In Search Of The TRUTH

[Tarzan]

Video with data about global warming: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=stij8sUybx0&feature=player_embedded

The above video is just over 1.5 hours, so make sure you are not in a rush when you click the link.
I opened the video in one window and listened to the speaker while looking at the slides in another window. Sometimes it was difficult to know when to move to the next slide.

PDF file of PowerPoint presentation that goes with the above video:
http://www.friendsofscience.org/assets/documents/monckton_2009.pdf
Please note that there are annotations that go with the slides in order to explain them. Where there is an annotation, you will see a small icon that when you hover over it, it will display the annotated text.

[Tarzan]

I was going to start this topic (thread) with the post I am making now, but someone sent me a link to the video above and it seemed so appropriate that I just fired it into this thread before I had the time to sit and write what I'm about to post up.

Many people enjoy looking at optical illusions and are fascinated and entertained by them. Usually it ends there.
One day, not too long ago, I read up on how optical illusions actually work, and I found that even more fascinating than the illusions themselves, because I have long maintained that reality is just what you perceive it to be; hence my tag line that asks if reality is just a figment of your imagination. You can see that topic here: http://comeshowme.com/v-web/smf/index.php?topic=138.0.

Here is a link that explains visual perception of colour. It is actually quite interesting to note how easily the mind is fooled by common beliefs! http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Same_color_illusion

If you want to bend your mind a bit more, check out this one: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Autostereogram
I really enjoyed reading this because it shocked me at what the mind is capable of computing in a millisecond.

So what has all this got to do with the Tsawwassen area plan, you ask?  Let me explain...

If you took the time to follow the links and read how the mind can be fooled into believing things that simply are not true, you will then be able to understand that when people with persuasive power want something done, they employ clever tricks to make the general public see things as they want it to be seen, rather than what it really is. Get the connection?

I see a very clever plan unfolding here and I wish to expose the truth. Just because something is repeated over and over (as they do in advertising on the radio and television) it does not mean the product is good. There is often a perception of familiarity and acceptance associated with things that are heard repeatedly. The ideas of smart growth and skinny streets are presented to us over and over at each of the area plan meetings. Tsawwassen is already built up. Where are we going to put that skinny street idea? In a new development of course! And where is that development going to occur? I'll let you figure out the rest.

Fire away, folks. Let's hear what you have to say about all of this.

[Tarzan]

At today's meeting (Oct. 24, 2009) Sean Hodgins made a very passionate speech about how he wants to do what is best for the Southlands and said something about paying taxes on that land for all these years. If I remember correctly, that land was bought for $8M. Someone then told me that he received $7M for the part he sold to the GVRD for use as a passive park. Since we are looking for the truth, can anyone confirm those numbers with a reference document?

$1M for over 500 acres is a pretty good deal, I should think. A couple of people have suggested that we pool our resources and purchase the remaining Southlands so that Sean no longer has the burden of what to do with the land. I wonder if $3M would be enough of an offer for a reasonable profit? Sure; this would squash what he said would be the biggest accomplishment in his career, but it would certainly be the most memorable and admirable move in his career!

What do you say, Sean? I'm pretty sure you could even get a nice tax rebate out of it. Would you consider selling it to Delta's residents or an organization such as The Land Conservancy?

[Tarzan]

For a lot of people, when watching a movie, (whether it be real actors or even cartoon characters) we allow our minds to accept what is  presented to us as real, so that we can fully appreciate the movie. By allowing our emotions to become involved in the movie, we laugh and cry and fully immerse ourselves in what we know to be fiction.

This same sort of emotional involvement will often also affect our real lives.

Not too long ago, I myself had a vision or dream of developing a certain 100-acre parcel of land on the East coast. I had drawn out lots and roads, costed out expenses for building improvements in order to subdivide, and calculated how much profit I would make. I even had a lot at the water picked out for myself where I would build a cabin and invite family and friends to come and enjoy their summers with me. I would have lots of company and it would be wonderful being such a close and loving family! The land was tundra, so no farms would be displaced, and I could even make a bit of money from the timber! Costs were not unreasonable, so there was no real reason not to proceed. I was all excited.

Then one day, for no apparent reason, I woke up! No, it was not a dream in my sleep. I woke up because I realized that my "vision" was what I WANTED it to be. In fact, the reality was that my family would not come each summer to spend their time with me. They had jobs, friends, and their own busy lives to attend to. I would be lucky if I had each of my children come out once every 2 years at best; and then for no more than a week at a time. The reality was that I would be out there on my own for most of the time! What a disappointment! That was not what I was envisioning! I was envisioning a fairy tale... a story I wanted to see played out in real life.

I dropped the idea.

Now we have this lovely vision of a perfect development with perfect people, living in perfect harmony with each other and the environment, that is to be built on the Southlands. What a lovely dream. Too bad it is only a dream. Things never seem to work out quite the way we wanted or expected them to.

Now I'm not inferring that the plan is a bad one or that it should not be attempted. We do need to start thinking about things like the Smart Growth concepts and being kinder to the environment! Just don't expect everything to be as rosy as first envisioned! There will be problems! This is just the wrong place to be putting that plan. There is something wrong about the way that land came out of the ALR, and one man has the power to correct that wrong.

[Tarzan]

When taking into consideration the wake-up words of Vicky Huntingdon and Carol LeVasseur, along with attitudes of other political spokespersons (especially the nonsense about disbanding the Agricultural Land Commission), it becomes ever more clear where we are heading. There seems to be a political push to develop not only  Tsawwassen, but every available piece of land that is easy to make a lot of money from.

The Delta Optimist is gauging and reporting public acceptance of the Southlands development proposal by assuming that the polite applause for a speaker means that you support their cause. Canadians by nature are gentle and polite and thus they are taken advantage of. We generally try and do things the orderly and appropriate way and get bulldozed in the process. Look how things went with the power lines issue, the South Fraser Perimeter Road, the Shato Holdings development of the golf course, etc.

The general population is kept too busy to notice what is really going on and are reluctant to speak up when they do notice. This public forum has had lots of people reading, but only 2 people debating the pros and cons of our modifying the area plan. An opinion poll has recently been added and as of this date, there is 100% approval of some development on the Southlands. Based on my current observations, I forecast that the planning team will approve a modified area plan and that the Century Holdings proposal will go ahead.

A few weeks ago, someone wrote a tongue-in-cheek message in one of our local papers admonishing and trying to embarrass those who would oppose any development by suggesting that they get out the torches and pitch forks. Unfortunately, it looks more and more like this (figuratively speaking) is the only way to save our precious farmland from those who have only dollar signs in their eyes! Alas, we are collectively too passive to speak up until it is too late! All I can say is that I’m happy I’m old enough to not have to worry about myself. I advise the younger generation not to think about having any offspring because those unfortunate children will be the ones paying the price of what we apathetically allow today!

[Tarzan]

Backup to the validity of the contents about global warming on the first post in this thread:
Rex Murphy talks about global warming. Watch the video on the page the link takes you to.

[Tarzan]

Smart Growth and Sustainable Development are mentioned in this SHOCKING video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZJp0P6eggXU

What do you think about this video?