CTS TV Dumps Charles McVety

BURLINGTON, ONTARIO – CTS (Crossroads Television System) regrets that Word TV will no longer be broadcast due to its lack of compliance with the CTS Code of Ethics to which Word TV agreed under contract.

Last week, its producer and host, Dr. Charles McVety erroneously communicated that CTS was being pressured to censor Word TV; these comments are inaccurate and misleading. The fact is that Word TV failed to keep its agreement to comply with the CTS Code of Ethics and indicated a refusal to comply in the future. Unfortunately, numerous attempts by CTS to work with Dr. McVety were unsuccessful.

What's the phrase--goodbye to bad rubbish. My own prediction: McVety winds up on Fox News North.

PS. Looks Frank Dimant and B'nail Brith are on-side with McVety.

Saddam Hussein: Tyrant And Clothes Horse

On the 4th anniversary of the death of Saddam Hussein (plus one month exactly, because I forgot), here is another piece I wrote years ago (in fact on Dec. 29, 2006), when I had somewhat fewer readers, and am now shamelessly recycling.

If Saddam is executed this weekend, he will be remembered primarily as an evil Dictator who slaughtered his own countrymen, engaged in several futile wars, and brought ruin upon the nation he ruled. What will almost certainly receive less attention is the fact that he was a gorgeous hunk of Maleness, whose inimitable style cast a long shadow over men's fashion in the later 20th and early 21st Century.

Here is my tribute in pictures, then, to the man, his style, and his manly body.

Here is a shot of young Saddam from his pre-Tyrant days. This is the "spy in the tropics" look, familiar from early James Bond movies. One can imagine the young Saddam sent abroad like this on missions for the Baath Party, strangling regime dissidents beneath an inviting Caribbean moon.




Saddam as Country gentleman out for an afternoon's hunt. From this angle, its impossible to tell what exactly he is hunting. It might be Shia tribesmen.













From his years as Dictator, during which Saddam put away the flashy clothes of youth and came to prefer dark suits and conservative ties. The message here is one of competence and gravitas: "These people won't massacre themselves."

Perhaps Saddam's most serious mis-step. The green collar makes him look a bit like a mustachioed Kermit The Frog. Not a fashion disaster on the level of Bjork's swan dress, but a faux pas just the same. Who knows? Maybe it slayed 'em up in Kurdistan. Ba Hah! Anyway...












Saddam posed a la Marky Mark for his prison video, "Iraqi Rap". If a ruler is twelve inches, then clearly this man was born to be King.

However, IMHO Saddam never achieved the status of fashion God until he was captured by U.S. forces and put on trial. Here, his back against the wall, our man chose to discard his necktie as a symbol(see note) of Western rule for a more nationalist look. "I am an Iraqi!" is the message: "I killed 'em all for the good of the nation!"

Note: The neck-tie or, as it was once called, the Ascot, was invented by English Lord Thomas Dicky III in the 17th century, who also invented the "dicky", or false shirt-front, designed to be worn with the ascot.

This tie/shirt combination was made famous in Charles Dickens Hard Times, when Major Emery is rousted from the bath-house and, as the Paris Police wait impatiently for him to dress, shouts out the immortal words: "I've got my ascot in my dicky!"

Tarek Fatah Lays The Blame On Liberal Party Of Canada

So, on Saturday night "Moderate Muslim" Tarek Fatah was supposed to debate Imam Sheharyar Shaikh of the North American Muslim Foundation on the topic of "Does Secular Liberalism Exemplify the Qur'an and Prophet (Peace Be Upon Him)". The debate did not go off; Tarek refused to attend, citing threats to his safety and a number of other concerns. You can read the original statement from the MCC (Muslim Congress of Canada) here (bolded).

I should say that a number of the claims made in the statement justifying Tarek's withdrawal from the debate appear on the face of it to be untrue. For example, the MCC claim that "the off-duty policemen NAMF had hired for security, had been withdrawn" appears to be false. Or at least, here is a picture of three muscly young fellows wearing jackets that say "Security". They are definitely present in the auditorium, and appear to be police (although their shoulder patches aren't quite the same as those of the T.O. police). Note: Tarek now appears to be suggesting the three are Islamists impersonating police. For another example, the MCC official statement says that another reason Tarek refused to appear was that "no video cameras would be allowed inside the hall". After I pointed out a picture of one of these forbidden video cameras to Tarek, he amended the claim and pointed me to this NAMF news release, which specifically forbids cameras on tripods due to limited space. Hardly a deal breaker or a sign of Insurgent Islamism, as far as I can tell.

But Tarek was just getting warmed up

So this sounds like Tarek is accusing the federal Liberal Party of Canada of approaching Karen Mock and asking her to bow-out of the event, an interpretation that is supported by this further response, which fingers MP Anthony Rota as the cause of Ms. Mock's withdrawal.

It will be interesting to see how this story evolves over the next couple of days. There were apparently some media present at the event, although no MSM stories that I can see as yet.

PS. The entire thread I'm excerpting from Tarek's FB page is here.

On Finding Versus Making Facts

Over at Realclimate, Rasmus E. Benestad is unhappy with philosophers/sociologists of science:

"One real difference between the ‘tribes’ of natural scientists and STS scholars may be the perception of ‘facts’: Ryghaug and Skjølsvold conclude that “scientific facts are made and not just discovered”. In contrast, I think most natural scientists feel that facts are facts, whether we know about them or not."

Well, if natural scientists really think this, then they are wrong, though I'm not sure they do really think it.

For example, lets take a global average annual temperature for year X. This figure seems to me to be massively "constructed", or "made". Nobody consults s single thermometer that gives you this figure. Instead, a thousand point measurements are adjusted, massaged, and otherwised fiddled with so that the one figure can be produced. Yet I would say it is nevertheless a fact.

That's all that the claim that facts are in some sense "made" need necessarily imply. There are sociologists who write as though there is something more sinister at play--that our broader political ideology drives the way we "make" our facts. Stephen Fuller comes to mind. But it needn't be taken to imply that; the word is meant to suggest the notion of LABOUR as much as INVENTION.

This might be of some importance, given the misunderstandings of a few science journalists like Fred Pearce, who thought that the fact that nobody ever asked Phil Jones for his "raw data" signified a breakdown in peer review. But why would anybody want to re-do the work Jones already put into his data set? Such a course of action would only be useful if Jones had been incompetent or a member of some kind of worldwide Marxist conspiracy. Which of course he wasn't, so why bother?

Tim Hudak Wows A Crowd Of 0

He' demanding the repeal of the province's hydro debt charge, whatever the fuck that is (and believe me, I try to keep up with this stuff).

Lets face it, he ain't got Rob Ford's populist touch.

Who The Fuck Is Don Burroughs?

...was my first thought on reading this story about the Tories alleged plans for a March election. Presumably not the ex-football star. I smell bullshit, and I sincerely hope, for the sake of Ms. Delacourt's credibility, that the inspiration for it was not DonBurroughsNum1@yahoo.com or some other gold-plated source like that.

That's About Seven A Day

The decision to look for savings also comes after QMI reported that the feds spent $894,967 in the last fiscal year to distribute news releases to journalists using Marketwire and Newswire services.

I haven't been able to find their price list, but Marketwire and Canada Newswire typically cost you about $500 per release. Assuming the Gov. only releases on weekdays, and that there are 260ish workdays in a typical year, that's about $3,500 or 7 news releases per day--or 3 1/2 if they send each release to both outlets. Seems rather a pile, and quite redundant giving the multitude of other communications tools there are at the Gov's disposal.

H/t

Tory Turmoil In Simcoe Grey: Retraction Demand Is Itself Retracted

The story to date.

Kellie Leitch, front-running candidate for the CPoC nomination in Simcoe Grey, asks ex-Wasaga Beach mayor Cal Patterson for his endorsement. He gives it verbally, as a private citizen. She composes a letter in his name and with his political titles on it, and fires it off without clearing the final product with Patterson. He goes ape-shit, demanding the letter be retracted, even though it turns out that he had provided the Leitch campaign with an electronic version of his signature and, really, the only thing Leitch did wrong is to not show the final draft to Patterson and, perhaps, use some of his official titles when he was really endorsing her as an individual.

Turmoil ensues. Accusations fly. And then, this morning:

WASAGA BEACH – Simcoe County Warden and Wasaga Beach Mayor Cal Patterson said today he is dropping his demand for a retraction from Simcoe-Grey Conservative candidate Kellie Leitch.

In a similar cock-up on Leitch's part, it appears that many of the endorsements on home-page share very similar, in fact in some cases identical, wording. Here's the best explanation for that that I've heard:

Anyway, the minions who run Leitch’s website had clearly become accustomed to cutting and pasting endorsements from a pool of pre-prepared texts. Unfortunately they only had nine statements of endorsement for every ten endorsers…and therefore had to re-use some material. But they didn’t count on the man who has often been referred to as Collingwood’s greatest living newspaper editor [I definitely wont get blocked now]. He caught them out and making them look like buffoons!

My guess is that by the time Patterson came along, the Leitch team had got so used to splicing endorsement statements onto names that they didn’t give proper protocol a second thought.

Meanwhile another CPoC hopeful, former mayor of Collingwood Chris Carrier, has also been up to some on-line shenanigans, and has been doing some redacting and retracting of his own. His original foul:

She's also not the only candidate in this campaign with over-active letter writers; Carrier's website contains a letter to 'open-minded Conservatives' in the riding, written by John Hanlon, that trumpets a "local media" had touted the former mayor as "Simcoe-Grey's favourite son." However, as it turned out, the only reference to Carrier being Simcoe-Grey's "favourite son" is an article on a local lifestyle website — and [also] written by Hanlon.

You know the Tories think the seat if pretty safe seat if they are willing to engage in this level of silliness.

Sorry Seems To Be The Hardest Word

...because the Tories haven't used it yet, though they have pulled those latest attack ads.

Just to recap for NN readers. Yesterday, the CPoC released a pair of attack ads so ghastly that even a few of their saner supporters were appalled . Today these ads have been disappeared, and the official line seems to be that the party never intended to air them. Others say otherwise, and skepticism is the order of the day.

Let Me Serenade You

From forth the fatal loins of these two foes
A pair of star-cross'd lovers take their life

Stephen Harper's Hannibal Lector Moment

H/t

Tory Turmoil Reaches Boil In Simcoe Grey!!!

COLLINGWOOD — A candidate for the Conservative nomination in Simcoe-Grey says she had the OK — with a signature in hand — from Simcoe County's warden to prepare an endorsement letter with his autograph.

Actually, this sounds less a case of forged signatures and more a case of local Tory players gratuitously taking umbrage at one another. Personally, I never take umbrage...unless its just lying around and no one else is using it. Bah Hah!

Or, if you want to understand the situation here on a slightly deeper level, you might want to google "Kellie Leitch" "parachute candidate".

H/t to this guy who seems about 12/24 hours ahead of the local paper.

Liberals To Oppose S-10, Other "Tough-On-Crime" Measures

With several tough-on-crime bills heading for debate in the Commons next month — including Bill S-10, which would see mandatory minimum sentences for marijuana possession and baking pot brownies — the question has largely been where the Liberals will stand on the bills.

At a press conference at the end of the Liberals' winter caucus in Ottawa, leader Michael Ignatieff signalled that his party was ready to oppose them.

Another small display of leadership from Iggy, though we shall if it holds up on the day of the vote. As for S-10, I think its another of those bills the Tories would prefer to campaign upon rather than pass. So if it dies, everyone goes home happy.

Peter MacKay: A History of Geographical Blunders

In posing a question to former California governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, Mr. MacKay said California shares a border with British Columbia.

Arnie was polite enough not to point out the fact that two little places called Oregon and Washington lie between Cali and B.C.

This is not the 1st time this kind of thing has happened. In fact, its not the 2nd time this kind of thing has happened:

He [Peter MacKay] got his speaking notes for the Northwest Passage mixed up with his speaking notes for the Arctic Ocean, and I think that's pretty appalling given the importance of this particular issue for the long-term interests of Canada.

No! No!! Its the 3rd time.

In Small, Unmarked Bills...

The Bloc names its price.

My unwavering belief that we shall not have an election until 2012 is starting to waver.

Ezra Levant Out $32,500 In Costs

Full document here. Given the relatively unequivocal nature of the ruling, we can only assume that Ezra's appeal will fail and these costs will go up.

Now There's Real Class...All Of It 3rd

Should you be thinking of making snarky comments re Ed Stelmach's departure from politics, go for it; you can't possibly be a bigger heel than Ex-Tory Craig Chandler.

I have been wondering, incidentally, what Ed's departure means for the future direction of the Alberta Conservatives: can they stay Centralist? After all, most of the loons have gone WAP, so there's not (I would reason) a lot of pressure within the party to move right. However, this story suggests that some of the WAPers might come crawling back. Which is possible; I guess nobody surrenders their PC membership card in Alberta; they just join other parties in addition.

How Do You Refute Claims That You're Just Buying Votes In Que.?

...buy a few in Sask.

Stelmach Resigns

Says he will move to T.O. to find decent coffee, marry a football player. Says he's tired of defending the oil sands, the f**king one-way streets, and the uppity attitude. Quote: "If you ever see me back in this sh*thole, that means I've really f**ked up.

Kellie Leitch: The Endorsement Affair

More Tory Turmoil, it seems, as the "Kellie Leitch and her bogus endorsement" story--in which Wasaga Beach mayor Cal Patterson insisted that CPoC star nominee for Simcoe-Grey Kellie Leitch withdraw an endorsement that somehow wound-up with his name on it--has been updated and extended upon:

This isn't the first endorsement faux pas for Leitch in this campaign; last week it was noted several of the endorsements on her website from MPs and senators were duplicated — word for word.

The story notes "several" endorsements, but in the google cache of "What People Are Saying" on her website I note one duplication:

There are, though, a number of other endorsements where it looks like somebody hacked together the same half-dozen sentences in slightly different order so as to make things not look too obvious.

More here.

Tory Turmoil In Simcoe Gray?

COLLINGWOOD — A candidate for the Simcoe-Grey Conservative nomination says an endorsement letter that went out 'penned' by Simcoe County's warden was a result of a "big miscommunication."

Cal Patterson, who is also mayor of Wasaga Beach, said he was "furious" when a letter enthusiastically endorsing Dr. Kellie Leitch showed up at his door late last week — signed by him.

A miscommunication? Isn't forging a signature illegal?

Helena shall romp.

H/t

Lilley's On The Case

Brian Lilley, in his ongoing mission to smear the CBC on behalf of PKP (that's what Pierre Karl Peladeau's word-slaves call him behind his back), uncovers the fact that one of their executives ate lunch with a Liberal:

Sylvain Lafrance, the executive VP of CBC's French language services, treated Liberal Senator Francis Fox to a $119 lunch in October 2009 at Montreal's Restaurant Julien.

Details of what was consumed are not provided in the documents, but an online version of the restaurant's menu shows entrees normally cost less than $20, meaning the pair likely dined on more than just food.

Lilley doesn't speculate what this "more" might have been, but I have confirmed from the restaurant's website that they do not offer table-dances. Looking at the menu, however, I would guess that the two men split a bottle of Chablis.

Also, as anyone can see by looking at this shot of the restaurant interior--and I am frankly surprised Lilley missed it--the Restaurant Julie suffers from an extreme shortgage of chairs. Putting 2+2 together (and building on Lilley's seminal reporting in the CBC missing chair scandal), I am willing to bet that Fox and Lafrance showed up at Juliens, banged back a bottle of bubbly, were rebuffed in their demands for a table dance, and drunkenly attempted to auction off Peter Mansbridge's chair.

Good Lord! Release the hounds!

Bourque: Fox News North Owner Wants New Que. Stadium Financed With Hard Working English Money Named After Separatist

Insider rumours swirling that Quebecor supremo PK Peladeau may be demanding of government in Ottawa and Quebec City that the new NHL arena be named the 'Forum Rene Levesque' in honour of the patron saint of the Parti Quebecois, a tip of the hat to PK's father and Quebecor founder Pierre Peladeau, a giant of the so-called 'Quebec, Inc.' of years past, a repository of then (and still) powerful Quebec-based industrialists and entrepreneurs. Peladeau Sr was said to be a huge fan of the former Quebec Premier, the supposed reason for Jr's insistence on naming rights. Quebec Premier Jean Charest, desperate for support from any quarter, is said to be onside. It is also said that certain Quebec Tories are pressuring Prime Minister Stephen Harper to accept the condition as a means to undermine Bloq Quebecois support and to appease soft-nationalists who might be inclined to vote Conservative if given sufficient reason to do so. An NHL arena named after Levesque, with international media exposure to a giant of Quebec sovereignty, might just fit the bill. Developing.

Its just a rumour, but I'm getting outraged on spec. There's also a poll where you can tell the cheese eater where to get off.

Tim Hudak Finally Offers A Plan

Its a flop.

Meet Ken Nordine

I was listening to Enright's CBC radio show on Sunday, and he did a fairly extended segment on "Word Jazz"and its best-known practitioner, Ken Nordine. Hating both jazz and poetry, I nevertheless enjoyed Nordine's weird ruminations on life and other matters. Here's one:

...and here's a rather darker piece:


PS. I will write longer, more engaged blog posts again when this poor nation of ours produces some interesting news.

Note To Steve Janke

Update to a Province article on Blair Wilson on Oct. 28, 2007...

Steve, as you may know, I try to keep up with and write about all the Canadian legal cases where somebody is suing somebody else for defamation carried out over the Internet. My problem is that the people I know have all won their cases, so my writing on the topic may come across as a bit one-sided. Hopefully, when this is all over, you can provide some needed perspective on what it's like to be on the bad end of a ruling.

Cheers,

BCL

PS. Some background here.

He Also Digs Hitler

Haroon Siddiqui outlines why Indian politician Narendra Modi should not be allowed into Canada. Apparently, Jason Kenney is considering it. One thing Siddiqui's column doesn't mention:

AHMEDABAD: Gandhi is not so great, but Hitler is. Welcome to high school education in Narendra Modi's Gujarat, where authors of social studies textbooks published by the Gujarat State Board of School Textbooks have found faults with the freedom movement and glorified Fascism and Nazism.

The Class X book presents a frighteningly uncritical picture of Fascism and Nazism. The strong national pride that both these phenomena generated, the efficiency in the bureaucracy and the administration and other 'achievements' are detailed, but pogroms against Jews and atrocities against trade unionists, migrant labourers, and any section of people who did not fit into Mussolini or Hitler's definition of rightful citizen don't find any mention." They committed the gruesome and inhuman act of suffocating 60 lakh Jews in gas chambers" is all the book, authored by a panel, mentions of the holocaust.

So, on that basis too, I would give the fellow a big thumbs down.

Blogging Tories Turn On One Another...

They're trying to ban blogger and sometime on-tv guy Garth Nicklaus for being too damn Liberal. And I've read some of Garth's stuff, and damned if the guy isn't pretty damn Liberal. I'm pretty sure he's one of our 5th columnists; in fact I think I remember handing him a paper bag full of adscam cash from JC himself.

PS. This is the most entertaining thing to happen on BT Forums since Bill Whatcott built his feces bomb.

Mayor Ford's Brain Steps Down

...his flab remains on the job.

Tim Ball De-Balled!

The Canadian Free Press issues a grovelling apology to UVIC Climate Scientist Andrew Weaver:

On January 10, 2011, Canada Free Press began publishing on this website an article by Dr. Tim Ball entitled “Corruption of Climate Change Has Created 30 Lost Years” which contained untrue and disparaging statements about Dr. Andrew Weaver, who is a professor in the School of Earth and Ocean Sciences at the University of Victoria, British Columbia.

Contrary to what was stated in Dr. Ball’s article, Dr. Weaver: (1) never announced he will not participate in the next IPCC; (2) never said that the IPCC chairman should resign; (3) never called for the IPCC’s approach to science to be overhauled; and (4) did not begin withdrawing from the IPCC in January 2010.

You can read the rest through the link; the extent of the mud-wriggling and self-abasement is quite astonishing. As a note to journalists: its always a bad idea to repeat material that is already subject to a defamation claim. As an aside to Dr. Weaver and any other climate scientist inclined to counter denialist lies with legal action: go for it, the beasts won't regulate themselves.

*Cough* Busted? *Cough* *Cough*

The link in the tweet goes to this cell-phone (?) pic. Looks to me like its been shot from the driver's side.

For Mr. Clement's edification, the law of the land:

In a move that I applaud, the government of Ontario officially passed Bill 118, the ‘Countering Distracted Driving and Promoting Green Transportation Act’. The act bans drivers from using handheld communication/entertainment devices while behind the wheel. Bravo Ontario, bravo! The act will start to take effect this fall, to give folks time to prep for the change

Original tweet here.

Update: According to the legislation, if Tony was not in motion he's off the hook.

GOP War On Science Has Officially Been Declared

The Congressional Republicans move to defund the UN's Intergovernmental Panel On Climate Change (IPCC):

Full document here. Meanwhile, the House GOP seems unsure as to whether or not they'll launch a witch-hunt against CRU/Michael Mann. This report suggests they are backing off; this one suggests they're still polishing up the pitch-forks.

Who knows, maybe the GOP is directing all their efforts towards finding Obama's birth certificate?

PS. I know the image is a bit tiny. Can someone tell me how to set it up so you can click on it and get a larger version?

Did The Egyptians Trade In Pygmy Mammoths

Palaeozoologist Darren Naish does one of his terrific Cryptozoology posts on the small, hairy, elephanty thingy in the tomb-painting above. Was it a pygmy mammoth from Wrangel Island, one of late surviving-dwarf species from around the Mediterranean, or just bad drawing?

Jack Layton To Seniors

...in your name shall I cave.

A Tripartisan Moment: Bloc Proposal To Ban Ceremonial Daggers In Parliament...

... should die hideously. It will be interesting to see who in the HOC comes out in favour of a motion that, in effect, specifically fucks over MP Navdeep Bains, with the only argument behind the motion being that, seriously, Navdeep might go ape-shit one day and stab somebody.

On Cancelling Iranium

On reading this, consider this:
I'm not accusing anyone. I'd just point out that stunts are not unheard of. Watch this story as it evolves.

Update: several of Mr. Litwick's claims are already being contested:

"We received a series of threats and complaints from the public, varying members of the public, significant enough to warrant cancelling the event," Portelance said.

Portelance said the decision was made to ensure the safety of the public and staff and to ensure the protection of the archives themselves.

Fred Litwin, who organized the screening through the Free Thinking Film Society of Ottawa, said library officials talked as late as Monday about pulling the film, but early Tuesday gave him the OK to screen it.

Portelance disputed this claim, however, and said the library never requested the film organizers find another venue.

Litwin said Tuesday at the scene that he was told the screening had been cancelled because there had been protesters inside and outside the building, though he said he didn't see any himself.


You know, on this last point, Litwin has said not only did the Archives want to boot out the film on Monday, but that only an intervention from Heritage Minister James Moore part saved the day. So a word from Moore, who is abroad in the twitterverse this morning, could confirm this instantly.

Update: Fred's been complaining in the comments that I am accusing him of staging this whole episode as a stunt. Well, that had occurred to me, but it seems clear a couple of days in that the threats made about the film were real enough and that its almost inconceivable that Fred or anyone else would go that far just to scare up attention. Fred's also right that the twitter message above refers to events in November. So: sorry for that, Fred.

However, as you can also see from the comments, Fred's account of what occurred previous to Tuesday are a total mess, and still worth setting straight if that is still possible at this late date.

The NDP: Doing It Again

...whenever push comes to shove, provincially in the last B.C. election,and federally in 2008, they've willing to toss aside whatever green convictions they might lay claim to for a few cheap political points. This time, its Peter Kormos siding with Wind Concerns Ontario:

Kormos attended a meeting in Wainfleet Saturday, held to discuss concerns about wind turbines planned for Wainfleet.

Neither Kormos nor Welland's federal New Democratic Party MP Malcolm Allen spoke during the meeting attended by nearly 200 people. But Kormos said information provided at the meeting -- by Skydive Burnaby owners Mike and Tara Pitt, by John LaForet from lobby group Wind Concerns Ontario and by other speakers -- was consistent with what the NDP has concluded about ongoing installation of industrial wind turbines across Ontario.

A couple of things are going on here. The Pitts drop their clients on the other side of proposed turbine, and you can see their being worried that one of these clients might wind up rather finely chopped in the turbine blades; on the other hand, the developer does seem to have attempted a response to their concerns.

And then there's John Laforet of Wind Concerns Ontario, a Scarborough boy whose been dragging his small band of supporters around the province, playing to NIMBYs and lecturing the locals on local democracy. Bucket's has written of the astro-turfy nature of WCO, and so has The Disaffected Lib, at somewhat greater length. There's been some media coverage of the "anger" in rural Ontario over these turbines, but such stories seem over-blown. At least, the only polling I've seen on the issue (admittedly from 2009) demonstrated overwhelming support for industrial wind-farms, both inside the GTA and beyond its boundaries. So I suspect the anger noted does not extend much past whatever room the WCO travelling show is performing in at the time.

In any case, I don't see this one ending too well for Kormos and the provincial NDP. In B.C. their attack on Gordon Campbell's carbon tax back-fired horribly, splitting the enviro movement and setting back their campaign in its early stages. I don't see how Kormos and Co. can really imagine that stealing ideas from Tim Hudak will shore up their support her in Ontario.

PS. WCO and other groups of like nature tend to rely heavily on the "peer reviewed" research of Nina Pierpoint. What "peer review" means in this instance is that her husband proof-read her self-published manuscripts.

Attack Ads Broke CBC Copyright

The Conservative Party has not asked to CBC / Radio-Canada permission to use its content for its latest advertising campaign, a political offensive launched this week and includes excerpts of the broadcaster in three ads.

That's a google translation of what's through the link. Looks like the CPoC used CBC footage without asking. Wouldn't surprise me if these new ads never get aired. Who knows if that was ever the intention?

Update: Here it is in English. Bring on the calls to defund the CBC.

Teh Fuchure Off Jurnolizm

The rest is here. Don't blame me if it burns out your spell-checker.

Late At Night...

Nicholls criticizes the Torys' "Rising to the Challenge" attack ad as follows: Then the rest of the ad shows Prime Minister Harper in his office late at night working on crossword puzzles or something.

But dig this still from the ad itself.

What's that shining in through the slats, if not sunlight? And you can see other examples of the same anomaly throughout the spot. So maybe we should add crap production values to its list of faults. Or maybe the PMO can't simply command darkness whenever Mr. Harper wants to do a Photo Op.

Or maybe the point of the ad wasn't to show Harper working at night, it was to show that he works all day in his office until night falls without any interruption from kin or colleagues. Which means he has no friends nor family life.

Maybe somebody should give Norm Spector a heads up.

Harper's Coffee Mug A Media Whore

A number of writers have noted that PM Harper is drinking from a Beatles themed coffee mug in his "Rising to the Challenge" TV spot. Nobody has pointed out that the same mug made its first appearance almost exactly a year ago (as reported on this very blog). The occasion then was a bit of staged video designed to show that Harper was working hard on security issues during prorogation. The occasion now is a bit of staged video designed to show Harper working hard on economic issues. That coffee mug knows an empty photo-op when it sees one.

Michael Ignatieff Is Not Jesus Christ

...is what I keep thinking when I hear that "He didn't come back for you." line in those otherwise kind of dull Conservative attack ads. Weird, they are, and then boring.

JDL History Rewritten

As I mentioned yesterday, the only official account of events by any of the participants in the Jewish Defense League/English Defense league meet-up on January 11th has come from Canadian Hindu Advocacy, a small Hindu Nationalist group allied with the JDL. In their original news release, the CHA strongly suggested that CHA/JDL members had physically confronted ARA protesters and "repelled" them. Furthermore, their release suggested that "security teams" from these two groups had "assisted Toronto Police in making a number of arrests as several masked attackers blocked roads and violently assaulted police."

After some poking around on my part, during which I suggested that this story might contradict the JDL's claim to have practiced strict non-violence at the event (and might also be bullshit), a second news release appeared on CHA's website. This one reads:

TUESDAY ARA VIOLENCE

On Tuesday evening, Toronto Police arrested numerous violent attackers who had congregated outside the Toronto Zionist Center with weapons and violent intentions.

A Canadian Hindu Advocacy delegation had joined with JDL security to assist. CHA and JDL assisted Toronto Police in maintaining order.

Our staff repelled the violent assault by pointing out to Toronto Police the location of the perpetrators of violence. Toronto Police then made lawful arrests, based partly on our valuable observation skills.

The assistance did not include ‘knocking heads’ or perpetrating violence or racism, as suggested by certain radical Islamist sources. Violence and aggression is the stock in trade of our Islamist and ARA opponents and is not perpetrated by our organizations.

CANADIAN HINDU ADVOCACY

So instead of fighting it out with the ARA, the JDL and CHA bravely pointed at the young people carrying banners and suggested that police go talk to them. Powerful stuff. And since I'm the only one that suggested heads might have been "knocked together", I guess I am the radical Islamist source noted in the release. Mom will be so proud.

EDL/JDL LoveFest: The Aftermath

...included this Op-Ed piece by Bernie Farber and Benjamin Shinewald, and this clarification:

Some have also claimed that we suggested that members of the Jewish Defence League were the perpetrators of the violence at their rally in support of the English Defence League, which was held in Toronto on January 11, 2011, and/or that they were arrested. We did not make that claim in our op-ed or in any other forum. In fact, we understand that the only arrests were of the Anti Racist Action protesters who were outside protesting the rally.

It's worth noting the phrasing in the original article:

Those attending the indoor rally at the Toronto Zionist Centre, near Lawrence Ave. and the Allen Expwy., were met by others opposing it outside. Like two weather fronts, they came together violently, despite a reported eight mounted police keeping them apart.

...and comparing it to this news release from Canadian Hindu Advocacy, who claim to have sent a security contingent to the event:

The CANADIAN HINDU ADVOCACY security team, which has been training with JDL at the Toronto Zionist Center, joined JDL security tonight to deter ARA and Islamic attackers.

Together, Hindu and JDL security assisted Toronto Police in making a number of arrests as several masked attackers blocked roads and violently assaulted police.

In the conflict that ensued, Hindu and JDL defenders succeeded in repelling the violent assault. The fleeing attackers abandoned a large amount of paraphernalia.

So we do have a claim, by allies of the JDL, that they were out in the street knocking heads together. A claim now contradicted by other allies of the JDL. Someone's bullshitting here, and I don't think its Farber.

PS. I've emailed Toronto police to see if they have any comment re Hindu Advocacy's claims. Haven't heard back yet.

Turmoil In All Directions

James Laxer's son wants to bust up the Ontario NDP! Go for it, kid! What that party needs is more ideological purity!

Meanwhile, MP Scott Reid and MPP Randy Hillier decide they need to bash gays two provinces over:

Reid continued, “I believe the court has it backwards: The right of that marriage commissioner to refuse to violate his personal moral beliefs is more important than the right of one gay couple to demand to be married by that particular marriage commissioner. Another marriage commissioner who would be willing to perform the ceremony could be handily found.”

Ontario currently allows a marriage commissioner to refuse to perform a same-sex marriage for religious reasons but critics worry that rulings like this one could set a dangerous precedent.

“This is not a matter of religion, but a case of the courts intrusion over one’s moral conscience, and their unjust & unmitigated failure to protect an individual’s freedom in its imposition of a collective tolerance.” Hillier stated, once again the courts have demonstrated a lack of deference to elected democracy, said Hillier.

As for the point made in Reid's 2nd paragraph, its worth quoting the Saskatchewan Court of Appeals decision on the matter (where the Toronto/Ontario method of accommodation is referred to as a "single entry point" system):

[89] Before moving to that point, however, I note that the constitutional validity of any “single entry point” system would need to be assessed in light of all of the relevant facts pertaining to it and with reference to the specific features of the proposed system. The assessment that, in broad terms, a single entry point model would be less restrictive of s. 15(1) rights than the Options is not necessarily a determination that any such system would ultimately pass
full constitutional muster.

...which is to say that if the Ontario system were to be met with a constitutional challenge, it might fail.

In any case, IMHO if your religious beliefs don't allow you to do your government job, then feel free to quit and do something else.

Canadian Jihadis In Pakistan: The Dawg Smells Bullshit

He notes that several names given in the Asia Times Online story re Canadians training in Pakistan as jihadis are shared by a number of Canadian counter-terrorism experts. One of these experts responds to the story here in French, and Dawg has translated some of the relevant bits.

Update: The bullshit deepens. Looks like three of the names on the list--Leman-Langlois, Jean-Paul (Brodeur), and James Richard (Cross), all appear in one of criminology professor Stéphane Leman-Langlois' papers here.

Bloggers, doing the job journalists get paid to do but don't, for free.

Sarah Palin, Defined

Ms. Palin … represents a new phenomenon. Instead of trolling a message board or blog comments, she’s trolling an entire nation.

Rob Ford Gets Rolled

...by Bill Blair and the T.O. cops. That article, and this one, have the stench of flop-sweat about them. I'm betting the T.O. city cops won't have to cut their budgets, and in fact who knows who will after this display of weakness? Brother Doug seems to want to crap on Toronto's Library Services, who have also demanded a few small increases:

Another colleague was comparing the librarians, that they should be at the same level as the police. That’s the mindset that we have here.

...and I'm not how this will play either, in the end. The libraries in Toronto's suburbs have always been heavily used.

But the takeaway point is: its harder to find painless efficiencies the closer you have to look, isn't it, mayor Fatboy?

On Election Talk

Because I am hard-pressed today, and have a headache (maybe a cold coming?), I'll just let WK explain why all this talk of impending elections is baloney. As for the election subsidy functioning as a poison pill in the upcoming budge, well, Harper has said there won't be any, and I can't see the gov. engineering triggering a 1/2 billion dollar election over a miserable $27 million item. My guess is Jack Layton joins the CPoC's purple coalition for a few crumbs, and the rest of us sweat it out until 2012.

Gruending On The Rise Of Islamic Extremism

You probably heard parts of the story before, but it can be useful to have it told by somebody who is sane. By the way, The Looming Tower, which Gruending references once or twice in his piece, is a terrific book.

Quick Arizona Update

Yesterday, I mentioned Anthony Miller, GOP district chairman for the 20th Legislative district in Arizona. He quit his post after receiving threats from teabaggers within his own party. And, as it turns out, he was not the only one to leave:

Miller, the first and only African-American to hold the party's precinct chairmanship, said he had been called "McCain's boy," and that, during a speech, a member of the audience made the symbol of a gun with his hand and pointed it at him. "I wasn't going to resign but decided to quit after what happened Saturday," Miller said. "I love the Republican Party but I don't want to take a bullet for anyone."

Miller is not alone. The newly-elected Dist. 20 Republican secretary, Sophia Johnson, first vice chairman Roger Dickinson, and former district spokesman Jeff Kolb, also quit.

"This singular focus on 'getting' Anthony [Miller] was one of the main reasons I chose to resign," Kolb said in an e-mail to another party activist.

Clearly, it isn't just "the Left" that's worried about eliminationist rhetoric.

Sarah Palin, Blood Libels, And More News From Arizona

1) The Teabaggers are turning on moderate Republicans down in Arizona:

A nasty battle between factions of Legislative District 20 Republicans and fears that it could turn violent in the wake of what happened in Tucson on Saturday prompted District Chairman Anthony Miller and several others to resign.

Miller, a 43-year-old Ahwatukee Foothills resident and former campaign worker for U.S. Sen. John McCain, was re-elected to a second one-year term last month. He said constant verbal attacks after that election and Internet blog posts by some local members with Tea Party ties made him worry about his family's safety.

2) Sarah Palin's use of the term "blood libel" to describe the criticisms levelled at her in the wake of the Tuscon shooting is crazy, of course. One theory is that she found this crimson bauble of a word in an earlier column by Glen Reynolds and used it without knowing the meaning. Another is that she first intended to claim that she was being subjected to a "witch hunt", but didn't want to offend fellow Republican Christine O'Donnel.

3) All this outrage from American Conservatives/teabaggers is a desperate feint. If Sarah Palin didn't at some level perceive her own measure of responsibility for this tragedy, she wouldn't have pulled that gun-site graphic from her Facebook page; she wouldn't have had one of her aides make the ridiculous claim that the symbols weren't rifle sites but surveyor's marks. If Glenn Beck didn't at some level perceive his own measure of responsibility, he wouldn't have scrubbed that image of him looking like a middle-aged, over-weight James Bond wannabe--holding, of course, a handgun--from his website.

They know.

Layton Sings

I think he's doing that old Socialist Classic "Your Land Is My Land". This is, of course, a promo shot for his new "Winter of Futility" tour.

Memo to Iggy: When you take to the road...leave the old Uke at home, OK?

Marc Morano Still Endorses The Public Flogging Of Scientists

Last year, Climate Depot's Marc Morano called for climate scientists to be kicked and whipped. This year, even in the wake of the events in Arizona, he is standing behind those words.

A Wee Bit O' Tory Turmoil

In the battle for the PCPO nomination in Carleton-Mississippi Mills between sitting MPP Norm Sterling and Ontario Landowners representative Jack MacLaren, Sterling appears to be winning:

He also mentioned that Sterling has sold many memberships since the nasty brawl first spilled into the public realm through yourottawaregion.com, this newspaper’s website. Sterling’s camp says it has sold some 900 memberships.

In early November, MacLaren’s camp claimed to have sold 700 memberships, though Sterling – who as the incumbent is privy to the numbers – flatly denied it, saying MacLaren sold more like 350.

Ah well. Be more fun otherwise.

EDL/JDL Love Fest Attracts Counterprotests, and Hindu Nationalist Security Detail!

The English Defense League/ Jewish Defense League cross-Atlantic meet-&-greet, scheduled for tonight at the Torontio Zionist Centre, will see counter-protests. The ARA plans to be there, and there will be a candlelight vigil held outside the nearby subway station.

More ominously, or perhaps hilariously, Canadian Hindu Advocacy--a Hindu Nationalist outfit consisting almost entirely of Ron Banerjee and Naresh Patel, will not only be in
attendance, they will will

...be sending a special security team to join JDL and deter any ARA and Islamic disruptors.

...which will presumably consist of Ron Banerjee and Naresh Patel.

Things should get hopping in front of the Zionist Center tonight! Someone's specs might get busted!

Interestingly enough, Banerjee is a supporter of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) whose leader in the state of Gujurat, Narendra Modi, is...wait for it...a huge admirer of Adolf Hitler, and history texts in that state glorify Hitler as a great nationalist while making no mention of The Holocaust. So when JDL leader Meir Weinstein writes "Never Again!" well, hey buddy, your pals support people who aren't so sure it happened the first time.

Handouts For Hunters

"The only good coyote is a dead coyote," Bruce-Grey Owen Sound MP Larry Miller told about 150 people during sheep day at the 45th annual Grey Bruce Farmers Week.

[...]

Bill Murdoch, the longtime area MPP, was passing around a new petition he'll take to Queen's Park demanding a province-wide $200 bounty on dead coyotes. It is legal to hunt coyotes year round with a license, but they're hard to find and not worth the effort without an incentive, Murdoch and others said at the meeting.

If they were that big a problem, surely they would be "worth the effort" without an incentive. Next, Murdoch will be demanding Ontarians subsidize the local tractor pull. Get off the gravy train, Bill.

Free Dominionists: In Their Own Words

A "Principled Conservative" from New Mexico:

The Leftist are lucky we draw the line at the 1st degree of separation from direct harm, in providing for our own self-defense.

Just as they are also lucky that we cannot identify them individually who they voted for except when they admit it. Only them by State majority, or county/brought/Parrish.

Otherwise a great many of them would either already be either dead, or waiting their turn to face honest justice.

You know the kind of "justice" that actually punishes only those who act(including vote) to injure others.

Got that? Vote the wrong way and you're a target. Connie and Mark must be so proud.

On Jared Loughner, Moral Equivalency, and Michel Foucault

“Something about the current state of America has been causing far more disturbed people than before to act out their illness by threatening, or actually engaging in, political violence,” pontificates Krugman. Oh, and the Left bears no responsibility for that? They’re the ones who drop titanic mandates and mountains of regulation on American citizens. Their President has given us 20 months of crushing unemployment. They stole over $800 billion from us for “stimulus” pork and slush funds, and Krugman has gone on record saying he thinks they need two or three trillion dollars more.

Oh my! Regulations! Pork Barrel Spending! Definitely worth watering the tree of liberty over.

Incidentally, a few people have linked Loughner's ramblings about the government controlling your mind through grammar to Michel Foucault's writings, although Judge David-Wynn: Miller may be a more proximate source for these beliefs. However, nobody has yet linked Loughner's ramblings re money/currency to the same well-spring of ideas. For example, in The Order of Things , Foucault argues that money too constitutes a representational system, a system of signifiers--a language, in other words--and thereby another means of controlling the individual.

Its interesting that David-Wynn: Miller's path to freedom has apparently involved attempts to discover a true mathematical language beneath our everyday language. Alternatively Loughner wanted to create a new system of currency to free himself from the clutches of the old.

They're still both loons. But their lunacy does seem at least to have a philosophical component.

Tory Turmoil: Ontario Landowners Threaten Hudak Again

This is a follow-up to the story of the OLA's threatening letter to Tim Hudak:

[Deborah] Madill says her letter to Hudak is a "gentle reminder" that her group, which she described as an "non-partisan and non-political," should not be seen as loyal to the PC party. The group will be flexing its political muscle in the upcoming election, she adds.

"In the past we've been quoted as being Conservative-minded, and that's not necessarily the case," Madill said in an interview. "We will throw our weight behind the political candidate who shows the political will to support landowner rights."


In practice, this means they might support a fringe party candidate, which could siphon enough votes from the PCPO to toss a few more seats Dalton McGuinty's way. Mind you, a Hudak capitulation to landowner demands could be a vote loser as well, as the OLA's tactics have made them enemies even in those parts of Ontario where they are strongest.

Quite a dilemma for Tim Hudak.

Nicholls Sees A Pattern

...in the spate of blogs and columns denouncing the practice of using taxpayer dollars to finance political parties:

Could it be the Conservatives, who have long opposed public subsidies, are spinning their friends in the media? And if that's the case does it mean the Tories are seeking to win over public opinion because they plan to address this controversial issue in their next budget?

And that leads to further questions. After all, the last time the Conservatives targeted these subsidies it nearly triggered a constitutional crisis, not to mention an unholy alliance between the Liberals, the NDP and the Bloc.

Could it be Prime Minister Stephen Harper is hoping the subsidy issue will force an election this spring?

More likely the first option rather than the 2nd. For two reasons. First, while I can see this issue working for the CPoC, it isn't top of mind for anyone I know. I can't see how they could make it a cornerstone of any federal election campaign. Second, since any election promise would involve introducing legislation post-election anyhow, I don't see why the LPoC couldn't at least indicate a willingeness to consider such legislation (with suitable caveats). In other words, the issue would not be sufficient to differentiate the CPoC from the LPoC during a campaign.

And if cutting the voter subsidy does turn out to be a proposal in the upcoming budget, then the LPoC should signal a tentative willingness to deal. The party might do better anyway if they could rely on a smaller pool of well-heeled donors. Certainly they have yet to really master the current fundraising system.

Don Cherry: Prude

Actually, I think the Russian Jrs getting plastered & booted off a plane humanizes them. Also reminds me of my youth. Don Cherry has become the Queen of tut tut.

How To Defame People Online

Dawg has a nice update on the CC vs. Patrick Ross defamation case. In the comments, Marky Mark asks:

1. If a bear shits in the woods and nobody is around....i.e., what is the relevance of the obscurity/traffic of the blog that publishes the defamatory material? There is a difference between something appearing in a large daily newspaper or high traffic website and something technically available to all on the Internet but on a site that has insignificant traffic. Can a reputation be harmed in the community in those circumstances?

To me this gets the situation upside down.

Or, to put it another way, if I wanted to damage a person by defaming them on-line, I wouldn't worry too much about the amount of traffic I attracted to my blog or whatever I was using as the vehicle for my attack. Rather, I would worry about where the stuff I wrote about that person ranked in a Google search. As someone whose real-life job occasionally involves sniffing around the net trying to discover whether a particular (usually IT-based) company is a respectable enough business partner for my employer, I can tell you that if you apply for any position above burger-flipper someone in HR is going to run your name through google, see what you're up to on Facebook, and etc. If the first ten google entries about you all claim that you're a pedophile (for example), your resume will be moved to the bottom of the pile. Nobody is going to waste time testing the truth of these claims, and nobody is going to tell you why you didn't get a follow-up call. You just won't get one.

This, by the way, also works as an argument for working to remove Hate Speech from the Net. Here's what you get when you search for information re the oft-made claim that Anne Frank's diary was a hoax. The loons rule the top of the search results. Through sheer determination, they have swamped any saner discussion of the matter. But note that these sites do not themselves have to be particularly high volume to make the top of the list.

Someone Hire An Editor For The Welland Tribune

...or fire the one they've got. It's been fixed, but google is unforgiving.

h/t

Climate Scientists Get Their War Room

I, among many others, suggested this kind of thing last year: a rapid response unit made up of specialists in the various climate science sub-disciplines who would be on call to answer media inquiries, debunk erroneous claims from denialists, and so forth. As of a couple of months ago (I am a bit late to this story) the Climate Science Rapid Response Matchmakers (CSRRT) opened for business:

The CSRRT is a match-making service between top scientists and members of the media and office holders and their staffs from various levels of government.

The group of climate scientists who are members of the Climate Science Rapid Response Team have been chosen to cover almost all the diverse areas of Climate Science. They have been selected for their expertise based upon their extensive original research as evidenced by their publications in professional peer-reviewed scientific journals. The group is committed to providing rapid, high-quality information to media and government officials.

I would encourage any media types who might occasionally read this blog to, if you are writing on AGW, give the service a try, if only to get beyond the small circle of talking heads who tend to get quoted over and over again whenever the topic comes up.

CPoC Calgary Centre-North Candidate Michelle Rempel Is Way Past Hot

Here's a picture of her with some non-blonde. Note the look of pity on her face, as she sympathizes with the non-blonde for her not being blonde. I find that most blondes are like that. Innately noble and always courteous towards their weaker sisters.

Here's another picture of her in a cowboy hat (note: I've cropped the original to remove most of the non-blonde bits): I am told there are also pictures out there of her wearing naughty-secretary glasses, but these should be enough for tonight.

Calgary North Liberals are so fucking doomed.

PS. I have recently been informed that Mike Lake, Tory MP for Edmonton Beaumont, has great hair, something I had not heard before. If this is true, stay tuned for a BCLSB exclusive.

TolGate

Richard Tol, the climate change denier's favorite economist (and a guy with hair that, lets face it, is world-class in its sheer freakiness), gets smacked down for both his role in the Irish economic collapse and some dubious science:

No less disturbing than the drift into boosterism in the ESRI’s forecasts are the political activities of Richard Tol in the climate field, activities that blur uncomfortably and insidiously into his research work.

Tol has engaged in a long-term collaboration with Bjørn Lomborg, himself the subject of a detailed critique by Howard Friel titled ‘The Lomborg Deception’ and categorised by its publisher, Yale University Press, under the subject-heading of “Fraud in Science”.

Lomborg operates the Copenhagen Consensus Center (CCC) which, in spite of its title, has served solely as a vehicle for the political views of its leader. The Copenhagen Consensus projects involve Lomborg hand-picking researchers, with Tol a favourite, to engage in rigged research projects which Lomborg further distorts beyond the point of fraud to oppose any reduction in fossil fuel use.

For the 2008 project, Tol co-wrote a paper along with Gary Yohe of Wesleyan University and two researchers from the Electric Power Research Institute, a US trade association. The two climate change proposals were ranked against numerous development and human welfare issues and came in 29th and 30th out of 30.

Long-term Lomborg critic Kåre Fog took Tol, whose FUND computer-model was the basis for the simulation, to task about the study. Tol admitted that the study used a discount rate that fell gradually from 5% whereas all the competing proposals used a 3% rate. Tol excused himself by saying that re-writing the model to use the 3% discount rate was too difficult and that the other proposals should have used his rate, even though the project specifications dictated 3% and he has at other times successfully employed FUND with other rates. This inherent bias caused the bottom ranking.

Fog’s criticisms did not end there. Tol claims his research showed a net benefit from global warming until mid-century, after which the effects turn sharply negative. For this purpose, welfare effects were calculated in local economy terms, with deaths for example being costed at a certain multiple of local per-capita GDP. Thus a single European saved from winter influenza, probable – in actuarial terms – to be elderly and infirm, outweighed not one but many Africans dying – likely in the prime of life – due to global warming.

Subsequently, Lomborg and Yohe had a spectacular falling out. In a bruising exchange in the pages of the Guardian, Yohe accused Lomborg of “misrepresenting our findings thanks to a highly selective memory”. The exchange was temporarily concluded by a joint article where Lomborg and Yohe agreed that the reason CCC climate proposals “failed the cost-benefit test … could be traced to faulty design”. Given that the designs were Lomborg’s own, this was a humiliating admission.

He also pals around with Ian Plimer, a proponent of Manuel's "Iron Sun" theory.

Tim Hudak Needs To Come Clean On His "Nuclear Option"

Hudak said his government would go with the nuclear option to supply the province's base power needs. It is affordable and emissions free...

Mr. Hudak needs to say where he will build his new nuclear power plants, and where he will add to existing capacity. Just so people around those locations can share in his joy at the incoming cornucopia of radioactive generating capacity, right in their own backyards. Surely, when informed of Mr. Hudak's plans, they will rally to his cause.

Tory Turmoil As Ontario Land Owners Grab Tim's Bits

Thanks to an anonymous FreeDer, here's the letter that Tim Hudak claims not to have seen:

This isn't the first time the OLA has written to politicians an various levels demanding respect. It will be a little more difficult for Hudak to blow them off, though, as they have a foothold in the PCPO caucus in the form of Randy Hillier. And of course Deb Madill insisting that the OLA is non-political is a bunch of nonsense. Here's former president Jack MacLaren outlining the groups political objectives back in February 2010. If there is any consolation, the group seems to have failed in almost every one of its iniatives (for example their attempt to have the Otonabee Region Conservation Authority (ORCA) disbanded). Tim Hudak has to be worried that they will take the PCPO down with them.

PS. If the letter above is difficult to read, here it is in news release form.

Your Daily Nazi: Nazis, Crack-Heads, Murderers, Paedophiles...And The Jewish Defense League!

What English Defense League leader Stephen Yaxley-Lennon (aka Tommy Robinson) said about EDL Member Richard Price last June:

“The EDL have only this ‘Leadership’ just for the record … Myself, Trevor Kelway, Marshy, Jack Smith, Joel Titus and Richard Price, we are the earliest founding members”.

Why this is a problem today:

Last night a hastily cobbled together statement was released by the EDL informing its members that Price was arrested by West Midlands police back in October 2009. Police seized his computer along with various other items and following analysis it was discovered Price had a number of indecent images of children held on his computer.

And the Canadian chapter of the Jewish Defense League still wants to consult with the EDL on the Jihadi menace. Go Meir Weinstein!

CBC DIDN'T Hold Ontario Liberal Party Fundraiser

But they mighta, and that's enough for crusading chair-hunter Brian Lilley--who has clearly been instructed by Pierre Peladeau tha he should dredge up any scandal re CBC no matter how trivial-- to fire up his word processor and start tapping away.

Wonder if Fox News North has assigned anyone to the "hassle David Suzuki" file yet?

Whoopsie! Incorrect title changed! Thanks Imp.

Richard Warman Vs. Salman Hossain: Guess Who Wins?

Salman Hossain is the once Canadian resident and now international fugitive behind the "Filthy Jewish Terrorists" website. My readers probably know who Richard Warman is, but if not, looky here. In any case:

I am pleased to note that US website hosting company HiVelocity has terminated service to the latest incarnation of Salman HOSSAIN’s hate website “filthyjewishterrorists’ [sic] following a complaint I lodged with them about its violation of their Terms of Service (TOS).

HOSSAIN is a fugitive from justice wanted in Canada for criminal charges of promotion of genocide and the willful promotion of hatred. His website is most infamous for its calls for genocide against the worldwide Jewish population and attacks against Western military forces. His INTERPOL arrest notice can be seen here.

After I saw Adrian Humphreys’ latest piece in the National Post about HOSSAIN’s website reappearing, I contacted my colleagues at the International Network Against Cyber Hate (INACH) who helped track down HOSSAIN’s new server. I submitted my concerns to HiVelocity about the fact that HOSSAIN’s website contents violated several portions of their TOS and they responded in short order by terminating service.

Kudos are due to Adrian Humphreys and Stewart Bell of the National Post for following the story, INACH’s German member Jugendschutz for their assistance, but especially HiVelocity for doing the right thing. The world is a modestly better place for the absence of HOSSAIN’s garbage.

I guess the NP will be singing Warman's praises in their next piece on the topic. And, by the way, all the non-italicized bits above link through to docs and websites. Feel free to click upon them.

The Donaught

At first, they look like they might be OK, but in the end they're really quite awful.

Julian Fantino: I Survived A Personal Holocaust And All I Got Was This Lousy Fake Ministry

Explanation here.