Work getting you down?

Times are tough, no doubt, and we’re all stressed by the uncertainty of it all. If you need a break, and a good reason to smile, try three of these and call me in the morning.

YouTube #1 : “Stand By Me” – around the world. It would have been wonderful to be a part of creating this film. It’s a strong reminder that we each stand by each other through tough times.

YouTube #2 : OK, maybe you don’t like Robin Williams, and maybe for his fans this material on the American political scene isn’t as manic as it once was, but you know, it’s still pretty darned good. Guaranteed to elicit at least one guffaw and a couple of chuckles – at the very least. 

YouTube #3 : Finally, if you’re having a tough day, just think of these ants – carrying loads 4 times their size the ant equivalent of a 1/2 mile to the surface, in the end moving 4 tonnes of earth to build a community over 500 sq metres in size. Be patient, after the 3min mark, the scale of their construction is exposed. Now that is teamwork – a collective will.

Vote Globally

If you’re looking for somewhere to have your voice heard in the American election, look no further – the Economist has a global voting site, where the voting runs according to American electoral college rules applied to the globe. An interesting concept, and with an unsurprising result.

http://www.economist.com/vote2008/

Reining in oil sands

An excellent discussion of some of the interesting politics leading up to the recent Alberta provincial election. I’m mystified by a premier who maintains that the provincial government cannot or should not control or influence the provincial economy. Hogwash.

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20080226.WBwenergyblog061320080226130134/WBStory/WBwenergyblog0613/