Ides of March 2012

Not so warm today, only got up to -2. I did come home and get bike at lunch time.

The big news today was a visit from the Treasury Board to our office. It was sort of a surprise visit, sprung on us yesterday. Treasury Board (TB)is the banker of the Government. The various departments and agencies go to them for cash. TB allots money around this time of year. I guess the higher ups are trying to get more money for our office....as are all other departments, for their offices.

The caliber of the people that showed up though is quite high. So they showed up this morning. My Supervisor went to a meeting in the morning, after the meeting was over she came and saw me. They wanted to meet with my about my section.

I ran home at lunch to change from jeans, which I normally wear to a suit.
I picked up the bike too, so I had a suit on (tie in pocket) and dress shoes. Lucky I didn't wipe out.

I got back to work, and finished some stuff. I proceeded to wait, and wait, and wait. Finally 45 minutes after I was supposed to be off, the Sup comes and tells me they won't be coming to my section. Darn, I wanted more money too!

Got home and changed. The bike is in the garage. I am relaxing tonight. I didn't watch Southland last night, but from some cops I know who did, they were yelling at the TV. I will watch it soon (I had to do this).

My kind of educated opinion on Afghanistan. NATO and the US should get out as soon as possible. This is a loser war. Alexander, the British, Buddhists and the Russians have not won in that country. They are fighting the wrong war. The Taliban, hosts to Al Qaida, want to create an Islamic country to lead the rest of the Muslim world. This is in DIRECT conflict for what the people of Afghanistan want.

They want to grow their poppies, sell them and do what ever else they do. They don't want to be told what to do. They are not muslim by choice, they are muslim by invasion. The West ironically is on the same side as the Taliban, except Westerners are a visible minority. The Taliban can talk the locals into attacking the Westerners.

This has to stop. The West should negotiate with Karzai to buy the poppy production of the country. They can then use what they need for medicinal purposes and destroy the rest. This will bring stability to the country and maybe the region. The cost of the poppies will be a lot less than the cost of war and people. A Army Captain in a response to me in another blog suggested that the US will be there as long as they have been in Germany and Italy. Well that is misguided. The West will never be welcome there.

Tomorrow is going to be nice, at least that's what the weatherman says. I am heading to Edmonton about halfway through the day to register my bike for 2012. May stay over, I am not sure. Have to come back for Sunday....overtime.