Canadian Broadcast Standards Council Dings Ezra Levant Again!

From the release:

The host of The Source, Ezra Levant, showed videoclips of a protest that had occurred outside the Sun’s Toronto office.  The protestors objected to Sun Media’s coverage of the Idle No More movement.  A few days later, Levant replayed the clips, saying that, following their initial broadcast, he had received information from viewers about who some of the protestors were.  He identified one couple by their names, stating that they were “professional protestors” who had engaged in other protest activity.

The CBSC received a complaint from the identified woman, who asserted that she was not the person in the clip as she had not attended the Sun Media protest and had not even been in Toronto at the time.  She also complained that Levant had tarnished her reputation and that of her husband by accusing them of being professional protestors and using the Aboriginal movement to cause a “ruckus”.

The CBSC’s National Specialty Services Panel concluded that Sun News Network breached Clause 6 of the CAB Code of Ethics for including inaccurate information in the talk show.  Levant had acknowledged his error on the February 8 episode of The Source.

The actual decision can be found here.  Its worth noting that Ezra didn't bother correcting himself until after the complaint was filed (not when the error was first pointed out).

I wrote about this one previously.  From the original complaint:

Neither me nor my husband was even in the country when that protest took place, nor have we been anywhere near Toronto since Jan. 1 of this year. After writing Sun to tell them that the information that they aired was false, demanding an apology, Sun actually aired the program again!

There has to be some accountability. This is the just tip of the iceberg in terms of their racist, misleading, and at times outright false programming. 

At the time, I contacted the complainant via email.  They were considering legal action at the time, which I think meant another defamation suit; I don't know what has happened with that.

PS.  I have an theory about who fed Ezra the false names in this case.  Ez, baby, you shouldn't trust that pair with anything.

For Mac Mayor Talks Global Warming: B.C. Is Sinking And Alta. Real Estate Is Going UP UP UP

 Three-time mayor Melissa Blake on AGW:

“I’m a big believer that, yes, the climate is changing. If the climate goes up by two, three, four degrees in the future, we’re lucky to be here in Fort McMurray. We’re lucky not to be in California or BC. They’re going to fall in the ocean. In a place like this, we’re going to survive a lot better.”

You mean digging up bitumen is a good thing, because it will make Fort McMurray’s winters milder?

With a nervous laugh, she assents: “And that means my real estate becomes a very important asset in the future, so I’m not selling my house anytime soon.”

What sweet sentiments.  I am sure the folks in B.C., though which Alberta oil must flow, will be very happy.

Who Will Replace Stephen Harper?

When the history of Duffygate is written, I wonder if  people will say look back and say Oh!  So that's why Industry Minister James Moore's website looked so much like a campaign-for-leader site.  Others have already speculated that he might be the Tory's next one, although no-one really saw the transition occurring before 2015.  But now there's a real possibility that PM Harper may ride off into the sunset in the back of a police vehicle, and who knows maybe Mr. Moore saw it all coming?  In any case, if Harper pulls a McGuinty, watching Moore and Kenney fight it out for the soul of the party would be terrifically entertaining.

BCLSB Exclusive: Rob Ford's Letter Of Support!

Dear Court,
Sandro always gets Me What I NEED and doesn't complain when I borgart the joint. He is truly a fiend.
Sincerley,


Mayro Frod

The Facebook More Crap Than Usual Today

"Some of the functionality is missing from Facebook this morning. You can't post, comment or like anything today."

The link is to \., which which now experience the BCLSB Effect, during which time they will receive a barely perceptible bump in traffic that will put no strain on their servers whatsoever.

Life In Scarborough Part Whatever +1: The State Of Coffee In Scarborough

Noticed today that the Coffee Time outlet next to Kennedy Avenue subway station had gone TU.  It was obviously too upscale for this neighborhood.  It's been replaced by a pimply white kid in a mesh-back cap sporting an LA Raiders logo on it who sells 8-balls of crack out his car window.  I asked him for a double-double, and he offered to pop a cap in my ass.  Somewhat confused, I declined the
offer. (*)

Such is life in Scarborough, sometimes.

(*) Based on a true story.

Victory Or Valhalla!

The race is on in the federal ridings of Toronto-Centre, Provencher, Brandon-Souris and Bourassa.

A special shout-out to Rolf Dinsdale, once lead guitarist for SFH and a guy with what might only be described as a thing for hats.  Good luck as LPC candidate out in  Brandon-Souris, dude, because I don't think they'll let you back into town if you lose.  Or even if you win, come to think of it.

And, just as a note to the LPC as an organization: throw it all at these by-elections, even where there is, based on recent trends, no hope.  That's how you break through, by showing up and putting out even if you know you won't win.  People take note, and appreciate.  And next time maybe you do win.

PS.  I've met Rolf a couple of times, and seen him play.  He's a decent guy, and a decent guitar-player.  As an MP, he would rule OK.

Anti-Wind Protest Attracts 300 People

That is all (in more ways than one. Bah hah!)

BOOM!!! Part II

A CN Rail train carrying liquefied petroleum gas and crude oil has derailed and exploded about 80 kilometres west of Edmonton, prompting an evacuation in the tiny community of Gainford.

More On The Piraha (My Favorite Folk)

The Piraha are a small tribe living along the Amazon with an extremely peculiar...simple, primitive...language:

Among Pirahã's many peculiarities is an almost complete lack of numeracy, an extremely rare linguistic trait of which there are only a few documented cases. The language contains no words at all for discrete numbers and only three that approximate some notion of quantity—hói, a "small size or amount," hoí, a "somewhat larger size or amount," and baágiso, which can mean either to "cause to come together" or "a bunch."

I've written about the implications such a language has for certain theories of Chomsky and other linguist/philosophers here:

...it challenges Chomsky's ideas of a "Universal Grammar" and a "Language Organ". Essentially, in this idea the Language Organ is seen as an inference machine, a computer that is loaded with some version of First Order Logic elaborate enough to give you simple mathematics (as, for example, in Russel's Principia Mathematica). Thus, "number" should be present in all human languages.

And yet Piraha lacks this supposedly "universal design feature" (as I believe Everett calls it). Hence no Universal Grammar. And since a UG and, according to some (Fodor at one time), a universal lexicon are supposedly our heritage as a species, perhaps no Human Nature either.

Anyway, run off and read the Internet.  I've away most of today, and this may be all you see in this place.

More On Free Speech Warrior Ezra Levant Oppressing People's Free Speechiness (IE. Suing Them For Defamation, Or Threatening To)

Following up on this, stuff from about ten years ago.  Shit our hero has been willing to sue people for defamation! (Bolding is mine)

After Harper became Canadian Alliance leader that year, he participated, along with current Conservative election chair John Reynolds, in a very public campaign to pressure the nominated candidate in the riding, Ezra Levant, to step aside so he could run for a seat in an upcoming by-election.

At the time Reynolds said that the party would assist with any debts [Levant] may have had which media reports claimed were at least $120,000. (Calgary Herald, March 22, 2003, National Post, April 8, 2002)

The incident deeply divided party members in Harper's riding association resulting in Levant and three other Calgary party members filing a $5.8-million lawsuit against other party members and executives over alleged defamation related to the nomination battle.  (Calgary Herald, November 22, 2003)

There's more on the same set of incidents (I think) from this old FreeD post from back in 2003.  I won't describe the contents through the link, just point to them, because doing more might itself count as defamatory these days.

And more shit from WK's old site.  Ezra tried to sue Chuck Strahl?

PS.  Thanks to Holly Stick in the comments!

Nina Pierpont "Expert" Testimony Disallowed At Adelaide ERT Hearing

Nina,  a New York pediatrician, is the author of "Wind Turbine Syndrome" and in the eyes of most scientists, the inventor of the an imaginary syndrome allegedly caused by the presence of nearby wind-farms.  Her work is probably the major piece of pseudo-science invoked by anti-wind-power activists in their efforts to have wind-farms kept out of their communities.

Interesting, then, that the Ontario ERT (Environmental Review Tribunal) has disallowed her testimony in the appeal  of Nextera Energy's Adelaide Wind Project (see paragraph 19 of the material through this sentence's first link).  Basically, the material she provided the ERT was an impenetrable mess.

Nor is Pierpont the only anti-wind faction witness rejected by the tribunal; a long and fairly complete list, compiled by Ontario Wind Resistance's  Esther Wrightman, who has been quarter-backing the appeal, can be found here.  Of particular interest is Ben Lansink, a London area appraiser who's work has been central in the attempt to establish that the presence of wind-farms has a deleterious effect on Ontario property values.  If the ERT doesn't think his material makes the cut, then it will be almost impossible for the anti-wind folk to mount a serious argument on this point.

PS.  As a special bonus, here is Dennis Gruending on Climate Change and Canadian Churches.

Suzuki [Foundation] Strikes Back!

My favorite bit (naturally):

Those not familiar with Sun News host Ezra Levant — who also founded a propaganda organization and website to promote the fossil fuel industry and target environmental groups — might be interested to know he has been proven in court to be less than credible, with a judge in one case ruling that he spoke in "reckless disregard of the truth." In fact, he's currently facing another in a string of libel charges. He's also had to apologize publicly for rants and comments that were deemed racist and has been found in violation of the Canadian Broadcasting Standards Council's ethical guidelines. He doesn't believe in the science of climate change, thinks recycling is "pointless" and believes Canada should put all its economic eggs in the oil sands basket. Many of his attacks are ad hominem — that is, they are aimed at perceived flaws in an individual's character rather than his arguments — and most are blatantly false.

Incidentally, his latest libel case, which I expect to end as all the others (with Ezra, or whoever finances Ezra, paying up), has been delayed until January.

Ezra The Censor

From Joe Brean's piece in the NP:

Mr. Levant has not always been the defendant, however. A few years ago he sued a small newspaper and a letter writer for libel, complaining among other things that the newspaper called him a “jerk,” and wrote “being a jerk on a national level doesn’t help you sell magazines, it just makes you look like a jerk.”

In the fall of 2007 — two years before Mr. Levant’s allegedly libellous blogging about Mr. Awan, and a week after the closure of his Western Standard print magazine — Fast Forward Weekly newspaper in Calgary published a letter by conservative activist Merle Terlesky that Mr. Levant claimed libelled him.

The Terlesky stuff I knew about, and have previously written about here.   Anyone else out there who's been sued by Ezra over the years, I wonder?

Science Proves This Blog As Addictive As Cocaine!

Oreos, however, are not:. The study ref-ed is entirely without scientific value.  It's what you get when you allow college students access to cookies and drugs.

Latest Federal Poll: LPC Up By 10

CPC flirting with 3rd

The State Of The LPC

Last evening Jeff Jedras was good enough to organize a call between LPC poohbahs, ably represented in this case by MP Dominic Leblanc, and a number of Lib friendly bloggers.  The idea was to discuss the state of the game on the eve of today's throne speech.  This is my take on that call.

First, as to the measures that have been leaked to the media (cable channels  à la carte, closing the price gap between U.S. and Canadian retail goods), these show that the Harper government has been picking up the same signals from Canadians over the summer as their  Liberal counterparts: many feel we are still in recession, and are particularly aggrieved by the "nickle and diming" they face from the corporate world (credit card companies gouging small businesses being another example Mr. Leblanc noted).  Not having any ideas to deal with the larger economic problems faced by the country, the CPC will be content to play some populist small ball with these issues in the new session.

As to their position re the measures that might eventually come forward, the LPC will adopt a wait-and-see attitude.  Some of the stuff leaked so far does not sound practically doable, and some of it will pit the CPC against their usual small business allies, so in the end we might see insubstantial "consumer friendly" gestures--appointing panels and the like.  In that case, the party is not likely to play  along.  Should something workable come forward, then there may be opportunities for cooperation between the LPC and the government.

As an aside, I think one short-coming of the Libs "no policy" approach has now become apparent. While the government has stolen many themes that Justin Trudeau spent the summer articulating, they will be able to put flesh to them in a away the LPC cannot, at least not until February's policy convention.  It would have been useful to have a few concrete counter-proposals on hand at the start of the new session.

Finally, as of this morning (it may change) there will not be a debate over the throne speech itself. The practical effect of this will be disproportionately stop CPC back-benchers from speaking.   The Conservative government tendency to not trust its own foot-soldiers with their own mouths seems alive and well.

Fontaine And Farber On First Nations Genocide

Our conviction is that Canadian policy over more than 100 years can be defined as a genocide of First Nations under the 1948 UN Genocide Convention.

Read it all if you can dodge the pay-wall.  I have nothing particularly interesting to add except that under such circumstances it is generally good politics and good policy to own-up and move on.

Anyone Up For A Liberal War On Thanksgiving?

Recently I'm noticing a lot of fake happiness of the same kind that makes me hate Xmas.  People smiling at one another on the buses, and so forth.  But its an even chintzier version.  While at Xmas you can generally count on people to act semi-decent between the 24th and 27th, on Thanksgiving the mask usually comes off about 7 pm, and folks are at one another's throat again.  God knows my Liberal war on Xmas has not been a great success.  Nevertheless, I am willing to put myself out there in an attempt to undermine a 2nd Christian holiday.  WHO IS WITH ME?

Fighting Dragons

Not exactly, but...  Click on pic for full effect.

I used to own a couple of Greens, which are not quite as spectacular.  They would fight, but a bit less energetically than these two.

Lenore Zann For NS/Federal NDP Leader

I'm happy to note that Nova Scotia MLA Lenore Zann was one of the few NDP-ers to survive the Crimson Tide earlier this week.  In an previous career, Lenore acted in 1980's horror movies, playing such roles as Maggie in Happy Birthday To Me and Nun #3 in Return of the Nun Munchers: Back For Breakfast! For these if no other reasons I think  Lenore should throw her hat in the ring when NS NDP leader Darrel Dexter steps down, and perhaps even consider going federal in the post-Tom Mulcair era after 2015. She obviously has experience living through blood-baths.

PS.  Here is a picture of Lenore.  Yeah she's a babe.

Birds And Turbines, Part Bazillion

A new study, "Canadian Estimate of Bird Mortality Due to Collisions and Direct Habitat Loss Associated with Wind Turbine Developments” came out earlier this month.  Its conclusion should be entirely unsurprising: on  average a Canadian turbine will kill about 8.2 birds per year, or about 23,200 in total. That's a largish sounding number, but its trivial when compared to the  100 and 350 million birds killed by feral/house-cats every year, or the 25 million killed by colliding with Canadian windows.  Or, really compared to any major source of bird mortality you can name.  Which is why anti-wind forces have essentially struck out when playing the "bird blender" card before the ERT (Ontario Environmental Review Tribunal). See, for example, here.

Sad Conrad Black

On the set of his new show, which is apparently aimed at Canadian seniors.

LPC Western Resurgence?

Interesting poll result.  Federal Libs are at 32% in Manitoba.  That's still 10% back of the Tories, but I would imagine its enough to pick up a few seats hear and there, especially around Winnipeg.

For my T.O. readers, Manitoba is the one to the left of Ontario on the map.  I lived there briefly back in the late 60s, and remember snow, and getting towed on a toboggan around Lake Winnipeg behind a snow-mobile that look a bit like a riding mower.  And I've flown over it since.  So it does exist. The name is an Inuit word meaning "frozen tundra".

On Distributing Religious Literature In Ontario Schools

About a recent ORHT case where an atheist demanded that the practice of allowing  Gideons International in Canada to distribute their version of the New Testament to grade 5 students be stopped, and that the tribunal should rule against the practice of allowing any religious literature to be distributed in Ontario schools:

The Tribunal had no trouble finding that the Board’s original policy of allowing only one religious group to distribute materials to students amounted to discrimination.  However, the Applicant asked that the Tribunal order that no religious literature of any kind be distributed in schools. 

The Tribunal held that while the Code ensures equality because of creed, it does not ban creed from all public spaces.  A public school board may decide not to distribute religious material of any kind.  However, if a school board’s policy is to allow for optional religious activities outside the instructional day, such a policy would be allowable under the Code, provided that:

Student participation is optional;
All creeds are treated equally; and
There is no subtle or formal coercion of students to participate.

The Tribunal went on to say that if a school board is going to allow for the distribution of religious material in its schools, it needs to do more than just ensure that its policy facilitates the access of groups other than the Gideons.   To ensure compliance with the Code, the school board must make some effort to encourage a diversity of literature, and promote awareness of its willingness to allow for the distribution of materials by all interested groups. 

The extent of the effort necessary to comply with this requirement is unclear. However, the principles outlined in this decision provide a useful guideline for public school boards intending to review their policies and practices with a view to allowing after-school religious activities in schools.

Very little in the MSM on this.  Lifesite has a realtively sane (for them) story on the case here.  The ruling (which I haven't read yet) can be found here.  It looks as though, for the time being, nobody gets to hand out pamphlets until a compliant policy has been formulated.

On The Gasplant Thing

Ouch.  Dumbest thing the OLP ever did, was cancel those plants.  Cost a fortune, as everyone can plainly see, and really gave the anti-Green Energy Act opponents their only half-decent argument: money is obviously not a problem, and you were willing to listen to NIMBYs down in the GTA, so why won't you listen to us? As an issue going forward--who knows?  I'd say it helps Horwath more than Hudak, because Hudak is sad and his platform is a tea-party style attack on Canadian values that won't resonate.  But who can say?  This one has been in the news forever.  The story was told long ago: a former Premier blew a lot of money to win a couple of ridings he would have won anyway; the new Premier has apologized and vowed to move forward.  That may just be enough.

Ezra Speaks Out On Latest Defamation Case

Thus far Ezra Levant said nothing re the latest defamation case brought against him.  However, I have it on good authority that he will be issuing an official statement on his blog and Sun News show very soon.  In fact, I have acquired what I believe to be a rough draft of this statement:

Well, I sure am back in the shit!  Dad's gonna kill me.  He's told me: one more lawsuit and boom! no more allowance.  And then what?  My Sun News  gig is going T.U. on me. Pretty soon I'll be on a bus back to the tar patch.

But back to what?  Dad's said: "Fuck up one more time and you're out the door!  A road map and an apple is all you get, and then I rent your apartment!"  Right now I'm seeing a room at a Motel 6 in my future, eating off the hot-plate, and waiting tables 16 hours a day up in Lethbridge to pay my lawyers' bill.  Would you like fries with that, sir?  No?  How about a muffin?  Oh how far to fall!

I don't think I can hack it.  I've grown used to the soft Toronto living, to the two-way streets and  the sweet city coffee they make out here.  I don't think I can go back to Tim Horton's...big dumb, Tim Horton's.  Boring...like the coffee equivalent of the missionary position.

Maybe I can try an apology this time, and get in front of the issue.  YO AWAN!  I'M SORRY!!! I'M SORRY SORRY SORRY SORRY SORRY SORRY SORRY!  I'M SOOO SORRRRRYYYYY!!!! you swarthy little prick.  Didn't mean that!  DIDN"T MEAN THAT!

I wonder if anyone heard me.

Toronto Teens Talk Urban Form

Two girls on the bus this morning:

"My family rented a cottage in ______ this summer.  _______ was pretty, but scary."

"Scary how?"

"It was like in those movies..."

"Perfect, but..."

"Yeah.  I can't imagine anyone actually living there.  The downtown was, like, one block."

"That's weird how all these other places have down-towns.  I thought only we had a down-town.  But there are all these  other places that have them.  All these little...towns."

"Yeah...  Towns."

Mulcair Sells Out...

...abandons a millionaire's tax when such revenue generation devices are going down well or at least proving not toxic in a number of jurisdictions.  Are Liberals these days the only ones who can successfully incorporate "soak the rich" policies into their policy mix?

Wynne's Libs Still Ahead

A Nanos Research poll, published Saturday, shows Premier Kathleen Wynne’s Liberals are still ahead, though not on pace for a majority government, pollster Nik Nanos said. The Liberals sit at 36.0 per cent, ahead of the PCs at 31.3 per cent, the NDP at 26.1 per cent and the Greens at 6.3 per cent.

What can you say other than that her rivals make her look pretty damn good in comparison.

Warman Vs. FreeD: Warman Speaks

Richard has his own brief account of his case and its outcome here.  The most interesting bit is his interpretation of the fact that punitive damages were awarded.  He quotes  Justice Peter Cory of the Supreme Court:

“Punitive damages may be awarded in situations where the defendant’s misconduct is so malicious, oppressive and high‑handed that it offends the court’s sense of decency. Punitive damages bear no relation to what the plaintiff should receive by way of compensation. Their aim is not to compensate the plaintiff, but rather to punish the defendant. It is the means by which the jury or judge expresses its outrage at the egregious conduct of the defendant. They are in the nature of a fine which is meant to act as a deterrent to the defendant and to others from acting in this manner.”

Over at FreeD and elsewhere they are still claiming they're victims, or well-intentioned critics of a human rights system gone bad, or whatever.  The jury did not see it this way.  The jury thought they were assholes, and sought to punish them for the fact.

A Blast From The Past? Ontario Wind Resistance Moves Content To Icelandic Servers

...for free speech reasons.  Essentially they're worried that wind companies like Nextera might sue them for defamation/trade-mark infringement, and think that having their content out of country will somehow prevent this from happening.

If the move sounds familiar, that's because it is:

Conn Esq Web Design was originally intended to be a corporation offering internet design and programming services, holding Free Dominion as an example of its production. But in the past year the corporation has begun to see ownership of Free Dominion as too much of a potential liability because the website has become a target for individuals and government organizations determined to attack freedom of speech, using a variety of methods at their disposal. 

Considering the political climate in Canada today, Conn Esq Web Design Ltd. has made the corporate decision to sell Free Dominion to Liberty News Service Inc. of Panama City, Panama.Liberty News Service’s corporate mission is to buy websites from individuals and corporations living in countries where free speech is under attack, and protect those websites from being shut down or seized by oppressive governments. 

And we all know how that worked out.  Essentially, if the OWR owners or any of their readers use the site to defame a wind company and get sued for it, they're hooped if they're living in Canada.

But let them find out the hard way.

What Anti-Wind Activists Talk About When They're Alone

From the comments at Ontario Wind Resistance:

I remember reading of the complainant who claimed they could only sleep when the turbines were off — but could not get the days correct when the turbines operated — nobody checked — and the information is available — free — on IESO. The judge did notice and commented on the credibility of the witness 

[...]

The Point? Make sure you organize the organization of the project. Make sure that whatever you do you allocate people and resources to put together a consistent story — whatever it may be.

Canadians Are "Concerned" About A Lotta Stuff

If "a majority of Canadians say they are “concerned” about potential negative financial impacts on their families if proposed pipeline projects fail to get the go-ahead" is the best they can suck out of the results of the latest Ipsos-Reid poll, then I imagine the details are even worse news for team tar-sands.  I wonder if Ipsos asked a straight up-or-down question re approval/disapproval of the individual projects under consideration?

Warman Vs. Free Dominion: Warman Triumphant

From an observer partial to The Fourniers:

I’ll be brief.

Today is a sad, sad day for all Canadians – and a tragic one for all freedom loving people.

The jury foreperson giggled as she said: “The answer is 42!”

As in, $42,000 awarded to Mr. Warman in damages…

In addition, Mr. Warman is seeking an injunction against Free Dominion – a gag order – that would see the Fourniers thrown into jail if anyone even mentions his name on FD, no matter how quickly it would be taken down.  If that happens, Free Dominion will cease to exist…

I’ll have some details later – am too upset to write more now.

That this would be the result really should have been obvious.  You won't convince anyone that you're fighting for free speech rights, or even that you're sane, by bringing in Paul Fromm and David Icke as character witnesses.  Congratulations Richard on the end of a long fight.  Now go drink beer.

Update:   They're considering an appeal over at FreeD.  Also considering a shutdown.

If You Haven't Noticed Yet

...the economy is under-performing:

The Bank of Canada signalled Tuesday that it's lowering its forecasts for economic growth in the second half of 2013 and possibly for next year, citing a more prudent consumer and an export sector that has yet to fully recover.

Senior deputy governor Tiff Macklem said the central bank no longer expects the July-September period to grow at a rate of 3.8 per cent as previously forecast.

Instead, the bank says the third quarter will likely show an economy that advanced at a more moderate pace of 2.0 per cent to 2.5 per cent, the same speed it now expects will continue in the fourth quarter. Previously, it had penciled in a 2.5 per cent expansion for the last three months of the year.

That's why you feel bummed-out and shitty when you look at your pay-cheque.  As for the political consequences, well, bad for Darrel Dexter and, you would think, Kathleen Wynne, though that is not obvious from any polling I've seen.  Good news for Justin Trudeau: the Harper government can't keep saying its steak when its spam forever.

Kingston Pen: Closed Too Soon?

Why?

Well, this, this, and maybe even this:

BREAKING! Another one of #PMHarper's appointed senators in trouble! Senator Brazeau arrested last night in Gatineau. #cpc #tcot #idleNoMore
— Rachel Décoste (@RachelDecoste) October 1, 2013

We shall see.  Ah!  Seems so.

They Are Appalled

A kind of follow-up to this post.  Anti-wind activists out in Adelaide have been asked by the provincial  MOE (Ministry of the Environment) to, if they are testifying re the allegedly deleterious health effects of wind-turbines, turn over ten years worth of health records, and to, if they are testifying re the allegedly deleterious effects of wind turbines on property values, turn over all relevant real estate records. 

The story, however, is in the tone of the piece itself, and in the comments.  Out there in Adelaide, they are shocked, shocked that the MOE would make such demands.  "Jack-booted government thugs" and yada yada yada.  Apparently, when you're trying to stop a wind development, the courts are supposed to take your claims at face value.

On Going Negative

You say you aren't going to do it, and then you do it and say you didn't.  Kathleen Wynne knows this.  At least I hope she does.

A Note On A Poll Re Keystone XL

For the most part, its the same old.  More Americans than Canadians support the building of Keystone  XL to pipe tar-sands bitumen down to the Gulf .  Actually, I'm cheating a bit.  The new poll doesn't measure Canadian views, but other recent polls show from about a 50/50 split up here to about two-thirds against.  But whatever.  What interested me most was this bit:

But for all they had to say about pipelines and fracturing, the respondents were largely ignorant of an important trend in their country's energy sector. Survey results show that more than half are unaware of the American energy boom of recent years – and only 34% knew that it came from traditional energy sources.

I would guess this is because when most people think of the cost of energy they think of gas prices, and gas prices have lingered high for years now, even though the economy has been stuck in neutral. So if energy booms and nobody hears it, is it a boom worth the name?

Come Get Some, Bituman Cowboy

If Harper says that he will not take no for an answer from the U.S. on Keystone — a project over its future he ultimately has no real control — should one not conclude that he will also not accept that provinces such as British Columbia, Quebec or Ontario throw roadblocks in the way on the pipelines that are on the drawing board to bring Alberta’s oil to the East and West coasts? In those cases the Prime Minister actually has the power to walk his talk.

Chantal's a smart lady, but she doesn't understand the ROC so well, and less and less as you go farther West.  If Harper's remarks are supposed to be a threat aimed at B.C. should they resist the construction of Northern Gateway and Trans Mountain, then he will have something between riots and a civil war on his hands if he tries to follow-up.  Going East, I'm not so sure.  These projects seem to be re-purposing existing pipe-line rather digging new ditches.  But threats out of Albertans will do the opposite than pave the way for them.

If You Are Still Mad At David Gilmour...

Some very smart female women are yelling at him here and here.  I yelled at him a bit here, but these two gals have the amps cranked to 11.  Much more entertaining.

Latest Nanos

The latest Nanos poll showed Liberal support at 36 per cent, the Conservatives at 30 per cent and the NDP at 25 per cent. Nanos Research polled 897 committed voters who were recruited by phone and administered an online survey between Aug. 18 and 22. The margin of error is 3.3 percentage points, 19 times out of 20.

Posted without comment, other than to note that Nic's comments through the link are pretty disposable.  The horse-race numbers are all what matter, and they are unchanged.

Gilmour's Authors

Well, there aren't too many gals on my bookshelf, so I can't fault him on that score.  The real issue is: how does a guy as obscure as David Gilmour get to teach all and only the novels he feels "passionate about" in a course called Modern Literature at U-of-T?  And how does Henry Miller, who wrote whole volumes about nothing but banging his various girl-friends, get onto the syllabus?  Who reads him anymore except at gun-point?  Pretty sweet jobs to be had at U-of-T, methinks.

BOOM!

Well, not yet.  Just trying to get ahead of the news cycle.

Secret Ontario Poll

Nick Kouvalis and his Campaign Research did it.  But it's behind this paywall.  Anyone know what it says? John Michael McGrath claims its good news for Ontario Liberals.

Well no, but I will say it's good news for the Liberals from a well-known Liberal sycophant. RT @Bigcitylib2 Spill 'em.
— John Michael McGrath (@jm_mcgrath) September 24, 2013

I think he's being ironic when he calls Kouvalis a Lib sycophant.

Do I Owe Lorne Gunter An Ice Cream Cone?

Maybe.  Got this email from officer Ian Shardlow this morning:

The estimates that I have received is that we destroyed approximately 3-4000 lbs of ammo and now have approximately 2-3000 lbs in our possession for destruction.  We had enough ammo in the first instance that we had to arrange for a temp magazine type storage facility because we could not store in the Detachment. 

 We had to large ammo burners going steady for several days, and have arranged for one to come back in the coming weeks.

All of this ammo was voluntarily turned in to the RCMP after the residents had returned home.

IAN

Although maybe not.  All this ammo was not, as per Gunter's implication, taken during the same sweep as the guns.  It was voluntarily given up for disposal afterwards.  Probably because it was water-damaged. So I will leave it to my readers: does Lorne Gunter get his ice-cream cone (should he claim his ice-cream cone. I'm obviously not buying one on-spec)?

And, seriously, does somebody up in High River own a cannon or two?

Click through link for background.

Ontario Anti-Wind Forces Claimed Turbines Caused Health Problems, Refused To Provide Medical Records

Stumbled across this is an article entitled "Wind turbine syndrome: farm hosts tell very different story":

In a 2012 Ontario legal case, complainants were asked to provide their medical records going back a decade before the local wind farm commenced operation. This would have provided relevant information about any pre-existing health problems. When they failed to so, their case failed.

I hadn't previously heard of this appeal (one of Eric Gillespie's cases), so I contacted author Simon Chapman and he was able to steer me towards some of the relevant documents.  In particular:

For instance, in an earlier REA appeal, Zephyr Farms, the Tribunal granted motions by the Director and the approval holder requiring the production of (i) the complete medical records of the appellant’s proposed witnesses who claimed serious health effects due to proximity to wind turbines and (ii) all real estate records of those witnesses who alleged that they were forced to sell or abandon their homes.38 The Tribunal denied the appellant’s request for a lengthy adjournment to gather the complete medical records for each witness, given the public interest in a fair and timely resolution of the appeal. The appellant knew of the time constraints on REA appeals when it filed its Notice of Appeal in November 2011 and it had provided no explanation to the Tribunal for its inability to obtain a single medical record for any of the witnesses it proposed to call.39 After the Tribunal’s ruling regarding medical evidence and required disclosures, the appellant in Zephyr Farms withdrew its appeal.

In other words, the appellants claimed turbines had made people sick but refused to offer proof.  What is really odd, though is that the Environmental Review Tribunal has been inconsistent in demanding "medical disclosure". You'd think that if you were trying to stop a development on the basis that it might harm people's health, you wold have to at least show evidence that other, similar developments had in fact harmed people's health.

Very Soon, I Think That Lorne Gunter Is Going To Look Stupid

He writes, of what happened up in High River , where RCMP officers took guns from homes abandoned after this summer's floods in Alberta:

Nearly a half hour into his grilling by residents, Shardlow was detailing how many hundreds of guns had been forcibly removed from homes and how many had already been returned.

During his enumeration, Shardlow stated matter-of-factly that in addition to firearms, Mounties had also “ burned approximately seven thousand, five hundred pounds of compromised ammunition.”

Upon hearing that, the first thing that occurred to me is that in the small boats and dinghies Mounties were using, it must have taken dozens of trips to collect nearly four tons of ammunition. That means that rather than searching for survivors, their door-stomping rampage must have been first and foremost about taking guns away from law-abiding citizens, otherwise they wouldn’t have devoted so much overtime pay and scarce equipment to the effort.

So, I am willing to bet that Shardlow meant or in fact said rounds rather than pounds, and that  Gunter is just too dumb or conspiracy-minded to see this.  I mean, that's the natural way to describe units of ammo.  And if I am proven wrong, I will buy Lorne Gunter an ice-cream cone.  But, as per usual, only one scoop.  For I am not made out of money.

PS.   All this talk of the wrong done by the RCMP up in High River is, as far as I'm concerned, pandering to gun nuts.  Gunter is either playing dumb to fan the flames,or he isn't playing.

Update here.

Life In Scarborough Ontario, Part Whatever

I visited my local Walmart the other night, shopping for a new desktop  PC.

There was a guy hanging out at the entertainment department the whole time I was there.  He had a cell-phone pressed to his ear.  He was  saying into it:

"MMMM....mmmm...MMMM...mmmm...MMMM...mmmm...MMMM...mmmm....MMMM... MMMM....mmmm...MMMM...mmmm...MMMM...mmmm...MMMM...mmmm....MMMM"  

Later he attempted to hump the 5$ movie bin.  The $5 movie bin is my favorite place at Walmart.  I've found all sorts of cool DVDs there: 300;  Abraham Lincoln Vampire Slayer; and Nun Munchers 3-D all come to mind.

 But this evening I was forced to stay away.  So my Walmart shopping experience was a disappointment.

That's what living in Scarborough is like, sometimes.

Iggy Ever After

They're calling it an excerpt, but I stopped reading at about the 900 page mark, after Iggy invoked the ancient Greek Gods to explain Cdn. politics.  Nowhere does he ever just come out of say "Yeah, I was a fuck-up.  Canadians hated my guts, so they sent me packing." So don't bother if you've got something important to do like bathing your hamster or playing a round of mini-golf.

Ontario Tories Gather For Weekend Of Tory Turmoil!!

Have a fun party, Tim!

Apparently this is the work to OLP staffers.  Good job, kids.

Guess Who's Gone From Sun TV HomePage?

David "The Menzoid" Menzies show has been "on summer hiatus" the last couple of months.   Now his pic is off their "full schedule page" and his twitter feed just redirects to his Facebook site.  They can't be thinking of putting him in Adler's spot, can they? Or did Kory not have the decency to fire him on his own show?

PS.  When you look at their schedule they've got repeats of "The Source" in part of his time-slot, repeats of "AM Agenda" in the other.  Though that may not be a recent development.

Another Reason To Kill The Baby Boomers And Melt Them Down Into Soylent Green

This guy says if you're a Millennial you are entitled and lazy.  But in reality, he is of a generation that is stealing the social safety net so they can get a diamond encrusted walker with a jet-pack attached to it, and the whole piece is a smirk against those coming after, a justification for leaving them with sweet FA.  And, as I've said many times before, the youth of today will never get their fair share unless they are ready to rise up and and kill for it.  But they probably won't.  That shitty, electric-guitarless music they listen to is a natural pacifier. And so in the end Grampa Boomer will putter off into the sunset, carrying three sacks of their money over his shoulder so he can have himself cryogenically frozen until the day science finds a cure for his bunyans.  And the kids will watch from behind the counter of the McDs they'll still be working at when they're fifty: "Would you like fries with that, sir?" Carve those words on the headstone of an entire generation.

BCNDP Should Keep Adrian Dix

The whole one-election-and-out-party-leader phenomenon has gotten entirely out of hand.  But if your in opposition it means that your guy, when it comes to an election campaign, is always going to be a rookie.  It's hard to win that way. Not impossible.  But its tying one hand behind your back.

PS.

.@adriandix stepping down pending #bcndp leadership vote he hopes will be held in mid-2014. #bcpoli
— Ian Bailey (@ianabailey) September 18, 2013

Nobody listens to me.

On Intolerance In Quebec And Elsewhere

Bernie Farber has a nice piece on his Huffpo page.  From it:

In invoking this so-called "Charter of Quebec Values" the Quebec government has taken a dangerous step into poisonous territory for any institution that considers itself democratic. If this were to pass into law Quebec would become the first province in Canada to openly discriminate against its citizens on the basis of their faith.

And wile we are on the topic, a couple of writers have suggested comparable instances of intolerance in the ROC.  Martin Regg Cohn, for example, points to the 2007 Ontario election:

[PCPO Leader John] Tory knew firsthand the power of identity politics to tap into voters’ latent prejudices, having been pummelled in the previous election for his controversial proposal to fund faith-based schools within the Ontario curriculum. His Progressive Conservatives had added it to their 2007 platform in hopes of winning support among religious voters.

The Liberals pounced with a thinly veiled attack that implied Islamic schools were fundamentalist madrassas deviating from mainstream education. The counterattack by then-premier Dalton McGuinty, which also tapped into latent anti-Catholic sentiments, kept the PCs on the defensive and probably cost them the 2007 election.

Andrew Coyne has been peddling a similar line for years now.  But how true is it?

As far as I recall, the possibility of John Tory's proposal resulting in an outbreak of Islamic fundamentalism was raised one time by Dalton McGuinty during the September 20 leaders' debate.  I have also been informed by people who worked on the PCPO campaign that in the latter stages calls were going out to Conservative supporters raising the same issue, and that it was suspected these came from Ontario Liberal Party operatives.  Such a contention is unprovable this long after the fact, but it is certainly within the realm of possibility, and we can assume it true for the purposes of argument.

But Regg Cohn and Coyne and others overestimate the effect these actions had on the outcome of the 07 vote.  Tory's proposals had already crashed and burned, both among the general public and among the PCPO faithful, long before any OLP dirty tricks.  The first nail in the coffin was when Tory suggested his new plan would allow the teaching of Creationism in the class-room.  The second was when Tory back-tracked and claimed that his plan would not allow the teaching of Creationism in the private-school classroom, only the approved Ontario school curriculum.  At the time, the staunchly Conservative Lifesite wrote:

In order to receive [John Tory's] money , however, privately run schools would have to teach the Ontario curriculum, follow standardized testing and have accredited teachers. While it would be optional at first, Tory's proposed solution could eventually force all schools to comply with the Ontario curriculum sections that mandate such things as acceptance of feminism and homosexuality, graphic sex education, teaching of evolution as complete fact and other problematic topics for those from religions of traditional moral, family and other core principles.

In other words, Ontario Tories soured on the plan because it wouldn't allow them to bash gays in the classroom.

And all this had already happened by  September 7th, 2007.  That is, three days before the official election call, Tory's plan was already a disaster.  The OLP might have piled on towards the end of the campaign, but that is all.

A Footnote In The Annals Of Oddity

Some might remember Hillbilly Heaven, a restaurant out in Hamiliton that became famous for decorating the place with Confederate flags, and posting "English Spoken Only" signs  and Help Wanted ads that trashed people on social assistance.  Turns out the place applied for a spot on Restaurant Takeover during the show's debut season.  RT is the Restaurant Makeover successor show.  In it a team of uppity Toronto chefs and designers approach a food establishment that's close to going under, and sneer for a half hour at the menu before slapping on a few tiles on the wall, making them offer a salad, and buggering off afterwards.

As you might have expected, Hillbilly Heaven was a dump, its food great lumps of shit, and its proprietor the jerk you would imagine him to be.  The vid through the link is a bit long, but there are some laughs to be had as the crew tries to explain to owner Cameron Bailey how simple doesn't have to mean crap.

PS.  Not sure their efforts paid off.  One of HH's two locations has since gone under.  I'm not sure whether its the one in the show or not.

In Toronto Central...

...it's gonna be Freeland vs McQuaig--a "Toff-Off"!  Whoever wins the by-election...assuming their party takes power after 2015...they can be appointed the Minister From Toronto Charged With Pissing Off The Rest Of Canada With Their Uppity Arrogance.  My kind of folk, in other words.

Your Next Premier?

Angry.  Crazy.  Union basher.  Green job destroyer.  This shot is from here, but it doesn't matter. There are so many of them.  Anyone remember that old classic attack ad "The Faces Of Joe Clark"? Well...

First Frog On The Moon

Most stories claim that "Frog-1" (as they are calling him) was just lounging about a pool used for the NASA launch-pad sprinkler system.  But I prefer to think that the little fellow was a stowaway--a  frog brave enough to pursue his crazy dream of becoming an astronaut. A frog who, when he was young, would look up at the heavens every night and wonder what was out there.  A frog who thought he might become great one day, who strove to be the best frog he could be.  So Go! Frog-1!  Today you have slipped the surly bounds of Earth! Today you belong to the stars!

Hudak Boots Hillier To Back-Bench! Will Randy Bolt?

TORONTO - It’s been a week for tough decisions for Tim Hudak.

Days after he was forced to drop Thornhill MPP Peter Shurman from the prestigious finance critic role, the PC leader has dumped controversial rural maverick Randy Hillier from his critic portfolio, moved him to the backbench and stripped him of his committee responsibilities.

Sources say Hudak was forced into the move because Hillier broke the cardinal rule of caucus secrecy, leaking inside information about what was discussed by Tory MPPs to the media.

Sounds like Tim thinks the leaked emails came from Hillier himself.  Most interesting bit is the suggestion that Hillier fed information to the OLP.  Almost treasonous, if this is in fact the case.  Least interesting bit is...

[Hillier's] website had no mention of his PC party affiliation Thursday.

...because I don't think it ever did.  Wayback machine suggests it never did, anyway.

How To Use The New Census Data

It involves holding your nose:

The only way Statscan was able to publish the 2011 NHS data was by remarkably dropping its quality standard by doubling the acceptable global non-response rate.

And accepting incomplete questionnaires:

What exactly did Statscan consider an acceptable response to the 2011 NHS questionnaire? Apparently, enumerators had been instructed to accept the long form with as few as 10 of 84 questions answered.  What the standard was for the 2011 NHS and how it differed from previous long-form Census are important questions that, to date, have not been answered. Given that StatsCan lowered the data quality standard by doubling the acceptable non-response rate, one suspects a similarly dramatic change to the acceptable questionnaire completeness rate for the 2011 NHS relative to prior year long-form Census.

And, as far as I know, we are still talking about data at the level of  Census subdivisions (CSDs). That is, municipalities.  At this level:

One way to demonstrate the dramatic difference this change in data quality’s had is by looking at the published 2011 NHS data for Census subdivisions (CSDs). Of 5252 CSDs in the 2011 NHS, data for 3439 was fit for release, while data for 1813 was suppressed, almost all for non-response, using the post-2011 NHS data quality standard.  However, using the pre-2011 NHS data quality standard, only 994 of those 5252 CSDs, or 19%, would have been fit for release, while 4258 would have been suppressed. By comparison, of 5418 CSDs in the 2006 long-form Census, data for 4534, or 84%, was fit for release, while data for only 884 was suppressed.

Below that, down to the tract/dissemination area level, data has still not been released.  

Gruending On The Quebec Charter Of Values

Nothing you haven't heard before, but nicely written as always:

And so, we are left with the odd spectacle of the Parti Quebecois, which has always claimed to be progressive and socially democratic, promoting policies resembling those of Canada’s Right.

Indeed, though to its credit a good portion of Canada't Right has grown beyond this kind of blatant immigrant bashing and decried the charter.

On The Quebec Values Charter

First, a statement from CIJA ( The Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs):

There is no justification for the government's proposed legislation.  The government is rehashing old, out of context stories in order to generate support for this unwarranted attack on the basic rights and freedoms of Quebecers, all to find a solution to the so-called "reasonable accommodation crisis", which was largely recognized as fictitious.

The separation of Church and State has existed in Quebec for many years.  CIJA-Quebec sees no need at this time to bring forward new laws on the secular nature of the Quebec public sector.  The prohibition of wearing religious symbols in the public and para-public service is not justified, and would exclude a large number of Quebecers. The role of the state should be to bring people together, not to divide them.

Dr.Dawg thinks the charter was specifically designed to spare Christian symbols, and I think he's right.  In fact I would go further and suggest that the effected symbols from other religions are simply unfortunate collateral damage in Marois' attempt to get at hijab wearing Muslim women.  Tarak Fatah has argued similarly.

So it's interesting to note that the first response to the proposed charter (that I've heard) from Quebec's Catholic Church has been a big thumbs down.  Did Marois flub the balancing act?  Is it just too hard to discriminate against one religious group without either giving the show away or being forced into language so general that you inadvertently wind up hurting friendlies?

Margaret Wente's Latest Is A Revolting Piece Of Crap

Media Culpa's take-down is just what it deserves.  That is all.

Damn!

The poll, by Innovative Research Group, has Premier Kathleen Wynne’s Grits at 37 per cent among decided voters, seven points ahead of the official opposition, Tim Hudak’s Progressive Conservatives. The left-wing New Democrats under Andrea Horwath, meanwhile, trail at 22. The Green Party sits at 10 per cent support.

I have no real theory.  Gas Plant fatigue?  Tim Hudak's crummy performance?  Kathleen Wynne's pretty good performance?  Summertime warm and fuzzyness descending over the good people of Ontario? Whatever.

Hard to see Andrea Horwath pulling the plug with numbers like that.   Hudak, on the other hand, seems to have  a death wish.  He wants his one-at-out so he can get on with a life in the private sector,  maybe wrangle a slot on a  talk-radio station somewhere.  But Andrea still has a few cards to play.  I can see a deal being made, at least until spring.

CBSC Dings Ezra

Ottawa, September 9, 2013 - The Canadian Broadcast Standards Council (CBSC) today released its decision concerning comments made about “Gypsies” on Sun News Network.  During his program The Source, Ezra Levant made negative comments about that ethnic group.  The CBSC found the broadcast in violation of the Canadian Association of Broadcasters’ (CAB) Code of Ethics and Equitable Portrayal Code.

The CBSC did not, however, require that Sun News  announce this decision on air, having decided that the network had grovelled sufficiently via its previous apologies, which I wrote about here.

Ezra Attracts Another Defamation Suit?

Hey @nenshi, do you mind if I release your legal demand letter you sent to the Sun, after I dared criticize you in a column? #vicious
— Ezra Levant (@ezralevant) September 8, 2013 

Its over this, among other things.  If you followed it all in real time, you will note that I was standing on the sidelines suggesting Nenshi send in the lawyers.

@ezralevant @nenshi VERY close to defamation. I know lawyers who've sued Ez and won. I could put @nenshi in touch.
— Bigcitylib (@Bigcitylib2) September 8, 2013

I've got a whole Rolodex of folks who've taken Ezra's money over defamation suits.  In fact, the guy's like a one man economic action plan.

Its David Rose

So its best to ignore him when he writes on the issue of Global Warming or, really, on any issue, but this bit:

The continuing furore caused by The Mail on Sunday’s revelations – which will now be amplified by the return of the Arctic ice sheet – has forced the UN’s climate change body to hold a crisis meeting.

The UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) was due in October to start publishing its Fifth Assessment Report – a huge three-volume study issued every six or seven years. It will now hold a pre-summit in Stockholm later this month.

...is pretty close to a straight-out falsehood, as Mr. Rose has already been told by one of the scientists he quotes in the article that, well...

@StottPeter Yes - I told David Rose on the phone and by email on Thursday about the IPCC process and lack of 'crisis' meeting.
— Ed Hawkins (@ed_hawkins) September 8, 2013

But, again, its David Rose.  He has a long history of mis-hearing what he's been told.

Nova Scotia Is ON

Nova Scotia election on Oct. 8. During the #nspoli campaign, all projection data will be here: http://t.co/gYRwwc5HuK
— Éric Grenier (@308dotcom) September 7, 2013

I hardly ever write about Nova Scotia politics.  Who does?  But last time they had an election out there I was kinda the king maker.  This exclusive re then Premier Rodney MacDonald going and shaking his man boobs on a trampoline probably cost him the election.  And, while we're on the topic, these exclusives re the NS Liberals circulating topless photos of NDP candidate Lenore Zann probably kept them out of office.   I'm hoping for better behavior all around this time.  Can we have some issues, people?

Anyway, bottom line is don't fuck with BCLSB.  And, if anyone from team Trudeau is reading, this kind of stuff is why I deserve a Senate appointment, when you guys get in.

Harper's New Enviro Plan: Show Me The Money

...or, more precisely, the cuts in Carbon Emissions.  Simon Donner of UBC has it right:

@tyler_bryant @StephenLeahy Right. Climate value of "trading" pipeline for GHG reduction elsewhere will depend on the numbers
— Simon Donner (@simondonner) September 6, 2013

...which is to say that a deal is doable, if whatever Keystone XL produces by way of carbon emissions can be offset elsewhere.  To embed Mr. Donner again:

@StephenLeahy Not ideal, but not impossible. Lots of other GHG reduction opportunities in Canada which could be offered.
— Simon Donner (@simondonner) September 6, 2013

We shall see.  But I should say I doubt this government's ability to whomp up a real CO2 reduction plan in the time available, especially if it needs buy-in from the provinces.  For example, to save the tar sands does Ontario's auto industry get thumped?

But, once again, doable...as in not impossible.

The Shorter Paul Wells

Prime Minister Harper plays Chess; his opponents, a broken Bolivian Armpit Flute.

He first wrote this column in 2007, and he's just changed up the words a bit since.

Tory MPP Peter Shurman: My Salary Is Not Enough

“Frankly, on the basis of … how we’re paid at the legislature, I can’t afford two houses,” he said in an interview. “I make $112,500 a year. Some people think that’s a lot of money. To do what I have to do, or any MPP has to do, it’s not very much at all.”

Apparently, when asked about the appropriateness of this, PCPO Leader Tim Hudak's office would not comment.  The reporter, however, could hear weeping in the background, and the sound of someone banging their head on a desk.

PS.  I know a fellow whose job is to run a printing press who owns three condo units around T.O.  He works hard and saves and invests.  Peter Shurman could learn a lesson from him.

LPC Lead NOT Weed Fuelled!

Latest Nanos Numbers: #LPC 36, #CPC 30, #NDP 25 #PnPCBC with @evansolomoncbc #CDNpoli
— Will (@natnewswatch) September 4, 2013

Don't even think it.  The economy has been, and will likely remain, anemic.  Usually  governments pay for that, even conservative ones who like to style themselves good stewards of the nation's finances and etc. Because clearly they must be wrong if the economy remains in the tank.

Hot Air on Wind Power

From The Star:

[PPPO MPP Vic] Fedeli blamed wind power as a major culprit in driving up costs. Wind power is sometimes plentiful when demand is low, producing a gush of power when it’s least needed. That has occasionally forced the province to give away surplus power, or even pay some big industries and export customers to use it.

Now, "The Global Adjustment" mentioned in The Star piece is a charge that was added to Ontario electricity bills in 2005. Its been going up even while market rates have remained flat, so it's the main driver behind increases in energy bills over the past decade or so.  The graph below, from here, shows how each of the various power sources used in Ontario have contributed to it:

It looks better if you click on the image, but renewables (mostly wind and solar) are the blue line bouncing along the bottom. As of April 2012, the date on the Monitoring Report on the IESO-Administered Electricity Markets, they accounted for about six per cent of the adjustment (and therefore about three percent of your total bill), though that share was expected to increase over time.  Much of the adjustment, 45 per cent:

...is attributable to the Bruce Power and OPG nuclear units. The major factors that led to the increase in 2009 were a significant decrease in the wholesale electricity price and a higher regulated price paid to OPG, both of which increased the spread between the contract prices and the HOEP. 

...which is to say that if you shut down the entire Ontario renewables sector your power bill would still be going up, though at an almost microscopically slower pace.

Hardly an occasion for the kind of outrage that Fideli and the various anti-wind groups profess to feel.

My Wife Loves Me

For a late 50th birthday present (Yeah I turned 50.  What?) my wife bought me a bath pillow, so I can sit in the tub at night--my office--with a beer in hand, and read in comfort.

You can't trade anything for a love like that.

Harper Government Enviro Plan: Do Anything But Regulate CO2

"As an Arctic nation, Canada profoundly understands the climate and public health benefits of reducing short-lived climate pollutants, such as black carbon and methane," said Minister Aglukkaq. "I look forward to meeting with my international colleagues to advance the collective efforts of the CCAC."

Canada's North is especially sensitive to the effects of black carbon as there is an additional warming effect when deposited onto snow and ice. Reducing emissions of short-lived climate pollutants is an integral part of Canada's broader climate change and clean air agenda, and the Arctic Council program during Canada's chairmanship.

It's not that this is a bad idea.  It's a good idea.  It should not, however, be an excuse to put off tackling the real problem: bringing down CO2 emissions.  Which is what I suspect the Harper regime sees it as.  Nice to know, however, that Minister Aglukkaq is actually capable of speech.