With apologies to Karl Marx:
Festivals are the sigh of the oppressed creature, the heart of a heartless world, just as it is the spirit of a spiritless situation. They are the opium of the people.
The City of Toronto lists 412 special events in Toronto on its website ranging from poetry readings and speechs on the evils of Globalization to the Film Festival, the Luminato Festival and last night's overpromoted and underperformed Nuit Blanche.
Some of these festivals are great events but most just serve some deep-seated need that Toronto politicians and residents have to feel wanted or special or world class.
I live in the City's gallery district and had about 200,000 visitors come to my neighbourhood last night to enjoy Nuit Blanche.
We joined our guests for an hour or so - surely with all the hype there would be something worth seeing. But there wasn't. The mental health centre appeared to have a karaoke thing going on, the Drake had a couple of DJ's til 5 am or so (that was warmly appreciated by we all), there was a pink building and there were lots and lots of peeps wandering around doing what we were doing, looking for something interesting.
Most of the attractions were art galleries with the same walls and the same artworks as they had the day before or will have all of the coming week. Some great art but no thanks to Nuit Blanche.
Most headed for Trinity Bellwoods Park where last year my chum Tom Sokoloski did a thoughtful and dramatic installation which he has since exported to NYC.
But when we got there, there was no there, there this time.
Nothing except a bunch of Scotiabank booths promoting, well, Scotiabank; a place to buy popcorn; and a seven foot high geodesic dome that Buckie Fuller would write a letter to the editor about in his sadness.
The city spent nigh of a million bucks to promote this thing and I must admit I didn't go to the other two official nodes of "exhilarating contemporary art experiences". So I am only reporting on what we saw.
The city employes 34 people (figure another $5 million a year) in its special events division to produce this pointless, heartness and spirtless event.
It does help David Miller get his residents' minds off of a bankrupt and dirty city with a useless transit system, though.
Canadian, Conservative and Sour. Satire, Cynicism, Snark and Sarcasm is Often the Best Medicine............... Stephen Harper's Favorite Blog
Sunday, September 30, 2007
Lemon: Something Missed in the Debate
Remember when John Tory commented about how McGuinty "will be going back to blame John A. Macdonald"?
The context of this was of course, McGuinty blaming the previous PC and NDP governments for all the ills that he had to find solutions to, which including breaking promises.
But what we all missed, or never noticed or fogot, was that that NDP government who caused him ar least some of his problems was run by Bob Rae, A Liberal!!!
There's some humour if nothing more in this.
The context of this was of course, McGuinty blaming the previous PC and NDP governments for all the ills that he had to find solutions to, which including breaking promises.
But what we all missed, or never noticed or fogot, was that that NDP government who caused him ar least some of his problems was run by Bob Rae, A Liberal!!!
There's some humour if nothing more in this.
Lemon: Results of Poll - Effect of Debate on Faith Based Schools Opinion
We conducted a poll of our readers from the period September 21 to September 28 to determine if there had been any effect on their opinion on John Tory's Faith Based Schools policy as a result of the leaders debate last week.
The question was:
After the Leaders Debate, have you changed your opinion on John Tory's Faith Based Schools Position?
The data are as follows:
1 --- No - I still disagree with him --- 25%
2 --- No - I still agree with him --- 59%
3 --- Yes - I now support his position --- 15%
4 --- Yes - I now disagree with him --- 0%
We conducted an analysis of the findings after the numbers settled in at a consistent percentage split.
The accuracy of the poll is limited by a number of factors:
1/ It was posted on a Blogging Tories site which results in a bias as far as the general political preference of readers and likely responders. So the "agree" responders might just be pro-Tory. As well, the "disagree" responders might just be anti-Tory.
2/ It was not a random poll - responders were self appointed.
3/ The sample size was small - 171 responses. Responders could only enter the poll once, but could change their vote subsequently.
4/ There was no available response "Did Not Watch the Debate", so there was a bias toward those who did watch the debate and are likely politically addicted.
5/ Some number of responders in Cohort 1 may be anti-Tory responders.
Observations:
It's not surprising that 59% of the responders (Group 2) agreed with Tory's FBS policy and did not change their opinion as a result of the debate. That group likely represents "true blue" supporters and those who have a positive opinion on the policy.
It was also not surprising that (almost) no one changed their initial opinion against Tory's position post-debate; the initial position was represented quite negatively by the media and it was unlikely that any debate event would have made the policy less palatable.
Questions 1 and 3, however present interesting data. We tracked the poll over the course of the last week and found that there cohorts began at 2:1 but that this declined during the week to settle at 1.67:1 (with more still disagreeing).
After accepting the limitations of these polling data, it is observed that as many as 40% of (likely) Tory-positive voters initially disagreed with his position on Faith Based Schools. This is a huge percentage. Considering that the sample are most likely Tory supporters, this would translate into an even larger percentage in the universe of all voters. This issue may have stalled progress in voter support that otherwise might have been seen and is likely seen in the recent poll conducted.
Among these supporters that were negatively opinioned on the issue, about a third have changed their position to a position of support (note - see limiting factor #5 above). While significant, this trend does not seem to be strong enough to recapture the initial level of general support.
The conclusion is that the FBS issue remains a considerable negative issue for John Tory, and while there might be some prospect for improvement as time goes by it is uncertain if lost support can be gained by election day.
The question was:
After the Leaders Debate, have you changed your opinion on John Tory's Faith Based Schools Position?
The data are as follows:
1 --- No - I still disagree with him --- 25%
2 --- No - I still agree with him --- 59%
3 --- Yes - I now support his position --- 15%
4 --- Yes - I now disagree with him --- 0%
We conducted an analysis of the findings after the numbers settled in at a consistent percentage split.
The accuracy of the poll is limited by a number of factors:
1/ It was posted on a Blogging Tories site which results in a bias as far as the general political preference of readers and likely responders. So the "agree" responders might just be pro-Tory. As well, the "disagree" responders might just be anti-Tory.
2/ It was not a random poll - responders were self appointed.
3/ The sample size was small - 171 responses. Responders could only enter the poll once, but could change their vote subsequently.
4/ There was no available response "Did Not Watch the Debate", so there was a bias toward those who did watch the debate and are likely politically addicted.
5/ Some number of responders in Cohort 1 may be anti-Tory responders.
Observations:
It's not surprising that 59% of the responders (Group 2) agreed with Tory's FBS policy and did not change their opinion as a result of the debate. That group likely represents "true blue" supporters and those who have a positive opinion on the policy.
It was also not surprising that (almost) no one changed their initial opinion against Tory's position post-debate; the initial position was represented quite negatively by the media and it was unlikely that any debate event would have made the policy less palatable.
Questions 1 and 3, however present interesting data. We tracked the poll over the course of the last week and found that there cohorts began at 2:1 but that this declined during the week to settle at 1.67:1 (with more still disagreeing).
After accepting the limitations of these polling data, it is observed that as many as 40% of (likely) Tory-positive voters initially disagreed with his position on Faith Based Schools. This is a huge percentage. Considering that the sample are most likely Tory supporters, this would translate into an even larger percentage in the universe of all voters. This issue may have stalled progress in voter support that otherwise might have been seen and is likely seen in the recent poll conducted.
Among these supporters that were negatively opinioned on the issue, about a third have changed their position to a position of support (note - see limiting factor #5 above). While significant, this trend does not seem to be strong enough to recapture the initial level of general support.
The conclusion is that the FBS issue remains a considerable negative issue for John Tory, and while there might be some prospect for improvement as time goes by it is uncertain if lost support can be gained by election day.
Saturday, September 29, 2007
Lemon: Gilda Radner Tribute Three
Emily Litela: "I don't know why people are always talking about the copulation explosion. I mean, I think it's a great thing that when you copulate, you explode. I thinks it's a good thing."
Jane Curtin: "Ah, Emily, it's not COPULATION explosion, it's POPULATION explosion."
Emily: "Ohhhhh. Never Mind."
Jane Curtin: "Ah, Emily, it's not COPULATION explosion, it's POPULATION explosion."
Emily: "Ohhhhh. Never Mind."
Lemon: Fishy Maritime Journalism
On the slowest blogging day of the week, we're up to four?? posts before 10 am. Too much coffee...
Yellow journalism from Halifax. This dude manages to equate PMSH with GW Bush, Fascist Latin American & Indonesian dictators and the Republican 'dirty tricks' squad (Harper's masters, he says). Not to mention he spins that Harper is a congenital liar and phoney.
Please.
Yellow journalism from Halifax. This dude manages to equate PMSH with GW Bush, Fascist Latin American & Indonesian dictators and the Republican 'dirty tricks' squad (Harper's masters, he says). Not to mention he spins that Harper is a congenital liar and phoney.
Please.
Friday, September 28, 2007
Lemon: Is Soros (Move On) Funding NASA Climate Propaganda?
Canadian Coalition for Democracies Report on Conflict of NASA's James Hansen
Follow Up:
We received a comment that tells another side of the story.
I'll let the reader draw his/her own conclusions.
Is Hansen a propagandist? Is it wrong for a partisan organization to fund "whistle-blowers" (Is Hansen indeed a whistle-blower?) or wrong to only fund "whistle blowers" that appear to wish to embarrass an elected government? Is Exxon any more evil or partisan that moveon.org?
A report revealed just this week, shows the 'Open Society Institute' funded Hansen to the tune of $720,000, carefully orchestrating his entire media campaign. OSI, a political group which spent $74 million in 2006 to "shape public policy," is funded by billionaire George Soros, the largest backer of Kerry's 2004 Presidential Campaign. Soros, who once declared that "removing Bush from office was the "central focus" of his life, has also given tens of millions of dollars to MoveOn.Org and other political action groups.This is huge. A leftist billionaire funding a bureaucrat in a Federal Administration to spread propaganda against the Bush Administration.
Follow Up:
We received a comment that tells another side of the story.
I'll let the reader draw his/her own conclusions.
Is Hansen a propagandist? Is it wrong for a partisan organization to fund "whistle-blowers" (Is Hansen indeed a whistle-blower?) or wrong to only fund "whistle blowers" that appear to wish to embarrass an elected government? Is Exxon any more evil or partisan that moveon.org?
Lemon: Update - How the Parties Would Spend the Surplus If They Were Families
Kudos to reader GDW for exquisite improvement
Mr. and Mrs. C.P. Canada
I think we need to invest the windfall by paying down our mortgage and paying off our credit cards. A penny saved in interest is a penny earned. Plus, it's time to put money away for our retirement and to plan for our estates so we leave something behind for the kids.
Ms Green and and Mr. Party
We're gonna retrofit our greenhouse, put in new solar cells and a water recycling system. Then we're gonna buy lifetime TTC passes and new bikes and rebuild our Birkenstocks. The rest we're gonna use to buy carbon offset credits for all our friends and family that can't afford them. Probably give anything that's left equally to Gore and Suzuki.
Mr. Grit
Well, half will go to my ex-wife, of course. The rest I'm going to invest in the Liberal Party because for every cent you send their way, you get five cents back. Plus, I got this thing going on with Ms Green and she really likes high living. She's almost worth it.
Mr. and Mr. N.D. Party
Well, obviously we're going to travel a lot, I mean everywhere. And we'll dine out always and buy new furniture and whole new wardrobes. Then there's the animals to think of, so we'll give a lot of money to PETA and the poor people in Darfur. Plus, maybe put some toward ashrams or tents or whatever it is that those freedom fighters defending Afghanistan against the imperialists live in.
Mr. and Mrs. C.P. Canada
I think we need to invest the windfall by paying down our mortgage and paying off our credit cards. A penny saved in interest is a penny earned. Plus, it's time to put money away for our retirement and to plan for our estates so we leave something behind for the kids.
Ms Green and and Mr. Party
We're gonna retrofit our greenhouse, put in new solar cells and a water recycling system. Then we're gonna buy lifetime TTC passes and new bikes and rebuild our Birkenstocks. The rest we're gonna use to buy carbon offset credits for all our friends and family that can't afford them. Probably give anything that's left equally to Gore and Suzuki.
Mr. Grit
Well, half will go to my ex-wife, of course. The rest I'm going to invest in the Liberal Party because for every cent you send their way, you get five cents back. Plus, I got this thing going on with Ms Green and she really likes high living. She's almost worth it.
Mr. and Mr. N.D. Party
Well, obviously we're going to travel a lot, I mean everywhere. And we'll dine out always and buy new furniture and whole new wardrobes. Then there's the animals to think of, so we'll give a lot of money to PETA and the poor people in Darfur. Plus, maybe put some toward ashrams or tents or whatever it is that those freedom fighters defending Afghanistan against the imperialists live in.
Lemon: Forgotten McGuinty Fund Raising Scandal?
The Star
Among DeGasperis's tactics in what the court called his "war" with the government was his decision to leak a damning letter detailing an intimate $10,000-a-plate fundraising dinner McGuinty had with 14 developers at the home of Finance Minister Greg Sorbara's brother before the Greenbelt boundaries were drawn.
The Globe
Not to mention the Vaughan Subway
Among DeGasperis's tactics in what the court called his "war" with the government was his decision to leak a damning letter detailing an intimate $10,000-a-plate fundraising dinner McGuinty had with 14 developers at the home of Finance Minister Greg Sorbara's brother before the Greenbelt boundaries were drawn.
The Globe
Not to mention the Vaughan Subway
Thursday, September 27, 2007
Evening Lemons Report Part Deux - Duffy - Sep 27
Fluffy Duffy
Same story from Flaherty as we got with Newman. Flaherty wants to pay down taxes for future generations which I think is a stupid idea, cause future generations will be making an order or two of magnitude more than we do and that giant debt will look like what I spend on broccoli.
I say give it all back. To me. And let me dole it out to those I feel worthy. Better me than Jack Layton.
George "no Turbans in the RCMP" Baker on US Border Control along with Mild Terry Stratton. George finds a way of spinning it pro Senate - says he and they (the US Senate WHICH IS ELECTED) agree. I say build the fence. Around Newfoundland and make George stay there. Baker is such a loud mouthed schnook that even Foghorn has never seen worse.
Hugh Stansfield, BC top Judge, on to beat up Stock Day. Says courts are perfect and Day believes that Flintstones is a documentary. Says US has much better record on recidivism. Wants more treatment facilities. Good for him - he says problems are breakdown in families and in community. Maybe HE should be Chief Justice and not Dogooder Bev MacLachlin.
Jamie Carroll mess - Steffi's biggest support (one of three) - will he get the boot? MHF, Bernie Lord and Joy McPhail. Every little Steffi act is getting hammered - by the Grits. Bernie says a leadership problem. Joy says Grits are imploding. Finlay, who's dressed like she's cleaning floors to raise money for her campaign, admits problems, Martha - no makeup? When did you last wash your hair? Bernie smacks (figuratively) Martha around the tube. Joy says Jack announced brilliant shadow cabinet. Only mentioned the former Liberal Mulcair who hasn't even sat in the house yet. Filled with women, gays, blacks, chinese, poor, disenfranchised, lesbian, natives, poor (did I say poor). Perfect.
Fife says Grits don't do well in opposition. Laghi says youthful indescretion - says Jamie needs his head on a pike. MH Finlay is a Carroll apologist - sent out emails to the media. That's deep and rich. Makes her look real bad. Fife uses "death" figure of speech as well. He's a kid and a loose cannon. CHERNIAK - your dream job is opening up. Laghi says Grits falling way behind Tories on visible minorities - and Duff even apologizes for him and says he really was pleading for more multi-cultural involvement. Bullshit - Caroll made a smart ass comment in front of people far more important than he is. There are old political advisors and smart-ass political advisors but no old, smart ass political advisors.
Don't know if I'll do the double header again. Too painful to not be able to click to the other show.
Evening Lemons Report Part One - Newman - Sep 27
Did Newman Redux tonight at 1930 - no biased media, but also almost nothing to piss and moan about.
The Embarrassment of Riches - The SURPLUS: why don't I see any of these riches?
Flaherty spins the story of the surplus. CTF says shot credibility. Tale sounds reasonable. I remember PJ O'Rourke's line about the only difference between the Democrats and Republicans is that the Dems wanna take all our money in taxes and the Repubs wanna take just a teeny weeny bit less.
And the NDP wanna spend wayyy more than the Democrats would in the US. Jack wants to take all the surplus and give it to strangers. Can you believe that?? Mulcair, the former QC Grit, is dissed by Newman as he won not Jack. Jack couldn't win a coin flip in QC. Mulcair says Jack is great and that he thinks he's an idiot and Jack is a Quebecer (though he hasn't lived there for 30 years). Mulcair forgets that Jack's Dad was in Mulroney's cabinet so really, Jack's an NDPer just because his Dad didn't give him the keys to the car when he was 16 and he's still pissed off at him.
Mulcair ain't much of a math guy - says at 20% you start winning seats... Where? In a world without pink skies 20% across the board gets ya no seats unless there's six parties.
Williamson of Taxpayers Federation. $14.2 Billion is a whole lotta money. It is a whole lotta money. Billion here, billion there and pretty soon you're talking real money (JD Rockefeller).
The Embarrassment of Riches - The SURPLUS: why don't I see any of these riches?
Flaherty spins the story of the surplus. CTF says shot credibility. Tale sounds reasonable. I remember PJ O'Rourke's line about the only difference between the Democrats and Republicans is that the Dems wanna take all our money in taxes and the Repubs wanna take just a teeny weeny bit less.
And the NDP wanna spend wayyy more than the Democrats would in the US. Jack wants to take all the surplus and give it to strangers. Can you believe that?? Mulcair, the former QC Grit, is dissed by Newman as he won not Jack. Jack couldn't win a coin flip in QC. Mulcair says Jack is great and that he thinks he's an idiot and Jack is a Quebecer (though he hasn't lived there for 30 years). Mulcair forgets that Jack's Dad was in Mulroney's cabinet so really, Jack's an NDPer just because his Dad didn't give him the keys to the car when he was 16 and he's still pissed off at him.
Mulcair ain't much of a math guy - says at 20% you start winning seats... Where? In a world without pink skies 20% across the board gets ya no seats unless there's six parties.
Williamson of Taxpayers Federation. $14.2 Billion is a whole lotta money. It is a whole lotta money. Billion here, billion there and pretty soon you're talking real money (JD Rockefeller).
Lemon: Harper the Star at Tournament Opening
PM Stephen Harper joined GHW Bush, Jack Nicklaus, Gary Player, Tiger Woods and Mike Weir on stage in Ile Bizard at the Royal Montreal to officially open the 2007 Presidents' Cup.
PMSH is very impressive in these types of venues. This week he wowed even Jim Travers with his performance in New York: "At the prestigious Council on Foreign Relations, Harper was at his impressive best. Showing parts of his political persona too rarely seen here, he was consistently thoughtful, impeccably briefed and appropriately amusing."
He did the same today, with the added bonus that Gary Player (who was battling apartheid when it wasn't cool) enthusiastically encouraged the Quebec audience to be "proud of their Prime Minister who last night delivered one of the greatest speeches on democracy I've ever heard".
Wayago, PM.
Please imagine if Stephane Dion were doing this... Please do, I can't.
PMSH is very impressive in these types of venues. This week he wowed even Jim Travers with his performance in New York: "At the prestigious Council on Foreign Relations, Harper was at his impressive best. Showing parts of his political persona too rarely seen here, he was consistently thoughtful, impeccably briefed and appropriately amusing."
He did the same today, with the added bonus that Gary Player (who was battling apartheid when it wasn't cool) enthusiastically encouraged the Quebec audience to be "proud of their Prime Minister who last night delivered one of the greatest speeches on democracy I've ever heard".
Wayago, PM.
Please imagine if Stephane Dion were doing this... Please do, I can't.
Wednesday, September 26, 2007
Lemon: September 2007 Golden Lemon Award Winner
I am proud (and humbled) to present the September 2007 Golden Lemon Award to the Canadian Coalition for Democracies Forum. Thanks to Alastair and Naresh and others, a new forum for serious and articulate exchanges of information and opinion was created.
I have resisted making this award to the CC. One reason is that the CCD is not new to me - I began my ranting there over three years ago - more than a year before CBL was started. The other is that the website is not really a blog, but a communications arm of an organization. But after due consideration, including that the CCD has advanced the progress of that which is among our most important Western values, I have decided to make the CCD Forum our Golden Lemon Award for this month.
I encourage all CBL readers to visit CCD often.
Lemon: A Message for Kyoto Do-Gooders
Acceptance is Futile...
Hey, I'm really glad you switched to long-lasting compact fluorescent light bulbs in your house. But the growth in Doha and Dalian ate all your energy savings for breakfast. I'm glad you bought a hybrid car. But Doha and Dalian devoured that before noon. I am glad that the U.S. Congress is debating whether to bring U.S. auto mileage requirements up to European levels by 2020. Doha and Dalian will have those gains for lunch -- maybe just the first course. I'm glad that solar and wind power are "soaring" toward 2 percent of U.S. energy generation, but Doha and Dalian will devour all those gains for dinner. I am thrilled that you are now doing the "20 green things" suggested by your favorite American magazine. Doha and Dalian will snack on them all, like popcorn before bedtime.Discussion on this - how in the next 50 years we have to increase energy production by 80% while reducing greenhouse gases by 50%.
Friedman in NYT
Nom de Blog: Strong Federalism - Andrew Coyne & Chantal Hebert
What does “strong federalism” mean?
For some ...central planners like Dion and Andrew Coyne (and especially the late PET) it means lots of tax revenues and the power that goes with it flowing to Ottawa for the non-directly elected PMO to decide who gets what.
For others .. true conservatives, “strong federalism” means recognizing that the big budgetary items are Health and Education. This would mean getting Ottawa out of the way and letting the Provinces compete for the best practices on those files. Then let a mobile population flow to where the best social/economic trends are. For those that keep wondering where conservatism is at these days, the answer is… decentralization and respect for personal freedom and provincial jurisdictions.
Chantal Hebert is on track with this.
I’ve always been suspicious of Chantal’s motivations. But maybe I should just get over it and move on, because she seems to be buying into reality and not the PET vision that was used to create unity threats in Canada. Here she is endorsing Harper’s idea: “New cost-shared programs in areas of provincial responsibility that would require the consent of the majority of provinces to proceed.
I really like Chantal’s comment that “the fact that past federal regimes have been able to spend their way into areas that are under the exclusive constitutional purview of the provinces is at the root of a fatal perversion of federalism”
I used to think that AC walked on water as a Conservative and that Chantal was a raving socialist. However the dividing line on federalism is coming down to this: "To be centralized or not".
These days I find myself siding more with Chantal than AC. That’s because she recognizes the value in competition among the Provinces for political solutions. AC still wants heavy control from the center and that will dampen competitive ideas. We are a big country with Quebecers as different from the ROC as the French are from the Brits. And we know how well that relationship has gone for the last 1200 years.
For some ...central planners like Dion and Andrew Coyne (and especially the late PET) it means lots of tax revenues and the power that goes with it flowing to Ottawa for the non-directly elected PMO to decide who gets what.
For others .. true conservatives, “strong federalism” means recognizing that the big budgetary items are Health and Education. This would mean getting Ottawa out of the way and letting the Provinces compete for the best practices on those files. Then let a mobile population flow to where the best social/economic trends are. For those that keep wondering where conservatism is at these days, the answer is… decentralization and respect for personal freedom and provincial jurisdictions.
Chantal Hebert is on track with this.
I’ve always been suspicious of Chantal’s motivations. But maybe I should just get over it and move on, because she seems to be buying into reality and not the PET vision that was used to create unity threats in Canada. Here she is endorsing Harper’s idea: “New cost-shared programs in areas of provincial responsibility that would require the consent of the majority of provinces to proceed.
I really like Chantal’s comment that “the fact that past federal regimes have been able to spend their way into areas that are under the exclusive constitutional purview of the provinces is at the root of a fatal perversion of federalism”
I used to think that AC walked on water as a Conservative and that Chantal was a raving socialist. However the dividing line on federalism is coming down to this: "To be centralized or not".
These days I find myself siding more with Chantal than AC. That’s because she recognizes the value in competition among the Provinces for political solutions. AC still wants heavy control from the center and that will dampen competitive ideas. We are a big country with Quebecers as different from the ROC as the French are from the Brits. And we know how well that relationship has gone for the last 1200 years.
Tuesday, September 25, 2007
Lemon: Truth From Iraq - The War is Being Won
From Here
Apparently this is the latest chapter in al-Qaeda's war manual in their war against the Iraqi people and the coalition; raiding remote peaceful villages, burning down homes and slaughtering both man and beast.
This campaign I will call a campaign of self-destruction. For probably a year al-Qaeda was trying to build their so called Islamic State in Iraq and several times they declared parts of Baghdad or other provinces as the capital of that state.
But now that they have been losing one base after another their objective changed from adding more towns and villages to the "state" to destroying the very same towns and villages! Obviously it's all about making headlines regardless of the means to do that!
And what are the chances of reading this anywhere in the western MSM.
Apparently this is the latest chapter in al-Qaeda's war manual in their war against the Iraqi people and the coalition; raiding remote peaceful villages, burning down homes and slaughtering both man and beast.
This campaign I will call a campaign of self-destruction. For probably a year al-Qaeda was trying to build their so called Islamic State in Iraq and several times they declared parts of Baghdad or other provinces as the capital of that state.
But now that they have been losing one base after another their objective changed from adding more towns and villages to the "state" to destroying the very same towns and villages! Obviously it's all about making headlines regardless of the means to do that!
And what are the chances of reading this anywhere in the western MSM.
Nom de Blog & ET: Apres Le Deluge for the Liberal Party of Canada
With Stephane Dion as Louis XV
The theme song for last week's by-election massacre in Quebec was a funeral dirge for the Liberal Party in its preferred perception as Canada's 'Natural Governing Party' and as the 'Party of National Unity'.
For at least a generation the LPOC depended on dividing Canada into a collection of opposing interests; only really paying any attention to the "vote rich" heartlands of Ontario and Quebec, while largely ignoring the east and west. The Liberals ran Canada by setting up regions as adversarial voting blocs.
The basic conflict in Central Canada has been a manufactured one, between French and English, instilling in Canadians a fear that the country would 'fall apart' like some smashed dinner plate.
The Liberals established in the minds of the ROC that Quebec is a violent, irrational and angry place that would prefer its independence over national collaboration. Then they played Ontario as the village idiot by convincing its residents that the only means of preventing national destruction was for Ontario to financially and politically capitulate to Quebec's demands.
In Ontario, the Liberals divided its population further into adversarial groups; multi-cultural policy divided immigrant groups into voting blocs. A dependent and frightened immigrant population voted Liberal and so did the urban small l liberals who bought into the vision of Canada being a campfire with people of all nations singing kumbaya.
But the by-elections of a week ago proved that Quebecers aren't at all convinced that the Liberal Party can offer them any value. Indeed, the results illustrated that in both urban and rural Quebec the once all powerful Liberal Party of Canada may not occupy any positive mindspace at all. In two of the three ridings the candidates didn't get their deposits returned and the hand picked Dion candidate in the Liberal homebase of Outremont was demolished.
The Liberals managed to maintain power for so long by use of 'divide and bribe'. No policies. No agenda for Canada. No role for Quebec except as hungry unstable children that must be fed.
Now - Quebec has moved out of that engendered dependency on the federal government and the Liberal fear mongering of imminent separation. After all, the 1995 referendum was really not about separation but about Quebec's maturation and escape from dependency. It was not a tribal act, but one in support of "provincial rights".
The sponsorship money laundering in the last years of King Jean was a symbol that the Liberal party was no longer needed in Quebec; the Party expected to have to buy votes with cash. Quebec and its rejection of the PQ and Bloc, its movement to self-responsibility with the new support for the ADQ, is symbolic of that change.
Quebec voters are now switching away from the Liberal brand and are freed up to vote as they wish. For now (if not the foreseeable future) Liberals in Quebec will actually have to work for their votes.
Blogs have done a good job of covering the movement of the Quebecois away from the fear-mongering, co-dependency of the Liberals and the Bloc. However, not much has been said about how that will impact the Ontario voter who will no longer feel they have to vote Liberal to maintain their stake in a unified Federation.
Harper will gain Ontario votes on that new dynamic. It is safe for Ontarians to free up their votes for that which makes most sense for them, not for that which is perceived to support national unity.
Meanwhile, John Tory has come out with an “inclusive” policy on faith based schools. Many new Canadians who are people of faith, but who had viewed Liberals as their sponsor-for-life, are now seeing that the fair mindedness of Conservatives appeals to them.
Many new Canadians have always been conservative; but they are just now realizing that Conservative is what they are.
The old myths that the Liberals enjoyed were essentially based on selling fear and emphasizing our weaknesses as a people. But now those dynamics are slipping away. Now the Liberals are feeling naked. Citoyen Dion will end up on the faculty of the Sorbonne and Dalton is discovering that his hypocrisy on a number of fear-mongering fronts no longer fit with the changing demographics of the Province.
There are now open skies in Central Canada on the electoral horizon.
The theme song for last week's by-election massacre in Quebec was a funeral dirge for the Liberal Party in its preferred perception as Canada's 'Natural Governing Party' and as the 'Party of National Unity'.
For at least a generation the LPOC depended on dividing Canada into a collection of opposing interests; only really paying any attention to the "vote rich" heartlands of Ontario and Quebec, while largely ignoring the east and west. The Liberals ran Canada by setting up regions as adversarial voting blocs.
The basic conflict in Central Canada has been a manufactured one, between French and English, instilling in Canadians a fear that the country would 'fall apart' like some smashed dinner plate.
The Liberals established in the minds of the ROC that Quebec is a violent, irrational and angry place that would prefer its independence over national collaboration. Then they played Ontario as the village idiot by convincing its residents that the only means of preventing national destruction was for Ontario to financially and politically capitulate to Quebec's demands.
In Ontario, the Liberals divided its population further into adversarial groups; multi-cultural policy divided immigrant groups into voting blocs. A dependent and frightened immigrant population voted Liberal and so did the urban small l liberals who bought into the vision of Canada being a campfire with people of all nations singing kumbaya.
But the by-elections of a week ago proved that Quebecers aren't at all convinced that the Liberal Party can offer them any value. Indeed, the results illustrated that in both urban and rural Quebec the once all powerful Liberal Party of Canada may not occupy any positive mindspace at all. In two of the three ridings the candidates didn't get their deposits returned and the hand picked Dion candidate in the Liberal homebase of Outremont was demolished.
The Liberals managed to maintain power for so long by use of 'divide and bribe'. No policies. No agenda for Canada. No role for Quebec except as hungry unstable children that must be fed.
Now - Quebec has moved out of that engendered dependency on the federal government and the Liberal fear mongering of imminent separation. After all, the 1995 referendum was really not about separation but about Quebec's maturation and escape from dependency. It was not a tribal act, but one in support of "provincial rights".
The sponsorship money laundering in the last years of King Jean was a symbol that the Liberal party was no longer needed in Quebec; the Party expected to have to buy votes with cash. Quebec and its rejection of the PQ and Bloc, its movement to self-responsibility with the new support for the ADQ, is symbolic of that change.
Quebec voters are now switching away from the Liberal brand and are freed up to vote as they wish. For now (if not the foreseeable future) Liberals in Quebec will actually have to work for their votes.
Blogs have done a good job of covering the movement of the Quebecois away from the fear-mongering, co-dependency of the Liberals and the Bloc. However, not much has been said about how that will impact the Ontario voter who will no longer feel they have to vote Liberal to maintain their stake in a unified Federation.
Harper will gain Ontario votes on that new dynamic. It is safe for Ontarians to free up their votes for that which makes most sense for them, not for that which is perceived to support national unity.
Meanwhile, John Tory has come out with an “inclusive” policy on faith based schools. Many new Canadians who are people of faith, but who had viewed Liberals as their sponsor-for-life, are now seeing that the fair mindedness of Conservatives appeals to them.
Many new Canadians have always been conservative; but they are just now realizing that Conservative is what they are.
The old myths that the Liberals enjoyed were essentially based on selling fear and emphasizing our weaknesses as a people. But now those dynamics are slipping away. Now the Liberals are feeling naked. Citoyen Dion will end up on the faculty of the Sorbonne and Dalton is discovering that his hypocrisy on a number of fear-mongering fronts no longer fit with the changing demographics of the Province.
There are now open skies in Central Canada on the electoral horizon.
Lemon: No Homosexuals in Iran . . .
"In Iran we don't have homosexuals like in your country," Ahmadinejad said to howls and boos among the Columbia University audience. "In Iran we do not have this phenomenon, I don't know who has told you that we have it," he said.
Found in a link to: Right Side of the Rainbow at: Gay & Right
Found in a link to: Right Side of the Rainbow at: Gay & Right
Lemon: The Good that GW Bush Has Wrought
From Golden Lemon Award Winner Snakeoil Baron.
- A nation that was run by a totalitarian regime, controlled by an ethnic group that was a minority in the nation (no offense to Iraqi Sunnis but no minority can rule a majority without fear and force) is now run by a multi ethnic parliament that was elected by vast participation of popular vote.
- A government is in place in Iraq which is fighting corruption (not perfectly but progressively) and struggling to secure itself against forces which threaten it and the stability of the region rather than one which struggled to promote these forces.
- Iraq's freedom of the press and of expression has lead to a boom in the independent media and personal communications in a nation where cell phones and Internet access was controlled (Saddam once said that the Internet was the end of civilization)
- While corruption is widespread in Iraq it is declining where as up until the invasion it was rising rapidly.
- Iraq's economy is improving continuously in contrast to the 30 years before the invasion.
- The education, health, justice and banking systems and civil utilities are improving instead of declining. Children have been vaccinated, farmers are getting access to training and technologies they did not have before and access to veterinary services.
- Drained marshes are being restored.
- The more sectarian politicians who were elected in the first round of elections are no longer as popular and the populations in Sunni regions are turning against al Qaida.
- All told, Iraq is one of the nations that poses the least threat to the region and to America which is a far different case than before. Iraq holds far more potential for creating diversified (not exclusively oil based) prosperity and security than Iran, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Yemen, Libya, Sudan, Pakistan or even Egypt not that she is devolving into a banana republic. It is not that there is no hope for these other nations but there must be a lot of change and hard work within them and a change of attitude toward them to get them on the most direct path to peace and prosperity.
Monday, September 24, 2007
Evening Blue Lemons Report - Newman Duff Sep 24 07
Duffy's BACK!!!
Just when sycophants thought it was safe to come out of the woods.
Two Shows. Two concurrent hours. Two Old Farts. Twice as much horsecrap to wade through and edit into 500 words. Yippeeeeee....
PMSH at UN on GHGs. New Intl framework on cleaner and low carbon technologies. Bob Fife comments - Duff says a busy agenda. Fife says that Condie Rice and PMSH must have same speech writer. Fife seems skeptical about new technologies. He specializes in hair colour technologies, why is he so hesitant to accept there might be new environmental technologies?
Duff calls on a fellow Laurier buddy (Duff got an honourary degree from another buddy Bob Rae from Laurier this summer). "We've been putting the emissions into the air since the Industrial Revolution," he says. This guy is a former ambassador and professor at LU? Dahling, we only had trees during the Industrial Revolution. Blames Bush - but it was BILL CLINTON AND AL GORE WHO REFUSED TO RATIFY THE KYOTO ACCORD!!!
Duceppe beating chest on his 5 Demands or he'll take his hairnet and go home.
Newman - Henry Champ's review of PMSH at the UN - met UN SecGen, Dutch Leader, Mahmoud Abbas, chatted about Darfur - Henry says a big success and evidence of Canada's new importance. Canada now seen as an influential voice.
Election Speculation by Ralphie the Beaver (have decided he looks more like a beaver than a hedgehog). Ralph thinks the Tories will cave in to Grit demands."Would Grits want election - would it be propitious," from Newman. Ralphie says by-elections no big deals. Liberals as likely to win as the Tories he says. Believes Canada can meet Kyoto terms and also expand our manufacturing base and says it's consistent with Canadian views. It's consistent with a delusion.
Says if government falls, it will be Harper's fault.
Maxie says that things well received at UN - we heroes in Afstan. Says we will have a debate and vote in Parliament and then advise NATO..
Travers - wouldn't bet against an election - says Grits maneuvering to make it look like Tories fault. Lot of baloney in the Dion and Duceppe demands. Says Liberals are not prepared for election and will lose. Dion is dead if he forces an election and dead if he doesn't and will get pecked apart by his own 'supporters'.
Upside for Harper is better than the upside for Dion - can play to leadership advantage. Speculates that might want to go so that Toronto by-elections are not held. Grits damaged almost everywhere. Time to go? Maybe.
Is Duceppe talking through his hairnet? Leave Afstan by 2009, Implement Kyoto, Get out of Prov programs, continue supply management and buy him a villa on the Cote d'Azure. Jay Hill - lotta rattling of penknives - Canadians don't want an election. Karen Redman says they're ready to go any time... Sure... Has anyone forgotten that (I think) 23 members of the Grit caucus resigned because they saw the blood leaking under the door?
Ezra Levant on Alberta Energy politics - Financial meltdown - oilcos lost $12 Billion on one day - Weird Ed Stelmach seems to hate oil fields and wants to tax them into submission... Wow... Is this Alberta? Is this guy a Tory? "Who elected the New Democrat?"
Redman - full implementation of Kyoto or will vote against Throne Speech. Hill says support goals of Kyoto but Grits are hypocrites - they would devastate the economy. Says Grits can abstain on Throne Speech and not bring down government.
Jean Lapierre tells tale that Pauline Marois has a $7 million gated mansion on Ile Bizard - says her shack in Charleboix is her summer residence. She caught - got a lotta splainin to do. Land owned by govt of Quebec that was expropriated from farmers.
From her Wiki: According to a Montreal Gazette newspaper article, there were questionable actions ... which led to protected agricultural land being rezoned for residential construction, and to parcels of government land being appropriated by the couple for their own private use.
This will have legs in QC politics. Dead traitor walking.
Lapierre says that under no circumstances will the BQ support the throne speech. Called fifty top Grits across Canada:
Do you think Stephane Dion will improve? NO.
Would you vote against a popular budget? NO.
Do you want to give more time allow PMSH to clean up Afstan situation. NO.
Grits smiling on the outside but crying on the inside.
Kady on poli blogs - Byelections / Elections top topics. She looks like Peter Pan... Shotgun Blog - excited about an election. Political Staples - sees Grits staying home sick for vote. Lotta chatter on Tom Flanagan - says blogs have changed politics - says he was very involved in building Blogging Tories - appointed people to get on the blogosphere and to work with bloggers.
ANYONE WANNA COMMENT ON THIS!!!
Last I heard Doug Finlay was 100% against anything to do electronic. Doesn't have a cell phone and takes a buggy into work. Uses a telex - faxes are too hard to figure out and email is for kids.
Newman - are political parties manipulating blogs? Would be big trouble for any party who did this.
Good having them both back - live blogging only Newman meant lots of time to start dinner, eat, do spell and grammar checks but was boring. A fast-paced 60 minutes sparkled by Lapierre's story on Pauline Marois and the Grit pending happy tragedy. Henry Champ's positive words on PMSH in NYC was also surprising. A solid 6/10.
Just when sycophants thought it was safe to come out of the woods.
Two Shows. Two concurrent hours. Two Old Farts. Twice as much horsecrap to wade through and edit into 500 words. Yippeeeeee....
PMSH at UN on GHGs. New Intl framework on cleaner and low carbon technologies. Bob Fife comments - Duff says a busy agenda. Fife says that Condie Rice and PMSH must have same speech writer. Fife seems skeptical about new technologies. He specializes in hair colour technologies, why is he so hesitant to accept there might be new environmental technologies?
Duff calls on a fellow Laurier buddy (Duff got an honourary degree from another buddy Bob Rae from Laurier this summer). "We've been putting the emissions into the air since the Industrial Revolution," he says. This guy is a former ambassador and professor at LU? Dahling, we only had trees during the Industrial Revolution. Blames Bush - but it was BILL CLINTON AND AL GORE WHO REFUSED TO RATIFY THE KYOTO ACCORD!!!
Duceppe beating chest on his 5 Demands or he'll take his hairnet and go home.
Newman - Henry Champ's review of PMSH at the UN - met UN SecGen, Dutch Leader, Mahmoud Abbas, chatted about Darfur - Henry says a big success and evidence of Canada's new importance. Canada now seen as an influential voice.
Election Speculation by Ralphie the Beaver (have decided he looks more like a beaver than a hedgehog). Ralph thinks the Tories will cave in to Grit demands."Would Grits want election - would it be propitious," from Newman. Ralphie says by-elections no big deals. Liberals as likely to win as the Tories he says. Believes Canada can meet Kyoto terms and also expand our manufacturing base and says it's consistent with Canadian views. It's consistent with a delusion.
Says if government falls, it will be Harper's fault.
Maxie says that things well received at UN - we heroes in Afstan. Says we will have a debate and vote in Parliament and then advise NATO..
Travers - wouldn't bet against an election - says Grits maneuvering to make it look like Tories fault. Lot of baloney in the Dion and Duceppe demands. Says Liberals are not prepared for election and will lose. Dion is dead if he forces an election and dead if he doesn't and will get pecked apart by his own 'supporters'.
Upside for Harper is better than the upside for Dion - can play to leadership advantage. Speculates that might want to go so that Toronto by-elections are not held. Grits damaged almost everywhere. Time to go? Maybe.
Is Duceppe talking through his hairnet? Leave Afstan by 2009, Implement Kyoto, Get out of Prov programs, continue supply management and buy him a villa on the Cote d'Azure. Jay Hill - lotta rattling of penknives - Canadians don't want an election. Karen Redman says they're ready to go any time... Sure... Has anyone forgotten that (I think) 23 members of the Grit caucus resigned because they saw the blood leaking under the door?
Ezra Levant on Alberta Energy politics - Financial meltdown - oilcos lost $12 Billion on one day - Weird Ed Stelmach seems to hate oil fields and wants to tax them into submission... Wow... Is this Alberta? Is this guy a Tory? "Who elected the New Democrat?"
Redman - full implementation of Kyoto or will vote against Throne Speech. Hill says support goals of Kyoto but Grits are hypocrites - they would devastate the economy. Says Grits can abstain on Throne Speech and not bring down government.
Jean Lapierre tells tale that Pauline Marois has a $7 million gated mansion on Ile Bizard - says her shack in Charleboix is her summer residence. She caught - got a lotta splainin to do. Land owned by govt of Quebec that was expropriated from farmers.
From her Wiki: According to a Montreal Gazette newspaper article, there were questionable actions ... which led to protected agricultural land being rezoned for residential construction, and to parcels of government land being appropriated by the couple for their own private use.
This will have legs in QC politics. Dead traitor walking.
Lapierre says that under no circumstances will the BQ support the throne speech. Called fifty top Grits across Canada:
Do you think Stephane Dion will improve? NO.
Would you vote against a popular budget? NO.
Do you want to give more time allow PMSH to clean up Afstan situation. NO.
Grits smiling on the outside but crying on the inside.
Kady on poli blogs - Byelections / Elections top topics. She looks like Peter Pan... Shotgun Blog - excited about an election. Political Staples - sees Grits staying home sick for vote. Lotta chatter on Tom Flanagan - says blogs have changed politics - says he was very involved in building Blogging Tories - appointed people to get on the blogosphere and to work with bloggers.
ANYONE WANNA COMMENT ON THIS!!!
Last I heard Doug Finlay was 100% against anything to do electronic. Doesn't have a cell phone and takes a buggy into work. Uses a telex - faxes are too hard to figure out and email is for kids.
Newman - are political parties manipulating blogs? Would be big trouble for any party who did this.
Good having them both back - live blogging only Newman meant lots of time to start dinner, eat, do spell and grammar checks but was boring. A fast-paced 60 minutes sparkled by Lapierre's story on Pauline Marois and the Grit pending happy tragedy. Henry Champ's positive words on PMSH in NYC was also surprising. A solid 6/10.
Sunday, September 23, 2007
Lemon: "One of the Most Serious Problems to Ever Confront Humanity"
According to CBC "Everything's Cool" is "A look at both sides of the global warming debate". It starts with a journalist quoting the discredited statistic that 6/10 of the hottest years in history occurred in the last twenty years. This is a lie.
They open with a cluster of tattooed and tooth-lacking red necks and in-breds to represent the global warming is a hoax theorists.
Then, early on, the program refers to the 1988 statements that the Greenhouse Effect was gonna fry us all. This only a couple of years after scientists convinced us that we were facing a new ice age.
A highlight was the complaint by ski bums that global warming was removing the snow from the ski hills. And skiers are gonna die. They're a great source of knowledge on climate issues. But, really, better sources of knowledge on what goes better with Canadian Whiskey, Seven Up or Ginger Ale.
The producers are propagandists. Global Warming Whores who make their living by trying to scare the bejeezus out of us.
The CBC airs a program that spouts the propaganda that we are all gonna die and promotes it as a look at both sides of the global warming debate.
Worthy of Michael Moore. Or the CBC.
They open with a cluster of tattooed and tooth-lacking red necks and in-breds to represent the global warming is a hoax theorists.
Then, early on, the program refers to the 1988 statements that the Greenhouse Effect was gonna fry us all. This only a couple of years after scientists convinced us that we were facing a new ice age.
A highlight was the complaint by ski bums that global warming was removing the snow from the ski hills. And skiers are gonna die. They're a great source of knowledge on climate issues. But, really, better sources of knowledge on what goes better with Canadian Whiskey, Seven Up or Ginger Ale.
The producers are propagandists. Global Warming Whores who make their living by trying to scare the bejeezus out of us.
The CBC airs a program that spouts the propaganda that we are all gonna die and promotes it as a look at both sides of the global warming debate.
Worthy of Michael Moore. Or the CBC.
Lemon:The Star on History of Faith Based Schools in Ontario
This article in The Star does a great job revealing the history of Faith Based Schooling in Canada. The 1840's were a time of huge immigration to the Canadas by poor and uneducated families from Ireland during the time of famine in their homeland.
As a founder of the Liberal Party of Canada, George Brown, put it at the time:
"... Irish beggars are to be met everywhere, and they are as ignorant and vicious as they are poor. They are lazy, improvident and unthankful; they fill our poorhouses and our prisons, and are as brutish in their superstition as Hindoos."
Despite his degrading comment and to give Geo B. credit, his solution was to promote a publicly-funded education for these new Roman Catholic Canadians to adapt and integrate into society as quickly as possible.
Could anyone ever deny that the descendants of Catholic immigrants from this period and later from Italy have flourished by coming to a country that welcomed them and supported their faith in a public school system?
So why should new Canadians who are Hindu, Muslim or Protestant not receive the same opportunity to benefit from a publicly funded education to help them integrate into society?
Our society can't have it both ways.
We cannot decide - as Dalton McGuinty has - that faith based schools are great as long as they represent our personal faith.
The option is all or none as John Tory has clearly stated.
As a founder of the Liberal Party of Canada, George Brown, put it at the time:
"... Irish beggars are to be met everywhere, and they are as ignorant and vicious as they are poor. They are lazy, improvident and unthankful; they fill our poorhouses and our prisons, and are as brutish in their superstition as Hindoos."
Despite his degrading comment and to give Geo B. credit, his solution was to promote a publicly-funded education for these new Roman Catholic Canadians to adapt and integrate into society as quickly as possible.
Could anyone ever deny that the descendants of Catholic immigrants from this period and later from Italy have flourished by coming to a country that welcomed them and supported their faith in a public school system?
So why should new Canadians who are Hindu, Muslim or Protestant not receive the same opportunity to benefit from a publicly funded education to help them integrate into society?
Our society can't have it both ways.
We cannot decide - as Dalton McGuinty has - that faith based schools are great as long as they represent our personal faith.
The option is all or none as John Tory has clearly stated.
Lemon: Marcel Marceau Dies Quietly in His Sleep
Best headline in the history of death.
Info here.
Hat Tip to my lovely and loving Kate...
Info here.
Hat Tip to my lovely and loving Kate...
Saturday, September 22, 2007
Nom de Blog: Et tu Globe and Mail ?
He's back from Europe . . .
Look out Dalton, Find a Closet to Hide in Stephane...
“The (Afghan) mission has been weakened …. manifest in the astonishing climb-down of Liberal Leader Stéphane Dion, who is ignoring his party's lead role in sending Canadian troops to Kandahar in the first place” from today’s globe editorial:
So the long knives are out. Dion is finished, he’d better start packing his Hermes ties. The Sorbonne chair that Frank Stronach ( or some wealthy Liberal facilitator) will secretly give him will soon take him to Paris.
Frank will first talk to Dion’s wife and describe the new Dion apartment overlooking the Seine and Eiffel Tower. Frank will be holding some fresh croissants and describe how pleasant things will be for the Dions without the pressure of the cameras and the constant negative editorials from the Globe about what a hypocrite her husband is.
Dion will capitulate to his wife. And his true home - Paris.
Look out Dalton, Find a Closet to Hide in Stephane...
“The (Afghan) mission has been weakened …. manifest in the astonishing climb-down of Liberal Leader Stéphane Dion, who is ignoring his party's lead role in sending Canadian troops to Kandahar in the first place” from today’s globe editorial:
So the long knives are out. Dion is finished, he’d better start packing his Hermes ties. The Sorbonne chair that Frank Stronach ( or some wealthy Liberal facilitator) will secretly give him will soon take him to Paris.
Frank will first talk to Dion’s wife and describe the new Dion apartment overlooking the Seine and Eiffel Tower. Frank will be holding some fresh croissants and describe how pleasant things will be for the Dions without the pressure of the cameras and the constant negative editorials from the Globe about what a hypocrite her husband is.
Dion will capitulate to his wife. And his true home - Paris.
Lemon: The Follies and Foibles of David Miller
Click here for Royson's Whole Telling and Brilliant Piece
"Each day seems to bring more surprises from the mayor and the dysfunctional council!"
– Recent email from ex-senior city staff
Dysfunctional is a pretty harsh word. But it is one term being used to describe Toronto city council in the wake of what the budget chief calls a "brutal summer" confronting the city's fiscal crisis.
Halfway through the first year of a four-year term, city council has done enough mind-boggling things to set off alarm bells.Councillors couldn't agree on who would sit where for their team picture at the start of the year, forcing a reschedule of the official council photo shoot.
Middle-of-the road Councillor Brian Ashton was tossed from the executive committee and branded "a weasel" because he voted against the mayor's tax measure.
Councillors tried to force a frugal colleague, Ward 2 maverick Rob Ford, to spend taxpayer money to run his office.
The TTC in August threatened to close the Sheppard subway, saying the mothballing would save $10 million. Oops, sorry. Make that $300,000. Forget about the subway closure. And, by the way, transit fares are going up next month.
Councillor Michael Walker has filed a legal opinion charging the mayor illegally denied councillors the right to vote on a budget item, namely, the closing of community centres.
And now David Miller's flip-flop on those Monday closings – essentially, a disruption that need not have happened.
"Each day seems to bring more surprises from the mayor and the dysfunctional council!"
– Recent email from ex-senior city staff
Dysfunctional is a pretty harsh word. But it is one term being used to describe Toronto city council in the wake of what the budget chief calls a "brutal summer" confronting the city's fiscal crisis.
Halfway through the first year of a four-year term, city council has done enough mind-boggling things to set off alarm bells.Councillors couldn't agree on who would sit where for their team picture at the start of the year, forcing a reschedule of the official council photo shoot.
Middle-of-the road Councillor Brian Ashton was tossed from the executive committee and branded "a weasel" because he voted against the mayor's tax measure.
Councillors tried to force a frugal colleague, Ward 2 maverick Rob Ford, to spend taxpayer money to run his office.
The TTC in August threatened to close the Sheppard subway, saying the mothballing would save $10 million. Oops, sorry. Make that $300,000. Forget about the subway closure. And, by the way, transit fares are going up next month.
Councillor Michael Walker has filed a legal opinion charging the mayor illegally denied councillors the right to vote on a budget item, namely, the closing of community centres.
And now David Miller's flip-flop on those Monday closings – essentially, a disruption that need not have happened.
Friday, September 21, 2007
Lemon: Prime Minister's Climate Plan "Shredded"
According to the Toronto Star:
"Stephen Harper's climate-change plan was shredded by his own government's environment watchdog just as the prime minister prepared to trumpet it at a United Nations conference next week."
Now, who is the National Round Table for the Environment and Economy? Have a look at a sample that represents a majority of members:
Chair - Glen Murray
Glen Murray is former Mayor of Winnipeg, best known for his vision to build culturally dynamic urban centres. He ran for the Liberal Party in the 2006 election.
Between 1989 and 1992, he was a partner in Envirofit Inc. an innovative environmental consulting firm.
Vice-Chair - David Kerr
David Kerr, from Toronto, Ontario, is a former Vice-chair of the World Business Council for Sustainable Development.
Vice-Chair - Robert Page
Dr. Page is known nationally and internationally for his work on energy and the environment in areas such as climate change, emissions trading, biodiversity and protected spaces, environmental impact assessment, and policy and regulation.
He is Chair of the Board of Directors of BIOCAP Canada, a national research partnership on biological carbon capture and bio-energy, and a past Chair of the Board of the International Emissions Trading Association (Geneva).
Janet L.R. Benjamin - North Vancouver, British Columbia
Janet Benjamin, from British Columbia, a senior management consultant with close to 20 years of experience and a specialty in "green" projects, is a co-founder of BC Hydro's Power Smart program. An engineer by profession, in 2003 Ms. Benjamin also co-founded H2Leader Inc., a company involved in the leasing of vehicles using hydrogen internal combustion engines.
David Chernushenko President Gold and Green Inc. Ottawa, Ontario
Mr. Chernushenko is an expert on sustainable development, clean air, and active living. As owner of Green & Gold Inc. and an associate of Arborus Consulting, he advises organizations on achieving sustainability and energy efficiency. He is Past Leader of the Green Party of Canada.
Richard Drouin
Richard Drouin is a former counsel to McCarthy Tetrault. Drouin rents working space in McCarthy Tetrault's Montreal office suite. McCarthy Tetrault was the second largest contributor to Paul Martin's Liberal leadership campaign ($178,000).
Timothy R. Haig President and CEO, BIOX Corporation Canadian Renewable Fuels Assoc
He was a principal in CMA Associates which promoted, developed and financed several major wind farms across Europe.
Christopher Hilkene President Clean Water Foundation Toronto, Ontario
Christopher Hilkene is the President of the Clean Water Foundation, a Canadian non-profit organization dedicated to engaging individuals in actions that preserve, protect and improve our water.
Mark Jaccard Professor, School of Resource and Environmental Management Simon Fraser
Dr. Jaccard has served on the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and the China Council for International Cooperation on Environment and Development.
Stephen Kakfwi Yellowknife, Northwest Territories
Stephen Kakfwi (Liberal), from Yellowknife, Northwest Territories was elected as Premier of the 14th Legislative Assembly of the Northwest Territories on January 17, 2000.
Wishart Robson - Climate Change Advisor Nexen Inc. Calgary, Alberta
Wishart Robson is Climate Change Advisor to the CEO and President of Nexen Inc. where he is responsible for providing strategic analysis and advice to the Board and Senior Executives and otherwise preparing the company for a future carbon economy.
Robert Slater Senior Fellow, International Institute for Sustainable Development Ottawa
Dr. Robert Slater is currently the President of Coleman, Bright and Associates, a multi-national consulting firm specializing in Sustainable Development issues. He is also a Senior Fellow with the International Institute for Sustainable Development, and an adjunct Professor in Environmental Policy at Carleton University.
Looks like the Prime Minister doesn't only have to deal with an opposition Senate, an opposition Supreme Court and an opposition bureaucracy, but also an opposition Environmental Round Table.
"Stephen Harper's climate-change plan was shredded by his own government's environment watchdog just as the prime minister prepared to trumpet it at a United Nations conference next week."
Now, who is the National Round Table for the Environment and Economy? Have a look at a sample that represents a majority of members:
Chair - Glen Murray
Glen Murray is former Mayor of Winnipeg, best known for his vision to build culturally dynamic urban centres. He ran for the Liberal Party in the 2006 election.
Between 1989 and 1992, he was a partner in Envirofit Inc. an innovative environmental consulting firm.
Vice-Chair - David Kerr
David Kerr, from Toronto, Ontario, is a former Vice-chair of the World Business Council for Sustainable Development.
Vice-Chair - Robert Page
Dr. Page is known nationally and internationally for his work on energy and the environment in areas such as climate change, emissions trading, biodiversity and protected spaces, environmental impact assessment, and policy and regulation.
He is Chair of the Board of Directors of BIOCAP Canada, a national research partnership on biological carbon capture and bio-energy, and a past Chair of the Board of the International Emissions Trading Association (Geneva).
Janet L.R. Benjamin - North Vancouver, British Columbia
Janet Benjamin, from British Columbia, a senior management consultant with close to 20 years of experience and a specialty in "green" projects, is a co-founder of BC Hydro's Power Smart program. An engineer by profession, in 2003 Ms. Benjamin also co-founded H2Leader Inc., a company involved in the leasing of vehicles using hydrogen internal combustion engines.
David Chernushenko President Gold and Green Inc. Ottawa, Ontario
Mr. Chernushenko is an expert on sustainable development, clean air, and active living. As owner of Green & Gold Inc. and an associate of Arborus Consulting, he advises organizations on achieving sustainability and energy efficiency. He is Past Leader of the Green Party of Canada.
Richard Drouin
Richard Drouin is a former counsel to McCarthy Tetrault. Drouin rents working space in McCarthy Tetrault's Montreal office suite. McCarthy Tetrault was the second largest contributor to Paul Martin's Liberal leadership campaign ($178,000).
Timothy R. Haig President and CEO, BIOX Corporation Canadian Renewable Fuels Assoc
He was a principal in CMA Associates which promoted, developed and financed several major wind farms across Europe.
Christopher Hilkene President Clean Water Foundation Toronto, Ontario
Christopher Hilkene is the President of the Clean Water Foundation, a Canadian non-profit organization dedicated to engaging individuals in actions that preserve, protect and improve our water.
Mark Jaccard Professor, School of Resource and Environmental Management Simon Fraser
Dr. Jaccard has served on the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and the China Council for International Cooperation on Environment and Development.
Stephen Kakfwi Yellowknife, Northwest Territories
Stephen Kakfwi (Liberal), from Yellowknife, Northwest Territories was elected as Premier of the 14th Legislative Assembly of the Northwest Territories on January 17, 2000.
Wishart Robson - Climate Change Advisor Nexen Inc. Calgary, Alberta
Wishart Robson is Climate Change Advisor to the CEO and President of Nexen Inc. where he is responsible for providing strategic analysis and advice to the Board and Senior Executives and otherwise preparing the company for a future carbon economy.
Robert Slater Senior Fellow, International Institute for Sustainable Development Ottawa
Dr. Robert Slater is currently the President of Coleman, Bright and Associates, a multi-national consulting firm specializing in Sustainable Development issues. He is also a Senior Fellow with the International Institute for Sustainable Development, and an adjunct Professor in Environmental Policy at Carleton University.
Looks like the Prime Minister doesn't only have to deal with an opposition Senate, an opposition Supreme Court and an opposition bureaucracy, but also an opposition Environmental Round Table.
Evening Blue Lemons Report - Newman - Sept 21
Stephen Taylor Reveals Newman Bias
But that being said, we're gonna blog him today anyway.
Been away all week in Chicago - little interest down there in the Great Quebec By-election Massacree nor even for melting ice in the arctic nor a rising dollar.
Not much interest in Newman's chat with Flaherty.
My fellow alumnus Al Bonner on Ontario debate. Consensus that there was no knock out punch. Al says he sees a consensus that McGuinty was flattened. Non-verbal?? All on par in hand language. McGuinty gets caught nodding agreement with Tory on criticisms. They agreed that Tory had a much better performance. Al comments on McGuinty failing to make eye contact - looks shifty. Don thinks Al is a treasure. Ask Susan to see if she agrees.
Terry Milewski on Air India. Problems with spin off of RCMP Spook Service into CSIS. Tapes not listened to. Will the Inquiry last longer than the period of time since the Air India terrorist act? No comment from either one of the chatterers.
Newman with his sycophants in the Press Gallery. Why do no Canwest Global journalists ever sit on this? Where's Ivison, Coyne and Gunter? I wonder...
Newman admits that Dion has a lot of problems. Not the least of which is that his supporters wear green hats. My old acquaintance Ray Heard - he was old when I knew him then - wants to bring PET back from the grave. Ray has been trying to sabotage Dion since the leadership race. Maybe before. Ray is a likeable guy, though.
Gerrard Two Faces, Steffi's kingmaker apologizes for Steffi. Robert Fragasso says Steffi is courageous. No Grit calls him a loser, at least not publicly. CP's Rob Russo says that it's no big deal - BQ was a bigger loser he says but Grits need to figure out what they stand for. Delacourt says Dion won't likely ever be as cuddly as Stephen Harper - wow. Says is like the Belly Grrrl Stronach moment for the Tories - that this might drive the Grits to clean up their act. Generally all the pundits agree - they say that Dion is a loser. Publicly.
I say that maybe the problem is that so many of the Grit Quebec Arm were banned from the party and that the workers were used to getting bags of cash that aren't there any more.
Weston says that CPC has done an excellent job framing Steffi as a weak leader and have taken over the middle.
Newman - everybody's playing up to Quebec. Russo says the soft fish are all in QC and are looking hard at the Tories. Russo says that Dion is a stander-upper for Provincial Rights? Bullshit. He's a federalist and Quebecers hate him for that.
Delacourt says no evidence that Rae and Iggy are doing the et tu Brute stuff - suspects that Dion supporters likely leaked the Iggy Plot to give Dion an advance excuse for failure. The only lean and hungry one in the Iggy - Bobby duo is Iggy. Bobby is possibly sicker than everyone says and may not even hang around for his by-election.
And meanwhile, in REAL news, Phil Spector has a new hairdo (maybe hoping that the jury won't be able to identify him in a line-up) and Hilary Clinton has divulged that she is not a lesbian. Not that there's anything wrong with that. I doubt that even a lonely lesbian would be desperate enough to want to do Hilly.
Disaster of a brawdcast. Bring me the head and body of Mike Duffy. He's back on Monday which might make weekdays at five at least a little interesting. Only interesting moment was Susan D's speculation that Dion's camp mighta invented the Iggy Plot. This came (in confidence) from Jean PaPierre.
2/10
But that being said, we're gonna blog him today anyway.
Been away all week in Chicago - little interest down there in the Great Quebec By-election Massacree nor even for melting ice in the arctic nor a rising dollar.
Not much interest in Newman's chat with Flaherty.
My fellow alumnus Al Bonner on Ontario debate. Consensus that there was no knock out punch. Al says he sees a consensus that McGuinty was flattened. Non-verbal?? All on par in hand language. McGuinty gets caught nodding agreement with Tory on criticisms. They agreed that Tory had a much better performance. Al comments on McGuinty failing to make eye contact - looks shifty. Don thinks Al is a treasure. Ask Susan to see if she agrees.
Terry Milewski on Air India. Problems with spin off of RCMP Spook Service into CSIS. Tapes not listened to. Will the Inquiry last longer than the period of time since the Air India terrorist act? No comment from either one of the chatterers.
Newman with his sycophants in the Press Gallery. Why do no Canwest Global journalists ever sit on this? Where's Ivison, Coyne and Gunter? I wonder...
Newman admits that Dion has a lot of problems. Not the least of which is that his supporters wear green hats. My old acquaintance Ray Heard - he was old when I knew him then - wants to bring PET back from the grave. Ray has been trying to sabotage Dion since the leadership race. Maybe before. Ray is a likeable guy, though.
Gerrard Two Faces, Steffi's kingmaker apologizes for Steffi. Robert Fragasso says Steffi is courageous. No Grit calls him a loser, at least not publicly. CP's Rob Russo says that it's no big deal - BQ was a bigger loser he says but Grits need to figure out what they stand for. Delacourt says Dion won't likely ever be as cuddly as Stephen Harper - wow. Says is like the Belly Grrrl Stronach moment for the Tories - that this might drive the Grits to clean up their act. Generally all the pundits agree - they say that Dion is a loser. Publicly.
I say that maybe the problem is that so many of the Grit Quebec Arm were banned from the party and that the workers were used to getting bags of cash that aren't there any more.
Weston says that CPC has done an excellent job framing Steffi as a weak leader and have taken over the middle.
Newman - everybody's playing up to Quebec. Russo says the soft fish are all in QC and are looking hard at the Tories. Russo says that Dion is a stander-upper for Provincial Rights? Bullshit. He's a federalist and Quebecers hate him for that.
Delacourt says no evidence that Rae and Iggy are doing the et tu Brute stuff - suspects that Dion supporters likely leaked the Iggy Plot to give Dion an advance excuse for failure. The only lean and hungry one in the Iggy - Bobby duo is Iggy. Bobby is possibly sicker than everyone says and may not even hang around for his by-election.
And meanwhile, in REAL news, Phil Spector has a new hairdo (maybe hoping that the jury won't be able to identify him in a line-up) and Hilary Clinton has divulged that she is not a lesbian. Not that there's anything wrong with that. I doubt that even a lonely lesbian would be desperate enough to want to do Hilly.
Disaster of a brawdcast. Bring me the head and body of Mike Duffy. He's back on Monday which might make weekdays at five at least a little interesting. Only interesting moment was Susan D's speculation that Dion's camp mighta invented the Iggy Plot. This came (in confidence) from Jean PaPierre.
2/10
Monday, September 17, 2007
Lemon: The Religion of Peace
What a lovely Generous Act in Honour of Ramadan
"We are calling for the assassination of cartoonist Lars Vilks who dared insult our prophet ... and we announce a reward during this generous month of Ramadan," al Baghdadi said, according to transcripts of Islamic websites.
The bounty of $100,000 would be upped to $150,000 if Vilks was ``slaughtered like a lamb," the al-Qaida leader said.
"We are calling for the assassination of cartoonist Lars Vilks who dared insult our prophet ... and we announce a reward during this generous month of Ramadan," al Baghdadi said, according to transcripts of Islamic websites.
The bounty of $100,000 would be upped to $150,000 if Vilks was ``slaughtered like a lamb," the al-Qaida leader said.
Lemon: Grit Blogger Says Outremont Being Tanked
Here
While I'm not willing to blame Ignatieff, because I don't think that this goes all the way up to him, it definitely seems like the people running the Coulon campaign are making decisions that go beyond gross incompetance.
Just as some examples:
1. The campaign claims to have 26,000 Liberals identified. When calling through the lists of ID'd Liberals, there were very few, if any, people who identified themselves as voting Liberal in the by-election.
2. The campaign office is located inside a strip mall and not visible from the outside.
3. The Liberals are getting decimated in the sign war, even in areas close to the campaign office. You can literally look down most streets in Outremont and see 2 Liberal signs, 20 NDP signs, 5 conservative signs and 4 Bloc signs.
4. While I like the signs that we have, they are mainly green and seem to blend into the scenery and don't stand out.
5. The campaign claimed to have sent literature to each house in the riding by mail, however news reports have stated that people are complaining that they hadn't seen anything and going door-to-door myself people had not seen the literature that I had with me.
6. The first weekend that I travelled to Outremont with other people from Ontario, we showed up a day early. They wanted to send us home until the next day we said we were actually going to come in.
7. When we were given material to drop in the riding, there were no poll kits made up. They also gave polls close to the office to those with cars and gave polls far from the office to those without cars.
8. The campaign declared that they were done phoning voters on Saturday despite the election being on Monday.
9. The Liberal Party sent a stack of literature to the Outremont office for that riding. Mysteriously someone in the campaign sent part of the literature to the other 2 ridings where there are by-elections where we have no chance.
10. There were no Liberal buttons at all for door-knockers or lit-droppers. I had to provide my own.
While I'm not willing to blame Ignatieff, because I don't think that this goes all the way up to him, it definitely seems like the people running the Coulon campaign are making decisions that go beyond gross incompetance.
Just as some examples:
1. The campaign claims to have 26,000 Liberals identified. When calling through the lists of ID'd Liberals, there were very few, if any, people who identified themselves as voting Liberal in the by-election.
2. The campaign office is located inside a strip mall and not visible from the outside.
3. The Liberals are getting decimated in the sign war, even in areas close to the campaign office. You can literally look down most streets in Outremont and see 2 Liberal signs, 20 NDP signs, 5 conservative signs and 4 Bloc signs.
4. While I like the signs that we have, they are mainly green and seem to blend into the scenery and don't stand out.
5. The campaign claimed to have sent literature to each house in the riding by mail, however news reports have stated that people are complaining that they hadn't seen anything and going door-to-door myself people had not seen the literature that I had with me.
6. The first weekend that I travelled to Outremont with other people from Ontario, we showed up a day early. They wanted to send us home until the next day we said we were actually going to come in.
7. When we were given material to drop in the riding, there were no poll kits made up. They also gave polls close to the office to those with cars and gave polls far from the office to those without cars.
8. The campaign declared that they were done phoning voters on Saturday despite the election being on Monday.
9. The Liberal Party sent a stack of literature to the Outremont office for that riding. Mysteriously someone in the campaign sent part of the literature to the other 2 ridings where there are by-elections where we have no chance.
10. There were no Liberal buttons at all for door-knockers or lit-droppers. I had to provide my own.
Lemon: Afghanada - No News Should be Great News
Since Jan 1, 2006, about 3200Taliban-led terrorists (Terrorist Death Watch) have bitten the sandy soil of Afstan while about 360 of our defenders of freedom have been lost (Enduring Freedom).
Our 22nd Regiment has been in Afstan for 60 days. The Vandoos have suffered loss of three members of its membership since it's deployment in mid July. And the silence is numbing.
When one of our soldiers is lost the story dominates the headlines for days.
So did the simple fact that the Vandoos were sent to Afghanistan. Daring to send Quebecers to a war zone, it was speculated by the leftist press, would drive Quebecers even more strongly against the military action there. And we were assured that this would lose the Conservatives any gains they had enjoyed by being a decent government who had shown their respect for Quebec's distinctiveness.
But the last post on CBC.ca that is reflected by a site search for "Afghanistan" and "Vandoos" was on August 24th - almost a month ago! Has nothing happened since? Or only nothing bad.
I'm a communications geek of sorts and if I were counselling the PMO, I'd suggest they point this out every chance they get. I'd also make sure that every act of heroism by members of the storied Quebec regiment would be trumpeted.
Quebecers (as we all do) love their heroes. It's only the NDP Liberal Democrats that want to bring them down.
Our 22nd Regiment has been in Afstan for 60 days. The Vandoos have suffered loss of three members of its membership since it's deployment in mid July. And the silence is numbing.
When one of our soldiers is lost the story dominates the headlines for days.
So did the simple fact that the Vandoos were sent to Afghanistan. Daring to send Quebecers to a war zone, it was speculated by the leftist press, would drive Quebecers even more strongly against the military action there. And we were assured that this would lose the Conservatives any gains they had enjoyed by being a decent government who had shown their respect for Quebec's distinctiveness.
But the last post on CBC.ca that is reflected by a site search for "Afghanistan" and "Vandoos" was on August 24th - almost a month ago! Has nothing happened since? Or only nothing bad.
I'm a communications geek of sorts and if I were counselling the PMO, I'd suggest they point this out every chance they get. I'd also make sure that every act of heroism by members of the storied Quebec regiment would be trumpeted.
Quebecers (as we all do) love their heroes. It's only the NDP Liberal Democrats that want to bring them down.
Friday, September 14, 2007
Evening Blue Lemons Report - Newman - Sep 14
DION INTERVIEW HERE
Rookie Hunter in for the pale grey man again.
Newfies!!! Newfie Politicians spending public money on booze, cigarettes, perfume and lottery tickets!!!
Deez bies in Trawna don't know cad tongues from cadillacs for Gad's sake. Da only way ya get a vote on da rack is to drop off a mickey. Now dat we got four parties, bie, we're cleanin' up on da booze. And da perfume!! Well, ya know da wimen vote here too...
Al Bonner, who I first met thirty years ago but haven't seen for six (and he had hair then) did a piece on Election YouTubes, (one of which has the smell of Kinsella's promise to hook Tory up to Harris all over it). Al seemed like an old fogie - and he's not - talking about these new fangled thingamabobs. No way though that any of them get 18,000 viewers. Not in Ontario.
The Press Gallery - Shiver Me Timbers - Delacourt dares to state that Dion bombed last night with Mansbridge and that the knives are out of the sheathes to be used if the Outremont by-election is lost. Even advised that a Grit blog filed a nasty post.
Greg Weston is shocked and appalled with veil-gate-debate in House Affairs Committee - Delacourt similarly distressed - she points out Stephen Harper's hates Elections Canada and that the Tories think voters are stupid or racist or both.
Congrats to Newman for his getting an Honourary Degree from Winnipeg. As tough as we are on him - he deserves it - he knows his stuff, doesn't put up with spin or BS, and has a barbed tongue when necessary. If only all those political commentators in Canada could be up to his standard, poli-TV would be more fun. Way ya go, Newman!
Decent show - liked the showcasing they did on YouTube Videos. Will they influence the election this year - I think not - but the trend is up. 4/10 for a Friday nite.
Rookie Hunter in for the pale grey man again.
Newfies!!! Newfie Politicians spending public money on booze, cigarettes, perfume and lottery tickets!!!
Deez bies in Trawna don't know cad tongues from cadillacs for Gad's sake. Da only way ya get a vote on da rack is to drop off a mickey. Now dat we got four parties, bie, we're cleanin' up on da booze. And da perfume!! Well, ya know da wimen vote here too...
Al Bonner, who I first met thirty years ago but haven't seen for six (and he had hair then) did a piece on Election YouTubes, (one of which has the smell of Kinsella's promise to hook Tory up to Harris all over it). Al seemed like an old fogie - and he's not - talking about these new fangled thingamabobs. No way though that any of them get 18,000 viewers. Not in Ontario.
The Press Gallery - Shiver Me Timbers - Delacourt dares to state that Dion bombed last night with Mansbridge and that the knives are out of the sheathes to be used if the Outremont by-election is lost. Even advised that a Grit blog filed a nasty post.
Greg Weston is shocked and appalled with veil-gate-debate in House Affairs Committee - Delacourt similarly distressed - she points out Stephen Harper's hates Elections Canada and that the Tories think voters are stupid or racist or both.
Congrats to Newman for his getting an Honourary Degree from Winnipeg. As tough as we are on him - he deserves it - he knows his stuff, doesn't put up with spin or BS, and has a barbed tongue when necessary. If only all those political commentators in Canada could be up to his standard, poli-TV would be more fun. Way ya go, Newman!
Decent show - liked the showcasing they did on YouTube Videos. Will they influence the election this year - I think not - but the trend is up. 4/10 for a Friday nite.
Lemon: Thems Some Old Indians . . .
From The Star
They are terrorists and common criminals and the army should be called in.
The "Indians" were given the land in 1784 by the British Crown, but Ottawa says the vast majority was surrendered or sold by 1850.Their land claims are groundless.
They are terrorists and common criminals and the army should be called in.
Lemon: Anyone Remember the Boy Who Cried Wolf?
Lock Down
The dogs were not on school property but within viewing distance. “They were noticeable from the school yard,” said Deighan.
There are about 11000 news posts on the web that come up from a "school lockdown" google search and honestly I'd be the first (okay the millionth) person to criticize a school that suffered a tragedy that didn't have adequate security procedures in place.
But as an observer of humanity for almost half a century I sense a problem when a school is locked down because dogs which might or might not be dangerous are sighted a few blocks away.
At one point will (a) lockdowns be put in place because there's a loud noise and (b) students stop paying attention because lockdowns become so commonplace.
Yes preparedness is good, but over preparedness to the point of ennui is bad.
The dogs were not on school property but within viewing distance. “They were noticeable from the school yard,” said Deighan.
There are about 11000 news posts on the web that come up from a "school lockdown" google search and honestly I'd be the first (okay the millionth) person to criticize a school that suffered a tragedy that didn't have adequate security procedures in place.
But as an observer of humanity for almost half a century I sense a problem when a school is locked down because dogs which might or might not be dangerous are sighted a few blocks away.
At one point will (a) lockdowns be put in place because there's a loud noise and (b) students stop paying attention because lockdowns become so commonplace.
Yes preparedness is good, but over preparedness to the point of ennui is bad.
Lemon: Belinda Receiving Care in the USA
I have written previously of my hope that Belinda survives her cancer and thrives thereafter.
And I fully support her going to the USA for treatment that will help her do this.
Her father worked very hard and well to allow her the financial wherewithal to have treatment to possibly save her life that is not available to everyone.
And in our Canada, obviously being the daughter of a billionaire and being an MP and former Cabinet Minister doesn't provide this comfort and resource for free at home in the event of the onset of our greatest individual and collective fear - cancer.
"In fact, Belinda thinks very highly of the Canadian health-care system, and uses it when needed for herself and her children, as do all Canadians. As well, her family has clearly demonstrated that support," MacEachern said.
But I guess she doesn't think about it quite highly enough.
By participating in the establishment of the Liberal healthcare policy (which has so indoctrinated Canadian consensus that PMSH has had to go along with it) she accepted that other Canadians who can't afford such treatment would die. Where is the usual Dion outrage on her bucking the Canada Health Act? On her being a participant in two tier healthcare?
I remember when Rex Murphy said that "it's a sorry state of affairs when a nation defines itself by Hockey and Healthcare". Our healthcare system is not a defining principle of Canadian-ness. It is an insurance program for which we have decided not to pay the higher premium.
And I fully support her going to the USA for treatment that will help her do this.
Her father worked very hard and well to allow her the financial wherewithal to have treatment to possibly save her life that is not available to everyone.
And in our Canada, obviously being the daughter of a billionaire and being an MP and former Cabinet Minister doesn't provide this comfort and resource for free at home in the event of the onset of our greatest individual and collective fear - cancer.
"In fact, Belinda thinks very highly of the Canadian health-care system, and uses it when needed for herself and her children, as do all Canadians. As well, her family has clearly demonstrated that support," MacEachern said.
But I guess she doesn't think about it quite highly enough.
By participating in the establishment of the Liberal healthcare policy (which has so indoctrinated Canadian consensus that PMSH has had to go along with it) she accepted that other Canadians who can't afford such treatment would die. Where is the usual Dion outrage on her bucking the Canada Health Act? On her being a participant in two tier healthcare?
I remember when Rex Murphy said that "it's a sorry state of affairs when a nation defines itself by Hockey and Healthcare". Our healthcare system is not a defining principle of Canadian-ness. It is an insurance program for which we have decided not to pay the higher premium.
Thursday, September 13, 2007
Evening Blue Lemons Report - Sept 13
Paul "The Shill" Hunter sitting in for Newman again. Not in the foyer, looks like he's somewhere in the bowels (which is fitting) of CBC on Front St.
Chuck Strahl gets all A's in defending Canada's no vote on useless UN Aboriginal Declaration. Paul Hunter a younger, milder but no more interesting, and less savvy gab baffler than Newman, said, "but it has no legal power, why not just sign it to get in the spirit?"
My flabber was ghasted...
Was he serious? We should sign an international declaration just to get in the spirit? Like supporting a "UN be nice to your neighbour day"? Or, "The Kyoto Accord" (about which more evidence was released today that proved the Grits knew the targets would never be met).
Vote for something that can do no good just to be in the spirit of the declaration? Is he real or just been tortured by socialists into a state of stupidity.
Hunter to the new Minister, "Will you accept it or ignore it?"
PAUL, give your head a shake, Dude - there is nothing to accept or ignore. We are a sovereign country - the UN can tell us to stand on our heads and pull down our pants and we don't have to do it. But you can stand on your head and pull down YOUR pants if you want. Moron. Take a grade 10 civics class.
So now Hunter talks to Phil Fontaine who's a pretty good but mostly befuddled fella who calls it a huge victory for indigenous people and human rights world wide.
What indigenous people? What Human rights? What victory? The only remaining indigenous people in the world that weren't massacred or don't run their own country are in Canada, USA, Kiwiland and Oz who all, of course, voted against the declaration. And these four are the most outstanding providers of human rights in the world, including to aboriginal peoples.
I am a descendant of Scots who were booted off their land not far from Edinburgh - can I give my land back to the natives and claim ownership of a crofters hut in Perthshire?
Phil says it's a slap in the face and that we're telling indigenous people they don't have the same rights as other people. What utter absolute and total horse manure. And then Phil admits the declaration means nothing.
Mayrand directed unanimously by the multi-party House Affairs Committee to change his ruling relative to veils in casting a vote. He will refuse. He is being insubordinate and will get fired. Muslim Womens group rep supports Parliament over Mayrand. He really wants to retire. What planet does he live in. Imagine you go to work, your boss tells you to do something. You say that that wasn't in your agreement. You're a unionist. You grieve. You get a promotion and a raise or an offer for a five year severance payout. Maybe Mayrand's a shop steward.
Hunter on Newfie election - the desperate voting for the narcissist.
In honour of TIFF: remember; politics is Hollywood for the Homely.
MPR - wasn't that a water cooler scam from a decade ago, or a computer procurement scandal in Toronto? "More Members of Parliament"? Just what we need. Can't believe Rick Anderson is in front of this - he must need the work or want a challenge. According to him, "most democracies have taken this on" (but not USA, not UK, not France). BC already turned it down. Somehow, does he think that we have ended up living in such an awful province because we haven't elected any Greens? And Rhinos (he might have a point there). Why didn't anyone from the other side get equal time - this is an election and this may contravene the act - anyone know whether this applies for referenda?
I've tuned into Politics every nite this week to monitor and done an EBLR only once - even started one other time and until tonite, there just wasn't content to support a post.
This was a great show. It was funny to watch Paul Hunter try to speak without a teleprompter (he's, ohhh, ten years away from being to carry something like this). But, Chuck Strahl was great, I got to rant on a pile of sheer UN stupidity, make fun of unions and a bureaucrat, criticize Native treatment in Canada, beat the crap outta MPP, throw a dig at Kyoto and tease the Newfies (I really love you guys but love your sensitivity more).
It doesn't get much better than that.
So this was a 6/10 nite. Only beat once in EBLR history!
Chuck Strahl gets all A's in defending Canada's no vote on useless UN Aboriginal Declaration. Paul Hunter a younger, milder but no more interesting, and less savvy gab baffler than Newman, said, "but it has no legal power, why not just sign it to get in the spirit?"
My flabber was ghasted...
Was he serious? We should sign an international declaration just to get in the spirit? Like supporting a "UN be nice to your neighbour day"? Or, "The Kyoto Accord" (about which more evidence was released today that proved the Grits knew the targets would never be met).
Vote for something that can do no good just to be in the spirit of the declaration? Is he real or just been tortured by socialists into a state of stupidity.
Hunter to the new Minister, "Will you accept it or ignore it?"
PAUL, give your head a shake, Dude - there is nothing to accept or ignore. We are a sovereign country - the UN can tell us to stand on our heads and pull down our pants and we don't have to do it. But you can stand on your head and pull down YOUR pants if you want. Moron. Take a grade 10 civics class.
So now Hunter talks to Phil Fontaine who's a pretty good but mostly befuddled fella who calls it a huge victory for indigenous people and human rights world wide.
What indigenous people? What Human rights? What victory? The only remaining indigenous people in the world that weren't massacred or don't run their own country are in Canada, USA, Kiwiland and Oz who all, of course, voted against the declaration. And these four are the most outstanding providers of human rights in the world, including to aboriginal peoples.
I am a descendant of Scots who were booted off their land not far from Edinburgh - can I give my land back to the natives and claim ownership of a crofters hut in Perthshire?
Phil says it's a slap in the face and that we're telling indigenous people they don't have the same rights as other people. What utter absolute and total horse manure. And then Phil admits the declaration means nothing.
Mayrand directed unanimously by the multi-party House Affairs Committee to change his ruling relative to veils in casting a vote. He will refuse. He is being insubordinate and will get fired. Muslim Womens group rep supports Parliament over Mayrand. He really wants to retire. What planet does he live in. Imagine you go to work, your boss tells you to do something. You say that that wasn't in your agreement. You're a unionist. You grieve. You get a promotion and a raise or an offer for a five year severance payout. Maybe Mayrand's a shop steward.
Hunter on Newfie election - the desperate voting for the narcissist.
In honour of TIFF: remember; politics is Hollywood for the Homely.
MPR - wasn't that a water cooler scam from a decade ago, or a computer procurement scandal in Toronto? "More Members of Parliament"? Just what we need. Can't believe Rick Anderson is in front of this - he must need the work or want a challenge. According to him, "most democracies have taken this on" (but not USA, not UK, not France). BC already turned it down. Somehow, does he think that we have ended up living in such an awful province because we haven't elected any Greens? And Rhinos (he might have a point there). Why didn't anyone from the other side get equal time - this is an election and this may contravene the act - anyone know whether this applies for referenda?
I've tuned into Politics every nite this week to monitor and done an EBLR only once - even started one other time and until tonite, there just wasn't content to support a post.
This was a great show. It was funny to watch Paul Hunter try to speak without a teleprompter (he's, ohhh, ten years away from being to carry something like this). But, Chuck Strahl was great, I got to rant on a pile of sheer UN stupidity, make fun of unions and a bureaucrat, criticize Native treatment in Canada, beat the crap outta MPP, throw a dig at Kyoto and tease the Newfies (I really love you guys but love your sensitivity more).
It doesn't get much better than that.
So this was a 6/10 nite. Only beat once in EBLR history!
Lemon: Birds Have Internet Access
Last week I commented on Windmills and their killing of birds that would otherwise crap on our windshields.
Today I came out, my car was covered in guano...
How did they get my address? How did they know which car was mine?
They're frightening.
Call Hitchcock. Call Rod Taylor.
They're baaaaackkk.
Today I came out, my car was covered in guano...
How did they get my address? How did they know which car was mine?
They're frightening.
Call Hitchcock. Call Rod Taylor.
They're baaaaackkk.
Wednesday, September 12, 2007
Lemon: A Solid FBS Argument From Reader AEK
Reposted from Comments with His/Her Permission:
I agree with Lemon that Dalton is not handling the faith-based-schools issue well, and I’m not going to give him any advice. More importantly, I also think that John Tory’s Faith-Based Schools policy is not well thought out. Whether it gets him elected or not is another matter.
When Dalton leaves politics, the mess he leaves behind can be cleaned up relatively easily.
However, if John Tory gets elected and implements his FBS policy, its currently unknown ramifications will be with us for many generations to come. Mr. Tory claims this will only cost $400 million in the first year, but what about the following years?
What’s the minimum number of children in a school in order to qualify for funding? Will we be funding student/teacher ratios of five or ten to one? Wait for the howls and headlines as soon as some group’s funding is turned down.
Are all the capital costs factored into his faith-based-school budget?
How many additional schools will we have to build?
How many school boards will we ultimately have?
What will the overhead costs to the government be?
What will the court challenges cost?
How will his government ensure that the religious “teachings” are not extremist or counter-productive to a peaceful society?
To get some insight into how these faith-based-schools will proliferate in the future, have a look at a presentation by Dr. Ivan P. Fellegi, Chief Statistician of Canada to the Citizen’s Assembly on Electoral Reform on February 17th, 2007, titled “Population and socio-economic trends in Ontario”. Now, recall what is happening in Britain and western Europe regarding Islamic extremism and terrorism. These countries are quickly coming to the realization that the root causes of these problems include people not being properly integrated into their societies and from living in their culturally segregated silos. Ask yourself whether this is something that we want to prevent from happening here.
I believe that the status quo of funding Catholic schools in parallel to the public system is unfair to other religions, but finding the right solution will take more time and thought than can be dedicated during a 30-day election campaign. Yet, Mr. Tory’s plan is to first commit to funding all faith-based schools, and then to study the problem only after he is elected. He is proverbially “putting the cart before the horse”.
Mr. Tory admits that his plan is “not universally popular” with a lot of Ontarians, but he is likely concerned that if he changes his policy, it will not reflect well on his “Leadership Matters” slogan.
Mr. Tory may know from his experience in private business that successful leadership can also mean admitting a mistake and correcting it before it’s too late.
What I think John Tory should do is to make an honourable modification to his FBS funding commitment. If elected, his government could appoint an independent commission to review the status quo and research possible alternative solutions. Then, if the commission makes recommendations for change, it should be put to the people of Ontario to decide in a future a referendum.
Personally, I don’t think that government should be funding any faith-based schools. If people want to put their children into religious schools, the government should not tax them for funding the public schools. They could then use that money to fund their own schools.
I agree with Lemon that Dalton is not handling the faith-based-schools issue well, and I’m not going to give him any advice. More importantly, I also think that John Tory’s Faith-Based Schools policy is not well thought out. Whether it gets him elected or not is another matter.
When Dalton leaves politics, the mess he leaves behind can be cleaned up relatively easily.
However, if John Tory gets elected and implements his FBS policy, its currently unknown ramifications will be with us for many generations to come. Mr. Tory claims this will only cost $400 million in the first year, but what about the following years?
What’s the minimum number of children in a school in order to qualify for funding? Will we be funding student/teacher ratios of five or ten to one? Wait for the howls and headlines as soon as some group’s funding is turned down.
Are all the capital costs factored into his faith-based-school budget?
How many additional schools will we have to build?
How many school boards will we ultimately have?
What will the overhead costs to the government be?
What will the court challenges cost?
How will his government ensure that the religious “teachings” are not extremist or counter-productive to a peaceful society?
To get some insight into how these faith-based-schools will proliferate in the future, have a look at a presentation by Dr. Ivan P. Fellegi, Chief Statistician of Canada to the Citizen’s Assembly on Electoral Reform on February 17th, 2007, titled “Population and socio-economic trends in Ontario”. Now, recall what is happening in Britain and western Europe regarding Islamic extremism and terrorism. These countries are quickly coming to the realization that the root causes of these problems include people not being properly integrated into their societies and from living in their culturally segregated silos. Ask yourself whether this is something that we want to prevent from happening here.
I believe that the status quo of funding Catholic schools in parallel to the public system is unfair to other religions, but finding the right solution will take more time and thought than can be dedicated during a 30-day election campaign. Yet, Mr. Tory’s plan is to first commit to funding all faith-based schools, and then to study the problem only after he is elected. He is proverbially “putting the cart before the horse”.
Mr. Tory admits that his plan is “not universally popular” with a lot of Ontarians, but he is likely concerned that if he changes his policy, it will not reflect well on his “Leadership Matters” slogan.
Mr. Tory may know from his experience in private business that successful leadership can also mean admitting a mistake and correcting it before it’s too late.
What I think John Tory should do is to make an honourable modification to his FBS funding commitment. If elected, his government could appoint an independent commission to review the status quo and research possible alternative solutions. Then, if the commission makes recommendations for change, it should be put to the people of Ontario to decide in a future a referendum.
Personally, I don’t think that government should be funding any faith-based schools. If people want to put their children into religious schools, the government should not tax them for funding the public schools. They could then use that money to fund their own schools.
Lemon: School Funding - Redux
A post from last night on Dalton's new ad slamming Tory for wanting to fund all religious schools (which would result in the end of civilization according to Dalton) attracted a comment from a reader in Ottawa:
I would agree with you that this is a very divisive and explosive issue but not Mr. McGuinty's problem. Take the latest Decima poll done last week -- the Grits, who HAD been slipping further back near the PC's, are now clear ahead of Tory after his private education funding plans were outlined to Ontario voters.
I responded to Darren's comment with the observation that in a campaign, issue management is less important than image management; how the only thing that really matters is what people think of the candidate - do they like and trust him / her and believe that s/he thinks like they think.
So step away from the issue for a minute... Think only of image effect.
If McGuinty had kept his mouth shut, Tory would have been left holding the religious school funding bag - he would have looked like he was pandering to special interests, was desperate, would say anything to get votes.
But noooooo, Dalton had to stick his foot in his mouth. Goldstein is all over this in The Sun. And is bang on.
Dalton wanted to put himself on the side of the angels - which he defined as the exact opposite of whatever it was that John Tory said.
Dalton wants to be right - but the problem is that it doesn't matter whether you're right or not. It only matters what voters think about you.
And on this issue (which isn't important) Dalton's image (which is important) and is already that he's a little slippery and opportunistic is reinforced - getting on any side of school funding makes him look more slippery and opportunistic. It reinforces his negatives.
He could get hung on this issue, not because of the issue but because of how he is dealing with it.
I would agree with you that this is a very divisive and explosive issue but not Mr. McGuinty's problem. Take the latest Decima poll done last week -- the Grits, who HAD been slipping further back near the PC's, are now clear ahead of Tory after his private education funding plans were outlined to Ontario voters.
I responded to Darren's comment with the observation that in a campaign, issue management is less important than image management; how the only thing that really matters is what people think of the candidate - do they like and trust him / her and believe that s/he thinks like they think.
So step away from the issue for a minute... Think only of image effect.
If McGuinty had kept his mouth shut, Tory would have been left holding the religious school funding bag - he would have looked like he was pandering to special interests, was desperate, would say anything to get votes.
But noooooo, Dalton had to stick his foot in his mouth. Goldstein is all over this in The Sun. And is bang on.
Dalton wanted to put himself on the side of the angels - which he defined as the exact opposite of whatever it was that John Tory said.
Dalton wants to be right - but the problem is that it doesn't matter whether you're right or not. It only matters what voters think about you.
And on this issue (which isn't important) Dalton's image (which is important) and is already that he's a little slippery and opportunistic is reinforced - getting on any side of school funding makes him look more slippery and opportunistic. It reinforces his negatives.
He could get hung on this issue, not because of the issue but because of how he is dealing with it.
Lemon: The Ultimate in Socialist Propaganda
The Star Today
Ever notice how PETA and other animal "rights" activists use cute polar bear cubs (not their parents dining on cute baby seals) in their ads? Or bunnies, puppies or kittens? Or baby seals killed by hunters. How they never refer to how rattlesnakes or spiders are seriously at risk because of lost habitat?
Send money. Please. To Us. Now. Save the species, planet, poor...
Children in poor families are puppy / baby seal equivalents for "poverty" activists.
This is the third time I've unleashed this image: "Child poverty suggests hordes of three year old rag-a-muffins, in dirty little bunny-eared snowsuits, prowling through alleys and plunging into dumpsters for beer bottles."
But of course, this isn't true. The children aren't poor, their families are. The child poverty push is propaganda.
Using the image of the rag-a-muffin kids makes us feel guilty and hopefully give more money. But the activists really don't want the poor to become unpoor, because then they'd be out of business. (Although I think many quadruple dip between poverty, animals, peace and the environment.)
They want us to give our money to them and their organizations and let them decide how to spend it.
They care nothing about poverty, but a lot about getting our money in their pockets.
Ever notice how PETA and other animal "rights" activists use cute polar bear cubs (not their parents dining on cute baby seals) in their ads? Or bunnies, puppies or kittens? Or baby seals killed by hunters. How they never refer to how rattlesnakes or spiders are seriously at risk because of lost habitat?
Send money. Please. To Us. Now. Save the species, planet, poor...
Children in poor families are puppy / baby seal equivalents for "poverty" activists.
This is the third time I've unleashed this image: "Child poverty suggests hordes of three year old rag-a-muffins, in dirty little bunny-eared snowsuits, prowling through alleys and plunging into dumpsters for beer bottles."
But of course, this isn't true. The children aren't poor, their families are. The child poverty push is propaganda.
Using the image of the rag-a-muffin kids makes us feel guilty and hopefully give more money. But the activists really don't want the poor to become unpoor, because then they'd be out of business. (Although I think many quadruple dip between poverty, animals, peace and the environment.)
They want us to give our money to them and their organizations and let them decide how to spend it.
They care nothing about poverty, but a lot about getting our money in their pockets.
Tuesday, September 11, 2007
Lemon: BBC Misinforming British Children
Discovered at CBBC and hat tip to Fred at Gay&Right.
CBBC is a BBC website directed at young teens. Get their hearts and minds early.
Note that not all content is US negative, but it should also be noted that none is US positive.
On Afghanistan:
"In September 2001, thousands of Americans were killed in the 9/11 terrorist attacks. The United States believed that Osama Bin Laden - the head of al Qaeda - was the man behind these attacks.
There was a lot of international pressure on the Afghan leaders to hand over Osama Bin Laden. When the Taleban didn't do this, the United States decided they would use their armed forces.
In October 2001, the USA began bombing Afghanistan. They targeted Bin Laden's al Qaeda fighters and also the Taleban."
On Al Qaida:
They have been blamed for a lot of attacks and bombings in different countries all over the world. They are opposed to a lot of western governments, who have called them a terrorist organisation.
They want countries like the US to stop having influence in the Middle East - particularly in places like Iraq and Israel. Their leader is thought to be a man called Osama bin Laden.
On Kyoto:
Some people say it won't have any real impact because America - one of the world's biggest polluters - has pulled out.
Any global agreement on trade or the environment isn't as powerful as it could be unless it has US backing, and the president decides what gets that backing.
CBBC is a BBC website directed at young teens. Get their hearts and minds early.
Note that not all content is US negative, but it should also be noted that none is US positive.
On Afghanistan:
"In September 2001, thousands of Americans were killed in the 9/11 terrorist attacks. The United States believed that Osama Bin Laden - the head of al Qaeda - was the man behind these attacks.
There was a lot of international pressure on the Afghan leaders to hand over Osama Bin Laden. When the Taleban didn't do this, the United States decided they would use their armed forces.
In October 2001, the USA began bombing Afghanistan. They targeted Bin Laden's al Qaeda fighters and also the Taleban."
On Al Qaida:
They have been blamed for a lot of attacks and bombings in different countries all over the world. They are opposed to a lot of western governments, who have called them a terrorist organisation.
They want countries like the US to stop having influence in the Middle East - particularly in places like Iraq and Israel. Their leader is thought to be a man called Osama bin Laden.
On Kyoto:
Some people say it won't have any real impact because America - one of the world's biggest polluters - has pulled out.
Any global agreement on trade or the environment isn't as powerful as it could be unless it has US backing, and the president decides what gets that backing.
Lemon: CBC Employee Has CBC Rant Blog
S/He is a hero!!!
(not suggesting that he is a she or she a he or any transgender issues exist in his/her psyche, rather just my attempt to save digits in referring to his/her gender. Oops)
(not suggesting that he is a she or she a he or any transgender issues exist in his/her psyche, rather just my attempt to save digits in referring to his/her gender. Oops)
Monday, September 10, 2007
Lemon: Further Update - New Clean Energy Fund Starts Up
Just got a note from Pario - "PETA Protests Plan to Use Hamsters to Provide Clean Energy"
A Canadian investment fund believes "clean energy is a great idea, Here - but, but all forms of energy are destroying the planet that we share with birds, fish, trees, lizards and starving people. . .
Windmills kill birds that would otherwise crap on our car windshields
Nuclear Plants will blow up everything in the world except for Jane Fonda.
Fossil Fuels are a gift from Satan
Hydro Electricity causes global warming by killing our friends the fish and trees.
Ethanol & Bio-Diesel production will starve people that we are unlikely to ever share a beer with.
Solar Energy just won't cut it.
What's left??
Call in the hamsters.
A Canadian investment fund believes "clean energy is a great idea, Here - but, but all forms of energy are destroying the planet that we share with birds, fish, trees, lizards and starving people. . .
Windmills kill birds that would otherwise crap on our car windshields
Nuclear Plants will blow up everything in the world except for Jane Fonda.
Fossil Fuels are a gift from Satan
Hydro Electricity causes global warming by killing our friends the fish and trees.
Ethanol & Bio-Diesel production will starve people that we are unlikely to ever share a beer with.
Solar Energy just won't cut it.
What's left??
Call in the hamsters.
Lemon: Health Authorities Cause Cancer, Autism & Rickets
For decades health authorities have kept us under sunhats slathered in SPF 90 Sunscreen.
All those terrible pollutants, you see, were destroying the ozone levels.
Turns out that they were wrong, and their advice has been killing us.
Because the more sunshine we enjoy and its ability to stimulate Vitamin D production in the body is probably the best thing that could ever happen to our health.
Vitamin D appears to be a vicious cancer killer, and it's absence is being linked to new Rickets outbreaks and increased cases of autism.
Examples like this, of "experts" being way wrong, make me wonder about whether we should listen to any of the AGW Climate Change "experts".
ht to my Kate
All those terrible pollutants, you see, were destroying the ozone levels.
Turns out that they were wrong, and their advice has been killing us.
Because the more sunshine we enjoy and its ability to stimulate Vitamin D production in the body is probably the best thing that could ever happen to our health.
Vitamin D appears to be a vicious cancer killer, and it's absence is being linked to new Rickets outbreaks and increased cases of autism.
Examples like this, of "experts" being way wrong, make me wonder about whether we should listen to any of the AGW Climate Change "experts".
ht to my Kate
Evening Blue Lemons Report - Newman - Sep 10
Blah Blah Blah on Iraq to start off the brawdcast.
Finally at 1717 Newman intros Julie Van Dusen on Mayrand's Mutiny.
All party leaders are demanding that the law be followed (except Taliban Jack Layton who knows whats best for Muslims more than the Muslims do.) Even the CAIR is distressed that it has arisen as an issue. Mayrand is causing mischief here and should be reprimanded if not fired.
NEWS - Mayrand informs that veiled women will be asked to unveil. Anyone who refuses will be allowed to present two pieces of ID and take an oath or be refused a ballot.
Blah Blah Blah from Keith Boag on Afghanada Report from OZ - Nothing new from down under.
34 minutes in and nothing, not even in passing, anything interesting.
BLOGGING POLITICS??
Might be interesting to see what comes from this...
QC byelections . . . Michel Auger of RCI - Report that CPC has a good chance in Roberval. Ste. Hyacinthe, likely going BQ. Outrement, 4 way race - should go Liberal - will be a test of Dion's leadership. Really chilly for Dion in Quebec.
School funding in Ontario. McGuinty says one of the most important elections in Ontario history. Daltie has his shirt sleeves rolled up telling kids that they need to work harder because he's not funding their religious schools. Looks like John Tory is on the Timbit Diet again.
Kady O'Malley from Macleans on political blogs.
Thousands of Blogs - 3-400 that have readers. Here I'm live blogging Newman, while he's reporting on me live blogging on him ... Newman sounds like he's in a conversation about witchcraft in Borneo.
Newman plugs the abbreviated version of Politics on at 730... don't know how they could abbreviate it any more than this show was abbreviated. A horrid, dull, cheerless, uninformative hour. Sorta like a Stephane Dion speech.
0/10 except for the blogging part.
Finally at 1717 Newman intros Julie Van Dusen on Mayrand's Mutiny.
All party leaders are demanding that the law be followed (except Taliban Jack Layton who knows whats best for Muslims more than the Muslims do.) Even the CAIR is distressed that it has arisen as an issue. Mayrand is causing mischief here and should be reprimanded if not fired.
NEWS - Mayrand informs that veiled women will be asked to unveil. Anyone who refuses will be allowed to present two pieces of ID and take an oath or be refused a ballot.
Blah Blah Blah from Keith Boag on Afghanada Report from OZ - Nothing new from down under.
34 minutes in and nothing, not even in passing, anything interesting.
BLOGGING POLITICS??
Might be interesting to see what comes from this...
QC byelections . . . Michel Auger of RCI - Report that CPC has a good chance in Roberval. Ste. Hyacinthe, likely going BQ. Outrement, 4 way race - should go Liberal - will be a test of Dion's leadership. Really chilly for Dion in Quebec.
School funding in Ontario. McGuinty says one of the most important elections in Ontario history. Daltie has his shirt sleeves rolled up telling kids that they need to work harder because he's not funding their religious schools. Looks like John Tory is on the Timbit Diet again.
Kady O'Malley from Macleans on political blogs.
Thousands of Blogs - 3-400 that have readers. Here I'm live blogging Newman, while he's reporting on me live blogging on him ... Newman sounds like he's in a conversation about witchcraft in Borneo.
Newman plugs the abbreviated version of Politics on at 730... don't know how they could abbreviate it any more than this show was abbreviated. A horrid, dull, cheerless, uninformative hour. Sorta like a Stephane Dion speech.
0/10 except for the blogging part.
Friday, September 07, 2007
Lemon: Ranting Stan - Another Tour de Force
Progressive Liberalism
I am so pleased to have brought Stan to Canada, to have honoured him with the first Golden Lemon Award, and to have him linked on my sidebar. Visit often.
I am so pleased to have brought Stan to Canada, to have honoured him with the first Golden Lemon Award, and to have him linked on my sidebar. Visit often.
Thursday, September 06, 2007
Lemon: When Will CBC Bias End.
Likely when the CBC does.
Today, driving home I got to enjoy CBC promoting marxist Naomo Klein's latest piece of marxist propaganda.
You know Naomi Klein... She's married to marxist Avi Lewis who has his own marxist promoting show on CBC. Who is the son of marxist Stephen Lewis who is the son of marxist David Lewis. He's also the son of marxist Michelle Landsberg.
Then I got home in time to listen to Clare Demerse, marxist representative of the marxist "Pembina Institute".
No bias at CBC nope.
Today, driving home I got to enjoy CBC promoting marxist Naomo Klein's latest piece of marxist propaganda.
You know Naomi Klein... She's married to marxist Avi Lewis who has his own marxist promoting show on CBC. Who is the son of marxist Stephen Lewis who is the son of marxist David Lewis. He's also the son of marxist Michelle Landsberg.
Then I got home in time to listen to Clare Demerse, marxist representative of the marxist "Pembina Institute".
No bias at CBC nope.
Lemon: Toronto - Birds More Important Than People
So the brilliant folk who run the rapidly deteriorating City of Toronto have instituted a program to rate buildings for bird safety.
Too bad they didn't apply some similar test to the the warehouses they store people in.
The City is the worst slum landlord in the city.
But poor and elderly people aren't cute and feathery.
Bird brained...
Too bad they didn't apply some similar test to the the warehouses they store people in.
The City is the worst slum landlord in the city.
But poor and elderly people aren't cute and feathery.
Bird brained...
Lemon: Toronto Star Agrees with Jim Flaherty. Earth Moves
Today:
For that reason, Finance Minister Jim Flaherty slapped a distribution tax on income trusts to level the playing field between them and traditional corporations that cannot escape tax. Although the move angered voters who had invested in income trusts, the Conservatives did the right thing and put sound public policy ahead of partisan gain.
The Liberals apparently see a chance to make political gains in reversing Flaherty's decision. But such cynical moves can backfire, especially when they favour certain groups at the expense of others.
I'm not cynical, am I? Being a Cynic can get one in all kinds of hooey.
But I do gotta wonder if this is really an-Anti Dion editorial piece more than a pro-Flaherty one.
For that reason, Finance Minister Jim Flaherty slapped a distribution tax on income trusts to level the playing field between them and traditional corporations that cannot escape tax. Although the move angered voters who had invested in income trusts, the Conservatives did the right thing and put sound public policy ahead of partisan gain.
The Liberals apparently see a chance to make political gains in reversing Flaherty's decision. But such cynical moves can backfire, especially when they favour certain groups at the expense of others.
I'm not cynical, am I? Being a Cynic can get one in all kinds of hooey.
But I do gotta wonder if this is really an-Anti Dion editorial piece more than a pro-Flaherty one.
Wednesday, September 05, 2007
Evening Blue Lemons Report - Newman - September 5
Dion on with Newman. He's still unintelligible. "Four Point" that he want now:
Clean Air, Afstan, Economy, Child Poverty (pictures of ragamuffins digging around in dumpsters in their bunny-eared snowsuits come to mind).
He will get the floor wiped in an election on these:
Clean Air will pit his awful record v.s. his bluster and economic devastation vs unreachable goals with dubious value and the war in Afstan that he voted for vs the war in Afstan that he wants to vote against.
Meanwhile he has no money and four former leader candis with petards in their pockets.
'E want to be a good partner of NATO and Afstan by telling dem for sure dat we quit and run in 2009.
That's being a good partner? If he had any credibility or strength of intent he might be able to twist a few arms in NATO. If he wasn't an Ameriphobe with Bushitis the Potus might help him twist a few arms. Let's not forget that GWB's approval rating is way higher than Steffi Dion's.
He's all over the map and I can't understand him. He's irritating. Where's Waldo speaks.
Says he went to fifty ridings in the summer - day and nite - what about the other 258 - it was a long summer.
Wants to meet leaders of USA and UN and go to Afstan and da nort if possible. It's impossible for him to meet POTUS - wont happen. And why would the UN or even the Inuit want to bother to meet him. They'll never have to deal with him.
Brief piece on election advertising- not a lot of news here - Dom LeBlanc calling it election fraud of the highest order. Yeah. Sure. Waaayyy worse than diverting Federal Sponsorship funds to pay off supporters and buy votes.
Newman goes to the unfinished business - all the crime bills (held up by unelected Grit Senators), Senate reform (held up by unelected Grit Senators) and Clean Air.
Muu Muu Libby on with Ralphie Hedgehog - on progrogue - Libby blames Tories for Grits holding up Crime bills. Ralphie is so full of crap his hair's sticking up. Peter Van Loan was missing in action - allowed the two attack teddies to go at the PM without having to duck.
Newman goes global and local - a piece on the USA election and the situation in Alberta. Ate a piece of pie.
Travers and Lessard - Lessard thinks might be good for Harper to go. Travers not sure.
Was worth it to look closer at Dion - for even a hint that he is more facile in English. No hint was seen. Still, 5/10 for a solid early season score.
Clean Air, Afstan, Economy, Child Poverty (pictures of ragamuffins digging around in dumpsters in their bunny-eared snowsuits come to mind).
He will get the floor wiped in an election on these:
Clean Air will pit his awful record v.s. his bluster and economic devastation vs unreachable goals with dubious value and the war in Afstan that he voted for vs the war in Afstan that he wants to vote against.
Meanwhile he has no money and four former leader candis with petards in their pockets.
'E want to be a good partner of NATO and Afstan by telling dem for sure dat we quit and run in 2009.
That's being a good partner? If he had any credibility or strength of intent he might be able to twist a few arms in NATO. If he wasn't an Ameriphobe with Bushitis the Potus might help him twist a few arms. Let's not forget that GWB's approval rating is way higher than Steffi Dion's.
He's all over the map and I can't understand him. He's irritating. Where's Waldo speaks.
Says he went to fifty ridings in the summer - day and nite - what about the other 258 - it was a long summer.
Wants to meet leaders of USA and UN and go to Afstan and da nort if possible. It's impossible for him to meet POTUS - wont happen. And why would the UN or even the Inuit want to bother to meet him. They'll never have to deal with him.
Brief piece on election advertising- not a lot of news here - Dom LeBlanc calling it election fraud of the highest order. Yeah. Sure. Waaayyy worse than diverting Federal Sponsorship funds to pay off supporters and buy votes.
Newman goes to the unfinished business - all the crime bills (held up by unelected Grit Senators), Senate reform (held up by unelected Grit Senators) and Clean Air.
Muu Muu Libby on with Ralphie Hedgehog - on progrogue - Libby blames Tories for Grits holding up Crime bills. Ralphie is so full of crap his hair's sticking up. Peter Van Loan was missing in action - allowed the two attack teddies to go at the PM without having to duck.
Newman goes global and local - a piece on the USA election and the situation in Alberta. Ate a piece of pie.
Travers and Lessard - Lessard thinks might be good for Harper to go. Travers not sure.
Was worth it to look closer at Dion - for even a hint that he is more facile in English. No hint was seen. Still, 5/10 for a solid early season score.
Lemon: Privacy Rights? - How About Rights to Not Get Blown Up Rights?
A compendium of thwarted terrorist plots that were stopped because of investigative procedures by our protectors that drive the lefty moonbats batty.
Hail to the Thwarters!!!
Today - Germany
Yesterday - Denmark
Sep 1 - Toronto
Sep 1 - Florida
Aug 29 - New York City
Aug 22 - London
Aug 18 - Russia
Aug 17 - India
Aug 15 - Chicago
Sep 6 2006 - Denmark
Aug 10 2006 - England
July 8 2006 - New York City
June 24 2006 - Miami
June 3 2006 - Toronto
Sep 2 2005 - Los Angeles
Jan 23 2005 - Boston
Hail to the Thwarters!!!
Today - Germany
Yesterday - Denmark
Sep 1 - Toronto
Sep 1 - Florida
Aug 29 - New York City
Aug 22 - London
Aug 18 - Russia
Aug 17 - India
Aug 15 - Chicago
Sep 6 2006 - Denmark
Aug 10 2006 - England
July 8 2006 - New York City
June 24 2006 - Miami
June 3 2006 - Toronto
Sep 2 2005 - Los Angeles
Jan 23 2005 - Boston
Lemon: Released Murderer is a "A Good Kid"
I live two blocks from Trinity Bellwoods Park in Toronto where an innocent walker was murdered by some of Miller's Sidewalk Soldiers.
Likely half of the bums in Toronto are kids who are pissed off at their parents and want to prove how independent and special they are.
Undoubtedly I've walked by these young adult delinquents and refused to give them money - I was lucky my number wasn't up.
But of course this murder was done by a good kid. No. Not all (if any) of these street kid bums are poor and abused.
Scarfe said his client comes from a supportive and loving family who will be there for her every step of the way through the process and believes the evidence at an upcoming trial will paint a different picture of the woman.
"She's a good kid," he said.
Good kid my arse. She killed a guy.
Likely half of the bums in Toronto are kids who are pissed off at their parents and want to prove how independent and special they are.
Undoubtedly I've walked by these young adult delinquents and refused to give them money - I was lucky my number wasn't up.
But of course this murder was done by a good kid. No. Not all (if any) of these street kid bums are poor and abused.
Scarfe said his client comes from a supportive and loving family who will be there for her every step of the way through the process and believes the evidence at an upcoming trial will paint a different picture of the woman.
"She's a good kid," he said.
Good kid my arse. She killed a guy.
MaryT: Long Winter Weekend
Both the cbc and ctv national news had stories on this tonight. However, ctv took a low road by talking about this wkend in Alberta. They had to get a slur in on Don Getty, and his son's arrest, as the reason this holiday was instituted. Never hear the media mention the problems Chretains son had with the law.
Back to topic. Before jumping on the bandwagon, check out some facts. In Alberta, businesses have made a choice, they either pay the stat pay for the Feb holiday or the Aug holiday. NOT BOTH.
For years our school year was broken up almost every week in Feb. -Reading week, teachers convention, and Family day. Finally, common sense prevailed and now these are mostly held at the same time, so the kids have a week holiday. Of course many teachers forget to go to the convention, on a thurs & fri, and take off for 5 days, usually a skiing trip.
As for getting an extra day off, forget it, unless you are a bank, professional office, post office, or govt employee.
When it was started in AB, it was just announced. Why didn't dalton do this without an election.
Many cities and small towns put on a mini July 1 celebration in Feb and many families do get out to spend the day together.
There would nothing stopping Tory from giving you this holiday if you elect his government.
Back to topic. Before jumping on the bandwagon, check out some facts. In Alberta, businesses have made a choice, they either pay the stat pay for the Feb holiday or the Aug holiday. NOT BOTH.
For years our school year was broken up almost every week in Feb. -Reading week, teachers convention, and Family day. Finally, common sense prevailed and now these are mostly held at the same time, so the kids have a week holiday. Of course many teachers forget to go to the convention, on a thurs & fri, and take off for 5 days, usually a skiing trip.
As for getting an extra day off, forget it, unless you are a bank, professional office, post office, or govt employee.
When it was started in AB, it was just announced. Why didn't dalton do this without an election.
Many cities and small towns put on a mini July 1 celebration in Feb and many families do get out to spend the day together.
There would nothing stopping Tory from giving you this holiday if you elect his government.
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