HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Times-Advocate, 2002-11-27, Page 4OK, I admit it. I’m addicted to my computer.
Not my computer at work; I’m forced to spend all
day on it, whether I want to or not. No, it’s my home
computer I’m addicted to.
My wife and I decided to buy a new home comput-
er a couple of months ago so she could do school
work and I could, well, waste time and have fun. You
see, since my school days are long behind me and I
get all my work for the Times-Advocate done
at the office, my home computer is pure
entertainment. Downloading music, burning
CDs, surfing endless Web sites and listening to
hockey games over the Internet all provide
hours of fun. And with a wonderful thing
called MSN Messenger, you can send instant
messages to your friends and family without
having to see them or talk to them on the
phone.
Kidding aside, my computer use isn’t dedi-
cated to mindless pleasure or for avoiding
contact with other humans, although that’s
nice. The Internet is a great way to keep up to
date on everything from sports scores, the weather
in Uganda or what your favourite singer is up to
today. (Of course, the best place to get this kind of
information will always be a newspaper, but I
digress)
Most important to me, a Montreal Canadiens fan
living in the middle of nightmarish Leafland, I get all
the Habs news I need from my computer and listen
to all the games on the Internet. For you ‘Lord of the
Rings’ fans, a Habs fan living in Ontario is something
like Frodo being stuck in the middle of Mordor. My
computer makes the suffering a little less painful.
As for burning CDs: once you get over the initial
guilt you’re stealing music you should be paying for,
it’s a wonderful thing. Besides, most of the musicians
I listen to make more money in a day or two than I
do in a year. They don’t need the $4 cut they would
get if I actually went to the store and bought
their music. Plus, I’ll still spend $80 or more
to see them in concert. So, while musicians
have a point when they argue against CD
burning and downloading, they’re just going
to have to get over it. Take a pill and relax
in your Jacuzzi, OK guys?
But if you’re thinking I’ve turned into
some computer geek, let me dispel that
notion now. Computers are still a mystery to
me and I know nothing more than the rudi-
mentary commands it takes to operate one.
But it’s a lot of fun.
And to think I used to read books . . .
More apologies,please
We see Michael Jackson has apologized for dan-
gling his baby over a hotel balcony in Berlin last
week. How about apologizing for the awful music,
freaky lifestyle and Martian-behaviour he has inflict-
ed on the world for decades?
Dangling babies over balconies is the least of
Jackson’s crimes against humanity . . .
4 Wednesday, November 27, 2002Exeter Times–Advocate
Editorial&Opinion
Jim Beckett
Publisher and Editor
Don Smith Deb Lord
General Manager Production Manager
Published by Metroland Printing,
Publishing & Distributing Ltd.
424 Main Street South, P.O. Box 850
Exeter, Ontario N0M 1S6 • (519) 235-1331
EDITORIALS
PUBLICATIONS MAIL REGISTRATION NUMBER 07511
We acknowledge the financial support of the Government of Canada, through the Publications
Assistance Program (PAP), toward our mailing costs.
About the Times-Advocate
Address & Office Hours
Times-Advocate, 424 Main Street South, P.O. Box 850,
Exeter, Ontario N0M 1S6. Our office is open Monday
to Friday, 8:30 am to 4:30 pm. Closed on Holidays.
Contact Us By Phone or Fax
Classified ad & subscription sales . . . .(519) 235-1331
24-hour automated attendant . . . . . . .(519) 235-1336
Fax number for all departments . . . . .(519) 235-0766
Subscription Rates
One year rate for addresses in Canada: $36+GST
Two year rate for addresses in Canada: $65+GST
One year rate for addresses outside Canada:
$104 Call (519) 235-1331 to order a subscription.
Classified Rates
Word ads: $10.00 for 20 words, 20¢ for each addi-
tional word+ GST. Notices (births, deaths, announce-
ments, coming events, memoriams, cards of thanks):
$13.00 + GST for up to 50 words, All ads must be pre-
paid. The classified ad deadline is Monday at 10 a.m.
Display Advertising
To place a display ad, (519) 235-1331 weekdays 8:30
to 4:30 p.m. or evenings (519) 235-1336 (leave mes-
sage) or toll-free at 1-888-270-1602. Deadline: Fri. 4
p.m.
E-mail Us
Website:www.southhuron.com
TA e-mail addresses consist of the person’s first initial
and last name followed by @southhuron.com.
For example, Jim Beckett’s e-mail address is <jbeck-
ett@southhuron.com> Our general e-mail address is
ads@southhuron.com.
Confessions of an Internet junkie
SCOTT
NIXON
AND ANOTHER
THING
This week the Romanow Commission will
release its final report on health care.
The recommendations are likely to address issues
including increased funding for specific areas, the
high cost of drugs, and ways of getting more health
care professionals into rural areas.
These are almost a given, considering the focus of
the report. The mandate of Roy J. Romanow, QC,
was to put together a report on how to maintain
Medicare.
As was stated in the interim report Feb. 6 of this
year, “ My mandate is to provide advice on how to
sustain Medicare and this will require choices on
renewal. Our purpose must be to ensure future gen-
erations can continue to access quality care in a
timely way on the basis of need.”
The phrase “choices on renewal” indicate the rec-
ommendations will go well beyond pouring more
money into health care.
While Romanow acknowledged in his interim
report that few Canadians want to see a move to an
American-based health care system or an abandon-
ment of Medicare, he did leave the door open for
exploring various ways of getting costs under con-
trol. These could include a user-pay system for some
services, and the option of purchasing health care
services from a private provider.
Romanow stated he does not accept that “we are
powerless to affect needed changes”.
The final report is also likely to address the
provinces’ claim Ottawa is not paying its fair share
of health care costs.
In essence, the report is an effort to identify what
Canadians want from their health care system, how
to pay for it, and what direction Canada should be
moving in to ensure “long-term sustainability of a
universally accessible publically funded health sys-
tem”.
There are two key words used in the report. One is
“choices”. Canadians cannot allow the health care
system to continue moving on its own momentum
but must take responsibility for controlling the speed
and direction.
A medical system with unlimited resources
has the potential to accomplish near-miracles. In
fact, many of the procedures and treatments we take
for granted today would have been considered mira-
cles only a couple of decades ago.
But resources - financial and human - are not
unlimited. As has been said in other contexts, there
is only one taxpayer. And that taxpayer will have to
decide how much of his earnings he is willing to
spend on health care, and where his priorities are.
Romanow takes it as a given that Canadians want
a system where no one has to choose between bank-
ruptcy and medical treatment, but there are plenty
of possibilities within this concept. He stated in the
interim report he will attempt to identify issues,
determine where consensus is on those issues, and
come up with recommendations.
The other key word in the report is “recommenda-
tions”. Romanow will make suggestions in his final
report, based on what Canadians want and expect
from their health care system. He will not dictate
changes.
None of the recommendations will be binding.
Nothing guarantees changes will be made based on
those recommendations, or even that the report will
be read.
Romanow has already stressed the need for
choices and public input. The ball truly is in our
court. As Canadians, we are not only taxpayers but
voters. We have the power to ensure our govern-
ment takes action on what we want from our health
care system.
Romanow report:
a matter of choice