Saturday, August 31, 2013

Oh Canada!

2 Canadian warships collide en route to Hawaii

I'll bet you there's a lot of Canadian WWII naval men rolling in their graves.

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Weed And What We Don't Hear About It

UPPERDATED AND BUMPED AGAIN:

I'll bet you even Cheech and Chong couldn't have thought of this.

Possible marijuana link to massive California wildfire
"Investigators probing the massive wildfire in Yosemite National Park are looking into whether an illegal marijuana farm may have triggered the blaze, US media reports said on Saturday."
UPDATED AND BUMPED:

Marijuana more risky for teens than previously thought
"Researchers from the Université de Montréal and New York's Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai Hospital conducted a review of 120 studies examining cannabis and teenage brain development, and concluded there is strong evidence early cannabis use puts some teens at risk of developing addiction and mental health problems as adults."
Addictions? But, but, but. We all know it's not a gateway to the harder stuff.
=========ORIGINAL POST STARTS HERE==========

Canadian headlines over the past few days are all about Baby Trudeau and his admission about smoking the stuff. Did he or did he not inhale? Who knows? Who cares?

Anyway, the news sent me searching for info about it. I am opposed to legalizing or even decriminalizing it. If the solution to a problems creates just as many problems as it solves, then why do it. Think twice before you jump.

This is some of the stuff I've found:

Not So Fast
"Legalization advocates — those who propose totally eliminating the prohibition of marijuana — pose some convincing arguments, but they willfully ignore or disguise several established scientific facts. Marijuana may be less harmful than other drugs, but it is far from harmless. The research clearly indicates that marijuana is not only addictive (approximately 1 out of 6 youths who smoke marijuana will develop a dependence) but that the dangers of marijuana are, in fact, far more pronounced in young people than in adults. Marijuana is unquestionably a gateway to other, more dangerous drug use and, unsurprisingly, recent studies show regular users of marijuana may suffer a significant and permanent drop in IQ. The other health risks attached to smoked marijuana (e.g. stroke, cancer, psychosis) are suggested by early research but still unknown."
[---]
"The use of tobacco became socially popular after the Civil War. For a hundred years it was widely used and thought to be harmless. Eventually, as tobacco companies came to know more about the addictive properties of nicotine than the public did, they not only withheld the information, they used it to direct their marketing efforts at young people because the sooner they got us addicted, the longer we’d be a paying customer."
[---]
"For the last 45 years we’ve been trying to curb the use of tobacco, arguably our No. 1 public health threat. Is there a lesson to be learned from this? It would seem so. While it may make sense to intelligently decriminalize the use of marijuana, a legitimate case for full legalization has yet to be made. Introducing another likely “legal” threat to public health — especially the health of our youth — is misguided, premature and ill-advised. The NCADA endorses the SAM (Smart Approach to Marijuana) Project proposed by Patrick Kennedy; read it at learnaboutsam.com. Let’s better understand the evidence of harm, achieve a balanced policy in terms of law enforcement, educate the public and, if possible, develop safe and regulated, FDA-approved medications from the active ingredients of cannabis. Ultimately, let’s have science weigh in on this before we make another mistake that haunts us for the next hundred years."
Keeping the green market black: a pot-smoker’s case against legalizing weed

This one is from a lunatic, pot-smoking lefty, as you can tell by the language he uses. You know, the kind that usually advocates decriminalization:
"Now, don’t get me wrong. I’m not a Christian, I’m not a Republican, not your boring white dad, and I definitely didn’t believe everything “Reefer Madness” told me about getting high. But if nationwide marijuana legalization were up for vote any time soon, I would have to check the box marked “no.”"
[---]
"There are many issues in this debate routinely overlooked my fellow smokers, which if brought to light might change your opinion about Uncle Sam giving us the big OK-GO. Legalization (of anything, not just marijuana), while packaged as this freeing and wonderful golden egg to be snatched up after beating the boss at the end of level IV, is really a big set of rules designed to direct funds from one account to another in the interest of legislators, politicians, and the corporations that fund them. Big Marijuana, as an extension of Big Tobacco, will absolutely employ the same tactics that is has for years with cigarettes including (but not limited to) the heinous use of addiction-enhancing additives and artificial flavorings, co-opting of smoking culture, manipulation of the legal system and FDA guidelines for further financial gain, and the manipulation of “controlled” lab testing to fight the annoying and inevitable hell that will rain down on them from the Christian Right if this bill ever goes through."
[---]
"There are many issues in this debate routinely overlooked my fellow smokers, which if brought to light might change your opinion about Uncle Sam giving us the big OK-GO. Legalization (of anything, not just marijuana), while packaged as this freeing and wonderful golden egg to be snatched up after beating the boss at the end of level IV, is really a big set of rules designed to direct funds from one account to another in the interest of legislators, politicians, and the corporations that fund them. Big Marijuana, as an extension of Big Tobacco, will absolutely employ the same tactics that is has for years with cigarettes including (but not limited to) the heinous use of addiction-enhancing additives and artificial flavorings, co-opting of smoking culture, manipulation of the legal system and FDA guidelines for further financial gain, and the manipulation of “controlled” lab testing to fight the annoying and inevitable hell that will rain down on them from the Christian Right if this bill ever goes through."
"In 1994, a list of 599 additives, created by five major American cigarette companies, was approved by the Department of Health and Human Services for use in mainstream tobacco production. Under the guise of organoleptic use, or to appeal to the senses, these additives range from harmless (acetic acid, almond bitter oil), to downright villainous (skatole, thymol, dimethyl sulfide) and all increase the addictive properties of an already addicting plant. Marijuana, also arguably addictive because of its naturally occurring Tetrahydrocannabinol, does not need any additional dependency causing qualities, in my humble opinion, and as a purist I prefer to obtain the cleanest marijuana possible anyway. While this isn’t always possible on the black market (some growers use toxic pesticides, or have the nerve to lace their product), it is much less of a risk than it would be if Phillip Morris started dipping his filthy hands into the pot."
[---]
"Now, you may be thinking, “So? Who says I have to buy a pack of Marlboro Marleys? Can’t I just keep getting it from the dude who lives on the 2nd floor of my apartment building?” Maybe. After all, the black market will never be completely stamped out. But the truth of the matter is that legalization of marijuana will translate into harsher penalties for independent marijuana growers and distributors because they will be viewed as “taking money out of Big Marijuana’s pocket.” Lobbyists for Big Tobacco will push for stricter legislation to protect their industry and crackdowns on even small-time dealers will ensue. For every grower or dealer that is caught and used as an example by the courts to his colleagues, you can count on 2-5 more quitting the business out of fear. Of course, this isn’t even taking into consideration how many of them will give up because their business will slow too much to be sustainable now that their clientele can buy legally and conveniently by simply walking down to the corner store. Finally, marijuana “culture”—I’ll be the first to say, it fucking sucks. I don’t like tie-dye, I don’t think the 7-pointed leaf makes for a good logo, hemp should only be used to make paper, and please cut your fucking hair. But even still, it’s a culture that has been developing organically for decades. Can you even begin to imagine what will happen to it when the creative directors who used a cartoon camel wearing sunglasses to sell cigarettes to children get their hands on it?"
Former White House Drug Czar Barry McCaffrey Lays Out Case Against Legalizing Marijuana as California Prepares to Vote
  • 6.7% of 12- to 17-year-olds and 16.5% of 18- to 25-year-olds reported past month use of marijuana. 42.6% of twelfth graders reported lifetime use.
  • According to HHS, the younger children are when they first use marijuana, the more they are likely to use cocaine and heroin and become dependent on drugs as adults.
  • Detrimental health effects include respiratory illnesses, problems with learning and memory, increased heart rate, and impaired coordination. Chronic marijuana use is associated with anxiety, depression, suicidal ideas, and schizophrenia.
  • Cancer of the respiratory tract and lungs may also be promoted by marijuana smoke, which contains 50 to 70 percent more carcinogenic hydrocarbons than tobacco smoke.
  • HHS Drug Abuse Warning Network (DAWN) data indicate marijuana is involved in nearly 300,000 Emergency Room visits annually.
  • For treatment facility admissions, marijuana was the primary drug of abuse in some 200,000 cases in 1997 but 300,000 ten years later, in 2007.
  • Inhaled marijuana smoke is not "medical" but dangerous. Marijuana smoke is a crude THC delivery system that also sends harmful substances into the body.
More points at link. 

But, to continue:
"The Institute of Medicine concluded that "marijuana is not a modern medicine."  Medicines should not be approved by popular vote but must undergo rigorous clinical trials and then be approved by FDA. Medical pot has been a stalking horse for the normalization of marijuana use. Law enforcement agencies routinely report that large-scale drug traffickers hide behind and invoke Proposition 215 even when there is no evidence for a medical claim. Medical marijuana already exists as Marinol, a pharmaceutical product widely available through prescription which has been studied and approved by the medical community and FDA. There are no FDA-approved medications that are smoked."
 Legalizing Marijuana: Why Citizens Should Just Say No
"The scientific literature is clear that marijuana is addictive and that its use significantly impairs bodily and mental functions. Marijuana use is associated with memory loss, cancer, immune system deficiencies, heart disease, and birth defects, among other conditions. Even where decriminalized, marijuana trafficking remains a source of violence, crime, and social disintegration."
[---]
"The effects of regular marijuana consumption are quite different. For example, the National Institute on Drug Abuse (a division of the National Institutes of Health) has released studies showing that use of marijuana has wide-ranging negative health effects. Long-term marijuana consumption “impairs the ability of T-cells in the lungs’ immune system to fight off some infections.” These studies have also found that marijuana consumption impairs short-term memory, making it difficult to learn and retain information or perform complex tasks; slows reaction time and impairs motor coordination; increases heart rate by 20 percent to 100 percent, thus elevating the risk of heart attack; and alters moods, resulting in artificial euphoria, calmness, or (in high doses) anxiety or paranoia. And it gets worse: Marijuana has toxic properties that can result in birth defects, pain, respiratory system damage, brain damage, and stroke. Further, prolonged use of marijuana may cause cognitive degradation and is “associated with lower test scores and lower educational attainment because during periods of intoxication the drug affects the ability to learn and process information, thus influencing attention, concentration, and short-term memory.” Unlike alcohol, marijuana has been shown to have a residual effect on cognitive ability that persists beyond the period of intoxication. According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, whereas alcohol is broken down relatively quickly in the human body, THC (tetrahydrocannabinol, the main active chemical in marijuana) is stored in organs and fatty tissues, allowing it to remain in a user’s body for days or even weeks after consumption.[16] Research has shown that marijuana consumption may also cause “psychotic symptoms.” Marijuana’s effects on the body are profound. According to the British Lung Foundation, “smoking three or four marijuana joints is as bad for your lungs as smoking twenty tobacco cigarettes.” Researchers in Canada found that marijuana smoke contains significantly higher levels of numerous toxic compounds, like ammonia and hydrogen cyanide, than regular tobacco smoke. In fact, the study determined that ammonia was found in marijuana smoke at levels of up to 20 times the levels found in tobacco. Similarly, hydrogen cyanide was found in marijuana smoke at concentrations three to five times greater than those found in tobacco smoke. Marijuana, like tobacco, is addictive. One study found that more than 30 percent of adults who used marijuana in the course of a year were dependent on the drug. These individuals often show signs of withdrawal and compulsive behavior. Marijuana dependence is also responsible for a large proportion of calls to drug abuse help lines and treatment centers. To equate marijuana use with alcohol consumption is, at best, uninformed and, at worst, actively misleading. Only in the most superficial ways are the two substances alike, and they differ in every way that counts: addictiveness, toxicity, health effects, and risk of intoxication."
There's more in that argument than I've quoted here.

Another one: The Case Against Marajuana: A Pathologist's Perspective
"Users frequently report problems with short-term memory, both while using and between uses. Short-term memory is the most fragile brain function, and this spontaneous observation tells me that something real is happening. The mental aftereffects of a pot high are measurable, and are commensurate with the aftereffects of a drunken debauch (Psychopharmacology 115: 340, 1994). The active component of cannabis (tetrahydrocannabinol), when administered for five days or more, is now known to greatly increase the numbers of cannabinoid receptors, and to alter their chemical binding characteristics (Pharm. Bioch. Behav. 51: 731, 1995). We don't know what this means yet, except that it's clear that using cannabis does alter the molecular structure of the brain. Although we don't know what the cannabinoid receptors do for us in health, they must be there for a reason. And smoking cannabis alters them. A marijuana smoker's performance on tests of thinking and coordination is impaired while on the drug (J. Exp. Anal. Behav. 62: 73, 1994; Psych. Res. 51: 115, 1994). Contrary to what you may have heard, it's clear that marijuana smoking does impair a user's ability to drive a car safely (NEJM 332: 892, 1995). The effects of marijuana smoking on the unborn child are unknown. A group of scientists in Madrid has found long-term behavioral damage in rats exposed in the womb to cannabis (Pharm.Bioch. Behav. 47: 47, 1994). This is in keeping with the idea of real damage, albeit milder, in adult users."
And then there's the research about driving while under the influence:  New Study Shows Cannabis Effects On Driving Skills
"Cannabis is second only to alcohol for causing impaired driving and motor vehicle accidents. In 2009, 12.8% of young adults reported driving under the influence of illicit drugs and in the 2007 National Roadside Survey, more drivers tested positive for drugs than for alcohol. These cannabis smokers had a 10-fold increase in car crash injury compared with infrequent or nonusers after adjustment for blood alcohol concentration. In this paper, 30 male chronic daily cannabis smokers resided on a secure research unit for up to 33 days, with daily blood collection. Twenty-seven of 30 participants were THC-positive on admission, with a median (range) concentration of 1.4 µg/L (0.3-6.3). THC decreased gradually with only 1 of 11 participants negative at 26 days; 2 of 5 remained THC-positive (0.3 µg/L) for 30 days. These results demonstrate, for the first time, that cannabinoids can be detected in blood of chronic daily cannabis smokers during a month of sustained abstinence. This is consistent with the time course of persisting neurocognitive impairment reported in recent studies and suggests that establishment of 'per se' THC legislation might achieve a reduction in motor vehicle injuries and deaths. This same type of 'per se' alcohol legislation improved prosecution of drunk drivers and dramatically reduced alcohol-related deaths."
Do you suppose any of that would dissuade Baby Trudeau and his groupies.  Nah. I didn't think so either.

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Friday, August 30, 2013

What Is This?

Hypocrisy, Thy Name Is..

...the Liberal Party of Canada. I just got this in my inbox from the Conservative Party of Canada
"On Thursday, Prime Minister Stephen Harper announced our Conservative Government’s plan to introduce comprehensive legislation to help better protect children from dangerous sexual predators.

Since 2006, our Conservative Government has introduced a broad range of actions to better protect Canadian communities from sexual offenders who target children. This fall, we will build on that strong record by introducing new legislative amendments to further protect our children.

These new amendments include:

increasing penalties for criminals who commit sexual acts against children
ending sentence discounts for multiple child sexual offences

Through these new amendments, our Conservative Government is delivering on its commitment to hold dangerous criminals accountable and enhance the rights of victims.

Unsurprisingly, Justin Trudeau and his Liberals have already said they oppose tougher mandatory prison sentences for child predators.

Trudeau’s lead soft-on-crime spokesman Sean Casey says the Liberals oppose tougher mandatory prison sentences for sexual predators who prey on children because he’s worried about overcrowding in our jails."(Emphasis mine)
Remember when Vic Toews was in hot water from Libs and other lefties for wanting to expand and renovate Canada's prisons. The libs and other lefties were all over him because the "crime rate is falling" and we don't need more prison space, you know. And now they are crying about 'overcrowding in our jails'. Would it be dirty politics to say that the Libs support child abusers? What's good for the goose...







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Thursday, August 29, 2013

Holy Crap!!

I don't know whether I like this or not, but on Google.ca there's a bunch of birthday cakes and when I drag my mouse over the image it says; "Happy Birthday Louise!"

They're out there. DO, DO, DO, DO, DO, DO, DO! Screech! Screech!

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Wednesday, August 28, 2013

Justice!

Fort Hood Gunman Sentenced to Death

Now, if we could just get our Canadian justice system to do something with this guy.

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You Win Some...

Attawapiskat First Nation Chief Theresa Spence re-elected to second 3-year term

I wonder what a vote costs in Attawapiskat?

Oh well, there's more than one way to skin that cat.
"The election went ahead Tuesday despite a call from The Congress of Aboriginal Peoples to postpone it until all members living off-reserve had a chance to vote.

The group, which represents aboriginal people living off-reserve, said it's unfair to people who live outside the remote community to have to vote in person.

Despite the complaint, voting went ahead."
[---]
"According to Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development Canada, the Attawapiskat First Nation has a total registered population of 3,472. Of that, 1,489 people -- or about 43 per cent -- live off-reserve."

Evidence for new periodic table element boosted

Giant deer, mammoth skeleton found in Italy

...You lose some:

Syria crisis: UK to put forward UN resolution
"Mr Cameron gathered the UK's armed forces and security chiefs with key cabinet ministers for emergency talks over possible military action, ahead of UN Security Council meeting."
Fat lotta good that will do.

[---]
"Russia and China have previously vetoed resolutions critical of Syria and may block any text deemed to approve military action."
See what I mean.

Die-off of bottlenose dolphins, linked to virus, is worst in 25 years

And nary a mention of global warming, too!!!!

Prehistoric giant fish could grow more than 16 metres long

Think of the fishing stories that could have been told!

Where have all the monarch butterflies gone?

I had lots of them flying around my front steps last summer, but, come to think of it, none this summer. Maybe they went to way of those Italian deer and mammoths or those big fish.

Some are just plain interesting:

Sask woman says her family farm was a front for Al Capone

And some are same old, same old:

Iraq braces for Syria strike fallout as deadly attacks kill scores



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Tuesday, August 27, 2013

Whoopie!!

Just got news today that I'm gonna be a grandma again!! This kid will be number 5.

#5 is scheduled to put in an appearance on April 26th.

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Monday, August 26, 2013

More Cool Stuff

Ostrich-egg globe showing Newfoundland hailed as ‘oldest’ New World orb
"...a crude depiction of the “New World” as it was understood just a few years after the discovery voyages of Christopher Columbus, John Cabot and others — is the earliest image of Newfoundland or any other part of Canada on any surviving globe in the world."





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Duh!

Death of child on Sask. reserve ruled homicide

I hope we haven't got another Tamra Keepness on our hands here.

PS: I just remembered a joke told to me by a couple of aboriginal people on a reserve where I taught school years and years ago:

Question: "What do you call an abortion clinic on a reserve?"

Answer: "Crime prevention."

Hey. Don't blame me. It wasn't my joke.

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Gotta Love It

I have news.google.ca set up as my home page.

This morning, from the "settled science" file, comes these two, right next together.


Global Warming is Cooking the Planet Now – Not in Some Far-Off Future



Has global warming hit a plateau


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Sunday, August 25, 2013

Who's Right?



There are many pessimists out there, but I'm not one of them. I like what Heggy says (jokingly) about the French Revolution. That's my view, exactly. It's gonna be a rough ride but they are headed toward democracy.

And Syria:


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Big Deal

As much as I like the Conservative government and John Baird, what makes the author of this piece think the Pals are interested in peace? They've been at war fighting a lost cause for almost 65 years, or more, depending on what events you want to include.

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Like Mother, Like Daughter

A Proud Nation Ponders How to Halt Its Slow Decline
"...Europe is talking about “the French question”: can the Socialist government of President François Hollande pull France out of its slow decline and prevent it from slipping permanently into Europe’s second tier?"
France’s Glorious Malaise
"It seems this is a time of French malaise, moroseness and melancholy. I have been reading a lot about the existential anguish of France, a directionless nation under a featureless president. There are even fears for the Fifth Republic."
Socialism at work. How many times have we heard that France's wealthy are grabbing their money and heading for friendlier climbs - like across the channel.

The Decline of Corporate Montreal
"Over the years, Quebec has earned a reputation as being hostile to business due to persistent anti-business policies. As a consequence, Montreal has declined as a hub for major corporate headquarters. With a lower concentration of large corporate headquarters, the city loses out on many economic benefits.

Cities that host a high concentration of large corporate headquarters have several advantages. The local economy gains from the increased number of high-paying jobs as well as the spin-off benefits of attracting professionals such as lawyers, accountants, and consultants and other services that benefit all businesses."
The only difference is the rest of Canada keeps bailing them out. France doesn't have a big brother.

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Saturday, August 24, 2013

Yawn!

Now we have a class action suit for fulfilling one of the Treaty promises.

And guess who's behind it. Why it's our resident ambulance chaser, that's who.
"It’s the first of several suits Merchant Law Group plans to file across the country in a bid to get compensation for day school students. There were about 250 day schools nationwide — approximately 15 or so of those in this province."
Money! Money! Money!

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Historical Revisionism Or Truth?

One thing for sure, the Indian Industry isn't gonna like this: Was the Buffalo Hunted to Near Extinction?
"“In one short afternoon six hunters at a New York gun club killed 30,000 passenger pigeons.” What a lousy thing to do, I said. Then a light bulb went on. Wait a minute. Thirty thousand in a “short afternoon”? Four hours? That would be 7,500 birds per hour divided by six for 1,250 birds per hour per hunter. The initial shock at the figure momentarily replaced my friend’s usual razor-edge acumen. Market hunting sliced great inroads into passenger pigeon populations. But years later forensics would prove those beautiful birds fell victim to avian disease as well as rampant overshooting."
[---]
"How about 60 million breeding bison “shot off” in the late 1800s? That makes 30,000 passenger pigeons felled to pellets in a single afternoon plausible by comparison. And yet even we hunters have bought into the lie. We even apologize to anti-hunters for our ancestors. It never happened. Buffalo ranged over a vast domain with not a single legitimate road and few trails. The herds covered Nebraska, Wyoming, North and South Dakota, Oregon, Washington—don’t forget Texas-—and the provinces of Alberta and Saskatchewan. How about Montana? Montana alone comprises 147,138 square miles. Wyoming, Idaho, and Oregon combine for 425,590 square miles.

Picture the professional hunter, or “buffalo runner,” as he preferred, on foot or horseback, wagon in tow with two to three skinners. The pros preferred Sharps and Remington Rolling Blocks, some scoped, more iron sighted. Singleshots, not machine guns. And no helicopter gunships. Blackpowder caked the bore, sometimes cleared by a urine flood. How many bison could a skinner skin in one day? A modest-sized cow ran 1,500 pounds on the hoof, her sire going a ton and more. Does the folly begin to take form? Tell a lie often enough, especially in print, and fabrication outruns truth and logic.

This is no whitewash job. The American buffalo (bison) was not shot off, because it could not be rendered extinct by bullets due to incredible numbers, vast and often unreachable habitat, primitive travel methods, and inferior firepower. Capt. William Twining, the surveyor who established the border between Canada and Montana, stood on a hill and watched a migrating herd so large that he could not determine beginning or end. Total bison numbers were beyond comprehension. Respected naturalist Ernest Thompson Seton did his best to calculate the possible number of roaming bison at 60 million, which is agreed upon today by most experts as a reliable figure."
[---]
"There were more bison than humans in North America in the 1800s, diminishing their worth. Irishman Sir St. George Gore, last name apropos, proved a symbol of wanton destruction in the name of sport."
[---]
"In 1854 he laid out an estimated half-million U.S. dollars for an expedition into the Far West. Over three years the straw-whiskered baronet shot animals for the sheer hell of it, knocking down 2,000 bison."
[---]
"A reported 8.5 million were shot inside a two-year span. These inflated figures do not match hide shipping records, but even if true, this number would not come close to matching breeding potential."
[---]
"In spite of the horrific trespass upon the bison, the on-foot, sometimes on horseback, runner could not annihilate what scientists continue to call the single largest group of sizeable mammals to roam the world—ever. So what happened to the buffalo in reality instead of fabrication? Invading Martians are destroyed in H.G. Wells’s The War of the Worlds “by the humblest things that God had put upon this earth after all of man’s devices failed.” Microbes. Little Boy and Fat Man, dropped from the Enola Gay and Boxcar, atomized Hiroshima and Nagasaki in the waning days of World War II. But loss of life was microscopic against the onslaught of the Black Plague in Europe.

That pandemic reduced over 30 million people to corpses in the 1340s. Following World War I, Spanish Influenza took a greater toll in a couple months than all the bombs, bullets, and mustard gas railed against soldiers from 1914 to 1918. That the buffalo was wantonly slaughtered is fact. That the breed was destroyed by guns is ludicrous.

Dr. Rudolph W. Koucky, a pathologist, concluded that something far deadlier than a bullet caused the demise of the shaggy."
[---]
"In 1884 sportsmen who hired guides for buffalo were rewarded with cancellations instead of hunts. No animals could be found. One day Koucky discovered something interesting—a huge pile of bison bones on the Montana plains. The skeletons showed no signs of bullets. They had, the pathologist concluded, “simply laid down and died.” Obviously, the animals were sick."
[---]
"In 1825 an epidemic destroyed all of the buffalo in eastern Nebraska. The animals perished so rapidly that there was no provision for the Indian population in the area. Some of these people died of starvation, others from eating meat from infected animals. In 1858 another epidemic destroyed the buffalo in the Platte River Valley. The trail from Fort Laramie in eastern Wyoming to Fort Bridger in western Wyoming was noted as “one long offense to the nostrils.” These epidemics occurred in areas where immigrants brought cattle through."
[---]
"Beaver trapper Yellowstone Kelly wrote an interesting account circa 1867. “Our course led over rolling prairie when we crossed a high and level plain which extended for many miles. The plain was covered with a thin coating of ice, and on all sides as far as the eye could reach was dotted with bodies of dead buffaloes. These animals were in good condition and bore no mark of bullet or arrow wounds. (Emphasis added.) The cause of their death was a mystery to us. As we marched over the plain toward the valley of the Cheyenne, the appearance of so many carcasses scattered around made a strong impression on my mind, perhaps because they were the first buffaloes I had ever seen.”"
There's more. RTWT










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You Go, Brad Wall!!

SASKATCHEWAN EXPORTS TO ASIA SOAR
"Business for Saskatchewan exporters rose 4.3 per cent in the first six months of 2013, generating more than $17.5 billion in sales and putting the province on pace to surpass its annual export record, set in 2012."
Picking up where we left off....a century ago.
"Oil and gas continued to be the biggest export for Saskatchewan, producing $6.3 billion in sales during the first six months of the year. Potash exports came in second at $3.4 billion, while wheat exports were third at $1.7 billion."
[---]
"Total exports from Saskatchewan account for around 70 per cent of the province’s gross domestic product (GDP). Saskatchewan is the fourth largest exporter among the provinces."

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Go For It

Bradley Manning says he wants to live as a woman, be called Chelsea

Meanwhile, his partner in crime, is still in the news: Julian Assange's political party implodes
"Julian Assange may have blown his best chance to leave the Ecuadorean Embassy and return home to Australia as a free man.

The founder of WikiLeaks, who has been holed up in the Ecuador's diplomatic mission in London for over a year, is now facing another obstacle to freedom. Assange had founded the WikiLeaks Party in his native Australia in an attempt to win election to the Australian Senate; which he believes would make it more difficult for him to be extradited to Sweden where he faces sexual-assault charges. However, the party just split up in turmoil earlier this week after members of its national council discovered that Assange and his inner circle had been ignoring them and making major decisions on their own."
Too much secrecy, Julian. At least Manning isn't hiding his - er - her, innermost thoughts.

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Not Any More

Piltdown Man - the greatest hoax in the history of science?

That award goes to - you guessed it: CAGW
"Some argue the best way to reduce greenhouse gasses is by decreasing livestock production and eating more bugs, but one study shows we can cut methane by keeping a particular insect around the farm.

Research from the University of Helsinki finds beetles living in cow pats may reduce emissions of methane, a gas associated with global warming. Science Daily reports much of the methane from livestock enters the environment with every cow burp, but some escapes from dung pats. The study shows beetles tunneling through those pats aerates them, easing anaerobic conditions and preventing carbon dioxide from converting to methane.

Tomas Roslin, head of the research team explains the impact of the beetles in preventing the release of methane from cow pats and why carbon dioxide is easier to manage than methane."
An you thought it was settled. BWHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!

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A Little Something For The Environuts

Lets Start The Day With A Little Humour

Wednesday, August 21, 2013

Please! Please! Please! PLEASE!!!!

Let the privatization of the CBC be one of the ways you achieve this:

Flaherty says there’s no doubt deficit will be erased by 2015

By the way, have you noticed that the year 2015 is appearing quite frequently these days in media articles about Harper. Two more years, or is it six or seven more years. Lefties are spitting blood over the recent announcement by Harper that he will prorogue parliament this fall.

Quite frankly, I think Harper is a brilliant strategist. Proroguing just when the media (and the country, including his base) is in an uproar about the antics of various senators, will take the heat off for a while. I've also noticed Baird and others are trying their best to deflect attention off of Ottawa and on to the turmoil in the Middle East. And then there was the recent cabinet shuffle, indicating, perhaps, that Harper is retooling for the second half of his mandate. Please! Please! Please! PLEASE!!!!

In any case, here's some analysis:
Tories ‘taking back agenda’ with fall prorogation, insiders say
"Members of Parliament are currently scheduled to come back to the House Sept. 16. One theory oft-cited by Ottawa pundits is to prorogue Parliament until after Thanksgiving and deliver the speech on Monday, Oct. 21."
Oh, and that would be what? Five additional weeks? So much parliamentary work can be done in five weeks? /sarc (This is a good article, BTW, which raises a lot of possible scenarios about what could happen the fall.) So does this one: Stephen Harper’s to-do list

Meanwhile, dirt has already started flinging. Should be a fairly easy target.

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Political Correctness, Canadian Style

7 things you can't say in Canada and right at the top, is the bald faced truth - Maggie Atwood writes tedious books. In fact, I agree, not necessarily wholeheartedly, with all of them.

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From The Land Of The Pharoahs

This explains why I am rather encouraged by what is happening, although, God knows, things could easily become derailed:




Egyptian Democratic Coalition Responds to Obama
"The National Salvation Front, a coalition of pro-democratic and secular parties in Egypt, set out its objections to remarks made by President Barack Obama Thursday on the escalating violence in Egypt.

Led by Ahmed Said of the Free Egyptians Party, the group issued the following letter:"
RTWT

Meanwhile, elsewhere in the neighbourhood, Syria is being accused of using chemical weapons. The headlines are quite wild, though. Some report a few hundred dead and one says over 1300.Baby Assad, of course, is denying it.


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Tuesday, August 20, 2013

Have You Ever Wondered...


...why there are always so many rocks on the streets in Arab countries ready made to hurl at whomever?

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Un Freakin'...

...believable.

I'll never complain about a prairie blizzard again. (Don't hold me to that.)

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Oh My

UPDATE: From Walid Phares' Facebook page:

Islamists on defensive throughout Middle East
"The backlash against Muslim Brotherhood rule in Egypt comes as secular forces across the Middle East are rising up in opposition to political Islam. Divisions reach from top leaders to the street.

Political leaders in Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Kuwait and Jordan have sided with the Egyptian military and secularists who backed the July 3 ouster of President Mohammed Morsi.

On the streets of Cairo over the weekend, mobs and snipers attacked Morsi supporters, forcing security forces accused of slaughtering the Islamists to stand between them and the mob. The violence in Egypt echoes similar, though less deadly, backlashes against a recently installed Islamic ruling party in Tunisia, and one in power since 2002 in Turkey."

Gulf nations split with West to back Egyptian military
"Efforts by the West to pressure Egypt’s new government to end its crackdown on the Muslim Brotherhood could be moot thanks to Saudi Arabia’s oil money – and whole-hearted backing of the military.

While the West calls for peace in Cairo, the Saudis are supporting Gen. Abdel Fattah el-Sissi, who led the ouster of Mohammed Morsi. The Kingdom has pledged to make up for any loss in foreign aid resulting from the military’s brutal crackdown on the Muslim Brotherhood"
Unbelievable! You know, I used to be amazed at how quickly the Soviet Union crumbled and the Berlin Wall fell. This has the same feeling about it. But I'm not so sure about the sincerity of the House of Saud, tho. Only time will tell.

And in my ever-so-humble opinion, this all started with Gulf War I and II. All hail Bush Senior and Junior. And I should also put in a good word for Tim Berners-Lee, who invented the WWW, and the British Empire for making English a global language. Thanks to them, we can now communicate with people on the other side of the globe.

History is just one damned thing after another, and you just never know where it's going to lead. PS: I didn't know Berners-Lee was a Brit. I just learned that right now.
============Original Post Starts Here============
...What's up with Pakistan?

Former Pakistani leader Musharraf charged with 2007 assassination of Bhutto


Was it because Bhutto was a woman, or was she just a threat to his dictatorship?

More here
"The former president was brought to a special anti-terrorism court in Rawalpindi under tight security after his lawyers warned of threats to his life."

Pakistan has "anti-terrorism" courts? The world is changing. Never thought I'd see the day. I'll bet you he gets off.

And here.

Morsi and Musharraf. Both from yesterday, er, I mean the 7th century. The times, they are a changing.

And look at this!!!

Egypt arrests Muslim Brotherhood’s leader


And, of course, we shouldn't forget Turkey, where there have already been massive protests against their Islamist government.

And on the home front:

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Monday, August 19, 2013

Who Ya Gonna Believe?

Unfortunately...

...embed not allowed, but you go girl!!

A few inaccuracies, but otherwise a great rant.

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Saturday, August 17, 2013

I Lied...

...One more blog entry. This is too good to pass up and too unbelievable:

UN chief admits bias against Israel

Uh huh. Believe it when you see it, folks.

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Going. Going. Gone.

Going to be away for a day or two. A bridal shower for certain niece in Saskatoon beckons.

I am seriously thinking of switching gears again, in this here blog. It's been going for several years, now, and I'm getting rather tired of documenting absurdities. It's become as boring as a soap opera. Different actors doing the same thing to each other, over and over and over.

My next focus, I think, will be what I call the Indian Industry. Plenty to cover there, and I already know I'm raaaacist, so what the hell?

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Friday, August 16, 2013

Ha!!!

Oops!

Can't let that be known:

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Thursday, August 15, 2013

A Six Part Series On The Celts...

...very, very interesting, to me anyway:

Part 1


Part 2


Part 3


Part 4


Part 5


Part 6


And a bit about the Druids:

Sometin' to watch while you do the laundry.



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Sooner Or Later...

...the truth will out:


Frederick Douglass Republicans


And I have a feeling in my bones that we've almost come to that point with respect to the Indian Industry in Canada, too. Leftards will be the last to acknowledge it, though. They are always slow to catch on.

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Wednesday, August 14, 2013

Oh, My, My, My..,

...doesn't that have a familiar ring to it?

Manning Apologizes for Leaks
"His statement followed testimony by a military psychiatrist who said Manning suffers from a series of emotional problems including a gender identity disorder and symptoms of autism. The psychiatrist also said Manning suffered problems related to fetal alcohol syndrome resulting from his mother's heavy drinking while she was pregnant with him."
A virtual panoply of ready made excuses.

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Live Aid Icon Now Grown Up

Remember the old saw - "If you're not a socialist at twenty, there's something wrong with your heart. If you're still a socialist at forty, there's something wrong with your head."

Well, guess who'd head is now on straight:

Bono: “Capitalism takes more people out of poverty than aid”

Flashback:



Related.

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Tuesday, August 13, 2013

Just Remember...

...Muslim on Muslim violence doesn't count, nor does Muslims killing Muslims count.

Britain denounces attack on mosque that killed 44 in northeast Nigeria
"British Cabinet Minister Mark Simmonds on Tuesday condemned as "contemptible and cowardly" an attack on a mosque in northeastern Nigeria in which suspected Islamic extremists killed at least 44 worshippers and wounded another 26.

Attackers wearing Nigerian army camouflage fatigues struck under cover of darkness as residents were saying their dawn prayers at around 5:30 a.m. (GMT) Sunday at Konduga town, 35 kilometres (22 miles) from Maiduguri, said security agents who insisted on anonymity because they are not authorized to speak to the press.

Another 12 civilians died in a simultaneous attack on Ngom village just outside Maiduguri, they said."
[---]
"Nigeria's war is not Muslims against Christian. The Boko Haram terrorist network — the name means "Western education is forbidden" — has killed more Muslims than Christians, according to officials, attacking mosques and clerics that have spoken out against religious extremism.

Boko Haram also has attacked Christians outside churches and teachers and schoolchildren, as well as government and military targets.

Since 2010, the militants have been blamed for the killings of more than 1,700 people, according to a count by The Associated Press."

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Life After Death?

This, I believe, is the root of that belief:

Science sheds light on the moment our lights go out

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Monday, August 12, 2013

More Stuff...

...I like:



I like Thomas Sowell, to put it mildly.

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Saturday, August 10, 2013

Lots Of Stuff..

...that I like:

Resurrected protein's clue to origins of life
"The resurrected protein is thought to have existed almost four billion years ago in single-celled organisms linked to the earliest ancestor of all life.

The protein survives in the extreme environments of high acidity and temperature expected on early Earth and, intriguingly, also Mars."
Mind you, the language in the article is barely understandable to a non-scientist like me, but it does speak to the question about the origins of life, which has always fascinated me.

THAILAND: Muslims in the South are slaughtering Buddhists in order to ethnically cleanse the area (WARNING: Graphic Images)
"Muslims account for a mere 4.6% of population, yet have been spreading fear among the indigenous Buddhists of the region, using violence and brutality. They have resorted to the random killing of Buddhists, including school teachers and Buddhist monks."
Hardly news, but.... I went to graduate school with a woman from Thailand. I hope she's alright.

Major Danish Daily Warns: “Globe May Be On Path To Little Ice Age…Much Colder Winters…Dramatic Consequences”!
"So now even the once very green Danish media is now spreading the seeds of doubt. So quickly can “settled science” become controversial and hotly disputed. The climate debate is far from over. And when it does end, it looks increasingly as if it’ll end in favor of the skeptics."
Really good read, BTW, but damn it!! I so wanted some of that global warming stuff. Oh well. This should solve some of that "overpopulation" hysteria. If only it would take "the sky is falling" hysterical folks first.

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Thursday, August 08, 2013

Civil War Ahead..

Egypt 'just days from all-out bloodshed'
"EGYPT'S conflict between the army and the Muslim Brotherhood is set to flare again after efforts by international mediators collapsed.

Officials from the US, EU and African Union have all left Cairo after failing to end the standoff between the country's two most powerful organisations.

Officials from the US and EU described the situation as "a dangerous stalemate"."
[---]
"Last week, the interim government ordered security forces to end the protests, claiming they endangered national security.

In a televised address, interim President Adly Mansour said: "The phase of diplomatic efforts has ended today.

"These efforts have not achieved the hoped for results.""
You probably know which side I'm on.

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A Gem...

...from the Canadian Journalist everyone loves to hate, Barbara Amiel:

Dog days of summer and police violence

Money shot:
"And while I’m at it, am I the only person who cringes at phrases now so popular on news shows, such as the need to “have a national conversation”? It was bad enough when we all “dialogued” or had a “constructive exchange.” Why can’t we just “debate” or “argue”? Sanitation of language never works. You banish the word “nigger” and replace it with “negro,” then “black,” then “Afro” and virtually imprison people for using the N-word and suddenly people are calling themselves “nigger” again. I know the difference is that an Afro person is allowed to call themselves what they like but frankly, if I were to call myself Yid, I would find it difficult to condemn non-Jews who did the same."

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Wednesday, August 07, 2013

From The "Religion" Of "Peace" (Cough. Hack.)

Ramadan Bombathon 2013 Scorecard, Day 30

Count 'em. 1493 dead bodies. 2810 wounded, some of whom may very well become "dead bodies".

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O Canada!

Monday, August 05, 2013

History....

...of the Arab-Israeli conflict, in a format anyone can understand (that is, if they want to).:



And another one that I, at least, find very interesting:

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Sunday, August 04, 2013

He, He, He, He



Still too busy with grand-kids. Be back at it on Tuesday.

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Thursday, August 01, 2013

Spam And Ham

This here blog has been getting spammed, ad nauseam. One piece of spam landed on this entry, eh!

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