What a terrific news story today - the federal government has set aside space for new companies entering the wireless market. I say bravo! However, not everyone is happy. This decision has come under fire from the big three wireless companies - Rogers, Bell, and Telus. They are saying that the government is subsidizing the new companies entering the market. The Liberals, sure enough, also slammed the decision. They say that regulation is the answer - they want government running the show.

What do I think? Just ask anyone who has dealt with Rogers, Bell, or Telus. Seriously, ask them what they think of wireless prices. We are dealing with three big companies who get people to sign up to terrible long-term contracts and then provide sub-standard service. Honestly now - $7 per month for a system access fee? $20 a month for a basic cell phone plan? Your charging me $8 for basic voice mail and caller ID? Want to cancel that contract - now your charging me over $400!? This is what you get when you have three companies running the show!

What’s important about this decision is that it will also force the big three to share their networks with the new companies for five years (and another five if they can build their network nationally). Can’t come to an agreement with the big guys? No problem, an independent government arbitrator will be brought in to settle it. Same same will apply to use of the cellphone towers that are owned by the big guys.

I’ll be looking forward to see who the new companies will be, and I will look forward to the better pricing and service that will follow with increased competition!

New Brunswick in 2026 will be a magical land where the province is self-sufficient, there are tropical punch rivers, and pixies and unicorns are free to roam the land. It may sound hard to believe; but, we can believe it when Shawn Graham says it, right? Not quite. Since the Throne Speech, more people are getting on board - standing up and telling it like it is - the Liberal’s 2026 plan is nothing more then a marketing gimmick. Don’t expect a single thing to occur that will put us on track for this change.

Two political scientists, Tom Bateman and Rob Moir, explain their skepticism:

Tom sees problems with the 20 year time line. “It’s absent in the documents we’ve seen so far, but what government needs to do is set achievable goals over a short time frame for itself to measure its own success and to give the rest of us the opportunity to hold it accountable,” Bateman said.

Moir said the plan is a well-organized marketing campaign that is putting words out there and already getting New Brunswickers to adopt them. “The whole set of documents is full of catch-phrases, full of words that are vacuous,” Moir said.

So what do you think? A lot of hot air, or is this an actual blue print? I haven’t seen a plan to accomplish anything within the next four years - let alone 20! All big projects start with small successes, and I’ve yet to see one with this government.

Let everyone know your opinion here!

It’s not like you need me to say much more about the front page of today’s Telegraph Journal. It looks like they finally clued into the fact that Shawn Graham has no plan!

Releasing a 33-page document with no details on how to accomplish anything in the document isn’t out of the ordinary for this government. You have to realize this government wants to close our University, continue to raise taxes, and put money in the pockets of their supporters. Why bother having a plan when you can just get people to study issues? This worked for post secondary education right?

The liberals only remaining option is to hope for the best - then take credit for it. Sounds like this is the most likely approach for the liberals. “One key overall measurement is hope,” Graham said. “As government we have to provide hope for the future. But that hope has to come from within. Everywhere I travel across the province, I hear people saying the status quo is not an option.”

My response to Shawn Graham?

I’ve decided to write my own document with things that I want. It’s full of items that I have no idea how to achieve (we now have something in common!). I’m hoping the government will provide me with enough hope to make these a reality. Here is an excerpt:

• I want a Bugatti Veyron. A black one.
• World Peace is always nice.
• I want to visit Sealand.
• I want Shawn Graham to resign.
• I’d like to be at the Grey Cup tomorrow.
• A new digital camera.
• A remodeled house on Germain Street.

So, I’m expecting a plan on how the government will utilize it’s vast supply of hope to make this list come true. I’ll let you know when my Bugatti arrives!

For all y’all gangsters in Sussex, New Brunswick:

Last night was an exciting one for Fusion Saint John! It was the night we re-launched our website. With an updated look and feel, easy to use CMS backend, and support from a local company - we are now able to spend more time working to keep young people in Saint John and less time managing the website. It sounds pretty simple; however, this didn’t happen overnight. It took many months of hard work to gather the requirements, write the RFP (request for proposals), contact the companies, read through the responses, and finally select a company to do the work. I believe this process really helped us make the best choice.

The company we selected was Pulse Communications. They were able to offer exactly what we needed at a price we could afford. I have been very impressed with their staff and the work they did for us. I would definitely suggest speaking with them if you need similar work done yourself.

The location for the launch party was also very cool. It was at Uzone, an internet cafe and gaming centre located on King St. It features lots of brand new computers with a high speed internet and plenty of games to pick from, and XBox 360’s on big screens. They even have Guitar Hero and Rock Band setup! If you haven’t been in there yet, you need to check it out. The prices are low, the staff is friendly, and they even have beer available (assuming your old enough).

As you may have noticed lately, there haven’t been any postings or updates. Why you may be asking yourselves? Well, I had the chance to go work out of Toronto for the past three weeks. It was a great chance to try something new, meet some new people, and get to see the big city. While I went up with certain expectations, I was really blown away by what I saw, and I can now say that I have a new perspective on the city of Toronto.

Lets first list some common misconceptions people have about Toronto:

• Drive by shootings are quite common and occur everywhere in the city.
• It’s not safe to walk the streets at night.
• Everyone is rude and won’t take the time to help you.
• The city is really dirty.
• It’s not that far to walk from one area to another.
• The police department is terrible.

While some of these can be the case, typically it’s quite the opposite.

On my first day in Toronto, I figured out how to take a bus to the subway station, then got downtown on the subway. I couldn’t get over how clean the buses and subway were. I kept seeing TTC workers cleaning and picking up garbage at the stations. I wondered all over the city and ran into a few friendly people who helped me find my way around. One of the helpful people was a police officer who showed me where to buy tickets from scalpers for the football game. How cool is that?

I went downtown at night and randomly walked around. I never felt unsafe or in any danger. There were always lots of people around and plenty of things to see and do. I also found out that walking to places is actually a lot further then I originally thought. Walking from the Eaton Centre to the CN Tower and back may seem like a short walk; but, you soon realize that it is quite far.

I also had a really great taxi driver for the duration of my stay. His name was Sam, and he runs a company called Sam’s Taxi (416-722-8900). He would pick me up every morning, and bring a Tim Horton’s coffee, doughnut, and muffin, for my breakfast. He was quite friendly and helpful. One time, I couldn’t find a building where I needed to meet someone, so I called him on his cell and he gave me directions to find the place! I would highly recommend him the next time you need a drive from the airport or are in the Markham area.

As for the TTC (Toronto Transit Commission), I was so impressed when I first arrived; however, I gradually became more angry at the terrible service as time went by. The people collecting money at the subway stations were always rude and unhelpful and the bus was constantly late (this is a big deal with the subway is constantly dropping off new people every 5 minutes!). On the plus side, I did find the bus drivers to be quite nice.

So, what did I learn?

• Shootings do occur in certain areas, but it’s not common.
• It’s safe to walk the majority of streets at night.
• About 30% of people are nice and will take the time to help you.
• The city is really clean.
• The city is gigantic and you need to take streetcars, subway, and buses to get around.
• The police department is pretty nice.

Overall, it’s not the Maritimes; but, it’s still a nice place!