Tom Young

A couple of times over the past month I’ve taken the opportunity to excoriate drivers and the bad habits which they’ve developed concerning red lights.

Today, I’ll focus on another problem on our roads — joggers.

This isn’t to say all joggers are wrong, but like drivers, some of them think they own the road.

I don’t want to downplay the physical fitness value of putting on the jogging suit, the two-hundred dollar shoes and grabbing the bottled water before heading out for a good run.  I’m sure at the end of the day, for the most part, they feel better about themselves than I feel about me… But how some them live to finish their run is completely beyond me. 

Case in point — It’s very early in the morning, before seven o’clock.  Tom is on his way to work and it’s snowing like crazy.  There are no street lights.  When suddenly, on a road barely able to carry traffic going in opposite directions, Tom encounters a car travelling toward him — and at the last second — out of the corner of his eye, spots a jogger in a lovely white suit and white runners running through the snow.

Now, I know I didn’t him — because I heard neither a thud or a scream — but if I missed him by any more than three centimetres, I’ll eat his hat.

I didn’t hear anything on the news of a jogger being hit by anyone else, so it’s safe to assume that after having his brain cramp, he made it home okay.

Case number two.

It’s 7:30 at night in late October.  So you don’t need to be told how dark it was.

Tom and his wife are returning home from a trip to the local grocery store.  Lo-and-behold, he encounters two joggers running side by side on the road wearing — you guessed it — black jogging suits with no reflective tape.

Somehow, through the grace of God, (likely more good luck than good management,) Tom is able to swerve and miss the two of them.

Thank goodness no one else was in the other lane.

I wonder why in the world municipalities go to the expense of putting in sidewalks when joggers (after brain cramps) decide they belong on the road.  I’ve heard of many encounters between cars and joggers but I haven’t heard of one where the jogger came out the winner.

I know we have to share the road, but common folks, a little common sense never hurt anyone.

I’m Tom Young.

You might think you’ve already read this before in my blog, but you haven’t.

Driving is becoming a deadly sport.

It was only very recently that I discovered the meaning of green, yellow and red have changed dramatically — but I won’t go into a further explanation on that — because I have discovered what I call: “The New Sport.”

Equipment Required:

1.  An intersection with four working stop lights.

2.  Lots of traffic.

3.  Lots of pedestrians.

4.  Kids on bicycles.

Now, here’s how it works…

The first requirement is that you have to be turning left at the intersection.  This means all of the cars across the intersection when the light is green have the right of way.  You also need nerves of steel and a total disregard for anyone on the road.

Additionally, You need to understand your timing while maintaining some cat-like reflexes.

Next, you indicate that you would like to turn left and you sit and wait as your red light is about to become green. 

Now, with about three seconds remaining while your light is red, you need only to disregard anything and everybody around you — and hammer the accelerator.

Success!

You beat the guys who would have gone ahead of you by jumping the light.  You upset everyone else in the intersection, but hey — at least this time you won!

Your time will come when some guy coming at you from ninety degrees runs his light, (which has now turned red) and “T-bones you” so badly, that the jaws-of-life will be required to extricate either you or the person sitting to the right of you.

The sad part about this blog is that many of you reading this will recognize exactly the sport I’m talking about — and if you do — congratulations!

But if you admit to being a veteran of the game — I say — you’re a complete idiot.

I’m Tom Young.

Prime Minister Stephen Harper has performed the biggest miracle in Canadian political history.

He’s taken a minority government and turned it into a majority government and he didn’t even need to ask voters before he did it.

The last time a miracle of this magnitude occurred in recorded history — it had to do with “loaves and fish,” but I won’t go into that story because most of you probably know it better than I do anyway…

Liberal Leader Stéphane Dion had the chance to put an abrupt halt to the current government, but that would have threatened his own career.  So, instead of plunging the country into another boring and costly election campaign — in which he would have lead his party to almost certain defeat — Dion instead opted for something called “self preservation.”

Dion has become the poster-boy for the old saying, “Absolute power corrupts absolutely.”

However, Mr. Dion is far from out of the woods, as are the other members of his badly stumbling and underfinanced Liberal caucus.

Thursday afternoon in the House of Commons, the Harper government introduced it’s new anti-crime legislation.  Not surprisingly, there’s a whole lot inside of it that Liberals won’t like, not even a little bit.

In making the introduction, Harper demanded quick passage of the legislation.  If the Liberals try to stall, the Prime Minister has already said every vote now becomes a vote of confidence — any stalling and we’re back to the polls — Or, step up to the plate and begin passing legislation which will gag most of the opposition.

The Prime Minister knows he has the Liberals on the run and they’re going to have to keep running faster and faster if they want to continue to be members of the 39th Parliament.

It’s conceivable that more legislation could go through parliament during this sitting than what’s already gotten through during the last ten years. 

If you’re a minority acting like a majority with your opponent on the run — you might just as well do what you want.

And that’s precisely what Mr. Harper appears to be doing.

Is it any wonder I like him less and less every time I hear him talking down to Canadians?

I’m Tom Young. 

Let’s all hope the organizers of last weekend’s rally in the King’s Square area of Saint John — organized by those fighting to save their school — gave a moment’s thought to the local branch of the Children’s Wish Foundation.

This foundation was established many years ago as a charitable organization — providing in many cases — last wishes for Canadian children suffering from terminal illnesses.  They depend on the goodness of the heart from many Canadians through their generous gifts and a once a year fundraiser called, “The Wishmakers Parade.”

Wishmaker parades are held in many communities large and small from coast-to-coast on specific days and at specific times. 

Local volunteers spend hours of their time putting these parades together and whether or not children have their last wishes granted often depends on the amount of funds raised by these parades each year.

This past weekend, the Wishmaker’s Parade in Saint John — which had been planned many months in advance — happened to fall on a date and time coinciding with the latest “Save UNBSJ” rally.

It is to be hoped by all concerned that rally organizers were aware that this particular Wishmaker’s Parade and the their rally was scheduled for the same time and the same place.

One would hate to think that before planning the university rally, organizers knew the day was Wishmaker Parade Day in Saint John.  As one who has served on the Board of Directors with the local Children’s Wish Foundation, I know how important the fundraiser is annually to local organizers.

The University of New Brunswick in Saint John certainly deserves all the support it’s members of the general public continue to give it, but so does the Wishmaker’s Parade.

I would not want to think rally organizers knew of the parade’s plans but went ahead with their own rally anyway — and if there was communication between the two groups, and they’re both satisfied with the results — that’s as it should be.

We must all hope that’s the way the entire thing went down.

I’m Tom Young.

If Nova Scotia Independent MP Bill Casey walked into a room where I was, I wouldn’t know him — but from what I’ve heard from people who do — I like him.

He’s been described to me as an honourable, honest, decent principled hard working guy trying to take care of federal matters for those who live in his constituency.

He was a Conservative — he still is a conservative — and he can be my member of parliament any time.

If someone said: “Tom, who’s your MP?” 

I could proudly say: “Bill Casey.”

If Stephen Harper walked into a room, I don’t know him, but I would probably recognize him — and I don’t like him.

I don’t think any of the words I used to describe Bill Casey could in any way shape or form be applied to our Prime Minister.  Any politician who would say what Harper said Wednesday about Mr. Casey deserves nothing but my disdain.

Our Prime Minister has turned our federal political system into a blood sport.

Bill Casey is there for the people, Stephen Harper is there for the power.

I’m involved in municipal politics, I ran once in a provincial election and even took a look at federal politics. I’ve been to many backroom political meetings, both Liberal and Conservative and I have friends of all political stripes.

If I had to lose a good friend and colleague like Bill Casey was to Stephen Harper over politics — I think it would then be time for me to re-examine my life.

If Casey ever writes a handbook on what federal politicians are supposed to do, then perhaps he’ll mail a copy to Mr. Harper.

I’m Tom Young.

About seven years ago, someone in the ivory tower at the CBC made the decision to reduce the supper hour news in New Brunswick to 30 minutes from here — and 30 minutes from Vancouver — as a cost cutting measure.

The decision proved one thing — it was a disaster.

Now, Global News is doing the CBC one better.

Instead of 30 minutes of news done right here in Atlantic Canada — and 30 minutes done in Vancouver… It will be the Global supper hour news for the Maritimes done from Vancouver.

I’m sure the decision (when fully implemented) will go over “like a screen door in a submarine,” or perhaps “a lead balloon” or even say “a skunk at a garden party.”

In doing so, Global has decided to interrupt the lives of as many as two-hundred of it’s employees from coast-to-coast.  Now, instead of providing Atlantic Canadians with some level of their own local TV news, it says to CTV, “Hey guys, it’s yours for the picking.”

I know a number of men and women over the next few months will no doubt lose their jobs because the bean counters have decided the service isn’t worth the cost anymore.

Right from the very start seven years ago, the CBC recognized it had made a mistake.  Finally sometime over the previous year, it restored the hour long six o’clock news in New Brunswick.  That’s for New Brunswick and from New Brunswick.

Does Global suspect that those viewing it’s news in Western Canada would ever buy the line, “And now the news for British Columbia … from Halifax?”

I doubt it.

This concept of paying lip-service from another part of the country didn’t work between 2000 and 2007 for the CBC and it will work even less when Global’s changes are fully implemented come Spring 2008.

I wonder if anyone from Global talked with anyone from the CBC prior to making this poorly thought out decision?

I’m Tom Young. 

It was “The Roaring 20’s…”

Americans were having fun, they had lots of disposable income, lots of spare time on their hands and many of them did far too much drinking.

The government of the day came up with the answer — It was called PROHIBITION.

The brewing, distribution and sale of alcohol was supposed to have been stopped — at least that’s what the U-S government thought.

Since there was a continuing demand, there had to be a supply and finding illicit booze was no problem.  In fact, more than any other single thing, illicit booze was responsible for most of the organized crime in the U-S at the time.

Those who ran the risk of brewing and running illegal booze were making money so fast they couldn’t stop to count it.  Even today, many of us know the names of the suppliers.

Prohibition in the U-S proved one thing and one thing only — it didn’t work.

Now, Stephen Harper has may have decided to enforce the same Draconian type rules governing the use of illicit drugs in this country.

Get caught with a joint or two that’s obviously for your use only — and who knows — you could go to jail, be unemployed, pay heavy fines and be restricted to staying in this country for the rest of your life.

Mr Harper, the studies are in, what you’re trying to do is not going to work.  Why spend millions and millions and millions of tax payer’s hard earned dollars only to enforce legislation which could result in tens-of-thousands of mostly young Canadians ending up with criminal records — and a good chance at a life ruined.

I know it’s part of your “get tough on crime agenda” but what you’re doing is getting tough on the wrong people.  I’m not advocating the decriminalization of even a small amount of any illegal drugs.  Please, take another look and give another thought to what you’re about to do.

It’s wrong, wrong, wrong.

I’m Tom Young.

Isn’t it strange how in today’s English language, words today don’t mean what they did years ago?

Case in point — the colours red, yellow and green.

If you were around many years ago and learned to drive a car way back when, you came to learn that red meant “stop,” yellow meant “caution,” because what was once green was about to become red — and green meant “go.”

These colours in the form of stop lights came to be the number one traffic control device in the world.

You could be assured in those days if your light was green — it was safe to enter the intersection.  The reason being — the guy coming at a ninety-degree angle to you had a red light and he was stopped.

He learned his light was about to become red because the yellow caution light had told him so.

Jump ahead fifty years.

In today’s English, green means go, yellow means speed up and red means ignore. 
The sad part is — it’s no joke.

At one time, people used to be charged when they travelled through a red light — but no more. 

Today, you can almost bet if your light is green and you’re travelling into an intersection, you’re taking your life into your own hands because the red light at the other corner has likely just been ignored by the guy who is supposed to stop.

Driving and paying attention to the rules of the road is not just a common sense way to protect yourself, it’s also very necessary in the preservation of the other guy.

Red should still mean stop, yellow should still mean caution and green should still mean go.  Is there any chance all drivers can go back to the old meaning of what red, yellow and green should be?

My life may not mean a heck of a lot to you — but it sure means a hell of a lot to me!

I’m Tom Young.