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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 2008-05-15, Page 5THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, MAY 15, 2008. PAGE 5. Bonnie Gropp TThhee sshhoorrtt ooff iitt A sure cure T he pen was an archaic instrument, seldom used even for signatures...Apart from very short notes, it was usual to dictate everything into the Speak-Write... (1984) Ah, yes. According to George Orwell’s terrifying but, it turns out, not-so-prophetic novel, we should be into at least our third decade of The Paperless Society by now. Orwell predicted that it would be achieved through tyranny. Other Brave New Worlders among us have been forecasting the end of paper since at least the 1970s. The forecasts were a tad premature. A poll just released by Leger Marketing shows that we’re using more paper than ever before. According to Leger, Canadians are printing out about 30 pages of documents per person, per day. Like most polls, this one makes me scratch my head a bit. All Canadians? I certainly don’t achieve that daily quota, and I seriously doubt that Nova Scotia lobstermen, B.C. tree planters and Manitoba rapeseed farmers are downing traps, shovels and disc harrows to rush over to their printers and churn out 30 pages of data every day, but let it pass. This poll boasts a margin of error “plus or minus 3.4 percentage points, 19 times out of 20” and who am I to argue with performance figures like that – whatever the hell they might mean? Let’s suppose the poll is accurate. Let us further suppose the Leger pollsters are correct in their observation that nearly half the respondents are producing even more documents that they were five years ago. In other words, that The Paperless Society is getting further away rather than closer. The pollsters report this as if it’s some strange and inexplicable phenomenon. I say: “Yeah, so? What did you expect?” People like paper. You can hold it in your hand or fold it up and put it in your pocket. Next time you check, the paper will still be there. It won’t vanish in a phosphorescent poof, or greet you with a line of type reading FILE NOT FOUND or INTERNET ACCESS NOT AVAILABLE AT THIS TIME. And that’s the other side of this two-faced socio-cultural shekel: as much as we feel comfortable with paper, we fear and loathe our computers. Why wouldn’t we? Personal computers, once heralded as technological Lone Rangers riding to our rescue, have turned out to be tiresome and infuriating burdens ranking somewhere between migraines and jock itch. The personal computer. Like brassieres that hook at the back, the Edsel and the notion to introduce rabbits to the Australian outback, it seemed like a good idea at the time. But then hooking up with the Great White Gods From Across The Sea seemed like a good idea to First Nations people – until they found out about VD and Smallpox. PCs too, come with a blizzard of technological variations of the Clap. They’re even called viruses. My computer guru informs me that I need to make my computer password ‘more sophisticated’ to foil hackers and the viruses they throw around like grass seed. “You mean ‘ablack44’” isn’t wily enough?” I ask her. She smirks. “Your password should be at least 15 characters long,” she tells me. “So…like ‘Friendsromanscountrymen’”? I suggest. She smirks again. “Don’t use a guessable phrase,” she says. “Hackers love that. And be sure to throw in some numbers. And some upper and lower case. And some special characters.” I think we settled on ‘G%*rnxy*85thislAnd$&FnorZ’ as my new password. I’m sharing it with you because I won’t be using it. I threw up my hands when she told me I need at least four new passwords – and that I should change them all once a month. Life’s too short, folks. And paper’s still too handy. Contrary to what Bill Gates told us, the personal computer is not ‘the magic key to the future’. That was an empty promise. As Sam Goldwyn said, “Never trust a verbal promise. A verbal promise ain’t worth the paper it’s written on.” Arthur Black Other Views Paperless society? Hah Premier Dalton McGuinty is missing opportunities to make the legislature work better for MPPs and the public – he is too busy looking after himself. The Liberal premier has forced through rule changes under which the legislature conducts its most important event, question period, in the mornings on the ground this corresponds more to others’ normal workdays. Criticism properly has focused on this, because it reduces the time opposition parties and their small staffs have to prepare questions, which mostly are based on happenings late the day before and morning newspapers. It provides no such problem for the government in preparing answers, because it has so many eager young staffers running around the corridors at Queen’s Park it looks more like a branch of the University of Toronto next door. Ministers also do not have to give real answers, but can just smother questioners in irrelevancies. The government argues it is providing more time for debates, but this could be achieved better by, for example, abolishing the practice of allowing all parties to ask questions in rotation so government MPPs ask almost as many as opponents. Liberal MPPs use their opportunities almost invariably to ask ministers to re-announce programs they have already announced (as the Progressive Conservatives and New Democrats did when they were in government.) The first day under McGuinty’s new rules exemplified this. Liberal Linda Jeffrey wanted to know what the government is doing to keep Ontarians safe in emergency. Community Safety Minister Rick Bartolucci congratulated her for being “so proactive on emergency preparedness” – ministers always praise Liberal questioners, hoping this will be reported back in their ridings -- and said by coincidence he recently outlined government policies and did it again. Yasir Naqvi, the next Liberal questioner, said he was pleased Health Minister George Smitherman visited a hospital in his Ottawa riding and asked him baldly to repeat what he said there. Smitherman gushed the MPP is “so vigorous in supporting investments in his community” and their government is busy making radiation treatment more accessible. Bas Balkissoon suggested the government has been tough on crime and asked for an update and Attorney General Chris Bentley lauded the Liberal as an ardent advocate of fighting crime and reeled off his policies. Carol Mitchell needed to know what her government is doing to support festivals in her riding and Tourism Minister Peter Fonseca called her a wonderful champion for her community and read a list of its help. The Liberals did not have a genuine question and should no longer be allowed to take up time in which the opposition parties could ask real questions. The government has ended almost all evening sittings of the legislature on the grounds they interfered with MPPs’family life and provided a poor level of debate, and there is some truth particularly in the latter. Few MPPs attended, often not the required number to continue so whips had to scurry to round up others. Sittings often adjourned early because they had nothing to debate. News media virtually never attended and there was no chance MPPs would get their names in the papers. But the parties made the evening sessions what they were. They used to be well attended and sometimes a premier would show up. Reporters also covered them and found them worth staying for. The Liberals and other parties also have not suggested the legislature stay open more of the year. It sits an average of only 83 days, although governments usually count each evening sitting as an extra day to suggest to the public they work longer. The Liberal government complains constantly debates take too long and cuts them off and the opposition parties are always protesting they are not allowed enough time to discuss important issues. The legislature is fully staffed to operate year-round and politicians should have it sitting more of the year, dealing with issues while they are topical – they no longer have to be home tilling their fields. Eric Dowd FFrroomm QQuueeeenn’’ss PPaarrkk Iwalk. Fast as I can. Not because I want to, not because I have places to go. No, I walk because I’m middle-aged and want to do everything I can to get older well. While today the emphasis on exercise is as strong as ever, for me the focus behind it has certainly shifted. I remember a space in time some years ago when I planned an aggressive attack on my lifestyle. It involved not just altering my diet, but embarking on a rigorous fitness routine that combined both cardio and muscle strengthening. I toned, lost weight and felt incredible. However, for the past several years, neither amping up the routine, nor altering it has resulted in a loss of weight. It’s no longer about losing fat and building muscle to create a nice stream-lined physique and improve energy. The adrenal charge has retreated and I sometimes feel I’m losing the war. Interestingly, I can attribute many of my aches and pains to exercise. Exercise no longer rejuvenates. Rather than a sudden surge of vitality what I tend to feel instead is an enveloping exhaustion. No, now it’s all about hanging on for dear life. I exercise because I’m told over and over that for my own good, I must. So I take to the streets with a friend and use my treadmill with a degree of faithfulness, all with no tangible proof of the benefit of my efforts. It’s probably improving my cholesterol and sugar levels. It’s probably increasing my immunity and aiding in the battle against osteoporosis. And while I may not be dropping pounds I’m not gaining them either. Because fitness has become more of a must for me, however, and because I hate doing things I must, I begrudge the time it takes. Three-quarters of an hour minimum every day shouldn’t be too difficult to squeeze in, but it seems harder than it should. Add to this the fact that cardio and toning work isn’t enough for an aging body and it’s occurred to me I could probably dedicate every waking hour to exercise in some form or another. A magazine I subscribe to offers a section that targets particular problem areas and suggests exercises that will strengthen or ease discomfort. So what would my time be like if I were to try and address all that needed addressing? Sitting at a computer all day? Try these neck and shoulder routines. Just four sets of seven, three times a day. Lower back problems? Complete these simple exercises every day, four times a day. Repeat each one eight times. Reaching that certain age? These steps will help you strengthen muscles and help ward off osteoporosis. Do 10 reps of each of the five exercises three times a day. It’s important of course to keep muscles and ligaments flexible. Follow this set of stretching exercises, repeating each one five times. Do them morning and night. Carpal tunnel or tendonitis? Try these mini- stretches to lessen inflammation. They’ll take about half an hour a day. Tired feet? Well, there’s also some work that can be done here to improve the situation. Just an hour or so each day will give your tender tootsies some much needed TLC. Add to all of this the massage, the ice, the heat and it’s no wonder I feel challenged to fit it all in. Wonder what would happen if instead I stepped back from the computer, took a leisurely stroll, then kicked off my shoes and stretched out on the grass before enjoying a good long soak in a soothing bubble bath with a glass of chilled wine? Now doesn’t that sound like an easy to fit in, sure cure for everything? Premier fails legislature reform Letters Policy The Citizen welcomes letters to the editor. Letters must be signed and should include a daytime telephone number for the purpose of verification only. Letters that are not signed will not be printed. Submissions may be edited for length, clarity and content, using fair comment as our guideline. The Citizen reserves the right to refuse any letter on the basis of unfair bias, prejudice or inaccurate information. As well, letters can only be printed as space allows. Please keep your letters brief and concise. The pessimist sees difficulty in every opportunity. The optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty. – Winston Churchill Final Thought