Stéphane Dion: not an idiot

Now that Ignatieff's numbers are down in the polls, we can think about whether Stéphane Dion was really such a bad leader. Ignatieff's platform is much closer to the Conservative's. That's why they have to use the personal attack to ruin his support. One example of this is ignatieff.me. I'm surprised that Canadian politicians have stooped to this level. But wait. The Conservatives also attacked Stéphane Dion personally besides demonizing his carbon tax. Why? I guess it's because he had such good ideas. Carbon taxes actually achieve the same goal as cap and trade systems. But it's cheaper and easier to instate a carbon tax. So maybe Stéphane Dion was a good leader and it was just the Conservative's attack ads which ruined him. As for the "Do you think it's easy to make priorities?"  It takes a learning experience in politics. Jean Charest had to learn how to go from federal politics to provincial politics. He didn't have success right from the start, nor should we expect Stéphane Dion to succeed from the beginning. It's human nature to learn from our mistakes and I bet that Stéphane Dion learned form his. Therefore, I think that Stéphane Dion was a great leader.

Montreal's much needed Tramway

Montreal needs a tram. Many people will disagree with this statement but it's true. Some of the reasons not to build a tramway include "It interferes with my car," and "More buses will do the same job." However, the tramway is in many ways better than buses. Also, the car should not be a priority at this time with the need to protect our environment.

Trams pollute way less than buses especially in Quebec. Buses burn gasoline to turn their wheels. However, trams use electricity to move and in Quebec, clean hydroelectricity. Using electricity also means less noise compared with the loud motor of buses.

More importantly, trams have a higher capacity than buses. More cars can be coupled to form a kind of "double tram" during peak hours and uncoupled during the calm hours. They wouldn't need an extra driver like buses would. In general, trams have a bigger capacity than buses. This could help us especially on Côte-de-neiges and Parc avenue. The 535 special rush hour bus line is at full capacity. No more increase in service is possible. The bus arrives every minute at its stops. Most times it is packed. A tram could solve this problem by doubling up with another tram.

For all car users, the tram would be better than reserved bus lanes. Tram right-of-ways are narrower than those of buses. That's because they need less clearance as they follow a fixed track. Therefore, car users will keep more or less the same space on streets already equipped with reserved bus lanes.

Research has shown that former car users represent 30-40% of tram customers. This would translate into less congestion on the road and less car emissions. This is because tramways are most often associated with a good image. I would go as far to say that there would be less graffiti on trams than in buses because of this better image.

Tramways ensure greater rider comfort than buses. Bus drivers in Montreal constantly speed, juggling the passengers around. I can't blame them; everyone disobeys the speed limit in Montreal. However, for rail-based vehicles, obeying the speed limit is brought to a whole new level.  Unlike bus drivers, the central control system for trams will always know if their drivers are speeding, therefore ensuring the safety and comfort of the passengers.

Trams' multiple doors allow for a smaller loading time. Instead of just loading in the front like buses, trams allow people to enter through its many doorways from the front to the back. That allows the trams to leave the station faster which lowers the time of travel.

This is not a new idea. Many European and American cities have embraced the tram. Their buisnesses and ridership bloomed like never before. Such cities include: Berlin, Frankfurt, Paris, Barcelona, Adelaide (Australia) and many more. This could help Montreal just as it helped those cities.

The visual pollution of wires has been solved by Bombardier's PRIMOVE system. Their technology allows electricity to be transmitted through the ground to the tram. This has been used for many years in the transportation of different parts in factories. It is completely safe to anyone walking on the tracks. It is not safe however if you're underneath the tram for any reason. For more information click here.

Obviously, tramways are the solution for Montreal's transit problems. They will allow more capacity, more comfort and less pollution. The visual pollution of wires can be solved with Bombardier's PRIMOVE technology. Trams are our great public transport future.

Artificial Turf in the Park: update

The city has decided to put artificial turf on one soccer field next to the school. I'm sure that many children will overheat. This is an update from Artificial Turf in the Park.

Elazar the Hero

Every Jew knows the story of Chanuka. But they probably don't know the real story involving Elazar the Maccabee being the hero. This version begins near the end of the war with the Greeks. The Maccabees were surrounded by a huge army of Greeks and elephants. Elazar noticed that there was a decorated elephant carrying the big general of the army. Without regarding his life, he went right under the elephant and stabbed its belly. Unluckily, Elazar died of an elephant crushing him. One week later, Judah the Maccabee proclaimed victory over the Greeks. It's preposterous that Judah should get all the fame. What did Judah do to deserve all the distinction? It's like an audition for a play. The better actor gets the part that they're auditioning for. But if Judah was alive today, he would've bribed the judges and got the role. I would be so angry if someone cheated against me. In the Simpsons, Mr. Burns always bribes people to keep shut. Because the person is greedy, he takes the bribe. Certainly, Elazar is the real hero and Judah isn't. We are all in debt to Elazar.

It's Not Fair!

Lunch recess indoors is not always fun or fair. Just today all of grade 6 room 204 was kept in for 20 out of the 25 minutes we have for free time. The students who are ready to go up and the last class are complaining about: monitors picking the children who are ready and an observation that I made. First of all, the monitors should pick the students who are ready to ascend the stairs. Instead, the head supervisor called class by class by class. That means that if one person from the whole class isn't ready, the whole class waits. It's students that deserve going upstairs who should go. Many kids are ready to go up, but their class is last to be called. The longer they wait, the more they will get bored. The more the children get bored, the more they will misbehave. Next, there has been a repetition of which class goes last. My observations throughout 3¼years show that it's always the lowest number room that goes first and the highest number room goes last. In grade 5, I was in room 207; highest number class of grade 5. At indoor lunch recess we were always last to go up. What did the kids do to deserve to go last? It's obvious. They are in the highest number room. Certainly, the head supervisor and his boss should change the rules so that the right people get their recess. How would you feel if you were punished collectively?