BigCityLib Strikes Back

Your Daily Nazi: If Anyone Is Still Looking For CanCon In The "Nazi Leaks" Docs

2012-02-03T08:57:00.001-05:00

While the original site is down, it is being mirrored here. I haven't had a chance to go through it yet myself. Maybe over the weekend. There are apparently a few people close to Free Dominion in it.

Latest from CBC here.

Gruending On CIDA: Canada's New Foreign Policy = Helping Canuck Mining Companies

2012-02-03T06:03:00.000-05:00

Another fine piece from the author of Pulpit and Politics:

CIDA will soon abandon a number of its long-standing development partners among Canadian NGOs, including a number of church-based organizations. Reliable sources say that a number of those groups will see their funding ended or curtailed this year. CIDA is replacing them in its affections with Canadian based multinationals, including Barrick Gold, IAMGOLD, and Rio Tinto Alcan. Oda has been speaking enthusiastically about overseas projects with these three companies and others in the agri-business sector.

Interesting to note to that the funds are being shifted from outfits like KAIROS to CPOC friendly evangelical groups like World Vision.

What If Aliens Invade From The Sky?

2012-02-02T19:37:00.001-05:00

source

Pipelines To Drive Up Gas Prices

2012-02-02T06:43:00.001-05:00

Reading about Northern Gateway this morning:

Enbridge forecast a $2 to $3 annual increase in the price per barrel of crude in its pipeline application to the joint National Energy Board-Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency panel.

I was reminded of this piece from a few weeks ago:

The analyst said that if TransCanada is allowed to build the Keystone XL oil pipeline all the way to Houston, refineries could eventually export Canadian crude oil overseas.

"Whenever you add potential customers to your type of crude oil, the price will likely go up. Why? Because there's not a whole lot of buyers right now for Canadian crude oil," DeHaan said.

You know, if you told the same people who back these pipelines that you wanted to hike gas prices for any other reason--say to fund environmental initiatives--they would never stop freaking out.

Same Thing Might Work For Senate Reform

2012-02-01T13:27:00.000-05:00

A tough-on-crime Conservative senator said murderers should be provided with the tools to kill themselves in jail.

Abolition by attrition, as it were.

Mr. Gendron Regrets

2012-01-31T14:12:00.001-05:00

MONTREAL — Faced with growing outrage over anti-Israel statements that the Jewish community and others regard as antisemitic, TV host Stéphane Gendron made an on-air statement of regret Jan. 27.

One day after the JDL picketed his office and brought a few MSM reporters in their wake.

They Believe

2012-01-31T06:45:00.001-05:00

Joe Oliver was asked during QP yesterday whether he "believed" in Global Warming, and seemed to suggest that it was all a matter of theology. Not good.

MERX is Canada's electronic tendering service. Among other things, its where the gov. goes to hire scientists to think on behalf of the nation. A glance there sometimes can give you an idea of what the Harper government really believes about the scientific issues of the day.

In order to position itself to be competitive in an increasingly carbon-constrained global economy, Canada needs to reduce the overall carbon-intensity of its economy. This does not necessarily, at least in the short-term, suggest a shift from the resource-intensive production (e.g. oil and gas production, mining, etc.) on which Canada’s economy is currently heavily reliant for growth. It does suggest that these sectors need to become as carbon-efficient as possible, and that the power generation, transportation and building sectors which support both industry and society more broadly need to become more efficient from an energy and greenhouse gas emissions perspective and less reliant on GHG-intensive energy sources. These changes – some incremental (e.g. more energy-efficient buildings) and some potentially transformative (e.g. electric vehicles, distributed renewable energy) will require significant investment from both public and private sources.

(Note: the phrase "at least in the short term" is interesting here. It suggests that the folks at the folks at the National Round Table on the Environment and the Economy understand Canada's role as a hewer of wood & carrier of water for the rest of the planet must eventually come to an end.)

It is important for both describing the transition to a more carbon-constrained economy and assessing the most efficient and effective path for Canada in this transition to understand the required investment – both in terms of its magnitude and the sectors in which it is required.

It is also essential to understand the implications of delayed investment with respect to the level of investment required to achieve the desired outcome. The level of investment in low-carbon technologies and approaches is greatly influenced by public policy. Lacking policy-certainty (and indirectly market certainty) with respect to the intent to reduce the carbon-intensity of the economy, investments in capital stock and infrastructure are likely to either be delayed, or give minimal consideration to GHG-related factors. This may result in the installation of capital stock / technology and infrastructure that is not optimal. Once constructed or installed, the costs associated with modifying or changing the infrastructure or capital stock are typically significantly greater than the incremental cost of alternatives at the outset. Completely changing the infrastructure / capital stock would result in stranded assets – sunken investments which have not had the opportunity to realize their full potential return. Thus sub-optimal stock and/or infrastructure may be “locked-in” as a function of delayed public policy action.

It is perhaps marginally encouraging to know that remarks like Oliver's are meant to delude the government's political base, rather than the government itself.

Another Shoe Drops In Northern Gateway Debate

2012-01-31T05:45:00.002-05:00

Following Bob Rae's somewhat watered down but nevertheless not bad interjection yesterday, the NDP brings a bit more rhetorical muscle:

OTTAWA -- If the independent review panel studying Enbridge's Northern Gateway oilsands pipeline proposal gives its OK to the project, the interim leader of the federal NDP says that still wouldn't settle the matter for her.

If both Bob Rae speaking yesterday in Vancouver and Turmel speaking today are trashing the pipeline, then you know somebody has whispered into their ear that its good politics.

And by the way the secret weapons in the anti-NGP fight aren't the First Nations or hippy enviro types from California. They are the weird, homegrown Left/Right amalgams that B.C. kicks up in times of trouble. I'm thinking Rafe Mair, guys like Van Der Zalm in his latest anti-HST incarnation (remember: his policies may have been far right but his 60's side-burns were left of Neil Young) and, most significantly these days, Terry Glavin. Thank Gawd the pointless Afghan Mission is winding down, because Terry can quit bashing all us folks who knew that both it and the Iraq War were going to be a gigantic bloody waste of time, and turn his considerable talents for invective and outrage in a more useful direction. When the tractors come, I expect he and Rafe will lie down in front of the first one, and rage agin' it together.

Flogging A Product On-Line?

2012-01-30T06:28:00.002-05:00

Can't find buyers? You can buy hijacked traffic from other websites from the Russian underworld! Rates vary! 1,000 Aussies only $7.50! Dutchmen come a premium, however:$18 U.S. per 1,000!

How The LPoC Can Win In B.C.

2012-01-29T12:13:00.004-05:00

Rae told a Vancouver audience Saturday he still sees a need for his party's informal ban on oil tankers along B.C.'s north coast, which is right where Enbridge wants tankers to load up with oil coming from Alberta's oilsands via a new pipeline.

A formal ban would kill that cursed pipeline; an informal ban suggests opposition to it but plays about with semantics. Nevertheless, its a start.

Nevertheless, this should also lay down a marker for the other LPoC leadership potentials. The Libs should stand with B.C. and against Northern Gateway (and opposed to Alta., where they have no hope anyhow).

Pierre Trudeau Might Indeed Have Been a "Run-O-The-Mill" Social Democrat, Mr Black...

2012-01-29T05:45:00.001-05:00

...but at least he managed to keep his ass outta jail.

That is all.

CIJA Head On Section 13

2012-01-28T10:25:00.003-05:00

Looks like Shimon Fogel has plumped for a repeal:

Shimon Fogel, CEO of the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs, said that he believed that “there has been an acknowledgement that changes to the Criminal Code would be necessary in addition to passage of the (private member’s ) bill.” While Fogel said he supports repealing Section 13, he believed Storseth’s bill was “not entirely adequate as an alternative to Section 13.

This is not eontirely surprising. The rumour is that the criminal code changes Fogel wants will involve removing the requirement that the AG approve charges. That has been one of the impediments that have made using the code in such circumstances problematic.

Sorry for the link to Lemire's site, incidentally. The original piece from the Cold Lake Sun appears to be unreachable.

Mr. Prime Minister, We Are ALL Approaching Retirement Age

2012-01-27T19:08:00.000-05:00

On Friday, talking points coming from the Prime Minister's Office stated that any proposed cuts were still several years away, and wouldn't affect any Canadians currently approaching retirement age.

I guess the question now is--what's the cut-off date? How old do you have to be today to not get screwed over?

Not that I really have any skin in the game re this issue. I never plan to retire. I'll keep showing up until they club me to death with a shovel. I get bored easily and can't imagine being idle for long spaces of time. But most folk want to slack off in their senescence and winter in Florida, or Arizona. But I've been to Arizona and the good bits involved cacti and road-runners, the bad bits involve snakes and poison spiders. The locals don't figure into it as all, being boring as heck.

Dan Gardner Sees Hitler In The Swirling Clouds Of Rhetoric

2012-01-27T18:16:00.003-05:00

Well, here's the quote. I think Bob Rae was thinking more along these lines--you know, an Alpine perch being a high place from which one might look down upon the roiling mob and occasionally swoop low and destroy a few of them. Like this, for example.

I don't think Bob had this in mind at all.

source

Northern Gateway Rising: A Slightly More Interesting Bullshit Poll

2012-01-26T19:02:00.002-05:00

Decima's latest, which gives the following national numbers:

...the Conservatives at 32 per cent support, followed by the NDP at 29 per cent. The Liberal Party, which held its 2012 convention in Ottawa two weeks ago in an attempt to rescue itself from permanent third-party status, is sitting at 25 per cent support. They are followed by the Green Party, at 7 per cent, and the Bloc Quebecois at 5 per cent.

The CPoC is down a couple of points nationally, if you look at Decima's deets. But what's most interesting is the B.C. breakdown:

That's the Northern Gateway issue taken' effect, I think. The NDP has been most aggressive about this on both the provincial and federal level, and the Greens get a minor bump.

C'mon LPoC; like Rafe Mair says, there is no middle way here; take a stand and avoid talking Centralist mush!

JDL Off To Quebec...

2012-01-26T10:27:00.001-05:00

...to picket Stephane Gendron's office. Gendron is mayor of Huntingdon, Quebec and a small-time radio shock-jock. His most recent comments re Israel's right to exist, when seen in their full context, are not as awful as have been portrayed, but the guy more generally comes across as divisive rabble rouser. And in any case, picketing an asshole is a democratic right. So I can't criticize Meir and the gang too much for this one. Just don't get yourself lynched out in the Que. backwoods, Meir!

Rafe Mair On The Northern Gateway Pipeline

2012-01-26T06:36:00.001-05:00

I oppose violence with every remaining sinew in my body but I’m saying to Harper and Oliver that violence is what their policies will bring. I haven’t had a fight since about Grade VII and I lost that one but I can tell you that I’m prepared to stand in the way of that first shovel and take the consequences. And I say to you both that you’re making a mistake if you think you can do these things without very serious consequences.

There is no middle way, Prime Minister – this Tar Sands gunk has to go by train or truck through Alberta to Houston because it isn’t coming though BC or through her waters.

Rafe Mair served as a Cabinet Minister in Bill Bennett's SoCred government; his various portfolios included Environment, Health and Education. Incidentally, I think Mair's playing of the NEP card (National Energy Plan) is quite astute. Ottawa is in effect NEPing British Columbia for the sake of Alberta and saying its in the national interest.

We Do Not Comment On Bullshit Polls...

2012-01-25T18:09:00.005-05:00

...conducted barely eight months into a four year mandate. Even (marginally) encouraging ones. And hardly a reason to plump for Bob as LPoC leader this far in advance of the leadership convention, if anyone is thinking that. Wait until he craps a gold brick in public before we declare him THE ONE.

That is all.

Climate Scientists Send In The Lawyers

2012-01-25T06:45:00.000-05:00

Climate Science Legal Defense Fund Gets New Backing

PEER Sponsors Effort to Counter Fossil-Fueled Attacks on Climate Scientists

Washington, DC — The Climate Science Legal Defense Fund (CSLDF) has found a non-profit home in Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility (PEER) which provides it fiscal sponsorship and logistical support. CSLDF lets scientific colleagues and the public directly help climate scientists protect themselves and their work from industry-funded legal attacks.

In recent years, these legal attacks have intensified, especially against climate scientists. The fund is designed to help scientists like Professor Michael Mann cope with the legal fees that stack up in fighting attempts by climate-skeptic groups to gain access to private emails and other correspondence through lawsuits and Freedom of Information Act requests at their public universities.

The project is co-directed by physical sciences Professor Scott Mandia of Suffolk County Community College and Joshua Wolfe, co-author of “Climate Change: Picturing the Science.” The Fund started this past fall after Prof. Mandia posted a “Dear Colleague” appeal for support which generated more than $10,000 in less than 24 hours (http://bit.ly/qzg7X4). To date, CSLDF has raised $25,000. All contributions to CSLDF are tax-deductible.

“Academic salaries are not designed to support ongoing legal expenses in fights with corporate-funded law firms and institutes,” said Prof. Mandia. “These legal battles also have taken many of our brightest scientific minds away from their research.”

“Our goal is not only to defend the scientist but to protect the scientific endeavor,” explained Wolfe. “The Climate Science Legal Defense Fund was established to make sure that these legal claims are not viewed as an action against one scientist or institution but as actions against the scientific endeavor as a whole.”

In addition to its core mission of defraying legal fees, CSLDF will –

· Educate researchers about their legal rights and responsibilities on issues surrounding their work;

· Serve as a clearinghouse for information related to legal actions taken against scientists; and

· Recruit and assist lawyers representing these scientists.

“The Climate Science Legal Defense Fund dovetails with the mission of PEER – to protect those who protect our environment,” stated PEER executive Director Jeff Ruch. “When individual researchers find themselves under intense legal assault, they often have few resources. Their universities do not necessarily represent their interests and may be disinclined to resist corporate fishing expeditions. We are stepping into this void to provide direct aid to both the scientists and their institutions.”

The original release can be found here. I am told that this is primarily a U.S. effort, though there are discussions re extending the aid internationally. There are also efforts to create similar funds in places like Australia. I don't know if anyone in Canada is working on something like this.

Section 13 Swan Song?

2012-01-25T06:03:00.000-05:00

The story of Cran Campbell, who is on a mission to keep hate-speech off Craigslist:

After sending a complaint to the CHRC in the fall, Campbell received a response this month. In a letter dated Jan. 12, early resolution advisor Jamie Masters said the CHRC will send a letter to Craigslist advising that some of the posts in the "Rants and Raves" section of the Vancouver website may be in violation of the Canadian Human Rights Act, as well as Craigslist's own Terms of Use Policy.

The commission will take further action if this attempt at early resolution is unsuccessful at remedying the situation.

The story also notes that Campbell is spearheading an attempt to defeat Storseth's Bill C-304, which would repeal section 13 of the CHRA. I don't see a website or anything devoted to that. I will try and email to see what plans he's got.

Denier Defunded

2012-01-24T10:34:00.000-05:00

The much-criticised author and climate policy sceptic Bjorn Lomborg has told the Ecologist he is the victim of a vendetta after his funding was cut by the Danish government.

Bjorn's complaints ring hollow; he has been criticized for several years by players from all across Denmark's political spectrum.

Corbella Story Collapses Utterly

2012-01-24T06:26:00.001-05:00

In a story a week or so back, Licia Corbella intimated that someone in the environmentalist camp was signing fake names to the list of people asking to make oral presentations to the NEB panel holding hearings into the Northern Gateway Pipeline. Never mind that this doesn't make sense as part of a "mob the mic'" strategy; presumably the panel doesn't waste time on no-shows. In any case, I was able to contact one of the mystery signers a day or so later, and discovered that Elano Ferraz of Brazil had indeed asked to speak and was still hopeful he might get to Canada for the hearings. Today I find that the Globe has contacted the other "foreigner" mentioned in the Corbella story:

A further 400 people signed up through websites crafted by Dogwood for organizations like the Spirit Bear Youth Coalition, which succeeded in stoking international interest. It sent out an e-mail that reached some six million people.

One was Ines Gudic, a bank worker in Santos, Brazil. She owns 10 cats, three dogs and spends her free time collecting donations to bring in injured strays for veterinary care. Her love of animals led her to watch a DVD about the spirit bear – or the kermode bear, a white subspecies of the black bear whose habitat lies near where Northern Gateway-fed tankers would sail. Apprised of pipeline plans, and concerned a spill could hurt these unique bears, she signed up.

She was “totally unaware” she was registered to make an oral statement, she said, speaking through an interpreter. But she did fill out the form herself – as did another Brazilian named Elano Ferraz, who wrote in an email: “I did sign up to speak at the environmental hearing for the Northern Gateway pipeline.”

They contradicted reporting by a Calgary newspaper, which called it a “mystery” that the two Brazilians “were signed up without their knowledge.” That allegation sparked fury from pro-pipeline groups and industry leaders. Enbridge chief executive Pat Daniel last week accused non-Canadians of attempting to “delay” and “confuse” the project, pointing to “the number of people who are serving as intervenors that have never heard of the project.”

Yet each of the people with foreign addresses contacted by The Globe and Mail said they had registered themselves. The process was not, however, entirely clear. The Spirit Bear group’s e-mail, for example, asked people to “give the Spirit Bear a voice.” It didn’t mention it was asking people to speak before the National Energy Board.

Just to clarify, the Ferraz email mentioned in this story appeared first on BCLSB (see link above), so thanks to the Globe for giving credit where it is due...NOT! Secondly, having contacted the Spirit Bear people myself -while their email reached millions, they are just a small organization and don't really have the means to geo-target and translate their message into the home language of all the recipients. So while Ms. Gudic and Mr. Ferraz have have been slightly confused, there was certainly no attempt to deceive on the part of the coalition.

How's That Ethical Oil Thing Working For You? Part II!

2012-01-23T19:24:00.001-05:00

Actually, a bit better than it was. Mind you, WK says discount anything Forum Research puts out..

h/t

How Crazy Has American Politics Become?

2012-01-22T11:42:00.000-05:00

This crazy:

h/t

Trost Drops Hints?

2012-01-21T16:07:00.002-05:00

Inertia and piecemeal solutions are the order of the day, unfortunately. Something major needs to be done. Getting rid of the Indian Act would be a good start.

If legislation was passed sun setting the Indian Act and forcing a major overhaul of the Department of Aboriginal Affairs, we might start to get results that would benefit all Canadians.

I dunno. The boy's got insight sometimes into what the Harpercon mind is thinking. And who knows; if the gov. doesn't just use this as a means of screwing over the First Nations for their opposition to Northern Gateway and other acts of defiance, it might get cross party support. We know Harper is looking for a legacy...

Would You Like Fries With That, Sir?

2012-01-21T11:57:00.001-05:00

The result of a survey of unemployment rates among college graduates:

Nice to see what would happen if they split up "Communications/Journalism" into two catagories. Writing up press releases for a lobby group isn' t really at all like journalism, but I bet it pays the bills better. From
here.

PS. Full disclosure: I started off my post secondary education aiming for a philosophy degree. I aimed to be a free-lance logician, parachuting onto drilling rigs off the Yukon coast whenever the folks up there needed help reasoning clearly. When that career path proved non-viable, I switched to English Lit.

We're Number 9!

2012-01-21T06:50:00.003-05:00

Nine of the ten hottest years on record have been since 2000. 2011 was the ninth hottest year on record, and those records go back 130 years.

Just a reminder. Nature doesn't care what's on or off the political agenda.

Paul Wells On Northern Gateway

2012-01-20T10:06:00.000-05:00

Sure, he's recycling the work of bloggers without giving acknowledgement (mostly DC; maybe me a bit). Sure, some of it is unintentionally funny: a Conservative insider insisting that there is no collusion between the Ethical Oil Institute and the Harper government...but doing so anonymously. Nevertheless, Paul Well's piece on Ethical Oil and Northern Gateway is worth a read.

Do Tar Sands Have Libel Lawyers?

2012-01-20T06:39:00.000-05:00

Levant said the oilsands have been “defamed” by a number of organizations...

Ezra, getting them all riled up in Fort Mac.

Harper Will Meet First Nations Next Tuesday; Plans To Bugger Off Early

2012-01-19T20:02:00.001-05:00

Prime Minister Stephen Harper is expected to leave by lunch time during next Tuesday’s meeting with hundreds of First Nations leaders in Ottawa, according to chiefs in Ontario and British Columbia.

I'd kind of forgotten APTN was out there after they broke the Bruce Carson story. Bad on me. They still do the kind of journalism MSM folk forgot about years ago. Here's Bill Erasmus on the Keystone XL decision.

If Your iPad Seems A Bit Slow

2012-01-19T06:57:00.000-05:00

As many as 10 fake iPad 2s, all made of slabs of modeling clay, were recently sold at electronic stores in Vancouver, British Columbia. Best Buy and Future Shop have launched investigations into how the scam was pulled off.

On a related note, I've had my Acer Iconia for two weeks now, and am quite pleased with it. Using the keyboard is actually not that difficult, but simple tasks like copy&pasting, and creating a link through text, seem unnecessarily complicated. Its also a chick magnet, and when I am in mixed company I have to keep it pocketed to give the other fellows a chance.

Rumour: Quebecor To Cut Management Staff

2012-01-18T18:47:00.000-05:00

I heard yesterday there was finally going to be some trimming at the management level due to creation of one sales force. Less advertising managers was the story going around.

Just a rumour, but from what's left of the Toronto Sun Family blog, where rumours re the fate of Quebecor often graduate into news.

Their Audience Is "Indeed Miniscule"

2012-01-18T10:52:00.001-05:00

The verdict so far on Fox News North:

So who does watch Sun News Network?

“The vast majority of the few viewers SNN does get are way over 50, outside the demo advertisers want. So SNN draws enough on a nightly basis to fill a senior’s mall,” says Brioux

He went on to say that after the top two shows, Sun News Network gets even fewer viewers.“Beyond Lilley and Levant’s shows—the two highest rated SNN offerings by far—everything else stiffs,” says Brioux. “Charles Adler has bombed from the beginning, drawing 8,000 at 8 p.m. and 2,000 at 11 p.m. on the 28th—and zero in the 25–54 demographic both hours, across Canada.”

As for David Akin’s Daily Brief, Brioux says 6,000 viewers tuned in over the supper hour. But the late-night slot tanked. “Daily Brief at midnight got zip and zip—so few viewers, BBM Canada could not measure them. The same night, CBC News Network peaked at 198,000/60,000 viewers.”

Poor David Akin. The rest of them, on the other hand, can get bent.

Wind Concerns Busted!

2012-01-18T06:55:00.002-05:00

A prominent anti-wind-power group is under fire amid accusations it broke election financing by running a negative advertising campaign against Liberal candidates last fall.

[...]

They say Wind Concerns Ontario failed to comply with the Election Finance Act by allegedly spending over the $500 threshold on political advertising during the provincial campaign without registering as a third party.

MacDonald points to billboards that said, “Hudak In Turbines Out,” and a pro-Progressive Conservative speaking tour of 24 ridings carried out by the grassroots anti-wind group.

Ex WCO John Laforet denies that the group put up the billboards. Here's one of them:

Just popped up there all by themselves, I guess.

More on the rise and fall of Wind Concerns Ontario (because the group has pretty much shut down since the election) can be found here. In particular, an account of their possible issues with Elections Ontario can be found here.

A Touching Rapprochement Between Muslim And Christian

2012-01-17T11:08:00.000-05:00

Except its over the wrong damn issue:

January 16, 2012 (theCatholicThing.org) - The 10 p.m. negotiating session was set to go all night long. This was the last night of a two-week process that had been in planning for years before. All the hard things would be decided in the dead of that final night, when everyone was exhausted, the cafeteria was closed, and the translators had all gone home.

I walked out onto the floor of the immense negotiating room in the basement of the United Nations. Concentric half rings of desks cascaded from the front to the back with one hundred and eighty-something national “flags” arranged alphabetically, and floor-to-ceiling windows 100 feet high overlooking the moonlit East River.

On the negotiating floor, I approached a Muslim ambassador and said, “This session is going all night long and its going to be very tough going. And when it gets really hard, I want you to know that right over there,” and I pointed to a section of raised seats off to the side, “twenty Christians will be praying for you.”

That night this man was a tiger in defense of unborn children. The gathered western governments, along with U. N. bureaucrats, hungered for a right to abortion that would require nations to allow for the unrestricted killing of their unborn babies.

He rose time and time again to stop dangerous language from entering into that document. He pounded on his desk. At one point, he even rose in defense of our Christian NGOs who had come under attack from the European Union. As the sun rose, his efforts, our efforts, paid off. An alleged right to abortion was stopped once more.

And here's how they justify folks who might be persecuting Christians at home:

We in the U.N. pro-life movement believe we are called to this fight in particular. We applaud those who work on other legitimate human rights issues like religious persecution. But we believe the right to life comes first. It is the right that makes all other rights and freedoms possible including freedom of religion.

We also believe that in our own way we do fight for religious freedom. In working with Muslim diplomats, in becoming friends with them, even by loving them, we believe we are changing hearts and minds. And in our own – perhaps mysterious – way, we do help our beleaguered brothers and sisters. This commonly misunderstood way is the way of Christ.

I reproduce this here for no other reason than I think its a fairly compelling piece of prose, though of course I disagree with many of the sentiments expressed in it.

Your Daily Nazi: Big Ambitions

2012-01-17T06:16:00.005-05:00

Is this the beginning of a post Section 13 Neo Nazi Renaissance in Canada? Some have wondered as much.

Or maybe not. The folks at ARC doubt the organizers ability to organize a panic on a sinking submarine, let alone a rally across multiple provinces. But they do note that several cities that might experience trouble:

Calgary for obvious reasons

Edmonton due to the existence of a Blood & Honour chapter just itching to prove that they aren't all blithering idiots (already failed in that regard, folks)

London, Ontario since there appears to be a small movement tied to Blood & Honour located there (that, and "Max" who attended the rally in Calgary last year has returned to London).

There's no mention in the invite of Storseth's Bill C-304, but with its imminent passage the White Nationalist movement is looking at its greatest legislative victory in Canada in decades. Maybe they'll be up to a more vigorous celebration.

Fake "Supports Northern Gateway Pipeline" Facebook Pages

2012-01-16T11:19:00.003-05:00

These can be found here. Identical news feeds, and all started in late October. We know too that the Ft. St. James page contains an image that makes it falsely appear that the local Chamber of Commerce has endorsed the page. H/T Joe in the comments.

Northern Gateway Proponents Play Dirty!

2012-01-16T06:00:00.003-05:00

Since hearings into the Northern Gateway began last week, there have been accusations of misconduct on the part of pipeline/route opponents. These have been shown to be false, as even the folks at Ethical Oil seem to realize (see "update").

However, people on the pro-pipeline side of the issue seem clearly to be playing dirty pool. From the comments at Deep Climate, a Prince Rupert, a B.C. resident complains about fake Facebook Pages launched in support of the project:

A resident of another community complained that a facebook page made it look like the Chamber of Commerce in Fort St James was coming out in support of the Northern Gateway pipeline. I found your blog after I became curious as to who is behind the creation of a string of facebook groups for Northwestern BC Communites coming out in support of the Northern Gateway.

These pages all with similar themes/logos have appeared for the communities of Prince George, Fort St James, Fraser Lake, Burns Lake, Houston, Smithers, Kitimat. It appears people “Foreign” to these communities have been creating these face book groups.

In fact, the page for Fort St. James has a shot of the local Chamber of Commerce building ( a log cabin thingy) prominently displayed, suggesting that the Ft. St. James Chamber of Commerce supports the page and the pipeline. Here is that picture:

But in fact the local Chamber of Commerce DOES NOT endorse this page, as Wendy Swan, director of the Chamber, quickly pointed out:

Hard to know if this effort has been coordinated with the work by Ethical Oil--its too damn easy to spread AstroTurf on the various social media platforms. But it certainly looks as though an attempt is being made to suggest to non-residents that a degree of local support for the pipeline exists where it does not.

In addition, as noted above, it doesn't look like Fort St. James is the only place suffering from these underhanded tactics:

There are currently 10 Facebook pages from cities in northern British Columbia that proclaim to support the Northern Gateway pipeline: Prince George; Smithers; Kitimat; Fort St. James; Burns Lake; Fraser Lake; Houston; Vanderhoof; Bruderheim; and Bears Lake. All of them have pretty much an identical news feed, and were started in late October 2011.

However, I have yet to find these additional pages.

The Kids Are All Right

2012-01-15T12:22:00.000-05:00

The right young Lib motion succeeds; the right one fails. Because the Queen is a chronic, dude.

Liberal "Supporters"

2012-01-14T19:42:00.003-05:00

...just like Members, but they don't pay anything. And right after I pitched out $20 for Membership. Won't bother with that nonsense ever again.

PS. Comments against this motion were running 2 to 1 against LPoC website, so this 70 per cent in favour surprises me.

A Couple Of Good Names

2012-01-14T11:48:00.000-05:00

WK has a few names of possible LPoC leadership potentials. I've always heard good things about Cauchon, but I'd love to see Martha Hall-Findlay run again. I'd kill for that woman. Also answer phones.

Even More Ethical Oil/Tory Connections Shit!

2012-01-13T19:14:00.002-05:00

Deep Climate has done some excellent digging on the connections between the Ethical Oil Institute and our current government.

Meanwhile, Jenny Uechi from The Vancouver Observer has got a response from Minister Clement's office re the fact that the Ethical Oil Institute is using his old mailing address:

Tony Clement's communications director Jennifer Gearey called to say that it was "sheer coincidence", asking if living in the same house as a previous tenant indicated a connection between the residents. She requested the story to be taken down.

Uechi goes on to quote one Ian McGugan, a Vancouver based "analyst":

"The balance of probabilities makes me think that the P.O. box [shared by Ethical Oil and Tony Clement] is still under the control of the Ontario PC party."

McGugan probably thinks this because, if you google the toll-free number linked to Clement's old mailing address--1-866-257-4499--you find it linked to Ontario PC stuff going back for years.

Also, I found this interesting bit from an earlier DC post:

It turns out the Ethical Oil Institute was a “birdie” sponsor of this year’s Kinnear Classic celebrity golf tournament, an annual fundraising event in support of the Calgary Health Trust.

Ethical Oil launched in late June 2011, but even from the get-go they had the $8,000 on hand to send four golfers off to a golf tourney for Alta. lobby groups. That's what a "birdie" sponsor costs (see page 10 of the .pdf).

Question: Is Ethical Oil the fakest of fake "grassroots" groups in the history of fake grassroots groups?

Ethical Oil Pot-Pourri

2012-01-13T10:22:00.003-05:00

Ethical Oil shares a mailing address with Tony Clement's old campaign office.

Also, note this statement from their "About Ethical Oil" page:

The median size of our donations to date is $38.

This is quite clever. Lets say you have three donations: $1.00, $38.00, and $100,000. The average size of your donations comes in at a little more $33.000; their median size is...$38.00! I should not that the "average" is by far the more commonly used measure of central tendency. So, a good way to not quite lie about the kind of money you are raking in?

Gary Clement On Same Sex Marriage

2012-01-13T06:26:00.001-05:00

FWIW, I suspect this is a cock-up on the lawyering front rather than a sneaky way to change the law. If it was deliberate, you would think, the gov. would have coordinated its response less dismally.

Cartoon from here.

BCLSB Exclusive: Intervenor Confusion At Northern Gateway Pipeline Hearings? Not As Much As Reported!

2012-01-12T13:30:00.004-05:00

Yesterday Licia Corbella reported that she had found two people on the 4,000 plus list of folks wanting to present orally to the Northern Gateway pipeline hearings who, when contacted, claimed to have never heard of the project. She used this fact to cast doubt on the whole hearing process:

Clearly, the National Energy Board and the Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency have not done a very good job of ensuring the legitimacy of the process. As for the people or the groups who are fraudulently signing up foreigners in this process, they do nothing but hurt their own cause.

However, I was able to contact Elano Ferraz, one of the people mentioned in the Corbella story, and it turns out he did sign up to speak. I reproduce his email to me below:

Dear BigCity Lib,

When a reporter from the Calgary Herald sent me an e-mail Tuesday night, asking about the Northern Gateway pipeline, I really didn’t remember anything about that. The reporter didn’t say anything about the spirit bear, so I didn’t related the Northern Gateway pipeline with the bear protection.

But yesterday, when I read the article that the Calgary Herald published in its website, I saw some parts of my speech in there. And I saw that article mentioned Simon Jackson and the Spirit Bear Youth Coalition. So I reminded that I really had signed the petition and signed up to speak to the environmental assessment.

It was a misunderstanding and I’m so sorry for that.

Simon Jackson is my friend and Rede PECA de Proteção Ambiental and the Spirit Bear Youth Coalition have a great partnership. He helps me engaging youth for PECA in Canada and

I help the Spirit Bear in Brazil.

The Spirit Bear Youth Coalition didn’t use my personal informations. I wrote them in a
website for signing up to speak to the environmental assessment some months ago.

Simon created the SBYC when he was 13. I founded PECA when I was 13 too (today I’m 17), and he is always giving me some advices about how to administer an organization. And believe me, it worked: today PECA has 09 offices in Brazil, 01 in Canada and another one in the United States. We are formed by young people who want to make a difference and promote sustainable development.

I can say that I am against any kind of environmental impact on the habitat of the Kermode Bear. If the Northern Gateway pipeline is causing environmental damage in the bear habitat, then its route should be changed.

I am not against building the pipeline, since it is made in accordance with the principles of sustainable development.

P.S.: This text may contain a few grammatical errors.

Thanks and I’m so sorry for my mistake,

Best Wishes,

Elano Ferraz

Founder and Chairman

Rede PECA de Proteção Ambiental – Brasil, Canada, USA

In addition, Elano has told me in a second email that he will still try to get up here from Brazil to make his presentation. I am also trying to contact Ines Gudic, the other person mentioned by Corbella.

If A Newspaper Nobody Reads Goes Behind A Pay-Wall

2012-01-12T06:09:00.000-05:00

...will anyone read it less?

And, oh look!, Revenues are down again. I think when I run past the Postmedia building this morning I'll throw dimes at the windows, see if I can trigger a staff riot.

Rob Ford And White Trash

2012-01-11T19:01:00.005-05:00

Try and read the story through the link below and NOT think of the theme from Deliverance, which I would render in text as follows:

Dingalingningningning...ning...ning...ning.
Dingalingningningning...ning...ning...ning.
Dingalinganinganing...Dingalinganinganing....Dinalinganinganinganinganinganinganing...!

...and etc.

I swear to God: before Rob Ford's first term is out he will tell somebody to squeal like a pig.

Free Speech Throwdown: Warman Vs. Des Rosiers

2012-01-11T07:09:00.005-05:00

I attended the Freedom of Speech and Hate Speech in Canada debate held by CIJA last night, pitting Richard Warman against Nathalie Des Rosiers of the Canadian Civil Liberties Association. I intended to live-blog the event with my new, incredibly sexxxy Acer Iconia, but the place didn't have wifi, so these remarks are just off the cuff.

And I won't say much about the debate itself, because frankly I'd heard most of it before. RW was thorough and logical in his responses, and most of his jokes worked. Des Rosiers was passionate, but I found her vague in places. Her objection to S13 being that someone's right to free speech somewhere might get chilled somewhat some day...though she couldn't point to concrete instances of this actually having happened. My impression is that the majority of the room was in Warman's corner.

I chatted briefly with Meir Weinstein, who is a civil enough fellow in person. If I were to summarize his current views, it is that the white supremacist movement has been entirely supplanted by radical Islamists as a threat to the Canadian Jewish community (mostly by being a threat to Israel), and that really the latter group are the only ones worth pursuing these days. I think he's dead wrong, or at least that it isn't an either/or (but not both!) proposition. And I don't see why he would want to see S13 discarded as one of the tools in the tool-kit for fighting hate, whatever the source of that hate.

As a side note, Meir and the gang (including possibly a small contingent from the Canadian Hindu Advocacy) will be driving up to Quebec later this month (the 26th, I think) to protest Huntingdon Mayor Stephane Gendron's recent remarks on the Israel/Palestine conflict. These are the latest in a series of inflammatory statements by the fellow, and a few have clearly strayed over the line into Anti-Semitism. More power to Meir and Co., then, but be careful--don't get yourselves lynched out there in the back-country!

Gary Harding, the only Canadian to be convicted of hate-mongering under the criminal code, was also in attendance. And, minus the beard, he looks astoundingly like Dr. Dawg. And that's not a joke or an attempt to insult the Dawg; Harding even had the same style of hat. I almost went up and said hello, but noticed a mad gleam in his eye (Dawg also has a gleam in his eye from years of NDP indoctrination, but its a slightly different gleam. That's how I could tell the difference). I didn't catch much of what Harding said to the people around him; however, a couple of them looked as though they wanted to change seats but were too polite.

It doesn't seem like anyone from Free Dominion showed up, through apparently several of them watched via webcast. That's a pity, because there was a FreeD guy sitting next to me at the Lemire hearing whose name, and a DNA sample, I wanted to collect this time out for inclusion on my personal enemies list.

Went out for drinks later with Bernie Farber and other notables from the old CJC. Almost all of our discussion was ruled officially "off the record", and will remain so, because I don't want to get sued nine ways from sideways. However, the general sense seemed to be that this was all window dressing and, no matter where CIJA eventually comes down on the issue of section 13 (they're currently fence-sitting), its gone which--given how hard it is to get the police to act on a hate speech complaint via the criminal code--means Canada will have no viable legal means of combating hate speech. There have been hints dropped that, as a replacement, the Tories will move to make the criminal code provisions easier to use, but nothing concrete so far. In any case, we shall see. There will be a fight in the HOC over Storseth's bill to repeal the measure; so far nobody from the NDP or Liberals has come out in support. And surprises can happen, even in a majority parliament.

Finally, Ron Bannerjee of the Canadian Hindu Advocacy was apparently in attendance, but I did not meet him. Which is also a pity: one of my readers recently commented that the guy was an honest to goodness porn star, which remark I deleted as possibly defamatory. Maybe Ron could clear this up, though. If its true, my hat is off.

As The Debate Over The Northern Gateway Pipeline Heats Up

2012-01-10T06:54:00.001-05:00

...it will be important to keep a level head. The GreenPolicyProf blog is a good place for a level headed assessment of the situation on the ground in B.C..

Incidentally, there is some question as to whether the regulatory changes suggested by Natural Resources Minister Joe Oliver would apply to Northern Gateway itself. This report suggests they would. I have read elsewhere, but can't remember quite where, that any statutory change would apply only to later projects.

You can see, though, why Mr. Oliver would want to speed things along. A late 2013 approval date for the pipeline would put its actual construction into 2015, the year of our next federal election. Given the crap storm that will likely become (Rafe Mair laying down in front of a tractor, mass arrests, and whatnot), the gov. probably want as much of it out of the way before the next vote as possible.

Incidentally, its worth noting that Vivian Krause, the gal behind the "foreign billionaire's influencing Canadian policy" line of argument, has been making an identical defense of the fish-farming industry for years now--ie Suzuki and co. are taking foreign money to help Alaskan salmon fisherman at the expense of B.C. aqua farmers. Its just been re-purposed for this debate. Her research is typically shoddy; here's something I wrote on her last year.

NDP Defector?

2012-01-10T06:29:00.002-05:00

Ottawa - Liberal Caucus (PLC), relegated to the third party in the Commons by the orange wave that swept the last elections, may well have robbed a member of its rivals, according to The Gazette has learned.

Bob Rae will be there for Coderre's presser, so it must be something important.

PS. Quite ominous for the NDP if this is what happens. You shouldn't be having your MPs skip-out for a 3rd party after less than a year as official opposition. Something is not right behind the facade.

Update: It's Lise St-Denis.

James Morton For VP English

2012-01-09T06:10:00.001-05:00

I'm not going to the convention this week, so this is strictly FWIW, but I believe James Morton is the LPoC's best bet for the position of VP English.

I have had a chance to meet with James on several occasions, and found him to be civil, articulate, and level-headed. I have also seen his occasional tv appearances, and read his occasional OpEd pieces in the various print media outlets, and while the position of VP English does not require it, it is always useful to have someone who can eloquently defend the party position on air or in the papers on your team.

Good luck James.

Farber On The Gatineau Mosque And Other Recent Hate Crimes

2012-01-08T07:49:00.000-05:00

Bernie has a nice piece in the Citizen:

Recently there has been a debate raging here in Canada regarding the necessity of antihate laws. There are those who believe that any restriction on speech whatsoever is an infringement on our valued right to free-speech. In 1990 the Supreme Court of Canada upheld our anti-hate laws by a slim margin. While it found that such laws were a limitation on speech, given the serious need to ensure protection of vulnerable minorities such an infringement, it argued, was justified.

I agree. We are a democracy based on justice and law. We understand that human beings are far from perfect, hence we created laws to protect society. Anti-hate laws are a kind of insurance for the future. Such laws help define us as a tolerant society. To be sure we must find the correct balance between freedom of expression and the right to equality that we all share.

Obviously, a sentiment I agree with.

And let me mention again that Richard Warman will be debating Nathalie Des Rosiers of the Canadian Civil Liberties Association re Section 13 of the Canadian Human Rights Act on Tuesday, January 10th, at the George Ignatieff Theatre in Toronto. The event begins at 7:00 pm. It would be nice to see a few progressives in attendance, as you know the loonies will be out in force.

Now, the clowns that attacked the Gatineau Mosque, and the ones that keyed the car of mixed-race couple Rita Brown and Seun Oyinsan, probably have never heard of section 13. In fact, I doubt they can count that high between them. However, those within the more organized racist community have heard of it, and should it be repealed this Spring, they will treat the occasion as a great victory and a license. I expect we will see more and broader attempts to organize later this year. And I'm not the only one who thinks that.

Manitoba Newspapers Reject Accountability

2012-01-07T06:17:00.001-05:00

The Manitoba Press Council has ceased operating after the last few participating newspapers withdrew their financial support.

[...]

...Bob Cox, publisher of the Free Press, said that today’s social media environment lends to different avenues for the public to complain about news media...

If the papers lie, just bitch about it on twitter, in other words.

Gotcha? Connections Between Ethical Oil And The Tory Gov.?

2012-01-06T19:10:00.005-05:00

So this fellow notes on Twitter that the guy doing radio ads for Ethical Oil in support of the Northern Gateway Pipeline sounds suspiciously like the guy that did the anti-Ignatieff ads for the CPoC during the runup to the last election. And I think he's right. For example, here's the "just visiting" ad. And here's another anti-Iggy ad. And the notion that they are they same guy is not only mine (or the guy on twitters'); I've emailed these clips to a number of people I trust , and the responses range from (with respect to the "just visiting" ad) they're definitely the same guy to that they sound very much like the same guy.

Now, who exactly is doing the voice over is still in question, but what we know for sure is that the "just visiting" ad was done by The Würstlin Group, as you can see here.

Now, the thing is The Würstlin Group has been doing work for the Harper Tories for years. So this would seem to show that one of the radio voices they have hired on several occasions (whether they are WG employees or not) is also doing work for a supposed grass roots group pimping the Alberta tar-sands in general and the Northern Gateway Pipeline in particular.

Makes you wonder how grass-roots Ethical Oil really is.

Of course what you read here is hardly conclusive. But maybe it will get some MSM people asking a few questions.

PS. I notice that my links to WG don't take you quite where I want. Go to "our work", then "Conservative Party".

Whither PostMedia?

2012-01-06T12:00:00.000-05:00

Into the toilet slowly, having lost about half its market value since it began trading in June. Reading Selley's cruddy column today made me curious as to how the stock was doing. It also helps explain how the stock is doing. Although Selley is hardly the only crud-pumper at the National Post.

Quote from here .

I Am NOT GOING BALD!

2012-01-05T06:37:00.002-05:00

My wife mentioned my alleged bald spot the other night, after I refused to move some furniture for her with sufficient alacrity.

She's not the first to have made note of it. There have been persistent rumours that I have a bald spot just a little back from the very peak of my skull, a spot which is almost impossible for me to see. The thought has always worried me...that I will lose my hair and be the last to know. That the voices I hear from behind me sometimes, laughing, are laughing at the vast wasteland that my scalp has gradually become.

So I took our old digital camera out and took about 30 or 40 shots of the area, holding the camera above my head and pointing downwards, and I am happy to announce, upon examining them closely, that the rumours are definitely FALSE. At best the hair at that spot might be said to be thinning. THINNING!!! NOT GONE SOUTH AND NEVER COMING BACK!!! And anyway, its probably been like that for years. AND you can only really see it from above, so so what? Why should I care what someone going by in a low flying helicopter thinks?

I have informed my wife that she will get no flowers this week.

Thank you for listening.

John Miller On Sun TV's Freedom Weekend

2012-01-05T06:15:00.001-05:00

The discussion topics for Freedom Weekend-by-the-lake have yet to be decided, but Ezra says "we'll talk about how to strengthen our freedoms here at home, and project freedom abroad to the world." Wow, that sounds like a cattle call for any white, barrel sucking immigrant hater who's too stupid to find out the regular room rate at the Muskoka Marriott is only $199.

Note: Sun TV is charging $1,050 per person, although I suspect that price will come down.

Alberta Mayor On B.C. Opposition To Northern Gateway Pipeline

2012-01-05T05:54:00.002-05:00

"It's kind of like the spoiled child syndrome. We're not going to get [any major benefits], so we're not going to do it..."

B.C. For B.C.ers! Go back to Mordor, Blue Eyed Shiekh.

(Although I should point out I am not currently an official B.C.er, merely an Ex one with fond memories. But I'm pullin' for ya!)

I Give It Six Months

2012-01-04T19:04:00.005-05:00

OK, maybe eight months, because she is resplendently hot, even if she appears to be wearing a menorah (or maybe some kind of chandelier) in each ear.

...but, as Freud used to joke, the thing about carrying an umbrella is that eventually you take a cab. And Peter MacKay is not a patient man.

h/t

PS. My wife suggests he's trying to marry into money.

Your Daily Nazi: JDL Canada And The EDL

2012-01-04T06:37:00.000-05:00

A piece from Al Jazeera, which features JDL-Canada Leader and occasional BCLSB commenter Meir Weinstein:

Extremist Jewish factions and far-right parties team up against "Islamisation" despite the latter's anti-Semitic past.

Right-wing movements previously associated with anti-Semitic and neo-Nazi ideologies are increasingly opting for a surprising tactic to garner legitimacy within mainstream politics: Forging alliances with extremist Jewish organisations under the banner of fighting "Islamisation".

"Far-right parties are professing a new found love of Israel as a way of escaping their past anti-Semitism and racism, and to justify their prejudice towards European Muslims as not being racist," Toby Archer, a researcher who studies far-right parties and the "counter-jihad blogosphere", explained to Al Jazeera. "Parties like the British National Party (BNP) in the UK, Vlaams Belang in Belgium, and the National Front in France are all coming out from a neo-fascist past."

These parties have stopped using anti-Semitic rhetoric, Archer said, which had prevented them from attracting support. It is important to distinguish between the traditional far-right, who are historically anti-Semitic, and the populist new-right, who have emerged in the last two decades and partake in an anti-Muslim discourse, he said.

The article doesn't quite get the differences between the various wings of the JDL, but whatever. My question to Meir (and, tangentially, to the people at CIJA, who have been courting similar folk) is: how deep do you think the conversion among these far right groups runs? I would suggest not very: consider the case of Lemire and the Fairness Fairy. And are you willing to trade off support for Israel in exchange for giving Holocaust Denial, among other things, a pass? Because that is what the stakes are. The people who bash Muslims can, currently, in this country, bash them about as hard as they are capable of. The day after Section 13 goes, the organized Jew Bashers in Canada will declare victory, toss off this nonsense about being supporters of free speech, and get back to job number one (and, Meir, I am not referring in this case to some lady in a Bhurka thinking dark thoughts about Israel).

PS. Richard Warman debates Nathalie Des Rosiers re Free Speech and Section 13 at the George Ignatieff theatre in Toronto. Meir will be there, asking Richard some "pointed" questions. I might try and get there myself, esp. if the concession sells draft beer.

Paleo Artist Dan Varner

2012-01-03T06:51:00.003-05:00

...has passed away suddenly. He specialized mostly in painting the ancient beasts that swam The Oceans Of Kansas (Western Interior Sea). If you ever find a copy of the book with the same name (by Mike Everhart; illustrated by Varner), by the way, get it. The prairies were once a far more exciting place.

In any case, a great loss for those of us who follow paleo matters.

BCLSB Resolutions For 2012

2012-01-02T12:18:00.003-05:00

1) Force the resignation of a Tory cabinet minister. But I've given up on the idea of embroiling one in a sex scandal. These guys are too high maintenance. You want to seduce a cabinet minister, they expect you to drive them around. And buy the drinks.

2) Stop the construction of a pipe-line. Not sure which of them yet yet. But it'll be a long one.

3) Destroy Fox News North. But before the free market does. So I'll have to hurry.

Why I Cannot Currently Support the B.C. Liberal Party

2012-01-01T13:23:00.000-05:00

B.C. Premier Christy Clark alludes to the Northern Gateway pipeline:

British Columbia's coast does not just belong to British Columbia, it belongs to Alberta...

Not that anyone out there cares about my opinion, but the winner of the next B.C. Provincial election will have come out against this monstrosity. A few local pols have already lost their jobs from fence-sitting--these guys at the municipal level, mind you, who don't really have much say over the matter.

And should Northern Gateway get approved in late 2013, the next LPoC leader should get pictures of himself lying down in front of the first tractor ASAP. That's how the Libs can win back the Left Coast.

B.C. For B.C.ers! Let the Calgary tar patch stick that in their pipe-line and pump it.

Michael Ignatieff Tribute

2012-01-01T11:28:00.000-05:00

...is no longer a part of the Liberal Biennial Convention program. A fact that I will note without comment.

h/t

Gruending On Christians In Syria

2011-12-31T09:05:00.000-05:00

Former MP and Politics & Pulpit author takes a look at the dilemma facing Syrian Christians:

The Scottish writer William Dalrymple says that Syria has been a kind of oasis for Christians in the Middle East. But Syrian Christians are now faced with a painful choice. They can offer support to a brutal dictatorship that, generally, has protected them but has killed 5,000 of its citizens since calls for change and demonstrations began in the spring of 2011. Or Christians can participate in the opposition, which, if it topples the regime, may bring to power a Sunni-led government that could be ultra-conservative and anti-Christian.

[...]

The New York Times reports that there are Christians represented in the opposition to the regime, and that among those who support it “loyalty to the government is often driven more by fear than fervor.” The newspaper continues: “For many Syrian Christians, Mr. Assad remains predictable in a region where unpredictability has driven their brethren from war-racked places like Iraq and Lebanon, and where others have felt threatened in post-revolutionary Egypt.”

The Times story raises an unpleasant question. Does it take a strongman to protect the community (in this case the Christians) from the more dangerous, more intolerant currents in society? Clearly, the Maronite Catholic patriarch believes so. In September, Patriarch Bishara Boutros al-Rai urged Maronites to offer Assad another chance. Those comments prompted a rebuttal from Syrian Christians involved in the opposition. But the patriarch stood firm. “We do not stand by the regime, but we fear the transition that could follow,” he said. “We must defend the Christian community."

This strategic support of the regime may well have been overtaken by events. The killing has continued and the call for international action has grown louder. Former allies, including Turkey and Russia, have become critical. The Arab League has sent in a team of observers and imposed limited sanctions. Assad’s days appear to be numbered but Christians fear that they might suffer a savage backlash when the dynasty falls.

There's more well worth reading through the links.

Dear Mr. Rob Ford

2011-12-30T19:08:00.000-05:00

The folks from 911 are not your personal marriage counselors. You're supposed to get those from the private sector.

That is all.

The Trouble With Margaret Wente

2011-12-30T10:27:00.000-05:00

...is that she doesn't have enough original ideas to carry a column; so she pieces them together from the ideas of other writers. Which is fine. Failing to attribute these ideas to their rightful owners, however...making yourself seem a more substantial thinker than you are...well, that gets you a slap on the wrist, or at least an editorial note.

Flanders Leaves The Blogosphere

2011-12-30T06:42:00.002-05:00

John Pacheco shuts down Socon or Bust, and the on-line world becomes a saner if less hilarious place. My favorite Flanders story was when he ran provincially for the Family Coalition Party of Ontario. Okaley Dokalay, Flanders! Okaley Dokaley!

One Last Event And The Holiday Season Is Over

2011-12-29T06:45:00.001-05:00

Actually, the wife and I are thinking of staying in, ordering pizza, and watching West Wing episodes (only the ones by Sorkin, mind you).

Philosopher Sir Michael Dummett Is Dead

2011-12-28T18:34:00.000-05:00

I've read a fair bit of his stuff, and never got what he was talking about, even though I was trained in the shit and sympathetic to some of the broader thrusts of his thinking (truth value gaps and etc.). Probably the worst writer among 20th Century English Analytics. Nevertheless, he is definitely dead, and I suppose we should note the fact.

Fire Everyone!

2011-12-28T06:16:00.000-05:00

Quebecois mogul Pierre Karl Péladeau loses poll done by company he owns! He won last year, but against much weaker competition.

Whither Wind Concerns?

2011-12-27T10:35:00.001-05:00

The day after I noted that Wind Concerns Ontario had shut down their blog, citing a threat of legal action, John Spears did a short piece on the same topic in the T.O. Star. The most interesting bit:

But Jane Wilson, the president of Wind Concerns, says there are no imminent legal threats hanging over the organization.

Wilson said in an interview that the website is run by a volunteer, who may have misunderstood some discussion at the recent Wind Concerns annual meeting.

Wind Concerns had been considering a more professional approach for its website in any case, she said.

“We’ll be going off air for a brief, brief time while we get a new platform going,” she said.

Wilson said she hasn’t spoken to the volunteer who runs the website: “I don’t even have her phone number.”

“I don’t know why she put on ‘the threat of legal action,’ because no one’s suing us,” Wilson said. “We’re not having any problems that way.”

The website volunteer had not attended the annual meeting, and had some questions about financial matters, Wilson said.

“It was suggested to her that questions about what had gone on at the annual general meeting was not something that should be on the website,” Wilson said.

“It was suggested that rather than making these questions more dramatic than they needed to be, she could discuss it with someone else.”

Wilson said the questions involved the cost of certain items, but wouldn’t elaborate.

Now, according to netinfo, the Wind Concerns website is registered to Moe Anderson from Amherst, Ontario. In this posting to the WCO Facebook Page, Moe says the name change is a result of her leaving the group:

To speculate on what's happened, I would suggest that Moe was the volunteer who raised issues re spending and, not getting a response to her satisfaction, parted with the group, taking the rights to the website with her. She may also have suggested that the WCO website disappear, or else, and the domain-name change is a result. I am trying to confirm this via email. Interestingly enough, this comment on Wind Resistance Ontario suggests that there still exists a WCO rump group that is working apart from the Wind Resistance folks:

This is no longer the “Wind Concerns Ontario” website. Please don’t discuss their business or board members here.

Perhaps Moe Anderson is still involved with these folk. In any case, we all know where its all going to end.

Bob Rae If Necessary, But Not Necessarily Bob Rae

2011-12-26T07:26:00.001-05:00

For example, this guy might work. Everyone loves an astronaut.

Journalism, Real And Fake

2011-12-26T05:51:00.001-05:00

Still another day's worth of eating and over-consuming left to get through, so don't expect anything too coherent until that's all been accomplished. Until then, here's a piece on how U.S. think-tanks are setting up fake news services to feed depleted news rooms with content pushing Libertarian policies. A step beyond what, for example, what The Fraser Institute is up to (ie spewing industry-tilted content) in that the American groups have actually hired unemployed(?) journos to cover state legislatures.

Xmas Day Off To A Lucrative Start!

2011-12-25T09:31:00.001-05:00

Highlights so far are a nice new coat from Columbia Sports Wear and a wool duffle-coat thingy from T. Hilfiger. Still a few gift cards to come! May my readers similarly clean up this season.

PS. The Pope can kiss my butt.

Help Me Defeat Xmas!

2011-12-24T08:46:00.001-05:00

...but, as the article goes on to note, it looks like this year, for the very first time, Christmas will fall short vs. porn. And you, dear reader, can help make it happen, by simply doing what you normally do 11 months of the year, but with a bit more gusto. Together, we can make Santa cry!

How's That "Ethical Oil" Thing Working For You?

2011-12-23T11:14:00.000-05:00

Source.

A Match Made In Heaven

2011-12-23T09:44:00.000-05:00

One of the very last products still advertising on Fox News North, it seems. Otherwise, they drone on endlessly; one yearns for the appearance of Dr. Ho.

LPoC Stuff

2011-12-23T06:49:00.001-05:00

1) At the LPoC whoop-up a few weeks back (actually a meet-&-greet with party President wannabes), I was able to speak briefly with Paul Summerville, a candidate for National Policy Chair. Paul has "recently put forth a constitutional amendment proposal to the party to democratize a number of policy related elements in the party's constitution.". Imp has her own take on these proposals through the preceding link; I find myself most interested in this one:

One of the themes that came up repeatedly at the meet-&-greet was: once you've enticed your spanking new Liberal to sign up, what do you do with them? This idea--crowd-sourcing policy research/development--seems a good means of engaging the Membership beyond hitting them up for money every couple of weeks. It also seems a possible means of overcoming some of the financial disadvantage inherent in third-party status. The LPoC rank and file contains a fairly high level of expertise, and volunteering to share esoteric knowledge is just as legitimate a means of giving back as distributing leaflets.

2) Cherniak has a piece up on his Facebook site re The LPoC decision refusing accreditation to citizen journalists at the upcoming convention in Ottawa. God knows I've fought with Jason over the years, but as one of the very first wave of Canadian political bloggers, and as someone who had a hand in how the LPoC developed its online strategy over the last decade, he has earned at least a small spot in the history books. So when he says the current policy is a step in the wrong direction, he should know.

Not that too much should be made of the issue. This truly is "inside baseball" stuff of little importance to the broader population. Nevertheless, its a stupid move. Why, for example, would you want to keep the Stephen Taylor's (CPoC) and Dr. Dawg's of the world off the convention floor? Partisan or no, these people can get your message through to a crowd that may not otherwise get a chance to hear it.

Kicking Ass In Canadian Politics

2011-12-22T21:13:00.005-05:00

Alright, I'm a bit late to this. Warren K carves Brian Lilley a new one in this Sun TV interview. Notice though how hard it is to cut through an ignorant asshole's (Lilley's) stream of bullshit. Many progressives think it can be done via elegant erudition. It can't . WK knows you gotta be there for the whole 15 rounds, or six plus minutes or so, and keep pounding them. Politics isn't like chess, where you check-mate 'em. It's like WWI, where you slowly crush their will to resist.

Too bad this interview didn't happen on CBC or CTV or the yuletide log channel where people might see it. Kudos to WK nevertheless.

CIJA Struggles For Cred

2011-12-22T06:11:00.002-05:00

I've written about the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs (CIJA) a number of times, mostly in regards to their backing away from the fight against organized hate speech in Canada for an "Israel, Israel, let's talk Israel 24/7" approach to human rights issues. It appears I'm not the only one who views them skeptically:

“It is not clear to me who CIJA represents. Unlike [Canadian Jewish] Congress, whose officers were elected by a body representing organizations and communities across Canada, CIJA seems to be a self-appointed body, beholden only to a very small group of extremely influential backers. This transformation is a major defeat for democracy in the Canadian Jewish community,” Rabbi Scheim [, spiritual leader of Toronto’s Beth David B’nai Israel Beth Am Synagogue] said.

Interesting too that Stockwell Day is on CIJA's BOD, given his past.

RUMOUR: Trojan Brand Will Avoid Tar Sands Fuel When Shipping Condoms

2011-12-21T13:03:00.005-05:00

...in an attempt to reduce company's carbon foot-print! What will the folks at Ethical Oil do about this latest outrage?

PS. Real easy to find pictures of prophylactic wrapped bananas on Google Image. Almost too easy.

Abortion BACK On The (Hidden) Agenda!

2011-12-21T10:26:00.002-05:00

From Stephen Woodworth this morning:

A recent poll disclosed that 80% of Canadians believe that Canadian law protects the fundamental human rights of children before birth in the later stages of gestation.

In fact, the opposite is true. Canadian law provides no human rights protection whatsoever for children before the moment of complete birth.

[...]

The important question is whether this 400 year old Canadian law is supported by 21st century medical science and principles of human rights. Perhaps Canadians should at least examine this question. MP Stephen Woodworth proposes that Parliament has a responsibility to lead that examination.

I love it when Tories examine this question! Their polling numbers imitate a WWII dive-bomber! You start, Stephen. Put a private member's bill on the table in regards to...I don't know...banning late term abortions; see who rallies to your side.

Only If Its A Hippy

2011-12-21T06:00:00.003-05:00

...and only they are allowed to bludgeon him to death themselves.

h/t Bourque, who's never afraid to ask the questions that matter. Here is the source story. The fact that this kind of thing is achieving MSM status, even if its mostly in Europe, makes me wonder about the fragility of the world economy. Why would you worry about what a co-worker tasted like if you weren't also worried about where your next meal was coming from?

On the other hand, whack Santa as he comes down the chimney and you can probably feed your family until summer.

Just Read Jeff

2011-12-20T19:11:00.004-05:00

...re the LPoC's decision to charge non-MSM affiliated bloggers $1,100 to attend their lame, non-newsworthy convention in January. Its all well-argued, but here's his take on the only argument in favour of the LPoC decision that I have occasionally considered defensible:

Why are they ending blogger accreditation? I can only speculate. I believe part of it is money, but that’s foolish. First of all, admitting bloggers isn’t an out of pocket expense for the party. We don’t need a filing room or a supply of soft drinks, just let us in the door and maybe give us a table and chairs at the back of the hall. You could argue lost revenue, but let’s be serious. No independent or third-party blogger is going to pay $1100 to come to our little conference, so you were never getting that revenue anyway. Maybe a few Liberals would opt to go the free blogger route instead of being a paying delegate, but with delegate fees at $400 for Victory Fund members you’re talking a few grand in foregone revenue at the most. As is that really worth the bad publicity we’re getting?

Another excuse I’ve heard is that they could be inundated with a flood of bloggers seeking to cover the conference. First of all, so what? I’d think more coverage would be a good thing. Second, I doubt it. Maybe 10 were accredited in 2006, and probably a little less in 2009. I was the only non-Conservative blogger I know of accredited to their convention this year; if there were Conservative non-delegate bloggers they (unsurprisingly) weren’t hanging-out in the press area.

And third, that’s a simple enough issue to deal with. Put a cap on the number of bloggers you can accommodate and set up an application process. The Conservatives, for example, asked me about my posting frequency and traffic statistics. Screening of this sort is normal and expected; it’s part of the job of a media relations staffer. “It’s too hard” is frankly a pretty weak cop-out for not doing what should be a basic part of the job.

I should just note that, unlike their MSM counterparts, bloggers tend to have real, well-paying jobs that aren't about to be stolen by the Internet, and so there shouldn't be a noticeable drain from them on the convention's booze/finger-food resources, due to scarfing out of raw hunger. I know that I personally have considered hitting up a LPoC convention under the "journalist" banner to get free drinks, but that's because I am cheap the way Libertarians are Libertarians. It's my philosophy. Most people aren't like that.

Do Bananas Have Libel Lawyers?

2011-12-20T06:51:00.000-05:00

I can't find it anywhere.

h/t

Sticking Up From The Little Guys: Is Brian Lilley Sun TV's Tallest Midget?

2011-12-19T10:31:00.001-05:00

From the Owen Sound Sun Times:

... it's long overdue, says Lilly, whose personality, lively style and opinions -- and hairdo--resonate with viewers. He's the highest-rated TV host on the Sun News Network.

The Ez won't like hearing that, but its roughly in accord with Bureau of Broadcast Measurement numbers from late June, which were, generally speaking for the new network, crap.

In any case, Brian's previous work experience stands him in good stead, given the perilous state of the floundering station:

Born and raised in Hamilton, Lilley is actually a jack of all trades -- from bricklayer, painter, cook and waiter at a 24-hour diner, to actor, factory worker, Second Cup manager, gas station manager, and Greenpeace canvasser.

Worked in a restaurant, at a gas station...Your past may well be your future, Brian Lilley.

!dekciK ssA steG doG

2011-12-18T19:33:00.000-05:00

NATAS!!! NATAS!!

Farber And Kurz On Section 13

2011-12-18T07:30:00.000-05:00

Opponents of Section 13 argue that it is an assault on free speech. They claim that it targets speech that may merely offend those with thin skins. If the target of the law were merely “offensive” statements, we would wholeheartedly agree. But this is not the case. The law aims at expression that causes members of our society to be treated as less worthy than their neighbours merely because of who they are, rather than what they have done. The small number of cases that have made it to the act’s tribunal stage have been among the worst of the worst: hateful, malicious propaganda.

Another argument against Section 13 is that, unlike libel law, truth is no defence. But can it ever be “true” that victims of hate speech deserve hatred and contempt? Should someone be entitled to use a tribunal hearing to “prove” that, say African Canadians are inferior, that Jews are rapacious, or that all gays are pedophiles?

Section 13 tells us that we must find civil ways to prevent bigotry. That is the Canadian way. But if Storseth’s bill is passed, the state will rely exclusively on criminal prosecution to deter those who wilfully engage in promoting hatred. By ridding ourselves of Section 13, we diminish the hope that we can change attitudes through education and dialogue. We may very well unleash the blunt force of the criminal law on those who are guilty of nothing but ignorance.

Just a comment on this last bit. Folks in favour of Storseth's Bill often, perhaps typically, think that removing section 13 will solve their problems. Journalists typically believe that with S13 gone their industry will be free of a bothersome level of regulation, that all they will need to worry about is the possibility of defamation suits brought through the court system.

Haters believe that they shall be able to hate at leisure.

But this is not really so. For example, Frank Dimant, CEO of B'nai Brith Canada, has stated quite clearly that in a post 13 world his organization will shift its efforts to working against hate speech through whatever enhanced criminal code provisions are given to it. Nobody is going to pack up their toys and go home in absence of the provision, in other words. And, as I've said before, there's quite a difference between receiving a letter from a commission bureaucrat and getting a visit from a police officer. I imagine the second is a bit more traumatic than the first.

On Justin Trudeau

2011-12-17T10:46:00.003-05:00

Love the passion, hate the beard. Like my stylist used to say: you're gorgeous; you shouldn't be covering that face with hair. I went to that guy for years.

Remember The Western Standard's "Conservative Cruise"?

2011-12-17T08:41:00.003-05:00

I thought not. It was cancelled when guests realized it meant being trapped on a boat with Ezra Levant and Colby Cosh. Well, Erzra's trying again. This might work a bit better. At least, it will be easier to escape when the urge to kill comes on.

The Most Important Thing To Happen Today In Canada...

2011-12-16T19:38:00.004-05:00

Canada eliminated mandatory retirement Friday after the government repealed sections of the labor code that had enabled employers to force workers to retire once they reached the age of 65.

...and the Harper gov. deserves some rare kudos for getting it done. An event undeservedly ignored by the youth/twitter/facebook obsessed set that run the MSM. But more important to us oldsters who will never really have enough money to retire on and will have to work until we drop. For us, this means we can still tell the youth of today, with their green hair and nose rings and shitty rap metal music, to go fuck themselves. I can still keep my job; you little screwups get to flip burgers until you're 70! Or until you get the guts to rebel and melt us all down into soylent green! Which will be never...PUNKS!!! Booyah!!!

PS. Even the CHRC approves. So it must be good.

LPoC Doesn't Want Bloggers

2011-12-16T13:11:00.005-05:00

...covering its convention. Its Taylor, so he could be bullshitting...I mean, exercising his right to free speech...but if not then this doesn't really sing out "renewal" to me.

Update: So Taylor has posted a letter from the LPoC. At first blush I think he's fiddling with semantics (gone the Campaign Research route): You can't get media accreditation as a blogger, but you can still come as an observer and, presumably, blog about the convention while observing. I suppose Taylor might have a small beef if you get something with media accreditation that you don't get as an observer.

A Toronto Sun Xmas

2011-12-16T06:04:00.002-05:00

With the continuing economic downturn newspaper organizations are experiencing, there is significant pressure on both the advertising and circulation revenues. Sun Media is no exception and we continue to deal with these very difficult issues by looking at creative and innovative revenue generating ideas.

We have also been forced to look at reducing our operating costs in light of the economic climate. We have made some very difficult decisions and one such decision is to announce that Sun Media will be implementing a salary freeze for 2012.

I suppose one should try to be nice during the holiday season, but with my wife trying to dodge layoffs at The City and the Sun's op-ed writers screaming for inside worker's heads to roll, let me just say to everyone who works at that rag: may you all drown slowly in a sea of boiling blood.

Your Daily Nazi: Life After Section 13

2011-12-15T06:52:00.002-05:00

A bit of a miscellany this morning. Firstly, stating the obvious:

Vancouver-based Alan Dutton helped lobby for the 1996 creation of the B.C. Hate Crime Team that brings together law enforcement, Crown prosecutors and provincial bureaucrats to combat hate crimes.

Dutton argues abolishing the law will embolden hatemongers to re-organize and strengthen the white nationalist movement in Canada.

"The danger here is that they're going to believe that they have fertile ground now," said Dutton, who chairs the Canadian Anti-Racism Education and Research Society.

Speaking with B'nai Brith folks at the Lemire hearing, it is pretty clear they think Section 13 is dead via bill C-304 and are trying to work out how to protect the CDN Jewish community through whatever criminal code provisions remain available. BB CEO Frank Dimant has said as much here. The problem is that it has been historically difficult to get the police to lay charges, and that (as I understand it) any changes to the code will themselves be vulnerable to a constitutional challenge (more vulnerable than S13, perhaps).

On a slightly different topic, Joe Brean buries the lede in this story:

Neither the analysis by Digital Wyzdom, nor a subsequent one, turned up any evidence that Mr. Warman had written the message at the heart of the [Levant] libel suit.

Levant's defense, and the defense of the other bloggers in the various lawsuits that Richard Warman has brought against them, turned on Warman's having written "The Cools Post". It was already pretty obvious that he had not; now it is even more so. These various legal actions are all effectively done, but for the paying out of damages.

Climate Change Denier Raided By Cops

2011-12-15T05:53:00.004-05:00

Tallbloke is one of the denialist bloggers who was gifted the latest batch of "Climategate" emails. I don't think he was near the center of the first release. In any case, the U.K. police want a closer look at his computers. Although Anthony Watts says he isn't a suspect. But if they do a cavity search, who knows what it will turn up.

PS. Horner is mostly crap, but this suggests that two other bloggers have been given "search-and-seizure" letters.

PPS. From this, it looks like Jeff Id and McI also got letters.

Your Daily Nazi: My Day Among The Nazis

2011-12-14T07:22:00.008-05:00

So yesterday I went off to visit room 4D at 180 Queen West for the denouement of Warman Vs. Lemire. I wound up sitting two seats over from Lemire, who once threatened to sue me, and right in front of the Fourniers (Connie and Mark), who once tried to get me fired. The guy who threatened to kill me didn't show up this time, which frankly made the bathroom breaks a little more comfortable.

As for Lemire, let's just say that he's gotten big. Though he's twitchy: sighing, eye-rolling, consulting his notes and passing notes to his supporters. Indeed there was a lot of sighing and eye-rolling during the government side of the presentation. A lot of German accents too, a lot of gray hair. Connie's still hot, but Mark is looking positively dessicated these days. During the break I had lunch with Richard Warman and the gang from B'nai Brith; somebody joked that I was the only person in the court that wasn't a lawyer or a Nazi. Someone else noted that this looked like a sequel to the Zundel trial, with all the players 15 years older.

As to the presentations, they generally went according to plan, with the pro-HRC side arguing that all that should be on the table is the severing of Section 13's penalty provisions. But there were a few interesting twists, or at least arguments I haven't heard before. The young gal from the African Canadian Legal clinic (Moya Teklu) argued that there has been so little analysis of the CHRC's actual behavior that it would have been impossible for Athanasios D. Hadjis (the tribunal chair that had ruled for Lemire last go-round) to know whether this behavior had changed over time--and thus whether it had become less conciliatory, more litigious. She also has a tattoo on the back of her neck, so they clearly aren't barriers to success anymore. Richard Warman argued from the transcripts of the earlier hearing that in fact he had been open to the possibility of settling with Lemire, contra Hadjis' opinion.

Barbara Kulaszka was a rambling disaster, and the judge was quite short with her. The fellow from the CCLA seemed more coherent, arguing that Hadjis did have authority to make a constitutional ruling (something the CHRC contested). Though I don't think anyone made a convincing case that either the Internet or the addition of penalty provisions has changed things so much that a Section 13 repeal was the only available option. But that could be just me. I missed Doug Christie's performance, but did see him parading about outside the court-room in his black cowboy hat, so that is maybe the important thing.

Most of my day was spent staring at the backs of heads suffering varying degrees of hair-loss, so Judge Mosley was by far the most entertaining thing in the room. He is possessed of an excellent poker face, and didn't speak much. You could tell when he was going to, though, because he would start moving his facial muscles, making faces, in effect, several seconds in advance as a kind of warm-up. To me, he appeared to grind far more heavily upon the Lemire side, and criticized the AG's non-appearance and some of Hadjis more obscure lines of reasoning.

To end off, here's a shot of Richard Warman and me in front of the court-house (from the NP story):

Richard is the guy on the right. I'm wearing my dad's old barn jacket (you can just barely see the sleeve).

Cracks Appear In Multi-Faith Coalition

2011-12-14T06:05:00.000-05:00

"Multi-Faith Coalition" are what the folks protesting Friday prayers at Valley Park Middle School. Looks like they have already started to come unravelled, or at least some elements within the coalition are having Ron Bannerjee Problems:

No word on whether the CHP has disassociated itself from the CHA (Canadian Hindu Advocacy), because the latter group is really just Bannerjee and some old guy. No word either on whether they also want to dissociate themselves from any Bannerjee sock-puppets.

Gruending On Canadian Churches, Climate Change, And Durban

2011-12-13T05:47:00.000-05:00

Its all good, but my favorite bit is about how The National Post felt it necessary to spike Rex Murphy's geriatric rage at the fact a mere African might dare to criticize Canada's environmental record:

The advertisement generated a torrent of exaggerated invective from some of the usual suspects – including CBC Television’s Rex Murphy. The National Post newspaper said, “Archbishop Desmond Tutu should shut his trap when it comes to the oilsands.” The newspaper later removed that sentence — but not before the boorish comment was widely read and re-posted by many news organizations and NGOs.

PS. Progressives are criticizing the Durban Agreement because it accomplished so little; Deniers like Rex Murphy are criticizing its very existence. Believe it or not, Progressives won this round, if just by a little bit.

No Rice For Ezra: Uncle Ben's Pulls Advertising From Sun TV!

2011-12-13T05:40:00.005-05:00

Dear Mr. Murphy,

Based on feedback from consumers such as yourself, UNCLE BEN'S will not be advertising on Sun TV in 2012.

We thank you for taking the time to contact us with your concerns and for your loyalty towards the UNCLE BEN'S brand.

If you wish to post a statement to your blog, please only post the above statement.

We thank you for your interest in our products.

Regards,

Your Friends at MARS Canada Inc.

Background here. BOOYAH!