Yo drunken young liberals, if you're reading this on one of your fancy PDA's, watch out for a mean looking bald guy! Also, settle down, if you're this pissed now you'll be asleep by dinner-time.
Thursday, November 30, 2006
Warren Kinsella, Poised to Denounce Liberal Youth?
Apparently, Kinsella's on a train to the convention, and he's sitting near some drunken young Liberals who've been cracking jokes about hookers, "retards", Italians, and penis sizes. Looks like he's set to Denounce when he gets reaches Montreal. He's done this kind of thing before with young Liberals, and the result is never nice. I can just imagine his next column: "reptilian", "evil"...every bad word Kinsella can summon.
Yo drunken young liberals, if you're reading this on one of your fancy PDA's, watch out for a mean looking bald guy! Also, settle down, if you're this pissed now you'll be asleep by dinner-time.
Yo drunken young liberals, if you're reading this on one of your fancy PDA's, watch out for a mean looking bald guy! Also, settle down, if you're this pissed now you'll be asleep by dinner-time.
Tory Wants Grow-Op Registry
From The Star:
Ontario's Liberal government should move quickly to establish a province-wide registry for homes used to grow marijuana, Opposition Leader John Tory said today.
A good idea in principle, but difficult to implement successfully. The Star piece notes one possible concern:
Landlords who own property and find out after a police raid that their tenants were growing pot don't want to see their properties on a public list that would discourage new tenants or potential buyers, Kwinter said.
"The owner is saying, `Just because my tenant did it, why do I have to bear the responsibility?' " he said.
Another issue is that in most cases grow-ops are not discovered after a police raid. They are discovered after a tenant moves out, and an inspector examines the place and tells the property owner he's almost certain that the building was used to farm marijuana. What the owner is required to do at this point, or to disclose when he attempts to sell the property, is murky.
And of course another issue is the hazard involved in keeping such a list. For example, should a property tagged as a grow-op remain on it after the appropriate repairs have been made? And if the body keeping the list does not make an ongoing effort to maintain its accuracy, then lawsuits will surely follow. I have been told, for example, that both Toronto/York Region police considered the idea of hosting an inventory of grow-ops on their websites, but were talked out of it by legal counsel.
As a side note, its not surprising that grow-ops should be moving into high-rise apartments, especially older ones where the units are not individually metered. By contrast, a grow-op in your standard detached home is lit up like a Christmas tree to a police helicopter with an infra-red scanner.
Ontario's Liberal government should move quickly to establish a province-wide registry for homes used to grow marijuana, Opposition Leader John Tory said today.
A good idea in principle, but difficult to implement successfully. The Star piece notes one possible concern:
Landlords who own property and find out after a police raid that their tenants were growing pot don't want to see their properties on a public list that would discourage new tenants or potential buyers, Kwinter said.
"The owner is saying, `Just because my tenant did it, why do I have to bear the responsibility?' " he said.
Another issue is that in most cases grow-ops are not discovered after a police raid. They are discovered after a tenant moves out, and an inspector examines the place and tells the property owner he's almost certain that the building was used to farm marijuana. What the owner is required to do at this point, or to disclose when he attempts to sell the property, is murky.
And of course another issue is the hazard involved in keeping such a list. For example, should a property tagged as a grow-op remain on it after the appropriate repairs have been made? And if the body keeping the list does not make an ongoing effort to maintain its accuracy, then lawsuits will surely follow. I have been told, for example, that both Toronto/York Region police considered the idea of hosting an inventory of grow-ops on their websites, but were talked out of it by legal counsel.
As a side note, its not surprising that grow-ops should be moving into high-rise apartments, especially older ones where the units are not individually metered. By contrast, a grow-op in your standard detached home is lit up like a Christmas tree to a police helicopter with an infra-red scanner.
Send Me Your "I'm Liberal" Thong Shots
From The Nat. Post:
Liberals are selling an eclectic mix of sex and serious Liberal history at their merchandise table.
Among the dusty old propaganda posters bragging about Liberal solidarity with the working man is a stack of dainty black thong underwear with a blazing red logo saying, "I'm Liberal."
"These are the things are really the hot seller right now," said Michelle Paquette, the Liberal party's operations manager, holding up the black cotton number.
Snap a thong shot of any Liberal Leadership Candidate on your digital and YOU COULD WIN MONEY!
Iggy in a thong is the big prize. Send me a .jpeg of him and I will mail you $5.00 in change, and any of those old pesos left over from my Mexico trip. Plus your name will be associated forever with one of the biggest scandals in Party history (I hope).
Kennedy in a thong is the next big catch, because he's so damn sexxxy. Send me a shot of him and you will get a brand new Canadian twonie, plus any Canadian Tire money I can find.
Any other candidate in a thong will be worth $1.00 plus an "antique" TTC token.
Though not a candidate, a thong shot of Belinda gets you a $10, $11.50 if she's a blonde again, $12.00 if she's dancing on a hotel bed, and $14.37 if you can prove its your hotel bed.
Send your prize winning thong pictures to bigcitylib@hotmail.com.
Liberals are selling an eclectic mix of sex and serious Liberal history at their merchandise table.
Among the dusty old propaganda posters bragging about Liberal solidarity with the working man is a stack of dainty black thong underwear with a blazing red logo saying, "I'm Liberal."
"These are the things are really the hot seller right now," said Michelle Paquette, the Liberal party's operations manager, holding up the black cotton number.
Snap a thong shot of any Liberal Leadership Candidate on your digital and YOU COULD WIN MONEY!
Iggy in a thong is the big prize. Send me a .jpeg of him and I will mail you $5.00 in change, and any of those old pesos left over from my Mexico trip. Plus your name will be associated forever with one of the biggest scandals in Party history (I hope).
Kennedy in a thong is the next big catch, because he's so damn sexxxy. Send me a shot of him and you will get a brand new Canadian twonie, plus any Canadian Tire money I can find.
Any other candidate in a thong will be worth $1.00 plus an "antique" TTC token.
Though not a candidate, a thong shot of Belinda gets you a $10, $11.50 if she's a blonde again, $12.00 if she's dancing on a hotel bed, and $14.37 if you can prove its your hotel bed.
Send your prize winning thong pictures to bigcitylib@hotmail.com.
Wednesday, November 29, 2006
Iggy Fears His Delegates Are Bailing Out
Attempting to stave off a collapse in support, led by party members "put off" by his positions on Quebec, Torture, Israeli War Crimes, and Iraq, Michael Ignatieff begged his delegates to "stay the course" this evening, and not spoil their first round ballots as a means of keeping his ass as far away from political power as humanly possible :
The idea that they should spoil a ballot seems to me to be a waste of one of the greatest democratic opportunities of a generation.
...Iggy said.
Reaction to Iggy's plea among Liberal delegates was mixed. "Fuck you, poindexter!" said one disillusioned ex-supporter. "You're going back to Harvard in a box!"
The idea that they should spoil a ballot seems to me to be a waste of one of the greatest democratic opportunities of a generation.
...Iggy said.
Reaction to Iggy's plea among Liberal delegates was mixed. "Fuck you, poindexter!" said one disillusioned ex-supporter. "You're going back to Harvard in a box!"
10,000 Scientists Can't Be Wrong
EPA employees are calling on the U.S. Congress to act on Global Warming now, according to a petition released today by the Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility (PEER):
The petition stresses that time is running out to prevent cataclysmic environmental changes induced by human-caused pollution and urges Congress to undertake prompt actions:
“If we wait, we will be committing the next generation of Americans to approximately double the current global warming concentrations, with the associated adverse impacts on human health and the environment.”
These, by the way, are all real scientists, not like the alleged 20,000 signatories of the Oregon Petition, which contained obviously fake names, corporate names, duplicate names, and the names of a couple of Spice Girls.
As usual, h/t to DeSmogBlog.
The petition stresses that time is running out to prevent cataclysmic environmental changes induced by human-caused pollution and urges Congress to undertake prompt actions:
“If we wait, we will be committing the next generation of Americans to approximately double the current global warming concentrations, with the associated adverse impacts on human health and the environment.”
These, by the way, are all real scientists, not like the alleged 20,000 signatories of the Oregon Petition, which contained obviously fake names, corporate names, duplicate names, and the names of a couple of Spice Girls.
As usual, h/t to DeSmogBlog.
NATO: Canada Fights for Just Cause in Afghanistan and, Oh By the Way, You Fight Alone
Fine words this morning from Latvian President Vaira Vike-Freiberga on how Canadians are fighting for a just cause down in Kandahar, and how the rest of NATO should really pitch in. She even invokes her own nation's struggle under Soviet rule:
By joining the alliance, we have declared our commitment to stand firm for the values that were denied us for too long ... the values for which our people now are ready to sacrifice their lives.
Freedom is the dearest thing we can have next to life itself but there are times that lives have to be sacrificed if we want to preserve freedom.
Not only that, this morning's NATO session began with a tribute to the 50,000 troops serving on operations worldwide, including some 30,000 in Afghanistan. Accepting the honour were 26 soldiers representing each of the NATO nations, including one from Canada's famed Royal 22e Regiment, known as the Van Doos.
No word on whether or not cake was served at the ceremony.
Later, in the behind-the-scenes meetings, Canada got gypped.
Several infantry companies, meaning perhaps 500 additional soldiers, have been pledged by the 26-nation military alliance to help out embattled Canadian troops around Kandahar. This is nowhere close to the numbers Canadian PM Stephen Harper was asking for.
Furthermore, a pledge was extracted from France, Germany, Italy and Spain, to deploy the troops they currently have in Afghanistan beyond their usual zone of operation in "extreme circumstances":
The concession did not amount to an absolute guarantee to assist but diplomats said the mood had changed after rising criticism, particularly from Canada, which has been fighting the Taliban and suffering high casualties in Kandahar.
[...]
French officials said: "The President (Jacques Chirac) confirmed the possibility, on a case-by-case basis and on request, to send French troops outside their zone if necessary."
Madrid's pledge was more guarded, with a Spanish official saying Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero had offered use of Spanish helicopters in exceptional circumstances to help evacuate wounded NATO solders, and not for combat.
Ever get the impression that Canada is being played for a sucker?
By joining the alliance, we have declared our commitment to stand firm for the values that were denied us for too long ... the values for which our people now are ready to sacrifice their lives.
Freedom is the dearest thing we can have next to life itself but there are times that lives have to be sacrificed if we want to preserve freedom.
Not only that, this morning's NATO session began with a tribute to the 50,000 troops serving on operations worldwide, including some 30,000 in Afghanistan. Accepting the honour were 26 soldiers representing each of the NATO nations, including one from Canada's famed Royal 22e Regiment, known as the Van Doos.
No word on whether or not cake was served at the ceremony.
Later, in the behind-the-scenes meetings, Canada got gypped.
Several infantry companies, meaning perhaps 500 additional soldiers, have been pledged by the 26-nation military alliance to help out embattled Canadian troops around Kandahar. This is nowhere close to the numbers Canadian PM Stephen Harper was asking for.
Furthermore, a pledge was extracted from France, Germany, Italy and Spain, to deploy the troops they currently have in Afghanistan beyond their usual zone of operation in "extreme circumstances":
The concession did not amount to an absolute guarantee to assist but diplomats said the mood had changed after rising criticism, particularly from Canada, which has been fighting the Taliban and suffering high casualties in Kandahar.
[...]
French officials said: "The President (Jacques Chirac) confirmed the possibility, on a case-by-case basis and on request, to send French troops outside their zone if necessary."
Madrid's pledge was more guarded, with a Spanish official saying Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero had offered use of Spanish helicopters in exceptional circumstances to help evacuate wounded NATO solders, and not for combat.
Ever get the impression that Canada is being played for a sucker?
Political Potpourri: Canadians Reject Quebec Nationhood and Iggy, and Star supports Rae
By huge numbers, Canadians reject the notion of Quebec nationhood, with only French-speaking Quebecers supporting the notion:
Canadians from every region outside Quebec, non-francophone Quebecers (62 per cent), Liberal party supporters (72 per cent), francophone Canadians outside Quebec (77 per cent) all resoundingly rejected the idea.
The same Leger Marketing poll showed that Bob Rae, at 17%, was the candidate Canadians would choose to lead the federal Liberals, with everyone else stuck at about 10%, which means that Ken Dryden is a popular as Iggy on the national stage.
Finally:
The poll also suggested support has remained relatively steady for the national parties, with the Conservatives at 34 per cent and the Liberals at 32 per cent.
And The Star endorsed today, choosing Bob Rae for Lib Leader, because:
He offers the best prospect of renewing the party, moving it boldly forward in a socially progressive direction and giving Canadians the government they deserve.
They went pretty easy on Iggy, however, merely referring to him as having a "steep learning curve", and being a "gamble".
Canadians from every region outside Quebec, non-francophone Quebecers (62 per cent), Liberal party supporters (72 per cent), francophone Canadians outside Quebec (77 per cent) all resoundingly rejected the idea.
The same Leger Marketing poll showed that Bob Rae, at 17%, was the candidate Canadians would choose to lead the federal Liberals, with everyone else stuck at about 10%, which means that Ken Dryden is a popular as Iggy on the national stage.
Finally:
The poll also suggested support has remained relatively steady for the national parties, with the Conservatives at 34 per cent and the Liberals at 32 per cent.
And The Star endorsed today, choosing Bob Rae for Lib Leader, because:
He offers the best prospect of renewing the party, moving it boldly forward in a socially progressive direction and giving Canadians the government they deserve.
They went pretty easy on Iggy, however, merely referring to him as having a "steep learning curve", and being a "gamble".
Tuesday, November 28, 2006
Belinda Gets Serious
Then:
And Now (Gravitas added):
It's as though she's following in Madonna's footsteps. Soon, she will take an interest in the Kabbalah.
h/t to Dymaxion World.
And Now (Gravitas added):
It's as though she's following in Madonna's footsteps. Soon, she will take an interest in the Kabbalah.
h/t to Dymaxion World.
Quebec Resolution Off the Table at Lib Convention
From CTV:
Fearing the issue will be divisive to the party as they get ready to select a new leader, the federal Liberals have decided not to debate a motion on Quebec nationhood after all at this week's leadership convention.
Hallelujah! The smartest thing the Libs have done in weeks. That's the first step.
Step two: Iggy returns to Harvard in a box.
Step 3: Party renews Self.
Fearing the issue will be divisive to the party as they get ready to select a new leader, the federal Liberals have decided not to debate a motion on Quebec nationhood after all at this week's leadership convention.
Hallelujah! The smartest thing the Libs have done in weeks. That's the first step.
Step two: Iggy returns to Harvard in a box.
Step 3: Party renews Self.
CanadaFreePress Endorses Ignatieff
The rabidly right-wing news website likes Iggy as Lib Leader because:
The Liberal Party of Canada that was once the party of Sir Wilfrid Laurier and Pierre Trudeau is now the party of Paul Martin and Belinda Stronach. The election of Michael Ignatieff as Liberal leader will keep this new tradition going. For those Canadians who do not endorse the Liberal PartyÂ’s philosophy (whatever that actually is) will have a lot of fun with Iggy at the helm.
And an Ignatieff-led Liberal Party will be the best case scenario for Stephen Harper and his Conservatives to form a majority government.
The Liberal Party of Canada that was once the party of Sir Wilfrid Laurier and Pierre Trudeau is now the party of Paul Martin and Belinda Stronach. The election of Michael Ignatieff as Liberal leader will keep this new tradition going. For those Canadians who do not endorse the Liberal PartyÂ’s philosophy (whatever that actually is) will have a lot of fun with Iggy at the helm.
And an Ignatieff-led Liberal Party will be the best case scenario for Stephen Harper and his Conservatives to form a majority government.
Now you can argue that stories like this, and like this, are all (as the dude from TDH maintains) ploys designed to manipulate the minds of Liberal delegates. But I think that the further you move from unidentified "senior government officials", like those quoted in the Canada.com story, and towards the random wingnuts that write for publications like CanadaFreePress, the less convincing this explanation becomes: the idea that the Consrvative fringe moves in lockstep with the party apparatus simply does not seem plausible.
It is equally likely, in fact more likely, that Conservatives are coming to appreciate what the rest of us already know: Iggy is both loquacious and prone to verbal gaffes.
William Henry Drummond and the National Unity Debate
Willian Henry Drummond was an Irish-born Canadian poet. When he was just a lad, William Drummond moved to Quebec and spent the rest of his life living among the rural Quebecois (the habitant), who he came to love and admire.In 1897 he published the first edition of his Habitant Poems, a series of poems written in English, but as told "...as they [the Habitant] would relate [their tales] to English-speaking auditors not conversant with the French tongue".
So, imagine Jean Chretien speakiing English in rhyme.
In any case, when I was searching through the Variety Village book shelves yesterday afternoon I found a copy of Habitant Poems for $0.49. Not only that, when I opened the book, I found a honest-to-God four-leaf clover pressed between the pages! That's a great price for a book plus good luck charm! Naturally, I bought it.
So when I got home and watched the Quebec motion pass, I became (and remain) perhaps irrationally optimistic concerning the state of English-French relations in Canada.
To all those who opposed the motion, I would freely admit that English Canada, The First Nations, and so forth, got screwed. French Quebec does not deserve such extra recognition, even if it is merely symbolic, any more, and perhaps less, than do aboriginals or Ukrainians or anyone else. Nevertheless, Michael Ignatieff let the genie out of the bottle, and this seems to be the quickest and easiest way to force it back. It takes several parties to get into a constitutional brawl. If that is considered a bad result, then I would suggest that in this instance the best route is to turn the other cheek and let it go.
Monday, November 27, 2006
Pranked by Galactus! Kinsella's Petition Sliding Down Shitter!
With a mere five hundred votes recorded, Kinsella has nevertheless attracted the attention of the Global elite with his petition to oppose recognition of Quebec as a "nation". Some of the signatories so far include (with their comments):
505. Condi Rice--Peter Mackey is hot!!!
504.Donald Rumsfeld--All Your Balls Are Belong to US!
500. George W Bush--Canada sucks Balls. Go Frenchies!!!
Not only that, even the great Galactus has spoken out against the Quebec motion. In fact, he's managed to sign the petition twice (at 444 and 448)!
Looks like Kinsella, and Coyne, and Wells will be leading the rebellion at the head of an imaginary army.
505. Condi Rice--Peter Mackey is hot!!!
504.Donald Rumsfeld--All Your Balls Are Belong to US!
500. George W Bush--Canada sucks Balls. Go Frenchies!!!
Not only that, even the great Galactus has spoken out against the Quebec motion. In fact, he's managed to sign the petition twice (at 444 and 448)!
Looks like Kinsella, and Coyne, and Wells will be leading the rebellion at the head of an imaginary army.
BigCityLib News Flash: Will Iggy Oppose Quebec Resolution?
Difficult to say. There's certainly nothing in the MSM to indicate that he's having second thoughts. There is, however, this posting from "Mikey" Ignatieff (number 403) on Warren Kinsella's petition against recognizing Quebec as a nation:
I'm not sure ...
An identity thief, posing as Iggy? Or the man himself wracked by a bout of Nuance? Only time will give an answer.
As for the petition itself, it has stalled at about 440 signatories, including Heywood Jablome. No dead rock stars, Galactus has not bothered to drop by and, perhaps most tellingly, the ghost of Pierre Elliot Trudeau has remained conspicuously silent.
Once again, the URL of the petition is here. I mean, Kinsella has already paid for the bandwidth. Somebody might as well use it.
I'm not sure ...
An identity thief, posing as Iggy? Or the man himself wracked by a bout of Nuance? Only time will give an answer.
As for the petition itself, it has stalled at about 440 signatories, including Heywood Jablome. No dead rock stars, Galactus has not bothered to drop by and, perhaps most tellingly, the ghost of Pierre Elliot Trudeau has remained conspicuously silent.
Once again, the URL of the petition is here. I mean, Kinsella has already paid for the bandwidth. Somebody might as well use it.
The Simpson's Monty Burns Opposes Quebec Nationhood!
Warren's petition has garnered its first real celebrity, with Simpson's character Montgomery Burns clocking in at number 291:291. Senator Monty Burns
Excellent.... [accompanied by hand rubbing
Hmm! Interesting in that a number of signatories appear to be downright Evil, a few more are lawyers (check out number 155, for example), and one guy goes by the name of "Ben Dover". I'd be much more impressed if The Spice Girls showed up.
C'mon Ginger, Posh, and that black chick! Canada needs you! (And so does Kinsella, or his petition goes down the same toilet as that I Am Not Afraid thingie he did)
Warren, Meet Thomas
As of 9:00 am, about 300 names on Warren Kinsella's on-line petition to "oppose recognition of any province as a 'nation'". Many of these names are familiar to Bloggers but, it goes without saying, totally obscure to non-bloggers.
And one of them (assuming its legit) is that of Thomas Hubert (number 34), whose remarks re Israel sparked a round of witch-hunting within the Liberal Party during August of this year. In the midst of this nasty string of incidents, Warren referred to young Thomas as "evil and reptilian".
Good Lord! How things turn about. Will Warren apologize to young Thomas? How can he square his earlier remarks with the fact that this allegedly evil reptile is one of the pitifully few beings willing to stand with him in his defense of Canada? Surely his very concept of Good and Evil will need rebalancing.
As for me, I intend no ridicule other than towards Kinsella, who deserves constant ridicule. So my advice is: sign the petition if you want. But if wise men like Dion and Rae are willing to accept the Quebec motion, then I am personally convinced that it is nothing more than a love valentine from The ROC and, although Gilles Duceppe and his seperatist allies will find in it some rhetorical ammunition, they will find nothing of practical (legal) value. In two weeks we will be back to debating the environment, which is as it should be.
h/t to Pebbles Take.
And one of them (assuming its legit) is that of Thomas Hubert (number 34), whose remarks re Israel sparked a round of witch-hunting within the Liberal Party during August of this year. In the midst of this nasty string of incidents, Warren referred to young Thomas as "evil and reptilian".
Good Lord! How things turn about. Will Warren apologize to young Thomas? How can he square his earlier remarks with the fact that this allegedly evil reptile is one of the pitifully few beings willing to stand with him in his defense of Canada? Surely his very concept of Good and Evil will need rebalancing.
As for me, I intend no ridicule other than towards Kinsella, who deserves constant ridicule. So my advice is: sign the petition if you want. But if wise men like Dion and Rae are willing to accept the Quebec motion, then I am personally convinced that it is nothing more than a love valentine from The ROC and, although Gilles Duceppe and his seperatist allies will find in it some rhetorical ammunition, they will find nothing of practical (legal) value. In two weeks we will be back to debating the environment, which is as it should be.
h/t to Pebbles Take.
Sunday, November 26, 2006
Duceppe: Those English Men Did Not Abuse My Ass
"Because if my motion had passed, then I would have won, and if it had failed, then I would have won. And if this motion passes, then I will win. And if it fails, then I will win."But the real truth can be seen from the weird colors Mr. Duceppe turned when the Tory motion was first unveiled. You don't turn those colors when you are happy. You turn those colors when you are having heart trouble.
(Or when you are being politically gang-banged by a troupe of hardy lads from the ROC)
Mars Global Surveyor: R.I.P.
Earlier this month NASA lost contact with The Mars Global Surveyor. They are close to declaring the probe lost and an end to the longest and most successful mission in the history of Mars exploration. Among the Surveyor's many accomplishments, it showed that the "face on Mars" was nothing more than a pile of rock:
Face? What Face?
And among the many spectacular shots taken over the probe's ten year life-span, this one is probably my favorited. It shows the frozen Sea of Elysium, where dust covered plates of ice are all that remain of an ancient ocean.
Face? What Face?
And among the many spectacular shots taken over the probe's ten year life-span, this one is probably my favorited. It shows the frozen Sea of Elysium, where dust covered plates of ice are all that remain of an ancient ocean.
Siddiqui Endorses Dion (or Failing That Rae), Disses Iggy
From this morning's Star, what seems to becoming a recurring trope among columnists and editorial writers. Here's the fun part:
[Iggy's] judgment on several domestic and foreign issues has been flawed.
He is out of tune with Canadians on the defining global issues of our age, having been an apologist for George W. Bush's Iraq war, the failed "war on terrorism" and the American empire.
He does not stand up to power, whereas one primary duty of a prime minister is to take on Washington, when needed, and fend off powerful interests at home to serve the common good.
One cannot think of a worse candidate for the Liberal leadership. Let's move on to the other serious contenders.
There you go people. Iggy is officially The Worst. Siddiqui then goes on to heap praise on Dion and Rae, but mostly Dion:
Dion is Captain Canada. As the author of the Clarity Act, he showed conviction and courage amid much abuse in his home province. Canadians owe him a deep gratitude for tethering the separatists to the rule of law, Canadian law. It is said that he is not popular in Quebec. Nor was Pierre Elliott Trudeau, at times.
It is said that Dion lacks charisma. So does Harper. And his English is better than the Prime Minister's French.
Once they get past their first-vote commitment to particular candidates, delegates to the Liberal convention should vote for Dion, and if he falls off the ballot, to switch to Rae, one of the most articulate politicians of our age, in either language.
And there you have it.
It's early, and I'm feeling too lazy to attempt anything like analysis. I can't even think of a good anti-Iggy insult at the moment.
I shall try harder later in the day.
[Iggy's] judgment on several domestic and foreign issues has been flawed.
He is out of tune with Canadians on the defining global issues of our age, having been an apologist for George W. Bush's Iraq war, the failed "war on terrorism" and the American empire.
He does not stand up to power, whereas one primary duty of a prime minister is to take on Washington, when needed, and fend off powerful interests at home to serve the common good.
One cannot think of a worse candidate for the Liberal leadership. Let's move on to the other serious contenders.
There you go people. Iggy is officially The Worst. Siddiqui then goes on to heap praise on Dion and Rae, but mostly Dion:
Dion is Captain Canada. As the author of the Clarity Act, he showed conviction and courage amid much abuse in his home province. Canadians owe him a deep gratitude for tethering the separatists to the rule of law, Canadian law. It is said that he is not popular in Quebec. Nor was Pierre Elliott Trudeau, at times.
It is said that Dion lacks charisma. So does Harper. And his English is better than the Prime Minister's French.
Once they get past their first-vote commitment to particular candidates, delegates to the Liberal convention should vote for Dion, and if he falls off the ballot, to switch to Rae, one of the most articulate politicians of our age, in either language.
And there you have it.
It's early, and I'm feeling too lazy to attempt anything like analysis. I can't even think of a good anti-Iggy insult at the moment.
I shall try harder later in the day.
Saturday, November 25, 2006
Globe Endorses Dion
...but figures the Party "could do worse" than select Bob Rae. Iggy comes off as definitely unsuitable because:
His ruminations on "officializing" special recognition for Quebec did more than change the dynamic of the Liberal leadership race. Without the lifeline thrown by Prime Minister Stephen Harper on Wednesday, they threatened to damage the Liberal Party and the country. While Mr. Ignatieff is an impressive individual, this is hardly the stuff of impressive leadership.
And Gerard's shaky French does him in. In the end Dion's The Globe's boy, because:
He faced many obstacles not of his own making. Despite being a veteran of the cabinets of both Jean Chretien and Mr. Martin, he failed to attract the support of the party establishment, which largely split between Mr. Ignatieff and Mr. Rae. A sense that it is the turn of a leader from outside Quebec has worked against him. And while his English is better than that of many native English speakers, this is masked somewhat by a strong accent.
Yet Mr. Dion has a record in national politics that demands respect. He was responsible for the Clarity Act, firmly establishing the federal government's case against unilateral secession and limiting the potential for separatist trickery. He withstood the basest personal attacks, and, in battle, never flinched. In fact, he is arguably the most courageous Canadian politician of his generation.
One sign of successful leadership is the ability to make the most of every opportunity that presents itself, and Mr. Dion has certainly done that during the current campaign. What he lacks in charisma he makes up for in common sense. He possesses a remarkably clear-eyed view of the possibilities. That he has been the most lucid on the crucial unity file is unsurprising, but he has also presented a compelling vision of a 21st-century environmental economy. If a leader is going to exercise mastery over any files, those are among the most important.
But Mr. Dion has mastered more than that. Through the campaign, he has shown that he has mastered the art of politics. He has gained a love of the game, perhaps from watching the likes of Mr. Chretien close up. While he has been burdened with an image as a stiff academic, he has added humour, passion and humility to his defining attributes of intelligence and principle.
There is no perfect choice for Liberal delegates, but Stephane Dion comes the closest to deserving their support for leader.
Which is almost exactly the way I look at this race at the moment.
That's probably it for the day, blogging wise.
His ruminations on "officializing" special recognition for Quebec did more than change the dynamic of the Liberal leadership race. Without the lifeline thrown by Prime Minister Stephen Harper on Wednesday, they threatened to damage the Liberal Party and the country. While Mr. Ignatieff is an impressive individual, this is hardly the stuff of impressive leadership.
And Gerard's shaky French does him in. In the end Dion's The Globe's boy, because:
He faced many obstacles not of his own making. Despite being a veteran of the cabinets of both Jean Chretien and Mr. Martin, he failed to attract the support of the party establishment, which largely split between Mr. Ignatieff and Mr. Rae. A sense that it is the turn of a leader from outside Quebec has worked against him. And while his English is better than that of many native English speakers, this is masked somewhat by a strong accent.
Yet Mr. Dion has a record in national politics that demands respect. He was responsible for the Clarity Act, firmly establishing the federal government's case against unilateral secession and limiting the potential for separatist trickery. He withstood the basest personal attacks, and, in battle, never flinched. In fact, he is arguably the most courageous Canadian politician of his generation.
One sign of successful leadership is the ability to make the most of every opportunity that presents itself, and Mr. Dion has certainly done that during the current campaign. What he lacks in charisma he makes up for in common sense. He possesses a remarkably clear-eyed view of the possibilities. That he has been the most lucid on the crucial unity file is unsurprising, but he has also presented a compelling vision of a 21st-century environmental economy. If a leader is going to exercise mastery over any files, those are among the most important.
But Mr. Dion has mastered more than that. Through the campaign, he has shown that he has mastered the art of politics. He has gained a love of the game, perhaps from watching the likes of Mr. Chretien close up. While he has been burdened with an image as a stiff academic, he has added humour, passion and humility to his defining attributes of intelligence and principle.
There is no perfect choice for Liberal delegates, but Stephane Dion comes the closest to deserving their support for leader.
Which is almost exactly the way I look at this race at the moment.
That's probably it for the day, blogging wise.
Friday, November 24, 2006
The Pope Speaks: Those Little Rubber Things
...that you wear over your cock may not be so bad, given that:
1) the sexual partners are heterosexual and married.
2) one has HIV.
From a report from the Pope's own theologian (although that may sound redundant):
Cardinal Georges Cottier signaled doubts within the papal household and argued that the Roman Catholic "theology of life" could be used to justify a lifting of the ban. "The virus is transmitted during a sexual act; so at the same time as [bringing] life there is also a risk of transmitting death," he said. "And that is where the commandment 'thou shalt not kill' is valid."
Cardinal Carlo Maria Martini, a former archbishop of Milan who was considered a candidate for the papacy, said earlier this year that a married person with HIV was "obliged" to protect his or her partner from the disease.
A tiny step, but one day Pope Benny will throw off that silly dress and stupid hat and party naked on the Streets of Vatican City.
1) the sexual partners are heterosexual and married.
2) one has HIV.
From a report from the Pope's own theologian (although that may sound redundant):
Cardinal Georges Cottier signaled doubts within the papal household and argued that the Roman Catholic "theology of life" could be used to justify a lifting of the ban. "The virus is transmitted during a sexual act; so at the same time as [bringing] life there is also a risk of transmitting death," he said. "And that is where the commandment 'thou shalt not kill' is valid."
Cardinal Carlo Maria Martini, a former archbishop of Milan who was considered a candidate for the papacy, said earlier this year that a married person with HIV was "obliged" to protect his or her partner from the disease.
A tiny step, but one day Pope Benny will throw off that silly dress and stupid hat and party naked on the Streets of Vatican City.
Check Mate, Matey!
You can argue about the winners all day, but it sure is nice to see Gilles Duceppe have his ass handed to him, even if it's Stephen Harper doing the handing.
The Bloc Quebecois has just announced they will be voting in favor Harper's motion re Quebec as a nation within Canada.
The Bloc Quebecois has just announced they will be voting in favor Harper's motion re Quebec as a nation within Canada.
You See What Iggy and Harper Have Done!
Now the First Nations want their own nationhood recognized!
In reference to the motion made by Prime Minister Harper yesterday, the Assembly of First Nations calls upon the Prime Minister to clarify his position in a way that does justice to the status and role of First Nations in Quebec and within Canada as a whole.
National Chief Phil Fontaine commented that "mindful as we are of our own history and identity, we want to be respectful of other communities and traditions in Canada. The AFN has been, and remains, open to recognition of the nature of Quebec society that acknowledges features such as the French speaking majority in that province. It is important, however, that such recognition be carried out in a way that does not dismiss or diminish in anyway, the nationhood of First Nations in Quebec and throughout Canada."
AFN Regional Chief of Quebec and Labrador, Ghislain Picard added that"the First Nations of Quebec reserve the right to assert and affirm our status as Nations regardless of what other governments may imply." Furthermore, Picard stated that "the recognition by one government of another is only meaningful through a process of negotiation to confirm mutual understandings of the relationship."
Actually, I have way more sympathy for the plight of the natives in this country than I do for the French. Furthermore, the Quebec motion, experts agree, is entirely without legal force , and I am with Bob Rae in that, if its vacuous, what the hell? I'm behind it!
So let's extend the status of "nationhood within Canada" to all one of the First nations, and anyone else who asks. My mom's side is Ukranian, for instance; nobody ever tells them they're special. Why not do that too while we're at it?
So lets have the Feds bake up some Official Canadian Pastries and send them everywhere. Maybe maple-leaf shaped cookies with lots of frosting! And written on the cookie with even more frosting, will be something like:
I am part of the Ukranian Nation Within Canada
...except, of course, if you're part of the Albanian Nation within Canada, the word "Albanian" gets swapped for the word "Ukranian"!
People could hang onto these cookies as keepsakes, to remind them how much they are loved within that state entity full o' nations known as Canada. Or they can eat their cookie, and they'll have had a free cookie. Like a tax cut, but sweeter.
And so, in the end, there's no harm done.
h/t to Buckdog.
In reference to the motion made by Prime Minister Harper yesterday, the Assembly of First Nations calls upon the Prime Minister to clarify his position in a way that does justice to the status and role of First Nations in Quebec and within Canada as a whole.
National Chief Phil Fontaine commented that "mindful as we are of our own history and identity, we want to be respectful of other communities and traditions in Canada. The AFN has been, and remains, open to recognition of the nature of Quebec society that acknowledges features such as the French speaking majority in that province. It is important, however, that such recognition be carried out in a way that does not dismiss or diminish in anyway, the nationhood of First Nations in Quebec and throughout Canada."
AFN Regional Chief of Quebec and Labrador, Ghislain Picard added that"the First Nations of Quebec reserve the right to assert and affirm our status as Nations regardless of what other governments may imply." Furthermore, Picard stated that "the recognition by one government of another is only meaningful through a process of negotiation to confirm mutual understandings of the relationship."
Actually, I have way more sympathy for the plight of the natives in this country than I do for the French. Furthermore, the Quebec motion, experts agree, is entirely without legal force , and I am with Bob Rae in that, if its vacuous, what the hell? I'm behind it!
So let's extend the status of "nationhood within Canada" to all one of the First nations, and anyone else who asks. My mom's side is Ukranian, for instance; nobody ever tells them they're special. Why not do that too while we're at it?
So lets have the Feds bake up some Official Canadian Pastries and send them everywhere. Maybe maple-leaf shaped cookies with lots of frosting! And written on the cookie with even more frosting, will be something like:
I am part of the Ukranian Nation Within Canada
...except, of course, if you're part of the Albanian Nation within Canada, the word "Albanian" gets swapped for the word "Ukranian"!
People could hang onto these cookies as keepsakes, to remind them how much they are loved within that state entity full o' nations known as Canada. Or they can eat their cookie, and they'll have had a free cookie. Like a tax cut, but sweeter.
And so, in the end, there's no harm done.
h/t to Buckdog.
Iggy's Camp Not Satisfied. What are Their Further Demands?
Once the Harper/Ignatieff Quebec motion passes on Monday (which presumably it will), what happens next? While the Dion and Rae camps would put the issue to rest, Iggy wants further debate at the Liberal Leadership convention next week:
Ignatieff's campaign manager Ian Davey reacted angrily [to the Rae/Dion proposal], accusing both men of "playing games" and "stoking fire" on the Quebec issue since last month and now "talking about shutting down the debate from the back rooms" at next week's Montreal convention.
I guess the question to be asked is, what more do Iggy's people want? In what way does Monday's resolution not go far enough that they need more divisive discussion of the issue? Is Ignatieff still looking for ways to "officialize" what is at the moment nothing more than a frosting filled love valentine to Quebec from the ROC?
And should the rest of the Liberal party bend to Iggy's will?
Ignatieff's campaign manager Ian Davey reacted angrily [to the Rae/Dion proposal], accusing both men of "playing games" and "stoking fire" on the Quebec issue since last month and now "talking about shutting down the debate from the back rooms" at next week's Montreal convention.
I guess the question to be asked is, what more do Iggy's people want? In what way does Monday's resolution not go far enough that they need more divisive discussion of the issue? Is Ignatieff still looking for ways to "officialize" what is at the moment nothing more than a frosting filled love valentine to Quebec from the ROC?
And should the rest of the Liberal party bend to Iggy's will?
Thursday, November 23, 2006
Head Down, Mouth Shut
Don't know if its news that the Tories are determined to muzzle their socially conservative MPS, but at least this Lifesite story confirms that they are still at it:
LONDON, ON, November 22, 2006 (LifeSiteNews.com) - LifeSiteNews.com has learned that the Conservative Party of Canada is once again enforcing a policy barring its candidates from responding to questionnaires that would allow voters to cast an informed vote on issues of importance to them. The party policy is especially targeted at the controversial abortion issue. Despite denials by Conservative Party officials, the policy was in place during the last federal election in January and LifeSiteNews.com obtained a memo from party headquarters forbidding candidates to answer a pro-life questionnaire.
In fact, London bi-election candidate Dianne Haskett has "admitted in conversation" that the CPC forbade her from answering questionnaires.
Frankly, I didn't think Conservatives would scare so easily. No wonder Garth walked out on them.
LONDON, ON, November 22, 2006 (LifeSiteNews.com) - LifeSiteNews.com has learned that the Conservative Party of Canada is once again enforcing a policy barring its candidates from responding to questionnaires that would allow voters to cast an informed vote on issues of importance to them. The party policy is especially targeted at the controversial abortion issue. Despite denials by Conservative Party officials, the policy was in place during the last federal election in January and LifeSiteNews.com obtained a memo from party headquarters forbidding candidates to answer a pro-life questionnaire.
In fact, London bi-election candidate Dianne Haskett has "admitted in conversation" that the CPC forbade her from answering questionnaires.
Frankly, I didn't think Conservatives would scare so easily. No wonder Garth walked out on them.
Iggy, Then and Now
Then, when the whole Quebec nation thing blew up in Iggy's face and he wanted to spread the stink around:
Mr. Ignatieff charged that Mr. Rae is falsely trying to portray him as the candidate who would lead the country into a constitutional crisis.
"Bob Rae is misleading Canadians on this issue. All four of the front-runners have said that they recognize Quebec as a nation . . . including Bob himself."
Now, that things may not have worked out too badly:
It really did start with us, in the leadership campaign, going into small towns in Quebec, reaching out, listening to Quebecers...
But what shall tomorrow bring?
Mr. Ignatieff charged that Mr. Rae is falsely trying to portray him as the candidate who would lead the country into a constitutional crisis.
"Bob Rae is misleading Canadians on this issue. All four of the front-runners have said that they recognize Quebec as a nation . . . including Bob himself."
Now, that things may not have worked out too badly:
It really did start with us, in the leadership campaign, going into small towns in Quebec, reaching out, listening to Quebecers...
But what shall tomorrow bring?
Blame Iggy
The sounds of teeth gnashing rang out through the blogosphere (and the MSM last night), as commentators attempted to puzzle through the implications of Harper's Quebec Nation bombshell. There seems to be quite a bit of negativity out there, from both left and right, which I, at least for the moment, do not share.
However, one sentiment common across the political spectrum is that the serial bumbling of Michael Ignatieff's campaign for Liberal Leadership has brought the nation to its current state. After all, his recent pandering to Quebec seperatists over the issue of Quebec nationhood has its roots in an attempt to recover from earlier missteps in La Belle Province (Qanagate, for example).
Now, the happier take on the situation is that Harper has just bailed the Liberals out of Iggy's mess. Support the motion and dump the resolution! Presto! Liberals divisions are papered over just in time for the convention! However, even interpreted this way, none of what has happened should incline Liberal delegates towards supporting the Ignatieff camp. The odds that Iggy can, if lifted into a position of real power, happily drift across the landscape like Chance the Gardener, miraculously rescued from the consequences of his own actions, are minimal. Look at the damage he has already done to the Liberal Party through his confused response to the Israel/Lebanon conflict.
And of course the unhappier take is that, in the long term, or perhaps even in the short term , this has merely emboldened seperatists to make further and even more ridiculous demands on the federal government. At the extreme, Andrew Coyne seems to feel that we have woken up to the first day of our dying as a country. In which case, the appropriate response is, once again, to blame Iggy. How has this man, as a lowly MP, managed to do nearly as much damage to the fabric of the nation as Mulroney managed in two terms as Prime Minister?
Should Canada fly apart, Michael Ignatieff will surely go down in the blurred history of the dark ages to follow as the man who unleashed the forces that led to its destruction.
They will call him Iggy the Destroyer.
However, one sentiment common across the political spectrum is that the serial bumbling of Michael Ignatieff's campaign for Liberal Leadership has brought the nation to its current state. After all, his recent pandering to Quebec seperatists over the issue of Quebec nationhood has its roots in an attempt to recover from earlier missteps in La Belle Province (Qanagate, for example).
Now, the happier take on the situation is that Harper has just bailed the Liberals out of Iggy's mess. Support the motion and dump the resolution! Presto! Liberals divisions are papered over just in time for the convention! However, even interpreted this way, none of what has happened should incline Liberal delegates towards supporting the Ignatieff camp. The odds that Iggy can, if lifted into a position of real power, happily drift across the landscape like Chance the Gardener, miraculously rescued from the consequences of his own actions, are minimal. Look at the damage he has already done to the Liberal Party through his confused response to the Israel/Lebanon conflict.
And of course the unhappier take is that, in the long term, or perhaps even in the short term , this has merely emboldened seperatists to make further and even more ridiculous demands on the federal government. At the extreme, Andrew Coyne seems to feel that we have woken up to the first day of our dying as a country. In which case, the appropriate response is, once again, to blame Iggy. How has this man, as a lowly MP, managed to do nearly as much damage to the fabric of the nation as Mulroney managed in two terms as Prime Minister?
Should Canada fly apart, Michael Ignatieff will surely go down in the blurred history of the dark ages to follow as the man who unleashed the forces that led to its destruction.
They will call him Iggy the Destroyer.
Wednesday, November 22, 2006
Buy Harper Lunch
I suppose I should post on this, as everybody else is.
I think the Liberal Party of Canada should buy Harper lunch. This issue was a time bomb waiting to go off at their convention, and it seems to me that Harper just defused it for them. They should back the motion and shelve the resolution.
As an Iggy hater, I don't see how this helps him. His people will trumpet it, but if you're a delegate going to that convention you know in your heart this was just a lucky break at the end of a chain of screw-ups by the Ignatieff campaign. One cannot assume or hope that Iggy's future screw-ups will turn out to be as happily.
As for the motion itself, as long as its vacuous I'm for it. Call the Quebecois whatever they want as long as it doesn't imply any special breaks.
I think the Liberal Party of Canada should buy Harper lunch. This issue was a time bomb waiting to go off at their convention, and it seems to me that Harper just defused it for them. They should back the motion and shelve the resolution.
As an Iggy hater, I don't see how this helps him. His people will trumpet it, but if you're a delegate going to that convention you know in your heart this was just a lucky break at the end of a chain of screw-ups by the Ignatieff campaign. One cannot assume or hope that Iggy's future screw-ups will turn out to be as happily.
As for the motion itself, as long as its vacuous I'm for it. Call the Quebecois whatever they want as long as it doesn't imply any special breaks.
Why I Have No Friends
In his Sunday column Ted Byfield blames increased workloads, gays, women, drunk driving laws, and a distinct lack of wars for the decline of "non-erotic male companionship". For example:
...The strict enforcement of drunk driving laws -- another undoubted necessity, and undeniably a good thing, but nevertheless, there was a cost.
All-male enclaves at pubs, though they still exist, are distinctly inhibited as to quantities consumed, and the candor generated.
One recalls Winston Churchill's instant distrust of our tee-totalling prime minister, John Diefenbaker:
"I don't trust a man who won't drink with me," said Churchill.
Ted might have a point here. I find that most guys I know aren't nearly as interesting if I'm sober.
As for our unfortunate lack of a major war to bond in, Byfield writes:
...it was war, far more than anything else, that generated philia.
Men whose lives depended directly on one another often shared a sense of companionship that could never die.
Okay, but didn't they invent paint-ball as a non-fatal substitute?
...The strict enforcement of drunk driving laws -- another undoubted necessity, and undeniably a good thing, but nevertheless, there was a cost.
All-male enclaves at pubs, though they still exist, are distinctly inhibited as to quantities consumed, and the candor generated.
One recalls Winston Churchill's instant distrust of our tee-totalling prime minister, John Diefenbaker:
"I don't trust a man who won't drink with me," said Churchill.
Ted might have a point here. I find that most guys I know aren't nearly as interesting if I'm sober.
As for our unfortunate lack of a major war to bond in, Byfield writes:
...it was war, far more than anything else, that generated philia.
Men whose lives depended directly on one another often shared a sense of companionship that could never die.
Okay, but didn't they invent paint-ball as a non-fatal substitute?
Bob Rae, Dog Killer
Could this be Bob's Qanagate and Nationgate combined? From the Facebook group Bob Rae Kills Puppies For Fun (you have to register to view), an eye-witness account:
I was walking my dog in a park, and suddenly Bob Rae came out of no where and killed my puppy. I was like, “dude!” He was like, “Hey man it was fun.” I was like “dude!” he was like, “You shouldn’t judge me for killing puppies you fascist.” Then he screwed the people of Ontario and ran away.
Yo Ted, Jason, get on it!
H/T to The Tyee's Election Central Blog.
I was walking my dog in a park, and suddenly Bob Rae came out of no where and killed my puppy. I was like, “dude!” He was like, “Hey man it was fun.” I was like “dude!” he was like, “You shouldn’t judge me for killing puppies you fascist.” Then he screwed the people of Ontario and ran away.
Yo Ted, Jason, get on it!
H/T to The Tyee's Election Central Blog.
Dinosaurs Past and Present
The Edmonton Sun's Paul Stanway complains about the treatment accorded Rona Ambrose in Nairobi last week:
Much was made [193 stories on the topic] of the fact that -- in the words of The Canadian Press -- "Ambrose received two 'fossil of the day' awards from environmentalists at the conference."
Liberal environment minister Stephane Dion got the same award in 2004 [December 7th], which triggered no stories...
I don't usually write about Sun columns, but Coyne has bitched about the same issue, and it looks like they were both picking up on some musings by Blogging Tory Stephen Taylor.
Coyne and Stanway treat the MSM as some Otherly beast that they stand apart from. But of course both men write columns for notorious right-leaning newspapers that are clearly part of the MSM and, as far as I can tell, either one could have covered the story on December 8, 2004, or at any time thereafter. Apparently, they did not. Were their yellow crayons broken?
In fact, if there were no stories filed at the time, that can only mean that nobody at The Sun or The Post or any of Canada's Conservative dailies/weeklies chose to write about Canada's 2004 Fossil of the Day Award. Why is that? Well, ask yourself why a Conservative paper would even write about a Canadian Government undermining Kyoto, unless it were to offer it high-fives.
Instead, they they seem to expect Liberal-friendly media outlets to do their criticizing for them.
Much was made [193 stories on the topic] of the fact that -- in the words of The Canadian Press -- "Ambrose received two 'fossil of the day' awards from environmentalists at the conference."
Liberal environment minister Stephane Dion got the same award in 2004 [December 7th], which triggered no stories...
I don't usually write about Sun columns, but Coyne has bitched about the same issue, and it looks like they were both picking up on some musings by Blogging Tory Stephen Taylor.
Coyne and Stanway treat the MSM as some Otherly beast that they stand apart from. But of course both men write columns for notorious right-leaning newspapers that are clearly part of the MSM and, as far as I can tell, either one could have covered the story on December 8, 2004, or at any time thereafter. Apparently, they did not. Were their yellow crayons broken?
In fact, if there were no stories filed at the time, that can only mean that nobody at The Sun or The Post or any of Canada's Conservative dailies/weeklies chose to write about Canada's 2004 Fossil of the Day Award. Why is that? Well, ask yourself why a Conservative paper would even write about a Canadian Government undermining Kyoto, unless it were to offer it high-fives.
Instead, they they seem to expect Liberal-friendly media outlets to do their criticizing for them.
Tuesday, November 21, 2006
Whoopsie Poo! MacKay's Latest Gaffe...
...proves he doesn't need a woman around to make him act stupid. On Monday, Foreign Affairs Minister Peter MacKay claimed that Canada had won a commitment from China not to execute Huseyin Celil, a Chinese-Canadian being held somewhere within the People's Republic on terror-related charges.
Celil's lawyer lawyer said he was interested to hear MacKay's comment about a guarantee:
"I think we take our small victories where we find them,'' said [Chris] MacLeod.
"If China's saying they guarantee they won't execute him, I'd like a lot more than that, obviously. It's great he's alive but I'd like a guarantee he won't face cruel and unusual punishment while he's alive.''
Except that no such commitment was given!
... a spokesman for MacKay later said Canada never received a direct assurance from China, but that the minister meant Beijing would live up to a commitment it made to Uzbekistan when it asked that Celil be sent to China.
In trying to play up the results of Harper's "gutsy" new stance towards China and its President Hu Jintao, it appears that MacKay gilded the lily and then had it blow up in his face.
In light of this, Harper's strategy of shunting his Ministers off to one side and funneling important decisions/statements through his own office starts to make more sense. Nevertheless, it is startling that the Tory talent pool is so shallow that they can't even scare up a decent Foreign Affairs Minister.
Celil's lawyer lawyer said he was interested to hear MacKay's comment about a guarantee:
"I think we take our small victories where we find them,'' said [Chris] MacLeod.
"If China's saying they guarantee they won't execute him, I'd like a lot more than that, obviously. It's great he's alive but I'd like a guarantee he won't face cruel and unusual punishment while he's alive.''
Except that no such commitment was given!
... a spokesman for MacKay later said Canada never received a direct assurance from China, but that the minister meant Beijing would live up to a commitment it made to Uzbekistan when it asked that Celil be sent to China.
In trying to play up the results of Harper's "gutsy" new stance towards China and its President Hu Jintao, it appears that MacKay gilded the lily and then had it blow up in his face.
In light of this, Harper's strategy of shunting his Ministers off to one side and funneling important decisions/statements through his own office starts to make more sense. Nevertheless, it is startling that the Tory talent pool is so shallow that they can't even scare up a decent Foreign Affairs Minister.
Tom Harris Walks Abroad
The NRSP (Natural Resource Stewardship Project) is a Canadian astroturf group given over to denying the science behind Global Warming. They came into existence several months ago, in the wake of the media take-down of Friends of Science, and in fact share several "prominent" members with this older group, including the ubiquitous Tim Ball who is, according to DeSmogBlog, "Canada's most notorious climate change denier". In any case, NRSP's biggest claim to infamy at the moment is that their executive director, Tom Harris, has signed a "confidentiality agreement [which] doesn't allow him to say whether energy companies are funding his group."
If you've been blogging about the CBC's Fifth Estate documentary The Denial Machine, you've probably met Tom Harris. He has appeared in the blogosphere here, here, and here, pointing out a couple of very minor errors in the CBC program as though they were earth shattering revelations. These errors are owned up to by one of the documentary participants (Jim Hoggan), corrected, and explained, here.
I imagine Tom Harris will be out and about the blogs over the next little while, duking it out over the issues surrounding GW. If he appears on yours, ask him whose paying the bills for the NRSP. He hates that.
H/T, as always, to DeSmogBlog.
If you've been blogging about the CBC's Fifth Estate documentary The Denial Machine, you've probably met Tom Harris. He has appeared in the blogosphere here, here, and here, pointing out a couple of very minor errors in the CBC program as though they were earth shattering revelations. These errors are owned up to by one of the documentary participants (Jim Hoggan), corrected, and explained, here.
I imagine Tom Harris will be out and about the blogs over the next little while, duking it out over the issues surrounding GW. If he appears on yours, ask him whose paying the bills for the NRSP. He hates that.
H/T, as always, to DeSmogBlog.
Monday, November 20, 2006
Wave of Righteousness is Rising
...and the flaming swords are coming out.
Richard from Let Freedom Reign blogs today re. The Little Black Book for Girlzz today. He fails to mention that this teen lesbian sex manual is funded, or rather "funded", to the tune of $1.5 million, by Stephen Harper's Conservative government. Covering up for your allegedly Holy Conservative brothers, Richard?
You should be telling your readers to act up instead! The Little Black book for Girlzz seems to have been and Industry Canada project, and if you want to send a quick email to Maxime "Dental Dam" Bernier, Minister of Industry and Depravity, his email is Minister.Industry@ic.gc.ca.
Richard from Let Freedom Reign blogs today re. The Little Black Book for Girlzz today. He fails to mention that this teen lesbian sex manual is funded, or rather "funded", to the tune of $1.5 million, by Stephen Harper's Conservative government. Covering up for your allegedly Holy Conservative brothers, Richard?
You should be telling your readers to act up instead! The Little Black book for Girlzz seems to have been and Industry Canada project, and if you want to send a quick email to Maxime "Dental Dam" Bernier, Minister of Industry and Depravity, his email is Minister.Industry@ic.gc.ca.
Radical Blogger Endorses Jim Dinning
This morning, Toronto-based blogger BigCityLib, who has in the past been accused of Anti-Semitism, Racism, Sexism, stupidism, Pedophilia, and Cannibalism, threw his support to Jim Dinning in the latter's bid to become leader of the Alberta Conservative Party.
"He's the least uppity of the bunch," said BigCityLib.
A prominent volunteer with the Dinning campaign, speaking not for attribution, said: "This is a fucking joke, right? Is this guy for real? Oh JEEZZUS we're fucked! We're totally fucking fucked! Might as well toss the whole fucking thing down the fucking shitter!"
"He's the least uppity of the bunch," said BigCityLib.
A prominent volunteer with the Dinning campaign, speaking not for attribution, said: "This is a fucking joke, right? Is this guy for real? Oh JEEZZUS we're fucked! We're totally fucking fucked! Might as well toss the whole fucking thing down the fucking shitter!"
BigCityLib Endorses Jim Dinning: an Alberta Tory Toronto Can Love
There are a number of good reasons to get behind Jim Dinning in his bid for leader of the Alberta Conservative Party:
1) Works well with Federal Liberals. Longtime ally of Paul Martin.
2) Respects and fears Toronto; does not seem jealous of our artistic and cultural accomplishments, or the fact that we have two-way streets (unlike Calgary).
3) Not overtly seperatist, like the other candidates. Has been quoted as saying that Alberta is "a net beneficiary" of being part of Canada. (Oooh! Feel the passion)
2) Seems, relatively speaking, environment friendly:
A powerhouse of clean energy, a protector of wilderness, a hub of knowledge -- those are the kind of spots Dinning likes to talk about [when he talks about Alberta's future].
3) Not uppity for an Albertan:
"There are times where Alberta tends to be like bear spray and tends to stuff it up the nose of other Canadians -- we don't need to do that," Dinning said in an interview.
4) Probably wouldn't mind a gas tax. He hasn't said it in so many words, but I can just sense it.
H/T to The Politic.com.
Sunday, November 19, 2006
News Flash: Alberta Progressive Conservative Leadership Contender Jim Dinning Promises Not To Be Uppity Redneck Asshole!
From Canada.com:
"There are times where Alberta tends to be like bear spray and tends to stuff it up the nose of other Canadians -- we don't need to do that," Dinning said in an interview.
"We can be testosterone-driven, truck-driving cowboys from time to time," said the Calgary businessman. "That goes with our maverick spirit. But more often than not, Albertans tend to do rather than say, and I'm going to be a doing kind of guy."
Instead of stoking the resentment many Canadians feel towards the energy-rich province, Dinning would prefer to focus on quietly duplicating success stories such as the drastic reduction of wait times for hip replacement surgery.
[...]
A powerhouse of clean energy, a protector of wilderness, a hub of knowledge -- those are the kind of spots Dinning likes to talk about.
Yo Alberta Conservatives! Vote for this guy!
"There are times where Alberta tends to be like bear spray and tends to stuff it up the nose of other Canadians -- we don't need to do that," Dinning said in an interview.
"We can be testosterone-driven, truck-driving cowboys from time to time," said the Calgary businessman. "That goes with our maverick spirit. But more often than not, Albertans tend to do rather than say, and I'm going to be a doing kind of guy."
Instead of stoking the resentment many Canadians feel towards the energy-rich province, Dinning would prefer to focus on quietly duplicating success stories such as the drastic reduction of wait times for hip replacement surgery.
[...]
A powerhouse of clean energy, a protector of wilderness, a hub of knowledge -- those are the kind of spots Dinning likes to talk about.
Yo Alberta Conservatives! Vote for this guy!
Scott Brison Nude Shot!
Finally found the damn picture! H/T to the CTV Politics Blog.
I'd crack a joke at this point, but I am overwhelmed. (Note: The Blogger spellcheck keeps wanting to replace Brison with Prison, where I am sure the Women of Wolfville's "What Men are Made of calendar", from which this picture is taken, will be very popular)
I'd crack a joke at this point, but I am overwhelmed. (Note: The Blogger spellcheck keeps wanting to replace Brison with Prison, where I am sure the Women of Wolfville's "What Men are Made of calendar", from which this picture is taken, will be very popular)
Global Warming Splits Evangelicals
An article (but not a particularly good one) on the split within the Evangelical community over Global Warming, with a new group, the ECI (Evangelical Climate Initiative) coming out in favor of the science behind GW, and in favor of taking action to reverse its effects. Another, better article, which I have linked to before, can be found here.
Clearly, this split signals an opportunity for the progressive community and the parties associated with it to reach across the usual political boundaries and appeal to non-standard constituencies. In the Canadian context (but the analogy is not perfect) you can see this with Lib Leadership candidates courting the environment friendly but socially conservative supporters of David Orchard, with Stephane Dion finally coming up with the endorsement.
Busy day. This might be it for posts. Will see what happens with the Tory Teen Lesbo Sex Manual tomorrow.
Clearly, this split signals an opportunity for the progressive community and the parties associated with it to reach across the usual political boundaries and appeal to non-standard constituencies. In the Canadian context (but the analogy is not perfect) you can see this with Lib Leadership candidates courting the environment friendly but socially conservative supporters of David Orchard, with Stephane Dion finally coming up with the endorsement.
Busy day. This might be it for posts. Will see what happens with the Tory Teen Lesbo Sex Manual tomorrow.
Saturday, November 18, 2006
Tory Approved Teen Lesbian Sex Manual Co-Author Won 2004 Governor General Award!
THE HORROR! THE HORROR!
According to the indefatigable Judi McLeod , Little Black Book for Girlzz co-author Chi Nguyen won the 2004 governor General's award for "...educating young women about their sexual health to improving their political knowledge and democratic participation."
Oh my! What gall!
Perhaps it isn't enough to force Walmart to pull the book from its shelves in the U.S, to have mention of it removed from the databases of the Ottawa Public Library, and to make sure more generally that the book is not offered for sale in Canada through Walmart Canada. Perhaps it isn't even enough, as some have suggested (mainly me) to target the books publisher, St. Stephen's Community House, for aerial bombardment. Clearly the rot runs too deep!
No, the only solution is to go after the office of the Governor General and make it accountable! Now, if you take a look at the current Governor General, Michaelle Jean, it is clear that, while obviously hot, she is also obviously not exactly 100% white either. We could have her shipped back to wherever.
In fact, if you look at Chi Nguyen's name, that sounds pretty damned ethnic as well. Let's send her away too!
So far, Stephen Harper's allegedly Conservative Government has been AWOL on this issue. Since the book was originally an Industry Canada project, perhaps an email to Industry Minister Maxime Bernier is in order. He can be reached at Minister.Industry@ic.gc.ca.
So rise up my Christian brothers and sisters. Raise your flaming sword of righteousness and smite the allegedly Conservative but in fact deeply unholy Stephen Harper government! Smite them! Smite them NOW! Have them deport the foreign women who are trying to corrupt our daughters!
According to the indefatigable Judi McLeod , Little Black Book for Girlzz co-author Chi Nguyen won the 2004 governor General's award for "...educating young women about their sexual health to improving their political knowledge and democratic participation."
Oh my! What gall!
Perhaps it isn't enough to force Walmart to pull the book from its shelves in the U.S, to have mention of it removed from the databases of the Ottawa Public Library, and to make sure more generally that the book is not offered for sale in Canada through Walmart Canada. Perhaps it isn't even enough, as some have suggested (mainly me) to target the books publisher, St. Stephen's Community House, for aerial bombardment. Clearly the rot runs too deep!
No, the only solution is to go after the office of the Governor General and make it accountable! Now, if you take a look at the current Governor General, Michaelle Jean, it is clear that, while obviously hot, she is also obviously not exactly 100% white either. We could have her shipped back to wherever.In fact, if you look at Chi Nguyen's name, that sounds pretty damned ethnic as well. Let's send her away too!
So far, Stephen Harper's allegedly Conservative Government has been AWOL on this issue. Since the book was originally an Industry Canada project, perhaps an email to Industry Minister Maxime Bernier is in order. He can be reached at Minister.Industry@ic.gc.ca.
So rise up my Christian brothers and sisters. Raise your flaming sword of righteousness and smite the allegedly Conservative but in fact deeply unholy Stephen Harper government! Smite them! Smite them NOW! Have them deport the foreign women who are trying to corrupt our daughters!
BigCityLib Exclusive: Christians Lie!
...or at least severely mislead. Judi McLeod of CFP claimed yesterday that the Toronto, Ontario, and Federal government were "funding" the teen lesbian sex manual The Little Black Book For Girlz to the tune of almost $8,000,000. But a quick visit to the publisher's (St. Stephen's Community House) website , and a quick flip through their 2006 annual report, refutes this contention. For example, the $1,543,108 figure McLeod quotes as the federal government portion of the book's production costs is really their contribution to the total operating budge of St. Stephen's. And similarly for the city and Provincial governments.
Will Judi McLeod burn in Hell for this?
In any case, there still seems plenty of room for Conservative outrage. Should Stephen Harper's Conservatives be funding an "agency" that promotes the "homosexual agenda" while hiding under a vaguely Christian sounding name? Shouldn't Harper be calling in air-strikes instead?
While a few in the right-wing blogosphere have written about this issue, including Suzanne from BigBlueWave, none make the explicit connection between the book and the Harper government.
Is a Christian coverup in the making? Is there a sex scandal brewing in the RightWing Blogosphere? Inquiring minds want to know.
Will Judi McLeod burn in Hell for this?
In any case, there still seems plenty of room for Conservative outrage. Should Stephen Harper's Conservatives be funding an "agency" that promotes the "homosexual agenda" while hiding under a vaguely Christian sounding name? Shouldn't Harper be calling in air-strikes instead?
While a few in the right-wing blogosphere have written about this issue, including Suzanne from BigBlueWave, none make the explicit connection between the book and the Harper government.
Is a Christian coverup in the making? Is there a sex scandal brewing in the RightWing Blogosphere? Inquiring minds want to know.
Friday, November 17, 2006
Walmart Drops Tory Sponsored Lesbo Sex Manual!
...after a LifesiteNews investigation. The text, Little Black Book for Girlz: A Book on Healthy Sexuality, though published by Toronto-based St. Stephens' Community House, was never made available in this country. And as of today, the Conservative sponsored sex-ed manual was also unavailable through Walmart's U.S. website at its former URL.
Stephen Harper's Tory government provided $1,543,108 in federal funds to help get the book published.
Stephen Harper's Tory government provided $1,543,108 in federal funds to help get the book published.
Tories Fund Teen Lesbian Lit!
Stephen Harper's Conservative government has spent $1,543,108 financing The Little Black Book for Girlz: A Book on Healthy Sexuality. Published by Toronto-based St. Stephen's Community House, the book explicitly outlines how to perform same-sex oral, anal, and other sex acts as well as their straight counterparts. In addition, the book contains a few non standard references to God:
If you need to a figure to represent God The Holiness then for me (is) she's a fat, black dyke.
...and contains a chapter entitled "My first time F***ing a Girl". The Little Black Book describes itself as:
...an important, take-anywhere empowerment guide. Girls shouldn't leave their teen years without it.
If you're a Tory, your head should be exploding with righteous anger about now. You should be calling your local MP and giving him an earful. After all, you voted Conservative so that the government would ban this kind of filth, not finance it!
On the other hand, if you're not a Conservative, then it isn't really that appalling. The fact that many adults gag at talk of female sexuality probably indicates that there is a need for such material, although one wonders if, in their attempts to "talk hip" to their young audience (which is my interpretation of the examples above) the authors didn't go just a little bit overboard. Should a sex education manual really take the same tone as a porn mag?
And of course, Toronto and Queen's Park have also contributed to The Little Black Book, the former to the tune of $1,175,744, the latter to the tune of $3,968,825. If there is scandal here, its the fact that the book cost $7,841,131 to produce! Where did all that money go? I could have done the same job for 1 mil plus travel expenses! And if they wanted explicit same-sex porn, I could have cranked out tons of it for 'em! I consider writing explicit same-sex porn one of my special talents.
Since the book only retails for $11.58 at U.S. Walmarts (but not, for some reason, at their Canadian counterparts), the publisher will need to move alot of units for the various levels of Canadian Government to recoup their investment, assuming they're even getting a cut of the Royalties. For their sake, I hope the book is well illustrated.
If you need to a figure to represent God The Holiness then for me (is) she's a fat, black dyke.
...and contains a chapter entitled "My first time F***ing a Girl". The Little Black Book describes itself as:
...an important, take-anywhere empowerment guide. Girls shouldn't leave their teen years without it.
If you're a Tory, your head should be exploding with righteous anger about now. You should be calling your local MP and giving him an earful. After all, you voted Conservative so that the government would ban this kind of filth, not finance it!
On the other hand, if you're not a Conservative, then it isn't really that appalling. The fact that many adults gag at talk of female sexuality probably indicates that there is a need for such material, although one wonders if, in their attempts to "talk hip" to their young audience (which is my interpretation of the examples above) the authors didn't go just a little bit overboard. Should a sex education manual really take the same tone as a porn mag?
And of course, Toronto and Queen's Park have also contributed to The Little Black Book, the former to the tune of $1,175,744, the latter to the tune of $3,968,825. If there is scandal here, its the fact that the book cost $7,841,131 to produce! Where did all that money go? I could have done the same job for 1 mil plus travel expenses! And if they wanted explicit same-sex porn, I could have cranked out tons of it for 'em! I consider writing explicit same-sex porn one of my special talents.
Since the book only retails for $11.58 at U.S. Walmarts (but not, for some reason, at their Canadian counterparts), the publisher will need to move alot of units for the various levels of Canadian Government to recoup their investment, assuming they're even getting a cut of the Royalties. For their sake, I hope the book is well illustrated.
Another Poll, and a Glimpse at Harper's Quebec Strategy
This poll from SES shows the Tories holding a slender leader, 34% to 32% over the Liberals, with 16% for the NDP, 13% for the Bloc Quebecois and 5% for the Greens.
The poll also shows, as other polls have done as well, that Tory support has collapsed in Quebec, to 12%, with the Libs hauling in 25% and the Bloc at 50%. Duceppe must like this last figure, so expect an election sooner rather than later.
Meanwhile, this article from the Sun Chain's Greg Weston discusses the Tories plan to reverse their fortunes in Quebec...by spending like Liberals:
All week, Transport Minister Lawrence Cannon has been a busy boy -- one day, he's in Montreal announcing $37 million for public transit anti-terrorism programs; the next, it's a new $32-million highway extension in the Gatineau region north of the nation's capital.
Meanwhile, Jean-Pierre Blackburn, the Conservative minister responsible for corporate welfare in Quebec, breezed into Riviere-du-Loup with a federal cheque for $29 million, all for one company specializing in "peat-moss technology."
Down the way in the Beauce region of the province, Industry Minister Maxime Bernier doled out a government grant of $23,820 "to promote female entrepreneurship" (think about that one), then popped into Montreal to announce new anti- pollution standards for motorcycles. (Who says the Conservatives don't have a clean air plan?)
And so it went in the week it rained cash on Quebec, more than $100 million of federal giveaways -- and that was only up to the close of business, er, handouts, yesterday.
The poll also shows, as other polls have done as well, that Tory support has collapsed in Quebec, to 12%, with the Libs hauling in 25% and the Bloc at 50%. Duceppe must like this last figure, so expect an election sooner rather than later.
Meanwhile, this article from the Sun Chain's Greg Weston discusses the Tories plan to reverse their fortunes in Quebec...by spending like Liberals:
All week, Transport Minister Lawrence Cannon has been a busy boy -- one day, he's in Montreal announcing $37 million for public transit anti-terrorism programs; the next, it's a new $32-million highway extension in the Gatineau region north of the nation's capital.
Meanwhile, Jean-Pierre Blackburn, the Conservative minister responsible for corporate welfare in Quebec, breezed into Riviere-du-Loup with a federal cheque for $29 million, all for one company specializing in "peat-moss technology."
Down the way in the Beauce region of the province, Industry Minister Maxime Bernier doled out a government grant of $23,820 "to promote female entrepreneurship" (think about that one), then popped into Montreal to announce new anti- pollution standards for motorcycles. (Who says the Conservatives don't have a clean air plan?)
And so it went in the week it rained cash on Quebec, more than $100 million of federal giveaways -- and that was only up to the close of business, er, handouts, yesterday.
Weather is not Climate
A good article from ABC news on why one season of fewer than normal Atlantic hurricanes (or a few months of lower than average temperatures) do not refute the contention that the planet is in the midst of a warming trend (ie. Global Warming). A nice quote:
"Choosing shorts or long underwear on a particular day is about weather; the ratio of shorts to long underwear in the drawer is about climate."
— Charles Wohlforth, "The Whale and the Supercomputer"
Being Canadian, I prefer hockey analogies. The thesis that scoring per game has gone up (from 5.27 goals per game in 1997 to 6.21 towards the end of last season) is not refuted the occasional
1-0 game.
"Choosing shorts or long underwear on a particular day is about weather; the ratio of shorts to long underwear in the drawer is about climate."
— Charles Wohlforth, "The Whale and the Supercomputer"
Being Canadian, I prefer hockey analogies. The thesis that scoring per game has gone up (from 5.27 goals per game in 1997 to 6.21 towards the end of last season) is not refuted the occasional
1-0 game.
Thursday, November 16, 2006
The French Are Shocked and Appalled
...by Canada's welching on its Kyoto commitments. French environment minister, Nelly Olin, said:
"I am extremely disappointed, extremely disappointed, because we worked for years with, notably, (former environment minister) Stephane Dion on a policy that seemed coherent."
She also claimed to be entirely unimpressed by Rona Ambrose' hair, which she compared unfavorably with her own curly blonde locks.
Better than Rona?
Iggy Opens Mouth: Gaffes Emerge
After a few weeks of blissful silence, Iggy emerged from the box his campaign staff have kept him in yesterday, and immediately shot himself in the foot with his mouth:
"That's [appealing to NDP voters] fishing in the wrong pond. That's the wrong strategy," Mr. Ignatieff said yesterday.
"He [Bob Rae] doesn't realize that Liberals fight the NDP in election after election.
"What Liberals need is someone who can run down the middle with a progressive message, and leave the NDP in their own particular ghetto," Mr. Ignatieff said in an interview.
He argued that instead, he would win votes from the Greens with environmental policy, and from the Bloc Quebecois with social and environment policy and "a language of respect for what makes Quebec specific."
So Ignatieff is willing to write-off the NDP vote, and willing to come out and announce as much in Canada's national newspaper. That is bold leadership. Stupid perhaps, but bold.
Put aside the fact that, as someone whose vote swings back and forth between Liberal and NDP depending on the election, I personally am one of the (occasional) ghetto-dwellers Iggy refers to, and I will not vote for some four-eyed poindexter from Harvard who insults me. No, set that aside and ponder instead the logic behind the remark. Because the kind of environmental measures that Iggy would employ to woo Green Party voters, are very much the same kind of measures likely to attract NDP support. All things being equal, he should get a twofer with them. This being the case, Iggy must go out of his way to extract the votes he doesn't want (NDPers) from the votes he does want (Greenies)...via insults.
And why is Iggy willing to deliberately insult about 15 to 20 per cent of the Canadian electorate? Well, its to take a shot at his leadership rival, Bob Rae, whose pool of potential support would include a good section of this 15 to 20 per cent.
...which is a bit like criticizing Ralph Klein's policies by calling Albertans ugly, except that here the term "ghetto" has overtones of class and maybe even ethnic lines which must not be crossed; in ideological terms, NDPers are from "the wrong side of the tracks", or some such thing. In any case, they're not good enough for Iggy.
Byt the way, h/t to The John Lennard Experience.
"That's [appealing to NDP voters] fishing in the wrong pond. That's the wrong strategy," Mr. Ignatieff said yesterday.
"He [Bob Rae] doesn't realize that Liberals fight the NDP in election after election.
"What Liberals need is someone who can run down the middle with a progressive message, and leave the NDP in their own particular ghetto," Mr. Ignatieff said in an interview.
He argued that instead, he would win votes from the Greens with environmental policy, and from the Bloc Quebecois with social and environment policy and "a language of respect for what makes Quebec specific."
So Ignatieff is willing to write-off the NDP vote, and willing to come out and announce as much in Canada's national newspaper. That is bold leadership. Stupid perhaps, but bold.
Put aside the fact that, as someone whose vote swings back and forth between Liberal and NDP depending on the election, I personally am one of the (occasional) ghetto-dwellers Iggy refers to, and I will not vote for some four-eyed poindexter from Harvard who insults me. No, set that aside and ponder instead the logic behind the remark. Because the kind of environmental measures that Iggy would employ to woo Green Party voters, are very much the same kind of measures likely to attract NDP support. All things being equal, he should get a twofer with them. This being the case, Iggy must go out of his way to extract the votes he doesn't want (NDPers) from the votes he does want (Greenies)...via insults.
And why is Iggy willing to deliberately insult about 15 to 20 per cent of the Canadian electorate? Well, its to take a shot at his leadership rival, Bob Rae, whose pool of potential support would include a good section of this 15 to 20 per cent.
...which is a bit like criticizing Ralph Klein's policies by calling Albertans ugly, except that here the term "ghetto" has overtones of class and maybe even ethnic lines which must not be crossed; in ideological terms, NDPers are from "the wrong side of the tracks", or some such thing. In any case, they're not good enough for Iggy.
Byt the way, h/t to The John Lennard Experience.
Kyoto Divides Canadians, Ambrose Says
From The Star:
Nairobi, Kenya - The Kyoto Protocol is being used to divide Canada, Environment Minister Rona Ambrose told the UN Climate Conference in a speech that outraged environmentalists and opposition critics.
But what she doesn't say is that the protocol divides Canadians into one very large group, the 77 per cent who believe Canada should meet or exceed its Kyoto targets for cutting emissions and who oppose the current government's inaction on the issue, and one very small group, about 20 per cent, who do not.
Of course, polls also indicate that a very large part of this very small group live in the Tory stronghold of Alberta, which among the provinces is the largest producer of greenhouse gases. And this begs the question: are the Tories acting for Canadians, or for a narrow provincial interest?
Nairobi, Kenya - The Kyoto Protocol is being used to divide Canada, Environment Minister Rona Ambrose told the UN Climate Conference in a speech that outraged environmentalists and opposition critics.
But what she doesn't say is that the protocol divides Canadians into one very large group, the 77 per cent who believe Canada should meet or exceed its Kyoto targets for cutting emissions and who oppose the current government's inaction on the issue, and one very small group, about 20 per cent, who do not.
Of course, polls also indicate that a very large part of this very small group live in the Tory stronghold of Alberta, which among the provinces is the largest producer of greenhouse gases. And this begs the question: are the Tories acting for Canadians, or for a narrow provincial interest?
Wednesday, November 15, 2006
Hot Damn Tamale Charlie! New Poll Puts Liberals Ahead!
h/t to Far and Wide for pointing out this new Maclean's Poll which puts the Libs ahead for the first time this year:
The Grits had the support of 33 per cent of respondents nationally, while the Tories had 31 per cent, the NDP had 15 per cent and the Green party had 10.
Even more good news out of Quebec, where the Tories are down to 12 per cent of the vote. If an election were called tomorrow, you could probably kiss all of their seats in the province goodbye.
Furthermore, the NDP tactic of turning their fire on the Liberals while playing footsie with Harper appears to have backfired. Correct me if I am wrong, but this is the lowest level of support for them that I've seen in a poll for a long time. Word to Jack Layton: Canadian's won't vote for a party that seems content to lead the opposition. You want to be the government, you have to go after the government.
Within the margin of error and etc., but still better than being behind. And I am beginning to think that Harper's Tories could be beaten if the Libs selected a headless chicken as their leader. However, I still doubt that Iggy could win.
The Grits had the support of 33 per cent of respondents nationally, while the Tories had 31 per cent, the NDP had 15 per cent and the Green party had 10.
Even more good news out of Quebec, where the Tories are down to 12 per cent of the vote. If an election were called tomorrow, you could probably kiss all of their seats in the province goodbye.
Furthermore, the NDP tactic of turning their fire on the Liberals while playing footsie with Harper appears to have backfired. Correct me if I am wrong, but this is the lowest level of support for them that I've seen in a poll for a long time. Word to Jack Layton: Canadian's won't vote for a party that seems content to lead the opposition. You want to be the government, you have to go after the government.
Within the margin of error and etc., but still better than being behind. And I am beginning to think that Harper's Tories could be beaten if the Libs selected a headless chicken as their leader. However, I still doubt that Iggy could win.
Ambrose Says Not Her Fault: Blames Pollution on Libs
From CTV:
In her address to the UN climate change conference in Nairobi on Wednesday, Environment Minister Rona Ambrose blamed the previous Liberal government for leaving behind a mess in Canada.
Speaking of bringing partisan politics into an international forum...
For those who asked why the opposition parties were sending MPs over to Nairobi to "stalk" the Environment Minister, here's your answer. If Ambrose is going to lash out at the Libs rather than attempt a defense of the Tory Green Plan, there must be people on hand to refute her.
Although her hair looked quite nice (but, if I may say so, a bit Monica Lewinskyish).
In her address to the UN climate change conference in Nairobi on Wednesday, Environment Minister Rona Ambrose blamed the previous Liberal government for leaving behind a mess in Canada.
Speaking of bringing partisan politics into an international forum...
For those who asked why the opposition parties were sending MPs over to Nairobi to "stalk" the Environment Minister, here's your answer. If Ambrose is going to lash out at the Libs rather than attempt a defense of the Tory Green Plan, there must be people on hand to refute her.
Although her hair looked quite nice (but, if I may say so, a bit Monica Lewinskyish).
Segal Fears Rae; Trudeau Prefers Kennedy or Dion
Veteran Tory strategist Hugh Segal fears his party is underestimating the political damage Bob Rae could inflict if he becomes the next Liberal leader. Hugh makes a couple of interesting points:
1) Young voters and new citizens won't remember Rae's tenure as premier, so Tories won't be able to use his record against him as effectively as they think. Interesting, and contra the "secret" memo leaked by Doug Finley. Whether Hugh is right or not is the million $ question. It will be a storm of negative press from the Post and Sun chain, versus Bob's amiable television presence.
2) Rae is the most "accomplished political operator". He knows how to bring down governments, and is the most likely of the eight Lib candidates to force an early election. Apparently (news to me), Bob Rae was the man who, as NDP MP, moved the motion that toppled Joe Clark.
3) On the other hand, Segal would love to face Iggy:
"I think it's likely to take some time . . . until he understands the kind of measurement necessary and the kind of restraint which a leader of a party has to show,'' said Segal. "And I'd like that learning experience to take place on national TV during a campaign.''
FWIW, Segal insists that he is not playing a game of "reverse psychology", trying to get the Libs to elect the contender Tories secretly believe would be easiest to defeat:
"Spare me ... I've seen Bob Rae campaign. I've seen him in Ontario. I've seen what he can do and I'd rather be up against Ignatieff. It's just that simple.''
Meanwhile, Justin Trudeau reiterates the now common complaint against Iggy: that while he may be a great thinker, he lacks the wisdom to be party leader. Justin also has a few choice words for Bob Rae, claiming that the ex-NDP Premier of Ontario "lacks a grand vision" for the party. Instead, he suggests that Libs should look past the two front runners to Stephane Dion or Gerard Kennedy.
Finally, a quick word on Bob Rae's "visionlessness". He has taken a lot of flak for claiming that "ideas are not so important" in a leader. However, I interpret this as meaning not that he doesn't have ideas, but that he is not as attached to his own particular ideas as he is to the ideas of the Liberal Party. So, choose him and you get a generic mainstream Liberal. Indeed, if you look at his actual statements on let's say the Environment, its all fairly generic Liberal stuff that could have come from most of the other campaigns. Nor is this a bad thing, if you are inclined in that general direction yourself. Besides, what leader's personal agenda survives past the first three months in office?
1) Young voters and new citizens won't remember Rae's tenure as premier, so Tories won't be able to use his record against him as effectively as they think. Interesting, and contra the "secret" memo leaked by Doug Finley. Whether Hugh is right or not is the million $ question. It will be a storm of negative press from the Post and Sun chain, versus Bob's amiable television presence.
2) Rae is the most "accomplished political operator". He knows how to bring down governments, and is the most likely of the eight Lib candidates to force an early election. Apparently (news to me), Bob Rae was the man who, as NDP MP, moved the motion that toppled Joe Clark.
3) On the other hand, Segal would love to face Iggy:
"I think it's likely to take some time . . . until he understands the kind of measurement necessary and the kind of restraint which a leader of a party has to show,'' said Segal. "And I'd like that learning experience to take place on national TV during a campaign.''
FWIW, Segal insists that he is not playing a game of "reverse psychology", trying to get the Libs to elect the contender Tories secretly believe would be easiest to defeat:
"Spare me ... I've seen Bob Rae campaign. I've seen him in Ontario. I've seen what he can do and I'd rather be up against Ignatieff. It's just that simple.''
Meanwhile, Justin Trudeau reiterates the now common complaint against Iggy: that while he may be a great thinker, he lacks the wisdom to be party leader. Justin also has a few choice words for Bob Rae, claiming that the ex-NDP Premier of Ontario "lacks a grand vision" for the party. Instead, he suggests that Libs should look past the two front runners to Stephane Dion or Gerard Kennedy.
Finally, a quick word on Bob Rae's "visionlessness". He has taken a lot of flak for claiming that "ideas are not so important" in a leader. However, I interpret this as meaning not that he doesn't have ideas, but that he is not as attached to his own particular ideas as he is to the ideas of the Liberal Party. So, choose him and you get a generic mainstream Liberal. Indeed, if you look at his actual statements on let's say the Environment, its all fairly generic Liberal stuff that could have come from most of the other campaigns. Nor is this a bad thing, if you are inclined in that general direction yourself. Besides, what leader's personal agenda survives past the first three months in office?
Tuesday, November 14, 2006
Garth Jumps the Shark
Sorry, I have a certain amount of admiration for the guy, but calling a news conference to say you're officially quitting the Tories after they've essentially kicked you out is pathetic. Oh, and the "disturbing news" contained in those three letters he received from party bigwigs? They told Garth that:
1) He's been disqualified as a party candidate in the next election, despite the fact he's a card-carrying member of the party.
2) The decision came in a closed meeting by the party's national council and "no reason was given."
3) The national president of the party says "I will not be permitted to seek the Conservative nomination or a Conservative nomination again."
4) His suspension from Caucus is indefinite and no reason will be given for it -- nor will any evidence will be provided to his electors.
Boo fucking hoo! Garth Turner, I dub thee Media Whore!
1) He's been disqualified as a party candidate in the next election, despite the fact he's a card-carrying member of the party.
2) The decision came in a closed meeting by the party's national council and "no reason was given."
3) The national president of the party says "I will not be permitted to seek the Conservative nomination or a Conservative nomination again."
4) His suspension from Caucus is indefinite and no reason will be given for it -- nor will any evidence will be provided to his electors.
Boo fucking hoo! Garth Turner, I dub thee Media Whore!
Congratulations to Carolyn Parrish
...who ran for and last night won a seat on Mississauga City Council (ward six). Despite her penchant for hot-headed remarks, I have always thought Paul Martin acted dishonorably when he kept Ms. Parrish from the Liberal caucus after she propped up his government during the May 2005 non-confidence votes. Martin's actions seem particularly spiteful given that Carolyn was suffering a bout of kidney stones on the day of the vote.
Nice to know that Ms. Parrish is happy to be a "small fish" on Mississauga Council. Also nice to know that she is being looked at as a possible replacement for Mayor Hazel McCallion when "Hurricane" Hazel either retires or drops dead. Hopefully, Carolyn Parrish will be in politics long after Paul Martin has has faded into a vague, unpleasant memory.
So here's to Carolyn Parrish, a good Canadian.
Nice to know that Ms. Parrish is happy to be a "small fish" on Mississauga Council. Also nice to know that she is being looked at as a possible replacement for Mayor Hazel McCallion when "Hurricane" Hazel either retires or drops dead. Hopefully, Carolyn Parrish will be in politics long after Paul Martin has has faded into a vague, unpleasant memory.
So here's to Carolyn Parrish, a good Canadian.
BigCityLib Rocks the Vote
Went out and voted for David Miller last night, then went home and watched as he crushed Jane Pitfield and Stephen LeDrew like bugs.
Since I've never liked incumbent Denzil Minnan-Wong, and since I didn't have a clue as to the other candidates, I went with an "all Jihadi" theme, choosing Atiya Ahmed and Suriyacumaran Navaratnam for the councilor and trustee slots. I have no idea what this last person represents, but figured it would be a howl to see their name on official stationery. In any case, I'm now waiting for a call from the radical imam.
PS. If Stephen Ledrew is wondering who else voted for him other than his momma, that was my wife. She is a so against David Miller, and NDP policies in general, that she's willing to support a man in a bow-tie. She also voted for Michael Coteau as trustee based on the fact that he had the most signs (and he won).
Democracy marches onward.
Since I've never liked incumbent Denzil Minnan-Wong, and since I didn't have a clue as to the other candidates, I went with an "all Jihadi" theme, choosing Atiya Ahmed and Suriyacumaran Navaratnam for the councilor and trustee slots. I have no idea what this last person represents, but figured it would be a howl to see their name on official stationery. In any case, I'm now waiting for a call from the radical imam.
PS. If Stephen Ledrew is wondering who else voted for him other than his momma, that was my wife. She is a so against David Miller, and NDP policies in general, that she's willing to support a man in a bow-tie. She also voted for Michael Coteau as trustee based on the fact that he had the most signs (and he won).
Democracy marches onward.
Monday, November 13, 2006
Garth on Garth
From The Turner Report, concerning tomorrow's news conference and the "disturbing information" Garth intends to make public. Our hero writes:
...I’ve often said I just want to do the right thing. And who better than me? Too stubborn to budge. Too old to be intimidated. Too experienced to be impressed. Too jaded to be tricked. Too arrogant to be scared off. Too self-sufficient to threaten. And now, too pissed to quit.
Also able to leap over tall buildings! The inventor of the safety pin and lasagna! Jeeeezzuzz! If Garth doesn't come up with something big tomorrow, like Stephen Harper is an agent of C'thulu, his credibility is going to take a major hit.
But, on the other hand, what a great way to extract a pound of flesh from your former employer: slowly, and using a dull knife!
...I’ve often said I just want to do the right thing. And who better than me? Too stubborn to budge. Too old to be intimidated. Too experienced to be impressed. Too jaded to be tricked. Too arrogant to be scared off. Too self-sufficient to threaten. And now, too pissed to quit.
Also able to leap over tall buildings! The inventor of the safety pin and lasagna! Jeeeezzuzz! If Garth doesn't come up with something big tomorrow, like Stephen Harper is an agent of C'thulu, his credibility is going to take a major hit.
But, on the other hand, what a great way to extract a pound of flesh from your former employer: slowly, and using a dull knife!
Noel Gallagher on the Quebec Nation: Model of Fookin' Clarity
H/T to pop(all love) for salvaging this nugget from Noel Gallagher's Exclaim! Magazine interview. Andrew Coyne, Iggy, Stephane Dion...other members of the Canadian Commentariat, hang your heads in shame. Here is a man who knows what he means and says what he thinks:
I think of [Canada] being absolutely freezing fookin' cold. And I also think of this fookin'
weird, weird French influence. What's that all about? What business have they got over there? Why French? I was in a Dunkin Donuts in Canada, and the menu was in French--the whole thing, right. And I asked the woman for a coffee, and she only spoke French. Now, I've taken a lot of drugs in my time mate, but I've got to say that the single most frightening experience of my life was thinking, "I could have swore I was fookin' in Canada when I got off that tour bus. And now I'm in...am I? No. I don't know." And then I said to the woman, "You can speak English, can't you?" And I think she was getting annoyed that I was being a bit rude by that point, because she was only speaking French. I was going, "I know you can speak English. We're in Canada. And I know you understand what I'm saying." I may have brought up something about the war and then left.
Other than succinctly expressing his belief that the French in Canada should bloody well learn English (if they don't know it already but continue to speak French out of Gallic uppitiness), this passage reveals interesting information about Mr. Gallagher's state of mind: specifically, that he only has a loose grasp of his location in physical space. He is on a tour bus, maybe in Canada, but definetely between gigs in foreign cities miles apart; between girls, between anonymous stadiums where he hacks out chords night after night for the world's most expensive Beatles cover band...
...which for some reason reminds me of Howard Dean, who the Canadian Liberal Party have coaxed from his American tour to perform as key-note speaker during their leadership convention at the beginning of next month. Not that I have anything against Mr. Dean; his fundraising techniques have changed the landscape of American politics, and he is just coming off a very successful midterm election campaign. However, if the Libs wanted to learn about these Net-savvy fundraising techniques, it would be alot cheaper just to handout copies of his book on the floor of the convention center. Instead, Howard Dean will recieve a ton o' ton o' money to deliver the same speech he gives on the rubber chicken circuit, whether he's in Montreal or San Diego:
And we're going to Missoswaga! And we're going to go to Eeetobeecoke! And we're going to Mushaboo! And then we're going Shaboogamoo! AAAAEEEIII!"
I think of [Canada] being absolutely freezing fookin' cold. And I also think of this fookin'
weird, weird French influence. What's that all about? What business have they got over there? Why French? I was in a Dunkin Donuts in Canada, and the menu was in French--the whole thing, right. And I asked the woman for a coffee, and she only spoke French. Now, I've taken a lot of drugs in my time mate, but I've got to say that the single most frightening experience of my life was thinking, "I could have swore I was fookin' in Canada when I got off that tour bus. And now I'm in...am I? No. I don't know." And then I said to the woman, "You can speak English, can't you?" And I think she was getting annoyed that I was being a bit rude by that point, because she was only speaking French. I was going, "I know you can speak English. We're in Canada. And I know you understand what I'm saying." I may have brought up something about the war and then left.
Other than succinctly expressing his belief that the French in Canada should bloody well learn English (if they don't know it already but continue to speak French out of Gallic uppitiness), this passage reveals interesting information about Mr. Gallagher's state of mind: specifically, that he only has a loose grasp of his location in physical space. He is on a tour bus, maybe in Canada, but definetely between gigs in foreign cities miles apart; between girls, between anonymous stadiums where he hacks out chords night after night for the world's most expensive Beatles cover band...
...which for some reason reminds me of Howard Dean, who the Canadian Liberal Party have coaxed from his American tour to perform as key-note speaker during their leadership convention at the beginning of next month. Not that I have anything against Mr. Dean; his fundraising techniques have changed the landscape of American politics, and he is just coming off a very successful midterm election campaign. However, if the Libs wanted to learn about these Net-savvy fundraising techniques, it would be alot cheaper just to handout copies of his book on the floor of the convention center. Instead, Howard Dean will recieve a ton o' ton o' money to deliver the same speech he gives on the rubber chicken circuit, whether he's in Montreal or San Diego:
And we're going to Missoswaga! And we're going to go to Eeetobeecoke! And we're going to Mushaboo! And then we're going Shaboogamoo! AAAAEEEIII!"
Conservatives Want Purge of Gay Republicans
During the run-up to the recent U.S. midterms, a number of Republican candidates, party functionaries and etc. were "outed", the timing in several cases (Mark Foleys) most likely being a Democratic/Liberal activist tactic to sour Evangelicals on the GOP. Unsavory as these tactics might seem, they have paid off. The ultra Conservative Americans For Truth is now demanding that homosexuals within the Republican party should "come out" or be forced out:
"In recent weeks, homosexual activists have sought to 'out' various high-level GOP staffers and leaders as homosexuals, to highlight their hypocrisy in working for a socially conservative party," said Peter LaBarbera.
"Now we in the pro-family movement are calling for full disclosure for a different reason: because homosexual GOP staff and pro-'gay' policies in the party are undermining the wholesome values Republicans say they support," he said.
So, for example, the defeat of George "Macaca" Allen by about 7,000 votes is being blamed on the fact that the stealth influence of his gay staffers "undermined" the Senators support of Virginia's anti-SSM marriage amendment.
Americans for Truth, in addition to demanding the exposure and dismantling of the "Gay Republican Mafia", want the NSRC (National Republican Senatorial Committee) to rescind its "sexual orientation" policy, which is non-discriminatory, on the grounds that it:
...[embraces] the exact same pro-homosexual 'orientation' policy that social conservatives have been fighting for decades.
"In recent weeks, homosexual activists have sought to 'out' various high-level GOP staffers and leaders as homosexuals, to highlight their hypocrisy in working for a socially conservative party," said Peter LaBarbera.
"Now we in the pro-family movement are calling for full disclosure for a different reason: because homosexual GOP staff and pro-'gay' policies in the party are undermining the wholesome values Republicans say they support," he said.
So, for example, the defeat of George "Macaca" Allen by about 7,000 votes is being blamed on the fact that the stealth influence of his gay staffers "undermined" the Senators support of Virginia's anti-SSM marriage amendment.
Americans for Truth, in addition to demanding the exposure and dismantling of the "Gay Republican Mafia", want the NSRC (National Republican Senatorial Committee) to rescind its "sexual orientation" policy, which is non-discriminatory, on the grounds that it:
...[embraces] the exact same pro-homosexual 'orientation' policy that social conservatives have been fighting for decades.
The GOP seems to have handled its ouster from power with some aplomb, but this split may have ominous repercussions for them going forward. The perception among social Conservatives that the two parties are "just the same" when it comes to values may send more of their votes to the Dems on issues (like environmental ones) where their views are often at odds with the stated position of GOP.
Sunday, November 12, 2006
Peculiar Hockey Customs
From CBC:
ITHACA, N.Y. (AP) - Throwing fish on the ice before the annual hockey game against Harvard is a tradition at Cornell University.
But for Friday's game, Cornell officials warned that fans caught with fish would be tossed from the rink.
Cornell fans have been pelting fish at Crimson players for decades. Sometimes the fish count - including the occasional lobster and octopus - reaches more than 100. Three years ago, a Harvard player was hit on the head by a lake trout.
Almost as dumb as throwing plastic rats. Didn't Florida Panthers fans do that for awhile? Of course, in the old days, Rangers fans threw knives.
Anyway, this reminds me of an old short story of mine. If I can find it, I will post later. If not, this is probably it for today.
ITHACA, N.Y. (AP) - Throwing fish on the ice before the annual hockey game against Harvard is a tradition at Cornell University.
But for Friday's game, Cornell officials warned that fans caught with fish would be tossed from the rink.
Cornell fans have been pelting fish at Crimson players for decades. Sometimes the fish count - including the occasional lobster and octopus - reaches more than 100. Three years ago, a Harvard player was hit on the head by a lake trout.
Almost as dumb as throwing plastic rats. Didn't Florida Panthers fans do that for awhile? Of course, in the old days, Rangers fans threw knives.
Anyway, this reminds me of an old short story of mine. If I can find it, I will post later. If not, this is probably it for today.
Saturday, November 11, 2006
Battle in Botswana! (with shocking pictures!)
From BBC1's Planet Earth, a hard-won picture of a pride of Lions attacking a full grown elephant. A camera crew survived on minimal sleep for almost a month in the African bush in the hope of filming such an attackOther than being quite lurid, this kind of (rarely observed) behavior in Lions looms large in paleontological arguments as evidence for pack hunting among carnivorous dinosaurs.
Louis-Ferdinand Céline: New Translation
Louis Ferdinand Céline is the great Bad Boy of 20th Century Literature. In 1932, he published Journey to the End of the Night, and was immediately hailed as a genius by the French literary establishment. This was followed by Death on the Installment Plan, which seemed to cement his reputation.However, in the run-up to WWII, Céline wrote some grotesquely anti-semitic pamphlets--one so anti-semitic that it was banned by the Nazis--and later, when the war turned against Germany, he found himself on the run. After the war Céline was declared a "national disgrace" by France, did time in prison as a traitor, and had a death sentence over his head.
However, he kept writing, and resurrected his literary career with a series of three books (Castle to Castle, North, and Rigadoon) which described his travels across a bombed-out European landscape towards the end of the war.
Though not as well known as he once was, it is fair to say that post-war American Literature would not exist without Céline . Kerouac, Miller, Burroughs, all adored and imitated him, and told some funny stories about attempts to meet their hero (who was by this time something of a crotchety old man). Furthermore, many of Céline stylistic and narrative innovations were taken up by French writers in the form of the New Novel in the 1960s.
In the last decade several of Céline's minor novels have finally appeared in translation. And while London Bridge was pretty awful, and Fairytale for Another Time a bit dull, the latest, Conversations with Professor Y, is really quite good. It is short (about a hundred pages), and written as a series of interviews with a professor of literature who turns out to be a lunatic (par for the course in a novel by Céline). In it, Céline explains the reasoning behind his stylistic "excesses", especially his infamous "three dots", so if you ever take try and read another of his books, you'll know why the very look of the page is so damned weird.
It's also very, very funny. Imagine a kind of Hunter S. Thompson who didn't require drugs.
Friday, November 10, 2006
What Are You Smoking?
Stephen Harper will be introducing legislation to crack-down on "drugged driving" today. Past efforts at such legislation have been stymied by the fact that scientific tests have not been available for roadside use to accurately determine what substances a drugged driver has smoked, ingested or injected. However, this problem has been solved in the U.S. by the method of "drug recognition evaluation", which Andrew Murie, CEO for Mothers Against Drunk Driving Canada, describes as:
...a series of tests that look for families of drugs. As the driver performs the tests, a skilled officer will usually be able to tell what kind of drug is causing the impairment. Then a bodily fluid is demanded to confirm the result.
Here are some of the tests currently employed in the States.
1) The driver is asked to walk a straight line. While engaged in this task, the arresting officer begins to eat from a five lb bag of cheese doodles. If the driver diverges from the straight line and lunges at these cheese doodles, or even begs for just a handful of cheese doodles, then MARIJUANA is causing the impairment, and its slammer time for Stoner Dude.
2) The driver is asked to walk a straight line. The driver is then played a sample from "Tales of Mystery and the Imagination" by The Alan Parsons Project, or the long version of In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida, or "Tales From Topographic Oceans " by Yes, or some long-winded piece of crap by Phish. If they lay down on the road and stare at the stars, waving their hand back and forth to watch it "track", then LSD is causing the impairment. Starchild is going to Sing-Sing!
Note: grooving to anything by Yes, other than maybe "Starship Trooper", is usually a sign of impairment or stupidity. Even if you are not a police officer, feel free to whack hippy boy with a stick.
3) The driver is asked to alphabetically re-write all the street-names on a city map from longest to shortest, and they do a really thorough job. In this case, SPEED is the problem. And this dumb tweaker is off to the clink, but not until after they vacuum out the police cruiser and tidy up its glove box a bit.
4) The driver is asked to sit and watch their shoe for six hours. If they enjoy it, then they're on HEROIN. Our little junkie can fly himself right down to the courthouse.
Incidentally, the legislation does not mandate which particular "bodily fluid" can be demanded for which drug. Presumably this is left up to the discretion of the arresting officer. Its fun being a cop.
...a series of tests that look for families of drugs. As the driver performs the tests, a skilled officer will usually be able to tell what kind of drug is causing the impairment. Then a bodily fluid is demanded to confirm the result.
Here are some of the tests currently employed in the States.
1) The driver is asked to walk a straight line. While engaged in this task, the arresting officer begins to eat from a five lb bag of cheese doodles. If the driver diverges from the straight line and lunges at these cheese doodles, or even begs for just a handful of cheese doodles, then MARIJUANA is causing the impairment, and its slammer time for Stoner Dude.
2) The driver is asked to walk a straight line. The driver is then played a sample from "Tales of Mystery and the Imagination" by The Alan Parsons Project, or the long version of In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida, or "Tales From Topographic Oceans " by Yes, or some long-winded piece of crap by Phish. If they lay down on the road and stare at the stars, waving their hand back and forth to watch it "track", then LSD is causing the impairment. Starchild is going to Sing-Sing!
Note: grooving to anything by Yes, other than maybe "Starship Trooper", is usually a sign of impairment or stupidity. Even if you are not a police officer, feel free to whack hippy boy with a stick.
3) The driver is asked to alphabetically re-write all the street-names on a city map from longest to shortest, and they do a really thorough job. In this case, SPEED is the problem. And this dumb tweaker is off to the clink, but not until after they vacuum out the police cruiser and tidy up its glove box a bit.
4) The driver is asked to sit and watch their shoe for six hours. If they enjoy it, then they're on HEROIN. Our little junkie can fly himself right down to the courthouse.
Incidentally, the legislation does not mandate which particular "bodily fluid" can be demanded for which drug. Presumably this is left up to the discretion of the arresting officer. Its fun being a cop.
Tories Go For the Green
...by naming David Chernushenko, the deputy leader of the Green Party, to the National Roundtable on Environment and the Economy, a blue-chip panel that advises the federal government on environmental policy. According to CTV:
The move is seen as an attempt by the Tories to deflect some criticism over their handling of the environment file.
By reaching across party lines, the Conservatives can claim that they are seeking out all viewpoints and policy advice to cut down on air pollution and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
Clever tactic from the Tories, and another sign that the Green Party is moving into the mainstream of Canadian politics.
And somewhat comforting to people like me, who fear that Jack Layton may let the Clean Air Act pass in exchange for some window-dressing that will make his NDP look good but do nothing to address the underlying issues. Hopefully, having a Green near the action to call "Bullshit!" will keep the NDP (and other two opposition parties) from selling out when the parliamentary committee formed to overhaul Harper's green plan swings into action.
The move is seen as an attempt by the Tories to deflect some criticism over their handling of the environment file.
By reaching across party lines, the Conservatives can claim that they are seeking out all viewpoints and policy advice to cut down on air pollution and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
Clever tactic from the Tories, and another sign that the Green Party is moving into the mainstream of Canadian politics.
And somewhat comforting to people like me, who fear that Jack Layton may let the Clean Air Act pass in exchange for some window-dressing that will make his NDP look good but do nothing to address the underlying issues. Hopefully, having a Green near the action to call "Bullshit!" will keep the NDP (and other two opposition parties) from selling out when the parliamentary committee formed to overhaul Harper's green plan swings into action.
Warren Kinsella, Garbologist?
And why would this be surprising? From the TO Sun:
The link between a Toronto firm hired to lobby for Waste Management Canada and the Dalton McGuinty Liberals should worry opponents of the Carp Rd. dump expansion, says a local Tory MPP.
Warren Kinsella, a key Liberal strategist who helped run the Liberal war room in the 2003 provincial election, has registered to lobby the premier's office on behalf of WM, the owner of the Carp Rd. dump. Two other lobbyists in Kinsella's firm, Daisy Consulting Group, have also registered to lobby for WM.
Kinsella denies everything, and the VM proposal was rejected, so who knows? Still, rumor has it that Kinsella has been surveying Ontario land-fill sites, digging around for material he can use in next year's election.
Note to John Tory: shred any porn mags before you pitch them away, and any sex dollies, and any giant rubber fists. Kinsella is on your case.
The link between a Toronto firm hired to lobby for Waste Management Canada and the Dalton McGuinty Liberals should worry opponents of the Carp Rd. dump expansion, says a local Tory MPP.
Warren Kinsella, a key Liberal strategist who helped run the Liberal war room in the 2003 provincial election, has registered to lobby the premier's office on behalf of WM, the owner of the Carp Rd. dump. Two other lobbyists in Kinsella's firm, Daisy Consulting Group, have also registered to lobby for WM.
Kinsella denies everything, and the VM proposal was rejected, so who knows? Still, rumor has it that Kinsella has been surveying Ontario land-fill sites, digging around for material he can use in next year's election.
Note to John Tory: shred any porn mags before you pitch them away, and any sex dollies, and any giant rubber fists. Kinsella is on your case.
Thursday, November 09, 2006
Solberg Shovels Boob Bait to the Bubbas
In response to tumbling poll numbers and discord in the ranks, the Tory's are throwing rhetorical red meat to their army of rural bush goobers by threatening Lebanese Canadians over the issue of dual citizenship:
OTTAWA -- Canada must be more than "just a port in the storm" for dual citizens living abroad, Citizenship and Immigration Minister Monte Solberg said Tuesday.
The Conservative government is taking a long look at the issue of dual citizenship in the wake of this summer's evacuation of some 15,000 people from Lebanon during the Israeli bombardment...
[...]
"If we're in a situation where somebody's absent, isn't paying taxes but is going to be using our social programs down the road, I think Canadians would feel that is unfair," said the minister.
To understand the political calculus behind Solberg's musings, a little historical context is in order. The Tory's original concerns re. dual citizenship arose during the 2006 Summer War between Israel and Lebanon. If you remember, the IDF (Israeli Defense Forces) had just slaughtered a bunch of Canadian citizens in Aitaroun, and Harper needed a few brown-skinned scapegoats to draw attention away from the fact that our "allies" had killed Canucks. Thus a new meme was born: the "ungrateful Lebanese-Canadian dual citizen". For a time, this little episode of race-baiting firmed up support behind Harper's policy of letting Israeli bombs fall like rain.
Now, during similar hard times, the Tory's have decided to try the same play again.
Not too frightening in itself, because Conservatives do what Conservatives do. What is disturbing is how apparently mainstream commentators like Andrew Coyne are willing to run cover for an act of crude political racism by slathering over Solberg's statement with gibberish until it seems part of a coherent political philosophy (other than the standard Con philosophy of "Let's bash the swarthy!").
Deep in his heart, Andy knows better. He must have false consciousness right up the wazoo.
OTTAWA -- Canada must be more than "just a port in the storm" for dual citizens living abroad, Citizenship and Immigration Minister Monte Solberg said Tuesday.
The Conservative government is taking a long look at the issue of dual citizenship in the wake of this summer's evacuation of some 15,000 people from Lebanon during the Israeli bombardment...
[...]
"If we're in a situation where somebody's absent, isn't paying taxes but is going to be using our social programs down the road, I think Canadians would feel that is unfair," said the minister.
To understand the political calculus behind Solberg's musings, a little historical context is in order. The Tory's original concerns re. dual citizenship arose during the 2006 Summer War between Israel and Lebanon. If you remember, the IDF (Israeli Defense Forces) had just slaughtered a bunch of Canadian citizens in Aitaroun, and Harper needed a few brown-skinned scapegoats to draw attention away from the fact that our "allies" had killed Canucks. Thus a new meme was born: the "ungrateful Lebanese-Canadian dual citizen". For a time, this little episode of race-baiting firmed up support behind Harper's policy of letting Israeli bombs fall like rain.
Now, during similar hard times, the Tory's have decided to try the same play again.
Not too frightening in itself, because Conservatives do what Conservatives do. What is disturbing is how apparently mainstream commentators like Andrew Coyne are willing to run cover for an act of crude political racism by slathering over Solberg's statement with gibberish until it seems part of a coherent political philosophy (other than the standard Con philosophy of "Let's bash the swarthy!").
Deep in his heart, Andy knows better. He must have false consciousness right up the wazoo.
Hmm. Definitely Sexist
From the TO Sun, Ralph Klein took a crack at Belinda during a charity roast on Tuesday:
Klein also pointed out that Stronach, who had been dating Leafs tough guy Tie Domi, had been a Conservative when she roasted him, but was now a Liberal MP.
"I wasn't surprised she crossed over," he said, setting up the punchline. "I don't think she ever did have a Conservative bone in her body -- well, maybe one."
Klein paused, waiting for the laughter to fade, then said: "Speaking of Peter MacKay...
I suppose it speaks ill of me that I giggled at this remark. But the important political point is that, even after three weeks of hoopla, the Tories still think they can make hay with cheap anti-Belinda remarks. Does this say something about the nature of Canada, or the nature of Belinda? You figure it out. The Libs have been wasting their time on this issue when they could have been pressing the Tories on their "Green" Plan (instead of letting Layton hog the spotlight), or bashing them on their investment trust flip-flop. Canadians sent them to Parliament with a more important job to do than defend Belinda Stronach's honor.
As for Peter MacKay, he doesn't need Belinda to get himself in trouble. Turns out Poppa MacKay used the fax machine in his son's constituency office to transmit letters defending businessman Karlheinz Schreiber, who is fighting extradition to Germany on fraud charges over the Airbus affair.
On the other hand, if Peter's ever caught making it with Condi in the bell-room of the Peace Tower, you'll read about it here first.
Klein also pointed out that Stronach, who had been dating Leafs tough guy Tie Domi, had been a Conservative when she roasted him, but was now a Liberal MP.
"I wasn't surprised she crossed over," he said, setting up the punchline. "I don't think she ever did have a Conservative bone in her body -- well, maybe one."
Klein paused, waiting for the laughter to fade, then said: "Speaking of Peter MacKay...
I suppose it speaks ill of me that I giggled at this remark. But the important political point is that, even after three weeks of hoopla, the Tories still think they can make hay with cheap anti-Belinda remarks. Does this say something about the nature of Canada, or the nature of Belinda? You figure it out. The Libs have been wasting their time on this issue when they could have been pressing the Tories on their "Green" Plan (instead of letting Layton hog the spotlight), or bashing them on their investment trust flip-flop. Canadians sent them to Parliament with a more important job to do than defend Belinda Stronach's honor.
As for Peter MacKay, he doesn't need Belinda to get himself in trouble. Turns out Poppa MacKay used the fax machine in his son's constituency office to transmit letters defending businessman Karlheinz Schreiber, who is fighting extradition to Germany on fraud charges over the Airbus affair.
On the other hand, if Peter's ever caught making it with Condi in the bell-room of the Peace Tower, you'll read about it here first.
Wednesday, November 08, 2006
Tory's Totally Tank...
...in new Decima poll, which identifies Alberta as their last stronghold:
The Conservatives still lead nationally, with 31 per cent support among decided and leaning voters, according to the Decima poll. The Liberals were next with 28 per cent, followed by the NDP at 18, the Bloc Quebecois at 10 and the Green party at nine per
However, their Alberta dominance can give people a false impression about how they're doing in the rest of the country:
...the Liberals lead the Tories by an average of three percentage points in the rest of Canada, including positive margins in every region, including British Columbia.
And so the Tory response is to bash mostly brown-skinned dual citizens to stroke the Goobers back in the bush. Not a winning strategy
The Conservatives still lead nationally, with 31 per cent support among decided and leaning voters, according to the Decima poll. The Liberals were next with 28 per cent, followed by the NDP at 18, the Bloc Quebecois at 10 and the Green party at nine per
However, their Alberta dominance can give people a false impression about how they're doing in the rest of the country:
...the Liberals lead the Tories by an average of three percentage points in the rest of Canada, including positive margins in every region, including British Columbia.
And so the Tory response is to bash mostly brown-skinned dual citizens to stroke the Goobers back in the bush. Not a winning strategy
And Another Bit of Good News...
The Montana Senate race has gone Democrat, with Jon Tester beating Republican Conrad Burns by about 4,000 votes. This insures the Dems at least a 50/50 split in the Senate. So where Dems and Republicans are deadlocked, Vice President Cheney steps in to break the tie. However, if the last time a 50/50 split occurred is any indication, the Dems will be given an equal number of bodies on all committees and equal funding.
Not only that, there is still the Virginia race to decide, where Democrat James Webb is up by 7,000 votes out of 2.3 million cast. This will probably go to a recount.
Not only that, there is still the Virginia race to decide, where Democrat James Webb is up by 7,000 votes out of 2.3 million cast. This will probably go to a recount.
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