Rogers IP Addresses, Circa 2003

The blogging nerdosphere is atremble with anticipation at the thought of an upcoming confrontation between Richard Warman and the CHRC vs. Macleans Magazine, Mark Steyn, and the Nazis, which will take place in an Ottawa courtroom on March 25th. Some of the folks at FreeD are positively giddy at the thought of crashing the proceedings, breaking the camera ban (if one is in place), and blasting images of CHRC investigators all over the Internet:

They should go for the lifting of the camera ban, and if that is refused, video it in secret and post the proceedings everywhere possible all over the world. Let the whole world see what a Fascist State Canada has become.

Meanwhile, online investigator extraordinaire "Buckets" has been quietly chipping away at an answer to the most interesting question that will be raised during the course of this hearing: did Richard Warman post racist remarks using the pseud "90sAREover" to Freedomsite (a Nazi forum) in 2003?

There is more detail in my previous posts on the topic, but in short: the claim that Warman did make such a posting is based entirely on the fact that, later in 2003, he messaged Freedomsite under the name of Lucy from the same Rogers IP address (66.185.84.204) previously assigned to 90sAREover.

And, in short, Bucket's research challenges the reasoning behind this claim (which is, essentially, that once you get a Rogers address assigned to you, you are stuck with it for months or years at a time).

Bucket's rather ingenious method was to, painstakingly and at length, examine wikipedia edits (and other sources) from the time-period in question looking for this particular IP address, and other Rogers IP addresses, and track what happened to them, sometimes on a minute by minute basis. His general conclusion? They're fluid, baby, real fluid! Anyone assigned the IP in question might also have been assigned one of at least 16 other IP addresses, and anyone assigned one of these other IP addresses might also have been assigned, during their very next on-line session, or even during the course of the same on-line session, the IP 66.185.84.204.

Here's the money quote from his summary thread:

These [IP addresses] reflect, of course, only the tiniest fraction of what was really happening. Every time anyone visits a webpage, the visit is logged somewhere, but very few of those logs are ever published; only a tiny fraction of internet users edit wikipedia, and only a fraction of them do so without signing in, thereby allowing us to see their IPs.

Still, the evidence that we do have makes it is fairly clear that having any one of these IPs--indeed, any Roger IP--at one moment doesn't guarantee that you have it at another. The reason, of course, is that Rogers was using these IPs as proxies for all their traffic from a specific region.

Have a good Easter everyone, and happy hunting Buckets! And everyone beware them Nazis!

Obama: Exotic As The Dark Side Of Ur-Anus

The Republicans are looking for new code words to throw at Obama should he become the Democratic nominee. Apparently they've settled on "exotic". What does that mean?

I think it means black. I think it mean means foreign. I think it means "What’s this Kenya stuff about?" I think it means, it has to do with that Muslim dress photo that flew around. It has to do with Mrs. Obama remarking that this is the first time she’s been proud [of America] --

ROSE: So you think it's a gathering narrative?

MEACHAM: Sure, sure. If you are running against a formidable African-American candidate, and you have a minister who has said ‘God Damn America, ’ and you have the videotapes, always dangerous [grins broadly], you have, I think there's a real risk that the campaign becomes increasingly racialized.

I wish I thought The Dems and the Obama team were clever enough to counter this kind of attack. But uplifting speeches don't cut it down in Dixie, especially when it will be fiery Minister Wright who gets heard again and again going forward.

The only bright spot is that Obama has been able to raise scads of Internet money. Of course, the downside to that upside is that he has raised enough to fuel a disastrous 3rd party run (although the fellow at the end of the link thinks O might win in a 3-way contest).

As for the picture above (the one on the right where Obama gets "blacked up"), the original theory was that it came from the Clinton campaign, but now nobody is really sure. That's how politics work down in the U.S. Nobody smears; the smear simply emerges.

Gnome More!

Loren Coleman thinks this video, of a "creepy gnome" terrorizing the Argentinian town of General Guemes, is a hoax. And it is true: ever since The Blair Witch Project certain stylistic tics derived from that movie have crept into fake Bigfoot/cryptid footage.

Here, teenagers sit around filming themselves pointlessly on a deserted Argentinian street until something untoward (the gnome pitching stones, apparently) attracts their attention. Shaky, grainy cellphone footage ensues.

This footage, genuine or not, has a certain grungy effectiveness, however. (You should see some of the lousy Bigfoot fakes out there!)The gnome has a certain resonance from 80s slasher flicks, and the scream at the end is fairly convincing.

Trout Fishermen Of Ancient Ontario

A neat little story about an underwater "structure" discovered in MacDonald Lake, Ontario:

Subsequent dives closely examined the structure for any signs of the use of tools, decorative images or other irregularities, to no avail. The thick layer of silt covering the vertical surfaces suggests that certainly within living memory no human has ever touched the structure. The geologists pointed to a dramatic drought, which gripped Eastern North America between 9000 and 7000 BCE. Conditions were so dry during that time that lake levels in the Great Lakes were up to 50 meters lower and inland lakes, like McDonald Lake, which were still fed by spring melt and summer rain water, were assumed several dozen feet lower than their present water levels.

And why then, at a time when so few humans roamed Ontario, would they pick remote MacDonald Lake for a stone cairn, especially such a large, elaborate one? Here is where the biologist pointed to the conclusion of his 30 years of research: McDonald Lake is home to an ancient, glacial relic lake trout, which had survived several bouts of glaciation and retained unique features, which allowed it to survive, where other fish had perished. From his records, he could also add that McDonald Lake, in prehistoric times was not a lake, but part and north-westerly end-point of an ancient river system which, for millennia, funnelled glacial meltwater south into what was then mighty Lake Agassis.

While many questions remain, it is very intriguing to imagine a small band of early humans, camped on the shores of a remote lake where today modern man camps and catches trout, just as his ancestors did thousands of years ago.

I've written occasioanally on Paleo-Ontario. Here's another post here.

Tory Turmoil, Redux

The situation over Melissa Bhaghat, putative CPoC candidate in Mississauga East-Cooksville, continues to churn. A number of the Tory electoral district association BOD (10 of 29) have quit, arguing that Melissa's appointment and acclamation has violated the party's populist roots:

"I won't be a party to that kind of corruption," said Charles Conn, one of 10 people who recently resigned in protest from the electoral district association board of directors for Mississauga East-Cooksville.

As I reported three weeks ago, in addition to process issues, the local Torys are unhappy that Melissa is an ex-Liberal:

Inflicting us with a Party-selected candidate who has been rejected by the Liberals, both provincially in Brampton Centre and federally in Brampton Springdale, and who was not welcomed by the PC's provincially, is an invitation to disaster.

[...]

MEC members deserve a better candidate than a Liberal reject, from Brampton.

Now, in addition to these complaints, Charles Conn and his fellows have added another pair:

Conn and some other ex-directors also expressed their suspicions that Bhagat might have been preferred by the party because she is a woman and belongs to a minority.

Hoo Hah! And what a woman at that! But the Mississauga Torys apparently want to run under the slogan: "Lily white & unsullied by the touch of female flesh!"

Poll: Still Deadlocked

OTTAWA – Another national poll suggests the Conservatives and the Liberals remain locked in a dead heat with little sign of momentum. The latest Canadian Press Harris-Decima survey had support for both the major federal parties flatlining at 32 per cent.

A number of writers, including Paul Wells today, seem to be implying that some of these polls are over-estimating Liberal support. On the other hand, plenty of bad news in this new poll from Calgary TV, the CPoC party organ.

Now that the by elections are past, however, the Libs should be able to take a more aggressive stance in the HOC. Might not do them any good, though, due to the crap nature of the NDP's support last night (which Wells also discusses).

Because it has been my secret belief that the NDP doesn't want an election at the moment either, but have been able to hide behind the Libs due to the latter's sad state for the last few months. Now that this sad state has been rectified, I wouldn't be surprised to see Layton's troops figuring out creative ways of chickening out.

Don't expect an election call any time soon, in other words.

Not Victory, But... "Viggdury", Perhaps?

Took a pasting in Sask., Quadra closer than it had any right to be, Toronto what you would expect.

Just enough there to keep Liberal supporters from suicide; more than enough to give Torys something to gloat about.

Most important, the "getting our act together" phase of Liberal rebuilding should be over now. Organizers should get organizing, and preparations made for any upcoming election.

Here's a possible trigger right here. If Harper and co. attempt to extend the Afghanistan mission without Manley's conditions being met, they should be called on it.

Steyn Supporter Maybe Threatens Warren Kinsella

At least that's what I think he's doing. FreeDominion's Edward "Kill Muslims" Kennedy is nothing if not incoherent:

And really, think about the hero yòu could be facing off against as you call it, a ``far right lunatic and bigot`. `Better yet, try sneaking a look under my bed if youi want you, maybe you will find a Nazi. But I warn you, stay the hell out of my bathroom. Come on down, and make my day.

Ed's cool with Mark Steyn, though:

You might also like to get it through your politically corrupt head that I speak for myself, you do not even have a clue if I even like Mark Steyn, but it is indeed difficult not to admire a quick wit such as his that makes a damned fool and laughing stock out of you. Indeed.

At least that's my interpretation. There's that whole coherence thing again.

And Mark Steyn is asking, nay demanding, that folks like Edward be allowed to get within a hundred yards of HRC investigators.

Will John Tory Run in Leeds-Grenville?

There have been rumors lately that Tory MPP Bob Runciman might step down and seatless Ontario Tory leader John Tory might run in the vacated riding of Leeds-Grenville. Tory isn't saying one way or another, but this Chatsworth blogger doesn't think it would be an easy victory, due to a mini-resurgence of the (believe it or not) Reform Party of Ontario, possibly led by (believe it or not) elements from the Ontario Land Owners Association and Randy Hillier:

That John Tory spurned Rural Ontario by telling Dufferin—Peel—Wellington—Grey that Urban Ontario is where he belonged, when he left to run in Toronto's Don Valley West, he killed any shot of getting back in through such a route again. The best he could do is follow Parry Sound—Muskoka MP Tony Clement up the 400, past Muskoka and north on the 69 because any Rural Ontario run will be complicated by the Ontario Landowners now. This is especially true if such a John Tory loyalist as Leeds—Grenville MPP Bob Runciman even tried his best to sneak him in by resigning, such a byelection would likely produce an Ontario Landowner under the Ontario Reform banner, who like Don Valley West MPP Kathleen Wynne would slaughter John Tory back to a Bay Street condo retreat over the Lakeshore.

The Ontario Tories seem to have themselves a nice little civil war going. I've argued previously that sticking with John Tory is the best solution for the Ont. Conservatives and, in the end, for the province in general. But if they want to self-flagellate themselves until they achieve some form of ideological cleansing, I guess that's okay too.

Still Thinking Of Retiring To Florida?

Up here in the frozen tundra you might get a skunk burrowing under your garden shed, or a raccoon knocking on the window, wondering where your garbage went. Down there, who knows...

This picture originated on Cryptomundo in one of a series of posts about Pinky the Florida Lake Monster, but even if Pinky doesn't get you, an American Alligator can easily out-pace Grandma here. Good argument to spend your Canadian earned money in Canada.

Run Granny!

Cadmania: Have Tories Threatened Dan Wallace?

Dan Wallace is Chuck Cadman's one-time executive assistant. Stephen Maher from the Chronicle Herald seems to think CPoC has shown him, as it were, an open grave:

"Mr. Wallace," I said.

He appeared not to hear me. "Dan Wallace?"

He moved to go down the stairs, without ever looking at me, and I followed him.

"Mr. Wallace, can I ask you a question?"

The elevator arrived. He got on and I followed him.

He got off the elevator.

"No, you can’t ask me a question," he said and made to go down the stairs.

I made to follow him, at which point he got on the elevator again. I stepped on.

"I’m going up anyway," I said, at which point he got off and I decided to leave him alone.

It is reasonable to conclude that the Tories have put the fear of God into Mr. Wallace.

Plus a passel of X-Reformers who believe a bribe was offered.

Come out come out, Art Hanger, you can run but you can't hide (unless its under Jack Layton's desk).

Teh Warming...Is BACK!

Looks like our month long flirtation with a new ice-age is over.

Climate change is making a comeback! In your face, delayer-1000s! And as Jon Stewart -- or the Pope -- might say, damn you, polluters! But where is the news coverage? This is just more proof (as if we needed it) that the media is fundamentally conservative.

Let's start with the temperature. NASA's Goddard Institute for Space Studies has their monthly global temperature dataset out through Feb. 2008 (it starts in Jan. 1880). January was only 0.12 degrees C above the 1951-1980 mean (for that month) and a full 0.74 degrees C colder than Jan. 2007 (the warmest January record).

A tongue-in-cheek posting from Gristmill, but for this bit:

Each of the past three years has seen an unusually early start to tornado season. One would expect to see a shift in tornado activity earlier in the year in a warming climate, along with an earlier than usual drop off in activity in late spring. We can see that in both 2005 and 2006 that tornado activity dropped off much earlier than usual, and it will be interesting to see if 2008 follows a similar pattern. Note that there is a very high natural variability in tornado numbers, and the record for fewest ever January and February tornadoes was set just six years ago in 2002, when only four twisters occurred. It will be at least ten more years before we can say with any confidence that a warming climate is leading to an earlier peak in tornado season.

Media Mogul Ted Turner knows all about it.

How Come The Only Serious Politician Hinting At Scrapping The CHRC Is A Liberal MP?

Keith Martin rants on:

"We can’t let the commission go on as it is now," he said. "The issue is much larger than 13.1," he said, describing his motion as a mere "springboard" to examine the CHRC. He hopes that a thorough examination of the federal commission will prompt provincial legislatures to look at their own legislation and commissions.

Frankly, far more disturbing than the Liberal vacillating on budgetary and other matters is the fact that the leadership doesn't feel comfortable telling this one nobody to stuff a sock in it. Whatever you think of section 13, HRCs have done fine work on the behalf of the injured and disabled. That a Liberal should be leading the charge against them is truly pukeworthy.

It's The Thought That Counts

Ottawa, ON – A new Ipsos Reid poll conducted exclusively on behalf of CanWest News Service and Global Television finds that a majority of Canadians support (23% strongly/33% somewhat) the opposition-led RESP tax-break bill, even though the government has argued that this bill might cause them to run a deficit.

[...]

However, Just 14% of Canadians Want Election Fought Over This Issue, Most (81%) Believe Parties Should ‘Find a Way to Avoid Election’

All of which means that the Lib strategy on the RESP--bring it forward, brand it Liberal, let the Gov. look mean-spirited and anti-education by killing it, but don't let it serve as an election trigger--has been sound.

Let the pundits sniff about "political ploys geared to embarrassing the Harper Tories" if they like. This one worked.

What You're Up Against [Bill C-484]

Can't really blame the Liberal Party brass for not whipping the vote when a survey of the grass-roots coughs up numbers like these:

In the survey, 52 per cent of Conservative Party voters express strong support for [Bill C-484], while the proportion is lower among New Democratic Party (NDP) voters (47%), Liberals (37%), Greens (34%) and Bloc Québécois supporters (33%).

Got alotta work to do, ladies.

Colby Cosh: Harper Covering For The Warmists!

Some freaky-deaky logic today from Colby Cosh on the release of From Impacts to Adaptation: Canada in a Changing Climate 2007. This document is a major study re the effects of climate change on Canada involving 140 respected scientists. And, basically, the $64,000 question is: why did the Feds pay Hill and Knowlton $50,000 to flog the thing and then dump it on the GofC website without fanfare after some of the more disturbing results got leaked?

Colby thinks he has the answer:

We know the Conservative government is reluctant to make the large, immediate economic tradeoffs that professional environmentalists want. Could this be why the report was dropped quietly onto the internet like a Victorian flirt's handkerchief hitting a parqueted floor?

It's possible, but I don't think it's true. The report we're talking about is called From Impacts to Adaptation: Canada in a Changing Climate 2007. It's not a document about what we can do now to save Mother Earth: it's about what we can do to ready ourselves if some planetary warming, irrespective of the cause, is inevitable. In that sense it does not suit the environmentalist agenda to have the report widely publicized. Adaptation measures are competing for the same reserve of attention and funding as the Kyoto-type hair-shirt efforts to reduce greenhouse-gas output. The more we talk about living with a warmer Earth, the more we may come to see it as acceptable.

Now that's CHHHHHHutzzzPahhhh! According to CC, Harper has had the report stuffed, not because it makes alarming reading and raises question like what the hell do you plan to do about it?, but because Harper is down with the environmentalist agenda and wants to run cover for them. The report is, in a sense, too anti-Kyoto for the Tory government.

That's the most logical reading of the above passage. Alternatively, maybe Cosh is arguing that somehow Environmentalists have managed to reach inside the Ministry of Natural Resources and influence government policy. A photo of an angry Al Gore heads today's column. Maybe Al made a nasty phone-call to Gary Lunn and gave him heck for blowing the whole scam wide open.

In any case, the fact that the Federal Tories are ignoring a study they commissioned is somehow, some way, the fault of the Environmental movement.

How Mr. Cosh manages to write this stuff without busting out in giggles is beyond me.

Harper Lawsuit: Politics By Other Means

Ottawa's blondest blogger is quick on the uptake:

Does this sound a lot like a Prime Minister who is suing (PDF of complaint - warning, large file) Stephane Dion, personally, for libel? Or, alternately, a Prime Minister who wants everyone listening to him to think that's what he's doing...

Stephane Dion: NOT a subject of litigation.

Anyway, I thought Cadmania might have been on its last legs, but thank you Mr. Harper, you've brought it back to Life.

Never Thought Of That

...many phones now have cameras and I wonder if people remember to use them for the logistics of everyday life. So this post is just a reminder that all those things you often forget (I certainly forget all sorts of details that would be helpful to remember later) can be captured easily with your pocket-sized camera.

I still don't want one, but now I'll make sure the wife is always carrying hers.

Pope To Catholics:

Stop Having Fun!

Jesuits To Pope: We're Here, We're Queer, and We'll Dance If We Want To.

PMO Slaps Down The Speechies!!!

On behalf of the Prime Minister, I would like to thank you for your e-mail regarding human rights commissions at the federal and provincial level. Please be assured that your comments are appreciated and have been carefully reviewed.

[...]

As the Commission operates at arm's length, the federal government respects the Commission's independence and does not interfere in its normal course of operations. For more information about the operations of the Canadian Human Rights Commission, we would encourage you to visit the Commission's Web site...

They're shocked and appalled over at FreeD. The government has flipped them the bird and, come next election, they'll be looking for a party even further to the right than the CPoC. Won't be easy to find; even Alberta's Wildrose Alliance has embraced the status quo with respect to HRCs.

Meanwhile, Ezra is doing a comprehensive survey of Human Rights Inquisitors and finding that the Alberta commission is Chock-a-block full of Tories!!! Since these are patronage appointments, I guess that makes sense in Alberta, right? And, horror or horrors...some even have legal training, although apparently not the appropriate legal training, according to Ezra.

(This from a guy who thinks we operate under U.S. copyright laws. It's called fair dealing up here in the frozen tundra, Ez, not fair comment.)

h/t WK.

Tory Candidate Websites Hijacked!

After the last election, losing Conservative candidates often took down their now useless websites and in some cases let the domain names expire. Now, enterprising computer programmer Derek Seaborne has purchased a number of these domain names and linked them to Regressive Conservative, the website of "Canada's newest faith-based political party". At the website you can find Derek's manifesto:

The Conservative Party is a religious one, its views link sin almost exclusively to sex. If they gain enough seats, the Conservative will break their promise to the Canadian people and bring gay marriage to another vote. Make no mistake: After this passes issues like abortion, contraception, sex education, even divorce will be next.

The domain names snagged include those which previously pointed to the websites of Lou Grimshaw, Keith Fountain, John Mazzilli, Anthony Reale "mad" Rondo Thomas.

And I don't think that's a complete list. As FreeD's ConnieF writes:

... domaintools.com shows that Derek Seabrooke's email address is associated with 215 domains. I wonder how many of them are domains that belonged to CPC candidates -- domains that will not only be unavailable to them if they run again, but that will be actively working against them by pointing interested voters to an anti-CPC site during the next election.


Good work, Derek. Your country is proud of you.

Who The Heck Is Piers Corbyn, Or: Why Has The Denialist Movement Turned On One Of Its Own?

Piers Corbyn, according to his Wikipedia entry, is a a maverick British weather forecaster[2]. He runs WeatherAction, a company which makes weather forecasts up to year in advance, and publishes/sells these forecasts though his website. In fact, he has a

...wide range of weather sensitive customers, including gas and electricity companies, farmers and retailers.[6] - for example, PolyGram staggered their release dates and promotional tours for the motion picture Bean around Corbyn's predictions

While Corbyn's forecasts often resemble a horoscope--they are, that is, vague enough to be unverifiable--recently Piers has been making some fairly precise predictions that have clearly been proven wrong by actual weather events. As Corbyn himself writes:

Forecast errors in Jan and mid Feb and advances in the Solar Weather Technique which are coping with the present hypersensitivity on Sun-Earth weather links (a situation we reported at the Oct 16th 07 WeatherAction Press event).

Now, note the reference here to the "Solar Weather Technique". Piers is a hard core AGW Denier, and puts it all down to those ubiquitous "solar cycles", knowledge of which his "technique" (the methodology is a closely guarded secret) employs in crafting WeatherAction forecasts.

Corbyn's apparent successes have been oft-touted within the Denialist community, where they have been taken as evidence that the "solar cycles" explanation of recent global temperature changes has empirical support and predictive power.

However, as his recent forecasts have failed, so too has his reputation taken a hit within that community, the whole sad process currently playing out in discussions at the Climate Skeptic Cafe.

The grouching kicked off with the arrival of Corbyn's March forecast a few days ago, and this gusty blast from Hans Erren:

Piers missed today's severe gale. Combined with the absence of a forecast cold winter in holland I think there is not much confidence left....

This opinion was 2nded by Arthur Rorsch:

My problem is, however, that Piers forecasts, which where not sufficient accurate, has been used against me in the national (Dutch) debate on climate change. I did never refer to Piers. But it was assumed that I support his view, (as a sceptic) which weakened my own case, because the Piers forecasts where seriously questioned and he has not as yet been prepared to show the basis for his forecasts.

Of course, Corbyn still has a few supporters. Sweet Kristen, the Tiniest Denier, has leapt to his defense:

I recall Magnus explaining that the sun is not behaving as Piers expected and thus inaccuracies in his forecasts. I also recall that Piers gives degrees of accuracy. His forecasts all come with a probability of being correct. But when the sun does behave as he expects his forecasts are accurate.

Nice girl, but she oughtta be out rebelling someplace.

In any event, the upshot of all this is that, for the time-being, Corbyn has stopped publishing his forecasts. I do have a copy of the March version, however, and if anyone wants one, they can drop me an email.

Which One Was Banging The Gov.?

My favorite's Julia here, but they're all nice.

(Story from Fox)

Gas To Hit $12,000.08 Per Litre?

"WASHINGTON (AP) - Adm. William Fallon, the top U.S. military commander for the Middle East, is resigning, Defense Secretary Robert Gates said Tuesday.

[...]

Fallon was the subject of an article published last week in Esquire magazine that portrayed him as opposed to President Bush's Iran policy. It described Fallon as a lone voice against taking military action to stop the Iranian nuclear program."

[...]

Gates described as "ridiculous" any notion that Fallon's departure signals the United States is planning to go to war with Iran.

Guess that means the U.S. is going to war with Iran.

PS. Here's a fuller account of the circumstances behind his resignation.

A Recent History Of The Western Standard

Noted this short piece in the Calgary Herald this morning:

A Muslim leader is praising Calgary police for making progress in their investigation of anti-Islamic postings on a local website last year.

Syed Soharwardy of the Islamic Supreme Council of Canada thanked police for identifying two people who posted the remarks on the Western Standard website.

A quick backgrounder. When Ezra Levant abandoned the flaming wreckage of The Western Standard, he left behind one final blog post (which has since been sent down the memory hole). Fans quickly decorated the post with anti-Muslim sentiments. For example:

"...there is no such thing as innocent Muslims. They must all be killed. All of them."

Mr. Soharwardy swiftly organized protests outside of Calgary City Hall, and threatened a complaint via the AHRCC against the Western Standard, which elicited this grovelling apology from Matthew Johnston, the Standard's new Head Honcho. Afterwards, Mr. Johnston vowed to weed out the crazies posting to the WS Shotgun Blog.

What is interesting about the latest development is that, presumably, Mr. Johnston and the gang at WS must have co-operated with the police investigation.

Cadmania Lives!

James Moore today in the HOC:

“Mr. Cadman was going to run again,” responded Conservative MP James Moore, parliamentary secretary of public works and the government's point person on the contentious file.

“The only offer that was put on the table was the offer, as I said, to rejoin the Conservatives, get re-nominated as a Conservative, and that we would offer him any financial support that was necessary and mandated by Elections Canada – allowed by Elections Canada – to seek re-election.”

What Tom Flanagan said in "Harper’s Team: Behind the Scenes in the Conservative Rise to Power":

“The last thing [Cadman] wanted right now was an election. I knew then that we would lose the vote, which we did a couple hours later.”

That's another week's worth of scandal right there.

It Also Doesn't Work

David Keith and Thomas Homer-Dixon argue in last weekend's Globe Essay that environmentalists oppose carbon sequestration schemes because:

1) Environmentalists are gambling that we can make the huge cuts in CO2 emissions we need simply by improving our energy efficiency and using renewables like solar and wind power.

2) They possess a deep suspicion of big business and big industry that's a residue of the leftism of the original environmental movement.

They don't mention a third reason, which is that carbon sequestration is an expensive, iffy technology that may never work. I've written briefly about some of the challenges faced by Mr. Keith's preferred CCs project here, and many other writers have pointed out the technical issues that make any such project a questionable investment.

However, what I think is most significant are the doubts expressed re carbon sequestration by those within the power generation industry itself.

For example, in his day job, Richard S. Courtney, a well known climate change denier, was once Senior Material Scientist for British Coal. That's actually a PR position, but they gave him a fancy name. Now he edits CoalTrans International (journal of the international coal trading industry. His opinion of carbon sequestration:

Firstly, the value of carbon sequestration is political: n.b. it is not technological or economic.

There is opposition to power generation systems that emit CO2 as waste (this is similar to opposition to nuclear power systems that emit radioactive waste). A response to the opposition is needed until the AGW scare is ended. And claims of carbon sequestration (cs) provide that needed response although eveybody knows cs would be too expensive for it to be used.

When one of Big Coal's premier representatives calls CCs a crock meant to give the industry a thin green sheen, you have to wonder if some of that residue of distrust isn't warranted, and whether Mr. Homer-Dixon and Mr. Keith are not being a little bit naive.

Electorate In Stasis

The poll shows the major parties practically frozen in place since December, 2006 with the Conservatives dropping one point to 35 per cent since the last survey two weeks ago, while Liberal support picked up the point in rising to 31 per cent.

Interesting. Abstaining hasn't hurt the Liberals. Cadman hasn't hurt the Tories. Preening like a peacock on American television hasn't helped Jack Layton.

Take away message?

On the question of an election, the poll shows a full two-thirds - 66 per cent, up four points since mid-February - of Canadians oppose the idea, saying "there's no need for an election at the moment." Meanwhile, only 27 per cent responded that "we need an election to clear the air" while seven per cent said they were unsure.

The Election Jihadis should take a cold shower, and knock off the hand-wringing. The nation doesn't feel your pain.

The Tories should continue doing what they're doing: posing and talking tough. Because it hasn't worked for two years, so success must be just around the corner.

A Crap Alberta Government Survey Of Alberta "Rock Scientists" On Climate Change

Given the abuse that James Annan and Fergus Brown took as a result of their good-faith attempt to survey honest-to-god climate scientists (including from me here), zero weight can be given to this ghastly survey of Professional Engineers, Geologists, and Geophysicists of Alberta (esp. given the state of some of the questions, but see below for more on that):

Virtually all respondents (99.4%) agree that the climate is changing. There is also general agreement that the climate is changing both regionally and globally (78.7% agree) and that it may result in both warming and cooling (83.0% agree). There is less agreement as to the magnitude of the change:65.7% believe that there are changes to both the average and variability of the climate, 20.2% believe that there are changes to the average state, and 14.1% believe that there are changes to the variability. There is also disagreement as to the timescale: 55.3% believe that there are both long and short term effects, 28.8% believe there are long term effects, and 11.6% believe that there are short term effects.

There is even less agreement as to the cause: 27.4% believe it is caused by primarily natural factors (natural variation, volcanoes, sunspots, lithosphere motions, etc.), 25.7% believe it is caused by primarily human factors (burning fossil fuels, changing land use, enhanced water evaporation due to irrigation), and 45.2% believe that climate change is caused by both human and natural factors.

[...]

The highest disagreement (68% disagree) with statement “the debate on the scientific causes of recent climate change is settled”. It is somewhat reassuring that 66% of respondents do not feel pressured by their peers to take a certain stance on climate change and 59% do not feel like that must base their professional work on factors other their solid scientific principles.

Note that the first couple of sentences in the first paragraph are so vague as to be meaningless. This is what you get when you ask your members to choose between the following assertions:

1) Our climate is not presently changing
2) Our climate is changing.

The Consensus that there is no consensus is similarly crap, since the survey does not make clear whether the respondents are disagreeing with the contention that the cause, or extent, or time scale, or magnitude of climate change is "settled" (or some combination.

And there is interesting data collected but not shared in the document above, such as do APEGGA members think Canada should uphold its Kyoto commitments?

The members of APEGGA have been ill-served by their association. In fact, it looks like they got suckered by the Alberta Environment Ministry (Alberta Environment), which designed the survey. Designed it to give the results they were looking for, no doubt.

Rearranging The Deck Chairs On The Good Ship Denial

There's a new skeptic's group out there, the International Climate Science Coalition. There's not much to see. Led by a Terry Dunleavy, who writes for New Zealand Wine Grower Magazine, its the same old gang peddling the same old tripe. Only interesting perhaps in that it provides insight into the staffing of these kinds of groups. As Tim Ball writes at the Climate Skeptics Cafe:

Tom Harris has been hired as Executive Director, myself and Bob Carter and I believe Lord Monckton are in a core group. I am taking over Tom's position at nrsp until a replacement is found. I look forward to working with them and other groups such as the Friends of Science. The more groups and representation we have the better and wider the message is disseminated.

Hundreds of groups, composed in total of dozens of people. Money to pay them all.

The Radical Imam Moves On

The Rad Imam Syed Soharwardy, arch-nemesis to Ezra "Lord of All Speeches" Levant, has decided to get on with his life. He's talking about the situation in Darfur, and OMYGAWD!!!, the radical shit coming out of his mouth!

'The majority of the people on both sides of this conflict are Muslims,' says [Syed Soharwardy].

'This is absolutely a genocide and a number of major global Islamic organizations have a major responsibility, compared with any other groups, to stop this.'

Soharwardy says the leadership of the broader Muslim world, not just the Sudanese regime, must be held to account for their inaction while millions suffer.

'It hurts every Muslim because it's a crisis and nobody is taking any interest,' he adds.

Meanwhile, what's Ezra up to? Click, click, click. Hmm. Looks like he's still talking about Ezra.

The Problem With C-10

Should Bill C-10 become law, a committee of Heritage Ministry’s smut-, hate- and violence-hunters could deny tax credits to a completed film, even one in which the government had invested up front. From that day, no fiscally responsible institution would feel comfortable offering interim financing to any film. Imagine a charity trying to raise funds with tax receipts that may or may not be valid.

The Heritage Ministry can renege on its previous commitments mid-process, in other words.

Good piece from George Jonas.

C-484: The Issue Of Liberal Culpability

Much hair-pulling today re the Liberal response to Bill C-484 (20 MPS supporting), which essentially allowed the legislation to pass second reading (and the first of 3 votes).

Here are some thoughts:

1) Despite some excellent blogging on the issue, I have found a grand total of two MSM articles on the topic written within the past couple of days: yesterdays G&M piece (which mistakenly referred to the "first reading" of the bill), and the Reuters piece linked above, which usefully details the great distance C-484 must travel yet before becoming law.

As for OpEd's, there's Zerbie's today, which I linked to in an earlier post. So you can't really blame the Libs for dodging an issue this low-profile. Or if you do blame them (and perhaps this is an unfortunate truth) only you and your mama care. With the public, the issue is drawing a flat-line. Don't expect to see the Libs take any hits on it outside of the blogging Nerdosphere until the blogging Nerdosphere can convince the MSM to deal with something other than Naftagate and Cadscam.

2) It really is a long way until this becomes law. It can be killed in committee, or transformed such that it serves no CPoC interest, or it can be killed in the Senate. If the point is that C-484 dies eventually, then how it happens should be immaterial.

In fact, that it might expire quietly in some back-room or in the sleepy confines of the Senate would be a plus. People say "whip the vote", but the Libs have a small rump of committed SoCons who, in the state the party is in at the moment, may not fear the whip and, if it is applied, may decide they don't want to be Liberals anymore. I'm not sure that them leaving serves anyone's purpose.

So there you have it. CC wanted a response from a Liblogger and there it is. Come get some, dog breath.

Now That's How You Oppose In A Minority Government!

OTTAWA — The Harper government vowed Thursday to kill legislation introduced by a Liberal MP and quietly passed by the House of Commons that would allow parents to contribute up to $5,000 a year to their children's education and deduct it from their income tax.

After an outburst of pure dorkiness, the Libs Strike Back! What part of this are the Tories opposed to? Do they hate children or parents?

Hint for the Libs: pass a bill making the government buy everybody a puppy. If they kill it, brand them as anti-puppy.

Harper To Layton: You Are A Joy To Be Opposed By!

As the Liberals attempt to discover whether or not Stephen Harper bribed a dying man, the NDP decides that it must collectively bathe its pet hamster. Not that they're inactive up there on Parliament Hill. The problem is, Stephen Harper likes what they're doing!

Stephen Harper accused Liberal leader Stéphane Dion of smear tactics and praised NDP Leader Jack Layton for asking about what he considered more serious matters - the leak of Canadian diplomatic information that has affected the Democratic presidential campaigns.

The kiss of death for an opposition party: to be loved by the government.

Meanwhile, it looks like Quadra is safe.

Meanwhile, a question: if Bill C-484 can be quietly eviscerated in committee, or dies in the Senate, isn't that good enough?

Meanwhile, the MSM shows a pulse on Bill C-484. Thank God for Zerbie.

Not So Fast!!

Ottawa -- A private member's bill that would amend the Criminal Code to make harming a fetus a crime passed FIRST reading yesterday.

(Caps added)

Not:

Bill C - 484 passed Second Reading yesterday - 147 to 133.

Isn't Joanne's fault though, the single (1) story in the news today about C-484 (G&M) indeed suggested in its earliest versions that the Bill had gone through 2nd reading. They have since corrected their mistake.

So we are earlier along in the process than was reported and there is still time to contact that list of 20 Liberal assholes RT has conveniently compiled and give 'em heck.

There is also time for real journalists in the MSM get off their asses and report on this thing. One story?

UPDATE: One of my commentors suggests G&M got it right the first time.

The confusion here seems to be about what exactly a vote on "second reading" is. Here's a quick civics lesson to clear things up.

A bill is read in Parliament for the first time when it is introduced. There is no vote at first reading. The initial vote any bill faces is on having it read a second time (hence the vote being referred to as a vote on "second reading"). If the bill passes the vote on second reading it's sent to committee, which then reports on the bill. A "report stage" debate and vote follows. If the bill passes that vote, a motion is made to read the bill a third time. If the bill passes the vote at third reading, it is sent to the Senate.

In short, a vote on second reading is actually the first vote a bill faces. C-484 still has a committee to pass through in addition to two more votes in the House before it even makes its way to the Senate, where it would have to start the process all over again.

Also, keep in mind that the Justice committee can amend the bill during its deliberations. This gives MPs the opportunity to change the more controversial, seemingly anti-choice passages contained in C-484.

[...]

Probably a less confusing but correct title would be "Unborn-victims bill passes first VOTE in Commons".

Mea Culpa. But still two more VOTES to go.

Alan Sokal On Faith-Based Schools

Alan Sokal is best known for the Sokal Affair. In 1996, Mr. Sokal sent a paper containing mostly
gibberish to the journal Social Text in an attempt to demonstrate the general sloppiness of Post-Modern thinking. The journal published "Transgressing the Boundaries: Toward a Transformative Hermeneutics of Quantum Gravity", and all hell broke loose.

As someone who spent too many of my University years studying the likes of Lyotard, Derrida, and etc., it was a point well made. Though one of my favorite Literary Critics, Stanley Fish, wrote an eloquent response to Sokal here , it was generally ignored.

In any case, if anyone is wondering what Sokal is up to these days, he is still pounding away at what he perceives to be irrationalism and Pseudo-Science, and recently published "Taking Evidence Seriously", which turns out to be quite apropos in light of the recent Ontario Election. He writes:


Here's another example: The Government under former Prime Minister Tony Blair assiduously promoted state subsidies for "faith-based schools". Of course, "faith" is here being used as an ecumenical-sounding euphemism for "religion", but the word is still revealing. For what is "faith", if not the pseudo-justi cation that some people trot out when they want to make claims without adequate evidence?

After it was reported that a publicly funded Christian school in Gateshead had been teaching creationism, Blair was asked in Parliament whether he was "happy to allow the teaching of reationism alongside Darwin's theory of evolution in state schools". Blair (always the consummate politician) avoided a direct answer, but defended the school in question and said that "in the end, a more diverse school system will deliver better results for our children." Shall we also, in the name of "diversity", subsidize schools teaching that the moon is made of green cheese?

Of course, Muslim, Hindu, Sikh and Jewish Britons can rightly complain that the state has long funded Church of England and Roman Catholic schools. But the proper remedy is not to extend state patronage from Christianity to other superstitions; rather, it is to implement a complete separation of church from state, and more generally to insist that taxpayer-funded institutions have no business propagating dogmas unsupported by evidence.

Moreover, segregating children of Muslim parents from children of Christian parents
for separate indoctrination is woefully misguided. Instead, why not bring together students of both backgrounds in a high-school history class to examine the historical evidence bearing on the composition of the New Testament and the Qur'an?

Good stuff up until the end. But seriously, he wants to get Muslims and Christians together in one room and teach them that their holy books are merely historical documents? What if they team up the way Dinesh DaSouza suggests? They might nail him to a cross and fly an plane into it.

Much of "Taking Evidence Seriously" appears in this longer piece by Sokal: "What is Science and Why Should We Care".

Climate Change Denier: All Hail Our Martian Overlords!

Funny what things you discover using Wikipedia. S. Fred Singer, de facto leader of the Climate Change Skeptics that met at this weeks DeniaPalooza festival in New York City, once served as special adviser to Dwight Eisenhower. And he once advised the President that:

March 1960: The Martian moon Phobos, generally accepted as a celestial body, actually may be an artificial satellite launched long ago by an advanced Martian race, according to Dr. S. Fred Singer...No mention was made of the other Mars moon, Deimos.

Now he thinks Global Warming is caused by "solar cycles".

To be fair, his more recent views on the Martian moons are a little less out there.

Has Cadmania Already Paid Off?

Maybe.

As I argued a couple of days ago, if the Chuck Cadman scandal remained in the news long enough the Federal Tories would be less likely to force an election over their bid to hobble the Canada Wheat Board.

And, indeed, it looks like Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz has backed down.

Asked whether the bill [amendments to The Canada Wheat Board Act] was a confidence motion, Ritz said: "Not at this point. We're keeping our options all open there. We'll work toward whatever it takes."

This is obviously not yet an admission of abject failure, but it is interesting nevertheless that Ritz is now claiming the introduction of the bill is more about symbolism , about "sending a message", than actually doing anything:

"I don't think we physically have to have the bill passed. We just have to have sent the signal that we are going to stay on top of this. Our date is still August 1, 2008 and we will move heaven and earth to make that happen," he said.

All hail the Cadman Scandal.

Principled NDPers! Get Ready To Barf!

I seldom write about the NDP, because I'm not willing to spend too much time over a fringe party, it doesn't bring me alot of traffic, and frankly its like being a heckler at the Special Olympics. But the following cannot be allowed to pass unchallenged.

Blonde blogging uber-babe Kadey O'Malley's is discussing C-6, the Tories infamous "veiled voter bill":

The Liberals are, as far as I know, the only party to officially...oppose the re-tweaked bill - which, rather remarkably, managed to once again omit any requirement that voters present photo identification, thereby rendering moot any reasonable argument in favour of - or, for that matter, against - forcible de-veiling.

I don't want to walk through the whole idiotic history of this bill again, but O'Malley's comments get to the nub of it. The Tories want veiled (Muslim) women to show their faces when they come to vote, while NOT requiring that they (or anyone else) present photo identification. Thus the act of unveiling will not prove that they are who they claim to be, only that they do indeed possess a face.

It isn't surprising that the Bloc should get behind this legislation, representing as they do some of the most regressive elements of Quebec society. The NDP's position, however, seems to waver between upholding reason and common sense and whoring it up for French rednecks in a desperate attempt to scare up votes in La Belle Province. Shame on them and Jack Layton!

Ezra, You Don't Have to MANUFACTURE Evidence Of Hate Speech At Free Dominion

It happens all the time, as recently as a week ago:

BFA condemns any violence against those of the Moslem faith who mean us no harm. But sadly, it would be foolish for us to allow anyone of the Islamic faith to live in this country. At the very least, our government should deport all foreign Islamic persons immediately as they could pose a greater threat than illegal immigration or even the enemy we fight in Iraq, for some of these Islamists mean us harm while on our own soil.

That's from an article linked to at the site. Some of the responses:

Political correctness is protecting these scum from prosecution, the same way it protected/protects HIV.

And:

If Muslims had shown up in 2001 from outer space, then we would know exactly what to do, but since they originated here on the earth, technically they are not aliens. I think the distinction is becoming less relevant with every passing year, and sooner or later it will come down to us or them. Then we will see whether God is as tolerant of them as columnist David Warren implied He was...

This is surely the problem with any argument Ezra Levant and co. make re CHRC investigators and human rights activists like Richard Warman joining forums like StormFront and FreeD just to "plant" evidence of racism and hate speech. The evidence is there already, to be gathered by anyone with eyes to see.

Incidentally, anyone still huffed at my "linking" Ezra to far right militants should note his cute little shout-out to pre-eminent Canadian Nazi Mark Lemire in the post above.

Cadman Scandal Fun Facts

1) One of the allegedly non-financial, non-illegal offers the Tories claim to have made to Chuck Cadman in 2005 was that they would reserve the Tory nomination in Surrey North for him. Nuh uh. That don't wash. From this morning's Ottawa Citizen:

The candidate chosen in 2005 to run for the Conservatives in Chuck Cadman's Vancouver-area riding said he was never approached about stepping aside to allow the terminally-ill MP to run for the party.
David Matta was acclaimed as the party's candidate for Surrey-North on May 2, 2005 -- more than two weeks before Conservative officials say they offered a candidacy to Mr. Cadman on the day of a crucial confidence vote.

"Nobody approached me for that," said Mr. Matta.

2) A former employee of deceased MP Chuck Cadman, Dan Wallace, has issued a statement saying there was only one meeting with two top Conservative Party of Canada officials before Cadman voted on the 2005 budget.

The meeting on May 17th is now deemed fictitious. Personally, I don't know what to make of that. FYI only.

3) No effect on the polls yet:

The federal budget and a brewing scandal over alleged offers made to the late Independent MP Chuck Cadman have neither boosted nor hurt the Conservatives in terms of public support.

A Toronto Star/Angus Reid poll released today gives the Conservatives 34 per cent of the decided vote if an election were held today, the Liberals 28 per cent, the NDP 18 per cent, the Bloc Québécois 10 per cent and the Green party 9 per cent

4) Ezra Levant manages to turn the Cadman scandal into another opportunity to talk about himself. My favorite line:

Back in the spring of 2002, the Canadian Alliance was in a civil war. The party was in disarray, with MPs defecting, staff quitting and insider leaking embarrassing tid-bits to the press on a daily basis. Needless to say, the party was low in the polls.

Sounds like the today's Liberal party, minus the "low in the polls" bit. This too shall pass Liberals. Hang together or hang separately, and all that.

Dona Cadman: PM NOT Linked To Offer

Apparently, she has also claimed she will run in Surrey as a Conservative, though that's not in this story.

I've also read today that Cadman spoke to a "number of close friends" beyond his immediate family, but can't remember the source.

I'm Ready For Anything That Lies Ahead

...says Conrad.

I'm now of the opinion that his Lordship should be allowed to keep his Order Of Canada. He may need to trade it for cigarettes or some "leave me alone time".

Holocaust Or Mere Disaster?

Several days ago, Matan Vilnai, Israel's deputy defense minister, caused no end of shock and horror when he warned of a Palestinian "Holocaust" (or "shoah") if Hamas kept firing its rockets into Israeli territory.

A number of writers have blamed the flare-up over a simple mis-translation. For example, Melanie Philips:

Reuters translated the Hebrew word ‘shoah’ as ‘holocaust’. But ‘shoah’ merely means disaster. In Hebrew, the word ‘shoah’ is never used to mean ‘holocaust’ or ‘genocide’ because of the acute historical resonance. The word ‘Hashoah’ alone means ‘the Holocaust’ and ‘retzach am’ means ‘genocide’. The well-known Hebrew construction used by Vilnai used merely means ‘bringing disaster on themselves’.

Never used? Well, lets employ teh Googles and see what happens. Try the search terms "Holocaust Shoa".

Hmm! Pages and pages of stuff (121,000 references). For example, this from wiki:

The biblical word Shoa (שואה) (also spelled Shoah and Sho'ah), meaning "calamity," became the standard Hebrew term for the Holocaust as early as the 1940s. Shoa is preferred by many Jews for a number of reasons, including the theologically offensive nature of the original meaning of "holocaust."

And other results include:

The Holocaust\Shoah Page
Holocaust (Shoah) Research Resources
SHOAH--THE HOLOCAUST
SHOAH - HOLOCAUST LINKS

Maybe these are all mistranslations. Or maybe Melanie Philips is talking out her ass and conning the usual suspects.

Exploiting The Cadman Scandal

Steve, whose calls for an immediate election have become strident and feverish lately, recovers nicely with this post re the Cadman controversy:

Why I hesitate, in adopting Turner's "pull the plug" advice over Cadman, it is just too opportunistic to be credible. Last week, Liberals spent their entire time trying to develop clever ways to avoid an election. This scandal breaks, and then suddenly, Liberals have found a solid spine, it's time to go. The chronology is too cute for words, and I doubt Canadian voters would be overly impressed with the obvious motivations. No, the Liberals have made their bed, the opportunity has passed, the optics of a reversal are dreadful.

Exactly. The Libs should not lean on this as the sole trigger of an election call.

Now, what if the NDP is working on a non-confidence motion in regards to the scandal? Then I would say the Libs should NOT support it on the grounds that it is premature, because:

1) It is premature. Let the RCMP do their job.

2) It is in the Libs strategic interest to have this hanging over the government as Parliament progresses. Whatever the final outcome of any investigation (guilty/not guilty) the very process will generate any number of Tory-negative media stories. For example, what will Dona Cadman do? Can she still run Conservative? What will the CPoC do with Dona Cadman? Can they afford to keep her now that she's accused the Party of bribery? It is hard to see an end to this that makes Harper and co. exit looking good.

Now, a few have speculated that it might be possible to use the Canadian Wheat Board Issue as a cover for going into an election over the Cadman Affair. That might work. But if this scandal still has legs in April, when the CWB legislation is due to arrive, then it is unlikely that the government will make it a matter of confidence in the first place.

The Liberal Party could then claim credit for sinking the measure and quietly go about the task of getting their shit together for the fall. That would be the best result

Stick That In Your Climate Model...

...and fine-tune it.

Apparently, it's been know for awhile now that airborne bacterial streams could prompt precipitation in the form of rain or snow. The single-celled bodies which make up these streams serve as "nucleators" that water vapor can coalesce and freeze around. However, how ubiquitous these streams were, and how important they might be to cloud formation, has only recently become apparent:

"Atmospheric scientists haven't previously recognized that these particles are so widely distributed," [Louisiana State University microbiologist Brent Christner] said.

The findings raise the question of how climate change and human activities will affect bacterial balances in the sky. More immediately, they're a starting point for research on bacterial contributions to cloud formation and precipitation.

Since the impact of feedback loops involving clouds on global weather patterns is the largest source of uncertainty in current predictions of climate change, the new research should eventually allow for greater precision in these forecasts.

More cool cloud stuff here.

A Lost Ipsos Poll

Tories (37%) Maintain Lead over Grits (30%)

Ottawa, ON – In a week where the Conservative government delivered its budget, a new Ipsos Reid poll conducted exclusively on behalf of CanWest News Service and Global Television reveals that the Conservatives are maintaining their lead over the Liberal Party.

Saw nothing of this in the major newspapers, perhaps because there is very little change from the previous (Feb. 15 release) Ipsos poll . FWIW, both major parties are up a point from that survey, and since I have seen nothing on-line about this I haven't a clue what the other parties are doing.

Daughter: Dona Cadman Should Run As Independent

"If it was such an indecent proposal, how are you in good conscience running for that particular party?"

Tough spot for the Tories. We can assume that if Mrs. Cadman leaves the party Surrey North is a write-off for them, and if they're ex-candidate is running around saying Stephen Harper tried to bribe my husband, it will have national implications. I don't know how her campaign manager Bill Zemianski can argue that:

"The prime minister supports her 100 per cent and she supports the prime minister 100 per cent."

"We have, like any family, a few disagreements, but this will not in any way impact on her running as a Conservative candidate."

Well, but one of the disagreements is that Dona Cadman has used the term "bribe" to describe the actions of Stephen Harper's Conservative Party, and he has essentially called her and/or her late husband a liar:

[James] Moore, a B.C. MP who repeatedly referred to Cadman as a dear friend, made denial after denial in the Commons that an insurance policy had been offered.

[...]

"The prime minister made a recommendation to him that he rejoin the Conservative party, as he was previously a member, so he could be a candidate for us in the coming campaign," Moore said.

This is just ruminating on Garth's part, but I hope some back-room Libs are taking it seriously.

Wildrose Alliance Endorses HRCs!

Lost in yesterday's "Daily Nazi" post was a mildly interesting tid-bit. John Murdoch, campaign chair of Alberta's Wildrose Alliance, which is polling at about 7 per cent and might just maybe possibly win a seat in next week's provincial election, has endorsed the existence of Human Rights Commissions:

Further to this, whomever was saying we do not support Human rights commissions is obviously speaking out of turn as there is no such policy and certainly no such prevailing sentiment in the party.

Obviously trying to take a few steps towards the mainstream.

Yo Mark, Ezra...suck on that, Speechy boyzz! You can't even count on The Alliance! Not even Alberta's Conservative fringe! Boo-yah! Boo-yah! Your revolution is down the toilet! Boo-yah!

Compared To This, Afghanistan Is A Side-Show

PARIS -- The fast-warming Arctic could be plunged into "armed conflict" unless the U.S. takes the lead in resolving rival claims by the U.S., Canada, Russia, Denmark and Norway over a region that could create billions of dollars in new wealth as the ice cap melts, according to new analysis.

Which is why I 100% support Tory efforts to "bulk up" our military and surveillance capabilities in the North, and why it is especially tragic that we are pissing away $1,000,000s that could be used for this effort in the deserts of Central Asia.

Here is the original article. In it, author Scott G Borgerson minces no words when describing "The Coming Anarchy":

The situation is especially dangerous because there are currently no overarching political or legal structures that can provide for the orderly development of the region or mediate political disagreements over Arctic resources or sea-lanes. The Arctic has always been frozen; as ice turns to water, it is not clear which rules should apply. The rapid melt is also rekindling numerous interstate rivalries and attracting energy-hungry newcomers, such as China, to the region. The Arctic powers are fast approaching diplomatic gridlock, and that could eventually lead to the sort of armed brinkmanship that plagues other territories, such as the desolate but resource-rich Spratly Islands, where multiple states claim sovereignty but no clear picture of ownership exists.

[...]

Until such a solution is found, the Arctic countries are likely to unilaterally grab as much territory as possible and exert sovereign control over opening sea-lanes wherever they can.

While it is certainly possible to maintain that the Afghanistan mission is in Canada's national interest, the arguments tend to be indirect and circuitous: we must maintain our alliances and so forth. The argument for keeping the Russkie's grubby mitts off Baffin Island, for example, is much more direct.

But we can't do that if our guys are running around in circles outside of Kandahar.

Kinsella And Warman Tag Team Free-D

Connie says:

We just got two notices of intent to sue. One from Lucy over the Cools thing, and another one - a joint one - from Lucy Woman and Woman Kinsella.


She means Richard Warman and Warren Kinsella. She's being funny.

Details, as they say, to follow.

Nope. No Nazis Around Here

City arson detectives are looking into a possible white supremacist link to a pair of firebombings in the city.

[...]

"They're getting stronger, they're showing their flags," [said Anti-racism activist Bonnie Collins, who lives in one of the targetted houses] . "There's a lot of kids drawn to it -- they're looking for something and they find acceptance with these groups."

On this particular case the Anti-Racist Canada Blog writes:

While we aren't certain that the firebombing is as a result of Ms. Collins' anti-racist activism, we are probably 99.5% in agreement that this was a legitimate act of intimidation and perhaps attempted murder. At least on[e] Aryan Guard member is closely associated with a neo-Nazi originally from Kitchener, Ontario who is believed to have been involved in some assaults and a firebombing in Edmonton. These two were roommates in Kitchener and moved to Calgary together, however the one eventually returned to Ontario, then moved to Edmonton. It was during his time in Edmonton when the assaults and firebombing took place; similar incidents in Edmonton declined when this individual left the city again. This all speculation, but it's based on some precedent.

For what its worth, the Aryan Guard has denied responsibility on Stormfront.

But, in any case, something to keep in mind when you read one of Jonathon Kay's columns.

Update: The Anti-Racist Canada Blog is fascinating. They report that the Aryan Guard has endorsed the Wildrose Alliance due to their alleged stand against the CHRT/CHRC. However, the Alliance doesn't want their endorsement, and begs to differ:

Further to this, whomever was saying we do not support Human rights commissions is obviously speaking out of turn as there is no such policy and certainly no such prevailing sentiment in the party.

Honestly, you know Ezra's crusade is headed for the tank when he can't even win over Alberta's right-wing fringe.

Meet Al Gore In Montreal

Al Gore will be personally training 200 Canadians from April April 4 to 6, 2008 in Montreal to present the live version of the slide show that is featured in the movie [An Incovenient Truth].

The Climate Project Canada is taking applications until March 7 through the site linked above if you want to be a presenter. Meals are provided and accomodations can be got at a reduced rate.

And I hear they got the best hookers in Canada out in Montreal. There's a girl there that'll take out her glass eye and wink you off for $1.00.

Margaret Wente Vs. The Truth

Ms. Wente foams up over a recent Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario decision:

But rights slice both ways. Mr. Lane applied for a job for which he clearly wasn't suited, and misstated facts to get it. Now he stands to collect nearly $80,000, and he was only on the job for eight days.

From Donna M. Seale's "Human Rights in the Workplace" Blog:

The tribunal concluded that Mr. Lane had been fired as a result of his disability and the perceptions as to the impact of his disability on the workplace. The adjudicator rejected ADGA's argument that it terminated Mr. Lane simply for failing to live up to the essential requirements of his job during his 90 day probationary period. A further argument by ADGA that it had the right to fire Mr. Lane once it found out he had failed to reveal his disability during the hiring process was also rejected. On this point, the adjudicator pointed to expert evidence adduced at the hearing which detailed that persons with bipolar disorder are very reluctant to reveal their conditions to prospective employers due to the stigmatization of mental illness in the workplace and society in general.

And further:

None of the managers who made the actual decision to terminate Mr. Lane took any steps to assess whether ADGA could accommodate Mr. Lane's disability. In fact, the adjudicator pointed out that the key managers who decided to terminate Mr. Lane were completely ignorant of their legal obligations when dealing with a disabled employee. Given that Mr. Lane had specifically revealed his disability to Ms. Corbett and suggested ways he could be accommodated, the adjudicator was astonished that management had seemingly not contacted its human resource department or legal counsel to determine what it should do to carefully manage the situation. Instead, the ADGA manager principally responsible for the termination believed that the information Ms. Corbett had relayed to him about Mr. Lane's bipolar disorder was irrelevant. He based his determination to dismiss Mr. Lane solely on his personal assessment of whether Mr. Lane was capable of performing the job for which he was hired.

Ezra riffs on Ms. Wente in his post "The "human right" to have manic episodes while testing artillery". Its software, Ezra, artillery software. The guy wasn't tapping live shells with a little red hammer.

As an aside, Ezra severely bungs up the facts of this case as well:

Light up a cigarette in an Ontario restaurant, and you're breaking the law. Light up a marijuana joint, and the restaurateur is breaking the law if he tries to stop you.

But, as The Sun story Ezra links to clearly states in the 2nd line, the customer in question stepped outside to spark up his J of medical mary-jane.

There are none so blind as those who cannot read, I guess.

Incidentally, I have to disagree with the Prince of Pot here:

"I don't see people with insulin bringing their syringes out in the middle of restaurants and giving themselves injections," [Marc] Emery, who is facing a 10-year jail sentence at the U.S.'s behest for selling marijuana seeds, said from his home in B.C., noting that since Gibson was drinking alcohol at the time of the Burlington incident in 2005, he could have ingested the cannabis via an alcoholic tincture that would have been just as effective and more discreet.

More discreet, but not nearly as fast acting. That is why these people are provided with the weed itself rather than some orally administered THC compound. (That and, in the case of cancer patients, the issue of trying to relieve nausea with a medicine that must be swallowed).

Denialist Website (CO2 Science) Hacked

A week ago we experienced a terrorist-like Denial of Service Attack on our website that rendered it inaccessible to patrons. Unfortunately, the company that managed our website was unable to stop the attack, and we had to make the decision to host our website elsewhere. Moving our website to another server is not a simple task and must take place in stages. For now, only the current weekly issue of CO2 Science will be accessible, followed by a gradual return to full website access and functionality in the coming days and weeks.

Tsk tsk.

Luckily, since there was very little in the way of legitimate information at the site in the first place, none was lost in the DOS attack.

To whit: this little piece that explains cheerily how, while cute little wood frogs and certain bugs and other fast breeding species might evolve their way through Global Warming in as little as 40 years, your children and their childrens' children and their childrens' childrens' children are still pretty much fucked.





I'm Okay. You're Not So Hot.