knowledgeable and qualified people who can bring their expertise to government.

For the above reasons, I explicitly refuse to endorse any party. But there are indeed a number of individual candidates I’d like to see elected, such as Weaver in Oak Bay–Gordon Head, and a number I’d like to see defeated, in particular Polak in Langley. Please, elect him and throw her out.

Canadian sexual assault victims have little confidence in the justice system

Rob F — Mon, 06 May 2013 19:49:50 +0000

In today’s Province there was a report on the results of a survey of victims of sexual assault. The demographically–diverse survey interviewed 207 people. The results are very consistent with what activists have been saying for years.

Among the results:

Two thirds of both male and female victims of sexual assault had no confidence in the justice system, ranging from actually filing a complaint on forward.
A majority of people did not report either sexual assault or sexual abuse to authorities. Reasons given include fear of victim–blaming and a fear of not being taken seriously.

The results were released late last month. I searched for it on the Department of Justice’s website, but couldn’t find it.

Anyway, the implications of this survey are clear. We need to restore confidence in the justice system.