It Seems The Dispute..

...between Denmark and Canada over that pile of rocks has been settled. Well, maybe not. I'm disappointed, to say the least. We should have been able to extract a lifetime supply of Tuborg Beer for every Canadian born and yet to be born for the next fifty years in exchange for the pile of rocks. We used to be able to get it here, but not any more. I wonder if Denmark yanked it off the table during the negotiating stage.

Previously.

This Has Been My Theory...

UPDATED AND BUMPED:

===========ORIGINAL STARTS HERE=========== ...too! I saw this happening during the Iraq war. There is a three way struggle between Arab Nationalism (which has more or less lost, except in Syria where the last of the Arab Nationalists clings to power, but there it's only a matter of time), the old guard Islamists, and the newer, modern people, mostly among the young, who want to adopt Western values, enlightenment thinking and everything that has grown out of that in the west.

That's why I'm hopeful about the Arab Spring. The young folks who assembled en masse in Tahrir Square two years ago were naive and did not plan for what would happen the day after they succeeded in overthrowing the old Arab Nationalist Mubarak regime. So in came the only organization that was well organized - the Muslim Brotherhood. And it looks like they are screwing up badly. I don't expect they will last too long.

Remember the Arab Spring was so named because of the Prague Spring, the 43rd anniversary of which is just around the corner. The Prague Spring was a liberalization of state control in communist Czechoslovakia, which was quickly quashed. It was another 20 years or so before communism in Eastern Europe fell.

Revolutions don't happen overnight, but the young people that came out en masse in Tahrir Square will someday be the leading class in Egypt. The real Arab Spring will begin to flower there. The more general Muslim Spring may happen sooner, though, in Tehran.

I wish I was younger (who doesn't), but I'd love to live to see the day. I was born during the dying days of the British Empire, when Arab Nationalism was on the rise in the Middle East and when so-called "liberation" movements, orchestrating coups and counter-coups and coups to counter the counter-coups sprang up all over the so-called Third World. This was the decolonization era. The goons who came to power at the barrel of a gun (read: tank), could not deliver. Their only ideological currency was anti-colonialism. Moammar Ghadafi was the last of them, except for Bashir Assad, who is currently hanging on by a thread. They could not build functioning, thriving economies. Instead, they played the Soviets off against the Americans, extorting each in turn.

They themselves, in turn, were eventually replaced, for the most part with Western leaning governments, anxious to adopt Western ways of doing things. It was obvious the Soviet system had not delivered. When the Soviet Union collapsed, the violent struggles in the Third World (coups and counter coups) more or less disappeared. Now the struggle is one of citizens against their own governments. In the Arab and Muslim world, Egypt and Tehran are leading the way. Islamofascism will not last long. Good ideas produce well functioning societies, as well as creative and powerful technologies and these spread. Not so good ideas, like communism and Islamism, whither and eventually die. In the meantime, I hope Western Civilization doesn't commit suicide. We need to get over our self-loathing and recognize the world is looking to us as an example to emulate. They've adopted Western technologies (through which Western ideas have been spread) and they are asking why it is they can't produce the same.

Possum Lodge

Long time ago, my sister and her husband had a house with a workshop/garage in the yard at the back. It was filled with just enough of the fancy-dancy men's kind of equipment needed to make it look like there was actual work conducted in that workshop (table saw, for example). As a garage, though, it got very little use, since they had forgotten to provide access to it from the street, past the house to the back yard. No matter. Minor detail.

In addition to the actual machinery, the unmistakable mark of a workshop - a beer frig and a circle of lawn chairs completed the furnishings.

In any case, the garage soon acquired the name "Possum Lodge", after the men's meetin' house featured on the Red Green Show. It's where the men went when they wanted to act like real men - ie) sit around, drinking beer, smoking, burping and farting, telling tall tales. But sooner or later those damn women invaded the sanctuary (I know. Nothing is sacred, these days.) and before long we were all into the grove and the beer just came flying out of that frig.

By alas, they sold that house and bought another one across town, so we all lost access to Possum Lodge.

But Red Green lives on:

I Want...

...one of those:

Scientists create functioning, virtual brain that can write, remember lists and even pass basic IQ test

Another thing I want is a gismo that restores the brain cells that are obviously sloughed off when I pass through a doorway from one room in my house to another. I'm so sick and tired of having to ask myself: "What did I come in here for?" Or a gismo that destroys the brain cell destroying force field in those doorways.

Does Anybody Remember...

..the French cult leader who lived in Quebec for a while. The cult became known as Raelism. One very strange dude, that one. His real name was Claude Vorilhon, but he adopted the name Rael and his movement became known as Raelism.

Well, yesterday there was this story on Sun News Network's website:

12 children seized in alleged guru-healer group

Notice the connection to Quebec. The children were all from Quebec.

Rael, the leader of the Quebec cult, was very big on cloning and extraterrestrial travel. The first thing that popped into my head when I looked at the picture on the Sun News Network's story was that that guy, Marcel Pontbriand, sure bears an uncanny resemblance to the cult leader, Rael. I wondered if he was a clone. Perhaps, though, he's a son, created the normal way. If Rael had a son, he would be about that age now.

Take a look at these pictures of Rael and compare them to the one of Marcel Pontbriand, the man at the centre of the guru-leader cult, featured in SNN's story. Does Pontbriand not have an uncanny resemblance to Rael?

Vorilhon, or Rael, use to wear a white robe, as did his followers. Apparently, according to this Wikipedia entry, Pauline Marois met him once, back in the days when she was a mere member of the Quebec National Assembly. She thought he was nuts. That's about the only thing she and I will likely ever agree on.

Oh, Yes!!

Toronto lefty elites - aka "our betters" - aren't going to go down without a fight. But go down they will, unless, of course, they figure out how to cancel all further elections, which I am sure they are working fast and furiously on..

Two Heroes Of Mine

...on the same stage. I don't have any of Hirsi-Ali's books, but I do have a couple of Bruce Bower's works. 
 




None-the-less they are both sirens of what may come if we don't heed their message.  Hirsi-Ali, in particular, being non-western by birth, amazes in that her knowledge of both Western Civilizational and non-Western Muslim mindsets, have much to teach us.

Listening to...

...Jock Talk in the prelude to the big game later today. AAARRRRGH! AAARRRRGH! AAARRRRGH! AAARRRRGH! AAARRRRGH! AAARRRRGH!

It always amazes me how these guys find so many ways to say the same thing, over and over. It all comes down to AAARRRRGH! AAARRRRGH! AAARRRRGH! AAARRRRGH! AAARRRRGH! AAARRRRGH!

GO STAMPS!!!

Now they're talking about balls and sacks.  AAARRRRGH! AAARRRRGH! AAARRRRGH! AAARRRRGH! AAARRRRGH! AAARRRRGH!

It's a guy thing.

==============================
BAH! HUMBUG!!!!!!!

Things Are Getting...

...really, really hot in Egypt (and elsewhere):

Egypt's Morsi grants himself far-reaching powers

Gaza cleric calls violation of Israel truce sinful

Egyptian opposition united in anger over Morsy's new powers

Egyptian state TV channels abruptly cease transmission

Egypt's stock market plummets after Morsi's decree

Egypt’s ElBaradei Calls on President to Rescind Near Absolute Powers

Egypt judges urge strike after Morsi widens powers

Egypt's rights council holds urgent meeting on president's declaration

Egypt’s military could intervene in wake of Mursi’s decree

"The Sphinx and Pyramids Must be Destroyed"

Press syndicate meeting on Egypt draft charter ends in fistfight

Singing fat-lady nowhere in sight - yet.

You Know What I Find...

...sorta funny, in a pathetic way? Every day there continues to be headlines about global warming, and as often as not, those headlines conflict with one another:

Will U.S. role at climate talks change after storm?

Climate change evident across Europe, says report

UN says carbon cuts too slow to curb dangerous warming

‘Cooling World’ Is Hot Potato For UN Climate Summit

Global warming did not cause superstorm Sandy


A Problem Solving Approach to Global Warming

Leaders face riddle of lack of warming

Well, that's settled. On to the next controversy, then:

HO ho no! Santa shortage critical

Arrest for Saying Santa’s Not Real? Grinch Arrested

I Wonder...

...If they find he died of AIDS, will that be admitted? Did Suha do it?

Who Organized The Reindeer???!!!

Santa Claus comes to Courtland Center via helicopter

They should be declared an essential service. And so should the elves.

Santa is such a scab!!

Uh-huh. Tell us something...

...we don't know and would never have guessed:

Iran Congratulates Palestinian Resistance over Victory

"Iran congratulated the Palestinian resistance and people for their victory against the Zionist entity, criticizing Arab and international silence."

Keywords here are "Arab" and "Silence". The Arabs seem to have found a new ally, but aren't too vocal about it. But their silence does speak volumes.

But Will They Allow...

...straights to wear flowers in their hair?

San Francisco bans public nudity, but with exceptions for LGBT events

As usual, there's music for that:



When are they gonna have a heterosexual pride day? And where will it be? Just askin'. Will we have to prance around naked? Better be some place warm. Better be some music, too.

Ya' Win...

...some...

Justin Trudeau — Leader or Liberal figurehead?

"To give credit where it’s due, Justin Trudeau’s debut policy statement was an impressive one. Mr. Trudeau, whose oped appeared in the National Post, made a well-argued case for Canada embracing Chinese foreign investment (specifically in the oil sands, and with particular reference to the CNOOC deal now being considered by Ottawa). It was, Mr. Trudeau said, a necessary step to ensure the prosperity of Canada’s middle class.

Whatever the merits of his proposal, you can’t deny that it was gutsy. My friend Michael Den Tandt correctly noted that Mr. Trudeau has made a rational and compelling case for something the Tories have been suspiciously silent on. Nor was Mr. Trudeau’s stance without risk, as Michael noted when he said, “The overwhelming favourite to win the Liberal crown didn’t need to take this position, which puts him offside of much of the progressive left, as well as public opinion.” Very true. For these things, Mr. Trudeau and his team deserve praise for their opening move."

Oh, I don't know about that. I don't have any strong feelings about the Chinese ownership thingy, but what flashed into my mind was Trudeau the Younger's daddy's infatuation with Castro.

...ya lose some:

Trudeau would rather have Quebecers than Albertans in Charge

"In the wake of Liberal MP David McGuinty's anti-Alberta comments this week, a 2010 interview with Liberal leadership hopeful Justin Trudeau raises the issue about whether that attitude is baked into the DNA of the federal Liberal party.

In November 2010, Trudeau told a Quebec television show that he was tired of Albertans running the country and that, whether it was Jean Chretien or Brian Mulroney, Canada is better off when Quebecers are running the country."

Go ahead Libs. Crown him King and we'll see what happens.

Hmmmmm

Isn't incitement to commit murder a criminal offense in Britian?

UK Islamists issue fatwa against Pakistani schoolgirl shot by the Taliban

Hope to see them hanging from a crane.

Ya, I know that won't happen, but if the UK police don't arrest and charge these creeps with incitement to murder, then I will renounce my ancestry.

One Of These Things...

...is not like the other:

Taliban email blunder exposes members on their mailing list

"THE Taliban has been left red-faced after accidentally revealing the email addresses of everyone on their mailing list.

Official Taliban spokesperson Qari Yousuf Ahmedi publicly CC'd the names in an email on Saturday, America's ABC News reported.

He was forwarding a press release received from the account of another Taliban spokesperson when the blunder occured.

Instead of using the BCC function which keeps email addresses private, Ahmedi made the addresses of the more than 400 members receivors (sic) public."

Anonymous leaks personal information of 5,000 Israeli officials

"The message said: "It has come to our attention that the Israeli government has ignored repeated warnings about the abuse of human rights, shutting down the internet in Israel and mistreating its own citizens and those of its neighboring countries.""

But they are both stupid.

Related: Hamas gunmen execute six ‘Israeli spies’ as Netanyahu hints at cease-fire

"Witnesses said the six men were pulled out of a van Tuesday, forced to lie face down on the street and then shot dead.

Five bodies lay in a pile as a mob stomped and spit on them. A sixth body was tied to a motorcycle and dragged through the streets as people screamed, “Spy! Spy!”

Hamas posted a sign on an electricity pole, naming the six alleged informers.

Israel relies on a network of local informants to identify its targets."

My House Needs...

...decorating, too:

Me, Too!

Sunday Morning Round-Up/Giggles

The City of Montreal elects an angophone mayor!! It will be interesting to see how he gets along with Pauline Marois.

Oops. Leftards aren't gonna like this:


Obama says Israel has right to defend itself against attacks from Palestinian militants

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

Stephen Pinker

I like this guy. I don't necessarily agree with everything he says, but he does deliver some very interesting lectures, one of which is below. You can also occasionally find him on TED: Ideas Worth Spreading (in my sidebar under the "Video" section of heading the "Who Needs the Canadian Broadcorping Castration (CBC) When You've Got This?")

Whamo!! Right Up Their....

asses, I hope.

Sometimes You Find..

...the funniest things on Facebook. Good advice, this one:

Well, So Much For...

...those behind closed doors meetings:

David Petraeus says he believed terrorists behind Libya attack all along as pressure mounts on Obama’s version

What'd I tell ya?

Oh My, Oh My, Oh My

We got us a feeding frenzy:

Petraeus

Petraeus

Petraeus

Petraeus

Petraeus

Petraeus

My prediction: Petraeus will spill the beans and go down in history as a hero.

Speaking of going down, I suspect he will take a lot of good-ole-boys with him. All mashed up at the bottom of the pit will be leftards and media types (hard to tell them apart, though), and the Democrats. And Global Warming zealots. They've already been moved off the radar screens. This will finish them off for good. I just hope they swing by this way and do a bit of snow shoveling.

This has all the makings of a turning point in history. Oh, and maybe the 21st century will be Canada's. Laurier was only off by a century.

Good-bye America.

The Plot Sickens...

...as it thickens:

Petraeus to Testify on Benghazi Behind Closed Doors

Oh well. It will just take a little longer for the truth to come out, but come out it will --- on blogs.

My Beautiful Offspring

Mother of Sydney and Logan.

She'll kill me if she finds out I've posted this here.

Weather Report

Which way is the wind blowing today?




Tomorrow?  Who knows?

One thing for sure, though. He's right about the necessity of the fractured left getting their shit together if they hope to achieve anything.   But that doesn't mean a lot of Libs and Dipsticks wouldn't jump ship and land on the CPC deck.

From The...

..."Be Careful What You Ask For - You Might Get It" file, this one is looking pretty serious (Ed. Emphasis mine throughout, unless otherwise indicated.).

First there's the thinly veiled pro-Hamas article from the CBC:

"The fighting, which began Wednesday when Israel assassinated Hamas' military chief, ..."

Uh. No. It started at least three days earlier when Hamas began launching 130+ rockets ito Israel.

"Most Gazans remained in their homes, following developments on Hamas-run TV and local radio stations. Many also provided updates on their Facebook and Twitter accounts, providing news about airstrikes and rocket launches."

[---]

""My little 4-year-old boy keeps asking me to pray with him every 10 minutes, saying, 'Mama. Let's pray together to Allah in order to be safe," ' one woman, Ghadeer Ahmad, wrote on her Facebook account."

Oh. The poor impoverished Gazans. They have to cope, using Facebook and Twitter accounts, which of course don't require computers and internet access accounts. No. They are too poor and deprived for that.

"While streets were quiet, bakeries and groceries remained open. No food shortages were reported, and electricity, which suffers frequent outages even during normal times, remained sporadic.  Many families keep home generators to maintain power.  (And I'll bet you they are told it's Israel's fault, but if the Israelis were in charge of that. Problem solved.)

"I am trying to calm my children when they hear the sound of explosions," said Zainab Nimr, a 33-year-old mother of three. (Hmmmm. Israeli mothers are not doing the same thing, I suppose.) "We have enough food and water for four days, so I asked my husband to go out and get extra supplies. No one knows when this will end."" (She got that right. She might want to bring that up with Hamas.)

[---]

"We want to kill in the name of God," chanted mourners as angry gunmen fired automatic weapons into the air. Hundreds of people raised their index fingers in the air, chanting, "God is great." (By God, if that doesn't remind me of Iraq under Saddam Hussein. People saying what they expect the goons want to hear.)

[---]

"This crime will not weaken us. It will make us stronger and more determined to continue the path of jihad and resistance," Hamas lawmaker Mushir al-Masri said in a eulogy. 'The enemy opened the battle and shall bear the consequences.'" (Uh. huh.)

Of course, missing completely from the CBC's story is an Israeli viewpoint on the barrage of rockets that landed in Israel in the days preceding the Israeli initiative.

But, this does look like war:

"Israeli officials said Wednesday that a ground invasion was a strong possibility in the coming days if Hamas didn't rein in the rocket fire. Mid-morning Thursday, there was no sign such an invasion might be beginning. But the Israeli military was cleared to call up special reserve units — a sign the operation might broaden."

 But, I have to give CBC some credit. They do mention Iranian connections:

"The military said it destroyed dozens of the militants' most potent rockets -- the Iranian-made Fajr, which is capable of striking Israel's Tel Aviv heartland — as well as shorter-range rockets. In all, the military estimated Hamas had 10,000 rockets and mortars in its arsenal before the military operation began."

And they also cite Hamas' brutal history:

"Hamas, formed a quarter of a century ago as a resistance movement committed to Israel's destruction, has killed hundreds of Israelis over the years."

Meanwhile, Down Under, there's an editorial that states what CBC appears afraid to mention:

"HAMAS has only itself to blame for the latest Israeli military strikes in Gaza and the sooner the international community accepts this - rather than indulging in another round of knee-jerk condemnation of the Jewish state as an aggressor - the sooner an element of reality will return to Middle East peace efforts. (Emphasis in the original.)

 
While calls for caution and restraint are justified, Hamas's culpability is clear. Israel has an unequivocal duty to protect the lives of its citizens against deadly attacks by a terrorist organisation that steadfastly refuses to even acknowledge its right to exist. Since last weekend more than 120 lethal rockets - many supplied by Iran and Syria - have been fired from Gaza, indiscriminately targeting population centres in Israel. That's more than 800 fired by Hamas and associated terrorist groups such as Islamic Jihad this year, and 8000 since Israel withdrew from Gaza in a significant act of goodwill and in a gesture towards peace in 2005. At any time, a million Israelis are within range of the rockets and they have less than a minute to find shelter."

RTWT

Be Careful...

...where you leave your camera. Some woman might find it and discover pictures on the memory card of.......really BIG........................................................fish.

Sh!t, Meet Fan

What Does Petreaus Know About Benghazi?

"As the scandal between David Petraeus and Paula Broadwell continues to unfold, we need to remember one thing -- Petraeus may be one of the few people who actually knows what happened in Benghazi."

Holder lashes out at The Daily Caller while refusing to address growing calls for his resignation

White House 'Held Affair Over Petraeus's Head' For Favorable Testimony On Benghazi

And, as if that wasn't enough:

West letter to secretary of state

Good-bye America.

(PS: I've been on this planet long enough to know that America holds its scandals in the public arena. Watergate, for example, or the Iran hostage crisis. But this one has a different feel about it. It's not just the nefarious doings of a President that are rocking the nation, although that's certainly part of the cocktail. Nope. This one goes to the heart of the democratic process. I sincerely hope this is not "good-bye America", but it sure has a feel about it. Sixty-five years at the top of the heap is not that long. But then, everything moves faster these days. And it used to be that the enemy was external. Now the enemy is not just within, it's in the innermost sanctum. Hope you can weather it, neighbours.)

You Go Israel!!

Israeli Strike in Gaza Kills the Military Leader of Hamas

"The Israeli military said it had ordered the airstrikes as part of a response to days of rocket fire launched from Gaza into Israeli territory.

Mr. Jabari’s death signaled a further escalation in the renewed hostility between Israel and Hamas, the militant organization regarded by Israel as a terrorist group sworn to Israel’s destruction. [Ya think!] The Israeli attacks could also further complicate Israel’s fragile relations with Egypt, where the new government has established closer ties with Hamas and had been acting as a mediator to restore calm between Israel and Gaza-based militant groups."

Now wouldn't that be interesting. It took more than 50 years to be rid of the Arab Nationalists flavour of dictatorship, and Israel survived it all. I suspect it won't be nearly as long before the old goats aka Islamists are done for.

Meh! What's Another...

...sex scandal. And they say women are the weaker sex!!

There's enough here to make a journalist....(Well, better keep this place family friendly). Thing is, what role did the lamestream media play in what appears to be a carefully orchestrated cover up designed to keep certain key figures protected until after the election?

Oh well. Lawyers and assorted others are getting richer.

In any case, evidently there are lots of Americans who have simply had enough:

Residents In More Than 40 States File Secession Petitions, GOP Governors Say No

It's all too confusing for me. But I predict that when this is all over we will wake up and realize that the AGW scam artistry has been all but forgotten.

In the meantime, good-bye America.

Another Rant

This time it's about that old whipping boy of mine, the lamestream press:

"The Death of the Press?

The press throughout the western world is preoccupied of late – engaged in an existential convulsion that threatens to cast down the foundations of some of its greatest and most august institutions. They’re losing money, and they’re firmly convinced that it must be because of some new technological advance that is irresistibly and irrevocably changing human behaviour: it’s the Internet; it’s blogs; it’s Twitter; it’s tablets and smart phones.

The great institutions of the press have convinced themselves that the only way to save themselves is to re-invent the way they deliver the news. They think that perhaps if they write shorter stories and deliver them with trendy appliances, people will be more eager to read them.

Hogwash. One might as well blame the failure of the press on the invention of coloured ink or radio. Maybe, just maybe, people are less convinced of the value of organised journalism because organised journalism is failing to provide value. It is becoming increasingly obvious that the majority of people employed in the business of journalism are desperately, almost religiously committed to a particular world view, and that they will go to tremendous effort to avoid seeing, hearing or speaking anything that contradicts the little narrative that they have built for themselves. The insipid, willful credulity of the press is quickly approaching the level of parody.

A few weeks ago, when the American ambassador to Libya was murdered in an attack on what was in theory a secret CIA safe house in Benghazi, the press obediently reported the glib and somewhat bizarre explanation offered by the US State Department that somehow this was the result of a spontaneous outpouring of righteous anger in response to an unwatchable amateur video, (in English, no less), on YouTube that only a few thousand people had even seen.

When I first saw this reported, I was thunderstruck. I could instantly see that it was a lie. Surely at least one of the reporters at the press conference would ask the obvious questions that would inevitably occur to a child of the meanest intelligence! If this was a protest, why did it happen at a secret location far removed from the American embassy? If only a few people had seen this video, how could it provoke a firestorm of protest half a world away? Libya is a French Arabic country, and hardly anyone there speaks English, so how did they even know what was in the video? Wasn’t it a funny coincidence that this “just happened” on the 11th anniversary of 911?

Not only did no one question the transparent silliness of this cover story – the press committed themselves fully to the deception, and pontificated dutifully for days about hate speech and “Islamophobia”.

Inevitably, elements of the truth emerged, but not through the press. Instead, the story was taken up by bloggers, and by talk radio. The facts that did come out ought to have made this one of the biggest news stories of the decade – it certainly had all of the elements of a blockbuster movie: The US State department secretly dealing in restricted weapons with Al-Qaeda operatives; an 11th-hour recantation by a disillusioned diplomat; the flight to a safe house; a betrayal by a friendly power; gunfire in the night, and a last desperate battle on the rooftops, with an ineffectual President unable or unwilling to act while hopelessly outnumbered Navy Seals beg repeatedly for help that is held just out of reach. The shame, the tragedy, and the final horror of this affair were like something that Shakespeare might have concocted in one of his darker moods.

To date, I have yet to see a single significant story about the Benghazi affair by a major news organization. The press held back their hand, because telling this story would unmake the narrative they had so carefully crafted. They inhabited a bright and brittle universe which held at its center the absolute imperative that Barrack Obama should be re-elected as the American president.

What happened yesterday is equally disgusting. General Petraeus, a man with a brilliant and storied career – and the former director of the CIA, was charged with “throwing the president under the bus”, when he revealed certain facts about the Benghazi affair that contradicted the State Department’s cover story. He had acted in an honourable and straightforward manner, but by telling the truth, he had embarrassed the president. A mere three days after President Obama’s re-election, he was forced out of office."

[---]

"Surely, this is a story that merits attention, and yet the response of the press is contemptible. According to a New York Times story, General Petraeus resigned after it was revealed – apparently by an accidental and unrelated FBI enquiry – that he had been having an extramarital affair with his biographer.

The explanation in this story as to why the FBI should be investigating his personal email, and why the revelation of marital inconstancy should have any damn thing to do with his appointment as director of the CIA is convoluted and tenuous to the point of lunacy. This makes no sense, and I call shenanigans.

What’s disgusting to me is the fact that the New York Times seems to be perfectly satisfied. They might as well have announced that there’s “nothing to see here”. Move along.

Here’s what it looks like to me: the director of the CIA refused to accept the blame for the perfidy of a lame duck president. Within three days of the president’s re-election, he was forced to resign. It also appears that the president has used the FBI as an instrument to investigate and undermine the director of the CIA. Should this be the case, the constitutional implications are enormous.

The press ought to be screaming bloody murder. They ought to be affronted at the insult that has been offered them with this glib, tenuous, convoluted, and incoherent explanation for what looks like a gross abuse of power. They are either very, very stupid and credulous, or else they are complicit in this abuse.

Dear journalists, this is why you are losing the faith of your readers. It’s not the Internet that’s killing your profession. It’s you."

Oh. But they have more important things to cover: Justin Bieber sings break-up song

Philanthropy and Taxes

How many times have we heard folks on the left bitch and whine about people who don't pay taxes? They are the same people who whine about people with "too much money".

Here's a few stories about a very wealthy couple in Saskatoon who have done many things with their money that we tax payers would otherwise have had to either pay for or go without:

Leslie and Irene Dubé make generous donation to the U of S Health Sciences project

"The Dubé’s commitment will ensure the completion of the capital project. The Dubés, together with President Peter MacKinnon and Vice-President University Advancement Heather Magotiaux, unveiled renderings of the new state-of-the-art library and 500-seat lecture theatre in the Health Sciences building that will be named the Leslie and Irene Dubé Health Sciences Library and the Leslie and Irene Dubé Theatre.

“The Dubés are truly inspiring,” added President MacKinnon. “Their generous support brings us one step closer to turning our Health Sciences vision into reality. We are very thankful for their lead partnership in building the future of health education, research and practice.”

CHERISHED DONORS: Irene and Leslie Dubé

"In recognition of their philanthropy, the Irene and Leslie Dubé Centre for Mental Health was named in their honour, ushering in a new era of treatment for those in our community suffering from mental illness and addictions. The Dubé Centre opened its doors at RUH in early 2010.

“The Centre has exceeded our expectations,” say the Dubés. “Our hopes and prayers for each and every person who comes to the centre is that they find the peace, solace and healing that their lives require.”

Most recently, the Leslie and Irene Dubé Foundation Intensive Care Unit was named to recognize the Foundation's generous $500,000 donation that brought home the $2.5 million Royal Vital Care Campaign in 2011 that replaced 96 vital sign monitors in the ICU."

Les and Irene Dubé donate $6.5 million to Children’s Hospital Foundation

"The gift was announced Oct. 7 at a thanksgiving celebration honouring children’s hospital supporters and kicking off a $25 million fund-raising campaign.

The Children’s Hospital Foundation of Saskatchewan said the donation will be designated to the creation of the Leslie and Irene Dubé Centre of Care for Children, a main core area in the new children’s hospital.

“By the grace of God, we are able to pour out our love on all our children. When we wake up in the morning we have two choices; go back to sleep and dream or get up and chase those dreams,” said Leslie and Irene Dubé.(Emphasis mine)"

I don't know if the Dubes don't pay taxes, but if their substantial donations don't net them a tax break, they sure do net us taxpayers with something worth a helluvalot.

Now, for something about that 47% that Romney talked about:

Tax Policy Center analysis details the '47 percent'

"GOP presidential nominee Mitt Romney’s comment that 47 percent of voters pay no income tax appears to come from a study by the nonpartisan Tax Policy Center.

The most recent study by the Center, in 2011, found that 46 percent of taxpayers would not be eligible to pay the federal individual income tax either because of their low income or owing to specific tax breaks.

But in 2009, it estimated that threshold was set at 47 percent. Of that group, roughly half will not pay taxes because their income is below $26,400.

In 2011, a family with two children making less than $26,400 will pay no federal income tax, the center said. Such a family would get the $11,600 standard deduction, as well as four exemptions of $3,700 each that would reduce its taxable income to zero."

[---]

"About three-quarters of the remaining people who do not pay income tax are either senior citizens or low-income working families with children who are eligible for specific tax breaks. These taxpayers get breaks excluding some Social Security benefits from being counted as taxable income, as well as targeted tax credits and deductions for the elderly and children.

The Center determined that a family of four could make up to $45,775 and still not have to pay income tax because its tax liability would be erased by a $2,000 child tax credit and $57 from the Earned Income Tax Credit.

All told, households with an income of less than $50,000 make up nearly 90 percent of those households that do not pay federal income tax."

[---]

"“Relatively few” households making more than $100,000 don’t pay income taxes, but there are some, according to the center. These households benefit from other deductions and reduced tax rates on capital gains and dividends, according to the Tax Policy Center.

While in 2011 the center found 46 percent paid no income taxes, the center notes that many of these people did pay federal payroll taxes as well as local sales and property taxes."

But don't let facts get in the way of a good old fashioned leftard hatefest.

Harumph!!

Puerto Rico votes to become 51st state.

I'm sorry. You'll just have to become the 52nd.



They've even made a very stupid movie about it, too.

"Helmut"?

That's a German name! What was he doing in France???

Bummer!

Best we can hope for is The One will approve the Keystone XL fairly quickly, so as not to damage the Dems hopes for the next cycle. Employed people will be happier with the status quo. And Putin is happy. We already know, the Mullah's are down with this. What more could we want?

Isn't This Interesting...

...and scary:

India will get Canadian uranium — again

"Canadian uranium will once again be used to power Indian nuclear reactors, leaders of the two countries announced here Tuesday.

Canada had banned sales of uranium and nuclear technology to India after India used Canadian nuclear know-how to build its atomic bomb in 1974.

The revelation that Canadian technology helped give India the bomb prompted Canada to suspend all nuclear programs with India, including a ban on uranium sales. India's nuclear betrayal also chilled broader Canada-India relations for decades.

But for Canada, all is now forgiven."

[---]

"A key sticking point for Canada was ensuring that it would be able to keep track of any uranium shipped to India. Canada does not want its uranium or technology ending up, for example, in the hands of Iran via India.

Canada will rely on audits by the International Atomic Energy Agency to be certain India is using Canadian materials and technology safely."

Especially in the light of this:

Is Pakistan's Paranoia Pushing it Into a Nuclear War with India?

"The possibility of a nuclear war between Pakistan and India grows every day. If the Pakistanis do not bring under control the terrorist groups in the country and resolve the conflicts with India, it is not a matter of if it will happen, but when.

There have been few achievements to celebrate in the sixty-five year history of Pakistan and that has made the success of the nuclear program central to the national identity. This is especially true for the military that receives a quarter of the budget and is the only strong national institution.

Development of the weapons started in January of 1972 by Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto, when he was the Minister for Fuel, Power and Natural Resources. The decision to go nuclear came after a disastrous military defeat in 1971 by India. Bangladesh with Indian assistance separated from Pakistan.

Without its eastern territory, Pakistan was facing an enemy six times larger. The only way to deal with such a threat was to acquire an equalizer."

[---]

"India joined the nuclear club in 1974. Pakistan followed in 1998 and became the only Moslem nuclear power with what became known as the “Islamic Bomb;” and that made it a leader in the Islamic world community.

The Pakistan high command believed that the U.S. does not want a Moslem country to possess nuclear weapons and will at some time in the future attempt to seize or destroy its arsenal. Since September of 2001, much of the American military action has been directed towards Moslem states. As the sole nuclear Islamic country, that convinces the Pakistanis that they too will be targeted.

Washington worries that Pakistan with a number of terrorist organizations supported by the Inter-Service Intelligence is the one place where terrorists would be the most likely to acquire a nuclear weapon or nuclear materials."

[---]

"Should there be another deadly attack by a Pakistan based terrorist organization, especially if it involves a stolen nuclear warhead, the Indians will not hesitate to retaliate. This time, the Indian army will encounter nuclear weapons in the field. Then, Delhi that has no tactical nuclear weapons will have to decide if a strategic response is to be used. The survival of South Asia and far beyond will be depending on that decision."

(Long, but highly worth reading.)

Harper has been focusing a lot of his government's attention on sub-continental Asian countries, and although the issue of oil sales to these emerging tigers has been front and centre, I've also thought there may be one of Harper's famous "hidden" agendas at play, too - namely, shuffling the diplomatic deck so as to isolate Iran, and I suppose, Pakistan, too.

Then there's this.

Proud Grandson

As his mommy says: "First pee in the potty. Got daddy off the couch to put him on the potty."



I know. I know. Grandmothers are easily amused.

Today's Laugh

...Brought to you by a commenter on the National Post:

Readers show little interest in Sandy — but lots in Trudeau

"“With the many days of electrical outages up and down the U.S. coast, next July could bring an unprecedented spike in the birthrate,” wrote Marvin Sharpe. “And I suspect that at least 20% of these ‘storm babies,’ whether male or female, will be named Sandy.”"

Next July. Something to look forward to, regardless.

Not Much To...

...blog about this morning. The lamestream media must be feeling the same way, 'cause they seem to be in a big tizzy about this:

RCMP ship in armoured vehicles for Prime Minister’s India visit

New security protocol for Harper in India raises questions

RCMP shipped armour-clad cars from Canada for Harper's India trip

Harper's motorcade in India includes two Canadian armoured vehicles

Wait 'till tomorrow, though.

I Told Snoopy I Would

...steal this. And I did!

Oh, Those Nasty Brits...

I'm reading a book about the continent-wide small pox epidemic that took place between 1775 and 1782. Apparently the Brits did their level best to spread the disease among the colonials who were rebelling. The book is entitled Pox Americana by Elizabeth Fenn.

Here's a quote from page 132 (emphasis mine):

"Three years before Yorktown, a book written by a British officer in New York had explicitly  suggested that His Majesty's forces should propagate smallpox among the Americans. "Dip arrows in matter of smallpox," wrote Robert Donkin, "and twang them at the American rebels, in order to inoculate them; This would sooner disband those stubborn, ignorant, enthusiastic savages, than any other compulsive measures...."

LOL!!

No matter though. All's been forgiven. Water. Bridge. And all that.

Well, I thought it was funny.

Cruelty To Children

This has to stop!!!

Sometimes Headlines...

...just say too damn much. BWHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!

Mr.  Wiener must be less endowed than most.

HT Asher Abrams on Facebook.  (Gives a whole new meaning to Facebook, too!)

Medical Marijuana And Other Pipe Dreams

I was just listening to the Roy Green Show. He was interviewing Jodie Emery, the wife of Marc Emery, the "champion" of legalizing weed and making it a controlled substance, just as alcohol is. I am opposed to its legalization and here's why:

1) The legalization of alcohol has not stopped bootlegging. People old enough to buy it still sell it to under-aged people. There is no reason to expect the same will not happen with marijuana.

2) Nor has legalization and control of alcohol stopped alcohol addiction.

3) Marijuana can be, and is, laced with all sorts of other more nasty stuff that can do great harm to users, and lead, ultimately to addictions of one sort or another, not to mention possible lung disease.

In this debate, why is no one talking about that? Well, I know why the Emorys won't talk about it, but why is no one else talking about it?

BWHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!

Either one works well for the rest of us:

NDP split on entering Quebec politics or focusing on Harper

Hah!! It Works!!

Shoppers Drug Mart cans the Christmas music, temporarily

"Customers who walk into Shoppers Drug Mart stores across Canada this weekend will no longer hear the faint strains of Christmas music -- at least for now.

The pharmacy chain announced in a message on its Facebook page that it was suspending the playing of Christmas music in its stores ‘until further notice.”

That came after a barrage of complaints from customers who said the chain had begun playing the tunes entirely too soon."

This is how and why free enterprise works. Now, if we could just get the same response from the CBC. Of course, that won't happen until or unless it is privatized.

You Might Just Notice...

..that this man has brown skin and comes from that most raaaacist province and city in the country - Calgary, Alberta:

In India, Harper shores up political gains back home

"Twenty three years ago, Devinder Shory left India for what he thought would be a brighter future in Canada.

He couldn't possibly have known how bright it would be."

[---]

"On Sunday, Shory - now the representative of the 150,000 good people of Calgary Northeast in the House of Commons - returned to India for the second time in the company of his adopted country's prime minister."

[---]

"Shory was born and grew up in the northwestern Indian province of Punjab near Chandigarh, a city Harper will visit later in the week. He came to Canada when his parents arranged for him to marry a bride - Neetu - in Montreal.

"The only thing I knew (about Canada) is that it's a good country, a peaceful country," Shory said.

In India, Shory had been a lawyer but his legal credentials were not recognized in Canada.

He and Neetu started their lives together in Montreal before moving to B.C. and finally to Calgary.

Shory worked hard, saved some money, and invested in the B.C. housing market. Then the market crashed. Shory lost it all.

He and Neetu picked themselves up and, while raising a young family, Shory ran a video store, drove a cab, unloaded linen trucks in a warehouse, all the while studying Canada's legal system so he could become a lawyer here, something he finally achieved in 1998, nearly a decade after his arrival."

[---]

"Jason Kenney, now immigration minister, became the party's point man in Canada's cultural communities, earning the nickname Minister Curry-in-a-Hurry.

Conservative outreach efforts took time to take hold but are now paying off with electoral success.

Conservatives now hold some of Canada's most ethnically diverse ridings in Calgary, in the suburban ring around Toronto and in Vancouver."

Unless, of course, you're a leftard, in which case you're programmed to utter the word "raaaaacist" every five minutes.

RTWT

Back On The Road To Damascus

Syria opposition groups hold crucial Qatar meeting

"Syrian opposition groups have gathered in the Qatari capital, Doha, for a key meeting on how to form a more united front against President Assad.

The meeting could lead to a replacement body for the Syrian National Council (SNC), the main opposition in exile.

Rebel forces in Syria have criticised the SNC as out of touch, and the opposition is also split ideologically."

[---]

"Divisions have arisen not just between those in Syria and opposition figures abroad, but also between Islamist and secularist groups.

A previous opposition meeting in Cairo in July accepted that the Assad government must fall but failed to appoint a committee to act for the opposition internationally.

Representatives at Doha will include various other religious and secular groupings, plus Kurdish figures and dissident members of Mr Assad's Alawite sect."

Syria conflict: Rebels may have committed war crime - UN

I gotta ask. Would that be the Organization of Islamic Conference section of the UN?

"The footage shows gunmen beating and shooting a group of prisoners who were cowering on the floor.

It has been alleged that Islamist militants carried out the attack after seizing army checkpoints on Thursday."

Emphasis mine, throughout. RTWT.

This "Arab Spring" is looking more and more like the French Revolution, complete with the Reign of Terror. I wonder if they will replace their Arab Nationalist dictator/king with an Arab version of an emperor, bent on creating a dynasty.

So Which Is It?

UPDATED AND BUMPED: Well, that lasted long:

"Palestinian president tells Al-Hayyat that his comments on not returning to live on land that is now Israel reflect his own stance, not policy; Netanyahu: Abbas has already taken back his words."

Doublespeak, as usual.
==================================
Is this the Pals inching ever so slowly toward peace with Israel or is it just the Pals engaging in a power struggle:

Abbas: There is no justification for Gaza rocket attacks

This has been going on since before I was born. I'll believe it when I see it. The Pals have passed up so many chances for peace, I couldn't begin to count them.

BWHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!

Should the legal drinking age be lowered to 18?

"A resolution to lower the legal drinking age to 18 in Saskatchewan was passed at the SaskParty's convention Saturday. Members of the SaskParty youth came out en mass at the convention to support the resolution." (Emphasis mine)

Related: Supreme Court upholds guts of drunk driving law

And Now For Something...

...light-hearted and funny:

My brother had some Bill Cosby records when we were kids and "Chicken Heart" was on one of them. BaBump! BaBump! BaBump! BaBump! BaBump!





And then there was chocolate cake:

AARRRRRRGGGHHHH!

Being a milk freak, and having run out of milk a couple of days ago, I just had to go out onto the freakin' wintery streets and downtown to the grocery store. I can't believe how much snow there is on the ground!! And it's still falling!!!! 'sposed to warm up and quit snowing in a few days, but I'm sure that will just make the streets icy.

Global warming, where are you?

You Just Never Know...

...what science is gonna dig up. Take this, for example:

Ostrich penis clears up evolutionary mystery

"...there seems to be a strong correlation between genital size and bird mating habits. Emus, for example, pair bond, and the males have small penises. Rheas, on the other hand, have much larger phalluses and are promiscuous."

[---]

"“Darwin and others said that penises were primary sexual traits, meaning they’re essential for reproduction. But the birds say they’re not,” notes Montgomerie. Instead, he says, the penis may be a secondary sexual trait, helpful for stimulating the female, signalling reproductive fitness and even an aspect of competition among males — but not indispensable." (Emphasis mine)

Hmmmm. I think I'll stop there. But I beg to differ.

LMAO!!

 Taken from Michael Yon's Facebook page:

"A MESSAGE FROM THE QUEEN


To the citizens of the United States of America from Her Sovereign Majesty Queen Elizabeth II

In light of your failure in recent years to nominate competent candidates for President of the USA and thus to govern yourselves, we hereby give notice of the revocation of your independence, effective immediately. (You should look up 'revocation' in the Oxford English Dictionary.)

Her Sovereign Majesty Queen Elizabeth II will resume monarchical duties over all states, commonwealths, and territories (except North Dakota, which she does not fancy).

Your new Prime Minister, David Cameron, will appoint a Governor for America without the need for further elections.

Congress and the Senate will be disbanded. A questionnaire may be circulated next year to determine whether any of you noticed.

To aid in the transition to a British Crown dependency, the following rules are introduced with immediate effect:

-----------------------

1. The letter 'U' will be reinstated in words such as 'colour,' 'favour,' 'labour' and 'neighbour.' Likewise, you will learn to spell 'doughnut' without skipping half the letters, and the suffix '-ize' will be replaced by the suffix '-ise.' Generally, you will be expected to raise your vocabulary to acceptable levels. (look up 'vocabulary').

------------------------

2. Using the same twenty-seven words interspersed with filler noises such as ''like' and 'you know' is an unacceptable and inefficient form of communication. There is no such thing as U.S. English. We will let Microsoft know on your behalf. The Microsoft spell-checker will be adjusted to take into account the reinstated letter 'u'' and the elimination of '-ize.'

-------------------

3. July 4th will no longer be celebrated as a holiday.

-----------------

4. You will learn to resolve personal issues without using guns, lawyers, or therapists. The fact that you need so many lawyers and therapists shows that you're not quite ready to be independent. Guns should only be used for shooting grouse. If you can't sort things out without suing someone or speaking to a therapist, then you're not ready to shoot grouse.

----------------------

5. Therefore, you will no longer be allowed to own or carry anything more dangerous than a vegetable peeler. Although a permit will be required if you wish to carry a vegetable peeler in public.

----------------------

6. All intersections will be replaced with roundabouts, and you will start driving on the left side with immediate effect. At the same time, you will go metric with immediate effect and without the benefit of conversion tables. Both roundabouts and metrication will help you understand the British sense of humour.

--------------------

7. The former USA will adopt UK prices on petrol (which you have been calling gasoline) of roughly $10/US gallon. Get used to it.

-------------------

8. You will learn to make real chips. Those things you call French fries are not real chips, and those things you insist on calling potato chips are properly called crisps. Real chips are thick cut, fried in animal fat, and dressed not with catsup but with vinegar.

-------------------

9. The cold, tasteless stuff you insist on calling beer is not actually beer at all. Henceforth, only proper British Bitter will be referred to as beer, and European brews of known and accepted provenance will be referred to as Lager. South African beer is also acceptable, as they are pound for pound the greatest sporting nation on earth and it can only be due to the beer. They are also part of the British Commonwealth - see what it did for them. American brands will be referred to as Near-Frozen Gnat's Urine, so that all can be sold without risk of further confusion.

---------------------

10. Hollywood will be required occasionally to cast English actors as good guys. Hollywood will also be required to cast English actors to play English characters. Watching Andie Macdowell attempt English dialect in Four Weddings and a Funeral was an experience akin to having one's ears removed with a cheese grater.

---------------------

11. You will cease playing American football. There is only one kind of proper football; you call it soccer. Those of you brave enough will, in time, be allowed to play rugby (which has some similarities to American football, but does not involve stopping for a rest every twenty seconds or wearing full kevlar body armour like a bunch of nancies).

---------------------

12. Further, you will stop playing baseball. It is not reasonable to host an event called the World Series for a game which is not played outside of America. Since only 2.1% of you are aware there is a world beyond your borders, your error is understandable. You will learn cricket, and we will let you face the South Africans first to take the sting out of their deliveries.

--------------------

13.. You must tell us who killed JFK. It's been driving us mad.

-----------------

14. An internal revenue agent (i.e. tax collector) from Her Majesty's Government will be with you shortly to ensure the acquisition of all monies due (backdated to 1776).

---------------

15. Daily Tea Time begins promptly at 4 p.m. with proper cups, with saucers, and never mugs, with high quality biscuits (cookies) and cakes; plus strawberries (with cream) when in season.

God Save the Queen!

PS: Only share this with friends who have a good sense of humour (NOT humor)!"




Not to worry, Yanks. When Chucky-Pooh climbs up onto the big chair, you can take it back again. He won't even notice.

Back To Denmark..

..they of Mohammed Cartoons fame aren't getting mad, they're getting even (emphasis mine, throughout):

Something's Rotten in Denmark Schools

"Now, Sonsby, by all indications, is no ordinary school principal. According to Poul Erik Anderson – upon whose intensive coverage of this story, beginning with an October 18 article in Den Korte Avis, the present account is largely based – Sonsby has been named the best school principal in all of Denmark. She is the head of the Odense principals’ organization. She was recently selected over 353 other nominees for a leadership award presented by the city of Odense. And she has been officially commended for running a school in which students and teachers alike feel welcome. But on that day when those five or six kids were sent to her office to be disciplined, she was unable to do anything with them. When she tried to talk to them, they laughed in her face. Eventually she lost her temper. And she said something that she shouldn’t have: “I’m so damn tired of you Muslims destroying education!”"

[---]

"After Mansoor’s accusation was reported, some people close to the situation defended Sonsby, testifying to her good qualities while acknowledging that she’d crossed a line. Others were quick to label her a racist and call for her head. Yet when you get right down to it, the only thing she’s guilty of, aside from using what may or may not be considered profanity, is voicing a forbidden truth.

The facts are these. For many years, the number of Muslim students in Danish schools has been steadily rising – and, as it has risen, the quality of everyday school life in Denmark has steadily eroded. In some schools, such as Ejerlykkeskolen, students with foreign backgrounds (the great majority of them Muslim) now outnumber native Danes – and the consequence of this has been a far higher level of disorder. Everyone in Denmark knows this."

[---]

"Danish parents have pulled their kids out of certain public schools – and placed them in other public schools or in private schools – precisely because they don’t want to put them through what is increasingly becoming a nightmare. Andersen notes that when the municipality of Copenhagen redrew some of its school districts recently in order to place more kids from well-off Danish families in Blågård Skole, which is two-thirds non-Danish, the parents of no fewer than 45 percent of those kids pulled them out of the public school system and put them in private schools.

In short, to suggest that Muslims have destroyed – or ruined, or damaged – education in many Danish schools is only to state a fact.

On October 24, Andersen reported that in the wake of the charges against Sonsby, the head of her school board, Peter Julius, had written an op-ed for a local paper in which he spoke out against what he called the “tyranny of silence” surrounding the terrorizing of teachers and students in many schools by “maladjusted and ill-mannered bilingual students.” (“Bilingual students,” by the way, has become the Danish euphemism of choice for “Muslim students.”) These kids, Julius wrote, lack “the norms and values needed to succeed in a regular Danish school.” They call their teachers “whores” (ludere), harass and threaten them, and make routine accusations of racism (when, for example, a teacher tells them “to take their feet down from a sofa or a table”).Danish parents have pulled their kids out of certain public schools – and placed them in other public schools or in private schools – precisely because they don’t want to put them through what is increasingly becoming a nightmare. Andersen notes that when the municipality of Copenhagen redrew some of its school districts recently in order to place more kids from well-off Danish families in Blågård Skole, which is two-thirds non-Danish, the parents of no fewer than 45 percent of those kids pulled them out of the public school system and put them in private schools."

The old raaaaacism card should sound very familiar to those of us who live in Canuckistan.

RTWT

Just Think

Some of my ancestors might have lived there.

Archaeologists dig up oldest town in Europe; Settlement from fifth century B.C. unearthed near salt deposits in Bulgaria

Family lore has it that there is some Dutch somewhere in my genetic history, folks who crossed the Channel at the time of William and Mary. The known family tree only goes back to the 1700s (and includes some drunken sot who was murdered on the way home from the pub one night).

I am also supposed to be related to the dude who found Dr. Livingston.

PS: Apparently Stanley was a bastard, too. I didn't know that. Skeletons in the closet.

I'm A Dog

Mutts for Mozart: Study finds dogs dig classical, are stressed by metal

Especially the "stressed by metal" part.