The following text may have been generated by Optical Character Recognition, with varying degrees of accuracy. Reader beware!

7m”, , W a , ivA't'tiiiitx) cunouicu 'Wednesday, December tr, zoos - s Tifff“? ' 57â€"7fil â€"_g;_,l 4; ;;, Lfl‘illl (lid F "“‘““b‘â€"*“’ p‘r"â€"“"â€"*“â€"â€"‘“W~*“"m'mm‘u ”r ‘r‘m' m" r ' pf '*"’1 1 11:1 lth 10 THE CHRONICLE l Qvâ€"fiâ€"vâ€"flfifiâ€"fifiâ€"flfiflfif 5 1 'ver . ' city has serious debt problems. they based budgeting." A m Headline helps acknowledge they were unaware as Budget and staff cuts to accom» cross e um se ‘ counCll ‘shade truth’ to how they will find the funding to modate councillors' salary increases pay themselves this retroactive are not leadership by example. I've heard my mother-in~law Helga use the expression 1 Regarding the headline Council- increase and, recently. they decided “Throw it out into the universe." ors Freeze Their Own Wages As to cut staff and hence the level of Tom Joyce This notion that the universe is conspiring in helping me 1 City Tightens Its Belt. it intentionally public services to facilitate a budget. Waterloo achieve what l want in life has always intrigued me. Now more or otherwise is misleading, and. including their fat salary increase. 1 than ever. since it was announced last month that University frankly. untruthful. Surely in this time ofeconomic a; we! 1“ ”w , of Cambridge professor and famed astrophysicist Stephen Buried in the article on page 10, crisis council should have stayed fgff’f‘fiit‘r ”igfafg‘i'sfi Hawking will be making his first visit to the Perimeter Institute it's stated council approved cuts to their self~serving pay increase. not 35543 ~ . ' , ', ‘ _, ,*§$” in the summer of 2009. the 2008 operating budget. It does layoff our staff, hence reducing the £11.55: x y . ‘ a; 54 It has always been a dream of mine to meet Stephen Hawk- not state that these cuts do not level of service. ‘ a 3’1 _ '-.{ ing, who is best known for his book A Brief History ofTime. include cuts or a freeze to council That would be demonstrating is" . ' -- . . j,- which expounds theories on the origin of the universe. His salaries prior to luly 2008. real leadership by example and not 7 . , _ . f; f ‘ ;- popular science books. which I read many times throughout In fact this December council's the illusioned leadership put forâ€" . ' ' _ . , “ , ‘ my teens and 205. helped non-scientists like me understand budget retroactively approves their ward by council. 5 ' . the questions being asked by scientists today. Where did the salary increases. approves other Regarding financial manage- J. ' .‘ . ' universe come from? How and why did it begin? Will it come to budget cuts and staff layoffs, but merit, clearly current management 53 . , an end, and, if so, how? now council also did conveniently techniques and practice are still 3 _ ' Written using minimal jargon. Hawking's book Black Holes freezes their increased salary. beyond the comprehension of the Q. 7 and Baby Universes has always fascinated and terrified me as 1 Wow. Wonderful leadership as present council. f ' . ’ continue to struggle with the concept of black holes. some- suggested by the Chronicle article, For a stan council must under- y . â€" thing so dense from which nothing â€" not even light â€"‘ can but clearly these facts differ greatly stand it is unacceptable to approve escape. from the misleading headlines of expenditures, including their salary 3 Hawking is also known for his wit. the Waterloo Chronicle which inten~ increases. before determining how '. _ famous for statements like. “l have tionally or otherwise helped council or when they will be able to find the ‘ noticed even people who claim every- \ 1 \ 1 {g} I \ I { shade the truth. necessary funding. a. thing is predestined, and that we can ' , [let's be more open about this â€"â€" Also, until council is able to plan j do nothing to change it. look before \ l i l \ council approved salary increases responsible budgets they should 5 ' ‘ . , they cross the road." And at times." for themselves at a time when the review the age-old practice of "zero- " 1' ' ~ ‘- A“ dark cynicism: “I think computer I“ viruses should count as life. i think it . ~ Q says something about human nature 0 ‘ o , that the only form of life we have cre- it Shopping tales from a retail pack mule areasofanspureiydestmcuve-weve ~ created life in our own image." 1am a changed man. If I repeat that often enough. seem that imponant. Life, death, black holes, gravity. the some people will believe it. The backwards shopping ability is something Big Bang, the nature of time and ,, We’ve been going through Christmases together which is. I believe. unique to women. physicists' search for a grand unifying for almost 30 years. and. ashamedly, l must admit I I can't tell you how many times l ”ve almost run theory are just some of the topics MARSHALL have left the vast majority of the shopping experi» over Diana because something has caught her eye Hawking has gracefully covered in his WARD once to my lovely wife. behind her and she makes a sudden stop and U» books. greatly enhancing my under- There were numerous reasons for this. but l think tum. standing of the universe and capturâ€" 1 the biggest one was our completely 7 7 (Really. cannakers should study the ing my imagination for the human future in space. divergent styles of shopping. ' ability of women to do that as a safety feae And like me, Hawking has dreams too, one of which came ‘ 1 like most men. I know what I y P] }3( 1 ( )] tum.) true when his dream of floating weightless on a zero-gravity yet 1 want, I know where it is. how much it , . For the past four or five years, Diana happened back in April 2007 â€" a step he hopes will lead to fur 1 costs and everything else about it. B() U R l\ I has complained that the whole season thet space adventures. he told the Canadian Press Hawking, 1 When the time comes, I will head has been way too much work for h” and l ‘ who ttims 67 on lan. 8. has the paralyzing disease MS, also 1 out and track down those items. not . -.' should take a bigger role. 1 known as lou Gehrig's disease. “As you can imagine. l'm very 1 unlike. I imagine. my ancestors from . ii (This. despite the fact 1 know she will excited.” Hawking told reporters before the flight. “I have been thousands of years ago. when they 2“ ‘ _ not give up control of the process or of the wheelchair bound for almost four decades, The chance to float 1 1 exited their caves iii search of food ~ \lf Christmas lists. This is a good thing » free in 7cro»g will be wonderful." ] and other bounty. . - > . remember, lam a man who bought a warâ€" Overcoming his disability. unable to talk or move his hands 1 It was not that I didn't put any ‘ ., uum cleaner l 1 and legs â€"- using only the muscles around his eyes, eyebrows, 1 thought into things. I don't need to be 3? . 5 So this year I have stepped tip to the ' cheeks and mouth to communicate through a synthesm‘d in a store or a mall to think about ‘ 1 cookie plate and offered to head out to 1 voice computer attached to his wheelchair to become what the 1 what I want to buy for(,hristmas * “3“ shopping meccas as a couple. media often refers to as “the greatest physicist since linstein" : Iran do that while driving around. ' So far so good. 1 . is something I see as tnily heroic. 1 1 washing "W “l‘m“ t" vacuuming ”it“ ‘ BRlAN ()n all of these trips we have managed Hawking is humble too, once replying: “I may be thorough . carpet BOURKE to return as a Couple. This was not always ly good, but l'm not Einstein." And it's this humility. along with 1 Maybe that’s what happened the (h? (850 the first few years. his brilliant gift to write with clarity and engage the reader. . 1 first year we were married when I ‘ww .,. ~ H ..._._..h_ The reason for that is We have both especially on concepts so vast (or so tiny] as alternate dimenâ€" bought my wife a vacuum cleaner [In my defence, learned. after almost 30 years of marriage, how to sions and imaginary time, that I admire most. she asked for it and never once said a bad word compromise. I've known for some time now that one of my biggest aspiâ€" about it.) Diana continues to do things but way and l have rations is to pursue writing, and among the many ideas that of course. by then we had been married for three learned to deal With it Hawking has instilled in me is when l'm really focused on my months. so the dirt might have been piling up fairly it's both fair and sensible, Why would I want to dreams. the universe repeatedly shows me that it is conspiring | high. mess no a system that has worked perfectly well for to help me achieve those dreams And some of those dreams. ' Anyhow. like a guided shopping missile, l chr» some 30 years. No complaints yet from the people along with the health and wellâ€"being for my family and 1 cit-ntly swoop from one place to the next, leaving who matter. friends. have included the many famed people I've had the 1 nothing in my wake. Tmlhfi'llyv she has Sr“! up ht“r not?!“ and sht‘ privilege to meet through this column (with the highlight thus ‘ My wife, on the other hand, is quite different She really does try not to shop backwards. far being a faceAto-face interview with Ringo Stan back in v 1 1 is an excellent shopper. in volume certainly. but also And she even takes my suggestions now and lime). ‘ in terms of value and quality. I think she might be then. and already this year has allowed me to go out like the Beatles. I've always seen Stephen Hawking as 1 1 the only person prepared to ask anyone "Is that the and pick up something on my oWn. almost mystical. never imap'ning l'd ever have the chance to . best price I can get?" Mostly though. I am there to bounce ideas of! of meet him. But the possibility is there when he visits the 1 1 However. I have always had two problems with . and. of course, to do the primary |ob of all male Perimeter institute next summer. In the meantime. l'll contin- shopping with her. The most import ant of those is chimp?“ 1 no to dream big and be inspired by the words of Stephen l the time. lam a retail park mule. But. at least my owner is Hawking. “it matters ifyou lust don’t give up." 1 She is a poker and a backwards shopper. When nit e. And you throw it out into the universe 1 ever she is out on the prowl for gifts. she pokes and ... 1 wanders and looks at every possible item, To be "' Marshall Wan! isa [Visual artist, independmtfilmmaker and honest, it doves me around the bend. Having a m, Brion Rourke. a member Of")? 1053 KOO] PM backyard astronomer Email is welcome at 1 minute conversation about whether this child morning new can be reached hyemaila) “who” uWOMmW-me ’ should get green pajamas or pink ones just doesn‘t hbourkpfikmlfmmm I A