Saturday, June 29, 2013
Friday, June 28, 2013
Your Daily Nazi: Will McCorkell's Coins Become Nazi Loot?
I see the story about Canadian chemist Robert McCorkell 's wlling his estate, including a collection of ancient coins, to the National Alliance has gained some traction in the MSM, although its been floating around white nationalist websites for five or six years now (warning: link goes to Stormfront). Here's a good piece on why McCorkell's estate may never wind up in the hands of the Alliance.
Out of curiosity, I searched around for a few shots from his collection. Below's one from when they were housed at the University of Saskatchewan museum of Antiquities:
This one is labelled as: Ancient Libyan coin (Kyrene, 322–308 BC, gold drachm)
Here's another:
It was subject of a U-of-Sask. experiment to determine its provenance, and is probably Greek or Roman.
Pity if the fate of these coins was to wind up helping finance a hate group.
Out of curiosity, I searched around for a few shots from his collection. Below's one from when they were housed at the University of Saskatchewan museum of Antiquities:
This one is labelled as: Ancient Libyan coin (Kyrene, 322–308 BC, gold drachm)
Here's another:
Pity if the fate of these coins was to wind up helping finance a hate group.
Your Daily Nazi: U.S. Nazis Inherit Canuck Gold?
An odd story, this. A Canadian nutter has bequeathed $1,000,000 in ancient gold coins and other valuables to the National Alliance, an American hate/terror group. The Canadian government may be lobbied to stop the transfer. And a few familiar figures are involved. So: one to keep an eye on.
Thursday, June 27, 2013
Harper Owes Us A Plan
From Simon Donner, of UBC:
For about a decade, the explanation for a lack of coherent Canadian climate policy was the lack of a coherent American climate policy. How could our federal government move forward with actions like regulations, carbon pricing, renewable portfolio standards, international agreements or adaptation plans without our largest trading partner and BFF?
[...]
Now the U.S has a plan. No, it is not perfect, but it is far more advanced that any plan proposed by any sitting President or Prime Minister.
The ball is in our court. Time for Canada, time for Canadians, to define "as appropriate".
Indeed. We are waiting, Mr. Prime Minister.
For about a decade, the explanation for a lack of coherent Canadian climate policy was the lack of a coherent American climate policy. How could our federal government move forward with actions like regulations, carbon pricing, renewable portfolio standards, international agreements or adaptation plans without our largest trading partner and BFF?
[...]
Now the U.S has a plan. No, it is not perfect, but it is far more advanced that any plan proposed by any sitting President or Prime Minister.
The ball is in our court. Time for Canada, time for Canadians, to define "as appropriate".
Indeed. We are waiting, Mr. Prime Minister.
Wednesday, June 26, 2013
Pam Geller Banned From U.K.
Pam Geller has been banned from the U.K. for espousing views not "conducive to the public good". She is, let us just say, chuffed, and her Canuck supporters overfoam with hatred and rage. Here's part of the letter Ms. Geller received:
A bit of a local angle to this story. Pam hit town last month. Tried to anyway. Her engagement at the Chabad Flamingo synagogue in Thornhill got cancelled due to pressure from various quarters and she wound up performing at the T.O. Zionist Center before a crowd of the usuals. A number of people within the GTA Jewish community, including Bernie Farber and the Toronto Board of Rabbis, condemned her appearance, and took heck for it on the blogs and on Sun TV and elsewhere. That the UK home office has adopted a similar opinion of Ms. Geller's writing and behavior has got to be seen as sweet vindication for these folks.
PS. I'm getting mixed signals on the fate of C-304, but indications are that it has passed and the hate speech provision of the Canadian Human Rights Act is, for the time-being, dead. But of course, it has recently been declared (yet again) constitutional, and resurrecting it under a Trudeau government would therefore be a snap. Remember, Harper's gang was too frightened of this issue to put forward an official government bill and instead snuck it in as a PMB so as to avoid scrutiny. The only people in support of C-304 are nazis, nuts, teenage libertarians, and journalists, and as a political coalition, this is one most MPS will want to run away from screaming. The CPC won't put up a fight if S-13 or something similar resurrected in the light of day. Meanwhile, haters will have to be pursued via the criminal code. Ask Arthur Topham what that's like.
A Note On Ontario Defamation Law
...re defamation on-line:
Single Publication Rule Rejected in Ontario
The Court rejected the defendants' argument that the American "single publication rule" for mass publications should apply. This rule holds that a plaintiff alleging defamation has a single cause of action which arises at the first publication of an alleged libel, regardless of the number of copies of the publication distributed or sold. As the Court explained, "the entire edition of a newspaper, book or magazine is treated as a single publication when it is first made available to the public. Later distributions of the same edition are relevant to the assessment of damages but do not create a new cause of action or a new limitation period." If the single publication rule were to apply in Shtaif, the limitation period applicable to the plaintiffs' claim – including both the print and online articles – would have expired six weeks after the print article was first published.
Following courts in England, Australia, and British Columbia, the Court rejected the single publication rule in Ontario as being inconsistent with the limitations provisions of the LSA, and because the Court had previously affirmed the traditional English rule that "every republication of a libel is a new libel." Even if the single publication rule were to be considered in Ontario, the Court stated that it should not be applied across different mediums of communication. This aspect of the ruling was motivated by a concern of a potential injustice that might arise where the original publication was in print form, perhaps in a magazine with a limited circulation and lifespan, as opposed to a republication of that same publication on the Internet, where its circulation may be vast and its lifespan potentially unlimited. In this portion of the ruling, the Court echoed prior statements to the effect that defamation on the Internet is potentially more harmful than defamation through traditional print media.
Shtaif makes clear that where an alleged libel is republished across different mediums, including the Internet, those republications will be treated as distinct libels. As a result, plaintiffs retain significant flexibility in choosing which allegedly libelous publications they might wish to sue upon.
So there you have it.
Single Publication Rule Rejected in Ontario
The Court rejected the defendants' argument that the American "single publication rule" for mass publications should apply. This rule holds that a plaintiff alleging defamation has a single cause of action which arises at the first publication of an alleged libel, regardless of the number of copies of the publication distributed or sold. As the Court explained, "the entire edition of a newspaper, book or magazine is treated as a single publication when it is first made available to the public. Later distributions of the same edition are relevant to the assessment of damages but do not create a new cause of action or a new limitation period." If the single publication rule were to apply in Shtaif, the limitation period applicable to the plaintiffs' claim – including both the print and online articles – would have expired six weeks after the print article was first published.
Following courts in England, Australia, and British Columbia, the Court rejected the single publication rule in Ontario as being inconsistent with the limitations provisions of the LSA, and because the Court had previously affirmed the traditional English rule that "every republication of a libel is a new libel." Even if the single publication rule were to be considered in Ontario, the Court stated that it should not be applied across different mediums of communication. This aspect of the ruling was motivated by a concern of a potential injustice that might arise where the original publication was in print form, perhaps in a magazine with a limited circulation and lifespan, as opposed to a republication of that same publication on the Internet, where its circulation may be vast and its lifespan potentially unlimited. In this portion of the ruling, the Court echoed prior statements to the effect that defamation on the Internet is potentially more harmful than defamation through traditional print media.
Shtaif makes clear that where an alleged libel is republished across different mediums, including the Internet, those republications will be treated as distinct libels. As a result, plaintiffs retain significant flexibility in choosing which allegedly libelous publications they might wish to sue upon.
So there you have it.
Tuesday, June 25, 2013
CPC MP John Carmichael Sounds Off
Don't know if this was issued from Party Central or from straight from The Heart, but John Carmichael's latest email to supporters says a brisk bye bye to Brent Rathgeber and disowns a couple of (former) Tory Senators:
Again, it's easier to read when you click on the .jpg. Also, I've excised the last couple of paragraphs re recent government acomplishments.
The President's Climate Action Plan
From the fact sheet:
We have a moral obligation to leave our children a planet that’s not polluted or damaged, and by taking an all of-the-above approach to develop homegrown energy and steady, responsible steps to cut carbon pollution, we can protect our kids’ health and begin to slow the effects of climate change so we leave a cleaner, more stable environment for future generations. Building on efforts underway in states and communities across the country, the President’s plan cuts carbon pollution that causes climate change and threatens public health. Today, we have limits in place for arsenic, mercury and lead, but we let power plants release as much carbon pollution as they want – pollution that is contributing to higher rates of asthma attacks and more frequent and severe floods and heat waves.
The whole plan can be found here.
The most important initiative is that the President will call for the EPA to set new carbon emissions limits for NEW and EXISTING power plants. The new limits will go into effect in 2015. There will also be a call for stricter building codes at home and seven billion for emerging economies so they might prepare for whatever effects AGW brings down upon them. The "all-of the above" approach mentioned also puts a lot of attention of developing U.S. natural gas reserves as a "bridge fuel' to renewables. So there's continued fracking in that country's future. Nothing in the plan requires congressional approval. And, incidentally, there's nothing about Keystone XL at all in the document.
We have a moral obligation to leave our children a planet that’s not polluted or damaged, and by taking an all of-the-above approach to develop homegrown energy and steady, responsible steps to cut carbon pollution, we can protect our kids’ health and begin to slow the effects of climate change so we leave a cleaner, more stable environment for future generations. Building on efforts underway in states and communities across the country, the President’s plan cuts carbon pollution that causes climate change and threatens public health. Today, we have limits in place for arsenic, mercury and lead, but we let power plants release as much carbon pollution as they want – pollution that is contributing to higher rates of asthma attacks and more frequent and severe floods and heat waves.
The whole plan can be found here.
The most important initiative is that the President will call for the EPA to set new carbon emissions limits for NEW and EXISTING power plants. The new limits will go into effect in 2015. There will also be a call for stricter building codes at home and seven billion for emerging economies so they might prepare for whatever effects AGW brings down upon them. The "all-of the above" approach mentioned also puts a lot of attention of developing U.S. natural gas reserves as a "bridge fuel' to renewables. So there's continued fracking in that country's future. Nothing in the plan requires congressional approval. And, incidentally, there's nothing about Keystone XL at all in the document.
Monday, June 24, 2013
Dear Tim Hortons,
You don't know how to make iced coffee. You say you do. It's on your menu. But you don't. Because it isn't iced coffee that comes out of your taps. Rather, it is room temperature coffee--probably stuff you forgot to dump down the sink--into which you plop a glob of caramel and two (count 'em two) inadequate, in fact rather sad looking, ice-cubes. Which cubes are so over-matched by the not cold and yet far from hot liquid around them that they can accomplish nothing by way of rendering that liquid "icy" but do manage to thin it out a bit when they have finally melted. So the poor sap who purchased this caffeinated abortion is left clutching an ever-stickier cup of diluted, body-temperature coffee as their bus crawls its way through the barrens of East Scarborough.
And, Mr. Tim, I will simply note that this was the worst coffee drinking experience I've ever had that didn't involve finding a dead junky in the mensroom at Coffee Time. I will be taking the gay stuff at Satanbuck's from now on, thank you very much. For though the place is staffed entirely by Freedom hating Taliban loving art school dropouts with green hair and rings through their nose, they understand how to serve coffee chilled.
Your organization clearly does not.
And, Mr. Tim, I will simply note that this was the worst coffee drinking experience I've ever had that didn't involve finding a dead junky in the mensroom at Coffee Time. I will be taking the gay stuff at Satanbuck's from now on, thank you very much. For though the place is staffed entirely by Freedom hating Taliban loving art school dropouts with green hair and rings through their nose, they understand how to serve coffee chilled.
Your organization clearly does not.
Does It Come With A Free Bowl Of Soup?
TERRACE, B.C. - The equity offer from Northern Gateway to aboriginal groups along the route of a controversial oil pipeline would amount to as little as $70,000 a year for some bands, according to one base offer obtained by The Canadian Press.
HOW MUCH? That's less than I make in a year. Oh yeah, and if you thought Enbridge was lying about the level of support their pipeline has among the first nations along the B.C. leg of its route...
Northern Gateway has said 60 per cent of aboriginal groups along the pipeline route have signed on....In B.C., 27 offers were made and 11 First Nations signed up.
It’s more than the two bands that have acknowledged the agreements, but less than the 60 per cent claimed by Enbridge.
They were. Or their people can't add. So, presumably...lies.
HOW MUCH? That's less than I make in a year. Oh yeah, and if you thought Enbridge was lying about the level of support their pipeline has among the first nations along the B.C. leg of its route...
Northern Gateway has said 60 per cent of aboriginal groups along the pipeline route have signed on....In B.C., 27 offers were made and 11 First Nations signed up.
It’s more than the two bands that have acknowledged the agreements, but less than the 60 per cent claimed by Enbridge.
They were. Or their people can't add. So, presumably...lies.
Sunday, June 23, 2013
Someone Tell David Akin!
How will Leonard Cohen feel when he picks up NY Times and finds out he's dead, according to the Style section? pic.twitter.com/3nNhPjLnFS
— Jessica Allen (@jessieraeallen) June 23, 2013
Saturday, June 22, 2013
Fourniers Lose In Court
I've got to be a bit mysterious here, though I doubt my readers can keep straight all of the legal actions FreeD owners Mark and Connie Fournier are caught up in these days anyway. Suffice to say that they've lost another round in one of them:
You can see it better if you click on the image, but to paraphrase the judge: "You facts are feeble, your argument is crap. I am taking 4,000 of your $s and giving them to lawyers....Sssuckahs!" Looks like Mark and Connie will be doing another fundraiser soon.
Friday, June 21, 2013
Polls And Positivity
Another poll showing the LPoC up, in majority territory even, and by a respected pollster. Two years out and its meaningless and yada yada yada. Interesting, however, to speculate on what it says about Justin's "relentlessly positive" approach to politics. Probably not much. I don't think the Trudeau camp is dumb enough to mean any of that stuff. What they mean is that the leader will deliver the sunny side, while some pasty-faced dude in front of a computer will be digging for Tory dirt. Because, as Stephen Harper has yet to learn after seven years in power, you don't do your own knife work. My buddy Niccolò D once said: you hire other people to bring the pain; you just keep smiling. But believe me, Justin has those other people. If not an actual Prince of Darkness than at least a Bishop of Badass. Out there. Lurking.
Thursday, June 20, 2013
On The Demise Of Local News
The Midland Free Press closed its doors yesterday. Nothing much has been made of it. Another paper going under is not news these days. However, Kate Harris of AWARE Simcoe has a nice obit for the paper, and a few words of warning:
I was happy to be in the fine tradition of two centuries of local newspapers when there was a reporter sitting at every council meeting to write up the proceedings. The public was informed. Democracy was served. Now, many councils meet without any media in attendance. The P.R. machine substitutes for a free press. And it’s not free. On your tax dollar, Springwater Township - for instance - and Simcoe County each have a communications department whose job it is to write ‘news’ that makes the elected politicians look good. And the newspapers that survive print these ‘news’ releases without identifying them as P.R. hackery. After all, who can afford a reporter?
These items look just like news articles – and people respond to them as if they are the genuine article.
But they’re partisan and paid for – by the politicians, who they serve but ultimately, by you, the people, who have the most to lose when another newspaper bites the dust.
I was happy to be in the fine tradition of two centuries of local newspapers when there was a reporter sitting at every council meeting to write up the proceedings. The public was informed. Democracy was served. Now, many councils meet without any media in attendance. The P.R. machine substitutes for a free press. And it’s not free. On your tax dollar, Springwater Township - for instance - and Simcoe County each have a communications department whose job it is to write ‘news’ that makes the elected politicians look good. And the newspapers that survive print these ‘news’ releases without identifying them as P.R. hackery. After all, who can afford a reporter?
These items look just like news articles – and people respond to them as if they are the genuine article.
But they’re partisan and paid for – by the politicians, who they serve but ultimately, by you, the people, who have the most to lose when another newspaper bites the dust.
The Bad Comic Vs. The Rowdy Lesbian, Part Bazillion
I've written about the Earle/Pardy case many a times. Essentially, an amateur comedian named Guy Earle went off on a lesbian couple during an open mike comedy show that he was MCing. One of the couple, Lorna Pardy, took Earle and the restaurant owner to the B.C. Human Rights Tribunal, claiming that she had been discriminated against under Section 8 of the B.C. Human Rights Code, which disallows "discrimination in accommodation, service and facility". Basically, she claimed that a restaurant employee--Earle--had verbally/physically assaulted her because she was lesbian. Pardy won, handily. But Earle appealed, and attempted to convince BC Supreme Court that his assault on Pardy was part of his performance, and therefore protected speech. Yesterday the court told him "no way":
“In the restaurant that night, Mr Earle was an emcee who reacted to the disruption caused by the movement of some patrons, including Ms Pardy, to a new table (by the restaurant management). Ms Pardy and her companions that night were not hecklers. And Mr Earle was not giving a comedy performance when he launched into his tirade of ugly words directed at Ms Pardy.”
The judge also referenced Whatcott to establish the notion some limits to free speech are "reasonable", but the gist of the ruling is, as noted above, that Earle was not engaged in an artistic performance at the time. He was acting more along the lines of a waiter who flew off the handle at the sight of lesbians. So his appeal to free speech was inappropriate on this occasion.
“In the restaurant that night, Mr Earle was an emcee who reacted to the disruption caused by the movement of some patrons, including Ms Pardy, to a new table (by the restaurant management). Ms Pardy and her companions that night were not hecklers. And Mr Earle was not giving a comedy performance when he launched into his tirade of ugly words directed at Ms Pardy.”
The judge also referenced Whatcott to establish the notion some limits to free speech are "reasonable", but the gist of the ruling is, as noted above, that Earle was not engaged in an artistic performance at the time. He was acting more along the lines of a waiter who flew off the handle at the sight of lesbians. So his appeal to free speech was inappropriate on this occasion.
Wednesday, June 19, 2013
Another QMI Paper Bites Dust
Midland Press closed this morning with a loss of five jobs, though it doesn't look as though they have bothered to put up notice of the fact on their website:
Did Midland even get a farewell in their print edition? I looked online and I don't see anything. I'm also not seeing anything on their website. If not, that's just horrible.
PS. Ugly signs from Postmedia today too:
Did Midland even get a farewell in their print edition? I looked online and I don't see anything. I'm also not seeing anything on their website. If not, that's just horrible.
PS. Ugly signs from Postmedia today too:
Some Postmedia employees freaked out by news COO visiting newsrooms and they are "encouraged" to attend. Company says just routine updates.
— Steve Ladurantaye (@sladurantaye) June 19, 2013
Tory Appointees Move To Muscle Bill C-304 Through Senate
The link is to Marc Lemire's site (one-time leader of the white supremacist Heritage Front), so you may not want to click though, but what he's saying sounds right: the Senate Tories are no longer allowing their Liberal counter-parts to adjourn debate on Bill C-304. By the end of the month, it may be a little bit easier to spread Hate in Canada. A gift to the Tory base in time for their summer convention.
PS. Although in the next day's Hansard (18th) Senator Lovelace Nicholas successfully adjourns debate again! Maybe this will get dragged out longer than Marc seems to think.
PS. Although in the next day's Hansard (18th) Senator Lovelace Nicholas successfully adjourns debate again! Maybe this will get dragged out longer than Marc seems to think.
Trouble In Ford Nation
Tuesday, June 18, 2013
Bill C-304: The Final Battle?
LeBreton confirms #SenCA will sit into July if necessary to pass bills on order paper, including C-377. #cdnpoIi
— Jordan Press (@jordan_press) June 18, 2013
The other bill they want to pass is C-304, which would strip section 13 (the hate speech clause) from the Canadian Human Rights Act. When Senate Leader Marjory LeBreton first suggested the possibility of an extension, James Cowan suggested that the Liberal minority would fight if the Tories brought in closure or time allocation. If he's serious, I'm pretty sure the Libs up there can stall this one past the end of session. Then, assuming parliament gets prorogued (as everyone seems to think), the bill goes back to the back of the Queue. Hey presto! Stalled for another year or three! Lets see what kind of resistance our lads and lasses are willing to put up.
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