stubble jumping redneck

Is It Time...

2012-02-02T09:00:00.000-06:00

...to relegate James Moore, minister of sugar and spice and everything nice, to the back benches? I think so. Watch what he says to this SunTV journalist:

Oh, Sandmonkey!!

2012-02-01T21:37:00.000-06:00

When I first met you, I knew you had something special. Good luck with that.

"Egyptian blogger and political activist Mahmoud Salem, more commonly known by his online persona Sandmonkey, filed a civil lawsuit on Thursday, January 26th against the well-known and influential Salafi preacher Yasser al-Bourhami for the latter’s incitement of violence against Coptic Christians. While the details of this suit are still emerging, they deserve serious domestic and global attention: if methodically pursued, the case could form an important challenge to Egypt’s still-persistent culture of legal impunity for violence and discrimination against members of the country’s significant Christian minority. It could also deal a painful blow to the prestige of Salafi Islamists, whose political rise has been accelerating unimpeded since Egypt’s revolution. The success and long-term ramifications of this lawsuit rest, however, in the specificity of Salem’s charges and their appeal to civil rather than theological protection."

[---]

"Sandmonkey’s lawsuit is significant because it holds the potential to draw long-overdue attention and accountability to the dangerous rhetoric and actions of the country’s emboldened Salafi zealots, and to the genuine threat they pose to Egypt's Coptic minority. It is also important because Mahmoud Salem is well-positioned to make this happen: he was one of the bravest and most vocal critics of the Mubarak regime at a time when his fellow bloggers were being tossed into prison, and since the revolution, he put his words into action with an electoral bid for parliament, albeit an unsuccessful one. His effort deserves support."

Let me stick my neck out and say that you will be for the new Egypt and for the Middle East at large what Gamal Abdul Nassr was for Arab Nationalism. A new day is dawning, and, although I may be long gone by the time you and Egypt achieve this new society, let me just say, I'm glad I was privileged to know you, even if only online, through your blog and others. Do you remember the game of hide and seek we played on several blogs? That was fun. I'll never forget your description of the Arab Parallel Universe - the APU.

Good luck, young man and stay safe. Egypt needs you.

As an aside, when the war began in Iraq and in the months that followed when the going got so tough, I thought there were three forces at work, not just in Iraq but in the wider Muslim, and especially, Middle Eastern world. Those three forces were, on the one hand, Arab Nationalism, a creature that arose in the dieing days of the European empires, and which, as we've seen was dealt pretty much a death blow by the Arab Spring; Islamism on the other hand, which is much older and much more backward and traditional, but nevertheless very opportunistic and a third force, which was the quiet middle ground of Arabs and Muslims who want to modernize and adopt the best of what the West has to offer. You sir, are with the third group. Godspeed.

AARRRRRRGGGHHHH!!

2012-02-01T12:52:00.000-06:00

In fairness, to the social scientist in this interview, he doesn't really address the most critical factor that would explain the results he's describing. That factor is: Do the people who saunter past the church perhaps live close by and, if so, did they CHOOSE to live in that neighbourhood BECAUSE there was a church of their persuasion close by?

I know for a fact that people do choose to live in neighbourhoods that have amenities that are important to them: schools for their young children, public libraries, shopping centers, proximity to place where they work or at least easy access, bus service, major traffic arteries, etc., to their workplace. Any of these factors would negate the conclusions of which he speaks.

If they live nearby because there is a church of their pursuasion nearby, of course they would more likely be seen walking past it and of course they may have more believing-practicing-Christian attitudes, beliefs and values.

We need to know that if we are to evaluate the research of which he speaks. It isn't a trivial factor. It's critical. It's preposterous to believe merely walking past a church is likely to cause a person to temporarily change his views.

CBC Salaries

2012-02-01T11:25:00.001-06:00

Finally, we get some info from the Ceeb.

Some 700 or so CBC employees get more than $100,000 per year. I actually don't think that's so bad, BUT...I'd like to know how that compares to the salaries paid by other broadcasters to their top 700 AND I'd also like to see advertizers paying for these people.

I'm pretty certain there are some top civil servants making similar salaries (in all three levels of government in every province) and I don't begrudge the upper levels of management getting decent compensation, especially if it keeps the organization competitive in the search for competent people to run the organizations for which they work.

We need government (much less of it, though, I would argue). BUT, in this day and age we do NOT need a publicly funded broadcaster. Let them compete with the rest of the broadcasters out there and see where the chips fall. If they can't command an audience large enough to attract advertizers willing to pay big bucks (or paying customers, if they want to raise their own money), like everyone else in business, let them adjust their programming until their audience share reaches the point of viability.

I know I'm sounding like a broken record, but I will keep at it until privatization or dismantling of the beast is accomplished.

A Little Bit Of Canadian History

2012-01-31T19:21:00.000-06:00

I remember learning about Darcy McGee way back in the Stone Age - er - high school. I don't remember anything about him today, but this video is very, very interesting. It concerns who actually killed him. The man who was accused, tried and given the death penalty may very well have been innocent.

Why The NDP Will Never...

2012-01-31T14:26:00.000-06:00

...be in power.

Keep Up The Pressure...

2012-01-31T09:48:00.010-06:00

...folks. Some day it will happen:

Tories petition to scrap CBC

Note to self: Must send a message to Brian Jean, CCing to Stephen Harper, telling them I wholeheartedly agree.

UPDATE: Message sent. Here's what I said:

"I want to congratulate Brian Jean for his efforts towards privatizing the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation and let the rest of those receiving this message know that I wholeheartedly agree with the idea that a publicly funded broadcaster is not needed. A state funded broadcaster has no place in a democratic country, especially given that there is so much alternative media available. CBC has an unfair advantage over its competitors. Its bias is outrageous and there seems to be no way for me to protest my dislike for the organization. A publicly funded institution provides no mechanism for citizens to register their approval or disapproval of what it offers, short of sending letters and at the ballot box, hence, they are not accountable to those who pay the piper. A publicly funded broadcaster does not depend on advertisers, who in turn depend on people like me watching/listening to its broadcasts. As a Canadian citizen, I feel the use of my tax dollars toward supporting this agency is anathema to freedom and citizen sovereignty. A publicly funded broadcaster belongs in some petty third-world dictatorship, not in a proud and free country like Canada. Please continue the effort until the task is accomplished."

It was sent to Jean and CC'd to the PM, the Minister responsible for the CBC, James Moore, and my own MP (who happens to be the speaker of the house, Andrew Sheer).

If you want to do the same to your own select group of MPs you can find email addresses here.

Hey Obama...

2012-01-30T15:10:00.001-06:00

...It's not going away.

I Wonder What The...

2012-01-30T15:06:00.000-06:00

I wonder what the Met Office and the folks at East Anglia University have to say about this. I'd really love to read their spin. I'm betting they'd say something like "It would have been worse if not for the human produced CO2 in the atmosphere":

Winter cold snap kills 36 in Europe

Me Thinks The Castro Brothers...

2012-01-30T14:53:00.001-06:00

...could take lessons from CBC fans. Those whose comments litter the comments section of the CBC's web based news stories:

Bash America: The Castros play to their base in Cuba

CBC fans, with the approval of the CBC of course:

Defence agreements signed with U.S.

Christianity

2012-01-30T12:27:00.000-06:00

Did you know Stalin's mother had hoped he would become a priest?

I didn't either, but that's just one little bit of fascinating history detailed in this excellent series of videos about the history of Christianity. You know me. I love history and it's little bits like this that make history come alive.

The bit about Stalin comes in "Part 3.Orthodoxy", that great branch of Christianity that split from Rome long, long before the Western Reformation, the one that was centered for many centuries in places like Constantinople (modern Istanbul), Antioch and Baghdad.

Yes, I Do Believe We Are...

2012-01-29T21:17:00.002-06:00

UPDATED AND BUMPED: Forget global warming - it's Cycle 25 we need to worry about (and if NASA scientists are right the Thames will be freezing over again)

Met Office releases new figures which show no warming in 15 years

"The supposed ‘consensus’ on man-made global warming is facing an inconvenient challenge after the release of new temperature data showing the planet has not warmed for the past 15 years.

The figures suggest that we could even be heading for a mini ice age to rival the 70-year temperature drop that saw frost fairs held on the Thames in the 17th Century.

Based on readings from more than 30,000 measuring stations, the data was issued last week without fanfare by the Met Office and the University of East Anglia Climatic Research Unit. It confirms that the rising trend in world temperatures ended in 1997."

Say what? The MET Office? The University of East Anglia?? Saints preserve us. They're now backtracking as if Climategate never happened.

"Meanwhile, leading climate scientists yesterday told The Mail on Sunday that, after emitting unusually high levels of energy throughout the 20th Century, the sun is now heading towards a ‘grand minimum’ in its output, threatening cold summers, bitter winters and a shortening of the season available for growing food.

Solar output goes through 11-year cycles, with high numbers of sunspots seen at their peak.

We are now at what should be the peak of what scientists call ‘Cycle 24’ – which is why last week’s solar storm resulted in sightings of the aurora borealis further south than usual. But sunspot numbers are running at less than half those seen during cycle peaks in the 20th Century.

Analysis by experts at NASA and the University of Arizona – derived from magnetic-field measurements 120,000 miles beneath the sun’s surface – suggest that Cycle 25, whose peak is due in 2022, will be a great deal weaker still.

According to a paper issued last week by the Met Office, there is a 92 per cent chance that both Cycle 25 and those taking place in the following decades will be as weak as, or weaker than, the ‘Dalton minimum’ of 1790 to 1830. In this period, named after the meteorologist John Dalton, average temperatures in parts of Europe fell by 2C.

However, it is also possible that the new solar energy slump could be as deep as the ‘Maunder minimum’ (after astronomer Edward Maunder), between 1645 and 1715 in the coldest part of the ‘Little Ice Age’ when, as well as the Thames frost fairs, the canals of Holland froze solid."

But, but, but,...that's not what we've been told by our betters.

"Yet, in its paper, the Met Office claimed that the consequences now would be negligible – because the impact of the sun on climate is far less than man-made carbon dioxide."

Oh, I see. I knew there had to be an explanation. /sarc

Yes folks. The great climb-down-while-covering-your-ass is in full swing.

=======Original Post Starts Here========
...winning:

No Need to panic about global warming

"A candidate for public office in any contemporary democracy may have to consider what, if anything, to do about "global warming." Candidates should understand that the oft-repeated claim that nearly all scientists demand that something dramatic be done to stop global warming is not true. In fact, a large and growing number of distinguished scientists and engineers do not agree that drastic actions on global warming are needed."

[---]

"In spite of a multidecade international campaign to enforce the message that increasing amounts of the "pollutant" carbon dioxide will destroy civilization, large numbers of scientists, many very prominent, share the opinions of Dr. Giaever. And the number of scientific "heretics" is growing with each passing year. The reason is a collection of stubborn scientific facts.

Perhaps the most inconvenient fact is the lack of global warming for well over 10 years now. This is known to the warming establishment, as one can see from the 2009 "Climategate" email of climate scientist Kevin Trenberth: "The fact is that we can't account for the lack of warming at the moment and it is a travesty that we can't." But the warming is only missing if one believes computer models where so-called feedbacks involving water vapor and clouds greatly amplify the small effect of CO2.

The lack of warming for more than a decade—indeed, the smaller-than-predicted warming over the 22 years since the U.N.'s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) began issuing projections—suggests that computer models have greatly exaggerated how much warming additional CO2 can cause. Faced with this embarrassment, those promoting alarm have shifted their drumbeat from warming to weather extremes, to enable anything unusual that happens in our chaotic climate to be ascribed to CO2."

[---]

"Although the number of publicly dissenting scientists is growing, many young scientists furtively say that while they also have serious doubts about the global-warming message, they are afraid to speak up for fear of not being promoted—or worse."

RTWT

PS: I wonder how long it will take useful idiots like Saskboy to climb down. I don't expect they will ever admit they were wrong or duped. They'll just quietly slink away, hoping we don't notice.

The Verdict Heard Round The World

2012-01-29T17:08:00.001-06:00

Britain. America. Australia. New Zealand. And, of course, Canada. Coast to coast. And in the blo gos phere, all over the place.

Graffiti Warfare...

2012-01-29T12:50:00.003-06:00

...in the streets of Cairo:

"The face of Khaled Said, a young man whose beating death at the hands of police officers in 2010 helped fuel the anti-Mubarak uprising, even appeared briefly on the walls of the Interior Ministry, the daunting security headquarters that few would dare even approach in the past.

Other pieces mock members of the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces, the council of generals that is now in power, or figures from Mubarak’s regime.

When a police officer was captured on an Internet video shooting at the eyes of protesters during clashes, his image immediately dotted walls, urging people to find the “Eye-Sniper.”

State television is another frequent target because it has become the mouthpiece for the military’s proclamations that protesters are vandals, thugs and part of a plot to throw Egypt into chaos."

[---]

"“It’s about a message in the street. It reaches the poor, the rich, the trash collector, the taxi driver,” graffiti artist Karim Gouda said. “Most of these people are away from the Internet and the social networking world so it’s a way to reach them.”"

[---]

"“It’s liberating to see,” blogger Soraya Morayef said of the proliferation of street art.

Morayef, who has dedicated her blog Suzeeinthecity to documenting graffiti artists’ work, said the street art reflects what happened in the whole country.

“The fear barrier was broken,” she said."

Chuckles

2012-01-29T05:54:00.001-06:00

Around the world in too many ways

"If you're reading this at home, in the comfort of a warm, dry armchair, then shame on you: why are you not sailing solo round the world, rowing naked across the Atlantic or walking to the South Pole on your hands?"

He,he,he,he,he,he.

I Love Stories Like This

2012-01-28T18:50:00.001-06:00

UPDATED AND BUMPED

Lego Man's trip to space wins international recognition:

From New York, ABC, the UK, L.A. and Australia,
====Original Starts Here=======
Of course there's sourpusses in the comments nitpicking about irrelevant stuff, but these two kids show all the signs of two young men who will accomplish great things in their lives. Well done fellows. And good luck in your future.

Videos:

Immigration Reform Coming

2012-01-28T17:15:00.000-06:00

Tories pitching 'significant' immigration reform

"Immigration Minister Jason Kenney told Sun News Network on Thursday one of the biggest changes will be to "invite businesses to go overseas, recruit the people who they think will work well in their companies, give them those job offers, and then we'll bring them in (to Canada) on a super-fast basis."

But the Tories will also change the system that grades prospective immigrants on their language and work skills, among other factors, to determine whether they'll be allowed to come live in Canada.

"In 2012, we will be reforming our federal points system, called our Skilled Worker Program, to attract those people who we know, based on research, are most likely to succeed - younger immigrants, people with pre-arranged jobs in Canada, folks with higher levels of income," said Kenney."

And there's not a damn thing the Libs and Dippers can do about it.

It Doesn't Get Any Better...

2012-01-28T08:52:00.000-06:00

...than this:

"More bad news for the NDP: 40 per cent of Canadians haven’t heard of any of the eight candidates in the leadership race, according to a new online poll.
Even worse, 35 per cent of New Democrats could not recognize the candidates running to replace the late Jack Layton. The campaign to decide Canada’s next official opposition leader – basically the prime minister-in-waiting – is to be decided in less than two months, on March 24 in Toronto."

I'm so sad.

At The Next Winter Olympics

2012-01-28T08:42:00.001-06:00

Will this be the "demonstration" sport?

Those Vikings!! Tsk!! Tsk!!

For the full flavour of the event, be sure to read the comment.

h/t: The Jawa Report

Big Changes In Indian Affairs?

2012-01-27T16:05:00.001-06:00

Or more of the same?

There's no doubt about it. Earlier this month Stephen Harper broke an old pattern and reached across the great divide offering a serious effort to change the current, chronic, deplorable situation, and there's something to be said about the willingness of Shawn Atleo to cooperate with the Feds. Not only is that refreshing, it's also nearly unheard of in the history of the Assembly of First Nations. But then again, Shawn Atleo has been less than totally successful in bridging the chasm between factions within the Assembly itself. (The prairie Treaty Indian bloc being the largest, but certainly not the only, bugaboo.)

But there's something about this initiative that puts it in the same league as the major rewrite of the Indian Act in 1951. (For those who don't know, the Indian Act was amended in 1951 after an extensive consultation process with Indians, the transcript of which was published in 1948. It was among the first times that the Feds actually consulted with First Nations, but certainly not the last, despite what you may have heard from the loudmouth prairie Indian leaders over the past forty years.)

The consulting process invited both personal appearances and written submissions by Indian chiefs and private individuals. It is interesting to note that the recommendations made in some of those submissions were actually implemented as policies in the years that followed, a prime one being the closure of day schools on reserves and the busing of Indian children to nearby town schools. In other words, integration, not Indian control (the call for which came much later) was what the Indians themselves had endorsed.

The 1951 rewrite of the Indian Act removed the most egregious clauses such as the ones that forbad ceremonies like the Sundance and Potlatch, although to listen to the Indian Industry's barking (especially the academic wing) over the last forty years you'd think these things were still in the Act - and that some things, like the pass system, were actually in the act, although it never was and had been abandoned as a policy before the 1951 rewrite.

The original Indian Act was passed in 1876. It was a consolidation of several previous pieces of legislation. Even though Treaties 6, 7 and 8 (all of which are prairie treaties) hadn't yet been negotiated, when the Act received Royal Assent in 1876, it was made to apply to those regions which subsequently came under the terms of those three treaties. In other words, both Britain and Canada did not view those territories as sovereign Indian territory.

The history of Indian/Government relations over the subsequent 106 years since the original Indian Act was passed, on the prairies in any case, passes through four phases. The first phase, characterized by the negotiation of treaties on the prairies and vigorous attempts by the federal government to assimilate the Indians, lasted until the first or second or so decade of the 20th century. Following that, until the end of WWII, was a period maintenance of the status quo coupled with indifference and neglect. Nothing new happened. The missionary zeal which had characterized the earlier phase had succumbed to disillusionment. The Feds had basically given up on the active openly stated and generally agreed upon assimilationist goal, and ceased boasting about fictitious progress toward that goal.

Following WWII, initiatives such as the rewrite of the Indian Act and the consultative process that preceded it mark the beginning of the third phase, and in the 1960s, with the comprehensive study and report known as the Hawthorn-Tremblay Report, in which the dire straits and impoverished conditions that existed on reserves was noted and documented, was probably its high-water mark. This lasted until the infamous White Paper on 1969, which advocated the complete abolition of reserves and the Indian Act, but which was thoroughly rejected by First Nations themselves. One of the final initiatives of the Parliament of Canada during the third stage was the establishment of a Standing Committee on Indian Affairs. Standing Committees dealing with Indian Affairs have existed ever since. First Nations people regularly appear before the committee and/or submit briefs. First Nations people sit on the Committee. It is simply not true that governments in the past forty plus years are failed to consult, Indian Industry rhetoric, notwithstanding.

The most recent phase was marked by:

a transfer of power and authority to First Nations band councils and provincial and national Indian organizations;
the growth of funding made available for the advancement of various causes;
the growth of massive corruption and mismanagement, with an industry of lawyers, academics, consultants and politicians at the trough spinning never-ending tales of blame, providing lists of excuses designed to encourage the rest of us to turn a blind eye and intimidate us into submission.

Principle among these tales was the assertion that an Indian's word is to be taken at face value, no questions asked, but written documents, documents that clearly show the land was ceded, documents like the Indian Act, that applied to territory that had yet to be ceded under treaty, aren't worth the paper they are printed on.

Does this Harper initiative have a snowball's chance of actually putting an end to that, the most recent era? Will the initiative be different from so many of the past ones? Will remote reserves, those in the north and far away from the cities, actually start to see economic growth? I doubt it. There's much more to the problem than just the Indian Act, although it certainly is an obstacle. But unless some of the really hard problems, such as local corruption and lack of accountability to rank and file reserve members, the poor quality of education at the reserve level, which is now run principally by First Nations themselves, etc., are acknowledged and met head on, nothing will change.

As long as weasels like Perry Belgarde can claim that the Treaties did not deal with mineral rights, and therefore Indians still own them, or that the obligation to provide housing* derives from Treaty negotiations, AND POLITICIANS BELIEVE THEM, the future doesn't look any brighter than the past. There are far too many entrenched interests making a good living, Perry Belgarde being one, to allow that to happen.

Hopefully, I'll be proven wrong.

*The federal government began to provide housing on reserves in the late 1940s. It was part of the general tenor of the times, when ideas which are today considered "socialist" in nature (and in the generations preceding that era, would have been considered completely untenable) had gained acceptance and had found their way into government policy. (Delano Roosevelt's New Deal is an early example.) According to accounts of the treaty negotiators, Indians in the Treaty 6 area were promised that they would never lack for a place to call home. But this was clearly a reference to the reserve lands that had yet to be set up, not to individual private dwellings for families to live in, although the Indian Industry has promoted the later as the correct and only interpretation.

One Or Two More Laughs

2012-01-26T11:06:00.001-06:00

Someone From England...

2012-01-26T10:21:00.003-06:00

...visited my blog this morning, having used the following keywords:

"russian proper gander posters"

LOL!! I kid you not. I can only hope s/he wasn't a native Brit.

Thanks for the laugh, anyway.

I wonder what an "improper" gander would do to distinguish itself from a "proper" gander? Would it be good for the goose? (Groan)

Oh, and someone from California was looking for "Italian men with stubble." Sorry to disappoint, but computers are stupid that way. It's not my fault.

Pardon Me...

2012-01-25T19:58:00.003-06:00

...while I giggle:

A Jew writes about an event in a Muslim country:

"In Israel, I watched as the protests grew and then turned violent, with protesters continuing to fight back. Something was changing in Egypt.

Fast forward a year to January 25, 2012. Again, it was a national holiday, but it has been rechristened: National Revolution Day."

That's right. Rechristened.

And on the anniversary, Tahrir Square is filled again:

"Angie Balata, an Egyptian-Canadian living in Cairo who participated in the protests during the uprising, said there was still "a lot to fight about" one year later.

"It's been just a lot of chaos, a lot of violence, a lot of sadness, really," Balata told CBC News Network. "I think that the year started off really great with the start of the revolution. But definitely the feeling today, and the feeling that I have personally, is that the revolution continues. We're not close to … having the demands that we wanted to be realized."

[---]

""Unfortunately, this hasn't happened, and we're not close to it," Balata said from Cairo. "The military has taken over, and that's a lot of the reason why there's a lot of sadness. I mean, a lot of people have died since the revolution. A lot of people are in prison."

But the protests have broken Egypt's long-standing "barrier of fear," she said.

"People do go out on the streets, and they say how they feel and they say their opinions. And they get out and they fight for their rights. And that in itself is one of the greatest accomplishments," Balata said."

[---]

""As far as an anniversary goes, this is not — as people who've been protesting for a year, who started protesting a year ago — a celebration," he told CBC News."

[---]

"Modaz Abdul-Hamid, a doctor in Mahalla el-Kubra, told CBC News that residents thought the changes were going to occur immediately after the revolution.

"We thought that it was going the right way, but now, you're not so sure, " he said in Arabic. "Just the president went away. All the other reforms have not happened yet.""

I repeat. A revolution is more than just the overthrow of a dictator. It doesn't happen overnight.

More.

An Anniversary

2012-01-25T18:30:00.000-06:00

One year on, Terry Glavin examines Egypt's Tahrir Square revolution. As I've told you folks, it ain't over yet. Revolutions are normally years in the making. The mere overthrow of a government doesn't qualify.

The Latest...

2012-01-25T18:00:00.000-06:00

...from Julian Assange:

The Breathtaking Hypocrisy of Julian Assange, Kremlin Pawn

"That’s right: Assange, self-styled foe of government secrets and conspiracies of the powerful, is going to be a star on a TV network backed by the Kremlin. The same Kremlin that has done suspiciously little to investigate or prevent the killings and beatings of journalists that have plagued Russia for more than a decade. The same Kremlin accused of blatant fraud in December’s parliamentary elections. The same Kremlin whose control of the country’s broadcast media allowed it to suppress coverage of the massive protests mounted in response to that fraud. The same Kremlin whose embrace of corruption led to Russia being named “the world’s most corrupt major economy” by Transparency International in 2011.

And so on. That Kremlin is Julian Assange’s new patron.

The same Julian Assange who accused President Obama of putting “a chill across investigative journalism” by prosecuting Army leaker Bradley Manning."

[---]

"Actually, though, maybe it makes sense. After all, Assange has said “it’s an international disgrace that so few western journalists have been killed in the course of duty, or have been arrested in the course of duty.” Russian journalists certainly aren’t disgracing themselves in that regard: They’ve been dying by the dozens, and their murders are seldom solved: Only three of the 33 murders of journalists committed in Russia since 1993 have been solved,..."

And I Betcha He Thinks We Should...

2012-01-25T13:54:00.000-06:00

...feel sorry for him.

"Terrorist Momin Khawaja was physically attacked by another inmate and burned with boiling water and chemicals, his father says.

Khawaja, the first person ever charged under Canada's anti-terror laws, is serving a life sentence at a super-maximum security federal prison in Quebec."

Reading Habits From Mars

2012-01-24T13:29:00.011-06:00

As promised a while back, here is the blog entry about my strange reading habits. I'll dive right in, then give you a list of some of my books.

First of all, I never, ever read fiction. I find it extremely boring. And although I am a librarian, I never borrow books from a library. I want to own the books I read. Besides that, my habits don't fit with the necessity of returning books on time, even if there are one or two renewal/extension periods provided by most libraries. Some librarian, huh. (And no, I don't wear my glasses down at the end of my nose and I don't run around telling people to shush up. Librarians generally don't do that. We tend to be people who love books and value knowledge and learning and are driven by a desire to help other people acquire knowledge and the habit of life-long learning. Heck, when I was in library school at the U of W O, the library students (mostly women) had the reputation for being the rowdiest bunch at the Graduate Student's Society's pub, which made us quite proud. Always eager to shatter myths, those crafty librarians.)

I normally have several books on the go at the same time. My favourite topics are history, social/political issues and science. I never seem to have time to read them in a timely fashion and I often don't finish them.

I have three thick books about history on the go right now. It is the thick books that I often don't finish. I often quit about 2/3rd of the way through and start another one, or read a thin book, another reason I prefer to buy my books rather than borrow them.

Examples of books that I have started and then put aside in the past year or so:

1. Heaven and Earth: Global warming, the missing science;

2. Byzantium: The Surprising Life of a Medieval Empire

3. The Movement and the Sixties: Protest in America from Greensboro to Wounded Knee.

I started the first one, many, many months ago, put it down, and just last week, picked it up again and decided to finish it. The second one I bought from either Amazon.ca or Chapters.Indigo.ca (can't remember which) many, many months ago and the third I picked up at a library book sale. Libraries, at least public and academic libraries, have to get rid of old books that are no longer being borrowed in order to make room for the new stuff that people/professors are demanding. The discarded books go really cheap. And if you work in a library, discarded books can sometimes be yours for the taking. (Secrets of the trade.) In any case, I will get back to all the three thick books that I have started recently and abandoned.

Although there are usually book reviews on the two "bookstore" websites next to the description and the ordering info for their books, I know that they will not include any unfavourable reviews, so it's obviously slanted and meant to sell more books. But I order the books anyway, just because the subject matter deals with one of my favourite subjects and the description sounds interesting. Besides, if a publisher considers a manuscript unsalable, they won't publish it, so if it's good enough for the publisher, it's good enough for me.

But I also have numerous thin and thinner books. (Bet you didn't know librarians describe books by their physical properties, did you? Thin, thick, red, blue, green. These are all highly technical terms from library science, as much (or more so) as classification and call numbers.) Frankly, I think the thick books are just poorly written. The thinner ones are written with great precision and no wasted words. There is little or no repetition, as there sometimes is with the thick ones. Heaven and Earth is especially bad on that count. It must have been written in a hurry. The author is a scientist, not a professional writer. But that's what editors are for. Publishers should make sure their books are properly edited. But I digress.

Anyway, some of my favourites are:

Plagues and Peoples (William H. McNeill): This book is about the role played by epidemics in the course of history. Very interesting.

Pox Americana: The great smallpox epidemic of 1775-82 (Elizabeth A. Fenn) A similar theme to Plagues and Peoples, this one deals with the effects of a smallpox epidemic that raged during the American Revolution.

Mapping Human History: Discovering the past through our genes (Steve Olson); This book describes how the history of homo sapiens and their migrations can be revealed by the genetic code found in human populations today. Very interesting.

American Alone (Mark Steyn) Steyn's classic work on the decline of Western Civilization (except the only place where it isn't in decline).

A World Lit Only By Fire: The Medieval Mind and the Renaissance: Portrait of an age (William Manchester) The title suffices to tell you what the book is about. One of the most interesting feature in the book is a narrative about the voyage undertaken by Ferdinand Magellan, the first man to circumnavigate the globe, proving to his contemporaries that the earth was, indeed, round, along with several other things about the planet.

The American Revolution (Edward Countryman) This is more a social history than anything else. I did find it a bit hard to understand because it makes frequent mention of events and individuals that I am not familiar with. I think some basic grounding in the topic would have prepared me to better understand it. But, nevertheless, I still found it very interesting and learned a lot about the significance of the American revolution in the broader world.

Anti-Americanism (Jean-Francois Revel) A great little book by a Frenchman, that picks apart, and leaves shredded on the floor, many of the memes promoted by European leftists with their ethnocentric, snobbish, phony contempt for America. A fascinating read.

What's So Great About America (Dinesh D'Souza) Same thing.

But seriously, not all my books are about the US. I just happened to grab a bunch off my bookshelves and carted them downstairs to my computer room.

Left Out: Saskatchewan's NDP and the relentless pursuit of mediocrity (John Gormley) The title is a play on words. John Gormley is a talk-radio host of the conservative persuasion. His book is a finely crafted evisceration of Saskatchewan's NDP. There's not much left of them, by the end of the book.

The Conflict of European and Eastern Algonkian Cultures 1504-1700: A study in Canadian Civilization (Alfred Goldsworthy Bailey) This is an excellent account, relying heavily on the Jesuit Relations, of the first encounters between, as the title says, European and Indian cultures. It was written long before political correctness entered the scene and made truth-telling verboten.

The European and the Indian: Essays in the Ethnohistory of Colonial North America (James Axtell) Another book in the same tradition, Axtell tells the truth about contact between Europeans and native Americans. One of the best essays in the collection is about the history of scalping and the preponderance of evidence relating to its North American origin.

Scalping and Torture (Frederici, Nadeau, Knowles) A skinny little book (my favourite kind) that documents clearly and proves that native North Americans practiced both of these techniques (now a taboo subject, of course, but this book consists of three essays first published in 1906, 1940 and 1941) long before the current PC nonsense arose.

The Ecological Indian (Shepard Krech III) This is also a gem of a book that completely skewers the notion advanced by the Indian Industry, that, contrary to Europeans, Indians lived in harmony with nature.

Guns, Germs, and Steel: The fates of human societies (Jared Diamond) A massive tome that handily explains why some peoples created advanced, highly technological societies while others never left the stone age.

The Little Ice Age: How climate made history 1300-1850 (Brian Fagan) This was published twelve years ago, before the AGW crowd reached their feverish and hysterical peak. The title says quite clearly what it's about; that most recent period in history that AGW scammers pretend never happened.

The Paleolithic Prescription: A program of diet and exercise and a design for living (Eaton, Shostak, Konner) A very interesting books about what early humans ate as they evolved and why we should try to eat the same way, today. Oh, and how early humans maintained a superb state of fitness. But since I don't have access to wildebeest and wild turnips, I have an excuse, and I'm sticking to it.

The Road Less Travelled: A new psychology of love, traditional values and spiritual growth (M. Scott Peck) Oh, man! This book has been the single most important read in my life. I've read it several times and could read it again. If your head isn't screwed on right (and whose isn't) this book is indispensable for getting you unmessed-up.

Don't Know Much About The Bible: Everything you need to know about the good book but never learned (Kenneth C. Davis) Just an interesting book chock full of info, often humorous, about what's in the Bible. And, unlike the Bible, it's written in modern English, so I was actually able to read it!

The Trouble With Islam: A wake-up call for honesty and change (Irshad Manji) You've probably heard of this one and of her. This very brave young woman dared to write about the religion of Islamism and, as if to prove her right, has had to live with body guards ever since.

Saddam Hussein: A political biography (Karsh, Rautsi) A detailed account of his rise to power and his legacy, once in the president's office. Lot's of blood and mayhem along the way.

What Went Wrong: Western impact and Middle Eastern Response (Bernard Lewis) A mercifully small book on a very large topic.

There. That's a sampling of the books I own. Now you know what sort of stuff I like to read.

How Many Times....

2012-01-23T18:46:00.000-06:00

...have we heard this threat before?

Canada could face native 'uprising' if Harper doesn't listen, chief threatens

A billion times? Those treaties contain a long forgotten clause saying that the Indians promise to obey the law. One that I think has been broken millions of times already, but like everything else about the treaties, the actual text of the treaties has long been passe as more and more absurdities are thought up by the Indian Industry and advanced as "treaty promises".

I say bring it on. I think it's time to tear up those documents anyway. Along with the Indian Act.

Just Because I'm Feeling Mischievious...

2012-01-23T13:44:00.000-06:00

...Male sex drive to blame for world wars: scientists

"The "male warrior" instinct means that men are programed to be aggressive towards any-one they view as an outsider, a study says.

In evolutionary terms, an instinct for violence against others helped early men improve their status and gain more access to mates, but in modern terms this can trans-late into large-scale wars.

In contrast, women are naturally equipped with a "tend and befriend" attitude that means they seek to resolve conflicts peacefully in order to protect their children, re-searchers said."

Okay. I'm ducking behind my computer. Go ahead, fellas. Prove them right. ;-P

About That Burka Ban

2012-01-23T12:29:00.000-06:00

Widespread support for burka ban, Jason Kenney says; Muslims salute minister for ‘courageous’ move

"A month after Canada banned Muslim women from covering their faces during citizenship ceremonies, Citizenship and Immigration Minister Jason Kenney says the policy has won widespread support.

Speaking at a Muslim Canadian Congress event honouring his “courageous decision,” Mr. Kenney said polling shows that eight out of 10 Canadians agreed with the decision while only 14% were opposed.

“It is only a sign of respect for your fellow citizens, when you are pledging to them your commitment to live in a community with them, to show your face and who you are and that your pledge is heartfelt and authentic,” he said."

[---]

"“The niqab or burka is a political tool by Islamists who wish to segregate Muslims into religious ghettos, cut off from mainstream society,” said Farzana Hassan of the Muslim Canadian Congress. “Islamists consider women who do not cover their heads and faces, which constitutes the vast majority, as sinners and lesser Muslims.”"

Now, Liberals and other sore losers will say; "Ya, but what do you expect him to say".

And speaking of sore loser liberals, here's an interesting article from Macleans.

The Liberals await heaven’s command

"It was like spending a frigid weekend huddled around the world’s biggest samovar, with 3,200-plus joyful Liberals, not one of them fitting my expectation that they had shifted categories from walking wounded to being the walking dead. Their joy is that, whatever else they might do in a future that remains a distant and ill-defined option, at least they can pretend that dreams still count. That even if the Earth moved last May 2, and left the one-time power barons barren of power, they exist, awaiting heaven’s command.

Assembled, they project the distinct impression that while they are in third—which is like having a one-way ticket to purgatory—they should still be heard. No longer members of Canada’s natural governing party, they are losers searching for a mission. Slip-sliding away, like drunks convinced they are holding up the lampposts. The Grits have yet to earn another chance to head an effective opposition. Beyond that, they can’t count on Bob Rae being the dream candidate who could lead them back to the Treasury benches. He has enough political baggage to fill an airport carousel. For some inexplicable reason, he reminds me of Sir John A. Macdonald’s line, “I do not say that all Grits are horse thieves. But I feel quite sure that all horse thieves are Grits.”"

RTWT

Those Pesky Humans...

2012-01-23T11:54:00.005-06:00

...were at it 10,000 years ago...but it was mostly climate:

Humans and Climate Contributed to Extinctions of Large Ice Age Mammals, New Study Finds

"The genetic history of six large herbivores -- the woolly rhinoceros, woolly mammoth, wild horse, reindeer, bison, and musk ox -- has shown that both climate change and humans were responsible for the extinction or near extinction of large mammal populations within the last 10,000 years."

How Mammoths Lost the Extinction Lottery

"Woolly mammoths, woolly rhinos and other large animals driven to extinction since the last ice age each succumbed to a different lethal mix of circumstances. This conclusion — the result of a huge analysis of fossils, climate records and DNA — hints that it could be more difficult than thought to identify the species at greatest risk of disappearing today."

Climate Change Caused Extinction of Big Ice Age Mammals, Scientist Says

"A renewed assault is being made on the popular idea that the mass extinction of large mammals in North America around 10,500 years ago was the result of human hunting.

The overkill hypothesis was first put forward more than a century ago and has been widely accepted for the past 30 years. But it does not square with the known facts and has become more a faith-based credo than good science, said Donald Grayson, an archaeologist at the University of Washington."

I wonder if a segment of the ancient human populations blamed their fellow humans? C'est la Vie. But it just goes to show that human ingenuity and adaptability can get us out of some pretty tight spots - like a changing climate, for instance.

Related: Let's have a moment of silence for all these creatures that used to walk on pretty much the same ground that I do but went extinct, not that long ago. (There's a great little map at the link showing the extent and retreat of the ice sheets during the last ice age bringing us into the contemporary inter-glacial period. Damn we're lucky!)

Great Moments In ...

2012-01-23T11:02:00.001-06:00

... Oh....

Plight of the Polar Bear

"It was August 12, about one month before the sea ice would reach its annual minimum extent after the summer melt, but a vast expanse of open ocean already separated Wrangel Island from the pack ice. Historically, sea ice remained near Wrangel for most of the year.

But climate warming has recently caused the ice to shrink dramatically, and now it’s absent in prime polar bear habitat throughout the Chukchi Sea for several months from mid-summer through late fall. Polar bears need sea ice for all essential aspects of their lives; so why was this bear swimming here?"

[---]

"If humans continue to burn fossil fuels and pump ever- increasing amounts of heat-trapping gases into the air, arctic temperatures will inevitably continue to rise, and sea ice will surely continue to shrivel. Will any polar bears survive anywhere in the wild by the end of this century if we simply carry on with business-as-usual?"

...oooh!

N.W.T. ups price paid for polar bear pelts to $1,750 as demand for the fur rises [Ed. Emphasis throughout mine.]

"Just as Ottawa is drawing up polar bear management plans and mulling the animal’s promotion to National Symbol, the Northwest Territories is now paying an extra $1,350 for polar bear hides.

Hunters in the Northwest Territories used to receive $400 when they submitted polar bear pelts to Genuine Mackenzie Valley Furs, a government-run fur marketer For this season, authorities have upped the figure to $1750."

[---]

"“Hide values have been quite high the last two years; largely reflecting international demand from emerging economies,” said Andrew E. Derocher, a biologist with the University of Alberta.

[---]

"Amid the threat of melting sea ice, Mr. Derocher said researchers rarely take issue with polar bear hunting. “I don’t know a polar bear scientist that hasn’t support subsistence harvests of polar bears — or even sport hunting of polar bears,” he said."

As Russia and China produce more billionaires, offices and homes bedecked in Arctic fur have become a sought-after status symbol. Threats to polar bear populations posed by melting sea ice have only sweetened the deal."

[---]

"Every year, about 450 polar bears are killed and skinned in Canada — largely by Inuit hunters in Nunavut."

[---]

"Amid the threat of melting sea ice, Mr. Derocher said researchers rarely take issue with polar bear hunting. “I don’t know a polar bear scientist that hasn’t support subsistence harvests of polar bears — or even sport hunting of polar bears,” he said.

Ironically, the spike in world demand comes just as domestic desire for polar bear pelts is evaporating. Mr. Derocher is also curator of mammology at the University of Alberta, and he said the program has received an influx donated polar bear pelts in recent months.

“Canadians seem to be saying ‘I don’t want my great uncle’s polar bear hide anymore’ … it’s become politically incorrect to have this threatened species on your wall,” he said."

Comments are worth a read, too. What a scam!!

Related: Record fox fur prices prompt N.W.T trapping hopes

Unintended Consequences

2012-01-22T16:25:00.002-06:00

We now have a batpocalypse crisis.

Of course, that's not nearly as bad as dead ducks.

Ian Plimer Again

2012-01-21T21:05:00.000-06:00

I've got about 30 pages left to read in his book. This a just a taste of what he deals with in Heaven and Earth: global warming, the missing science:

The End of the British Empire

2012-01-21T20:54:00.000-06:00

This is a great pair of videos. The first one shows, among other things, the division of India and the creation of Pakistan and the great flow of humanity heading both ways - Muslims to Pakistan; Hindus to India.

The second part shows the creation of Israel and the immediate aftermath, which includes the withdrawal of Britain from Palestine and the first of many Arab-Israeli wars; the bloody de-colonization movement in Africa and the achievement of independence for new African nations with terrible consequences in some of them; the exodus of Britons to Australia and Canada and the consequences for the indigenous people, the influx of Caribbeans to Britain; the granting of independence for the last few colonies - Rhodesia and Hong Kong.

Ah, history. As one of my history professors said: "history is just one damn thing after another."

Guess I Missed This...

2012-01-21T11:07:00.001-06:00

...due to Christmas and all. But it's a barn burner:

Three Years Under Obama

Men!!!!

2012-01-20T17:46:00.003-06:00

Disgusting.

Male bowerbirds trick females into sex

All's fair in love and war, I suppose.

Some supplementary material for your viewing and edification:

A Classic Case of...

2012-01-20T17:39:00.000-06:00

...wait fifteen minutes:

Canada's military orders 20,000 stress balls

MacKay puts the kibosh on Defence Department’s order of 20,000 stress balls

A Whole New Meaning...

2012-01-20T16:13:00.001-06:00

...to the word "gas". Well, maybe not, but this could explain why certain foods do seem to lead to situations where no one wants to sit next to you:

Genetically Engineered Stomach Microbe Converts Seaweed into Ethanol

Another article on the same topic:

Breakthrough in seaweed biofuel reported

Might just solve the non-existing AGW problem, too. Just like corn did.

But seriously. We will eventually run out of oil, so if we can have a suitable substitute all tested and ready to go by that time, that's gotta be good.

Love It!!!!

2012-01-20T15:14:00.002-06:00

"I for one am glad this President is defending our borders from the influx of illegal energy."

That's from the comments thread on a Free Republic entry with a link to this Calgary Herald article.

It's tongue in cheek, of course, but the Keystone XL pipeline just won't go away: American bloggers, commentators and politicians are doing it to death. But in this age of the 15 second soundbite, will it still be an issue later this fall when the presidential election campaign heats up?

I any case, here's a taste:

GOP Plots Path Around President on Keystone Pipeline

Obama’s Keystone decision ‘an act of nationalinsanity’

Rejecting Keystone is 'insanity': Samuelson

Thompson and the Keystone XL Pipeline

Be sure to read the comments, too, which are often as good as or better as a source of info than the article itself.

Canadian government responds to Keystone XL rejection

[Scroll down the page. The centre column headed Energy has several links to article (seven, altogether, at the moment) about this decision.]

Eyes Rolling

2012-01-20T13:10:00.000-06:00

And this is only the silly part of it.

Remember way back in the stone age, when I was in my late teens and early twenties, the argument that won the day and led to the elimination of the death penalty was that someone who had been wrongfully convicted might be killed by the state. Fair enough. But not only has DNA evidence poked at least some holes in that argument, but the leftards advocating on behalf of convicted criminals have carried their tear-jerker arguments, and modified them to modernize them, into the 21st century. Thus we get absurdities like the one dealt with in the clip above.

I have to wonder why these types would argue against the death penalty with the "what if we make a mistake" line of reasoning, but the "what if we make a mistake" line of reasoning is nowhere in sight today when it comes to issues like the one dealt with in the above clip or when it comes to early release of dangerous offenders from prison.

It's time for an honest discussion of the whole modern leftist/liberal approach to corrections and what it has and hasn't accomplished, including the unforeseen consequences, which the leftards do not want to acknowledge or even be exposed to. Instead, they keep repeating, like some worn out, sluggish mantra, that conservatives simply want to "punish" criminals. Just goes to show how out of touch they are.

Variations On A Theme

2012-01-19T16:02:00.005-06:00

The following is a guest post by Dave in Pa.:

The NDP has just had what they call a leadership debate in Toronto. By published accounts, the eight candidates spent their time agreeing with each other that NDP's "progressivism" and desire to nationalize all of Canada is a good thing. By contrast, those who disagree, particularly the Conservatives, Conservative PM Stephen Harper and Toronto Conservative Mayor Rob Ford are bad things. Good and bad, black and white, a simple moral code and worldview. In all this, they basically mirror the Liberal Party of Canada, which also just had its convention.

I have a theory that there are many threads of culture, past and present, that, for better or worse, unite what we call Western Civilization. Today, one of the "for worse", is what I call the International Disease of Leftista-ism. Today's neo-liberalism has nothing in common with Classic Liberalism. The fundamental beliefs of Classic Liberalism included limited government; free enterprise; constitutional government under the rule of law; un-fettered natural freedoms for all individuals, including freedom of speech, thought, religion, assembly and press.

This classic liberalism has nothing in common with today's neo-liberals, who, having toxified the word liberal in so many Westerners' minds, shifted their brand name and now call themselves "progressives".

International modern Western Liberalism, or Neo-Liberalism, strongly share certain attitudes and traits, a Western trans-national phenomenon. This holds true whether we're talking about British Labourites, Canadian Dippers and Liberals, Australian Labourites or American Democrats. These habits and traits include an assumption of enlightened intellectual superiority over moderates and conservatives, a secular theological sense of moral superiority over non-Leftistas, and a complete unwillingness to even consider that they may be wrong about something or ought to apologize to their electorates or anyone else about anything. Group-think, Double-think, New-speak saturate their minds.

Let's do some Western.Civilization.Connect.The.Dots - This Western "progressive" parallel provincialism, with these identical arrogant attitudes and intellectual and moral certainties are blatantly exemplified in this week's Newsweek cover. With an upward-looking photo of Barack Obama, the cover asks "Why Are Obama's Critics So Dumb?". In the Liberal Party convention, there's an implied and expressed sense of certainty ("...only their party understands Canada..."). Look back to the 2004 US Presidential election, when Bush beat John Kerry. In shock and mourning the day after Bush was re-elected, a major British Leftista national newspaper, the London Daily Mirror, had a post-election front page, referring to Bush's victorious vote total, proclaimed in massive-sized font, "How can 59,054,087 People Be So Stupid?"

Do you see the variations on a theme here? Only the progressive minds of the Liberal Party understand Canada. The eight leadership candidates of the NDP and their audience have no doubt that their "progressive" values and policies are perfect as is and should not be changed. Rather than ask Canadians why they voted Conservative, rather than move the NDP to the Canadian mainstream, the NDP "...want to bring the centre to us", as candidate Mulcair put it. All the correction that's needed is for the foolish Canadian majority who didn't vote NDP to improve their minds, to The NDP Way. The progressive minds at the London Daily Mirror have no doubt the 59 million Bush voters in 2004 were stupid. The progressive minds at Newsweek have no doubt Obama critics today are stupid.

So, there we have it. The West's "progressives" have The Truth. While they like to prattle on about "diversity", their faux diversity is superficial. One may be male, female, white, black, Asian, straight, gay, handicapped, whatever. All well and good. But true diversity, diversity of thought, is forbidden. The "progressive" secular theology is complete, unalterably correct and, if you disagree in any degree, you are stupid and evil. The NDP, Liberals, Democrats, the London Daily Mirror and Newsweek tell us so.

Elizabeth Chow Agrees With...

2012-01-19T15:36:00.000-06:00

...me (beginning at the 27 second moment):

The Mounties Get Their...

2012-01-19T13:18:00.000-06:00

...man.

That's not that far from here.

I like these stories. Fugitives from the law get their just dues in small town Saskatchewan courtesy of the sometimes red-coated mounties.

EEEEHAAAWW!

Frankly My Dear...

2012-01-19T09:39:00.000-06:00

...I'm getting a little tired of ex-wives thinking they should exercise their need for vengeance in such a public and destructive way. Makes me think, no wonder you're and ex-wife. Just grow up, will you.

Treading Carefully

2012-01-19T08:40:00.002-06:00

I have a daily delivery of an email alert regarding Pajamas Media's video offerings for non-members. This morning, this was one of the videos.

After you watch the video, you will have seen they are talking about the cowardly behavior of the Captain of the Costa Concordia, and blaming it on the feminist movement.

I want to talk about the feminist movement and whether or not I agree with Bill Whittle and his Trifecta buds. In some ways I do agree with them (they blame the "progressives", too), but not entirely.

Here's the thing. Cowardice, which the Costa Concordia's captain had in spades, has been around for centuries, nay, millennia. You can't necessarily pin that on either modern progressives or feminism. I think they are painting with too wide a brush. If someone other than the captain himself can be blamed, let's try his employer.

Still, it's interesting and enlightening to see how men feel about the traditional masculine role vis a vis women. After watching the video, have a read through the comments as well. Do women have to be helpless so that men can feel manly and needed? This is a minefield, if there ever was one, but my gut reaction is "man up" guys.

I will admit the modern feminist movement has gone to hell in a hand basket, but in its early days, it had worthy goals and it spotlighted real problems of inequality and discrimination. I felt it myself in my early 20s.

My younger sister encountered it once when she attempted to enroll in the "Renewable Resources" program at a post secondary college in Saskatoon, and was told by the head of the program that it was not for women. Only men could apply. Being the kind of feisty dame that she is, she made a big stink and the head man backed down. It wasn't long after that, that the program was admitting both men and women and churning out graduates of both sexes.

Indeed, most of the goals of the feminist movement of the early 1970s have been met, and where they haven't been met, they have been altered due to intelligent and truthful debate. For example, the wage differential can be explained, in part, by the fact that women are the ones that have babies and stay home with them when they are tiny and helpless. It just makes sense that the mother would be the one to do this. After all, when is the last time a man successfully breast-fed an infant? Consequently, women's careers are interrupted, leading to fewer years of experience and making them less attractive candidates for certain positions.

It takes sometimes several months to train a new employee who may be hired to replace a woman on maternity leave. With men, that problem doesn't exist. And besides that, I really do believe there are some critical differences between the way men and women think and behave that are hard wired.

Yet this is a topic that still needs discussion. Are there fewer manly men in the world because of feminism? Why should men have to perceive women as weak and needing protection in order to be secure in their masculinity? Why have the concerns of men regarding the consequences of the feminist movement not been addressed? And most importantly, why does life have to be so frickin' unfair?

Speaking of cowardly men and courageous men, have a listen to the recording and translation of the communication between an Italian coast guard man (a manly man, if there ever was one) and the ship's pathetic-excuse-for-a-man captain, Francesco Schettino, or Tiny Shit, as some are rightfully calling him.

PS: I think this belongs here.

From The Horse's Mouth...

2012-01-19T06:11:00.002-06:00

...Keystone is not dead, just put to sleep until 2013. I read something to this effect yesterday, but most of what I read was commentary that assumed it had been killed:

Denial of the Keystone XL Pipeline Application

"Today, the Department of State recommended to President Obama that the presidential permit for the proposed Keystone XL Pipeline be denied and, that at this time, the TransCanada Keystone XL Pipeline be determined not to serve the national interest. The President concurred with the Department’s recommendation, which was predicated on the fact that the Department does not have sufficient time to obtain the information necessary to assess whether the project, in its current state, is in the national interest.

Since 2008, the Department has been conducting a transparent, thorough, and rigorous review of TransCanada’s permit application for the proposed Keystone XL Pipeline project. As a result of this process, particularly given the concentration of concerns regarding the proposed route through the Sand Hills area of Nebraska, on November 10, 2011, the Department announced that it could not make a national interest determination regarding the permit application without additional information. Specifically, the Department called for an assessment of alternative pipeline routes that avoided the uniquely sensitive terrain of the Sand Hills in Nebraska. The Department estimated, based on prior projects of similar length and scope, that it could complete the necessary review to make a decision by the first quarter of 2013. In consultations with the State of Nebraska and TransCanada, they agreed with the estimated timeline."

TransCanada responds.

TransCanada Will Reapply for Keystone XL Permit.

PS: Also at the Keystone site is a detailed estimate of the jobs that will be created in the US during the construction phase. There's also a statement concerning the American companies that TransCanada currently does business with. All of these companies should benefit as well, when and if the pipeline is built.

I have to admit, Obama handled this one rather well and the Republicans rather amateurishly. Still, I hope Americans remember this come November and vote the bum out. He put the rantings and ravings of lunatic environuts ahead of the needs of unemployed citizens and that should make many, many people very upset.

Here's A Good Idea...

2012-01-18T18:51:00.000-06:00

...whose time may be just about here:

Red tape report touts 'one-for-one' regulatory rule

(Watch the video for a good description of the 'one-for-one' rule.)

Since it's the Conservatives who are proposing it, it may in fact be realized sooner rather than later. But I have been thinking lately, we need to have a 'one-for-one' rule with respect to legislation, too, not just regulations. Pass a new bill, and rescind and old ancient one. We could start with the Indian Act or, even more urgent, the legislation which created the Canadian Human Rights Commission.

Needless To Say

2012-01-18T18:34:00.001-06:00

...the Liberals do not like this ad:

Meanwhile, the media puts Boob Rae and the Liberals under the microscope:

Bob Rae the leading choice to lead Liberals: poll

"While interim Liberal leader Bob Rae remains coy about whether he plans to run for permanent leadership of the party, results of the latest poll suggest he is far and above the preferred choice of Canadians (Ed. It seems to me that should read 'Canadians of a Liberal persuasion') to lead the Liberals.
Twenty-one per cent of Canadians surveyed by Forum Research chose Rae over a slate of seven other candidates that included Mark Carney, the Bank of Canada governor, Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty and former NHL all-star goaltender Ken Dryden."

Nope. With the possible exception of Mark Carney, I wouldn't be impressed with any of them. But, maybe that's a good sign. Mind you, this is not necessarily the slate of candidates that will contest the leadership, either. It could, in fact, be even worse.

Bob Rae and beyond: potential contenders for the top Liberal job

"Rumours are there could be at least half a dozen Liberals who will take a run at the leadership including MPs Dominic LeBlanc, David McGuinty and Geoff Regan. Other names being floated are Calgary Mayor Naheed Nenshi, Vancouver Mayor Gregor Robertson and even Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty, the brother of the Liberal MP who gave a well-received keynote address to convention delegates."

No one on that list would get my vote, either.

Rae touts signs of federal Liberal party's revival on eve of convention

"Bob Rae says he sees plenty of signs the once-mighty Liberal party is bouncing back eight months after being handed its worst drubbing in Canadian history."

[---]

"In a speech to caucus, Rae enumerated what he sees as signs of life in the party many declared dead after the election:

— The Liberal party raised a record amount of money from the general public last year — about $9.5 million — despite the humiliating election loss. That includes more than $1 million raised in December alone in what Rae described as the most successful email campaign ever undertaken by the party. It's still only about half what the sophisticated Conservative money-Hoovering machine raked in, however."

Some revival.

Liberal tent has no walls or roof

"When the Conservative party gathered at the Ottawa Convention Centre in June, the turnout was impressive. When the Liberal party gathered at the Ottawa Convention Centre last weekend, the turnout was impressive. The Conservatives had energy. The Liberals had energy. The Conservatives had precocious young people who dream of chairing committees and shouting "point of order!" into a microphone. The Liberals had plenty of those, too.

But the Conservatives had something the Liberals did not. It is a core identity. And if the Liberals don't get one of those, they can forget about ever returning to power.

As all good brands are, the Conservatives' is simple. "Small government and individual liberty." That's it. The phrasing varies, and there are lesser components that can be added to the formula, but that's the core."

Gee. Isn't that the old but original definition of liberalism?

"The Liberals had a core identity once: "The party that governs."

There was no fixed ideological content. There didn't need to be. Political beliefs came and went but the Liberals were always in the centre, espousing the conventional wisdom of the day, and governing the country."

[---]

"So what happens when "the party that governs" no longer governs? It no longer has an identity.

Interim Liberal leader Bob Rae frankly acknowledges that he hears this all the time. But he insists there is a Liberal identity.

"We are who we are," he declared in a speech to the Liberal caucus last week. Rae was passionate. The speech was masterful. But "we are who we are" comes uncomfortably close to Popeye's "I yam what I yam," and is about as meaningful.

Of course Popeye went on to say, "I'm Popeye the sailor man," so he really did know who he yam. But Rae? He followed "we are who we are" with: "We are what we have been. We are the things we have fought for in the past and we are the things we are fighting for today and we will fight for in the future."

We are the sound of one hand clapping.

Still, give Rae credit. He recognizes that identity is the fundamental problem the Liberals face. So do lots of Liberals.

That's why "the resilient Liberal ideal" was a running theme in the convention and the party held open-mic sessions where anyone could step up and explain why they are Liberal. These were free-form gatherings. And they were truly free of form. Some people cited support for disabled people. Others waxed lyrical about the Charter of Rights. Laurier's free trade policy. National parks. Anecdotes about meeting Lester Pearson as a child.

This Liberal tent was so big it had no walls or roof."

The truth of the matter is, the Liberals would have to admit almost everything they have ever done and ever stood for (at least for the past 70 years) has been a disaster. They would have to admit they have grown arrogant and smitten with a sense of entitlement and are extremely contemptuous of the voting public. There is neither a drop of humility nor honesty in any of them. They are totally incapable of introspection. Unless and until they grasp that elemental truth, and find out what people want them to do, they will not govern again. They seem to think that pleasing card carrying Liberal Party membership is enough. Sorry folks, but there's some other people who count more on election days and until you find it in your nasty, cold little hearts to listen to them, you are, indeed, well and truly dead. Case closed.

Aye, Aye, Aye, Aye X 2

2012-01-18T13:05:00.000-06:00

No Keystone XL decision to announce, U.S. says

What the ****!!! What is he doing? Someone please explain.

Aye, Aye, Aye, Aye

2012-01-18T12:41:00.000-06:00

I think I should lay low today:

U.S. to reject Keystone XL: report

"The Obama administration is expected to announce Wednesday afternoon that it is rejecting TransCanada’a $7-billion Keystone XL pipeline project, according to the Washington Post.

“However the administration will allow TransCanada to reapply after it develops an alternate route through the sensitive habitat of Nebraska’s Sandhills,” said Washington Post."

[---]

"Americans for Limited Government President Bill Wilson was quick to condemn the Obama Administration’s decision — which has not been made yet — to reject the Keystone pipeline that would have transported oil from Alberta, Canada to the United States:

“Obama’s decision to say no to the Keystone pipeline is simply devastating to the nation’s economic recovery,” said Mr.Wilson. “The White House is more concerned with giving taxpayer-guaranteed loans to bankrupt ‘green’ energy firms that neither produce energy nor create jobs than with securing natural resources for the American people at a cheaper price and creating tens of thousands of jobs. Obama is officially a jobs killer.”

Now, if those Americans who lean to the right could just get their shit together and stop allowing the perfect to be the enemy of the good, maybe The One will be a one term president. Ya'think?

But maybe I should wait for The One to announce his decision.

A Bit Old Now...

2012-01-18T10:41:00.000-06:00

...but really rich:

Iran says Canada must cooperate with UN special rapporteur

"The Iranian government has taken Canada to task over the “dire” living conditions of its indigenous community.

According to Iran’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, on Monday Canada’s charge d’affairs in Tehran was summoned to the ministry where Iran’s “deep concern” over the “deterioration” of indigenous rights in the North American country was conveyed to Canadian officials."

Well, there you go. The Indian Industry has such good friends.

Haven't Heard Much...

2012-01-18T00:05:00.000-06:00

...about Gitmo detainees lately, have we.

Well, here's one:

Algerian court sentences ex-Gitmo detainee to 3 years in prison

That Stuff At The Bottom Of...

2012-01-17T15:56:00.002-06:00

...your sock drawer; maybe you should take another look at it. It could be 165 years old. And it could be valuable.

In Memory Of A Courageous Italian

2012-01-17T11:07:00.003-06:00

While there's lots of ink and pixels being pored out over the Costa Concordia cruise ship fiasco, especially about the shameful behavior of her captain and crew, I have another image of Italians that will stick with me forever, long after this fiasco recedes onto the back pages, and from there into history's dustbin of forgotten incidents. And that image is of one Fabrizio Quattrocchi, who minutes before his head was filled with bullets by Islamists in Iraq, cried out "I'll show you how an Italian dies." That man was one courageous dude who will do Italians proud for a good long time.

Oh, The Losers Are So Angry

2012-01-16T11:40:00.002-06:00

Someone from Singapore (!!) landed on this entry and attempted to post the following comment:

"Not many comments here. Gee I wonder why. Go suck a double double and fuck your secretary like good ole not born here Vic teows."

Oh, the good ole left. They are so diplomatic.

Look sweetie. Do you understand that the name Louise is feminine. I won't be "fucking" my secretary, even if I had one. I lack the necessary equipment. Besides that, I'm a great fan of Vic Teows and I agree with his take on things, so, too bad, so sad. Yours is the kind of comment that prompted me to begin monitoring comments. Congratulations on being banned for your stupidity.

PS: I suspect s/he's a Canadian citizen living and working in Singapore. Perhaps s/he's from Manitoba or Winnipeg, Vic Teows home turf. Anyway. This is one of the things that makes blogging so much fun. I can silence the idiots who don't know how to make their case without childish outbursts.

Is The Next Middle East War...

2012-01-15T21:20:00.000-06:00

...between Iran and Arab states? Arabs always lose wars, but maybe this one they'll win. I suspect they'll have some decent allies and when it's all over (ya right), things could be very different in the Middle East. But maybe not.

And While We're On The Topic...

2012-01-15T20:48:00.000-06:00

...of the Middle East, Strategy Page has an interesting analysis of Iran, Iraq, Syria ... and Mossad.

More Useless Blather From The UN

2012-01-15T20:39:00.000-06:00

The mighty United Nations flexes its formidable muscles again:

Disarm Hezbollah, U.N. chief tells Lebanon

"United Nations chief Ban Ki-moon demanded Friday the disarmament of the anti-Israel Lebanese Hezbollah movement, which had said his visit to Lebanon was not welcome."

And Hezbollah tells them where to go:

Nasrallah responds to Ban: Hezbollah won't disarm

Tongue in cheek analysis from Jihad Watch"

Morning Headlines

2012-01-15T12:10:00.008-06:00

You might know I spend a lot of time perusing the headlines at news.google.ca in order to feed my blogging habit. News articles from all over the world are delivered under several headings ranging from Top Stories, to Saskatchewan, Sports, Health, Entertainment, Science and so on. I don't usually look at Sports, Health and Entertainment, but concentrate on political news from all over the world and here at home, as well as science.

I especially like looking for the absurd. This morning, so far, several headlines have caught my attention and made be laugh:

Warming Arctic May Be Causing Cooler Winters In Eastern U.S., Europe

Yup. Must be.

UN chief tells Assad to end violence

Yup. That'll do it!!

Peel police officer hit by impaired driver

Dumb idiot. If you want to hit a car while you're driving drunk, why choose a police cruiser????

Ontario deep freeze won't last long

"Ontario is in the grip of a weekend freeze that is making it feel like -27 C, with the wind chill."

Oh, you people need to get a grip. -27 C with the wind chill is NOT a deep freeze!! It's positively balmy.

Liberals vote to legalize marijuana, retain ties to monarchy

The party aims to appeal to both the young and old, or is that to NDP voters? As I write this, I'm listening to the final speech delivered at the Liberal Party convention, delivered, of course, by its leader, Bob Rae. My God. He sounds like the old Dipper that he is. Is this the new Liberal strategy? Replace the NDP?? If so, BWHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!! Good luck with that.

Another Piece Of Space Junk

2012-01-14T15:25:00.000-06:00

Coming our way:

Government Cuts Civil Servants From Payroll

2012-01-14T14:56:00.005-06:00

Union whines.

"“This exercise is all about money and a government obsessed with the bottom line,” said Corbett."

And oh my God. Some of them are climate scientists!!

Environment Canada to get rid of 60 scientists

Expect the whining to reach feverish pitches.

"Not all surplus employees may end up losing their jobs. They could be needed elsewhere and be promised a “reasonable job offer.” Those without such an offer, however, have three options — they can collect a cash payments based on years of service; get an education allowance for retraining, or go on the priority list for a year in hopes of landing a job elsewhere in the public service."

Sounds like a reasonable severance arrangement to me, but what's with the "environment" spin?

The Death Of The Liberals?

2012-01-14T13:51:00.000-06:00

Personally, I hope they survive as a 3rd rate party so the centre-left and outright left will be badly split, allowing the Cons to come out on top for a good long time.

Yet More Evil From The Evil Harper Conservatives

2012-01-13T22:21:00.004-06:00

Conservative ridings to benefit from Service Canada closures

Service Canada, for those who may not know, is the Canadian government office that oversees unemployment insurance claims among other services. Interesting to see which Service Canada offices are being closed.

"Over the next three years, Human Resources and Development Canada plans to cut the number of offices that process EI claims from 120 nationwide down to about 20.

Of the 20 processing centres left standing, more than half of them will be in Conservative ridings and only one of them will be in a Liberal riding."

It's interesting to see which places the article's CBC author whines the loudest about.

"In Nova Scotia, several processing centres including Sydney and Glace Bay in Cape Breton — both in a Liberal riding where unemployment is very high — are closing their services.

But two sub-processing centres are being kept open — one in Defence Minister Peter MacKay's riding of Central Nova, the other in Conservative Gerald Keddy's riding of South Shore-St. Margaret's.

In Newfoundland, seven Service Canada offices including Gander and Corner Brook will stop processing EI despite their high unemployment rates.

Most of the work will be relocated to St. John's, where the economy is booming. But the one riding with a Conservative MP —Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs Peter Penashue — will keep its processing services open.

Penashue said this week he lobbied HRDC to keep the 12 jobs in Happy Valley-Goose Bay.

"The response was their positions will remain in Goose Bay and that is didn't make sense to consolidate Goose Bay operations into Halifax or St. John's and particularly when Labrador is on the mainland and it's a different region.

In Nova Scotia, several processing centres including Sydney and Glace Bay in Cape Breton — both in a Liberal riding where unemployment is very high — are closing their services.

But two sub-processing centres are being kept open — one in Defence Minister Peter MacKay's riding of Central Nova, the other in Conservative Gerald Keddy's riding of South Shore-St. Margaret's.

In Newfoundland, seven Service Canada offices including Gander and Corner Brook will stop processing EI despite their high unemployment rates.

Most of the work will be relocated to St. John's, where the economy is booming. But the one riding with a Conservative MP —Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs Peter Penashue — will keep its processing services open.

Penashue said this week he lobbied HRDC to keep the 12 jobs in Happy Valley-Goose Bay.

"The response was their positions will remain in Goose Bay and that is didn't make sense to consolidate Goose Bay operations into Halifax or St. John's and particularly when Labrador is on the mainland and it's a different region.""

[---]

"Other pockets of the country will see jobs moving from opposition ridings to Conservative ones as well:

- In Quebec at least three processing centres in NDP ridings ( Sept-Îles, Rimouski and New Richmond) are seeing their jobs transferred to the riding of Megantic L'Erable — which belongs to Industry Minister Christian Paradis.

- And, several EI processing centres that will remain standing in Quebec are located in ridings that up until last May were also Conservative: for example in Quebec City and the Saguenay.

- In Ontario, the Kingston processing centre in a staunchly Liberal riding is closing. That's despite the fact it had seen an infusion of resources in recent years to make it the central processing centre for mail from the northeast region of Ontario. Under the centralization plan, those mail processing services will now be shut down and moved to the Conservative riding held by MP Jay Aspen in North Bay."

All of those are places such as the Maritimes and Newfoundland, that have long had a reputation for being overly dependent on welfare and pogey, and in which the Employment Insurance rules encourage people to sit at home and do nothing, where there are no other jobs, rather than moving to the places where jobs are plentiful.

Far be it from a CBCer to explore that angle, though. Have they ever considered why Liberal and NDP ridings have such high unemployment rates? Could it be that those two parties are the parties of sit on your ass and whine about your entitlements rather and movers and shakers who actually get up and do things for themselves?

What's really going on here is the Conservative Party is beginning the process of breaking the long-standing welfare/entitlement mindset that has crippled the eastern provinces for generations. More power to them.

PS: The comments below the article are the typical CBC fan fair. They are hilarious in a sick sort of way. Too bad, so sad, folks. Look out for that steamroller. It's coming after the CBC, too, I think.

And In Other News...

2012-01-13T18:41:00.001-06:00

...Soldiers peeing on dead Taliban? Meh. Who cares? I think it's a good idea. Islamic fundies will be up in arms, but when aren't they. Smokes out the hypocrites, too:

Sorry, Hillary. I remember your husband's behavior and, more importantly, that for some strange reason you stood behind him. (Nah, who am I kidding. There's nothing strange about your position on this or on your husband's philandering ways. It's always been about power, with you, and nothing else.)

Leave It To The Cartoonists

2012-01-13T18:32:00.000-06:00

With a Liberal Party "renewal" process underway, you can bet there will be some great cartoons churned out in the big papers. Here's a good one. #8 is also pretty good, as is # 12, but # 12 isn't about Liberals, although there are parallels.

Keystone

2012-01-13T15:59:00.001-06:00

Not dead yet.

Pipeline pressure piling up on Obama

"President Barack Obama is coming under increasing pressure here to approve the Keystone XL pipeline. And it's not just from political opponents.

Industry associations and even organized labour are ramping up efforts to force the president's hand heading into November's election."

[---]

"And Republican lawmakers in Congress, who are making the pipeline a legislative priority for the upcoming session, are even drafting legislation that could wrestle away control of the Keystone file from the White House."

Word Gets Out

2012-01-13T15:38:00.000-06:00

Applications for shipbuilding jobs flood in from around the world

"Nearly 1,600 resumes, some from as far away as Russia and Dubai, have poured into Seaspan Marine and union offices from applicants hoping to work on $8 billion worth of federal shipbuilding contracts in British Columbia."

[---]

"Ottawa announced in the fall of 2011 a long-term, $35-billion national shipbuilding strategy that divided the work between Seaspan and Irving, with the Halifax facility winning $25 billion worth of work. Another $2 billion for smaller vessels is yet to be allocated."

And Speaking Of The Evil Harper Government

2012-01-13T15:24:00.001-06:00

Remember how leftards were so convinced the Harper Tories would take us all back to the dark ages, especially with respect to laws concerning sexual conduct between consenting adults? Well, another carefully nurtured and desperately grasped leftie meme is about to fall:

Justice Minister declares all same-sex marriages legal and valid

Remember when leftards - Liberal and Dipper alike - were sooooooo convinced the Tories would not tolerate gay marriage. You could almost sense the disappointment and the reluctance to admit to the reality when gay marriage was made legal BY THE CONSERVATIVES. I love it when leftards show how backward and out of touch they are. Please stay that way.

More From The Evil Harper Government

2012-01-13T14:53:00.001-06:00

It's about time. At least we know the Cons understand the new world that all this techie stuff has wrought.

Canada's election laws changing to reflect Twitter reality

"The Harper government will repeal the ban on communicating election results while polls are still open, bringing the law into harmony with the realities of today's instant communications.

The election night blackout was adopted in 1938 [Ed. During Liberal Party reign, making this another piece of the Liberal Party legacy to be undone], to prevent western voters from knowing the results of the election in the east when they cast their ballots."

By the time the left catches on, things will have changed again. They are soooo stuck in the past.

They Just Don't Get It

2012-01-13T12:30:00.003-06:00

I won't say anything more lest members of the party faithful are reading my blog. I wouldn't want to give them any clues as to what really ails them. Lord knows, they need some clues, and that just about sums it up.

There's A Name...

2012-01-12T17:04:00.001-06:00

...for my affliction.

Or as Bore in Victoria, BC says in the comments:

"O.M.G. does this mean I getting dumber from this website?"

Oh, It's A Good News Day

2012-01-11T15:54:00.001-06:00

Under Stephen Harper, the Conservative Party just keeps rolling along.

"Environmentalists are fearful that the Conservative government is planning to limit their advocacy role after Prime Minister Stephen Harper complained that groups flush with “foreign money” are undermining a controversial pipeline review.

Mr. Harper and Natural Resources Minister Joe Oliver stoked activists’ fears in recent days by lashing out at environmental groups that have taken money from U.S. donors to build opposition to the $6.6-billion Northern Gateway pipeline that would carry oil-sands bitumen to the British Columbia coast.

The Conservative-dominated Commons finance committee is set to begin a review of the charity sector, and several activists say government MPs have told business groups that the committee will look at the environmental sector’s transparency, its advocacy role and the flow of funds from outside the country.

PMO spokesman Andrew MacDougall dismissed as “speculation” the concerns that the government is targeting the environmental sector. He said Ottawa is focused on streamlining the environmental-review process so that groups can’t employ delaying tactics, echoing Mr. Oliver’s pledge to introduce new rules in the coming months.

James Rajotte, chair of the Commons finance committee, said the study is aimed at finding ways to make Canadians give more to charity."

I sure hope the outcome of this Committee's deliberations is a simple clarification and strenghtening of the rules for all charities - if you want taxpayer money, stay out of politics. Personally, I hope Mr. Bennett's fears are correct:

"John Bennett, executive director of the Sierra Club of Canada, isn’t reassured.

“I’m quite convinced that we’re the next on the hit list of this government that doesn’t know how to find compromises but only bully people,” Mr. Bennett said. “On the charitable status, we could have some significant challenges.” He added that he is concerned that the statements the Tories have made are intended to prepare the ground for a crackdown on environmental groups."

[---]

"“We’ve been told that they believe charity should be about churches, schools and hospitals and do not believe that advocacy should be funded by charities,” the official said."

[---]

"“Charities which do not pay attention to CRA's (Canada Revenue Agency's) assessing practices could find themselves forced to defend their activities in the courts, a costly and lengthy process.”"

Oh. You mean there might be consequences to shutting down industries and destroying economies!? YAHOO!!

Why, Thank You James!

2012-01-11T12:58:00.001-06:00

I must say, I agree!

H/T Dr. Roy

Egypt's Future

2012-01-11T07:04:00.001-06:00

I could be proven wrong, but I remain optimistic about Egypt and other countries in the Middle East. Here's a video (53 minutes long) that only bolsters my optimism. This video is about Egypt's future. Egypt has, for more than half a century, been a kingpin nation in the Middle East. What happens there not only matters throughout the region, but in many ways provides the template.

Can't Really Tell...

2012-01-11T05:31:00.001-06:00

...which side of the fence these scientists are on, but this should be interesting. But what's with the title? Ice cores MAY aid climate studies?

This has an aura of capitulation about it. At least the writers of the article aren't pushing any foregone conclusions. It will be interesting to see what results from their study.

Which reminds me, I'll have a new entry about Ian Plimer's book Heaven and Earth pretty soon as well as one about my very strange reading habits.

You Can't Make This Shit Up!

2012-01-11T05:18:00.001-06:00

You younguns won't remember the Doomsday Clock, but here we have it. These idiots think we are as close to nuclear Armageddon as we were during the Cold War? What fools!

I wonder what they would do, as diplomats and politicians, to ease the tension with Iran? I mean, really. Talk about being sheltered in an ivory tower!

That's What You Get...

2012-01-10T19:17:00.000-06:00

...when you make a product that's highly addictive. Twinkies somehow never made it on to my weekly shopping list, and there's a reason for that.

Twinkies Maker Preparing for Chapter 11 Filing

All good and delicious things must come to an end.

Another 'What'd I Tell Ya!'

2012-01-10T17:38:00.002-06:00

Appointments give Harper upper hand in Senate-reform battle

Said the same thing myself back here.

As for me, I'd rather see no senate or, failing that, a clear articulation of what the role of the senate should be. "Sober second thought" doesn't cut it. The only way to articulate a rational role for a senate, whether filled with patronage appointments or duly elected representatives, is to open up the constitution again. As I've said before, we've had enough time to figure out what's wrong with the constitution as it now stands, and there is an amendment formula which we haven't yet used.

The Fight Is On

2012-01-09T21:06:00.003-06:00

Further to this and this is this and this, this and this. Even the CBC gets in on the act. It must have pained and confused them to write about this story. After all, it's so contrary to their usual America bashing, global warming, anti-Conservative mindset.

And the foreign press has duly noted.

Now I Understand

2012-01-08T20:14:00.000-06:00

For a few years now, I have been curious about what seems to be deeply irrational hatred of Stephen Harper expressed by commentors on some of Canada's major media outlets (CBC, CTV, Globe and Mail, The Toronto Star).

Here is an excellent lecture by John Ibbitson on the "Collapse of the Laurentian Consensus". Quebec and Ontario's elite, Canada's traditional power base, living primarily in the two major cities along the St. Lawrence (Toronto and Montreal), are being replaced by the West and, as the power slips from the hands of Central Canada, they are scared. The world is changing around them and they are not in the drivers seat. Western Canada is. You can even see the fearful hatred in the comments below this TVO video: The Collapse of the Laurentian Consensus. You are no longer the Centre of the universe and you are whining like babies. That's why we in the West must be portrayed as bigots and racists, even though the truth is not only totally to the contrary, but staring anyone who looks, in the face. Welcome to the new Canada, folks.

Speaking of...

2012-01-08T16:59:00.002-06:00

...reading Plimer, here's a great video in which he summarizes the facts that the CAGW crowd doesn't want you to hear, or, more to the point, sticks their fingers in their own ears and goes nah, nah, nah, nah, nah, nah.

Must Have Something To Do....

2012-01-08T14:49:00.000-06:00

...with the cold climate. But you'd think it would be the other way around, wouldn't you?

h/t SDA

What Ezra Said...

2012-01-08T13:24:00.002-06:00

A non-foreign affair

"This is a Canadian matter, and Canadians should decide it. Unlike the proposed Keystone XL pipeline that would have crossed into the U.S., we don't need another country's permission."

[---]

"The federal government's review panel begins public hearings this week. But the bureaucrat in charge, Sheila Leggett, has done something bizarre: She opened up the hearings to foreign citizens, foreign lobbyists and even foreign governments.

Here's what Leggett says on her website: "Our job is to make sure that everyone who wants to talk to us about this project has an opportunity to be heard," she says. "We'll take whatever time it takes to ensure that everybody's views are heard."

The world's Canada-bashers laughed, then signed up to testify. Almost 5,000 of them. Including Hugo Chavez's state-owned oil company, CITGO. Including foreigners from Uruguay to Louisiana to Italy to Austria.

Then something really crazy happened. To ensure all those foreigners have time to talk, Leggett announced she was adding an extra year to her review.

Instead of telling foreigners to butt out, Leggett told Canadian workers to lean on their shovels while she listens to people who don't live here, work here or have any connection here."

Previous.

Riiiight

2012-01-08T13:16:00.000-06:00

PM filling Senate with party hacks: Opposition

You're just jealous the NDP have never had the opportunity. Besides, it looks like Harper is close to having the desired scenario in the "upper" house which will allow him to implement long overdue senate reforms, and, if he succeed, the days of patronage senate reforms will be gone for good. Dion, you should be crying in your beer. A long standing Liberal tradition should soon be history.

I have to admit, though, that Charlie Angus is right when he says: "The Senate is an anachronism. If you really want democratic change, ask the Canadian public whether they want to keep paying for these guys."

I think they've done that Charlie. That's one of the reasons the Cons have a majority. Interesting times ahead.

More Global Warming Hucksterism

2012-01-07T23:42:00.000-06:00

Climate change castaways?

Brace Yourselves For A Fight!

2012-01-07T23:29:00.000-06:00

Foreign money and foreign interests are sticking their noses in where they don't belong. Go visit Our Decision: Canada's Northern Gateway Pipeline and add your voice to the chorus of Canadians sending a message to Joe Oliver, Minister of Natural Resources.

What'd I Tell Ya?

2012-01-07T18:29:00.000-06:00

NDP must say bye to its baby boomers

Aging old gray-haired hippies who haven't had a new idea or a clue in their lives need to be given the golden handshake. But who is waiting in the wings, I wonder? Young radicals of today who are the ones most likely to gravitate to the NDP and they are so deeply immersed in leftwing stupidity, they wouldn't be much better. I remain hopeful that the province that gave us agrarian socialism is firmly set on burying it...at least six feet under.

I Wonder...

2012-01-07T17:47:00.001-06:00

...what our resident eco-freaks will do with this?

Ceremony planned for Regina’s 1912 tornado

"For 10 minutes, it tore through the streets of Regina, unannounced and unwelcomed, and levelled everything in its path. The aftermath was 28 dead, 200 injured and $1.2 million in property damage.

The June 30, 1912 tornado remains the deadliest in Canadian history."

Regina's population in 1912 was roughly 30,000. There's a good chance that if a tornado sweeps through the city in 2012, many more people would die and the destruction would be much greater, for the simple reason that the city has grown (population now ~ 195,000). Eco-freaks will be certain to attribute the death and destruction to global warming, though.

Just as a point of interest, the second most destructive tornado in Canada is the one that hit Edmonton in 1987. Global warming was supposed to have been already in full swing. Never heard anyone blame it, though. It hadn't yet become vogue.

Iran's Posturing...

2012-01-07T17:15:00.000-06:00

...two good articles on the most recent bluster and bravado coming from the Mad Mullahs:

Iran's Bluff?

Iran threats churn fears of higher oil prices

Tense times.

When Did We Get A New Flag?

2012-01-07T16:55:00.000-06:00

I miss out on so much.

First Impressions

2012-01-07T13:42:00.002-06:00

UPDATED AND BUMPED: A bit of her family's history: Victims of the 1979 revolution.
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Have a listen to this talk by Peter MacKay's new bride. Not bad. Not bad at all. At the 16:40 minute mark she says something that absolutely/automatically puts me onside with her. She wants to dismantle the United Nations!!! Now there's a cause that I could get behind.

Another point. She describes the situation in Iran which to my mind puts the lie to the Occupy-Whatever-Park-Is-Close-To-You movement and shames the silly groupies who were all gaga about it (like Saskboy).

Well La De Dah!!

2012-01-07T13:10:00.000-06:00

CBC examines itself and finds itself blameless.

Why Is It So Warm Out?

2012-01-07T13:06:00.000-06:00

Could it be the perihelion? (Yah, I'd never heard of that term before, either. But, as the sane climate scientists tell us, it's the sun, stupid.)

But some people haven't got the message yet. Those in the MSM, especially:

Anthropogenic climate change set to trigger tipping points

"Yes, there have been past periods of warming and cooling, but the difference now is the extreme rapidity of this warming.

Planetary scale change is normally quite slow, but anthropogenic warming is happening at an alarming rate."

Heavy sigh. Read Plimer, you idiot.

Canadian seal cull 'unnecessary due to climate change'

"Up to 80% of the seal pups born in 2011 were thought to have died because of lack of ice, according to the department of fisheries and oceans. The study adds additional weight to the long campaign by animal protection groups against the seal hunt.

IFAW said on Thursday that Canada should work towards ending the commercial seal hunt for good, compensating the hunters and retraining them for other jobs."

Yup. That'll reverse the warming trend.

Huh??!!??

2012-01-07T11:02:00.000-06:00

I've often wondered why the American system of choosing their presidential candidates was so difficult to understand. Now I know why:

Primaries and caucuses in Canada? Why not

Personally, I'm quite content with our current system. Leadership conventions last a single weekend and general elections last 60 days max. The Americans, poor souls, have to endure months and months and months of it.

Punishment A'Comin'

2012-01-06T14:44:00.001-06:00

Forecast says we're in for +9C on Tuesday. That'd be January 10th, when it's normally -40C or something equally unpleasant. Whenever we have exceptionally warm weather in a normally cold month, I can't help but think we'll pay for it come July.

Nevertheless, I like this climate change business. I mean, how bad can it really get in July? Nothing's worse than -40C, except perhaps -50C. And it sure ain't gonna dip that low in July, a least not until the next ice age.

Skeptics Making Sense

2012-01-05T15:50:00.001-06:00

With thanks to Paul at Celestial Junk and Pajamas Media for their links, yesterday, and again this morning, I watched all the videos made available on this site.

These are global warming skeptics giving testimony before the Canadian Senate hearing arguments about global warming and what governments should do in response. Some very interesting points were made which I will highlight here, as well as some observations regarding politicization of the debate. Beginning with the later, note in the final video that a Liberal Senator attempts to blame the Harper government for muzzling government scientists, thinking (or pretending) he is echoing testimony given by Ross McKitrick, one of the scientists appearing before the Senate committee. Thankfully, the scientist (McKitrick) corrects him. In the same video, the same senator claims that the skeptics are a tiny minority, but again, one of the scientists (Patterson) corrects him by saying "Our viewpoint is presented by large numbers of researchers out there."

The senators' political affiliation is shown on a bar beneath them. It is quite revealing to see that the senators that are almost hostile, or at the very least, unwilling to hear what they are being told, are all members of the Liberal Party, while those that are open to the testimony are Conservatives. Once again, we have evidence of Liberal arrogance, which, if the party really wants to survive, ought to be duly noted by the rank and file. I won't be holding my breath, though.

Another interesting feature are the links to publications authored by the skeptical scientists appearing before the Senate Hearing. Of note, are two by Ross McKitrick on the problems with the IPCC. You can find these here and here.

Check it out. Well worth the two or three hours you might have to spent in front of the small boob tube.

And while you're in front of the small boob tube, have some fun:

Climate change quiz

Pick Copps, Please....

2012-01-05T10:17:00.000-06:00

...What's bad for you, is good for the country.

Holy Cow!!

2012-01-04T18:15:00.000-06:00

"Canada's sexiest male MP" just got hitched!!

Too bad, Condi. You snooze, you lose.

Saskboy Stomps Off...

2012-01-03T16:59:00.000-06:00

...sucking his thumb:

"The weather has been quite unusual for most of the year, especially in Regina where it’s been hovering around zero degrees Celsius through most of December! Reality deniers will try to say these sorts of extremes happen all of the time, or happen naturally, and they’d be correct except they are happening in the context of humans polluting the atmosphere at an increasing rate never achieved before in human history."

Earth to Saskboy. Earth to Saskboy. Warmer winters doesn't prove a thing about "humans polluting the atmosphere". It doesn't even prove that humans are the cause of anything. Throughout history, the earth has been much warmer than it is now, without a corresponding increase in CO2 and there have also been many periods when concentrations of CO2 in the atmosphere have been much higher than they are now with no corresponding increase in temperature. I can see you sucking your thumb as you drag your teddy bear off the stage. Don't let the door hit your teddy bear on the way out.