Party Hearty Folks..

...for tomorrow it's back to the grind.

Go crazy, Canada: Hockey win triggers big party

Canadians cheer in L.A

O Canada, Oh Ya! Toronto Parties



On the front lines in Kandahar, the crowd went wild

Obama owes Harper a beer

And then there was this:

"...seconds after the end of Sunday's hockey game, five million Canadian women hopped into five million pickup trucks and drove to Vancouver to propose to Sidney Crosby."

Well, okay. Maybe not, but I thought it was cute.

Oh, come on guys. Chin up. You put up a really good fight. The silver medal is no reason to cry in your our Molsons. And besides, you've got 36 others, THE biggest medal haul in the history of the Winter Olympics. You've really got to learn how to lose more gracefully.

Painful

Already USA 6 - Finland 0 and they're only half way through the first period. Sucks to be Finnish right now.

Yah...

What he said.
================================
Whew!! The IOC is not going to investigate. After all, they were celebrating a game won fair and square. They weren't cheating or caught doping, or anything.

Phew!! Riots narrowly averted.
=====================================
Good stuff in the comments here.

Hey, Mossad!!

Your next mission, should you decided to accept...

Italian passports may be needed.

Good bonuses if you can make it a two-fer.

Highlight of the Olympics

Norwegians curl in their pajamas.

What's yours?

LTC. Alan West

Sounds to me like he's campaigning for the Oval Office, not Congress.



Do you think America can wait a few terms while he does time in Congress to gain experience? Nah. I didn't think so, either. However, he could park there this fall while he plans his run for President in 2012.

h/t Gates of Vienna

Touching Update

If you clicked on the "look at this" link in my entry Lusting for Vengeance, you might be interested in this update from Michael Yon. Even if you didn't, it's not too late to look at them both now.

Alright, Ladies...

GOLD!!!!!

Well done, ladies!! Great game. The American women gave you a great run for your money, but YOU ARE THE CHAMPIONS!!!!!
==================
..give those bitches hell. (Just joking. You can leave them some dignity, if you want.)

Go Canada!!!

Could It be I was Wrong?

Maybe the Cold War isn't over.

Russian president cancels Vancouver visit

"International Olympic Committee president Jacques Rogge called out Medvedev for his country's repeated doping violations in cross-country skiing and biathlon.

The suspicions surrounding the Russians, who have had eight biathletes and cross-country skiers banned for doping since the end of the 2009 World Cup season, were raised repeatedly during Rogge's media conference in Vancouver on Feb. 9."

Seems the old tricks aren't working any more, though.

Even Crusty Old Buggers Can Sometimes Be Right

Does anybody remember Gordon Sinclair who worked for the CBC? Yes, it's true. The CBC did once provide balance in the form of the occasional crusty old bugger. And lest you're thinking "Rex Murphy", let me assure you, Murphy doesn't hold a candle to Sinclair in the "crusty old bugger" class.

He was a regular member of the panel on Front Page Challenge, an intelligent and informative CBC game show. Aside from the stirring rally on behalf of the beleaguered Americans, set to music with snazzy visuals in the video below, he was also known far and wide, in Canada at least, for referring disparagingly to South East Asians as "slanty-eyed rice eaters", and this despite the fact that one of his co-panelists on Front Page Challenge was the Asian-Canadian, Adrienne Clarkson. Although he got a thorough bashing from the Canadian public for that choice bit of bigotry, political correctness had yet to rear its ugly head, so he didn't so much as lose his job.



His take on America's place in the world was correct, though. His words of praise for the Americans would ring true still, as would his assessment of the irrational yet seemingly universal disrespect visited upon them by so much of the world. I know of Americans who still remember that tribute and appreciate it.

Today the CBC features an article on the tribute to Canada by the American journalist, Tom Brokaw, which has gone viral (to the extent that a puny Canadian audience can cause anything to "go viral" on the net).



I kind of like both videos. I just wish that as neighbours, we and the Americans would tone down the eternal bashing-each-other-with-misinformed-bigotry fest and replace it more respect, just like these two videos do. Some genuine curiosity would help, too.

Bruce Bawer Interviews Geert Wilders

Link:

See also Who is behind the persecution of Geert Wilders? and Right and Left upside down: Geert Wilders and the Tea Party Movement

More on the Offing of Mahmud al-Mabhuh

UPDATE: Son of Hamas founder spied for Israel

"Mr Yousef, 32, a convert to Christianity who now lives in California, has revealed the intrigues of his years as a spy in a new book called Son of Hamas , much to the concern of Shin Bet, whose operations will be revealed in detail."

[---]

"Mr Yousef’s work will be far more damaging to Hamas, whose brutality he denounced. Dubai police have suggested that Mahmoud al-Mabhouh, the top Hamas militant found dead in a hotel room in the emirate on January 20, may have been betrayed by an insider from the Islamist movement.

Mr Yousef had harsh words for the movement that his father helped to form, and which now rules the Gaza Strip after a bloody takeover in the summer of 2007. “Hamas cannot make peace with the Israelis,” he said. “That is against what their God tells them. It is impossible to make peace with infidels, only a ceasefire, and no one knows that better than I. The Hamas leadership is responsible for the killing of Palestinians, not Israelis.”

Man, I'm absolutely loving this.
=======================================

Michael Totten has a great piece about it.

"Al-Mabhouh was a terrorist commander on a mission to acquire Iranian weapons for use against civilians. He was a combatant. Unlike his victims, he was fair game. He would have been fair game for even an air strike if he were in Gaza. As he was, instead, in Dubai, he was taken out quietly without even alerting, let alone harming, any of the civilians around him. If only Israel could fight all its battles this way. It would be the cleanest and least-deadly war in the history of warfare."

[---]

"Hamas and Hezbollah use civilians as human shields. Hezbollah uses an entire country as a vast human shield."

[---]

"I’d rather not be used as a human shield if that’s OK with those who give Hamas and Hezbollah a pass. And I’d much rather read about Hezbollah leaders getting whacked by mysterious assassins with forged passports than dive into a Beirut bomb shelter during Israeli air raids."

"It’s unlikely that Israel can avert the next war by assassinating its enemy’s leadership, but it’s always better to take out a high-level target in person whenever possible than with a blockbuster bomb from a distance."

So true. But that's Israel's fate. Damned if they do and damned if they don't.

Poor Yanks Ruskies

Yup. You know the Cold War is over when Pravda whines instead of lies. It's hilarious, actually. They once were able to get away with this kind of stuff:

"The abject cruelty shown by Canadian soldiers in international conflicts is scantily referred to, as indeed is the utter incapacity of this county to host a major international event, due to its inferiority complex, born of a trauma being the skinny and weakling bro to a beefy United States and a colonial outpost to the United Kingdom, whose Queen smiles happily from Canadian postage stamps.

"Maybe it is this which makes the Canadians so...retentive, or cowardly."

In true grocery-store tabloid fashion, the online publication also includes the dire warnings of Nostradamus."

You know, I haven't seen the Queen on a postage stamp for a long time. She's still on our money, though, if that's any consolation. Poor babies.
=================================
WOOT!!!

WOOT!!!

WOOT!!!!

The Cold War of hockey is OOOOO-V-E-R ! ! ! ! !

USA (OR WHOEVER) HERE WE COME!!!!!

Boy, this game brought back memories.

Looks like it was a scalper's paradise, too.
==================================
7 to 3 Third period already!!!

Go Canada!!!
=================================
GRRRRRRRR!! The refs are biased!!
===============================
Oh crap. It's going waaaay too fast.

Go Canada!!!
================================
Holy Moly!!! 3 4 nutting for Canada already, half way through the first period!!

Go Canada!!!
==============================
IMHO the Americans just got cheated out of a goal with one second to go in the second period in a game with the Swiss. Oh well. Shit happens.

Go Canada!!!

Big game later today between Canada and Russia.

Go Canada!!!

I can't believe I'm getting excited about hockey.

U. S. A. wins!! The sweet smell of vengeance is getting closer and closer.

Go Canada!!!

A Heartwarming Story

Mideast might upset NDP Unity (My emphasis in bold.)

"In 2006, at the party's convention in Quebec City, a motion that was highly critical of Israel, and which called Hezbollah a "recognized political party," was brought forward and supported by nearly 90% of delegates. Judy Wasylycia-Leis, a Winnipeg MP, was roundly booed when she expressed her concern that Hezbollah is a terrorist organization."

[---]

"Mr. Mulcair is a defender of Israel's right to defend itself. Not only is his wife Jewish but her parents are Holocaust survivors. He and other pro-Israel New Democrats such as Ms. Wasylycia-Leis and Pat Martin led a caucus revolt against Mr. Layton two years ago, after the NDP criticized the Conservative government for boycotting the United Nations Conference on Racism in Geneva, dubbed by its critics "Durban 2." At the time, one MP said the party was in danger of being "hijacked" by extremists."

Ya think??

"It is for this reason that a party activist named Matt Godwin has launched a group called Progressive Caucus for Peace to offer a more balanced, moderate voice on the Middle East."

[---]

"...the new group is attempting to change the climate in a party where it has become fashionable to don Palestinian scarves and spew hatred that would be deemed unacceptable in any other context."

[---]

"But, while Mr. Godwin's initiative has been welcomed by some NDP caucus members, it is likely to bring to the boiling point an internal debate that has been simmering for years. Mr. Layton has been successful in keeping a lid on any public divisions but, if he is absent for any length of time, disagreements between his deputies could spill over and rupture party unity."

It's funny that parties on the far right end of the political spectrum, such as the BNP in Britain, are branded racist, but good ole leftist standbys like the NDP always get a pass. I hope they do rupture and fall right apart. It is high time that Canada saw this kind of politics fade into the sunset. While I would never wish anyone battling cancer ill will, I can separate Mr. Laytoon's cartoonish ideology from his humanity. So, Taliban Jack's fight with cancer notwithstanding, I'll be glad to see his flock of goosestepping minions destroy themselves while he is indisposed and if he doesn't rebound, so much the better.

Well No Wonder...

...this guy is so popular:

Glenn Beck- CPAC 2010 Keynote Speech from Joe Seales on Vimeo.

Oooooooo!

Sorta Hispania versus the North Atlantic Anglosphere. Where is this going, I wonder? Mexico has always been the poor step-sister in any North American pact, and the Caribbean, well, there's competitive Spanish-British history there, too. But, I'll betcha the Falkland Islanders are wishing Maggie still occupied #10 Downing Street. I guess everything is about oil, after all.

All Sound and Fury...

UPDATED AND BUMPED: Some of the questions I asked below are answered by Carolyn Glick in this video. Watch for it at 8:10. No wonder the Israeli's took him out. Listen to what she says about the high-altitude electromagnetic pulse bomb, too. Scary, scary stuff.

And while I'm at it, I might as well add this update to an earlier entry.
---------------------------------------------------
...signifying nothing.

All this chatter and international posturing about Mossad's brilliantly executed offing of Hamas goon, Mahmud al-Mabhuh, will last only a few days. After all, forging British passports and all that is pretty serious stuff, so we have to feign a serious affront, but in reality, who really cares? There's one fewer Hamas goon to worry about, and that's the main thing. I suspect many Arab countries would agree.

What I'm interested in, and what neither I, nor anyone else, will likely ever know, is how they managed to plan and execute it. What did they know in advance and how did they come know it? When did they have the passports produced? Whose cooperation did they have? Did al-Mabhuh travel straight from Israel to Dubai or did he enter a third country, in the interim? Is the outrage, say on the part of Great Britain, or even Dubai, just an exercise in plausible denial? What was al-Mabhuh doing in Dubai? Who tipped the Israelis off as to which hotel he would be in? And did Iran have a hand in the poker game? After all, Dubai is only a pleasant afternoon boat ride away from a major Iranian sea port.

In any case, it was a master stroke of genius, and Israel is still the best ally the West has in the Middle East, so this will pass into obscurity in a few weeks at the most - or even days. Then, some thirty years later, we may learn about an obscure diplomat's secret role in the whole affair, similar to this one. In any case, it's certainly not the first time Israel has pulled off a brilliantly executed piece of international intrigue. They are good at that because they have to be.

Lusting for Vengeance

BUMPED: YAY CANADA!!!

Men's Hockey: Canada 8, Germany 2
-------------------------
This cannot go unchallenged! Read the comments and prepare to straighten them out the next time we meet.

Miracle Improbability on Ice

US Stuns Canada in Olympic Hockey

Of course, one look at this and all can be forgiven.

And this certainly helped, too.

Check Out Dr. Roy

He has a fantastic line-up of YouTube videos of Lord Christopher Monckton speaking at an event in Australia on climate change.

Warning to John Cross. May be hazardous to your mental health.

Investigation of Climategate?

Let's hope it happens.

New Pew Study on Muslim Attitudes Released

and the more things change, the more they......

More PC Crap

This time at the Olympics.

Section 13 "Contextualized"

Internet rendered hate law 'outdated'

"Section 13 of the Canadian Human Rights Act, which prohibits online messages that expose identifiable groups to hatred or contempt, was designed in the 1970s for telephone hate hotlines. In 1990, the Supreme Court of Canada ruled it a justifiable limit on freedom of expression, in part because a telephone hate message "gives the listener the impression of direct, personal, almost private, contact by the speaker, provides no realistic means of questioning the information or views presented and is subject to no counter-argument within that particular communications context."

The Internet "radically changed" that context, by allowing for instant rebuttal and discussion, according to lawyer Barbara Kulaszka.

Parliament's decision in 2001 to expand Section 13 to include the Internet -- and therefore almost every word published in Canada, whether by a blogger or a media conglomerate -- is "such a fundamental change" that Federal Court is "not only justified but required" to revisit the question of Section 13's constitutionality, especially because it does not allow for the traditional legal defenses of truth or fair comment."

This is an excellent article giving solid legal arguments in favour of scrapping Section 13, but, I would go even further than that. The whole telecommunications field has rendered not just our Human Rights laws, but a whole whack of stuff, such as the CBC and the CRTC, outdated. Can we please stop throwing money down these anachronistic bottomless pits, too!

And the Gold Medal Goes To...

...public drunkenness.

"Due to concerns of public drunkenness and an unprecedented number of intoxicated people, private liquor stores have been ordered to close at 7 p.m. on Sunday."

hehehehehe!

Just in the nick of time, too.

"The United States upstaged its North American rival with an important 5-3 victory in a hostile environment at Canada Hockey Place on the final day of the preliminary round."

We've been known to riot in the streets whether our team wins or loses, but especially when we lose in Vancouver.

History Written as It Should Be

Regular readers know that I'm a history buff. One of the themes in history that interests me is the rise and fall of empires. What causes a people to build empires? How do they arise? How and why do they fall?

This morning I've been reading some excellent accounts of three events that not only fall under that general theme, but, two of them, at least, are exemplary samples of how history should be written in that all the facts, not just those that support the author's biases, are examined and, they get into the mindset that prevailed at the time, judging the actions of the people by the standards that prevailed in their own era.

The first deals with the question of whether or not the word "genocide" should be applied to the American conquest of the original inhabitants of this continent. This is a field of inquiry that is littered with very bad history. In other words, there is little or no evidence the principles described in the previous paragraph were applied in the writing of this history and much of it is agenda driven. You can see an example of bad historiography here. Here is another one, only marginally better. Compare those to the one pertaining to the genocide question that I consider exemplary.

The other two deal with Islam's history vis a vis Europe and, via YouTube videos, oral histories about Arab treatment of indigenous Jews, a story not often told:









It has been estimated that up to 1,000,000 Jews were expelled or fled from Arab countries to Israel. We're not talking European Jews here. These are indigenous Jewish "Arabs" who had lived in North Africa and the Middle East for millennia, longer, in fact than the true ethnic Arabs.

Your Olympic Trivia and Bitching Moment

Brought to you by Stubble Jumping Redneck, who's thinking maybe she should get into cross country skiing, or something. This obsession with blogging is just not healthy.

Anyway, I've sorta been keeping up with the Olympics, though it's not really as much of an obsession as blogging is. I'm rooting for Canada first, of course, and the USA second. The rest of the world, well, lets hope as many as possible go home happy with either a medal, or at least happy with their standing.

I note there has been some bitching and moaning about the venue and the organization, or supposed lack thereof, of the event. Well. Yawn. There has also been the usual anti-American versus anti-Canadian bitching coming from our respective sides of the border. Some on the American side are even complaining because Vancouver is wet and warm and that, apparently, is the organizers' fault. What else is new? There will always be moaners and bitchers, and you gotta love the creativity of some of the fault finders.

What I'm really interested in, though, is why the Americans seem to always win so many medals, cause the Canadians have such a massive case of penis envy about that. So I did a bit of analysis of the current top twelve medal winners (knowing full well that could change at any moment) using the "it's the relative size of our populations, stupid" hypothesis. Unfortunately, that was proven to be sort of not such a great theory. But, here's what I did discover:

At the precise moment that I captured the data (and I promise I haven't manipulated it, or pretended to lose it, nor in actual fact, have lost it), the standing was as follows. The first number shows the total medals won so far, and where there is more than one nation at the same spot, they are ranked according to whether the medals are gold, silver or bronze (see link above). The population is in parentheses:

• USA 20 (307,212,123)
  

• Germany 13 (82,329,758)

• Norway 10 (4,660,539)
  

• Canada 8 (33,487,208)
  

• France 7 (64,057,792)
  

• South Korea 5 (48,508,972)
  

• Austria 5 (8,210,281)
  

• Russia 5 (140,041,247)
  

• Switzerland 4 (7,604,467)
  

• China 4 (1,338,612,968)
  

• Sweden 4 (9,059,651)
  

• Italy 4 (58,126,217)
  

Well, as you can see if it was due solely to population size, China would be way above everyone else, yet they are in tenth place. So much for that theory.

But what really interests me is the place occupied by Russia. Remember in the old days when the Olympics were routinely used by the Soviets (and the Soviet bloc countries) and the Americans as a proxy for war? But look at where they are now. Performance enhancing drugs and other techniques were rampant then. There were even a few men from the Soviet side of the world who were pumped up with so many female hormones that they were able to pass them off as women and they actually competed in the women's events. You younguns might not remember that, but it's true. In fact, that's basically why random testing was implemented.

Times have changed. But I still don't have a good theory for why the Yanks are so consistently on top, not just in the winter games, but in the summer games as well. Maybe it's wealth. Maybe it's just the American propensity to devote themselves to the pursuit of excellence. In any case, I'm mighty pleased with Canada's showing so far. And by the way, if it was just population, the USA would be #2, right behind China, and Canada would be in 8th place, as you can see below, so quit yer bitching, both of you:

• China 4 (1,338,612,968)

• USA 20 (307,212,123)

• Russia 5 (140,041,247)
  

• Germany 13 (82,329,758)
  

• France 7 (64,057,792)

• Italy 4 (58,126,217)

• South Korea 5 (48,508,972)
  

• Canada 8 (33,487,208)
  

• Sweden 4 (9,059,651)
  

• Austria 5 (8,210,281)
  

• Switzerland 4 (7,604,467)
  

• Norway 10 (4,660,539)
  

Maybe it's proximity to mountains. Does South Korea have mountains? I know the rest of them do.

Oh, and in the interests of full disclosure, I should mention that I got the population figures from the CIA World Factbook, so for sure there's a conspiracy at foot here somewhere.

Now you see, if I had a life, you'd never have known this.

A Rent-A-Rioter's Wet Dream

They're gonna love this:

G20 summit takes over Toronto core in June despite fears over disruption

"The meeting of the world's wealthiest nations will take place just as Gay Pride week kicks off. The signature Gay Pride parade event was already pushed back a week to accommodate the summit."

Should have no trouble at all getting the rioters to come out and play. There'll be enough of them right there in Toronto already, even without the imports and as far as the imports are concerned, it could save them a little money, too. There'll be no need for two excursions. Just book yer flights fer a little earlier and stay a little longer. Might even get better rates! And heck. It's even going to be in the hotel district!! You could walk to both events just to show how green you are. How cool is that!! (I'm pretty certain it isn't "warm". That would be too PC, even if it is in downtown Toronto during what potentially could be the hottest weekend of the year.)

Isaac Hayes Set to Challenge Jesse Jackson Jr.

No. Not that Isaac Hayes,



but it would be helpful.

Now, if this Isaac Hayes is successful, then I really will believe that a new day has dawned. Imagine unseating the son of Jesse Jackson, the Martin Luther King Jr. sidekick who went on to prove that he apparently didn't get the "color of our skin" versus the "content of our character" memo, or a least not the full meaning of it.

PS: Did you know there's a conspiracy theory that accuses Jesse Jackson of plotting MLK's assassination? Come on folks. Get real!

Frustrated Young Nobodies

On December 29th, I created an entry that linked to this article by Phyllis Chesler about the surplus of young men without status in the Middle East Islamic cultures as a root cause of Islamic radicalism. He's another similar take by Martin Kramer:

Speaking of the Big Newspapers

Is it any wonder they are gasping their last breaths?

The headline reads as follows:

Oldest Canadian Veteran of World War I dies at age 109 in Spokane

No. He wasn't the oldest of the WWI bunch. He was the only one. He might have been the oldest veteran, but his competitors would have to have been WWII vets. There's a difference, dear editors. Did your staff actually read the article before you picked the headline?

Touching story, btw. I remember reading about him a year or two ago. Even then he was the only WWI Canadian vet still living.

Godspeed, old soldier. May you rest in peace.

Umm. "Sorry" Doesn't Quite Cut It...

...if you'll pardon the pun.

Can you imagine waking up after surgery only to discover they lobbed off the wrong part!! I wonder how much that boob will be worth in court. Hoollyyyyy shit.

Hey guys. Suppose you go in for prostate surgery and they chop off your balls instead! Yeah. That's more than just an "oops!".

The Rumours of My Death..

...have been greatly exaggerated.

I was out driving around this afternoon, attending to various and sundry chores, and, as usual, my radio was tuned into Charles Adler. He announced that Gordon Lightfoot had died. I immediately waxed philosophical about my own pending demise, since I'm much closer to that end of the trail than I am to the beginning of it.

One of the things that went through my mind was that almost every two or three weeks there is news that yet another big icon from the days of my youth had kicked the bucket. I thought, the next thing they're gonna tell me is Ian Tyson is gone. It's depressing.

When I was much younger, I used to laugh secretly at my mother's letters and phone calls to me, since every one of them sounded like the newspaper's obits section. So and so died this week, or that week, or so and so has been diagnosed with this terminal affliction or that one. Not that these things were funny, it's just that nearly every communication she had with me contained such news. Now, it's my turn and I'm laughing again. Oh to be young and have the whole darn thing ahead of you! But time just keeps rolling along and you can't get it back.

Unless, of course, you're Gordon Lightfoot. No sooner had I dwelt on the inevitability of my own demise, than Charles Adler corrected his earlier announcement saying that Lightfoot's agent had contacted the media to quash the rumour. So, the old troubadour is still with us and so I may have a few extra days, too. Whew!!

Anyway, here's to you Mr. Lightfoot. And you too, Ian and Sylvia. You helped define my youth and more or less established and internationalized Canada's popular music industry. Thank you for that!

Railroad Trilogy - Gordon Lightfoot @ Yahoo! Video

Sea Change in America?

What an interesting thesis!!

"America is on the verge of something unprecedented in history: the peaceful, constitutional replacement of our country's entire political establishment."

I find that country to be so fascinating. Annoying sometimes, but always fascinating.

First, their constitution and the system of power distribution is practically fail safe. I believe most Americans are coming to see they made a big mistake in 2008, but because they have mid-term elections, they have an opportunity to correct course. Wish we could do that every two years!!!

Secondly, perhaps the death of Senator Edward Kennedy really was the death of an era. What a refreshing breeze is blowing in from the East. The Kennedys were instrumental in reforming the USA in the 1960s. Their vision then was in fact implemented in the years that followed.

Since the 1960s there have been an ever increasing number of Black people holding important offices at every level: police chiefs and commissioners, mayors, school board chairpersons, governors, ambassadors, cabinet ministers, supreme court justices, congressmen and senators, etc., etc., etc. The same can be said of the private sector. Look at the number of African Americans in the media, for example, or the entertainment industry.

So many people viewed the election of Barrack Obama as watershed development. A turning point. I didn't. I thought the election of a Black man to the presidency was only a matter of time. Once a critical mass of politically experienced Blacks had developed, it would have been ludicrous to expect one or more of them would not take a stab at attaining the highest office in the land. The really telling bit woven into the fabric in the American tapestry today is the fact that Blacks occupy all positions along the political spectrum and those on the right are calling the race hucksters to account.

Indeed, IMHO, the most intelligent and articulate are on the Republican, or at least the right, side of the aisle. They are part and parcel of the tea party movement, whether the media, or especially, the old guard likes it or not. The realization of Martin Luther King's "content of our character" dream is in full bloom, right in front of our faces.

Thirdly, the Sarah Palin phenom and especially the Tea Party movement have been unprecedented. The great masses of Middle America, or for that matter, Middle Anywhere, DO NOT, AS A RULE, SPONTANEOUSLY HIT THE STREETS IN PROTEST. They are too busy creating and maintaining the fabric of the society that the elites clothe themselves in.

Even during the sixties, with the exception of the Civil Rights Movement, it was primarily students that participated in protests, and the leaders of these protests were invariably leftists, hard leftest, in many cases, some of whom went on to highly influential positions in government and academia where their influence would continue and expand, and, especially in academia, remain unchallenged.

Along comes Sarah Palin. She is the antithesis of the elitist expert, the know-it-all academic. She is speaking Middle America's language. She does not look down on them. She is one of them. She represents bedrock values. No wonder her book is a run away best seller and her speaking tour attracts so many thousands of people. No wonder the old guard is shrieking in horror!!

As far as I'm concerned, I haven't been this enthralled with American politics since the sixties. (Well, with the exception, maybe, of the war in Iraq, but that was for reasons that had very little to do with the internal dynamics of American politics.) I await eagerly the 2010 mid-term elections. We'll see whether there really is a sea change. And may the next Black president be a Republican.

Oh! My! God!

Living in the past, are we Joe?



Gotta love it. LOL!!

h/t Pat Dollard

First, There Was Jayson Blair,

...then there were the years of blatant bias in reportage on Iraq. Now this.

Olympics: Random Thoughts

Yesterday, as I watched the Canada versus Germany men's curling match, it occurred to me that, when they were young, the grandfathers of the very men on each of those teams could quite possibly have been shooting bullets at each other over in Europe, not shoving rocks down a sheet of ice. You see, people can get over past conflicts, and fairly quickly, too.

Then there's the Arabs, who are still going on about the crusades more than seven centuries after the last of them, and not once have I heard an acknowledgment on their part that they themselves had, in an era previous to that, conquered the territories considered collectively as "Christendom" which the Christian crusaders were simply intent on reclaiming. Mind you, the education received by Arab children has probably neglected to include that little factoid.

If the grandsons of German and Canadian soldiers can face off in a curling rink and shake hands while exchanging friendly post-game congratulatory banter after the game is over, why is it the Palestinians are so entrenched in their hatred about something that also happened in the 1940's? Who benefits from this? Certainly not the Palestinians.

Germany was completely crushed during WWII. East Germany, of course, lagged far behind its Western brethren for pretty much the remainder of the twentieth century, but upon reunification, has made great strides in lifting itself up. Yet, the Arabs were offered a reasonable compromise in 1948/9. They hadn't been crushed, so they rejected it and are still rejecting reasonable offers, despite the fact that each rejection seems to eat a little more of their chances for a successful outcome.

Is it culture? Is it indoctrination? Manipulation by those with a vested interest? (That means you, you Arab and Muslim neighbours, you who want to maintain your dictatorial grasp on the reins of power.) And is there really a difference between any of these? Do you think some day we might see some Winter Olympic competitors from Dubai? Heck, if hot countries like Brazil and Jamaica can field bobsledding teams, why not?

FNUC Students Speak Up

Way up. Gotta love that banner.

Has My Hearing Become Selective..

UPDATE: Excellent summary, courtesy of A Dog Named Kyoto.
=========================================
...or has the "Anthropogenic" been taken out of the "AGW" meme?

No mention of it whatsoever here, even though they're sticking to their story as far as general overall climate change is concerned. And the catastrophe line seems to have evaporated, too. Heck. We're even allowed to read the dissenting views now.

The ban on scientific debate has been broken. The AGW fanatics have been quietly searching for a way to save face ever since the CRU whistle-blower episode. Little by little, via their proxy publications (ie. National Public Radio and the like), they have been softening the waters so that now the debate seems to centre on a much wider range of questions. For example:

1) Is the planet really warming catastrophically?
2) If so, does this present a real danger?
3) If the answer is "yes" to the first two questions, what is actually causing it? and finally,
4) If there is a need to do something about it, what can we, as mere humans, actually do?

Yesiree! A mis-trial has been declared. The jury has been reconstituted and is in the process of assembling witnesses, this time without the preclusion of a guilty verdict. It remains to be seen whether the jury will stick to the issue of science leaving politics out of it, or whether it will enter the realm of politics and actually propose that some of the actors should be brought up before a real court on criminal charges. After all, there seems to have been a massive Ponzi scheme at play and someone needs to take responsibility for the scam.

PS: Totally unbeknownst to me, Blazing Cat Fur was posting on this very subject today, via the classic Hitler-in-the-bunker vid, adaptable for any cause.

Anarchists Getting What They Deserve

Are you adults or two year old kids?

No need to ask, I know.








You see. Even your fellow lefties think you're stupid. And guess what? They're right.

Sore Loserdom

Well, I suppose every Olympics has to have its sore losers.

A Whole New Meaning

Remember back a couple of months ago, when Amy Goodman tried to enter Canada and got asked by Canada's border agents about whether her trip to Canada had anything to do with the Olympics? They gave her a hard time, it's alleged. Well, maybe this is why:



This video was produced by Vancouver Media Co-op, a little bunch of anarchists that couldn't organize a bowel movement, let alone a political movement capable of any accomplishments. This is the same group that smashed up windows and spray painted cars in downtown Vancouver in protest of the Olympic Games.

And lookie here. Who are they affiliated with but none other than Amy Goodman's most highly idiotic Democracy Now!

Interesting, no!?! Interesting, in a "blech" sort of way, I guess.

At the time, she vehemently denied her visit had anything to do with the Olympics. How strange that we now she her reporting on this gang of anarchists, among other weird and far out things, including much negative ado about the Olympics.

Sadly, they did let her in to the country, although the altercation at the border caused her to be several hours late for her speaking engagement at the Vancouver Public Library.

I now see why they might have been reluctant to let her in and why they might have inquired whether her visit had any thing to do with the Olympics. I'm sure the Vancouver police and the border agents have swapped files on numerous occasions.

Bloody Animals

Iranian Regime Celebrates Anniversary - Beats Son of Opposition Leader for 5 Hours

“His wrist was fractured, he received so many lashes on his back and legs and his internal bleeding was so bad he was vomiting up blood. He was tortured by the basij and the police for five or six hours before they released him.”

The Right Man....

...for POTUS, just not soon enough.

Lots of Opportunities..

..for conspiracy theorists or Nostradamus. Who done it? The Joooooos? Bushitler-CheneyHaliburton? You name it:

"Two former Olympians were injured when the United States vice-president’s motorcade was involved in a three-car collision on Sunday near Vancouver, RCMP said Sunday.

Joe Biden’s vehicle was not involved in the crash and he arrived at his destination safely, RCMP officials said in a news release."

Any Defections?

Place your bets. Remember in the old days of the Soviet Bloc, nearly every time the Olympics was held in a city in the Western world, one or more Soviet Bloc athlete would take the opportunity to defect to the West. I'm thinking that tiny delegation from Iran (what were there, four or five people?) might just file for refugee status, en masse. I can't think of any other country in the world right now that has a team at these games, that would be a prime producer of wannabe defectors.

There's Che

..in the background (under the big mouth's armpit, poor Che). Makes all that damage and inconvenience okay, I suppose.

Hear! Hear!

UPDATED AND BUMPED:

Good plan being floated by British MP, Margaret Hodge.

"Migrants would be forced to 'earn' the right to benefits and council housing over several years under explosive plans outlined today by a senior Labour minister."

[---]

"The Culture Minister is calling for a new points system - based on length of residence or national insurance contributions - to determine that only migrants who have made a fair contribution to society get the same rights as local families"

[---]

"One recent poll found that 65 per cent of voters believe foreign arrivals get favourable treatment over housing and benefits."

[---]

"It also showed a third of voters support a core policy of the far-Right BNP, proposing that people from ethnic minorities should lose all state benefits, including NHS treatment, to pay for a 'resettlement policy' for those wishing to leave the country."

[---]

"There has been particular controversy in recent years over revelations that taxpayers are funding child benefit for as many as 50,000 children of migrant workers, even though the youngsters still live in their home countries."

[---]

"Mrs Hodge was attacked as 'offensive' by senior Labour colleagues after calling for a shake-up of housing rules two and half years ago.

But last year, the Government announced it was adopting the policy proposal she made to give councils new powers to give local people priority on waiting lists."

Seems the Labour Party has seen the light.

===================================

Europe, you might just shake off this deep PC funk after all. Way to go!!

Punishing Muslim for refusal to shake hand with women is discrimination, Swedish court says

It's time to close the door. Britain must move toward a policy of zero net immigration

FNUC Student Rallies

FNUC student rally set for Thursday

Take a look at the comment by "M". Right on!!

And I'm liking this new Chief.

"Chief Guy Lonechild made the first move by contacting both government and the University of Regina to say a future FNUC would be autonomous of the FSIN."

Good job!!!

Every once in a while the FSIN puts in a real leader. The last two have been despicable snakes, but Guy Lonechild seems to understand what leadership really is and seems intent on clearing out the dreck. Stay tuned for a power struggle. The old guard isn't going to give up easily.

Interesting comments following this CBC piece. Notice that more than one suggest that the perps should face criminal charges. Go for it!!

"Death to America Russia"

Once again from the streets of Tehran:



Vids from the LA Times.

h/t The Spirit of Man

BWHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!

It just doesn't get any funnier than this.

And Yet More Muslims Against Free Speech

What is Iran planning for Thursday

"Khamenei, whose public statements should be taken seriously, is promising some sort of devastating “punch” against the West on Thursday the 11th, the same day as the Green Movement is calling for a monster protest against his regime."

[---]

"Some think he’s preparing some kind of attack against Israel. Surely there has been no shortage in recent weeks of nasty language against the Jewish state."

[---]

"The other obvious possibility is that he’s ordered a massive, Chinese-style crackdown on the opposition. Since he believes that the opposition is foreign-based and foreign-controlled, a devastating massacre might count as a big “punch” to the West.

He’s totally obsessed with bringing an end to the protests, and the nightly chants of “Death to the Dictator” that haunt him so. In the last few days he’s been telephoning opposition journalists and intellectuals, telling them to give it up, and the preparations for the crackdown have gone so far as to replace the traditional plastic garbage cans in Tehran — in which demonstrators have been setting fires to combat tear gas — with metal ones."

I guess the cost of replacing all those melted plastic garbage bins is getting to be too high.

"Meanwhile, the purge of journalists and activists continues. Since June 12th, the regime has arrested slightly more than 11,000 people, more than 3,000 of whom are still in those nightmare cells. Executions continue at a regular tempo, as does torture."

[---]

"The Greens expect the regime to go all out on Thursday. The leaders believe they will be arrested on Friday, and are prepared for it. In his recent interview Mousavi remarked that a large number of his best friends were in prison, and he was sad not to be with them.

He also said that the Green Movement did not depend on his leadership, or anyone else’s.

That theory may be about to be tested by Ali Khamenei, starting Thursday."

Time to eliminate a bunch more people, I guess.

What will the West do, I wonder?

Another analysis from Amir Taheri.

"The coming showdown in Tehran could mark a new phase in the struggle for the future of Iran. A bloodbath could actually hasten the demise of the regime, for Iran today is not what China was in 1989. If the scenario for separate demonstrations by pro-regime and pro-democracy marches is allowed to proceed, the existence of two mutually exclusive visions of Iran will be further highlighted. Even if nothing spectacular happens, the fact that regime has lost its popular base and is forced to rely on coercive forces and rent-a-mob crowds would further undermine its legitimacy."

Keep your eyes on The Spirit of Man and For a Democratic Secular Iran.

Free Speech on Campus

h/t Gay and Right

Classic...

...Liberal think.

I Share Your Pain

Good f*ckin' riddance.

The sentiments expressed in the comments say it better than I could.

One down. Two to go.

A Massive Tide of the Great Unwashed...

..goes unnoticed in their ivory towers and glitzy studios.



Ummm. Who is it that doesn't follow what's happening, again? F#*kin' retards don't even understand that what is happening is happening out there in the streets and at a convention center in Nashville. The Great Unwashed can't possibly understand that it's they themselves who don't count. It's only what the elites think is happening that is really happening. Seriously. No. It is. Honestly. It couldn't possibly be any other way.

I can hardly wait until that tide sweeps through their windows and taken them away. In the meantime, I'm just loving how they so clearly illustrate their cluelessness.

What the #*&?!!

FNUC overhaul stumbles

"A sample of the bizarre events that unfolded Tuesday include: Two men were named to the new board even though they'd declined; the suspended president of the university attended a lavish meeting at a Saskatoon hotel intended for the former board..."(Emphasis mine)

And that's not all.

Enough, Already!!

I think we need a little balance here.









What do you say, ladies?

Addendum: Naughty Limericks

Indian Industry BS

Here's a classic example of the "narrative" as promoted by the Indian Industry. Note the Garden of Eden description of the pre-Columbian landscape:

"Pre-Colonization: Before contact with Europeans, Indigenous nations were fully independent, organized in societies, and occupying the land as their ancestors had done for centuries."

...one brief paragraph covering God knows how many thousands of years, which is followed by a detailed litany of European sins, many of which are exaggerated and outright falsified, starting in 1492 and bringing us up to 2007. In the 43 pages of text the words racist or racism and genocide appear 26 times. It's brought to us by Vancouver Status of Women which "recognizes the historical and current processes of colonization on Indigenous land and acknowledges that Canada remains under colonial occupation." Ya. Like that's gonna change.

So Disgusting

Whether or not this baby was born alive, this is absolutely disgusting. I you're the mother in a circumstance like this, give the baby up for adoption, for Christ's sake. If it was born dead, at least call the cops or an ambulance or something. Don't just throw it away in a garbage dump. How sad! How inhumane!

The Game is Up

Feds pull funding from FNUC!

It's interesting that this afternoon there is news of misappropriation of funds by Nova Scotia's Premier, Darrel Dexter, to the tune of $2,150. Wow!! Peanuts by comparison, and he immediately owns up and apologizes. In contrast, take a look at what the FNUC goons were doing with the public's funds.

A First Nations student himself (herself?) sums it up quite nicely:

"I applaude the Government for stepping up to the plate for cancelling the funding to the FNUC, ITS ABOUT TIME!!! I am still hopeful that the FNUC is shut down permanently and that the University of Regina takes over. I do not believe that the First Nations people should have a separate University to educate our people nor do I believe that "Indian Politics" has a place in post secondary education. I have a degree from the U of S, I was accepted and "made it" on my own merit, I did not need a First Nations University to obtain my degree, I did not need to be segregated from non-Aboriginals because I wanted to be educated with the same standard of education as our non-Aboriginal people because they are the people that I have to work with, get along with, to compete with in the job market and to co-exist with in todays society. I am very tired of our people always blaming others for their wrongs, blaming the residential school system, which by the way I am a product of, but I CHOSE not to let my experience drag me down, I CHOSE to move forward in my life and make something of myself rather than sit back and continue to blame others for what was done to me. I am embarrassed by the actions of our "leaders" at yesterdays FSIN assembly. Although I was not present, I do listen to the news and was very sorry to hear about the treatment of the Indian & Metis Affairs Minister by our so-called "leaders". Not once did I hear of any of our "leaders" take responsibility for all the mis-management of funds, and other problems that have plagued the FNUC since 2004, I also did not hear of anyone mention or acknowledge the Government of all the chances they were given to rectify their problems. Quite frankly, they were given 1 too many chances and I am of the opinion that the Government should have taken action sooner than this week. Indian Politics has absolutely NO PLACE in the education system. Those First Nations Chiefs that were very vocal and angry need to step back and think about supporting their people to obtain a good, quality education and if their people are required to attend a "normal" university, then so be it and they need to support their people to do so. Thank goodness Guy Lonechild abolished the current board and lets hope the next board are not Indian politicians but academics who know their business and have the ability to manage FNUC if in fact FNUC continues to exist after this final and embarrassing fiasco. And Indian people wonder why "white people" say all kinds of things about us and put us all in the same pot??? Hello!! Its situations such as this that makes us all look bad. Its time for our "leaders" to step up to the plate and take responsibility for their mistakes, learn from it and make this Province a better place for all of us."

I would love to see the entire nest of rats cleaned out.

CBC Sucks Again

Why does CBC think itself and its staffing changes are news? What are you? The Royal Family?

Amnesty International

Many, many years ago, I had the greatest of admiration for this organization. It's purpose was to advocate due process and the rule of law for political prisoners. However, somewhere along the way, it changed. By the time the Iraq war began it had completely entrenched itself in the leftist anti-war crowd, essentially acting as a proponent of maintaining the status quo in countries where citizens are harshly oppressed. Terry Glavin has an item about just how bad it has become (emphasis mine):

No Support for Amnesty International Until It Reinstates Gita Sahgal and Cuts Jihadist Ties

Hmmmmm.

Hillary Clinton is getting very, very close to the same arguments made by Blair and Bush in justification for the Iraq war. In fact the only thing missing is the threat to go to war.

Al-Qaeda threat graver to US than Iran: Clinton

"But I think that most of us believe the greater threats are the trans-national non-state networks," she said, referring to Al-Qaeda and its affiliates in Afghanistan, North Africa, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Yemen.

[---]

""The biggest nightmare that any of us have is that one of these terrorist member organizations within this syndicate of terror will get their hands on a weapon of mass destruction," Clinton said."

Remember this. It was the ability of any two-bit terrorist group to gain sponsorship of oil-wealthy rogue states, and the necessary munitions, particularly WDM, that motivated the Bush/Blair decision.

Oh, and imagine how frosty relations between Clinton and Obama must be. One thing you can say for Hillary, she's more of a realist than The Big O will ever be.

Sunday Afternoon Round-up

Don't blame the Bloc for minority governments

"The minority governments we have had lately are not due only to the presence of the Bloc. In fact, during Jean Chrétien's third Liberal majority government, the Bloc was on the verge of extinction. The Bloc is still alive today only because of the shortcomings of the national political parties. Quebec voters have flirted with the Conservatives, tried again with the Liberals and also with the NDP. Still, they go back to the Bloc because they are not yet convinced of the merits of the alternatives.

Voters in the rest of the country have the same problem. The difference is that they don't have alternatives. They are treading water between the Conservatives, who look more and more like the Liberals, a Liberal party that is in complete chaos due to the lack of effective leadership, and an NDP that is still caged by old ideologies."

You got that right.

FNUC's Federal funding won't increase: Strahl

"Students of the First Nations University of Canada and some chiefs at its controlling agency, the Federation of Saskatchewan Indian Nations, are calling for Ottawa to step in and replace the $5.2 million in funding the province provides the school."

Remember Clarence Bellegarde's blustering braggadocio about how they would find the money somewhere? Ha!!

"Strahl said moves by FNUC to dissolve the board and place staff on leave are a good start, but he also said it may be too little, too late.

He said he's raised issues about oversight at the school with FSIN leaders in the past two years, but change has been slow to come.

"[I've] not only urged them but said that we're withholding half your funding until you get your house in order … we've been very aware of the difficulties. We've shared the concerns that the province has had," Strahl said.

Strahl, however, promised a "herculean effort" to ensure FNUC students' needs are met."

I think it's important to note that both the province and the fed's have sworn to do everything possible to protect the students' interests and ensure they finish their year. Somewhere down the road I can almost guarantee that goons from the FSIN will pretend that was not the case, when in fact it was they who failed to safeguard the education of their young people. Screwing up and then blaming Whitey is just standard operating procedure within the Indian Industry.

The phosphorus cloud over Ha'aretz

"Two days ago, the BBC ran with a story that the Israel Defence Force had disciplined two senior officers for firing white phosphorus shells at a UN compound in Gaza during Operation Cast Lead, endangering the lives of civilians. Given the enormous traction that had been given to claims that Israel had used phosphorus shells illegally in Gaza, with accusations that it had thereby recklessly endangered civilians and injured them through burns, the story was damaging. Even though it appeared that this had been a one-off breach of the international rules – which permit the use of white phosphorus in warfare to create either smoke or illumination but not to endanger civilians – rather than the wholesale unlawful practice which had been claimed, even one such incident was clearly a political setback. Accordingly the Times in particular – which had long been running a campaign that Israel had made unlawful use of white phosphorus and tried to cover it up – ran a news story headlined

Israeli officers get ‘slap on wrist’ for white phosphorus use in Gaza

while a (balanced) leading article opined:

A ‘slap on the wrist’ (to quote one senior Israeli official) is an indefensibly cursory punishment for those responsible. Even so, it should be seen for what it is — a clear acknowledgment by Israel that, during the conflict, it behaved in a manner in which it should not.

Except that it hadn’t...."

And who was to blame for this error? Why, it was one of Israel's largest daily newspapers, Ha'aretz, itself. The 'slap on the wrist' was for firing artillery shells, not white phosphorus. The firing of white phosphorus for purposes that were legal was authorized. The firing of artillery shells was not. Read the whole thing. Another classic example of "the MSM strikes again".

Winnipeg's homeless hero viciously beaten

Assholes!!

Discuss

CTV Ottawa newsroom destroyed in overnight blaze

1) An arsonist from CBC?

2) The wrath of God?

3) That evil Stephen Harper?

4) An angry right wing extremist (who, naturally, supports Stephen Harper and believes in God) fed up with the MSM bias?

5) Who cares? I couldn't have happened to a better outfit.

6) Toronto next!

7) Damn! I told him to torch CBC, not CTV!

8) After they've rebuilt, then's the time to relocate the capital city to Calgary.

9) Other? _________________________________

Sarah Palin Gives a Powerful Speech

I just watched on PJTV a live speech delivered at a Tea Party Convention in the US by Sarah Palin. Wow!! If she can govern as well as she can deliver a prepared speech, she will change America. There must have been millions of viewers watching it via PJTV cause the streaming video kept dropping. I hope PJTV has the whole speech up on their website for several days (if the contract with her allows it), so anyone who missed it can see what I mean. Anyway, now I can go pee.

Oooh. And there's an interview with her after the speech. I missed the first bit of it.

What Happens to Politically Incorrect Words?

They keep piling up on the dung heap until someone finally says, "screw it!"

The American Thinker has a great article about why placing taboos on the utterance certain "insensitive" words just doesn't work. This has been my thinking for a very, very long time. What you call it is not the problem, folks. The "problem" is not in the words, it's in the attitudes to the thing itself.

After all, as one of the commenters at American Thinker said:

"Rose Kennedy made a number of public service announcements in the early '60s where she referred to the "mentally retarded" and was applauded for her efforts on their behalf. Was she being "insensitive", whatever the Hell that's supposed to mean, when she made these statements? Remember, one of her own children was "mentally retarded" and Mrs. Kennedy was able to speak out as she did."

Go read it: What's Wrong With "Retarded"?

Way Past the Puking Stage

Hamas "regrets" civilian deaths, Israel unmoved

Any younguns out there who don't know any better - and you know who you are; the type that show up to anti-Israeli apartheid rallies and what not - may be either surprised and/or encouraged by Hamas's overture, and angry at Israel's intransigence.

Well, let me tell you something. I've been watching the Israeli-Palestinian thing since the late 1960s and it puts the old tale about the boy who cried wolf to shame. It reminds me of the little merry-go-round fixture found in many playgrounds. You know, the ones where the kids get the thing spinning at a dizzying clip and have to hang on for dear life or be spun off in a furious trajectory that lands them on their heads or crushed against a nearby fence from whence they proceed to puke. It's been going round and round and round and round for decades, folks, and there's no puke left to heave so it's no surprise to me that Israel is "unmoved".

Be sure to read the whole thing to see if you can detect the truth. If you're having trouble let me point out a few key paragraphs:

"In response to the report, delivered to the United Nations this week, Israeli Foreign Ministry spokesman Yigal Palmor said on Friday: "For years Hamas has boasted about deliberately targeting civilians, either through suicide bombings, by gunfire or by rockets. Who are they trying to fool now?"

At least one senior Hamas official, who declined to be named, said the movement remained ready to conduct "martyrdom operations" -- suicide bombings of Israeli buses, cafes and the like, which have not, however, been seen for several years.

[---]

"Israel, which has furiously rejected Goldstone's report as unbalanced, says Hamas deliberately puts Palestinian civilians in harm's way in order to shield its fighters and to exploit international pressure on Israel over civilian deaths."

Yup. Martyrs don't necessarily have to be active participants dear younguns. And as anyone who has been watching knows anyway, unlike your indoctrination, a Palestinian child's training for "martyrdom" begins during toddler-hood. Those Palestinian human shields are simply doing their duty as cannon fodder, kinda like you are when you're out marching and shouting slogans. All in a day's work, that. A bit more deadly, perhaps, but if you think like Hamas does, you'll agree that a Palestinian's life is cheap anyway. Much cheaper than an Israeli's. Just look at the balance sheet.

Take Heart

Canada's state funded media organs haven't yet produced a film depicting the murder of a popular but controversial politician, like, say, Stephen Harper. The Netherlands public radio broadcaster has. But maybe it's only a matter of time. Perhaps we'll see one from CBC or maybe the National Film Board in time for the next election campaign.

Pat Condell on the Wilders Trial

Bang on, as usual.

Too Good to Wait Until Tomorrow

First Nations University loses provincial funding

"The Saskatchewan Party government is withdrawing $5.2-million in funding from the troubled First Nations University of Canada, officials announced yesterday, and the federal government also has plans to "re-examine" it's funding for the school."

[---]

"Questions about the university's financial impropriety arose after a lawsuit filed by the former chief financial officer of the university, Murray Westerlund, alleged he was fired for presenting documents to FNUC's audit committee outlining alleged misuse of funds and inappropriate expense claims."

[---]

"A student association official said on Tuesday the students will call for the university board to be dissolved"

Finally, someone is standing up to the rampant corruption that is all too common among Saskatchewan's biggest racket known as the Federation of Saskatchewan Indian Nations (FSIN). It's both refreshing and encouraging that the students themselves want the bastards booted out. One arm, at least, of the insipid Indian Industry is being dismantled - the academic wing, or should I say, one small part of the academic wing. So much left to do, though, and the academic wing is only a small part of the industry. There's still the lawyers, consultants, and a large cadre of civil servants. Faster, please.

More here (emphasis mine).

"When asked if it’s important for FNUC to exist, Strahl said “it has filled some gaps.” He questioned the continued need to pour millions of dollars into an institution with plummeting enrolment and a lack of accountability."

[---]

"At the FSIN meetings Wednesday, FNUC students — who had bused in from Regina —walked out of the assembly angry their leaders could not agree on meaningful reforms to their school.

“There were two camps in there — one camp for us and one camp against us,” said FNUC Regina campus vice-president Cadmus Delorme. “It’s heartbreaking. We love our institution.”

Indian fine arts student Adam Martin said some chiefs “were out to protect their own cash cow.

“It’s the same old crap. They’re basically back to playing politics.”"

"The seven-hour in-camera debate led off with five students, who received a standing ovation for their emotional 45-minute presentation. However, their central point —demanding the FNUC board of governors be dissolved — did not pass."

[---]

"Lonechild said relations are currently strained between First Nations, the federal government and the provincial government."

Ha! When have they not been strained!! It's standard operating procedure with the FSIN.

"FNUC board chair Chief Clarence Bellegarde criticized Norris for making the announcement while they were discussing the matter in assembly. He said the university will find funding somehow, even without the millions from the provincial government."

Ya, right. Good luck with that, Bellegarde Old-Guard. I hope your days are numbered. Power to the students!!

And another one:

"Adam Martin, a fine arts student at FNUC in Regina, told reporters he left a meeting with chiefs feeling uneasy about the future of the school.

"I don't know what the hell they're going to do," Martin said. "They're back to playing the political game."

Martin, who said he could only speak for himself, expressed concern that First Nations chiefs on the university board were more interested in the perks of the position than they were in the school."

Ya think?

Seriously, though, I feel really sorry for these students, but by the same token, this is a really good sign that young Aboriginal people in Saskatchewan are calling the FSIN's bluff. That bodes well for the future, I'd say. It's a major blow to the life sucking Indian Industry in the province where it was born. Now, if we could just trim that self-serving den of cronies that caused this kerfuffle. We'll have to keep the NDP out of power for several more terms to get that done.

A Quick Round to Top Off the Day

First, it appears the British press is stuffing a sock in Clare Short's ugly mouth. Yay!!

Second, Russians one, al Qaeda zero.

Next, go Aussies!

Iran sends worms and rats into space. Regrettably, Ahmadinejad was not one of them.

Finally, go France!!