Sister Sage's musings

The Beatch is Back!

2009-12-31T20:53:00.000-08:00

Yes, indeedy! The bitch is back. However, she now has a new home. She now resides at

http://sistersagesmusings.ca/

Sister Sage's Musings is also sporting a new look.

I hope you will all continue to follow me there.

Happy New Year All!

Getting There - Feel free to advise

2009-12-26T18:29:00.000-08:00

I had no idea how difficult it can be to upload a page to your own site if one is not that technically savvy. I had no idea how difficult it is to build a wordpress blog in your own domain.

Wordpress is installed, but nowhere near ready. I want to build my own theme from scratch in photoshop as I don't want to have another cookie cutter and end up with the same theme as bloggers I find excrutiatingly annnoying like Iceman. However, I'm somewhat discouraged after all the complications trying to install wordpress on my server.

I have researched tutorials, but some argue one has to put all of this into Dreamweaver before putting it to wordpress. Plus, how to add the widgets afterwards (rss subscribe buttons, blogrolls, facebook and twitter links, etc. , etc.).

Some suggested artisteer and am playing with the trial version, but up to date; not that impressed with it as I can't have the dimensions of my columns as I like, leaving lots of blank space on the sides. It all has the same layout types. I would have to purchase a version to be able to get full use out of it (there is a watermark and can't save with trial version). I'm not sure if it is worth buying.

Anyhow, back to the drawing board. Will post here when my show has moved once & for all.

Please, if anyone has advice, please leave it in the comments section to this post.

Oh, I hear Steve may prorogue again. Could he stay away for good this time? Or is that wishful thinking on my part?

Season's Greetings To All!

2009-12-24T04:08:00.000-08:00

Forget poliical incorrectness or correctness. This is my standard greeting for all.

I will be back sometime in January if all goes well. I will post then.

Had no idea how complicated it was to create your own blog. All that techie stuff. Learning as I go.

I'm still smoke free.

I wish all a Season's Greetings and all the best in 2010!

The following video features "River" probably my favourite Christmas song as it is not cheesy like everything else contemporary music would have to offer during the holidays.

I like the song because unlike most of the usual cheesy fair, this song is a sad one, just like how Christmas really is. It represents how I feel this time every year: I too, want to skate or fly off somewhere or just get away from this holiday ambiance.

Sara Mclaughlin would later sing a version of "River", but I prefer the Joni Mitchell version. I also like the slide show here. Enjoy!

A Short Hiatus from this Blog

2009-12-09T19:25:00.000-08:00

To Let the readers know I'm taking some time off. I'm hoping not too long, though.

Perhaps I will have a post here or there, but not as often, at least, for the next while.

First is, after over a month of having quit smoking, I'm really not me anymore. No creativity. No patience for research.

My job description changed along with a new schedule and it's somewhat tiring, particularly when not arriving home until way after 19;00 in a snowstorm.

I have to start making a dent in building my website; haven't even thought of a design yet; again, the creativity issue.

Furthermore, my father is quite ill and thus, pretty much any project is on hold these days or at least, only short term commitments.

I hope to be able to at least post something once a week; this will be my very short goal.

Time Flies When You're Having Fun...Or Not!

2009-12-07T17:03:00.000-08:00

It is exactly a month ago today I quit smoking and I'm still around to tell the tale.

I have gained another 10lbs or so...so not good! I was already overweight to start off with. I certainly didn't need the added weight, now did I?

I have somehow managed to continue to keep my blog active, but with great difficulty. I find that creativity has wained off and so has my patience. As I mentioned earlier, I wanted to design my own blog layout instead of being trapped on some site's cookie cutter. I used to love photoshop. Used to be soooo creative with it. Now I can't even come up with a design for it.

I have, however, tapered off making fun of Romper Room. That's only because the Blogging Tories have become boring and predictable. They're all writing about the same fricken thing, it's uncanny: 'climategate', their now favourite subject. Even Dodo Can't Spell is starting to get boring.

Wouldn't all just love the irony if most try quitting New Year's Day as part of those New Year's Resolutions and I were to start again??

Yah, still standing; still blogging such as it is...

Liberals Deja Vu: Will They Ever Learn?

2009-12-06T19:52:00.000-08:00

I was just scanning the Blogging Tories to see if anyone recently posted anything about the 20th anniversary of the Polytechnique massacre. They haven't. They're getting awfully predictable for the most part: most posting about their new favourite subject: Climate change, or as they like to call it: Climategate. However, I came across something different at Unambiguously Ambidextrous. His posting not only caught my eye because it didn't discuss Climate change (climategate); but he discussed something that was questioned this morning on Question Period: Where is Iggy? No one is really hearing from him these days but Bob Rae is certainly making quite a bit of noise these days. Oh this is disconcerting: can anyone say: "Deja-Vu"?

I found the article that blogger refers to in the Toronto Star. Oh yes! This is Deja-Vu and it looks like Iggy is being pushed out the door and that he is pretty much alone in supporting the HST in Ontario and B.C.. Sound familiar? It should...it's exactly how the Liberals treated Stephane Dion. Dion had no support and then was kicked to the curb.

It's about time Iggy left. He pulled this shit with Dion; this would be Karma. Besides that and more importantly, he will never improve his numbers for the Liberals. He was never a suitable leader and certainly, not quite PM material.

Stevie and Harpercon scandals, like checquegate/logogate and torturegate: Unpopular measures like the HST and their blatant lack of interest in the environment as well as failures like the unrolling of the H1N1 vaccine should not only have sent their numbers plummeting, but should have raised the Liberals' numbers. While the NDP made some gains, they certainly weren't significant enough to lower Harpercon numbers to well below majority territory.

Had the Liberals had a stronger, more suitable leader Harpercon numbers would most definitely have plummeted and the N.D.P. numbers would have remained more or less the same.

Angelo Persichilli, the author of the above mentioned Toronto Star article even predicts that we will be hearing about Iggy resigning before the year is out. Already, Iggy has been incognito as of late. However, it seems that yet again, the Liberals are going to select another former runner up of 2006, simply because he's there. Although, to hear some party members tell it, they seem to honestly believe Rae is the only one they can trust in that party. Oh boy, this is not going to turn out well for them; in fact, it would be suicide. No, they should take the time to find someone suitable; someone who can beat actually beat Stevie but actually get a majority; with or without the popularity of the Bloc Quebecois.

If Bob Rae were to lead, he wouldn't be able to win Quebec or Ontario outside of Toronto; two provinces that actually make governments. Steve has proven to be quite effective with the art of attack ads against Dion and Iggy. The ad against Rae would be something along the lines of "Don't let him do to Canada what he did to Ontario" and other ads to remind Canadians of Rae's baggage.

This would most certainly let Stevie loose with a majority.

I saw that Persichilli also hints at other potential leaders like David McGinty and Justin Trudeau. If Rae, McGinty and Trudeau would be our only choices to lead the party and potentially become prime minister, I would pick Trudeau, simply because he would be lesser of the evils; the only one who could potentially send Stevie packing.

I had reservations about Justin Trudeau leading the Liberals and I still do, but I have to hand it to him: he did something most of us in Quebec never believed he would be able to do: unseat Vivienne Barbeau, the popular Bloc MP in Papineau riding, a riding made up of folks who either haven't a clue as to who his father was or those who still hate his father. My reservation is that he still hasn't passed enough tests and he still needs more political experience, but who knows? Maybe if the Liberals can unite and stand behind him, it might work. Unless he really screws up big time; worse than Iggy even, Trudeau would already be a step up.

Also, if we were to follow Liberal tradition, they should pick someone who is French speaking from Quebec. Excluding Dion, this has proven to be a formula that worked for the Liberals in the past, like Louis St-Laurent, PE Trudeau and Jean Chretien. Hell, it even worked for stint under the former Progressive Conservatives with Brian Mulroney. Say what you will about him and yes, he was not a great PM but he was the most successful Tory PM for Quebec. Even Liberal PM, LB Pearson could only garner minority governments.

I had read in the past various musings about Martin Cauchon potentially taking over. Someone with more experience than Justin Trudeau. He was justice minister and was instrumental in putting forward legislation legalizing same-sex marriage; something that should appeal to progressives. However, I can see two potential roadblocks: that Denis Coderre temper tantrum awhile back and he doesn't hold a seat yet and wouldn't be able to do so until the next general election.

Forget Denis Coderre, his temper tantrum proved he didn't put the interests of his party first.

I don't think the Liberals should shop for any outsiders at this time: no time for political experiments here.

I only hope they do the right thing and there is competition to go up against Rae.

Liberals, choose wisely this time: you can't afford another dud for a leader. Do this before Stevie and the Harpercons turn us into Bush era America.

Who's Pushing What Agenda on this Very Sad Anniversary?

2009-12-06T17:57:00.000-08:00

I had been reading the various articles about the anniversary of the Polytechnique Massacre. What really is catching my eye today is the comment board from an interview between Ingrid Peritz of the Globe and Mail and Nathalie Provost, one of the surviving shooting victims from that horrific day at the Ecole Polytechnique on December 6, 1989; twenty years ago today.

This year, I have heard that stale argument that the gun registry would not have prevented Marc Lepine from shooting those women.

I have heard from some who believe the victims are being exploited for the gun control and feminist agenda.

Well, actually, those very same people are using this tragedy to push their racist agendas due to the fact Lepine was half Algerian. Even though Lepine was baptized a Catholic and his mother, Monique says that he was a "a confirmed atheist all his life" No matter, many Canadians have and are still using this anniversary to promote the hatred of Muslims.

Here is a goody from ACsial:

"There is also an unfortunate bit of Stockholm Syndrome at work, here. Gharbi was no poor, misguided little boy--he was a piece of human garbage and as good an argument for legalised abortion as any. 'Practicing Muslim', or not, he was raised in that culture's rotten misogeny by his violent father...and--like those Taliban who squirted acid on girls' faces--isn't getting 72 Houri in heaven."

Here is a racist not only promoting his agenda but also a very misinformed individual.

Lepine's mother separated when he was just 6 years old. He and his little sister Nadia were raised by his mother, a French Canadian all of their lives and never saw their father again. What part of Islam or Algerian culture could have influenced him? He changed his name to Marc Lepine at age 14, a sure sign that he renounced his father. More on Lepine here.

I guess I shouldn't be surprised to see the likes of Norman Spector publish racist drivel, inciting the racists to make paralells between Lepine and the Taliban all the way in Afghanistan. Ol' Norm also has the gall to suggest that if reporters were less politically correct in reporting this massacre, we may actually know the 'real' reason behind Marc Lepine's rampage.

"In the wake of the Fort Hood massacre, there was considerable soul-searching in the U.S. media about politically-correct reporting on the murderer. I don’t have a satisfactory explanation of these horrific multiple murders in Montréal either, but perhaps we would have been closer to one had the mainstream media done a better job reporting on this incident over the years."

I also find it amazing that these Islamaphobes tend to think that being a misogynist is reserved only for Muslims or anyone from that part of the world. I worked for two misogynists; neither one was Muslim or even of Middle-Eastern origin.

Perhaps it's just a slow news week for Spector. Most of his article was quoting the Montreal Gazette's Janet Bagnall's column.

Last night, I said the anniversary should serve as a reminder that we need tighter gun control laws. I pointed out another irony of those Harpercons to push to be tough on crime, while at the same time removing a tool from law enforcement to help them do their work.

Well, when I saw the comment board to the G and M interview with Ms Provost, I was shocked at how many Canadians were not only pushing for scrapping that long gun registry, but advocating for no gun control. They seem to envy Americans who walk around toting guns on the street legally.

Here's a goody from a redneck who calls himself Trozz:

Trozz: "Ms. Provost and women like her should learn how to defend themselves against a psychopath. Instead of wanting the power and confidence to be able to stop guys like 'Marc Lepine' from harming good people, they want the government to do it for them. And for some reason, these 'engineering graduates' actually believe a bunch of 0's and 1's would protect them from violence.

Instead, we should be focused on training these women to defend themselves against violence. That will ultimately lead to their safety."

Oh, that is just wrong! I'm wondering if that was an American troll? Although, if one read the comment boards on the Globe and Mail, they would see that our friend, Trozz, is not alone. Frightening to say the least!

From that comment, I can only infer that he wants everyone to pack a gun. Teaching women to defend themselves? Am I the only one who sees how unintelligent that sounds?

I wonder if Nathalie Provost, who did attempt to reason with Lepine, would agree with that? She confirms that Lepine was obviously deranged:

"He wasn't someone who wanted to relate. Marc Lépine was in an altered state. You have to be, to do something like he did; basic human nature doesn't let you. The man I saw wasn't someone who was focused on his acts, and he didn't want to relate. The eyes were dark"

Are Trozz and those who share his beliefs suggesting that everyone in schools should pack a gun?

Let's assume that someone at the school did brandish a weapon: What good would that have done? Lepine was a madman on a mission: to kill women. Someone like that would not be afraid of a loaded gun pointing at them, if anything, it would have made him crazier. They generally don't care about their own safety. This was a man who felt he had nothing left to lose; that life as he knew it was over. Does one honestly think pointing a gun at someone like Lepine that day, or even Kimveer Gill, the shooter of the Dawson College shootings in 2006 would have scared them away? Not likely. In fact, there would have been far more casualties. Do we really want our schools or even our workplaces and other public places turning into the OK Corral?

Pittsky: "...See the organizations that debase the memory of these women for what they really are: A group of angry, scared and grieving people who would rather blame men and guns for all of their problems than tackle the real issues. "

To say that women's groups and so many others are blaming men; all men for the Polytechnique Massacre is oversimplifying things to say the least. If this were true, many of those surviving women would never have gotten married or had children, like Nathalie Provost, herself.

Pittsky: what are those real issues? The issue is violence. Another would be how those with mental health issues have fallen and still do fall through the cracks. Definitely more needs to be done about mental illness. More needs to be done to prevent violence: violence in general; not just against women. All have a right to be safe in their schools as well as anywhere else.

There are many who feel that Ms Provost is not qualified to talk about gun control. I think that staring at the barrel of a gun, watching your life flash before her eyes definitely qualifies her.

Many speak of the militant feminists. Nathalie Provost never considered herself one. As she said, they were just women who were studying to achieve their chosen profession: engineering. This was exactly what she told Lepine when she was trying to reason with him.

Here's a doozy from Durward: It resembles Pittsky's comment, but goes nuttier. I was waiting for some right wingnut to somehow use the big bad 'S' word improperly. Here goes:

"I'm so sick of hearing about this issue that was high-jacked by feminists and socialists to promote their warped views on guns and to name all men as mad gun crazed killers.
Most Canadians have long since forgotten this crime committed by a deranged individual, but not the anti-gun crowd, they want to revisit it every yr as a tool to push their agenda, they don't care about these women's deaths, just how to use them for political gain.
God how I hate socialists."

So now, 'socialism' is now going to play a part from those weird fringe groups on the anniversary of the massacres. I would be worrying about Durward's mental state right now. In fact, if any policemen are reading this, I would check to see if he has any weapons and then confiscate them. That kind of manic hatred is what leads to activities of the Kimveer Gills, Valery Fabrikants and Marc Lepines of this world.

The rantings of a socialist hater. I seriously doubt he's actually met a socialist or has even lived under a real socialist regime; thus, another type of ignorant prejudice exhibited here.

I wasn't aware that wanting everyone to be safe and having gun control to achieve this end was socialism. Even if it were: is it bad to want to feel safe in school, work or just walking from point A to Point B

They say that the best revenge is success. While many, understandably after such a traumatic incident would have quit school, and even given up life; survivors like Nathalie Provost and Heidi Rathjen have grown into successful women without wearing the badge of militant, man hating feminist as some rednecks would believe.

Ms. Rathjen would go on to complete her engineering degree, get married and have a daughter and fight tirelessly for gun control.

Ms Provost would not only graduate but stayed at Polytechnique to complete her master's degre. She is now the director of strategic planning for the Quebec civil service. Today, like so many career women, she is balancing career with raising four children. Like so many parents, she tells her daughters they can be anything they want to be.

Below are some statistics posted on Antonia Z's page on how firearm homocides have
declined. Here is further evidence from Statitistics Canada showing how domestic homocides by firearms have declined from 1974 - 2007. Here are more statistics proving that the gun
registry does indeed work.

Yes, of course we must remember this horrific anniversary as well as those of the Dawson shootings and the Virginia Tech and Columbine shootings in the U.S. How are we supposed to learn if we don't remember the past?

The reason the anniversary the Polytechnique massacre is of particular importance to feminism is that this particular gun man was motivated by his hatred of feminists. Here is a copy of his suicide note proving as much.

Sorry to disappoint, Norman Spector, we already know that Lepine's blaming feminists for his own failings in life were the cause. No question of political correctness on the part of media here. And no, no Islamic influence here.

As Heidi Rathjen pointed out, the gun registry really doesn't cost Canadians all that much. Nine million is a small price to pay to keep everybody safe. Antonia Z points out here that is more expensive to not have gun control, which the Harpercons are no doubt striving for.

Canadian Cynic and Antonia Z had noticed there were no postings commemorating the massacre over at the Blogging Tories. Should we be surprised? They're an uncaring group After reading from like-minded commentators at the Globe and Mail: do we really want read anymore racist, socialistphobe drivel?

For those anti feminist, pro-gun nut, socialistphobics and racist anti Muslims: Who exactly has an agenda to push by commemorating the anniversary of the Polytechnique Massacre? It would seem that they're exploiting these victims as well as the victims of the other above mentioned school shootings to promote their agenda of hatred.

In Memory of:

Geneviève Bergeron (1968-1989)
Hélène Colgan (1966-1989)
Nathalie Croteau (1966-1989)
Barbara Daigneault (1967-1989)
Anne-Marie Edward (1968-1989)
Maud Haviernick (1960-1989)
Maryse Laganière (1964-1989)
Maryse Leclair (1966-1989)
Anne-Marie Lemay (1967-1989)
Sonia Pelletier (1961-1989)
Michèle Richard (1968-1989)
Annie St-Arneault (1966-1989)
Annie Turcotte (1969-1989)
Barbara Klucznik-Widajewicz (1958-1989)

Christmas: Another thing Wrong with Capitalism

2009-12-05T19:56:00.000-08:00

I found this National Lampoon video on one of my Facebook friend's pages. It's humorous but sad at the same time. Some humor always has some element of truth behind it. This video is a great example of this.

I hate Christmas. Every year and Every generation, it gets worse, and no doubt, more expensive for families as technology evolves, as the above video illustrates. More excess, more self-indulgence and more commericalism. People flocking to the shops being fooled by so-called specials from store pamphlets and catalogues but really getting gouged more at the check out counter.

We also tend to be more gluttonous at Christmas. In addition to expensive gifts and trying to out do the neighbour's electricity bill, we eat a hell of a lot more and more of the types of junk foods we tend to leave alone for the rest of the year.

Instant happiness purchased from the mall. Hmmm. Sends folks, especially kids, the wrong message; that happiness can be bought; that we can only be happy if we have lots of stuff; particularly stuff we don't need and probably won't use.

Society has gotten not only more shallow but they do live in a bubble and they tend to forget that Christmas is the worst time of year for most folks. Lots of people are too poor to keep up with with what's being marketed. They're too poor to look after their kids adequately.

I get that most folks are either non-believers or just not that religious to commemorate the Birth of Jesus Christ, which I totally get. However, can it also be a time to remember to help our fellow man who is less well off than we are and less concentrated on self-indulgence and excess?

I remembered when I was really young, my family had me donate one of my presents to the local church's Christmas hamper to help less fortunate children. Yes, my parents taught my brother and I at a young age the importance of charity, to always remember that there are folks worse off, especially at Christmas.

I have to say that in recent years, I have not been able to give much except for non-perishable food and cheap dollar store toys and mits and tuques (also on the cheap; from second hand store) here and there for various community center's and church's Christmas basket programs, due to unemployment (yes, I tend to have unemployment issues most around Christmas). I try to give something because I know there are families who need the help.

I don't think most folks who are rich even consider teaching their offspring this or even putting this into practice. All just are racing to earn more money and have more material and monetary wealth than the neighbours. An endeavor for most to prove to be a colossal failure.

Anybody who is reading this post: I hope you will consider giving something or a bit of your time to help someone this Christmas. Hell, it don't even have to be Christmas. We should be thinking about helping our fellow man all year around.

This year, since I could be let go anytime (so much for the myth of government jobs being secure to all you anti- public sector types), until another assignment comes up at the agency, I will only stay home with my husband and go to Christmas mass at the church where I was baptized, like I do every year.

I will, however, remain my cranky self, perhaps even more so. Christmas is truly a hateful holiday.

Bah Humbug!! Who needs it?

Two Anniversaries Never to be Forgotten

2009-12-05T19:15:00.000-08:00

Stevie Begged the GG to Close Up the Shop

It had been a year ago yesterday, the governor general allowed Stevie to close up the shop. Boy, was he afraid of the big bad coalition of 'socialists', separatists and the Liberals under Stephane Dion. An earlier indication of Stevie's running away when the going gets tough.

I wonder if anybody dared to wonder what we would be looking at had the Governor General said no to closing up the shop. Would we have still been governed by this coalition led by Stephane Dion? Would Iggy have been long since gone from the picture?

I realize that a lot of Canadians didn't like the idea of this coalition, but I tend to wonder if we weren't better off with them?

Between Stevie running away from a crisis to be at some insipid event like Timmy's or gallivanting with the Royals to clearing a room at climate change talks to getting lambasted by Ban Ki Moon, secretary general of the United Nations and the Chinese Premier, he has got to be the most embarrassing Prime Minister Canada ever had.

I dare say, it must be embarrassing telling someone who lives overseas that we're Canadian.

Twenty Years Tomorrow Marc Lepine Shot up the Polytechnique

Yes, twenty years ago tomorrow, on December 6, 1989 was when Marc Lepine went and shot up the Ecole Polytechnique, the engineering school of Universite de Montreal.

Here is an article written by three former Polytechnique students; two of whom were shooting victims of Marc Lepine that fateful day.

This anniversary should be a reminder as to why the Long Gun Registry should not be scrapped. Marc Lepine used a ruger mini 14, one such gun that would be on the list of rifles and shotguns to need not be registered if this registry is scrapped. The police used the registry every day to do their work.

Here is the podcast where Daisy Kler of Rape Relief talks about where we're at today with regards to feminism, the attitudes toward feminism and violence.

Have we really moved forward?

Certainly not with regards to gun control if the long gun registry is scrapped. We will be headed to a society where citizens will be walking the streets with guns just like in the U S or A.

Some may argue that only law abiding citizens register their guns. True perhaps, but we've seen too often law abiding citizens turn violent, go crazy, become mentally ill or start living a life of crime.

We have to register our dogs with the city, but not guns which kill people?

One of the famous arguments in favour of scrapping the long gun registry is the costs. Harpercons and their groupies say it costs way to much to keep. Well, Heidi Rathjen, one of the survivors of the Polytechnique massacres, gun control activist and co-author of yesterday's Rabble article about the reflections of the 20th anniversary of the massacre disagrees:

"Well, it's true that it cost a billion dollars over ten years to implement, but not the registry. The billion dollars applies to the possession permits, which is what gun owners need to own guns. They had to screen two million gun owners."

She also goes on to say that the registry actually costs Canadians nine cents per year to keep it going. It is indeed a small price to pay to keep us safe.

Funny how the Harpercons talk of gettin' tough on crime, but they are willing to take away a crucial tool the police used everyday. I wonder how they can spin this one?

Orly Taitz- Sawah's Russian Sistah?

2009-12-04T18:47:00.000-08:00

After catching the last story in Huff Post about See Sawah Run joining the birthers; is anyone really surprised? It was a matter of time.

Meanwhile, the Zsa-Zsa wannabe just lost yet another motion to get one of her many Birther cases before a judge. This time it was that Judge Carter from California who dismissed it. She must be crushed after going batshit crazy on steroids on various tv shows being so sure this judge would rule in her favor. Hope does spring eternal in these people's lives.

I wonder if Orly and Sawah waved at each other when Sawah was, you know, watching Russia from her front porch?

I Always Knew Chuckles Adler was a Yahoo and a Redneck

2009-12-02T20:00:00.000-08:00

I can't remember the name of that commentator of at Searching For Liberty's page, a conservative blog, from yesterday. I do remember him or her leaving a comment with a list of all that is so-called Left winged. Media was on his/her list. I responded that mainstream media was as slanted to the right these days. Well, here's an example of how rednecked some of these hacks can be. What holes do these media outlets crawl into to find these rednecks, anyhow?

I first caught this over at Pale's . Then I read Chuckles' little ranting and I am reminded as to why I nick named him the redneck of Winnipeg. Sooo glad CJAD no longer has him as a pundit. Yes, if Chuckles wasn't so damned ignorant and offensive, he might even be somewhat amusing.

"The scenario is that our soldiers -- who have been in that hellish, brutish part of the world, where NONE of you want to spend one hour, never mind one year, two years, three years, how about the last eight years..."

No we don't. Do you, Chuckles? Have you? What's your point? That no matter what, the Afghan insecurity forces can do no wrong? What do you think of child molestation perpetrated by these very same insecurity forces, and Canadian troops seeming to look the other way, Chuckles?

He too, is not sympathetic to the allegations of torture, much like that useless shrew and chicken hawk, Christie Blatchford.

Here's something else of interest. He blathers on about how those of us against the war in Afghanistan are elitist snobs sitting on our fat asses with our lattes in coffee shops.

Gee, Chuckles, are the family members of the late Jonathan Couturier a bunch of elitest, latte sipping couch potatoes? They're very much against the war, as was Jonathan, himself prior to going to Afghanistan.

If wanting our Canada who helps others in need and doesn't break international laws such as Geneva Conventions makes us quiche eating latte sucking elitests...then so be it. If that thinking makes you warm and fuzzy at night.

Although, personally, I'm more down to earth and certainly less pretentious than chicken hacks like you are.

Speaking of fat asses, Chuckles, have you weighed yourself lately? I don't see you signing up to the war effort. I don't even see you signing on with organizations like Reporters without borders. Your usual redneck language doesn't scare us so-called 'elitests', although, I do like a good latte from time to time; my work is near so many coffee shops.

Chuckles is another Chicken Hawk who likes to talk the talk, but when it comes to putting his money where his mouth is; FAIL!!

Why should we expect more?

Here's Chuckles trying to out elite Julian, Ricky and Bubbles. See? How can I be an elitist if I know the names of the Trailor Park Boys?

Kool-Aid and Teabags

2009-12-02T18:24:00.000-08:00

Well, it's official. Obama did drink Georgie's kool-aid. While his speech was not nearly as manic and psychotic as I've heard Georgie on the subject on those wars, he was reiterating him. Particularly when it came to the wording, according to Huffington Post.

Obviously, he never read Michael Moore's open letter. He most certainly wasn't listening to his own constituents. I doubt even most of the Dems in his own party agree with this decision. All were probably thinking the same thing: neither Afghanistan nor the Iraq wars were his. He could have ended both of them right now; sign orders to bring the troops home; to cut their losses. All who voted for him and his fellow Democrats (with perhaps the exception of Blue Dogs and members of C street) would not only have let him go for pulling the plug on both wars but it would have been more welcome than this. Obama is now a 'war president', having taken ownership of Afghanistan war.

As with LBJ before him, Obama is already taking hits from both the left and the right. The right, of course, say no deadlines should have been set and even his own friendly democrats are balking at the idea of sending 30 000 troops.

Imperialism is still imperialism, no matter who does it. Funny how Obama called the U.S. relationship with Pakistan a 'partnership'. Perhaps before making such assumptions, he should have checked some polls about the Pakistani people.

A Gallup poll in Pakistan last August showed that only 11% of Pakistanis felt that the Taliban were the biggest threat to their country. 18% felt India was the biggest threat and, you guessed it, the poll indicates that the U.S. is their biggest threat. That same poll also concluded that 67% of Pakistanis were against any Americans conducting operations in that country. That message to me is loud and clear; the Pakistanis never asked for our help and they don't want or need it.

As for the Afghans, they too, no longer welcome us in their country. They never welcomed foreigners. The Soviets learned that the hard way. This is a country where democracy clearly doesn't work. The so-called elected Karzai government is corrupt and that will never ever change.

The Taliban will never disappear completely as no one can really know who they are. The Afghan people seem to believe that Taliban occupation is the lesser of the evils. Yes, even the women believe this. Life hasn't changed that much for them. Karzai is still very much a misogynist, having made into law that husbands were allowed to rape their wives; the term 'rape' doesn't exist in their world. It's how both men and women over there prefer it.

As for Al-Qaeda, most are from Saudi Arabia, not Afghanistan. There is nothing to indicate that they would even still be in Afghanistan or Pakistan for that matter. After all those years, with all the intelligence the U.S. has to offer, such as the CIA, how come no one caught Al-Qaeda?

What is with Obama anyway? First, it was the waffling on the public option for health care reform; a plan that will significantly be watered down.

Now, he is practically giving a carbon copy speech of Georgie's.

What the hell does he hope to achieve? He obviously hasn't learned that in trying to make all happy, you make everyone unhappy and this is what exactly is happening here.

Obama will never endear himself to Republicans, the ever-growing loud tea-baggers and of course, the Rush Limbaugh, Glenn Beck and Fox News machines. I expect it will get worse. Obama may have had a shot at a second term if he pulled the troops out now and just not taken ownership of this war. It will worsen as this time, he will have alienated his supporters and they won't be so quick to defend him.

Below, is Michael Moore's reaction on the Larry King Show last night. His take is that he still believes Obama is a decent man with a good heart, but he is taking very bad advice that will cost him.

Since Obama is sure to be a one term president and his former supporters will either abstain from voting in the next election or vote for a fringe candidate like Ralph Nader, I dare say, Say hello to President Palin. I know, a gloomy outlook, but she will be the GOP candidate as they have no one near the star status of See Sawah run. Intelligence obviously doesn't matter here; like Ronald Reagan being the useful idiot to Don Regan of Merrill Lynch, Sawah will have a corporate puppet master running the country behind the scenes.

No, she won't win because she will end the wars, if anything, she'll probably expand wars all over Middle-East. She will win because the noisy minority of the growing popularity of the Tea-bagger movement will outshine the cynical and silent progressives.

She will also win the same way Georgie did; scaring American voters into believing only she and the GOP and tea-baggers can keep them safe; to keep the Communist Muslim boogie men from hiding under their beds. This escalation has already provoked the Taliban to strengthen their resolve. No doubt Al-Qaeda will be provoked into further attempts at attacks on U.S. soil. Obama will be blamed for that as well.

I wish it were April fool or Halloween, but anything short of Obama changing his mind and withdrawing the troops immediately and cutting their losses, his presidency is over. I really hope he realizes this decision will ruin the U.S. by giving the keys to Sawah.

One More Night of Hope, Mr President, Pull the Plug

2009-11-30T04:26:00.000-08:00

One more night indeed and it doesn't look good. Depending what you read, it looks like Obama is going to be repeating the mistakes of Lyndon B Johnson in the 60s.

Johnson's fateful decision to continue to escalate the Vietnam war is what costed him the presidency in 1968.

The New York Times as well as other pundits, including those in Canada like Craig Oliver are calling this Obama's Vietnam.

After all, it has been proven by pretty much all, except for some war mongering wingnut chicken hawks on the Right, that this war isn't winnable. The Soviets had proven this much many years ago. They knew when to cut their losses, pack up the show and haul it on home.

The Afghans don't want any more foreigners invading their homes and way of life. They have made this clear. Life has gotten worse for them since we began to invade. Even the women aren't noticing much improvement. Malalai Joya, who once served on Afghan parliament admits this.

"Women's conditions in some cities have slightly improved since the Taliban regime. But if we compare it with the era before the rule of the fundamentalists in Afghanistan, it has not changed much. Afghan women had more rights in the 1960s to 1980s than today. Rapes, abductions, murders, violence, forced marriages, and violence are increasing at an alarming rate never seen before in our history. Women commit self-immolation to escape their miseries, and the rate of self-immolations is climbing in many of the provinces. Afghanistan still faces a women's rights catastrophe.

"The root cause of this ongoing catastrophe in Afghanistan is that the government is controlled by fundamentalists of both brands (jihadis and Taliban) who are constantly nourished by the United States and its allies. …People suffer from such extreme insecurity that many have stopped sending their children to school, especially girls, fearing that they might be kidnapped or raped."

Why are we all there again? As I've pointed out here, this is not a war on terror, this is not about improving the lives of Afghans, particularly the women. PM Gordon Brown has even warned Karzai about corruption in his government. Every government knows this government is corrupt and no, it will never be able to sustain itself. As I've pointed out in the past as well as others, I'm sure, it doesn't matter when we leave: the Taliban will be back at the helm. The folks of Afghanistan seem to prefer life under them than with this war.

In the words of Michael Moore, it would seem that Obama is about to drink Bush's kool-aid and cave into the pressure General McChrystal to send about 40 000 more troops.

“This is not a war of choice,” he told the Veterans of Foreign Wars at their convention in Phoenix. “This is a war of necessity. Those who attacked America on 9/11 are plotting to do so again. If left unchecked, the Taliban insurgency will mean an even larger safe haven from which Al Qaeda would plot to kill more Americans.”

Except for one problem: Binladen and the other thugs who were behind 9/11 have not been caught. We've been at war for eight years, allowing a corrupt Karzai Government to continue, killing innocent civilians and cutting short the futures of many soldiers. Ouf! what a mess! How in the world continuing this senseless war; this Vietnam, going to accomplish anything it hadn't in the previous eight years?

Gulp! He is indeed about to drink Bush's Kool-aid! How did he get sucked into it? If the GOP was pressuring him to send more troops as well, he doesn't realize that he's playing into their hands? The GOP and their pundits don't really care about the wars overseas, they see what can cost Obama the presidency.

It is time to end the war, Mr President. Make that move to start withdrawing. The Europeans would surely pull out as well, and yes, maybe even our war mongering, monkey-see; monkey-do PM will follow your lead and pull the show out. Let's just get out now. Take a cue from the Soviets before us and cut our losses. Continuing an unpopular and unwinnable war cost LBJ the presidency in spite of the good things he did implement in the U.S. Obama is pretty certain to meet this very same fate.

As Michael Moore says in a letter he wrote to Obama, he can show courage by ending this all right now. Here is the letter from Moore to Obama

Dear President Obama,

Do you really want to be the new "war president"? If you go to West Point tomorrow night (Tuesday, 8pm) and announce that you are increasing, rather than withdrawing, the troops in Afghanistan, you are the new war president. Pure and simple. And with that you will do the worst possible thing you could do -- destroy the hopes and dreams so many millions have placed in you. With just one speech tomorrow night you will turn a multitude of young people who were the backbone of your campaign into disillusioned cynics. You will teach them what they've always heard is true -- that all politicians are alike. I simply can't believe you're about to do what they say you are going to do. Please say it isn't so.

It is not your job to do what the generals tell you to do. We are a civilian-run government. WE tell the Joint Chiefs what to do, not the other way around. That's the way General Washington insisted it must be. That's what President Truman told General MacArthur when MacArthur wanted to invade China. "You're fired!," said Truman, and that was that. And you should have fired Gen. McChrystal when he went to the press to preempt you, telling the press what YOU had to do. Let me be blunt: We love our kids in the armed services, but we f*#&in' hate these generals, from Westmoreland in Vietnam to, yes, even Colin Powell for lying to the UN with his made-up drawings of WMD (he has since sought redemption).

So now you feel backed into a corner. 30 years ago this past Thursday (Thanksgiving) the Soviet generals had a cool idea -- "Let's invade Afghanistan!" Well, that turned out to be the final nail in the USSR coffin.

There's a reason they don't call Afghanistan the "Garden State" (though they probably should, seeing how the corrupt President Karzai, whom we back, has his brother in the heroin trade raising poppies). Afghanistan's nickname is the "Graveyard of Empires." If you don't believe it, give the British a call. I'd have you call Genghis Khan but I lost his number. I do have Gorbachev's number though. It's + 41 22 789 1662. I'm sure he could give you an earful about the historic blunder you're about to commit.

With our economic collapse still in full swing and our precious young men and women being sacrificed on the altar of arrogance and greed, the breakdown of this great civilization we call America will head, full throttle, into oblivion if you become the "war president." Empires never think the end is near, until the end is here. Empires think that more evil will force the heathens to toe the line -- and yet it never works. The heathens usually tear them to shreds.

Choose carefully, President Obama. You of all people know that it doesn't have to be this way. You still have a few hours to listen to your heart, and your own clear thinking. You know that nothing good can come from sending more troops halfway around the world to a place neither you nor they understand, to achieve an objective that neither you nor they understand, in a country that does not want us there. You can feel it in your bones.

I know you know that there are LESS than a hundred al-Qaeda left in Afghanistan! A hundred thousand troops trying to crush a hundred guys living in caves? Are you serious? Have you drunk Bush's Kool-Aid? I refuse to believe it.

Your potential decision to expand the war (while saying that you're doing it so you can "end the war") will do more to set your legacy in stone than any of the great things you've said and done in your first year. One more throwing a bone from you to the Republicans and the coalition of the hopeful and the hopeless may be gone -- and this nation will be back in the hands of the haters quicker than you can shout "tea bag!"

Choose carefully, Mr. President. Your corporate backers are going to abandon you as soon as it is clear you are a one-term president and that the nation will be safely back in the hands of the usual idiots who do their bidding. That could be Wednesday morning.

We the people still love you. We the people still have a sliver of hope. But we the people can't take it anymore. We can't take your caving in, over and over, when we elected you by a big, wide margin of millions to get in there and get the job done. What part of "landslide victory" don't you understand?

Don't be deceived into thinking that sending a few more troops into Afghanistan will make a difference, or earn you the respect of the haters. They will not stop until this country is torn asunder and every last dollar is extracted from the poor and soon-to-be poor. You could send a million troops over there and the crazy Right still wouldn't be happy. You would still be the victim of their incessant venom on hate radio and television because no matter what you do, you can't change the one thing about yourself that sends them over the edge.

The haters were not the ones who elected you, and they can't be won over by abandoning the rest of us.

President Obama, it's time to come home. Ask your neighbors in Chicago and the parents of the young men and women doing the fighting and dying if they want more billions and more troops sent to Afghanistan. Do you think they will say, "No, we don't need health care, we don't need jobs, we don't need homes. You go on ahead, Mr. President, and send our wealth and our sons and daughters overseas, 'cause we don't need them, either."

What would Martin Luther King, Jr. do? What would your grandmother do? Not send more poor people to kill other poor people who pose no threat to them, that's what they'd do. Not spend billions and trillions to wage war while American children are sleeping on the streets and standing in bread lines.

All of us that voted and prayed for you and cried the night of your victory have endured an Orwellian hell of eight years of crimes committed in our name: torture, rendition, suspension of the bill of rights, invading nations who had not attacked us, blowing up neighborhoods that Saddam "might" be in (but never was), slaughtering wedding parties in Afghanistan. We watched as hundreds of thousands of Iraqi civilians were slaughtered and tens of thousands of our brave young men and women were killed, maimed, or endured mental anguish -- the full terror of which we scarcely know.

When we elected you we didn't expect miracles. We didn't even expect much change. But we expected some. We thought you would stop the madness. Stop the killing. Stop the insane idea that men with guns can reorganize a nation that doesn't even function as a nation and never, ever has.

Stop, stop, stop! For the sake of the lives of young Americans and Afghan civilians, stop. For the sake of your presidency, hope, and the future of our nation, stop. For God's sake, stop.

Tonight we still have hope.

Tomorrow, we shall see. The ball is in your court. You DON'T have to do this. You can be a profile in courage. You can be your mother's son.

We're counting on you.

Yours,
Michael Moore
MMFlint@aol.com
MichaelMoore.com

P.S. There's still time to have your voice heard. Call the White House at 202-456-1111 or email the President.

You can get the email link here.

I sincerely hope that President Obama will lead and do the courageous thing. This war needs to end now (as does the one in Iraq, of course). It's about time the President concentrated on helping his own people recover from the recession and the damage that is Georgie jr and Dickie. Let's do what the Afghans want us to do: get the hell out!

Clucking Christie Blathering Blatchford

2009-11-29T16:32:00.000-08:00

I don't really have anything more to add to what has already been written.

In the end, though, why should anyone be surprised? She's a chicken war hawk. She is also a commentator on the afternoon drive show on CJAD with Ricky P. Just last week, she hinted she didn't believe in the torture or Richard Colvin. She also said that setting a withdrawal date is a bad idea, hinting the war should go on, until, I guess, the end of time.

I decided to create yet another montage to commemorate her latest faux pas. I orignally wanted to put her head in my partisan toilet, but someone beat me to it (well, no logo, but you get the idea). Here is that image from the facebook group, "Fire Christie Blatchford".

I did something completely different: I thought this clearly reflected her personality as well as her keen sense of style

Self loathing Neo-Cons and their Double Standards

2009-11-29T13:51:00.000-08:00

I first caught a snipit of Ezra Levant's latest rantings over at C.C.'s. It just brought back one of those events not that long ago that continues to bother me today: the victory of Marc Lemire, homophobe, holocaust denier, bigot: ya know: Canada's newest version of a good ol' boy and yes, none other than ol' Ezra himself defended him before the Canadian Human Rights Commission.

Besides the fact that it was a dark day for me, the first thing that came to mind was; Gee, a self-loathing Jew.

That's ok, like all good neo-con boys, he hates with as much vigor as the rest of them and he is paranoid. Check his latest ranting, if you dare.

He's demonstrating hatred for Jewish organizations like Canadian Jewish Congress, B'nai Brith and Simon Wiesenthal Center, as he feels he must.

In short, he is ranting about a rally in Calgary following some swastikas and other anti-Semitic graffiti being painted on Jewish Properties. Levant seems to have more issues with the anti-hate rally than the crime itself. What's wrong with this picture?

He is now claiming that groups who organized the Calgary Says No to Hate rally were being sponsored two Islamic Groups: Islamic Supreme Council of Canada, a group that promotes interfaith dialogue and Muslim education among other activities. The other is Islamic Association of Canadian Women, an organization that promotes Islamic education for women among other activities. From what I've seen both organizations are not only harmless and don't seem to promote terrorism of any kind. According to ol' Ezra, both of these groups are run by Imam Syed B. Soharwardy. I only found that the Islamic Supreme Council of Canada was founded by Soharwardy, I haven't found evidence that the second group mentioned above being linked with him. To Levant, the Imam is a "a virulent anti-Semite".

I googled Imam Soharwardy. He is known to be the first Muslim Canadian to walk more than 6,500 km, leading the multi-faith walk against violence. Here is his bio. Levant's links attempting to prove Soharwardy's wrong doings link to (surprise! surprise!) his previous postings. I attempted those links, turned out to be stuff that needed to be downloaded and for some reason, my computer wouldn't download them. Me thinks Ezra is still sore over a previous confrontation:

"I know Soharwardy because he's the Jew-hater who hauled me before the Alberta Human Rights Commission for my high crime of publishing the Danish cartoons. "

Ezra sure knows how to hold a grudge.

He basically goes on about Muslim hatred over the Jews among others.

My big question is: How come it's ok for the likes of Marc Lemire to spout hatred, to the point of inciting violence, but it's not ok for Muslims or anyone who is Jewish or WASPy to do it? Why this double standard?

Why is it that when Jewish properties are defaced or damaged proven (or even suspected) to be perpetrated by Muslims, it's automatically a hate crime. Why not so quick to call it a hate crime if there is no proof a Muslim committed the act or proof that white supremacists committed the act?

Shouldn't such acts be conemned by all, no matter who does what against whom?

This kind of reminds me of an exchange I had with Dodo Can't Spell, where she basically called me looney for calling her, 'a brown person' (her words, not mine or anyone else's) a racist. Once again, implying only white people can be racist. I've caught her postings from time to time. She is indeed more racist than a lot of white folks. It is obvious that she too, has very low self-esteem, in referring to herself as 'a brown person'. Her fellow neo-con bloggers, like Girl on the Wrong use the term 'brown people' in a very hateful tone. I wonder if Dodo even realizes this?

How about Salim Mansur? The professor and Columnist who so often speaks against his own people.

Lastly, those neo-con backward women bloggers, like Shiddle, Girl on the Wrong, and SUZY ALLCAPSLOCK. They appear to be more sexist and wingnuttier than their Male neo-con counterparts. Someone suggested to me that they're trying to impress the boys. The wrong type of boys. No question: sounds like a logical explanation. This too, would be a clear example of low self-esteem; they're trying to impress the wrong kind of boys.

Are these neo-cons transferring their self-loathing onto others?

Online Petition to Demand Harpercons To Investigate Torturegate

2009-11-28T20:43:00.000-08:00

I just found this over at Thwap's Schoolyard. Here is the link for the online petition for Inquiry into Torture. It would appear that a whopping 94% of Canadians believe the testimony of Richard Colvin.

Just because Stevie is going to Copenhagen to pretend to be interested in climate change doesn't mean he shouldn't face the music over torturegate. Enough already!

I think most Canadians are tired of looking more and more like a disgrace on the world stage.

Canada Will No Longer be One of the Cool Kids

2009-11-28T20:23:00.000-08:00

A sad state of affairs, really. Canada used to be a player on the world stage, that is, until Stevie came on the scene, only to pull disappearing acts every time the going gets tough.

It seems that folks, including world leaders run away from Stevie and his people or they want to shun them altogether.

Right now, the two major bones of contention for Stevie and the Harpercons would be climate change and the torturing of the Afghan prisoners. It seems the more Stevie and his Harpercons attempt to white wash either, the more pissed off folks get.

We already saw how Stevie and his merry band of thieves can clear a room of 77 developing nations when they suggest replacing the Kyoto Protocol (ya know that socialist scheme to suck money from wealthy nations) with some other insipid agreement. This was over a month ago in Bangkok.

For awhile now, we had heard Stevie come up with any and every excuse to not partake in UN climate talks in Copenhagen. Silly excuses for the most part like 'I won't until they do' type of things. Really! That does sound Romper Room-ish. Gone are his real reasons for not wanting anything to do with climate change, like Kyoto being too, uh, waz that nasty 's' word for it again? He is not daring to say anything about really protecting old Fossil fuel types of enterprises and the tar sands of Alberta. Heaven knows he can't admit any of those truths.

These days, it seems that Stevie doesn't want to own any of the crisis situations happening in Canada, nor any wrong-doings that occur anywhere around the world. Stevie and his merry band of thieves are still doing their damndest to cover up this latest scandal involving the torture of Afghan prisoners. Prisoners left with that same Afghan security force that was involved with child molestation and exploitation; another thing the Canadian military never wanted seeing the light of day.

The unfortunate truth is that Stevie is only going to Copenhagen because of torturegate. He not only wishes to avoid dealing with this latest scandal but he also hopes to deflect the corporatist media away from this latest nastiness toward something that looks nice and fuzzy. Don't be fooled: he still doesn't give a rat's ass about the environment. He may use the excuse that since President Obama and the other cool kids on the world stage are going to be there, but had it not been for torturegate, I venture that he would not be there with the cool kids, no matter the peer pressure. What a great leader! One whose favorite game is Monkey see: Monkey Do.

Stevie never did and still doesn't care what the world thinks of him, with the exception of course, of Georgie. That was obvious when he fucked off U.N. week in favor of Bloomberg and Timmy's. He only cares about not getting caught breaking international laws. Yes, Stevie has been lost without Georgie. Pres Obama is trying to move the U.S. in another direction: a direction Stevie doesn't like or believe in. He only cares about Obama when it comes to "buy American".

Now, there are some folks who are calling for Canada to be suspended from the Commonwealth due to its' attitude on climate change.

"Countries that fail to help [tackle global warming] should be suspended from membership, as are those that breach human rights." says Clare Short, former international development secretary.

Wait a minute: did she just mention ' breaching human rights'? Wow, Stevie, I believe this is a double whammy: I believe this also covers torturegate.

Think Stevie would care about being ousted from the Commonwealth? Perhaps. Especially if he can't join the U.S. They're second choice. If Georgie were still running the show, I don't think Stevie would care about the Commonwealth kicking him to the curb. Right now, President Obama appears to have no interest in being Stevie's buddy.

Besides, the Royal Family do serve as a marvelous excuse to run away from responsibility.

While he is going to Copenhagen and yes, apparently he just bribed pledged 10 billion dollars to help poor countries deal with the consequences of climate change. Still, he does not budge on reducing greenhouse gas emissions here in Canada.

Here are some videos on the subject of Alberta tar sands and opposition party leaders' take on climate change.

Another thing I find puzzling: I read some of the posts of the Blogging Tories where they say climate change is a myth and a lie. One of them even beseached readers to write their MPs urging them to not do anything about climate change; that the scientists were bogus, basically.

If Stevie really believed that, how come he just bobs and weaves around the issue instead of doing all he can to debunk the so-called lie? He knows that climate change is real. It's just that it ain't profitable and it is more challenging to change to greener technologies.

Whatever happened to the good ol' days when Canada was a proud player on the world stage? We used to be known as a nation that cared. A nation of peace keepers. Canada used to be compassionate.

Now, we're a joke, thanks to Stevie and his merry band of thieves. We're becoming what the rest of the world had no taste for: Bush era America.

Stevie doesn't like Canada or Canadians. He is still hell bent on turning it into Bush Era America. This is why he wants his majority.

The irony is that the wordly intellectual and unsuitable leader of the Liberal Party, Iggy had spoken of this in one of his ads awhile ago. Most scoffed at him either because they didn't believe him or they just didn't care. Maybe it requires somebody else to talk to Canadians about this and to call Stevie on it.

Unless some miracle happens, Canada is soon becoming the social outcast. I will no longer be one of the cool kids until we have an actual leader. Not one who plays 'Follow the Leader'.

To quote Pale from A Creative Revolution:

"Just fuck the hell off Steve, and take yer nasty little friends with you. Canada needs grown ups to run the show."

Here! Here! Amen to that!

Some 70s Memories

2009-11-28T18:30:00.000-08:00

Here is a tune I had all but forgotten about. Lyrics had absolutely no meaning, but it was catchy without being cheesy.

Here is a video from somebody known as useless director on YouTube. Restored from original 8mm his/her Father filmed orginally to this old Kansas song. It does look 'dusty' in more ways than one. Sometimes, I like that better than the modern, high tech, high def stuff of today. I think Kansas only had two hits.

The other hit from Kansas. The sound isn't particularly great though.

The Muppets Take on Queen

2009-11-28T10:57:00.000-08:00

I never was a big fan of Queen other than a few songs. One of their biggest hits, Bohemian Rhapsody was never a song I particularly liked.

However, I've always been a fan of the Muppets and they do a really funny rendition of that old Queen classic.

Enjoy!

If You Must Shop--15 Toys NOT to Buy Your Kids! Also, 12 Days of Palin

2009-11-27T19:57:00.000-08:00

Indeed, as soon as I saw the pics and captions of the 15 toys not to buy your kids, ever in Huffington Post. I honestly can't believe there are twisted sociopathic minds at work when creating these toys. YIKES!!

Violence, sexism and racism are the main themes. Even Elmo lost his innocence after you change his battery. Imagine my horror when I found that was made by Fisher Price. Yeesh!! What happened to those old FP education toys my generation grew up with? Toys that forced us to be imaginative.

No wonder susequent generations are becoming scarier, if they're growing up on toys like I just saw.

Another reason to hate commercialism. Another reason to hate the holidays.

Oh wait! Here' s a new version of an old Christmas carol sure to upset the Blogging Tories and the Tea-baggers. Here are the "Twelve Days of Palin"

Me Blog and I got Mentioned on the Redneck Radio Show Tonight (Talk about Real Discrimination)

2009-11-27T18:55:00.000-08:00

Yes, it was mentioned not even an hour ago; Ryan, dear, you should have mentioned my blog's name on the air. Damn, because I dare say if he did mention my blog by name or something like CK of Sister Sage's Musings, my readership would probably go up. I'd probably also have his fans bombarding my comments' section with even more wingnuttery; assuming my comments section worked!

I've been told by some that my comments section still doesn't really work. Unfortunately, I'm not that tech savvy to fix it. Plus, I'm planning to move the show in the new year to wordpress. Blogger has been a lot of trouble for me and I want my own url. I also have future projects and need certain flexibility I don't think I can have with Blogger.

One such wingnut fan who calls other shows on CJAD, known simply as Dr Jeff (I wonder if he's really that blubbery blogging tory-groupie Dr Roy Eappen?) who called Redneck Ryan's show to call me a bully and a hypocrite. Really Rich! Yah, is Dr Jeff even his real name? Is he even a doctor? Highly unlikely. Real doctors don't have time to call radio show hosts.

The reason I don't call those radio stations is that most who oppose a host from Astral Radio stations don't get air time. Their calls are usually screened out by the screener or the host, him/herself will cut the caller off. Most of them are guilty for it. I had sent an email to one CJAD host who answered me back but it was feeble. A generic thank you for listening without answering my questions or directly addressing my points. I stopped emailing after that, but I digress.

What set off his mentioning my blog on the air was tonight, I did something different. I tweeted him. He was spouting more racist views and whining about how white men are having a harder and harder time to find work. He was talking about some job opportunity advertised for some federal government agency. What pissed off the radio host was the ad gave the usual standard visual minorities, women, the disabled, aboriginals encouraged to apply. Nothing wrong with it. A non-issue really; it's standard on most help wanted ads. Apparently, reverse racism in Ryan Doyle land. He's in good company with Dodo Can't Spell: I'm sure he'd just love the picture of that coin.

I always knew he was racist. I mean, he even sympathized with that justice of the peace in Louisiana who refused to perform a marriage ceremony for an interracial couple. If that ain't racist. I pretty much let that slide; so did the rest of the world it would seem. I'm also guessing that most progressive bloggers don't tune into Astral Talk Radio shows neither, unless for the same reason some read the Blogging Tories and/or Asper papers: for the entertainment of it.

What made me decide to tweet him this evening was he was infuriating when saying things like white men need not apply; implying that the government (and other employers) was practicing discrimination--against white men. I started tweeting him, poking fun at him; getting nasty basically saying he has no clue about how discriminatory employers can be; that he had an easy life.

Well Ryan, Tonight's Lesson is...Discrimination on the Job Market!

First of all, I (as well as others I'm sure) barely pay attention to those equal opportunity captions in job offers, simply because they're nothing more than tokens; almost like they have to insert it. Particularly with government jobs. They're just words worth nothing more than the paper or screen they're printed on. A good example would be here, in the province of Quebec.

Don't get me wrong, I love living here and I work for a Quebec Government Social Services Agency; the only one that serves the Anglophone population of all of Quebec. It is the only agency that really hires the most diverse group of people. Just one of the reasons it's such a great place to work and I'm thankful everyday I was hired there.

However, that is not the case for the other Quebec Government jobs. No one talks about it, but everyone knows it, if one doesn't have a French sounding name, they don't get hired. The same is also for a lot of large Quebec companies. I'm sure that if one were to find an employee directory in any of those agencies or companies, one would only find French sounding names.

I have been discriminated against as recently as late last year/early this year. I had been out of work for five months. I was registered with every placement agency. I even joined La Passerelle, an organization that helped people over 40 with career transition and/or finding work. A very necessary service, because, folks over 40 are fucked when it comes to the job market. I speak from experience. It is a major reason why it took me so long to find work. Again, no one talks about it, but it happens. Otherwise, organizations like La Passerelle wouldn't need to exist. Every group workshop over there was packed, to the point they had to schedule two sessions of each workshop. And yes, Ryan there were plenty of white men there too having difficulty finding work because of their age; not their skin colour or gender.

I have had several different trades. I have two professional certificates and went to University. I speak, read and write both English and French. With that, I have many skills and experiences to be an asset in any office. Unfortunately, I'm over 40 and as I've found, most office positions require one to be a young sex kitten. A slave to fashion. Nope, clean colour coordination just ain't enough anymore. Gotta have them designer labels. This is how shallow many employers have become.

When I went to get my last professional certificate in 2007, an HR consultant came to give us tips on how to find work and how to write up that old resume, and of course, marketing ourselves. I was the youngest in the class at the tender age of 39; most were in their late 40s and 50s. The consultant admitted to us that employers practiced discrimination (and no, not against young white men, now). He admitted to us that we had to work a lot harder at marketing ourselves on the job market, because of our age.

For some in the group who had foreign sounding names, the consultant went in so far as to suggesting they change the spelling of some of the names. For example, someone's last name was 'Damas'; also the French word for Damascus, Syria. Something the consultant strongly believed would be problematic. I kid you not!!

I'm certain in the rest of the country, it's not much better.

No Ryan, your white bread world has got it real good. You should be thankful for your blessings and try to empathize with others rather than condemn them the way you do on your show. Thus, one example as to why your show is an example of irresponsible media.

Also, Ryan, you once again exaggerated on your show. You said that I blogged about you everyday of the week. Well, no, I actually only have four posts ranting about your antics. Four out of 97 posts. This will be number five.

Also, you thought you could scare me, you fool? You thought you could insult me? The best you can come up with is that I never thought you would potentially at least hear or read about my blogs? That I underestimated your ability to use the internet? Congratz! Now, can you learn to improve that short attention span of your's so you can stop exaggerating?

Besides exaggerating on the content of my blog, you also exaggerated when talking about Michael Moore's last movie when you wanted the workers sitting in at the factory to get all locked up in jail and were disappointed when they won the right to have the wages that were owed to them. Exaggerated when you said that Moore praised Obama a lot when he did nothing of the kind. I'm sure there are other examples, but I don't hear you every night as you seem to think I do.

Reading my tweets on the air was a nice touch. Before you start reading blogs you don't get, start with something easy, some fiction like Romper Room oops! I mean the Blogging Tories.

When the Tough get going: Stevie Runs Away

2009-11-26T17:49:00.000-08:00

There is a reason I left that little Stevie pic in that Carmen Sandiego theme on my sidebar. This just keeps on being a recurring theme with him.

To summarize: when there are UN climate talks, he goes to have din din with Mayor Bloomberg. When Obama gives speeches at UN week; he comes home for Timmy's Donuts.

Immediately following the leak of that video behind closed doors, he was incognito only to crawl out of his snake hole for 9/11 memorials a day or two later.

The height of the H1N1 crisis; the bungling of pandemic plans and vaccination campaigns gone haywire, Stevie pulls another disappearing act yet again: he's on the east coast trotting off with the Royal Twits Charlie and Camilla, leaving the clearly unqualified Agluquack in charge.

He takes off for India for photo ops in for Bollywood reality TV to escape, yes, the tortured Afghan detainee scandal. He comes home briefly only to stifle testimony or other things to pretend the torture never happened or to actually attempt to justify breaking international law. He ain't stayin' long though.

Remember Copenhagen Climate change talks? That place he was never goin' to go? Don't get too surprised: he still don't care about the environment. He still has no plans to do anything about climate change. No, it isn't about giving the illusion that Canada cares on the world stage. Bingo! Keep in mind, would he really go to Copenhagen, Barack Obama or no Barack Obama presence; whether or not any world leaders showed up, if it weren't for that pesky Afghan detainee thing?

That scandal is about to get worse for him. When even the likes of the Rush Limbaugh of Astral Media Radio, Ryan Doyle start condemning Afghan detainee torture and start demanding answers on his radio show; you kind of get the feeling, this ain't a goin' away so fast.

Yes, in my opinion, the above cartoon will best define the leadership of ol' Stevie. During any crisis or scandal or blunder from one of his flunky ministers, we shall all be asking: 'Where in the world is Stephen Harper?'

Between allowing torture to happen and not even attempting to respect the Kyoto accord, Stevie could become a fugitive.

In the end, perhaps the only place Stevie can go is here:

Hopefully, before he flushes Canada into oblivion.

Test and to move the show

2009-11-25T19:58:00.000-08:00

This is a test. I have heard from some that they couldn't comment at the end of my posts. I changed the settings as some may have noticed. I would just like to know if the comments work. Thanks.

I am actually considering moving the show and using wordpress. I would like my own domain. I have other projects down the road that I would like on that new site, so...

I would like to hear from those who use wordpress; is this recommended? Also, at wordpress.org, they had a list of hosts with so many different prices and packages that are, of course, wordpress compatible. Anyone have any recommendations?

Thanks for any assistance!

What's The Appeal with See Sawah Run? And Purity Pledge

2009-11-25T19:24:00.000-08:00

What is the appeal indeed? Well, last night, I posted a video on my page with fans waiting at a book signing in Ohio who's best answers to what I found to be questions that weren't hard, were uh, huh, uh, I dunno, some answered with a few actual sentences that sounded even dumber than than the 'I dunno's', the Uh's, etc.

Beware, Boys and Girls, this is another nicotine withdrawal bad day so not too many folks will be spared in tonight's posting.

We know why boys like Justin with his raging tory hormones like her: he sees her in his wet dreams along with Carrie Prejean.

I just visited SUZY ALLCAPSLOCK's page where she wrote an article about the subject. Long winded. Same as the comments she has on her BBW page; basically, Sawah's not dumb: it's just that us lefties don't like her. Wow, what a justification here! We don't like her; we never did and we openly admit this. How does this take away from the fact that she's still dumb?

Ah, another wingnut from the Blogging Tories: Dodo! Here is something new and well, it does bring stupid to new heights. Read her post if you dare. As Fern Hill from Dammit Janet pointed out, that Dodo does seem to have a certain fixation for extinct animals. Since she never allows my comments at her blog to see the light of day because, free speech is for her and not for me, I will comment here. Bottom line is, apparently, we on the left are very unhappy people; which is why we criticise See Sawah Run. Here is an exerpt which is a fave of mine:

"These haters of Palin are jealous of the woman. Palin has accomplished in her 40+ years what a whole lot of these empty headed feminist bimbos have never been able to, even if they are staggering towards their 6-foot underground dwelling within the next little while. Most of these feminist haters of Palin have never been mothers, having probably aborted their babies at least once during their lifetimes, never had a loving, strong, deep relationship with either a partner or husband, never had a proper family life, never had loving parents, never had a successful career, never known the joy of hunting, never even been on a single fishing trip and has never known a deep lasting friendship. There is nothing in their lives that is good and meaningful so when they see an embodiment of what a woman of character and substance is really like, they are burned with jealously and hatred of the worst kind. It hits them that they took the wrong path and now it is a bit too late to change their ways."

OH NO! That Dodo just set my therapy back by three years or so. Hand me those cigarettes and that booze now, babe! All this, because I never knew the joys of watching Bambi get shot to death in the woods or sat in a boat to fish, an activity that is less exciting than watching paint dry.

Ladies from Progressive Bloggers and other like minded female bloggers: WE'S DOOMED according to Dodo.

Oh Dodo, I think it is you that is unhappy. Unhappy and paranoid; you seem to see evil lefties everywhere you look, including the pantry no doubt.

Seriously though: as amusing as speculating about See Sawah run for pres can be, it is serious: I dare to say she's even dumber than Georgie Jr. She may even need help from Dan Quayle.

Here are some 'Palinisms' : Some you already have heard and some you may have forgotten.

Afghanistan is our neighbouring country Ya know, I thought my geography sucked worse than my spelling, but that just don't sound correct.

How about the time she was duped by the French language radio hosts from CKOI FM in Montreal into believing they were Nicolas Sarkozy?

She feuds publicly with a teen-ager. How dignified is that?

My big question that no one seems to remember really or talk about and it is in Sawah's book (fiction I know): the GOP blamed her for the John McCain loss in 2008. It got to the point they went to her home in Alaska to claim the clothes she purchased for the campaign trail on their dime. Clearly, they regretted selecting her to run with McCain. Why on earth would the GOP endorse her to be president? Unless, of course she joins that new Tea Bagger Party; the Tea Party Party (TeePeePee? Great acronym).

Oh, the nerve of Sawah! After hiding behind a security detail, She basically told Marg Delahunty/Mary Walsh from This Hour has 22 Minutes:

“Canada needs to dismantle its public health-care system and allow private enterprise to get involved and turn a profit.”

Yikes! Nice that she and others like her care more about the free markets and corporations to make profits rather than caring for actual sick human beings.

I came across this at Enormous Thriving Plants this fine evening. It's a RNC purity pledge for GOP members. Here goes:

(1) Smaller government, smaller national debt, lower deficits and lower taxes by opposing bills like Obama's "stimulus" bill

Except, wasn't that Georgie's stimulus bill? Obama is just continuing where Georgie left off.

(2) Market-based health care reform and oppose Obama-style government run healthcare;

That has proven to not work over the years. Not very Christian of you folks to not provide health care for all, including the downtrodden

(3) Market-based energy reforms by opposing cap and trade legislation;

(4) Workers' right to secret ballot by opposing card check

(5) Legal immigration and assimilation into American society by opposing amnesty for illegal immigrants;

Oh Hell, why stop there? Oppose immigration of any kind!

(6) Victory in Iraq and Afghanistan by supporting military-recommended troop surges;

Well, it looks like Obama is about to follow that advice by caving in and sending 34 000 troops. Hey, this should make you happy; like Lyndon B Johnson's presidency was sunk by the Vietnam war, these wars will be Obama's Vietnams

(7) Containment of Iran and North Korea, particularly effective action to eliminate their nuclear weapons threat

(8) Retention of the Defense of Marriage Act;
Yes, let's defend all marriage acts: heterosexual and homosexual

(9) Protecting the lives of vulnerable persons by opposing health care rationing and denial of health care and government funding of abortion; and

Hmm! Is that what a public option among other things in the health care reform supposed to do? Also, as to the rationing and denying health care, isn't the market system already accomplishing those two items?

(10) The right to keep and bear arms by opposing government restrictions on gun ownership

No, of course not, there's just not enough gun tragedies going on

And what does this have to do with Reagan? "President Ronald Reagan believed ... that someone who agreed with him 8 out of 10 times was his friend, not his opponent," the resolution states. With that in mind, if a candidate strayed from the list on three more issues, the RNC resolution, if approved, would block him/her from receiving financial support and/or official endorsements.

Oh and don't forget, only watch Faux News because it's all you can trust. Take an interview with any other network and that's a mark against the purity pledge.

Well, I guess the idea of Centrists doesn't exist. I've noticed that most so-called American Centrists lean to the right anyway and they have no trouble leaning further to the right, just to avoid Evil Socialism! Most don't know the meaning of the word, but it's been so perversed and now considered such a bad word that the true meaning of Socialism is now going to need another word.

Ed Broadbent is on the Right Track, But Solutions Need To Go Further

2009-11-24T20:06:00.000-08:00

I'm talking about Ed Broadbent's article in the Globe and Mail regarding child poverty here in Canada. It was supposed to be eliminated by 2000, but of course this never happened. According to Broadbent, one of the main reasons for this is

"mostly it is the product of governments that have neither shared nor cared. As a Unicef report last Friday pointed out, Canadian politicians have failed our children. During the 1990s, the federal government abandoned a leadership role for Canada's poor. It unilaterally cancelled the Canada Assistance Plan with the provinces, eliminated all low-cost housing programs, ceased to set the pattern for minimum wages and failed to bring in a national child-care program. Perhaps most serious and unbelievable of all, it exacerbated the inequality that was emerging in the marketplace by changing the income-tax system to the advantage of the richest Canadians."

His solution? To start taxing the rich. Obviously, a no brainer.

"For more than a decade, it is upper-income Canadians – not the poor or middle class – who have disproportionately benefited from globalization and deregulation. Therefore, I say that increasing their share of income taxes would be based on neither greed nor class envy. It should be called justice."

This Blogging Tory, of course disagrees with taxing the rich because:

"Taxing the rich will just make them get more tax breaks in other ways, currently most people who are extremely rich do not pay an adequate amount of tax comparably to lower and middle incomes because of all the tax alleviations for them."

I agree with that statement, so instead of just leaving them alone, we need to go further: let's start plugging all those legal tax loopholes that the rich and the corporations rely on.

More needs to be invested in job training so the unemployed can either gain or upgrade skills particularly if their trades are considered now obsolete due to the changes in technology and trends.

Countries like Finland, Denmark and Sweden have managed to almost eliminate child poverty. Countries under Socialist regimes (more or less, anyway), where taxes are much higher. A lot of folks would balk at this but the fact is those countries tend to enjoy a higher standard of living. Norway was rated #1 in the world recently by the United Nations.

I also strongly believe that attitudes need to change. We are following the greedy self-centered, self justifying ways of the U.S. We need to stop relying on stereotypes that help us sleep easily at night like, 'oh, they're only welfare folks, siphoning off the tax payers' or finding some way to blame the poor families themselves.

The G & M article points out that most of these parents of poor kids are workers. More often, than not, a two income family. The days of the luxuries of a stay at home parent is as obsolete as the typewriter, unless one parent is lucky enough to be able to work at home and even then, it is often at even less money. Fact is that salary increases as a whole don't seem to catch up with the rise of the cost of living.

Attitudes like those of folks like Kathy Shiddle, who admits to hating the poor and nothing should be done to help them, need to change. She is certainly not alone.

It is even worse when a politician comes out with the same attitude. Yesterday, Gerald Keddy told The Chronicle Herald exactly what he thought of the unemployed of Halifax:

"Nova Scotians won’t do it — all those no-good bastards sitting on the sidewalk in Halifax that can’t get work."

He has offered a rather hollow apology for that statement. We knew that he means it, because it's attitudes like that that contribute to child poverty.

The fact is, most would like to work and would not be all that difficult. The problem is with a lot of employers, particularly in difficult times because they know they have their pick of the lot and yes, they do discriminate. That's what the selection process is all about.

I'm saying, for example, the person who took a few years off work either voluntarily and involuntarily; like staying home to raise kids and then all of a sudden losing their spouse (and their income), the ex-convict (yes, it is a vicious circle for them: don't have to hire them in a bank or anything like that, but how would sweeping floors or washing dishes or even low level office work hurt anything?) or the person who was on welfare for a few years for whatever reason (be it for medical reasons or other). An employer sees a gap in the CV, they tend to discard it.

I have also heard of and experienced this myself while looking for work. As an administrative worker by trade, I had noticed that looks and youth were and still are as or even more important than qualifications. Particularly for a receptionist: they are viewed upon as more window dressing than anything else in a lot of industries. More evidence of society becoming more and more shallow.

Instead of calling the jobless lazy or "no good bastards", perhaps try giving a chance to an unemployed person and hire them. They just may surprise you.

The poor do need help of some kind in order to get out of their situation; not just by charity but also someone who is willing to help them help themselves.

Sidenote: Here is a great program that helps provide breakfasts, hot lunches and snacks to poor school children if you wish to make a donation if you're from Montreal. The Generations Foundation. For those outside of Montreal, I'm sure they're must be similar organizations that help poor children and their families, please either volunteer or make a donation.

Ok, These Supporters Are Dumber than Sawah: What's Your Excuse?

2009-11-24T18:06:00.000-08:00

I saw this over at Canadian Cynic's. Unlike CC, I did watch past 1:43. Yah, it was a lot more folks showing that they're dumber than Sawah herself, CC didn't miss much. Most appear to not have beyond a grade 6 education. They've been brainwashed into believing Obama is a commie and only Sawah (or Glenn and Rush for that matter) care about freedom.

If anyone of those buffoons and bimbos were to stop and think (yes, Canadian neo-cons too): What freedom? Think about this one very carefully: did they ever have freedom really? (Forget Obama as pres; but think even under Reaganomics, Daddy-O Georgie and Danny Boy and Georgie Jr and Dickie. They're more or less free under Obama.

I like that idiot with the steeler's jacket saying that Russia is across the street from Sawah's home. Wow! Cool, cross the street, and one can buy the real vodka.

I also like the idiot who claims that two of Obama's books are about his covert ways of turning the U.S. into a Marxist, Leninist, socialist state. How would he know? I don't think he can read anything beyond a picture book by Dr Seuss. Clearly, he doesn't know the meaning of any of those words.

Clearly, those folks don't have much beyond a grade 6 education, they look like folks who could probably benefit from health care reform the most and they're paranoid. Clearly unhappy people.

Since these folks are stupid, ill-informed and don't have lives, I can understand why they love Sawah: as one of those clowns pointed out, she is 'the rock star of conservatism'.

My question is, why do folks beyond a grade 6 education: folks who actually know Russia can't be seen from Alaska and that Afghanistan isn't our neighbor and can actually answer a question like what do you like to read, vehemently support Sawah for pres in 2012 or anytime for that matter??

Do the Federal Liberals Even Have a Future?

2009-11-22T18:52:00.000-08:00

To read how Janine Krieber views the Liberals these days would certainly imply that they don't have much of a future. However, just like those pundits from Question Period this morning, she, unfortunately comes off as someone with a case of sour grapes. Perhaps that's even a part of it. However, she is on to something. She must be: that infamous Facebook posting was quickly taken down. If this was simply a case of bitterness, why the urgency to take down the posting? Perhaps she should have used a nom de plume; perhaps it could be taken more seriously and would look less like a wife with sour grapes. She does express probably what a lot of folks are thinking these days, including Liberal MPs and other party insiders themselves.

Either way, the fact that she took down the posting doesn't erase it. Journalists and pundits are covering it. Folks are paying attention.

Krieber even hints at throwing her support behind another party. Who would that be though? The N.D.P.? No matter what party; this would be problematic given her husband is still a Liberal M.P. representing St-Laurent as he has for many years. Yes, there was a hint from Iggy way back when about replacing him with some female 'star' a la Nathalie Le Prohon, but we didn't hear anything more about that. I'm sure party insiders pointed out that that would be an error given Dion has represented St-Laurent for many years. If the good folks of St-Laurent keep voting him in, they must have confidence in him to represent their interests. Is Dion still being pushed out the door? Would Peter Donolo and the new staff be pushing for that?

According to the latest Ipsos Reid Poll, The N.D.P. have jumped 6 points to 19% support nationally. The Liberals are at 24% and The Harpercons are at 37%: well within grasp of a majority (After all, Chretien had won a majority with only 37% of the vote). The Bloc and The Greens have 9% and 10% respectively.

What could that mean? Patrick R wrote about this with, what I observed to be a certain amount of enthusiasm. Hmm, Patrick, enthusiastic about the N.D.P. numbers; this can't be good. Then, of course this would make Patrick and other like-minded folks happy. This would split the left and the Harpercons get their majority, coming up the middle. Whether that would entail an N.D.P. or Liberal official opposition, it wouldn't matter. Stevie would be unleashed with a majority and thus his true Reform, NCC , Ultra-right wing conservatism would come shining through. It would be Bush-era U.S.A. mimicked.

I found what she says below of particular interest:

"The Liberal party is in a free fall, and it won't recover. Like all the liberal parties in Europe, it will become a poor little thing at the mercy of ephemeral coalitions. For having refused the historic coalition that could have placed it at the head of the left, it will be punished by history."

Does she mean what a lot of folks are thinking? Should the Liberals and the N.D.P. take a page from the Harpercon playbook and merge? It's something I've been saying for a long time. Something a lot of folks, even those left of center can't seem to agree on and don't really talk about it.

A lot of folks may not have liked the idea of that proposed coalition last year. This is why it is important that they merge before the next general election.

In spite of the best of intentions, the hiring of Peter Donolo and the new staff may well be too little too late. Iggy must go. However, this will probably only happen later rather than sooner.

I found this article from the Canadian Press today regarding what Peter Donolo's intentions may be. Interesting this would be released just after Janine Krieber's Facebook postings.

While Donolo is not revealing all of his secrets, I'm wondering if replacing Iggy down the road is a possibility in his mind as well?

He's closed the Liberal election war room for the immediate future. There will be no talk of an election for at least seven months, maybe even a year, according to the Canadian Press. Other than turning his academic resume into a positive and to be more on the offensive Donolo also says that he is pretty much going to have Iggy 'be himself'; to 'unpackage him' rather than to package him. What could this mean? Does he simply want to observe Iggy to see if he can be salvaged or not?

Even though, the campaign mode is turned off, The Liberals will be 'more aggressive and focussed' during question period and they will be countering Harpercon's vicious attack ads head-on. That's good. It's about time.

Whatever the case, I intrepret today's piece from Canadian Press to hint that this is Iggy's last chance to appeal to Canadian voters. I dare say that if Iggy doesn't improve his numbers in seven months like that article suggested, I think Donolo will recommend a changing of the guard. Maybe even a merger or at least some kind of agreement with the N.D.P.

This is all well and good to turn off the campaign mode, close the election war room and no election talk for a minimum of seven months, but what if Stevie decides to provoke one sooner? He is well within majority range. He must realize that if the N.D.P.'s numbers hold or go up slightly, he wouldn't need that magic 40% to come up the middle with a majority. As I've pointed out in my posting from last night, more and more Canadians are supporting Stevie and in spite of their "I don't want an election" whining last September, they do want an election yesterday if it can ensure Harpercon majority.

I'm wondering if Donolo has a plan for that potential scenario?

I don't doubt Donolo's capabilities given his resume, but I think Iggy must go now, because of the above mentioned scenario. A new leader must be selected ASAP. And no, NOT Bob Rae. I know, he's there. But no; that would just be another disaster. Do the research. If one has to be plucked out of retirement, so be it. What's more, it's time for a merger of the N.D.P. and the Liberals.

Do the Federal Liberals have a future? Not without a lot of help. Not with Iggy at the helm. They will be needing some kind of collaboration, if not a merger with the N.D.P.

Side note: something else of interest: Neither the Harpercons, nor the opposition parties have succeeded in eliminating the raison d'etre for the Bloc Quebecois. Why would this be, considering sovereignty is on the back burner and has been for some time now. Gilles Duceppe didn't even promote separation in the last federal election campaign. A lot of Quebec federalists be they Francophone or Anglophone: rural or urban still vote for the Bloc. This is something all these parties should think about.

Saturday Night Nostalgia - Cat Stevens

2009-11-21T21:44:00.000-08:00

How can anyone who wrote such beautiful songs like Peace Train be put on a Terrorist watch?

Senate Love Fest: Health Care Reform Another Step Further

2009-11-21T21:30:00.000-08:00

It would seem that Reid has the votes to get the proposed senate health care bill on the floor for debate. It would seem that Senators Blanche Lincoln (D-Arkansas) and Mary Landrieu (D-Louisiana) have softened their positions to vote to get this to the floor. It became a real love fest .

I wonder if Senator Landrieu's change of heart would have anything to do with the fact that she seems to have bigger things to worry about.

Senator Ben Nelson (D-Nebraska) of course was a hold out and didn't vote along. No love fest for him it would seem, but why did he go to chat with arch neo-con Senator Jim DeMint (R-S.C.) ?Would he be thinking of crossing the floor to be a G.O.P.? Or is there some kind of strange deal going on here?

I really hope that health care reform becomes a reality over there. Let's hope they go forward.

Now, time for a cartoon.

Canadians Condemned Bush Jr's America; So Why Do We Want Bush Jr's U.S. Here?

2009-11-20T18:39:00.000-08:00

I came across this article in the Globe and Mail a few days ago and surprisingly, this author wrote exactly what I had been noticing as of late: More and more Canadians have swung to the Right. Not just right of Centre: Old progressive Conservative Right; but extreme right. War mongering right. Capitalist Greed Right. Far less compassionate, more self-centered. Also very self-contradictory.

This has been proven over the past decade. I'm not even sure Children are being taught to share anymore.

They bitch about paying taxes for social programs and other things to ease poverty either in Canada or internationally, they bitch about paying more tax to help environment, they were happy not to pay taxes for programs like the Court Challenges Program. Yet, they have no problem supporting corporate welfare, that trillions upon trillion dollar war in Afghanistan, Porky Puffy Duffy's expense account which in three months, exceeds that of an annual salary of most Canadians, and of course, the conservative court cases subsidized by the Canadian Constitution Foundation.

Any explanation for this?

Attitudes Toward Poverty

Most no longer care about helping their fellow man, Kathy Shaidle even comes straight out to say that she hates the poor and we should do nothing to help them. Repugnant? Absolutely, but, to her credit, at least she comes out to admit this. No doubt, most conservative Canadians share this attitude towards the poor today but instead of admitting this, they skirt around the issue trying to dismiss the so called looney left.

One example of Canadians now really wanting to distance themselves from the poor is employment. I have noticed that if an employer finds out a candidate has drawn welfare in their lives, their application is treated like that of an ex-convict and thus never hire such people.

Donations to charities like food banks and others helping poor families or various shelters have gone down over the years. We can blame the recession all we like, but that trend started before the recession.

I have heard some of the right winged pundits in the blogosphere from both the U.S. and Canada say they know poor families who don't want any help; that they're too proud. This, of course is a cop out and something they tell themselves so they can let themselves off easy without guilt. I don't doubt that these 'proud' families exist, but every one needs a hand up once in awhile to move up somehow.

It would seem that the only thing most Canadians care about now is the free markets and paying way fewer taxes. To have less government, they don't seem to ming the cut backs or all out elimination of government services with perhaps the exception of health care.

While most still want to maintain our single payer health care system, more Canadians, particularly those where the most health care cut backs took place like Alberta, B.C. and Ontario are bitching more and more about single payer and are starting to long for private for profit even if (and it does, due to NAFTA) means the American Health care system.

War in Afghanistan

Our military had been known as peace keepers who help with rebuilding war torn nations. This, of course, is no longer the case since Afghanistan. Canadians don't seem to mind. In fact, they think we're just not militant enough.

When Chretien refused to allow Georgie drag us into Iraq, Stevie was disappointed (yah, so was Iggy, but he wasn't even a player at the time, and he is right of centre; even more right leaning than Paul Martin). I remembered the opinion pieces and letters to the editor back then: many were disappointed about us not showing solidarity with our 'friends' the U.S.

We hear of Afghan prisoners of war being tortured and in some respects, the Geneva Conventions not being respected. Not only do most Canadians not seem to care, but they go in so far as to say they deserve to be tortured.

When we heard that Afghan prisoners were going to potentially receive the H1N1 vaccines, again, we heard outrage to the point where Agluquack ranted about not knowing how this happened and that they would not get it. Again, breaking the rules of the Geneva Conventions. P.O.W. s are supposed to have health care.

H1N1 Crisis

Speaking of H1N1, this last crisis perfectly illustrated how Canadians were being self-centered. They were queue jumping. A lot even went in so far as to whine about the homeless population or the prisoners getting their vaccines earlier than most. A lot even bitched about anyone getting that vaccine before they did.

Gun Control

The Long Gun Registry is all but scrapped and most are thrilled about it. Nobody seems to care that this is leading down the path to no gun control whatsoever. I was talking with someone recently who flat out told me everybody should be allowed to tote a gun on the streets just like in the U.S. His co workers agreed whole heartedly. I have even seen comment boards on various pages posting about the subject reflect as much.

Immigration and Bigotry

Well, it seems most are in favor of Jason Kenney's new citizenship handbook illustrating basically that a good Canadian citizen is a war mongering, gun loving, WASPy who votes Conservative.

In the past, we welcomed Vietnam draft dodgers with open arms. We sympathized with their plight.

Now, we don't want to take in anybody escaping the wars, including the illegal war in Iraq. Most seem to be hell bent on sending Pte Bethany Smith back to the U.S. in spite of knowing what her fate would be should she return.

Also, let's not forget how many oh so many Canadians were celebrating the victory of Marc Lemire, the holocaust denying, homophobic white supremacist who won his right to say whatever the hell he liked even though the things he says are just what incites violent acts like defacing synagogues, gay bashing, and other violent acts. I remembered that being a dark day for me. I couldn't believe that Canadians were so festive on those comment boards. I honestly thought I had stumbled into Klu Klux Klan Territory.

Environment

Stevie and Prentice clearly don't care about the environment. Stevie's ol' wait and see if other countries will partake and the fact that he was a no show at U.N. climate talks reflects this much. Stevie has basically said that the Kyoto accord was a socialist scheme to suck money out of wealthy nations. Nowadays, he and Prentice think it's more important to protect the tar sands in Alberta. Another example of how the west, mainly Alberta are all that count for Stevie.

I have observed from most Canadians that they don't believe in Global warming any more the way they used to. They wish to do nothing to help the environment, thus, they don't think our gov't. should neither. Instead, they want to continue driving their big-assed gas guzzlers, not recycle, not choose more environmentally friendly products. Remember how all whined when a carbon tax was proposed before the 2008 election by Stephane Dion?

As much as this disheartens me, the reason behind the lack of concern for the environment is because of making changes to help the planet are just too much work for most. Al Gore's movie did indeed have the most appropriate title. The truth about the environment is inconvenient due to the work and concessions everyone would have to make.

Media

Most of mainstream media is right leaning and very Harpercon friendly: Asper papers, Globe and Mail, Maclean's magazine, Astral Media Talk/News Radio Stations and their hosts and of course, CTV. It seems the only remotely progressive media outlets in Canada would be the Toronto Star and that's starting to be right leaning with the likes of Chantal Hebert and a few others. The other would be the CBC but that is struggling due to lack of funds: Cuts by Stevie and the Harpercons. Even the CBC is widely read by the Right: just look at their comment boards.

Self Contradictory Conservative Canadians

As that Globe and Mail article pointed out: most Canadians loathed Georgie and were glad to see him go. Most loved Obama. That may have been true once upon a time, but not as much today.

Do most Canadians dislike Georgie as much as they said they did? I'm not so sure about that. Why are Stevie's numbers within majority range? Clearly, he aspires to Georgie's America for Canada. His video behind closed doors in front of his Harpercons in Sault Ste Marie last September proved as much. it is a reminder (or at least, it should be) that Stevie has not really centered himself in any which way.

"America, and particularly your conservative movement, is a light and an inspiration to people in this country and across the world," - a speech Stephen Harper made eight years ago to a conservative American think-tank.

Here is where a lot of Conservative pundits, journalists and bloggers are self contradictory: they all say that Iggy is American and has no understanding of Canadian values or of Canada as a whole. While this may well be true, most of these same people are failing to discuss or mention Stevie's love for all things Bush era conservative. None even mention Stevie's obvious disdain for Canada (or their own for that matter). This piece from Buckdog illustrates Stevie's feelings of hate for Canada and love for Georgie's America very well.

Why the self contradiction? Is the real reason they criticize Iggy for being Americanized is jealousy? We know Stevie is an American wannabe. How about his supporters? Do they really believe that Stevie represents Canadian values? Or do they know we're going toward a Bush Era American way of doing things and this is exactly what they want but don't talk about it?

Most of these Canadian Conservatives are even cheering for Sawah for Pres in 2012 and criticize everything Obama does or doesn't do.

There are even Canadian Birthers; Followers and supporters of Orly Taitz. I can introduce you to one of them. I'm ashamed to say I have known such an individual since childhood.

They even overuse and misuse the the word Socialism the way the Americans neo-cons do. One of my neighbours has those American pictures of that 'socialist clown' in joker make up' in their window. Scares the hell out of me when I pass that house.

Why?

While the U.S. is trying to move forward, somehow trying to claw its' way out of the mess Georgie and Dickie left; that train wreck that pretty much cynched the recession, Stevie seems to be hell bent on driving Canada toward a Georgie and Dickie style of America here in Canada.

Clearly, over time, it has been proven that this type of Capitalist greed, deregulation and Free market system have proven to not work. It didn't work in Margaret Thatcher's Great Britain (especially not in the 80s) neither did Reaganomics. The deregulation of Wall Street proved to be a failure. Finally, it took Georgie and Dickie to hammer the final nail on the global economic coffin.

Nevertheless, folks are still hell bent on having that same system here in Canada and somehow think it will work.

Why would this be?

Globe and Mail Article Possible Explanations for Trend

The article does suggest a reason among others for Stevie's popularity is that while the Right winged parties merged, there are too many parties left of Center (article included the Green party, although, I would hardly call Elizabeth May Left winged). The left is too fractured. Even this author of a right leaning newspaper remotely hints at a merger of the parties left of center. I always thought that was a good idea and I still do. Strength in numbers.

However, I don't believe that's the main reason for Stevie's numbers remaining within grasp at a majority in the next general election.

A lot of the Progressive bloggers might disagree with me on this, but I really do think Canadians are more ultra right winged conservative, just like our Tea-bagging neighbours.

I guess the only way to really find out if more Canadians are neo-cons than not would be to merge the parties left of center before the next general election.

Can this trend end? Can we go back to being Canadians? The type of society that distinguished us from the American Neo-cons once upon a time?

Mr Gay and Right: How can you, Of All People, Condemn This Poor Girl?

2009-11-20T17:02:00.000-08:00

I came across this sad story of 21 year old Private Bethany Smith at Gay and Right's page. For those who don't already know, Bethany Smith was a Private in the U.S. army who went AWOL and fled to Canada in September, 2007. She was being threatened and persecuted by her fellow soldiers simply because she is a lesbian. Apparently, she was outed by a fellow soldier who saw her walking hand and hand with another girl in a shopping mall.

Originally, the Refugee Board's decision was to deport her but today, she was granted a reprieve. Judge Yves de Montigny said the Refugee Board made an error and they must reconsider her case because it unfairly dismissed evidence suggesting that gays face harsher treatment in the American military justice system.

"I am of the view that the board's failure to explain why this evidence was rejected was material to its decision," the judgment said.

The judge also said the board didn't even consider the fact that the military base, Fort Campbell, Kentucky, where Smith served is also that same base where Pte. Barry Winchell, a gay American soldier who was beaten to death with a baseball bat almost a decade ago.

Private Smith has said she has received threatening notes daily, including death threats, superiors giving her extra work and of course, good ol' daily harrassment since being outed.

She did try to legally get herself discharged from the Army under the "Don't Ask Don't Tell policy". However, they simply shrugged it off and told her that discharge paperwork would not be ready until after her next deployment to Afghanistan.

That's real helpful! Yeah! Let's send her to Afghanistan or Iraq, any of these war torn countries where life is chaotic for all. Her fate would definitely have been sealed and more than likely, she would have come home in a body bag. Her death would no doubt be passed off as 'killed in the line of duty', when in reality, she probably would have been killed by a fellow homophobic soldier or sent into dangerous situations by equally homophobic superiors.

Here are the details of Private Bethany Smith's case.

Now, Mr Gay and Right, how in the hell can you, of all people, condemn this girl? We should all offer her compassion, but you, sir, why are you so callous?

You've never suffered at the hands of homophobic rednecks? You've never been tormented? Beaten up? Left for dead? How about your partner? If you say nothing ever happened to you or your partner after coming out, you must be very lucky.

What if it were your partner going through what Bethany Smith is going through? Wouldn't you do everything you can to protect him as he would protect you?

Are that gung-ho gaga over the Military and the wars in the middle east or are you just trying to impress your buddies over at Romper Room (blogging tories)?

It must be hard being an oddity in Romper Room; I read the comments at your page; hard not fitting in, isn't it?

At least, you only have to contend with some ignoramous red neck bloggers over at that board.

This poor girl must contend with far worse with nowhere to turn. It must be a terrible lonely feeling.

Oh and to appeal to your conservative sensibilities; it's not like the girl is sitting at home collecting welfare. She is working at a call centre in Ottawa.

I hope this girl gets to stay in Canada or if she must return to the U.S., she can get her discharge. Everyone deserves to feel secure. She deserves our compassion, not condemnation.

The Blogging Tory Soap Opera

2009-11-19T19:11:00.000-08:00

Featuring Justin the Raging Tory and a mystery person simply known as 'The Iceman'. I first came across this banal, insignificant yet somewhat entertaining saga over at Canadian Cynic's page. I have to say I got a chuckle from this. I, of course went over to the Blogging Tories page and found any postings from Frick and Frack continuing this really strange cat fight; reminds me of a lover's quarrel in a very strange disfunctional way.

Young Justin is being run by his hormones it would seem. He is also part of that shallow generation where all is superficial and originality is completely lacking. I mean, he uses that now second hand term "....Don't hassle the Hoff" for Christ's sake. Youngsters like him are more than likely to jump off a bridge if the older Blogging Tories were doing just that.

The Iceman is well, he/she keeps him/herself anonymous so I can't really tell except to say they're showing colours of insecurity and separation anxiety.

I also discovered they have the same layout for their blog as mine. Remind me to rectify this problem. The next time I give my page a make over, I will more than likely attempt to design my own if I can find someone tech savvy to help with coding. Hell, I just may even move the show over to wordpress but I digress.

Anyway, back to this 'Tragicomedy' to quote Kevron. The bone of contention is simply that Young Justin in fine form is having wet dream of See Sawah Run run for President: he seems to think that a neo-con with looks 'n' legs are all that's needed to be the President of a so-called super power.

The Iceman, who I will guess is somewhat older and thus less driven by hormones, seems to believe like the rest of the real world that See Sawah run as Pres would be a train wreck: much like bubble heads like Carrie Prejean.

Anyhooo, let the games begin!

Young Justin is trying with all his spoiled child might probably even holding his breath until he turns tory blue to get Iceman kicked out of the Blogging Tories simply because Iceman expresses disagreement. Well, Well, Well...

Here is another example of the Free Speech Chicken Hawkdom. Young Justin, like all good neo-cons loves his absolute free speech, except when someone, including a fellow Tory Blogger disagrees with him. Even more than that, in order for Justin to feel secure, he wants to make folks like that mean ol' Iceman go away.

Speaking of Free Speech, Iceman, how about publishing my comment? I think I offered sound advice. Yeesh! Some folks don't appreciate nothing. I wonder if he/she would publish the comment and may even consider the advice had it been another Blogging Tory.

Iceman too is starting to show some insecurity. I get the idea he/she is begging to stay with the Blogging Tories. How unattractive! I sent a comment which, of course is not published. I basically told them that if Blogging Tories didn't were going to turf them because of a disagreement regarding the Alaskan wet dream, then maybe they weren't worth sticking around for. If they needed a host for their blog, I suggested perhaps finding some non-partisan hosts.

Consider this one of those pre-week-end fluff pieces. I couldn't resist. Like I said, poking fun and conservative bloggers has become quite the substitute for nicotine withdrawal.

I am hoping that I can gain back my patience for research and writing well thought out opinion pieces or coming up with more satirical image montages for this blog which this page was meant for in the first place. It's been difficult since quitting smoking.

It will be two weeks tomorrow evening @ 20:00 I had my last cigarette. I still don't feel like me and I think I'm going to gain 600lbs.

PS: If anyone can help me with coding for a blogger template...any help would be appreciated. Or should I just move the show to Wordpress??

Boycott Cafe Press

2009-11-19T17:29:00.000-08:00

Remember my posting from last night? All that crazy merchandise suggesting a psalm from the bible kill the Pres of the United States? Cafe Press and Zazzle were selling all that merchandise from mugs to dog sweaters encouraging the murder of President Obama.

I heard that Zazzle pulled the merchandise off their site, but Cafe Press is still selling it.

I think Cafe Press should be boycotted.

Agree or disagree with President Obama; support him or not; I think we can all at least agree that this wingnuttery goes way too far and I don't think anyone wants to actually hear he got assassinated.

If you agree with me, don't buy anything from that site and for those who use it to sell their products, please consider pulling it and finding another host.

The Christian Jihad - Pot, Kettle, Black

2009-11-18T19:53:00.000-08:00

I came across this video at Unrepentant Old Hippie.

This of course, is not the first I've heard of the insanity like Facebook's survey as to whether or not Pres. Obama should be assassinated or the even crazier opinion piece from Newsmax proposing a Military coup to oust the president. However, this video doesn't make it less scary or less crazy.

I have to say, after hearing the bigots from both the Canadian and American right wingnut brigade constantly bashing all of Islam for the acts of the fringe sociopathic groups who misinterpret the Quran; I honestly think it's time for them to really take a look in the mirror (provided it don't crack first, that is). What is the difference between Christian Far Right and Islamic Extremists? Can't wait for someone to try to spin that one. Well, Pot...Kettle...Black...?? Ring any bells here?

As Frank Schaeffer called them: the American Taliban, these freaks are not much better. In fact, I don't know who's more sociopathic: Islamic Radicals or the Christian Evangelical Far Right?

Well, besides being white and uneducated, the only other difference between the Islamic Radicals and the Christian Evangelical Far Right is that they also demonstrate their oh so beloved Free market ways and actually have a full line of gifts one can purchase: anything from mugs to t-shirts to, yes, even pet wear.

This is more than just a case of Obama Derangement Syndrome. Yahoos like them are why gun control is soooo important.

Let's be careful out there.

I will say this again: I don't ever want to hear about the loony left ever again! Never again!

More Outrage and Lies: H1N1 Vaccination Market Scheme: FAIL!

2009-11-17T19:48:00.000-08:00

Well, well, well, let the lies continue. Stevie continues his disappearing acts. This time, I believe he's the lead of Bollywood's version of "Dancing with the Stars"

Remember how Butler-Jones and Agluquack promised, even when fumbling on "Question Period" over two weeks ago, that there would be enough vaccine to cover every Canadian by Christmas? Well, I was waiting for the other shoe to drop on that one and now, it has. It appears there won't be enough to vaccinate all Canadians before the year is out.

Well, let the outrage and panic and paranoia begin. Rightfully so, given our government has screwed this crisis up royally. Nobody learned from the SARS crisis in 2003 on how to better prepare for pandemics. They went about it all wrong and there is incompetence at every level.

Bottom line. They took the cheapest way out; let's do a mass vaccination, never mind the testing protocols. To make sure it won't cost them down the road, GSK and Harpercons are not implementing a no fault compensation for those injured as a result of the vaccine. Typical Harpercons!

Why should we be surprised? As Rick Salutin from the Globe and Mail pointed out: Steve will never own this pandemic crisis; they never even owned health care; he has no empathy. No shit! After the way his Harpercons heckled Carolyn Bennett during Question Period while she was airing her concerns over vaccine safety for pregnant women--- the fact that he goes off gallivanting with Prince Charles and Camilla rather than show leadership during the first weeks of screw ups; and now doing Bollywood instead of being here where a PM should be during a crisis, is this any surprise? In reality, he doesn't care. After all, Canada as it is, is nothing more than a "second tier socialistic country" in the world according to Stevie.

This crisis could have been handled much differently.

By all means, develop a vaccine for H1N1; but take the necessary time to implement all testing procedures. Don't rush it out without knowing not only the potential short term side effects but also the potential long term consequences. Most importantly, don't count on one supplier only. Hell, Craig Oliver pointed out the stupidity of that strategy when interviewing Agluquack at the beginning of the month. She even had the nerve to blame the Liberals for signing some exclusive deal. Well, Leona, I thought this was a crisis situation? Who's in charge, anyway? Certainly not the Liberals.

She continued (and still does to this day) to blame everyone else but herself (remind you of anyone, a certain writer of fiction, also from the north?) and her master. Instead of skulking around and trying to spin her way out of this crisis, a good health minister should come up with contingency plans.

A few examples of contingency plans would be:

Quarantine (Yah, I know, takes away freedoms, but it is a crisis or supposed to be anyway and if it is crisis, certain concessions must made). Find where the largest concentration of H1N1 cases and implement strict quarantine rules: comings and goings extremely limited. Unfortunately, one of the best ways to control a communicable disease is to contain it.
I'm not sure about the rest of Canada, but in Quebec, we have a few designated flu clinics so as not to congest walk-in clinics and hospital ERs: only the most serious cases would go to the hospitals.
A lot more money to our health care system to handle the crisis (not likely to happen: I wouldn't put this past Stevie to use this crisis to further his agenda of bringing the American Health care system here)
(More on provincial or municipal levels) Cancel sporting events, concerts anywhere there is the public all crowded together. Those events are a breeding ground for germs. Once again, fall under expensive as special provisions would have to be made for employees at such events such as concessions stands, maintenance, etc. while out of work.
They could have cancelled the Olympics
Have employers stagger the hours of their employees so public transit won't be so crowded.

Now with this vaccine shortage, I'm wondering if everybody will stop and think? Not only Agluquack and Butler-Jones with contingency plans to combat the crisis, but Canadian citizens as a whole too. Before running off half baked and cut your neighbours off at the pass rushing to a vaccine line-up nearest you, there are some things to consider.

Health care professionals can't agree on the benefits or risks of this vaccine. at the clinic where I received my intervention, about half the nurses admitted to not getting vaccinated because they weren't confidant in the testing of it.

A friend of mine who has heart trouble told me his cardiologist recommended that he not get the vaccine; the doctor wasn't sure how his heart would withstand the vaccine.

I have heard of certain doctors preaching the sanctity of the vaccine in the media but I happen to know of at least one such doctor who, in private, wasn't nearly as gung-ho about the vaccine when a friend of mine consulted with him.

The southern hemisphere already passed their winter flu season. Australia's H1N1 fatalities were relatively low compared to regular flu in that country annually. This was not due to mass immunization. They didn't have the vaccine up until September. What was their secret? Was there any secret? Or this crisis didn't nearly prove the tragedy some predicted?

It hasn't been a month yet and 36 cases of alleged (in all fairness, they have to perform tests) reactions to the vaccine. Butler-Jones says this is less than the reactions to regular flu shot, but Butler-Jones, the season is still early. I have funny feeling more will be coming and it will be a lot harder to get the truth.

An example of a potential cover up from hospital officials is happening in Virginia. A 14 year old boy came down with Guillain Barre's Syndrome not even 24 hours after receiving his H1N1 vaccine. Yah, I know what they say, rare case. Probably won't happen again. The CDC alleges that this boy's case is probably just coincidental. In the words of the blogger from Facing Autism in New Brunswick: 'yeah, sure'. Assuming that this was a coincidence, why are officials at the hospital where this young man is being treated are not being so forthcoming with the information? This boy's parents already gave their permission to release their son's info.

Some things to think about before you inject. Remember, we shouldn't submit to being guinea pigs for big Pharma or any government. Remember, big pharma only cares about its' profit margins and governments (particulary Harpercons) will take the cheapest way out of a crisis. Remember, you get what you pay for.

Also, be careful. Use common sense. We'll have to rely on ourselves here.

Stay away from crowded places as much as possible
Eat and drink healthy
Eat at home
Don't leave home unless absolutely necessary, like work or errands

Another thing to remember is the first wave from last May. There was no vaccine and no sign of one coming out. The media had a much different mood as did public health officials. They underlined the deaths of H1N1 victims that occurred were in those with underlying conditions which compromised their immune systems. They gave usual advice: wash your hands, drink fluids and stay home if you're sick. Sure enough, that news died down as quickly.

If they are really short of vaccine, I'm sure that Public health and the Media will take the same tone they did last May.

After this debacle, the Harpercons certainly won't learn any lessons, neither will any of the public health agencies. There won't even be regrets. They are just going to continue running away from the whole thing.

There is one way of putting this; if the Harpercons cared and they stood behind their vaccine; their logo would be stamped all over it, no doubt.

Proof that Some Kids are Smarter Than Adults

2009-11-17T18:10:00.000-08:00

Just when I lose hope in generations after mine, some youngster surprises me and brings a small glimmer of hope. If this young man ever gets to law school, I hope he doesn't lose his values.

At the tender age of ten, he is proving to be much more intelligent than most politicians today.

I hope this kid doesn't cave in to the pressure from the other kids and his teachers. It will be especially difficult given where he comes from: a part of Redneckland, USA.

Keep up the good work kiddo!

Where Canada Would Go After a Harpercon Majority

2009-11-15T19:38:00.000-08:00

And there wouldn't be enough for that matching partisan toilet paper!

It's Not My Fault! The Monkey Did it!

2009-11-14T19:46:00.000-08:00

The Monkey spread the Obama hating virus.

She Gives Members of the Left Wing Fringe Group A Bad Name

2009-11-13T21:45:00.001-08:00

Both her and Sawah.

Bad Larry! Bad Larry for being 'inappropriate'! Oh, the shame of it all. Will she ever recover? I really hope this experience caused her to have her first wrinkle and/or grey hair.

Simon and Garfunkel: Reunion Videos

2009-11-13T18:10:00.000-08:00

I had watching various Simon and Garfunkel videos with the song, "The Boxer", a favourite of mine.

For some reason, this version from a 2006 reunion sticks out for me. They still have it after all those years!

Here they are on David Letterman in 2006

Here they are reunited on some show, introduced by Dustin Hoffman in 2003, singing "The Sounds of Silence", another Classic.

The Graduate - An All Time Classic

2009-11-13T17:38:00.000-08:00

One of my all time favourite movies has got to be The Graduate from 1967 starring Anne Bancroft and Dustin Hoffman.

You couldn't help but feel sorry for Ben at times; you know, the perfect prodigal son returning home from College, graduating with all kinds of honours and winning prizes. The poor guy had to paraded around like a circus poodle by his parents at both his graduation and when they oohed and aaahhed around the swimming pool while Ben must show off the expensive scuba diving garb. I'm sure most who had seen the movie must have thought to themselves: 'why didn't Ben simply tell his parents thanks but no thanks?'

I wonder if anyone actually felt sorry for Mrs Robinson? A woman unhappy in her marriage and life. I'm sure if she didn't attempt to make life for those around her as miserable as her's was, maybe she could have been a more sympathetic character.

Well, I happen to think that's why Ben caved into the advances of the unhappily married Mrs. Robinson.

My favourite scene, though, was the end when Ben is screaming "E-LAINNNE!!" over and over again outside the church where Elaine is marrying that Blonde all-American type every parent dreamt for their daughters at that time.

Gotta love a man who would make an absolute fool of himself for a woman. Obviously, Elaine was impressed: I loved how Ben locks the entire crowd in the church by wedging the large crucifix though the door handles and they run onto the bus.

Anybody ever imagined what would have happened to all of them if they had the chance to write a sequel?
Enjoy!

School Just Ain't Important in U.S.A.

2009-11-12T19:16:00.000-08:00

Never mind that high school drop out rates are on the rise state side and the statistics are indeed dismal.

Never mind that alot of American kids in public school system who do graduate still have below par reading and writing skills.

How about 'allowable' cheating? That's right! You heard it here.

A fundraiser the parents came up with: buying and selling grades: Yep, because last year's chocolate sale flopped!

I see where parents priorities lie: let's teach kids capitalist greed over learning the three 'R's.

The Perfect Citizen According to Jason Kenney

2009-11-12T17:24:00.000-08:00

It's too bad ol' Kenney, Stevie and the rest of the Harpercons can't even live up to most of Kenney's guidelines in his new handbook.

Posted at The Galloping Beaver by Alison and at My Blahg

Actually, it's titled:

And here's what every new immigrant should look at before signing on to be a citizen:

Design by Pale Cold from A Creative Revolution

Basically, it's high on promoting the military big time and of course, next to nothing regarding arts and culture.

Advice to Potential New Citizens

"(There's) a growing consensus that we need to recover a sense of civic memory, civic literacy about our democratic institutions and the history in which they are rooted," Kenney said.

Hmmm, with the events of late such as scrapping the Long Gun Registry, thus, beginning the journey toward No Gun Control, the move toward the U.S. health care system, a very pro-military stance in this new document of Kenney's,

THINK AMERICA under Georgie Bush and Dickie Cheney.

About that pro-military stance of Kenney's which new immigrants must aspire to: while he says it isn't compulsory, one must read between the lines here:

a "noble way to contribute to Canada and an excellent career choice."

Well, boys and girls, just think, if it were soooo noble and such a great career choice, how come Steve, Kenney or most of the Harpercons never enlisted? Also remember, the military seems to have a shortage in personnel and most who are natural born citizens just don't want to join it these days.

Oh yeah! It also tells you it's your duty to vote; just one snag though; they mean, vote for them.

It also talks about volunteering. Remember, these folks never volunteer for anything.

In discussing gender equality, in this guide. Congratz, ladies! You've simply moved to the status of left winged fringe.

Oh, just because there is not much indicated about arts and culture, doesn't mean it doesn't exist. It simply means it's not important to the Harpercons.

And so, boys and girls, remember, it's not hard to be smarter than most Harpercons: Apparently things like University education is optional to be a Harpercon and to be a Harpercon senator, literacy is also optional.

You can get the translate version of Kenney's guide here.

The booklet will also be made available to schools, to give all Canadians a better sense of common values.

Common, of course, means Conservative. Good luck Future Conservatives oops! I meant Canadians! (Or is that American Rednecks?)

Downhill for Stevie and the Harpercons in Quebec without the A.D.Q.?

2009-11-11T17:42:00.000-08:00

I can only hope? The party was on life support and now, Gilles Taillon, may well be the one to pull the plug once and for all after just 23 days leading the party. I ordinarily wouldn't give something like this a second thought, let alone write about it. Taillon is undergoing treatments for prostate cancer and he didn't even have a seat in the National Assembly. Two of its' MNAs have resigned to sit as independents as of Friday. At last count, It no longer seems the A.D.Q. has enough seats in the National Assembly for official party status. Its' brain child has long since left politics, or has he?

Since Super Mario's departure from politics, we don't hear from him anymore, except for maybe his new career as a TV star. We hadn't seen him really crawling out of the wood work to even comment about Monday's bi-election in Montmagny-L'Islet-Kamouraska-Riviere du Loup, let alone to campaign for Genereux of the Harpercons.

Yet, according to Taillon, the ghost of Super Mario is still very much around. Taillon blames him as well as other party members and the Harpercons for the internal fighting inside the A.D.Q.

It was no secret that Mario Dumont was one of Steve's best buddies here in Quebec. Steve had a neo-con to help him make in-roads. According to the CBC, the party was funded largely in part by Conservative Senator, Leo Housakos up until last December, right at the time the ADQ was decimated and Mario ran away. Well, certainly explains that weird relationship between an on again/off again separatist and Stevie doesn't it?

Gilles Taillon, on the other hand, wanted to break ties with the Harpercons. He basically no longer wanted any ties with any political party; provincial or federal. Ok, sounds ambitious, even admirable.

"I understand today from the public comments made by the former 'owners' of the party, Mario Dumont first among them, that my election as leader of the ADQ signified for these people, the end of an untouchable alliance,"

Untouchable Alliance? It was almost incestuous, if you ask me. Steve and Mario were so joined at the hip, it sent Premier Jean Charest, a former Tory MP and Federalist to campaign for the Bloc Quebecois during the last Federal election. There were, of course other reasons for Charest to have done that, but I digress.

Super Mario appeared yesterday on his TV show, V calling for MNA Gerard Deltell to be leader. Wow! Whatever happened to remaining out of the political arena, Mario? TV show not having hot ratings lately?

It would also seem that co-founder of the A.D.Q., Jean Allaire is also backing Deltell for leader.

Trouble is, does Deltell even want it?

"I take note of the fact that many people want a leader who has consensus, and I see that many people think that I am the man for the job," said Deltell.

"[There is] a lot of pressure. But you know, that is part of the job. You don't do politics for the fun of it — you do politics because you are involved."

At this time, Eric Caire, a former contender for A.D.Q. leadership who resigned on Friday to sit as an independent no longer has any interest to lead this party.

Next question, should we even care? Whether Deltell takes it or not certainly won't help his career. This political experiment of reviving Day's past of the Maurice Duplessis era is done.

I wonder if Stevie still cares? After all, he gained a seat in the lower St-Lawrence in Monday's bi-election without the A.D.Q. However, he probably wouldn't have without Genereux or that 242 M bribe last Friday.

The trouble with that is, Stevie can't realistically bribe all or even half of Quebec ridings. Where would the money come from, for starters?

Also, how many Native Quebecois 'stars' can Steve recruit for Quebec ridings?

Some suggest that Stevie try to make nice with Jean Charest, but it may not even be in Charest's own political interests to entertain the idea of making nice with Stevie. As mentioned in a previous post, Charest could well be eye-balling Stevie's job. Unlike Stevie, Charest could potentially lead the Tories to a majority with greater ease.

Taillon is also alleging financial irregularities within the party for several years now and has already notified the Surete de Quebec. That too, more than likely would be a reason for Gerard Deltell to be on the fence regarding the party's leadership and for those like Eric Caire to no longer be interested.

Whatever the case, I venture to guess that the life support of the A.D.Q. has just had its' plug pulled.

Perhaps this is wishful thinking on my part. Although, the A.D.Q. will never have enough clout to help Steve make further inroads in Quebec.

I also venture to guess that Super Mario may get an invite from Steve to the senate should his TV show flop.

Disappointing Although Not Surprising

2009-11-10T19:29:00.000-08:00

Today is indeed a dark day. Waking up to find that race between the Bloc`s Nancy Gagnon and Harpercon Star, Bernard Genereux was won by the latter. He did it without the help of Jean Charest no less. This was one race our premier chose not to involve himself with. True, Genereux was the popular mayor of one of the village in a collection of villages known as Montmagny-L'Islet-Kamouraska-Riviere du Loup. Yes, like so many rural regions of Quebec, they are generally conservative thinkers who actually would cheer for the abolition of the Long Gun Registry and would be turned off at Gilles Duceppe`s proposal of coming up with a similar registry for Quebec. Also like most rural regions of Quebec, the Catholic Church still has an influence over village life. However, it was a Bloc strong hold for a long time and given that these folks are also uni-lingual French and separatist for the most part and their native son, Mario has left politics entirely in favour for a career in TV, I thought Gagnon would squeak through. The pundits like Jean Lapierre on CTV's Question Period even predicted that. Hell, even Mario Dumont was nowhere near this campaign. All looked good for The Bloc to maintain Montmagny-L'Islet-Kamouraska-Riviere du Loup even if only by a margin.

It was not to be. Indeed a dark day.

Gilles Duceppe is wondering if the riding was punishing Paul Crete, the Bloc MP for resigning so soon into his mandate to run provincially. I don't think that's it, Gilles, I think it's more like 242 Million Clam bribery scheme for the riding last Friday.

Of course, simply because the Harpercons don't know the meaning of the words gracious and humble, they had to rub salt in the wound:

“Mr. Duceppe, the population also sent you a clear message; the Bloc does not have the monopoly on Quebec values.”

No, Dimitri Soudas and the other Harpercons: the good folks of Montmagny-l'Islet-Kamouraska-Riviere du Loup just know a good deal when they have it dangling in front of their noses. If not for that, I'm sure the riding would have remained in the hands of the Bloc. Pundits predicted as much in spite of the popularity of Genereux as Mayor of La Pocatiere.

Also, Mr. Soudas, you may have Quebec City and that disgraced clown in the Beauce and that hill billy up north in Roberval, but that doesn't mean you understand Quebec values as well as the Bloc Quebecois. Mr. Soudas, your boss only has appeal to hillbillies, church folks and farmers in some of the regions of Quebec. Try to make a dent in the Greater Montreal Area now.

I also think that the passing of the private members' bill, scrapping the long gun registry and the fact that Duceppe is proposing to create one for Quebec had something to with it. I have noticed alot of news pages and bloggers saying that all of Quebec support the Long Gun Registry. That's ok, It wouldn't be the first time those outside of Quebec misunderstood Quebecers. If truth be told, one would be hard pressed to find a Quebecer outside the Greater Montreal Area who supported the Long Gun Registry or supports gun control for that matter.

What does this result and the results from the other three ridings mean?

Hochelaga is a non-issue; as mentioned previously, a chimpanzee can win in Hochelaga if it were Bloc.

The other two ridings were predictable. Although, I have to wonder how the folks of Cumberland—Colchester—Musquodoboit Valley would vote for Harper's Neo-cons given their poor treatment toward those people.

I find it strange that bloggers and journalists call this Iggy's test or Iggy's loss. Those ridings were never his to lose in the first place. Yes, had the Liberals been able to steal one of those four ridings, it would be the shocking booster the party needed, but nobody believed that would happen. I don't even think Iggy believed it. Otherwise, why didn't he run so-called 'stars' in any of those four ridings? I don't think anybody really knew who the four Liberal candidates were.

My fear is: given the Harpercon wins in Nova Scotia and the collection of villages down river in Quebec; does this pave the way to a sure Harpercon majority come this spring when a general federal election would be surely held??

The only warning I would have for Stevie is: they voted for your guy: make good on your bribe now, or else, if you don't, I venture to guess that if a general election were held this spring, Montmagny-L'Islet-Kamouraska-Riviere du Loup will go back to the Bloc and I think this time, it won't be Nancy Gagnon; he will more than likely find an old Parti Quebecois Star to run against the good former mayor of La Pocatiere. I think we can now put this collection of villages in the Lower St-Lawrence in the category of bellwether ridings.

While I don't like to see promises from politician's broken. I will make an exception and I do hope that Stevie doesn't deliver the goods to the good folks of Montmagny-L'Islet-Kamouraska-Riviere du Loup.

Thanks for the Encouragement

2009-11-10T18:05:00.000-08:00

I see that my last posting got a big response, half of the comments from readers wishing me well with my battle to quit smoking.

I want to thank you all for the encouragement. I have to say that creativity is difficult. Times like now, the craving is sooo overwhelming, I can't even finish the posting for tonight's blog.

Thanks again and hopefully, I will be able to blog again regularly!!

Dodo Can't Play Fair!

2009-11-09T18:21:00.000-08:00

Well, Well, not quite sure how to take this. Another right wing nut bar, Maria S of Dodo Can't Spell recently put me and Canadian Cynic in her 'toilet'. Yes! Another racist bitch who just doesn't like it when some of us think and try to put light on something. This time, she doesn't seem to like the way I and I guess, Canadian Cynic, insult the right wing bloggers; but...but...you're sooo ignorant, you're just too entertaining!!

She also doesn't seem to like our (mine and Canadian Cynic's) recent postings about Major Hasan and the Fort Hood shootings. I haven't read Canadian Cynic's post, so I can't comment about it one way or another, but I imagine it didn't take on the racist flavoring she would have liked on that tragedy .

"This blog belongs to a Conservative woman who believes in total freedom of speech. If you cannot bear to hear it, buy a set of ear plugs and stop whining. Also, I happen to hate anti-semites and anti-gay idiots. If you are not in sync with my mind-set, please keep away from this blog, and I "Thank you" for not polluting it with your presence." From YOUR Subtitle. What a walking contradiction you are!! You believe in 'total freedom' of speech, until someone disagrees with you and then you don't want them to 'pollute' it." Who is this Shrew?

My posting was based on a New York Times article that same evening I posted mine: Nicotine Deprived Blogging... is what this shrew is referring to.

This brings me to revisit my old question, I really wish some of these Neo-Cons would answer this. I asked this question when writing about Kathy Shiddle's persecution complex. Why is absolute Free speech only applicable to you and your idiocies and not to anyone else who dares to disagree with you??

Beware, Neo-Cons, it just so happens that making fun of you is becoming an ideal replacement for nicotine!! And gotta say; the quitting smoking thing is pretty damned difficult.

Happy Birthday Sesame Street!!

2009-11-09T17:25:00.000-08:00

I couldn't let one of the few tv shows I was allowed to watch growing up without even commemorating its' Anniversary, now can I? Most of us enjoyed learning to sing the alphabet, count with the count, watch how Cookie Monster would always get more cookies all over the place than actually eating them.

The anniversary will be commemorated with Michelle Obama, planting a garden with Elmo and Big Bird tomorrow. I would imagine an effort to teach kids the values of being green. She will be the fourth First lady to appear on the show. Good on her.

However, all has not been A-OK with Sesame Street over the years. Yes, in a country with right wingnuts, an innocent TV show where pre-schoolers can actually have fun learning to count or sing along to the Alphabet was not without controversy. It had received criticism from paranoid parents scared that in promoting sharing, Sesame Street was indoctrinating Socialism.

Even a kids show is indeed not spared from the Right/left debate. Here is one Right Wingnut's take on those evil Communist muppets and their 'indoctrination' of innocent school children. After reading from that wingnut, I can see how Obama speaking to school children would be frightening to these individuals.

Another controversy was a change to Cookie Monster's character. They decided to promote healthy eating and thus, scrapped the cookies. Inspite of good intentions, it was felt that Cookie Monster lost his identity.

My favourite character had to be Oscar the Grouch, who for some reason, changed colours over the years, it would seem. He ate trash, his favourites would be things like spinach sundaes and pickle juice. His pet was Slimy the Worm. Like myself, he was forever cranky. According to this blog, the controversy with Oscar was that he made folks feel depressed.

According to this opinion piece, however, quirky characters like Oscar the Grouch and the short tempered Bert served to show children tolerance to different temperaments.

The latest Oscar the Grouch scandal has got to be when, you guessed it! The Show took a jab at Fox News. Below, is the controversial skit. I think it's cute but it's getting right winged pundits in a snit to say the least!

This of course, has got all the right winged bloggers in a tizzy. They're all fit to be tied!

The good folks of Sesame Street and PBS believe that this was "just another one of the many parodies that 'Sesame Street' has done over the years." At least, they're not running apologizing to Fox News like Desperate members of the GOP seem to keep doing.

Of course, Michelle Obama's guest appearance, planting that agrarian garden is also causing no shortage of grief for this idiotic blogger. OK, Ass-hole Adam Baldwin, time to dislodge that conservative coin from up your ass. Just because you're frustrated with your life is no need to take away the fun of learning from kids.

Sadly, it seems more and more obvious things will not continue to be A-Ok anymore as Americans go more and more to the right, what would their kids be allowed to watch?

Happy Birthday Sesame Street! Thanks for those fun formative years!!

Health Care Reform Passed!

2009-11-07T21:33:00.000-08:00

It passed by the narrowest of margins: 220 Aye (including one GOPer) and 215 Nay, according to breaking news at Huffington Post. Here is the break down of the votes.

Below is Nancy Pelosi's declaration of the new health care bill passing.

Yes, good the Government will have a tighter noose on the insurance companies and they won't be able to discriminate anymore based on gender or pre-existing condition. It is, however, watered down. How disappointing! What is this?? Subsidizing lower income Americans so they can buy insurance?? Whatever happened to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid's Public option?? I did not see anything about a public option in there. Subsidizing purchasing of insurance will surely be more expensive to the tax payers than the public option would ever be...

I wonder if this will cost Obama a second term?? Surely the more progressive Democrats will no longer have confidance in him and the Tea-baggers will surely have replaced the GOP with Rush Limbaugh at the helm. Oh what a mess!

I'm glad there is reform of some kind. The very fact the insurance companies are going to have to play fair now is already progress, as well as more will be insured, or so it says on paper.

UPDATE:

It seems there is a public option. I apologize for having jumped the gun. Here are the particulars of this new health care bill. As mentioned, insurance companies will no longer be able to discriminate based on gender or pre-existing condition. I hope it will be put into practise in all states.

She's Baaaackk!! She's a showin' them Klan Colours...Again!!

2009-11-07T21:07:00.000-08:00

Thought whiny Wendy went away; that she just got tired of blogging her racist ignorant shit like "aboriginals doing nothing but fucking their daughters 364 days a year and her usual Muslim Hating rants.

Nope, she had to take time off from stalking Marc Steyn or whatever the hell she does for fun and she had to weigh in on what happened at Fort Hood, didn't she?? Wonder if she's a Gretchen Carlson wannabe??

Once again, like Sweet Gretchen and Brian Kilmeade (watch the video below where Geraldo Rivera holds his own against the lot of them at Fox News), Whiny Wendy seems to think that the US needs to rethink Muslims in the Military, just over the actions of an obviously disturbed individual.

Brian Kilmeade expresses fears about being killed by a Muslim in a Fox Hole. So does Whiny Wendy in her most recent posting. Just a word of caution to blonde Bubblehead Gretchen Carlson, Brian Kilmeade and Whiny Wendy Sullivan: Be more afraid of NICOTINE DEPRIVED CRANKY GEN-XERS than of the Muslim population.

Oh Lord-! I think I do need a cigarette; I think I just pulled a SUZY ALLCAPSLOCK just now.

Anyway, here is her most ridiculous quote.

"Bush’s policy of befriending and appeasing Islam in the wake of September 11 led directly to the rampage on Thursday. If he had taken a strong stand on the domestic front; if he had marginalized the Islamic community away from security-sensitive positions, 12 soldiers, one civilian and one unborn child would be alive in Texas tonight."

How in the world did Bush befriend Islams in the wake of September 11?? I remember hearing him talk back then being afraid of him setting up internment camps for the American Muslims, just like they did to the Japanese following Pearl Harbor.

I also remember him on TV condemning those hurting local Muslims on a whim, but he kinda has to same something like that to make America look sort of warm and cuddly. Was that what that shrew was shrieking about??

I'm sorry for the lost soldiers and their families, but once again, the media (funneled through by the US Army) is only spoon feeding us what they want us to know. I'm sure Major Hasan has a story to tell when he gets well again. As an Army shrink whose job it was, in part, to treat soldiers with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder would have lots of stories to tell, no doubt. Perhaps working with PSTD sufferers got to him and made him snap.

Maybe he's just a sick man.

It may have nothing to do with Islam extremism.

The latest article in the New York Times , suggests that investigators are 'ruling out terrorist plot' In fact, investigators are leaning toward theories that resemble those above:

"But the investigators, working with behavioral experts, suggested that he might have long suffered from emotional problems that were exacerbated by the tensions of his work with veterans of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan who returned home with serious psychiatric problems.

They said his counseling activities with the veterans appear to have further fueled his anger and hardened his increasingly militant views as he was seeming to move toward more extreme religious beliefs — all of which boiled over as he faced being shipped overseas, an assignment he bitterly opposed."

Gee, Wendy, it seems that the veterans he treated led to a change in his views. Wanna blame some traumatized vets who have seen the unimaginable??

He "bitterly" opposed the mission. Sounds like probably more than half of America: doesn't make him an extremist.

No one thought of that possibility, did they? Certainly, no one at Fox News or anyone in the Media: not sexy enough to sell papers. Certainly not whiny Wendy 'Right Girl' who said on her Twitter feed that she was "against humanity."

I really don't believe this! I've got to stay off Twitter until I smoke again. I would never have found this horrible drivel and now I'm bored, can't sleep and nicotine deprived.

Wendy, go find yourself a man, maybe that Homer Simpson sound a like from your so-called radio show. Join Weight Watchers or a gym: looks like ya could use a work out. Better still, you love the US so much: Get the hell out of Canada and take Shona Holmes with you; because we certainly don't want you here! Do let the door hit you on the way out, you grotesque, beasty, inbred, redneck, FREAK of nature!! Gee, that just felt good.

Remember Wendy, Bush is as much to blame for what happened at Fort Hood as much as you will be for causing me to fall off the nicotine wagon.

Again, I am sorry for the victims and their families, but I'm sure there is a story the army and media are careful not to tell us. If the man is sick or he became disturbed due to the nature of his work and the stories he heard, then he needs help and I hope he gets it.

Nicotine Deprived Blogging - Week in Review

2009-11-07T18:37:00.000-08:00

I don't recommend it! I haven't had a cigarette all day today, got through that without telling my husband because he would go all cheerleader on me and when I start smoking again (Yes, when; not if), it will be an argument I really don't want to have. Right now, I'm trying to keep my distance from the population at large, because everybody is just so damned annoying to me right now; besides, it's better flu prevention than sticking yourself with an untested vaccine. This leads to my reasoning for my cigarette withdrawal: cigarettes are an irritant for the lungs among other organs, so if I do get this or any other bug, I will be able to fight it off easier. That is how today worked anyway. Tomorrow is another day: I might well be lighting up as I'm going to be stuck being with people at some function. YIKES!! Socializing without the benefit of cigarettes, not recommended for me. I would call myself Anti-Social Socialist, but I think there's a blogger out there using that handle. Too bad, because that nick name suits me well.

Funny, I guess my last two entries have been more of a personal nature. I promise, I will try to stay away from that as much as possible and will go back to venting about Politics here in Canada and the U.S., and other current events. Right now, I don't have the patience to even read the news paper or a news site or sit through a news or political show on the boob tube. I don't have the patience to think of any witty commentary about the news in politics.

Week in Review

Gotta say though, I have known the senate serves absolutely no purpose ever since Steve appointed a functionally illiterate hockey coach, showing us that knowing how to read and write is not a requirement for this 'job'? After watching Mike Puffy Duffy on TV and his mouth on steroids going off attempting to defend ...spending 44k after 3 months?? A lot of folks would take two years to earn that while working blood hard.

Imagine a world without the senate? Imagine how their salaries and expenditures could help say, improve our single payer health care system??

Once in awhile, the Globe and Mail does actually run something insteresting:
Yes, I have to thank one of my Facebook friends for actually posting this. Some opinion writer, from a Harpercon-friendly paper no less, finally came out and explained exactly how Steve doesn't care about our health care system, given his 'second tiered' minister, Agluquack.

Rick Salutin, the writer of this piece speaking not only of Steve's lack of commitment toward health care or the flu crisis, but also of the Harpercon "Get tough on Crime" thing. Tougher punishments and a measure eliminating gun control. Sound familiar? Anyone who thought I was crazy for saying Steve was more like an American than Iggy would be hard pressed to argue that now.

After writing that, I wonder if Salutin will get fired?? I hope not, we need more writers to write and publish such things in newspapers. However, like the G & M, he doesn't often write anything that interesting neither.

However, when I sometimes get hope for the Globe and Mail, I get disappointed all over again with drivel like this. According to Erin Anderssen, we are embracing the more American style combative military. Gone are the days of peace loving for us it would seem in her world.

That is my commentary for this week in Canada in short order.

Right now, I must go somewhere, preferably where there is no one. Writing without cigarette just isn't working for me right now. I don't even feel like me without the smokes. Yah, I know they're bad, but they were a part of who I am...was?? Not sure anymore.

I may not be blogging for awhile until this nicotine thing somehow resolves itself, even if it means I start smoking again.