If you're wondering how to get ahead in the music industry, here are some tips. I'm not advocating this, but if it worked for Christina Aguilera and Joss Stone, maybe it'll work for you.
*****
If you're like me (void of musical talent) you would probably prefer to see a big concert. Here's one: The recently reunited Smashing Pumpkins, the Killers, and others will be headlining the Toronto Virgin Festival. This will be the first North American date of the Pumpkins' reunion tour. Get pumped.
*****
I picked up this bit of news about a week ago, but couldn't think of a good way to report it, so I let it go. Rolling Stone did not have the same problem. If you don't want to bother with the link, I'll tell you it's about Bob Dylan and the Pope. Now you're going to click the link aren't you? I would. If not, Pope Ben says Dylan is the "wrong kind of prophet." I've always been a Christian, but never supported the Church - this is just more justification.
*****
National Defence Minister Gordon O'Connor (Carleton-Mississippi Mills) lied to you...and the House of Commons...and everyone else in Canada. In the immediate aftermath of breaking news of prisoner abuses in Afghanistan, he told Canadians that the government was being informed by the Red Cross about the treatment of detainees handed over to Afghan officials by Canadian forces. It turns out that was a lie. Later he claimed he was misinformed. Now, he has apologized for "providing inaccurate information for [House] members." He lied, and judging by the centrality of control of messages eminating from the Harper government, I think it may be accurate to say Stephen Harper lied to Canadians.
*****
I don't want to say the Globe and Mail is a Liberal newspaper, but this headline seems overtly partisan, even by Western Standard...standards.
*****
If you protest a Liberal Prime Minister you get the Shawinigan Handshake. If you protest Stephen Harper, you get thrown in jail - even if he's not around. Some Greenpeace protesters locked themselves to the gate out front of 24 Sussex Dr (the Prime Minister's residence), and were arrested for the act. The environmentalists were protesting the Harper government's lack of commitment to the Kyoto Accord.
*****
The Toronto Star is reporting that the Conservative budget has votes in mind. No shit. I want real news.
*****
The Conservative government's Senate Reform Bill (C-43) is unconstitutional says Senator Serge Joyal. According to Joyal, the provinces need to be involved in the process, and C-43 does not involve them. I've written on Senate reform recently (as has Mr. McIver). I believe the Senate is fine the way it is. If it ain't broke, don't fix it. (That's Edmund Burke turned redneck.)
*****
Read about the PCO and Stephen Harper's $24,000 party here.
*****
And in the most important news stemming from this past weekend: the Montreal Canadiens beat the Toronto Maple Leafs on Saturday!
Showing posts with label News Bits. Show all posts
Showing posts with label News Bits. Show all posts
19 March 2007
15 March 2007
Return of the News Bits
The Globe and Mail is reporting that Alberta was the worst polluting province in 2005. Alberta contributed 40% of Canada's greenhouse gas emissions. Ontario ranked second (28%) and Saskatchewan third (8%). Alberta's number is excessively high considering the province only accounts for about 10% of the Canadian population. Ontario accounts for about 39% of Canadians, meaning we polute less than would be expected. Saskatchewan also overpolutes by population - only about 3% of Canadians live in that province.
Of more interest in my region (Southwestern Ontario), the Lambton Generating Station (a coal powered generating station) was the fifth worst polluter in Canada. Every once in awhile the Ontario Government suggests it is going to close LGS, and everytime that happens Sarnia-Lambtoners go haywire. The argument is that LGS has been retrofitted with clean technologies (apparently not though) and eventually the government backs down. Last time this happened even local MP Roger Gallaway stepped in to defend LGS (in his defence, we were nearing a federal election and he had his job to worry about). LGS provides a lot of jobs in the area, but surely we can phase out the station and bring a new industry to replace it. I know this would mean a lot of people would need to retrain, but that's just industry. I'm campaigning for the closure of LGS. I don't care if Sarnia-Lambton doesn't like it.
*****
Conservative Environment Minister John Baird (Ottawa West-Nepean) says his government wants "to be part of, and provide leadership around the world for, negotiation of a new pact that will go farther than Kyoto in the years ahead." According to the Globe and Mail article, Baird also wants to bring the US, China and India into the process. Sounds great John, but here's a translation for those not so fluent in Tory-speak. "In the years ahead" means not now, but maybe before the next new millenium scare starts. "Be part of, and provide leadership around the world for" means we want to take the focus of our inaction by pretending to talk to other states. Finally, by saying they want to bring the US, China and India into the process, Baird means he wants to be able to blame his failure on someone else. Kudos John - way to lower the price of talk.
*****
Here's a message I got on Facebook from Stephane Dion (that's right, we're friends):
I will be in Toronto for St. Patrick's Day, hope you can join me for a green drink. Below are details for the event:
Date: Saturday, March 17
Location: Ram in the Rye Pub at Ryerson
Address: 63 Gould Street
Time: 4-6 PM
Now this is a leader I can get behind! Any politician who likes to pound back the green suds on St Paddy's Day has my full support! The only question: Why only for two hours? Come on Stephane, you can't drink enough in two hours! ...or can you? Challenge accepted.
*****
Ho-hum: Palestinians announce new cabinet, Israel refuses to work with it. In Israel's defence, the new cabinet (according to the Globe and Mail) still has representitives of the terrorist organization Hamas.
*****
No political alliances in the next election for Dion and the Liberals. No problem, we'll win anyway.*
*****
The great Ken Dryden (York Centre), who helped the greatest sports team in the history of the universe to 6 league championships in only 8 seasons, is now trying to save Darfur. Good luck.
*****
That's it for now. I'm cutting this short because my interest has been pulled elsewhere. Hope you enjoyed!
*****
* Political trash talk starts here, but, admittedly, is not as cool as other forms of trash talk, like sports-related trash talk.
Of more interest in my region (Southwestern Ontario), the Lambton Generating Station (a coal powered generating station) was the fifth worst polluter in Canada. Every once in awhile the Ontario Government suggests it is going to close LGS, and everytime that happens Sarnia-Lambtoners go haywire. The argument is that LGS has been retrofitted with clean technologies (apparently not though) and eventually the government backs down. Last time this happened even local MP Roger Gallaway stepped in to defend LGS (in his defence, we were nearing a federal election and he had his job to worry about). LGS provides a lot of jobs in the area, but surely we can phase out the station and bring a new industry to replace it. I know this would mean a lot of people would need to retrain, but that's just industry. I'm campaigning for the closure of LGS. I don't care if Sarnia-Lambton doesn't like it.
*****
Conservative Environment Minister John Baird (Ottawa West-Nepean) says his government wants "to be part of, and provide leadership around the world for, negotiation of a new pact that will go farther than Kyoto in the years ahead." According to the Globe and Mail article, Baird also wants to bring the US, China and India into the process. Sounds great John, but here's a translation for those not so fluent in Tory-speak. "In the years ahead" means not now, but maybe before the next new millenium scare starts. "Be part of, and provide leadership around the world for" means we want to take the focus of our inaction by pretending to talk to other states. Finally, by saying they want to bring the US, China and India into the process, Baird means he wants to be able to blame his failure on someone else. Kudos John - way to lower the price of talk.
*****
Here's a message I got on Facebook from Stephane Dion (that's right, we're friends):
I will be in Toronto for St. Patrick's Day, hope you can join me for a green drink. Below are details for the event:
Date: Saturday, March 17
Location: Ram in the Rye Pub at Ryerson
Address: 63 Gould Street
Time: 4-6 PM
Now this is a leader I can get behind! Any politician who likes to pound back the green suds on St Paddy's Day has my full support! The only question: Why only for two hours? Come on Stephane, you can't drink enough in two hours! ...or can you? Challenge accepted.
*****
Ho-hum: Palestinians announce new cabinet, Israel refuses to work with it. In Israel's defence, the new cabinet (according to the Globe and Mail) still has representitives of the terrorist organization Hamas.
*****
No political alliances in the next election for Dion and the Liberals. No problem, we'll win anyway.*
*****
The great Ken Dryden (York Centre), who helped the greatest sports team in the history of the universe to 6 league championships in only 8 seasons, is now trying to save Darfur. Good luck.
*****
That's it for now. I'm cutting this short because my interest has been pulled elsewhere. Hope you enjoyed!
*****
* Political trash talk starts here, but, admittedly, is not as cool as other forms of trash talk, like sports-related trash talk.
12 March 2007
News Bits and Gladrags...or Something
Rolling Stone is reporting the best news all year! It seems Paris Hilton will not be polluting the airwaves with anymore musical vomit. Warner Music will apparently drop the caustic heiress from the label. Maybe the pop music industry does have standards afterall. Unfortunately, Rolling Stone is also reporting some bad news. Original lead singer of the monster rock band Boston was found dead in his home. Bradley Delp was responsible for the rock anthem More Than a Feeling, among others. In other Rolling Stone-delivered bad news, Maroon 5 is set to release their new album.
*****
The membership of the new (US Congressional) Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming was announced on Friday. Looking at the members two things jump out: (1) only one member is from auto-hub Michigan (Candice Miller - who happens to be from directly across the Twin Bridges from me - that is, not Detroit), and (2) the only state with two members is California (the jurisdiction with the strictest emissions standards in North America). According to the Washington Post, this committee was initially met with friction from "veteran lawmakers, such as Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman John D. Dingell (D-Mich.), who in the past guarded the interests of the big U.S. automakers from his state by opposing higher fuel-efficiency standards." The committee was created by the House, not the President, but I still see it as a step forward in America's battle for the environment. It means at least a small shift in power and focus.
*****
The Israeli Prime Minister and Foreign Minister have both spoken out recently in admiration for a 2002 Saudi peace initiative. Though the initiative was outright rejected in 2002, the prevailing situation in Israel (including increasing numbers of suicide bombings in recent days) has led the government to reconsider its merits. Could this be a step in the right direction? If it is, it's a tiny one, but then, the only big steps in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict seem to go backwards.
*****
If you didn't believe that Dick Cheney was the mastermind behind the Bush Administration's Iraq strategy, you should now. While the rest of the Administration seems to be taking a more low-key approach, the Vice President is still saying the same old things: "those in Congress who pursue a gradual drawdown of American forces are 'undermining' the troops and that a withdrawal would represent 'a full validation of the Al Qaeda strategy.'" How much longer until November 2008? Funny I should mention this now...I just got the mail and the cover of Time magazine calls Cheney "one of Bush's biggest liabilities." Coincidence abounds today (more on this later).
*****
The newest Conservative Party candidate (for Newton-North Delta, BC) is a liar. Sandeep Pandher said publicly that he was never a member of the Ontario Liberal Party when in fact he was up until last year. He says federal and provincial parties are different, which they are (I'm a Liberal federally, but I've been considering both Liberal and Conservative memberships provincially), but if Pandher knows this, why lie? Because that's what Tories do.* I guess Sandeep was just trying to "pandher" to his new party. (Sorry, that was bad.)
*****
Auditor General Sheila Fraser, the one who's report on the sponsorship scandal rocked the Canadian government and (specifically) the Liberal Party, refuses to investigate why former environment commissioner Joanne Gelinas abruptly left her job. The Tories will tell you she just wanted to move on, but if that's the case, why did Gelinas tell us she learned of her dismissal through a Globe and Mail news report? Because Harper and his cronies pushed her out (even though the position she held is not supposed to be subject to the government's whims)?
*****
I don't think I can avoid talking about the Chris Simon incident....so I won't. Simon is a veteran NHL enforcer (one of the few who actually has some skill) who has a history of over-the-line incidents. He's been suspended a total of six times now. But Simon, by all accounts, is a great guy. His work in his home town (Wawa, ON) is impressive. He also happens to be among the few Native Canadians in the NHL and his work for that communittee is admirable as well. Different people around the league have stood up for Simon, calling him "an honest guy" and a "great teammate". Chris had this to say (from NHL.com):
"I want to apologize to my team and Islanders fans everywhere," Simon said in a statement released Saturday night. "My actions Thursday night played a major part in our team losing a crucial game. I also want to apologize to the National Hockey League for the damage I have caused this great game of ours. “What you saw Thursday is not the person, player and competitor that I am. I know my teammates and opponents over my 14 years in the NHL understand that. I do not remember much about Thursday's incident. When I saw the tape on Friday morning, it explained a lot to me when I saw the look on my face after being hit into the boards. I was completely out of it."
I don't know about anyone else, but I believe him. Just before the incident, Simon took a hit from behind and went face-first into the end boards. When he got up, it was clear he wasn't all there (he says the hit gave him a concussion). I'm not justifying what Simon did, he deserves every game of his 25-game (maximum) suspension, but I'm still a fan of his. I have been ever since his days as a member of the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds.
*****
*****
The membership of the new (US Congressional) Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming was announced on Friday. Looking at the members two things jump out: (1) only one member is from auto-hub Michigan (Candice Miller - who happens to be from directly across the Twin Bridges from me - that is, not Detroit), and (2) the only state with two members is California (the jurisdiction with the strictest emissions standards in North America). According to the Washington Post, this committee was initially met with friction from "veteran lawmakers, such as Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman John D. Dingell (D-Mich.), who in the past guarded the interests of the big U.S. automakers from his state by opposing higher fuel-efficiency standards." The committee was created by the House, not the President, but I still see it as a step forward in America's battle for the environment. It means at least a small shift in power and focus.
*****
The Israeli Prime Minister and Foreign Minister have both spoken out recently in admiration for a 2002 Saudi peace initiative. Though the initiative was outright rejected in 2002, the prevailing situation in Israel (including increasing numbers of suicide bombings in recent days) has led the government to reconsider its merits. Could this be a step in the right direction? If it is, it's a tiny one, but then, the only big steps in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict seem to go backwards.
*****
If you didn't believe that Dick Cheney was the mastermind behind the Bush Administration's Iraq strategy, you should now. While the rest of the Administration seems to be taking a more low-key approach, the Vice President is still saying the same old things: "those in Congress who pursue a gradual drawdown of American forces are 'undermining' the troops and that a withdrawal would represent 'a full validation of the Al Qaeda strategy.'" How much longer until November 2008? Funny I should mention this now...I just got the mail and the cover of Time magazine calls Cheney "one of Bush's biggest liabilities." Coincidence abounds today (more on this later).
*****
The newest Conservative Party candidate (for Newton-North Delta, BC) is a liar. Sandeep Pandher said publicly that he was never a member of the Ontario Liberal Party when in fact he was up until last year. He says federal and provincial parties are different, which they are (I'm a Liberal federally, but I've been considering both Liberal and Conservative memberships provincially), but if Pandher knows this, why lie? Because that's what Tories do.* I guess Sandeep was just trying to "pandher" to his new party. (Sorry, that was bad.)
*****
Auditor General Sheila Fraser, the one who's report on the sponsorship scandal rocked the Canadian government and (specifically) the Liberal Party, refuses to investigate why former environment commissioner Joanne Gelinas abruptly left her job. The Tories will tell you she just wanted to move on, but if that's the case, why did Gelinas tell us she learned of her dismissal through a Globe and Mail news report? Because Harper and his cronies pushed her out (even though the position she held is not supposed to be subject to the government's whims)?
*****
I don't think I can avoid talking about the Chris Simon incident....so I won't. Simon is a veteran NHL enforcer (one of the few who actually has some skill) who has a history of over-the-line incidents. He's been suspended a total of six times now. But Simon, by all accounts, is a great guy. His work in his home town (Wawa, ON) is impressive. He also happens to be among the few Native Canadians in the NHL and his work for that communittee is admirable as well. Different people around the league have stood up for Simon, calling him "an honest guy" and a "great teammate". Chris had this to say (from NHL.com):
"I want to apologize to my team and Islanders fans everywhere," Simon said in a statement released Saturday night. "My actions Thursday night played a major part in our team losing a crucial game. I also want to apologize to the National Hockey League for the damage I have caused this great game of ours. “What you saw Thursday is not the person, player and competitor that I am. I know my teammates and opponents over my 14 years in the NHL understand that. I do not remember much about Thursday's incident. When I saw the tape on Friday morning, it explained a lot to me when I saw the look on my face after being hit into the boards. I was completely out of it."
I don't know about anyone else, but I believe him. Just before the incident, Simon took a hit from behind and went face-first into the end boards. When he got up, it was clear he wasn't all there (he says the hit gave him a concussion). I'm not justifying what Simon did, he deserves every game of his 25-game (maximum) suspension, but I'm still a fan of his. I have been ever since his days as a member of the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds.
*****
(I'm taking a big risk here, but for good reason.) This article** is extremely poignant (as in "astute and pertinent; relevant" - thanks Dictionary.com) for me right now. I'm not sure if the author knows the connection, but it would be a wonderful coincidence otherwise. Anyway, click the link, read the article, get an understanding of what I'm thinking.
The inspiration for this topic is one of my best friends. I want to wish her all the best in her forthcoming endeavor.
.
.
Congratulations J & T
.
.
*****
* Okay, that's not a fair generalization, but I'm a blogger, I can get away with it.
** This link is probably temporary, but it's the best I can do. Look for "In Defense of Marriage."
P.S. If you're wondering about the title, think Rod Stewart...and remember how daftly random I am.
07 March 2007
I'm Bored...and other News Bits
If you have something you don't want, just bury it. Alberta is planning to build a "carbon dioxide pipeline" that apparently will be used to bury carbon dioxide. According to the Globe and Mail scientists aren't certain if this type of project (which is used elsewhere) is a good idea. I say we vacuum out the centre of the earth and start storing shit there. Who needs all that molten rock anyway? We could totally shoot that crap into space and make ourselves a second moon! Other planets have multiple moons, why not ours?
*****
Liberal heavyweight MP Bill Graham (Toronto Centre) announced he's not running for re-election in the next federal election so former Ontario NDP Premier Bob Rae has decided he wants the seat. Rae recently finished third in the Liberal leadership race, and to be honest, I thought he was going to call it a day after losing. Apparently, I was wrong (take note, I admitted I was wrong).
*****
"The largest military operation ever undertaken in Canada" is being planned. It seems Stephen Harper has ordered the invasion of 81 Metcalfe Street in Ottawa. I didn't read the whole article, but I think it has something to do with the tenants housing extremist factions. Wait... Nevermind, I read the rest of the article and it's just about the Defence Department planning security for the 2010 Vancouver Olympics. Which reminds me, I'm pumped about the Olympics being in Canada!
*****
I wonder if a federal election is coming soon? According to the Globe and Mail, Moncton area Conservative Party workers are being pushed to speed up the candidate-nomination process. Wouldn't it be funny if Garth Turner (Halton) is right? Especially after Conservative and Chief Government Whip Jay Hill (Prince George-Peace River) opined "I think that perhaps the tin foil hat's a little tight on [Turner's] head." It would be even funnier if Garth is right and the Conservatives, who campaigned on instituting fixed election dates, actually do have an "election manual" with specific (unfixed) dates.
*****
In light of what would be yet another Harperian policy reversal, I'm proposing we call Stephen Harper "Mr. Flipper". I know Pat, you wanted that title for Stephane Dion, but really it could work either way. How about we call them collectively "The Federal Flippers"?
*****
I think it is awesome how Middle Eastern leaders consistently call for the US to end the Israeli-Palestinian conflict then decry American intrusion in Middle Eastern affairs. Being a Liberal (and liberal), I hate to say this, but I kind of feel bad for George W. Bush sometimes. Jordanian King Abdullah II spoke to a joint meeting of House and Senate members in Washington today. The King said results are needed this year. Good luck. How does one broker peace between a perpetually paranoid government (Israel) and one that denies the other's right to exist (Palestine)? Maybe after we've sucked the molten rock out of the centre of the earth (remember, to make room for carbon dioxide and other waste) we can make a replica of the Promised Land just off the coast of California. Surely either the Palestinians or the Israelis would be willing to trade their home for a plush island in the Pacific. I know I would. No offence Sarnia.
*****
Word to the wise: don't send emails to crazy broads.
*****
I really thought those pesky Parti Quebecois people had moved on. Apparently not. PQ leader Andre Boisclair promised a smooth transition to sovereignty if his party wins the upcoming Quebec provincial election. Perhaps Harper's "Quebecois nation" declaration wasn't a quick fix. I wonder if Boisclair's version of sovereignty is the same as the 1995 version - "we want to be sovereign but we still want your military, money, resources, and whatever else suits us." Here's a personal plea to M. Boisclair:
S'il vous plait ne faites pas au Québec un état souverain. Je ne veux pas devoir encourage pour une équipe appelée Montréal Quebecois.
*****
A historic vote in the UK means the House of Lords will be wholly elected (there are currently hereditary and appointed members...or something). As I read the article, I realize I'm fundamentally ignorant about the British Parliamentary system. I thought it was Upper and Lower Houses like ours, but they have an Upper Chamber too, and some other stuff. I don't know, read the article and figure it out yourself if you're interested. This is very significant.
*****
Yesterday I posted an article that talked about Human Rights abuses. Today's Guardian reports a couple more. Turkey is banning YouTube and Russia fired a journalist for giving an interview about police brutality. I'm assuming here that freedom of speech/press is a human right.
*****
There's a power struggle starting in Iran. The venomously anti-Bush Iranian President is being challenged by the country's leading elder statesman. Bush must be loving this.
*****
Why are the Raptors in a free fall? They've lost 3 in a row, and the last two were decisive losses. I'm not happy. Sam Mitchell, if I were GM, your neck would be on the line. Okay, not really, these Raptors were supposed to suck. Raptors face Memphis tonight. Go Raps!
*****
Go to London (England) and see little Harry Potter. I won't be there. I promise.
*****
Liberal heavyweight MP Bill Graham (Toronto Centre) announced he's not running for re-election in the next federal election so former Ontario NDP Premier Bob Rae has decided he wants the seat. Rae recently finished third in the Liberal leadership race, and to be honest, I thought he was going to call it a day after losing. Apparently, I was wrong (take note, I admitted I was wrong).
*****
"The largest military operation ever undertaken in Canada" is being planned. It seems Stephen Harper has ordered the invasion of 81 Metcalfe Street in Ottawa. I didn't read the whole article, but I think it has something to do with the tenants housing extremist factions. Wait... Nevermind, I read the rest of the article and it's just about the Defence Department planning security for the 2010 Vancouver Olympics. Which reminds me, I'm pumped about the Olympics being in Canada!
*****
I wonder if a federal election is coming soon? According to the Globe and Mail, Moncton area Conservative Party workers are being pushed to speed up the candidate-nomination process. Wouldn't it be funny if Garth Turner (Halton) is right? Especially after Conservative and Chief Government Whip Jay Hill (Prince George-Peace River) opined "I think that perhaps the tin foil hat's a little tight on [Turner's] head." It would be even funnier if Garth is right and the Conservatives, who campaigned on instituting fixed election dates, actually do have an "election manual" with specific (unfixed) dates.
*****
In light of what would be yet another Harperian policy reversal, I'm proposing we call Stephen Harper "Mr. Flipper". I know Pat, you wanted that title for Stephane Dion, but really it could work either way. How about we call them collectively "The Federal Flippers"?
*****
I think it is awesome how Middle Eastern leaders consistently call for the US to end the Israeli-Palestinian conflict then decry American intrusion in Middle Eastern affairs. Being a Liberal (and liberal), I hate to say this, but I kind of feel bad for George W. Bush sometimes. Jordanian King Abdullah II spoke to a joint meeting of House and Senate members in Washington today. The King said results are needed this year. Good luck. How does one broker peace between a perpetually paranoid government (Israel) and one that denies the other's right to exist (Palestine)? Maybe after we've sucked the molten rock out of the centre of the earth (remember, to make room for carbon dioxide and other waste) we can make a replica of the Promised Land just off the coast of California. Surely either the Palestinians or the Israelis would be willing to trade their home for a plush island in the Pacific. I know I would. No offence Sarnia.
*****
Word to the wise: don't send emails to crazy broads.
*****
I really thought those pesky Parti Quebecois people had moved on. Apparently not. PQ leader Andre Boisclair promised a smooth transition to sovereignty if his party wins the upcoming Quebec provincial election. Perhaps Harper's "Quebecois nation" declaration wasn't a quick fix. I wonder if Boisclair's version of sovereignty is the same as the 1995 version - "we want to be sovereign but we still want your military, money, resources, and whatever else suits us." Here's a personal plea to M. Boisclair:
S'il vous plait ne faites pas au Québec un état souverain. Je ne veux pas devoir encourage pour une équipe appelée Montréal Quebecois.
*****
A historic vote in the UK means the House of Lords will be wholly elected (there are currently hereditary and appointed members...or something). As I read the article, I realize I'm fundamentally ignorant about the British Parliamentary system. I thought it was Upper and Lower Houses like ours, but they have an Upper Chamber too, and some other stuff. I don't know, read the article and figure it out yourself if you're interested. This is very significant.
*****
Yesterday I posted an article that talked about Human Rights abuses. Today's Guardian reports a couple more. Turkey is banning YouTube and Russia fired a journalist for giving an interview about police brutality. I'm assuming here that freedom of speech/press is a human right.
*****
There's a power struggle starting in Iran. The venomously anti-Bush Iranian President is being challenged by the country's leading elder statesman. Bush must be loving this.
*****
Why are the Raptors in a free fall? They've lost 3 in a row, and the last two were decisive losses. I'm not happy. Sam Mitchell, if I were GM, your neck would be on the line. Okay, not really, these Raptors were supposed to suck. Raptors face Memphis tonight. Go Raps!
*****
Go to London (England) and see little Harry Potter. I won't be there. I promise.
06 March 2007
News Bits... with a Dash of Anti-Toryism
It seems some politicians in the US were listening when the Canadian government was talking about the Maher Arar case. According to the Globe and Mail, US Democrats have cited the Arar case in a movement to ban extradition to third countries that engage in torture. Representitve Ed Markey of Massachusetts said, "outsourcing torture is a hideous and illegal practice that has no place in the policy tool kit of [the] United States."
*****
According to the US Department of State's Annual Report on Human Rights, the genocide in Darfur (Sudan) was the worst human rights abuse of 2006. The genocide continues today. Major violations were also reported in Iraq and Afghanistan. It seems Canada did okay in the study. I found this via an article in the Globe and Mail.
If you read the New York Times article, Afghanistan and Iraq aren't mentioned until the second paragraph (both are mentioned in the first paragraph of the Globe's article). Those two American muck-ups are mentioned only after Darfur, Iran, North Korea, Russia, and China (they are second and third in the Globe's article). Interesting.
*****
Is this really the first time this has come up? The CN Tower has been standing for decades, why hasn't ice fallen from it before? Toronto police were forced to order the closing of a section of the Gardiner Expressway yesterday as falling ice threated motorists. Perhaps this will bring back calls for a Torontonian version of the Big Dig.
*****
Elsewhere in the Big Smoke, PM Stephen Harper (Calgary Southwest) has announced $1.5B in funding for an anti-gridlock plan. The Toronto Star called it "an election campaign style event." Remember, Mr McIver, when you decried Liberal big-spending announcements close to elections as a way to buy votes? Must just be politics.
*****
Apparently there is a giant hole in the middle of the Atlantic... Should we be concerned at all?
*****
The absurd intrusion into free-market economics proposed by NDP leader Jack Layton (Toronto-Danforth) apparently found ears in the Conservative government. Finance Minister Jim Flaherty (Whitby-Oshawa) says he believes banks will cut ATM service fees. If you're wondering, that's the government's way of telling banks to do it voluntarily or have it legislated. I thought the Tories said they were not courting the NDP to help stabilize their minority government...
*****
This is so cool - the Guardian's "24 Hours in Pictures" - check out number 4 of a firefighter in Mexico and number 6 of a sunken Bolivian city. Then check out the rest because they're pretty cool too.
*****
US President George W. Bush is heading out on a trip to Latin American where he will talk about "an energy partnership plan to create jobs and decrease poverty and inequality." The plan is aimed at countering Hugo Chavez's leftist revolution which is sweeping that region. Since the elder Bush was President, the American policy has been strictly trade liberalization (with a dash of drug war). But that continent has quickly turned left down an anti-US road, and the younger Bush is trying to redirect popular opinion.
*****
According to the US Department of State's Annual Report on Human Rights, the genocide in Darfur (Sudan) was the worst human rights abuse of 2006. The genocide continues today. Major violations were also reported in Iraq and Afghanistan. It seems Canada did okay in the study. I found this via an article in the Globe and Mail.
If you read the New York Times article, Afghanistan and Iraq aren't mentioned until the second paragraph (both are mentioned in the first paragraph of the Globe's article). Those two American muck-ups are mentioned only after Darfur, Iran, North Korea, Russia, and China (they are second and third in the Globe's article). Interesting.
*****
Is this really the first time this has come up? The CN Tower has been standing for decades, why hasn't ice fallen from it before? Toronto police were forced to order the closing of a section of the Gardiner Expressway yesterday as falling ice threated motorists. Perhaps this will bring back calls for a Torontonian version of the Big Dig.
*****
Elsewhere in the Big Smoke, PM Stephen Harper (Calgary Southwest) has announced $1.5B in funding for an anti-gridlock plan. The Toronto Star called it "an election campaign style event." Remember, Mr McIver, when you decried Liberal big-spending announcements close to elections as a way to buy votes? Must just be politics.
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Apparently there is a giant hole in the middle of the Atlantic... Should we be concerned at all?
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The absurd intrusion into free-market economics proposed by NDP leader Jack Layton (Toronto-Danforth) apparently found ears in the Conservative government. Finance Minister Jim Flaherty (Whitby-Oshawa) says he believes banks will cut ATM service fees. If you're wondering, that's the government's way of telling banks to do it voluntarily or have it legislated. I thought the Tories said they were not courting the NDP to help stabilize their minority government...
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This is so cool - the Guardian's "24 Hours in Pictures" - check out number 4 of a firefighter in Mexico and number 6 of a sunken Bolivian city. Then check out the rest because they're pretty cool too.
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US President George W. Bush is heading out on a trip to Latin American where he will talk about "an energy partnership plan to create jobs and decrease poverty and inequality." The plan is aimed at countering Hugo Chavez's leftist revolution which is sweeping that region. Since the elder Bush was President, the American policy has been strictly trade liberalization (with a dash of drug war). But that continent has quickly turned left down an anti-US road, and the younger Bush is trying to redirect popular opinion.
05 March 2007
China Steals from Children and Other News Bits
No, really. China is being blamed for a rash of thefts across Japan. According to the Guardian, Japanese authorities are blaming China for disappearing metal objects including "incense holders from graveyards, hundreds of metres of copper wire, and the roof of a public toilet." But worst of all, the Guardian is suggesting kids should blame Chinese scrap yards if their playground slides (one of the most popular targets) go missing. Apparently the Chinese building boom, combined with sky-rocketing world metal prices, are leading to unusually high rates of theft. And this is no joke. Japanese police report this underground industry has cost more than 2 billion yen so far. So next time you're looking over your investments, and your kid asks what you're doing, you can't tell them commodities prices don't matter to them. That would be a lie.
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In other news, the North Korean government has started cracking down on citizens trying to flee the country. Apparently in the past North Korea generally looked the other way when its starving citizens fled to China, but according to Human Rights Watch and as reported in the Globe and Mail, that has changed. Now, "those who seek refuge or are forcefully returned by Chinese authorities now regularly face prison sentences of up to five years – where they must live under harsh conditions that include beatings, forced labour and starvation."
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Coincidently, after finding the Human Rights Watch internet address for the above section, I decided to take a look at the site. There's a video (and a link to a short article) about cluster munitions on the home page. These bombs, delivered in a variety of ways (often dropped from airplanes) break apart in mid-air and release "dozens, and often hundreds" of smaller explosive devices (bomblets). These bomblets often end up covering an area larger than a football field, and consequently, result in civilian casualties. Worse yet, sometimes they don't explode when they hit the ground - they just lay there waiting for someone to come along and find them. When these unexploded bomblets are found, they can explode if moved - even if just by a breeze - and the result is either death or disfigurement.
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In other news, the North Korean government has started cracking down on citizens trying to flee the country. Apparently in the past North Korea generally looked the other way when its starving citizens fled to China, but according to Human Rights Watch and as reported in the Globe and Mail, that has changed. Now, "those who seek refuge or are forcefully returned by Chinese authorities now regularly face prison sentences of up to five years – where they must live under harsh conditions that include beatings, forced labour and starvation."
*****
Coincidently, after finding the Human Rights Watch internet address for the above section, I decided to take a look at the site. There's a video (and a link to a short article) about cluster munitions on the home page. These bombs, delivered in a variety of ways (often dropped from airplanes) break apart in mid-air and release "dozens, and often hundreds" of smaller explosive devices (bomblets). These bomblets often end up covering an area larger than a football field, and consequently, result in civilian casualties. Worse yet, sometimes they don't explode when they hit the ground - they just lay there waiting for someone to come along and find them. When these unexploded bomblets are found, they can explode if moved - even if just by a breeze - and the result is either death or disfigurement.
21 February 2007
News (originally posted 19 Feb 2007)
The Globe and Mail reported today:
"Tobacco companies that tempt cigarette addicts with advertisements are no better than preacher Jim Jones, who induced 900 followers to drink a cyanide-laced Flavor Aid in the infamous 1978 massacre, says a B.C. government brief to the Supreme Court of Canada."
In other words, tobacco companies are fanatic cult leaders and mass murders. Fair enough, that's one person's opinion. I'm not sure I'm willing to go that far, but I guess the 30,000 (or so) people killed each year by using what the tobacco industry sells dwarfs the number of people killed by Jim Jones' murderous juice. Incidently, the poison in Jones' brew can also be found in cigarettes.
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This is a really cool article from the Globe and Mail. It's an almanac of climate change information - everything from "the Al Gore Effect" to "Zero Hour for the Amazon."
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Even children's books are dirty these days. Some author used the word "scrotum" in her book. For me, "scrotum" is more humourous than offensive, but I'm a little immature still.
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President Bush's War on Terror has apparently found its way back to square one. The NY Times is reporting that Al Qaeda has regained significant control over their worldwide terror network. Well done Bush.
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The remarkably forward (read: big brotheresque) Iranian regime has shut down a website because it was critical of the Iranian President. Sounds like when Harper kicked his man Garth Turner (Halton) out of cabinet because of Turner's website. Okay, that's a stretch, but stretching is good for you.
"Tobacco companies that tempt cigarette addicts with advertisements are no better than preacher Jim Jones, who induced 900 followers to drink a cyanide-laced Flavor Aid in the infamous 1978 massacre, says a B.C. government brief to the Supreme Court of Canada."
In other words, tobacco companies are fanatic cult leaders and mass murders. Fair enough, that's one person's opinion. I'm not sure I'm willing to go that far, but I guess the 30,000 (or so) people killed each year by using what the tobacco industry sells dwarfs the number of people killed by Jim Jones' murderous juice. Incidently, the poison in Jones' brew can also be found in cigarettes.
*****
This is a really cool article from the Globe and Mail. It's an almanac of climate change information - everything from "the Al Gore Effect" to "Zero Hour for the Amazon."
*****
Even children's books are dirty these days. Some author used the word "scrotum" in her book. For me, "scrotum" is more humourous than offensive, but I'm a little immature still.
*****
President Bush's War on Terror has apparently found its way back to square one. The NY Times is reporting that Al Qaeda has regained significant control over their worldwide terror network. Well done Bush.
*****
The remarkably forward (read: big brotheresque) Iranian regime has shut down a website because it was critical of the Iranian President. Sounds like when Harper kicked his man Garth Turner (Halton) out of cabinet because of Turner's website. Okay, that's a stretch, but stretching is good for you.
News Bits (originally posted 12 Feb 2007)
The Conservative Party, the party of fair politics, the party that wants an elected Senate so as to remove partisan appointments, is making some telling appointments in other areas. According to the Globe and Mail, the Harper government is filling the judicial advisory committees with Tories - failed MP candidates, riding executives, ministerial aides, former politicians. The committees were created "to take partisan politics out of the appointment of judges." Your Prime Minister is taking what is supposed to be a non-partisan body and making it very Conservative. Even many of those appointees who do not show Conservative connections "seem to share Prime Minister Stephen Harper's oft-expressed desire to change the face of Canada's judiciary." Instead of non-partisan bodies designed to keep the judiciary uncorrupted by party politics, Harper is turning the judicial advisory committees into tools for change - specifically changes desired by the Tory government. I guess Harper's promise of ethical governance had an expiry date.
Conservatives are calling Liberals hypocrits. Ho-hum. Foreign Affairs Minister Peter MacKay (Central Nova) is accusing the Liberals of wrongly criticizing the government's action on the Celil case. The Tories are pointing towards the Liberal execution of the Arar case as evidence that the Liberals are hypocrits. Funny thing is that while the Liberals were working to bring Arar home, the Conservatives were suggesting publicly that Arar was a serious terror suspect. Sounds like the Tories don't have a leg to stand on either.
Global Warming can't come too soon for some areas of New York. Oswego County has received up to 10 feet of snow in the past 8 days, and more is coming. Says the New York Times, "First the fire hydrants vanished. Then the tombstones. Then went the mailboxes, parked cars, front doors, stop signs and the bottoms of roadside billboards." Sounds like heaven.
Talks with North Korea have hit a roadblock. It seems the Koreans want fuel oil and electricity shipments before they will begin turning over their nuclear weapons and fuel. I guess the oil to run the North's tanks and Kim Jong-Il's Bentleys are more valuable than the state's stumbling nuclear program. Perhaps more likely however is that Kim knows once he gets his shipments he can simply renig on his end of the bargain...like always.
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