2008 End-Of-Year Wishes

Sub-title: "Tranquil Times in Warmer Climes"

Funny Phil Finishes up the Year

Language & Subject Warning!

Canada's Free Speech Fiasco: The World is Watching

From The Australian, Janet Albrechtsen writes the following:

... the West is killing free speech slowly - by more subtle means - through state-sponsored censorship under the grand name of protecting human rights.

The insidious role of human rights commissions was exposed in June when Mark Steyn and Canadian magazine Macleans were hauled before the Canadian Human Rights Commission for islamophobia.

While the complaint was ultimately dismissed, the fact that words warrant oversight by a state tribunal points to a rank attitude to free speech where a person is required to spend copious amounts of time and money defending words and ideas.

The same thing had happened in April, when the Ontario Human Rights Commission dealt with complaints against Steyn and Macleans. And in January, when conservative commentator Ezra Levant had to defend his publication of the Danish cartoons to the Alberta Human Rights and Citizenship Commission.

As Steyn wrote of his experience of heavy-handed state censorship, the media "seems generally indifferent to a power grab that explicitly threatens to reduce them to a maple-flavoured variant of Pravda ... As some leftie website put it, 'defending freedom of speech for jerks means defending jerks'. Well, yes. But, in this case, not defending the jerks means not defending freedom of speech for yourself. It's not a Left-Right thing; it's a free-unfree thing".

Even Academia Has a Village Idiot

This map outlines the prediction of an academic of what will befall the United States by 2010:

Many will undoubtedly be cheering this on as their greatest fantasy ever. To me it's simply a reminder that any of those credentialed "professors" we keep seeing on TV news shows can be just as big a moron as say ... Al Gore, for example.

Zbigniew Brzezinski: History Rewriter

Zbigniew Brzezinski was the National Security Advisor to failed U.S. President Jimmy Carter from 1977 to 1981. Only the extreme elements of the Radical Left would argue that the United States had a successful foreign policy during those years.

Like many old men, he is now striving to rewrite history and put his own record in a better light. Here he is with Joe Scarborough and his own daughter, Mika:

The main subject they're discussing is Yasser Arafat walking away from negotiations brokered by U.S. President Bill Clinton in January 2001. For Brzezinski to now try to spin this differently is beyond disingenuous.

Israel vs. Iran's Proxy Warrior, Hamas

Whenever things heat up in the never-ending battle between Israel and the Palestinians, the response of the Usual Suspects is so incredibly predictable. The UN, the Radical Left, Palestinian expats, and the MSM (Mainstream Media) all do their usual spin, almost as if they're actors returning to a stage play that they've performed a dozen times before.

The talking points are well rehearsed, though make no more sense today than when they were repeated last time. Here's a sampling:

• Israel is the aggressor
• Israel is to blame
• It's fighter jets vs. little kids throwing rocks
  

The most galling of all is that "Israel should only use a Proportional Response". Really? I mean seriously, REALLY?!?

Do any of these people stop for a second to realize what would have happened in World War 2 if the Allied Forces had stuck to a "proportional response"? Here are a few end effects of what a proportional response back then would mean today:

1. The war would almost certainly still be going on.
   
2. All of Western Europe would be controlled by Nazi Germany.
3. All of Asia would be controlled by Imperialist Japan.
4. Hundreds of millions more people would be dead.
   
5. All Jews in Europe would long ago have been exterminated.
6. So would all homosexuals in Europe have been executed.
7. So would all "progressives", who dared to speak out, been executed.
   
8. Many young non-Japanese women in Asia would be forced into prostitution.

There are three simple questions I have for those who condemn Israel in such matters:

1. Do you truly and honestly think the current Palestinian leadership wants peace with Israel?
2. Do you believe that Israel has the right to exist?
3. If missiles were being sent into your neighborhood from a nearby independent Indian Reserve, would you just sit back and say, "That's alright" ?
   

An Israeli Journalist's Perspective

Here's an interesting interview with an Israeli journalist, Herb Keinon, beginning at 33:30.

A Little Family History

I came across this web page from the Czech Radio Service discussing General George S. Patton. Some people are not aware that he and his 3rd Army penetrated into the Czech Republic, a few hundred kilometres east of the German border.

A few months ago I learned from my Uncle Horst, the younger brother of my dad, that Patton is the reason for my very existence!

My dad and his family are ethnically German but he grew up in a region called Silesia, most of which was ceded to Poland after World War 2. In 1945 he was just a young teenager. When the Russian Army was advancing towards Germany, all German civilians were moved further west, toward the center of Germany.

My uncle told me how they were moved by train from town to town. They eventually made it to a town called Haid, in the Czech Republic (it is now called Bor). There, one of my uncles, Gunter, was killed. He was just eight years old.

Eventually the family - my grandmother and her 2 remaining sons and 3 daughters - were brought to a town called Mies (since renamed to Stříbro), also in the Czech Republic.

Uncle Horst explained how they kept looking towards one road coming into Mies from the east, expecting the Russians to arrive at any moment. But suddenly a string of military vehicles entered from the west. It was Patton's Third Army! If this had not occurred, their fate would have been much worse and I would have never been born.

My dad's family were able to catch one of the the last few trucks out and were taken right to downtown München. Six years later, he saw little future for his homeland so he boarded a freighter and came to Canada as a refugee.

Here's a famous speech of Patton's, though spoken by actor George C. Scott:
He was tough and probably unfair at times, but he sure got things done!

Enhancements to the Canadian Radio Stations Player

Thanks for all your feedback so far! I've just implemented 2 minor enhancements:

1. I've added station CJAD from Montreal. It was my primary station when I lived there and has some great hosts & shows.
2. If Cookies are enabled on your browser, you'll now be able to set any station as your default. Just click the button underneath the station's logo and the next time you return, it'll be preset for you.
   

Some of the Best YouTube Videos of 2008

Breaking News: 8 Snowmobilers Believed Dead in SE B.C.

A terrible tragedy has hit British Columbia near year's end. Eight snowmobilers are believed to be dead, after being buried in an avalanche. Only 3 among the group of 11 were able to climb out.

More available here and here. Click on the map to see a full-screen one with further details.


Video clips can be seen here and here.

---

I apologize for detracting from the primary concern at hand but I must draw your attention to an example of what appears to be a common mindset amongst CBC News regulars. To this story was added this comment:

You dismiss one moron in any group but look how many people "recommended" this particular comment! To it and others like it I wrote this:

Am I reading this right, several commenters on here are chastising those who have likely just died (and whose families may be reading this very story) and hundreds of CBC readers are praising such comments? You are ghouls beyond the sickest depravity imaginable.

Al Gore's Perfect Storm

Victor Davis Hanson wonders why anyone on the Left is complaining about the current economic downturn. After all, this is but a small step on the way to Al Gore's nirvana.

It Doesn't Compute... [Victor Davis Hanson]

I'm very puzzled by the nexus between the current downturn and concern about global warming. Given that we were told we had to immediately cut back on carbon emissions (even before sustainable alternative energies are in place), largely by curbing our lavish energy-dependent lifestyles, why then all the concern about stimuli and global depression? Surely, the world right now is sort of what the radical Gorists wanted to see, since the current cutback in gasoline usage, and general economic slowdown are radically restricting the burning of fossil fuels in a manner that even the most optimistic green utopian could hardly have envisioned just few years ago? In other words, in the booming 2004-6 years, radical suggested scale-backs would have probably led to something akin to what we are experiencing now? So why the gloom instead of headlines blaring—"The Planet Continues to Green—as Archaic Consumption Practices Erode Further!"

12/28 12:49 PM

John Batchelor on Iran's Role in Gaza

Interesting tidbit: Batchelor's mother is of Iranian descent.
Related audio can be heard in the first 9 minutes of this audio file (15.5MB).

Stop Motion Video from Mexico

My very talented and creative amigo, Danny, just sent me this video which he created:

Letter Sent to a BC Journalist

I sent this to a BC journalist today. S/he'll remain nameless but the points throughout have a broader meaning.

You know, and I truly say this with the greatest respect, it absolutely boggles my mind how those of you INSIDE the media bubble seem oblivious to the frequent charge that there's way too much Left leaning bias inside the media. The Obama adoration journalism you cited is but one little example of what I see & hear every single day.

In point of fact, with the exception of the taxpayer funded CBC, it actually doesn't bother me what a journalist's political bias is UNLESS they're unwilling to be UP FRONT about it. Most are not. So we end up with all of the following playing a game of "Pretend": Peter Newman, Craig Oliver, Jane Taber, Barbara Yaffe, and many more. The VERY WORST of these is BC's own Christy Clark. You're kidding yourself if you think these people aren't frequently talked about and despised by any news junkies who haven't drank the Liberal or NDP Kool Aid.

Just so you know, when it comes to conservative vs. liberal bias, I've frequently challenged my American Democrat friends to identify particular issues for which I am a far right conservative. About the only two I can think of off-hand are:

• Fiscal Responsibility
• Terrorism, incl. Israel's right to defend itself
  

Other than that, I'm think I'm fairly liberal on: Abortion, Gay Rights, Helping the Poor, etc.

You mentioned that you're a big fan of Obama. Even after the Blagojevich scandal? That has shaken to the core the faith of my Democrat friends in Chicago. They're still supporters but are less optimistic of the Greatness of the One. Hey, I hope great things happen for America under Obama as it'll be good for Canada. But it seems to me that the fiscal policies of Michigan and California have been examples of what Obamanomics will be like (Note: Schwarzenegger is a Democrat in all but name). And bailing out the Big 3 automakers will be a disaster IMHO. Bad for Bush, bad for Obama, and bad for the rest of us.

Anyhow, it'll be an interesting 4 years, starting with 2009.

Hoping only good things happen for you & your family,

Robert

Listening to Radio Stations Across Canada

If you're like a growing number of Canadians then you're catching more & more of your news via the Internet. A terrific way to learn about what's going on across the country is to listen to talk radio stations from coast to coast. To assist with this endeavour I've created a single web page that provides links to the audio feeds from assorted stations across Canada. You can access it directly here or you can reach it via a hidden link on the Pelalusa.com site.

When you get to the Pelalusa home page you'll be presented with a daytime or nighttime map of the world (depending on your local time). In either case, in the lower right corner you'll find a hidden link to the radio station page. It's easy to spot because your mouse cursor will change.

Clicking on this link will take you to this page:
I've tested it with Firefox 3.0 and it works perfectly. In both IE7 and Chrome there appear to be problems with the [necessary] popup window being blocked. I don't believe there's anything inherently wrong with my code so you may need to adjust your security settings.

I'm very much open to suggestions of future enhancements. Please just leave comments here or write me directly.

Remnants of the Big Snowfall

Will President Obama Think Senator Obama Was a Twit?

Mark Steyn shares some of his final thoughts for 2008. Very funny, as always!

Michael Campbell on the Big 3 Automakers Bailout

Michael Campbell was on fire this morning! You can listen to his full editorial here (@ 34:50).

Here's a key part of what he said:

How incompetently run would a business have to be to not qualify for government aid? Cause that's not on the table right now. We're not accepting or rejecting businesses based on how incompetently they've been run. Helping failing or failed businesses is nothing new but it seems particularly acute this year. And with the granddaddy of them all, promising up to seven billion dollars in Canada for three major American car companies.

I'm used to governments blowing money. Anyone who has read an auditor general's report knows all about that, whether you want to acknowledge it or not. But this one, this promise to spend $3 billion dollars right now, as much as $7 Billion in the future and that still may not be enough to bailout the shareholders, the unions, and the executives of the Big 3 Automakers is just so BIG.

Take a moment and think about that kind of money. And we're doing it with virtually no debate whatsoever. Politicians who know nothing of the credit crisis or business or finance, politicians who saw none of this coming are now going to give money to the same management teams who took their companies to the brink of disaster. As if they can get them out of it.

But still, no political debate. Not from Jack Layton, who in my opinion, in terms of economics and finance, is the most unsophisticated leader in national politics since Audrey McLaughlin. No debate from the Liberals, who are vying with the NDP for support of the CAW. And no debate from the Conservative government who are still reeling from the breathtaking miscalculation of Stephen Harper and Jim Flaherty that nearly brought their government down. We are so incredibly poorly served by our national parties.

But before all you politicals light your hair on fire, consider this: How much would $3 Billion, maybe up to $7 Billion, maybe more ... how much could it buy in terms of health care, education, solving the homeless problem, you name it?! To borrow from the late senator, Everett Dirksen, "A billion here and a billion there and pretty soon we're talking about real money." Well, we are talking about real money here, maybe as much as $7 Billion+ worth.

Now let me make one thing clear. If you support this bailout, why don't you man-up for a change? Why don't you man-up and put your own money down? Why don't you buy the stock of GM or their bonds? There's nothing to stop you. Nothing but common sense.

I'll tell you, throwing money at these 3 failed automakers in an environment that will see a profound drop in vehicle sales this coming year sure doesn't top my investment list for 2009.

But what I find really grating is that this is all about political connections and clout. It's about campaign funds and courting the CAW.

My only worry in this debacle have been the dealerships and part manufacturers who do run good businesses. They have hitched their ponies to the wrong wagons but here's the big problem: I don't have any confidence that the money is going to do the trick. Not when we are on the cusp of a dramatic fall in new vehicle consumption. That seems clear.

How the Auto Workers Unions are Ensuring the Destruction of the Big 3 Automakers

The taxpayers of the United States and Canada are giving the Big 3 Automakers a renewed chance at life. And the response of the union leaders in the U.S.? "Thanks suckers, but we're not going to offer a bit of help. In fact, we want even more!" You can read more here. Note the mutterings of Democrat Congressman Barney Frank; clearly bought & paid for by the unions. For those who have forgotten, he's the same one who many blame for acting in a pivotal role in our current financial crisis.

Up here in Canada, watch for the heads of the Canadian Autoworkers to have a very similar attitude. The comments on this discussion thread are most enlightening. I'd like to highlight one in particular:

The reason for the ''bailout' is because of the importance to the overall economy of this particular industry. Think of what would happen to the Saudi economy if oil production stopped. The auto industry isn't as supreme as oil, but GM's payroll is almost 9 billion a year, and a 1998 strike knocked a full percentage point off the US economic growth that quarter.

ulianov - you wrote:

"Unions don't manage the car companies, they don't design the cars, they don't control the price of fuel, they don't approve bank loans, and they don't ask for free trade agreements with countries that refuse to buy products manufactured in North America."

I disagree with your view. The CEO of the car companies, in their management, MUST include the union presence and its effect. This includes costs of production (i.e., contracting out, out-of-country contracts, costs of car production or less man-hours of work etc).Research and design has to be considered with the union in mind as to costs of production. The CEO must also consider the demands of the union in attempting to obtain bank loans, for a bank may very well say that the union costs are so high that the profit margin is too low to provide for future investment by that car company. As for countries that refuse to buy products manufactured in N. America - that's also a result of the union costs which have driven the price of production beyond the carrying capacity of the local consumers.

The union costs are not just 8% of production, but include, for example, an approximate $1,600 per car 'legacy costs' for retiree's health and benefits for their pension. The legacy costs are an enormous drain.

Then, normally in hard times, an industry would reduce production. But GM's union agreements mean that it can't legally close plants or lay off workers without enormous penalties! That's what the union has done!!! Get it, Ulianov? The union has transformed a production industry into a service centre for workers.

The industry can't get enough money to research and develop new cars; it can't reduce the costs of production because it can't reduce even the NUMBER of workers! It can't close plants. Its only reason for existence...is to serve those workers. To hell with car production.

Even if GM halts its production, it STILL has to pay the workers, and their pensions and health care and other benefits. That is, what the union has done is to set up a situation where the car industry can't reduce its production because its production has NOTHING to do with cars but with workers. It can't lay them off, can't reduce its numbers of workers..and when they retire, the benefits are an enormous cost. Those union legacy costs are an enormous drain and this union-caused legacy is the basis of much of what ails the auto industry.

Toyota, Honda, Nissan didn't get trapped by the unions, didn't transform from car manufacturers into worker service centres. They are able to turn their profits into profitable new designs, which the Big 3, with their different focus on Benefits To The Workers - were unable to fund. For example, GM put only 7 billion on research and development vs Toyota's 15.3 billion.

As for 'bailing out the banks', please remember that the banks are not unionized, and the purchase of insured mortgages has nothing to do with production costs of anything.

Posted by: ET at December 26, 2008 6:12 PM

CHRC: Rudolph vs. Santa

The Globe & Mail has published an hilarious satire on what would happen if Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer were to take his "case" in front of one of the 11 "Human Rights" commissions in Canada.

Incidentally, if you're not Canadian or are just not familiar with the atrocious behaviour of our assorted "Human Rights" commissions, then here's a sampling of what they've been up to.

The Radical Left vs. Santa Claus

Here's an interesting article from Australia that details Santa "infractions" from around the world. Let me provide a brief snippet:

Those Santa-based examples above, drawn from the liberal, developed, democratic world, do not contain absolutely everything that annoys people about how we are now, but they cover a fair few bases. Utter stupidity and ignorance, an irrational and institutionalised fear of pedophiles, an institutionalized but perfectly rational fear of litigation, vexatious litigation, the triumph of health and safety legislation over everything (allied to a fear of vexatious litigation), the notion of equal rights taken to absurd conclusions, the ability of an individual to become enraged when an imagined right has been infracted, corporate and local council obeisance to a politically correct agenda with which no sane person would concur, and so on.

I can already envision scenes from the forthcoming movie!

June 2008: Toy Helicopter Trials

Watch High Quality Version

Merry Christmas Wishes from Ezra Levant

Late last night Ezra Levant republished an editorial he had written back in 2004. Here are the opening few lines:

Allow me to be the first Jew to say to you "Merry Christmas." Not "season's greetings." Not "happy holidays." Merry Christmas. Nothing added, nothing taken away.

Once, not so long ago, the chief challenge for Christians at this time of year was putting Christ back into Christmas -- reminding the faithful that Christmas isn't just about egg nog and presents, but that it was a celebration of the Christian God and His birth. Today, the battle isn't to keep Christ in Christmas -- it's to keep Christmas at all.

To which I left this comment:

Ezra, from the bottom of my heart I want to thank you for this wonderful editorial!

A few days ago I wrote about the same subject [on my blog and on Facebook] and focused in on the politically correct games that Zellers has been playing.

I received some pretty resentful e-mails from people, stating that I was a "zealot" and that there were more important things to be worrying about.

Isn't it telling that when members of the Secular Radical Left in Canada complain about things, they're righteous and equivalent to human rights violations in places where people literally lose life or limb.

A comedian responds to a heckler who happens to be a lesbian. She brings him up on a "humans rights" charge. Oh yes, what an outlandish thing for him to do. Even Robert Mugabe has never been so despicable!

But when any of us "dare" to point out the constant Drip-Drip-Drip attacks against Christians and Christianity then somehow we're exaggerating and not worrying about the really important things in life.

I will keep on fighting for what I believe in and know you will too. May the Year 2009 be a great one for you and your family!

Xmas Promo from Dennis Miller

Funny as always but me thinks that Mr. Miller had a bit too much rum in his egg nog! :-)

"What Christmas Is All About"

A Pair of Pre-Xmas Editorials

Here are some brilliant editorials about political correctness, the erosion of Christmas, freedom, and even baked goods!

• Lorne Gunter
  
  
• George Jonas

Here's hoping you & your family are safe, happy, & warm on this Xmas Eve.

Christmas Eve

High Quality Version Here

Snow Covered Vancouver: A Trilogy

In celebration of the serenity that has befallen Vancouver thanks to the white stuff falling from the heavens, here are my 3 recent videos, all in once place:

Access High Quality Version

Access High Quality Version

Access High Quality Version
 

Guilt-Free Kiosks at San Francisco Airport

Environmentally conscious travelers flying out of San Francisco International Airport will soon be able to assuage their guilt and minimize the impact of their air travel by buying certified carbon offsets at airport kiosks. The experimental program, scheduled to start this spring, would make SFO the first airport in the nation - possibly the world - to offer fliers the opportunity to purchase carbon offsets.

Full story here

Or they could actually do something of substance and STOP FLYING!

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In a related story, severely overweight people were shocked to discover that paying undernourished 3rd World people to eat less on their behalf didn't actually reduce the weight of those who needed to lose it!

Xmas Eve Weather

America: The Internet Surpasses Newspapers for the First Time

Here's an interesting graph just released from the Pew Research Center:

The Infamous Patti Lewis Holiday Party Tale

MEMO TO ALL EMPLOYEES
RE: Christmas PARTY ON DEC. 23RD
DATE: DEC. 1ST

I'm happy to inform you that the company Christmas Party will take place on

December 23, starting at noon in the banquet room at Luigi's Open Pit Barbecue. No-host bar, but plenty of eggnog! We'll have a small band playing traditional carols...feel free to sing along. And don't be surprised if our CEO shows up dressed as Santa Claus! A Christmas tree will be lit at 1:00 P.M. Exchange of gifts among employees can be done at that time, however, no gift should be over $10.00 to make the giving of gifts easy for everyone's pockets. This gathering is only for employees! A special announcement will be made by our CEO at that time!

Merry Christmas to you and your family.

Patty

---

FROM: Patty Lewis, Human Resources Director
TO: All Employees
DATE: December 2
RE: Holiday Party

In no way was yesterday's memo intended to exclude our Jewish employees.

We recognize that Chanukah is an important holiday which often coincides with Christmas, though unfortunately not this year. However, from now on we're calling it our "Holiday Party." The same policy applies to employees who are celebrating Kwanzaa at this time. There will be no Christmas tree present. No Christmas carols sung. We will have other type of music for your enjoyment.

Happy now?

Happy Holidays to you and your family.

Patty

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FROM: Patty Lewis, Human Resources Director
TO: All Employees
DATE: December 3
RE: Holiday Party

Regarding the note I received from a member of Alcoholics Anonymous requesting a non-drinking table ... you didn't sign your name. I'm happy to accommodate this request, but if I put a sign on a table that reads, "AA Only"; you wouldn't be anonymous anymore. How am I supposed to handle this? Somebody?

Forget about the gifts exchange, no gifts exchange are allowed since the union members feel that $10.00 is too much money and executives believe $10.00 is very little for a gift. NO GIFTS EXCHANGE WILL BE ALLOWED.

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FROM: Patty Lewis, Human Resources Director
To: All Employees
DATE: December 7
RE: Holiday Party

What a diverse group we are! I had no idea that December 20 begins the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, which forbids eating and drinking during daylight hours. There goes the party! Seriously, we can appreciate how a luncheon this time of year does not accommodate our Muslim employees' beliefs. Perhaps Luigi's can hold off on serving your meal until the end of the party — the days are so short this time of year — or else package everything for take home in little foil swans. Will that work?

Meanwhile, I've arranged for members of Overeaters Anonymous to sit farthest from the dessert buffet and pregnant women will get the table closest to the restrooms. Gays are allowed to sit with each other. Lesbians do not have to sit with Gay men, each will have their own table. Yes, there will be flower arrangement for the Gay men's table. To the person asking permission to cross dress, no cross dressing allowed though. We will have booster seats for short people. Low-fat food will be available for those on a diet. We cannot control the salt used in the food we suggest for those people with high blood problems to taste first. There will be fresh fruits as dessert for Diabetics, the restaurant cannot supply "No Sugar" desserts. Sorry!

Did I miss anything?

Patty

---

FROM: Patty Lewis, Human Resources Director
TO: All Employees
DATE: December 8
RE: Holiday Party

So December 22 marks the Winter Solstice...what do you expect me to do, a tap-dance on your heads? Fire regulations at Luigi's prohibit the burning of sage by our "earth-based Goddess-worshiping" employees, but we'll try to accommodate your shamanic drumming circle during the band's breaks. Okay???

Patty

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FROM: Patty Lewis, Human Resources Director
To: All Employees
Date: December 9
RE: Holiday Party

People, people, nothing sinister was intended by having our CEO dress up like Santa Claus! Even if the anagram of "Santa" does happen to be "Satan," there is no evil connotation to our own "little man in a red suit." It's a tradition, folks, like sugar shock at Halloween or family feuds over the thanksgiving turkey or broken hearts on Valentine's Day.

Could we lighten up? Please????????? Also the company has changed their mind in announcing the special announcement at the gathering. You will get a notification in the mail sent to your home.

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FROM: Patty Lewis, Human Resources Director
TO: All #%&$**@ Employees
DATE: December 10
RE: The %#*&^%@*%^Holiday Party

I have no #%&*@*^ idea what the announcement is all about. What the %#&^!@ do I care...I KNOW WHAT I AM GOING TO GET!!!!!!!!!!!! You change your address now and you are dead!!!!!!!!!!!! No more changes of address will be allowed in my office. Try to come in and change your address, I will have you hung from the ceiling in the warehouse!!!!!!!!!!!

Vegetarians!?!?!? I've had it with you people!!! We're going to keep this party at Luigi's Open Pit Barbecue whether you like it or not, so you can sit quietly at the table furthest from the "grill of death," as you so quaintly put it, and you'll get your #$%^&*! salad bar, including hydroponic tomatoes. But you know, they have feelings, too. Tomatoes scream when you slice them. I've heard them scream. I'm hearing them scream right now! > HA !

I hope you all have a rotten holiday! Drive drunk and die, you hear me!!!!!!!!!!!

The Bitch from HELL!!!!!!!!

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FROM: Terri Bishop, Acting Human Resources Director
DATE: December 14
RE: Patty Lewis and Holiday Party

I'm sure I speak for all of us in wishing Patty Lewis a speedy recovery from her stress-related illness and I'll continue to forward your cards to her at the sanitarium. In the meantime, management has decided to cancel our Holiday Party and give everyone the afternoon of the 23rd off with full pay.

Happy Holidays!

Clarification Sought

I just received this message from an American friend of mine:

Friends,

Elections come and go but God is forever. It is my wish that during this season of happiness and introspection that we find the time to do a few of the important things that we may have neglected over the course of a busy year. From reconnecting with friends, family, or faith, the next 12 days present each of us with an opportunity (and excuse) to reconcile differences, drop grudges, restore friendships, and maybe even pray a little.

May our hope remain with the One who is ultimately in charge.

All my best,
Moshe

So I had to ask the obvious question: "When referring to 'The One', did he mean Barack Obama?" :-)

Discussion with a Russian

IMHO Mark Steyn is one of the most intelligent observers of our society today. And he does so from a global perspective. One of his favourite phrases is what he calls the "Drip-Drip-Drip" erosion of our culture. Simply put, when the majority believe that they need to feel guilty about most everything and that their heritage is more bad than good, then society is ruined.

In Canada we're not there yet but the fabric of our society is definitely torn. The UK is much further along in this regard. Some believe that the self-destruction of their society is a foregone conclusion.

So indeed, sometimes I do deliberately draw a line in the snow and say sorry but that's one step too far.

This evening I was out in Vancouver videoing some Christmas scenes. It's a rare occasion that we get snow in the city and even more rare right around Christmas. I encountered barely a soul all night but one woman did come along and on cross-country skis no less. We got to talking. She's from Russia. Towards the end of our conversation I asked her if she celebrated Christmas. She paused for a bit and then said, "Well, I'm from a socialist country and Christmas was not really allowed there. So it's not part of my tradition."

Ask yourself if you would like to live in a country where "Christmas was not really allowed". Then look at Canada today and see which direction our future is pointed in. If you're happy with that then cheer it on. As for me, I'll be one of the signposts along the way, warning you of where we're heading.

It is indeed your absolute right to ignore the warnings. But if you wake up one day and realize that the Drip-Drip-Drip erosion of our culture has taken us to a place not very appealing, be sure to stare in the mirror for a long time that day.

Two Days Before Christmas

High quality version accessible here

Pete McMartin on the True Meaning of Christmas

The Vancouver Sun's Pete McMartin has written a beautiful column for Christmas that will bring joy to even the most cynical heart.

Superb Young Musical Talent

His name is Sungha Jung and he's got talent!




From his YouTube page:

Hi, I'm Sungha Jung from South Korea. My dream is to become a professional acoustic fingerstyle guitarist.

I had been watching my dad play the guitar for awhile before I finally jumped on it myself three years ago. I just turned twelve in September, 2008.

Currently, I am taking weekly classical guitar lessons and teaching myself fingerstyle guitar.

One of the Radical Left's Unexpected Consequences

There are often unintended consequences with every government policy. For the sake of argument, I'll accept that the creators of every public policy have positive intentions. But much too often the policies of the Radical Left (e.g. the NDP and certain elements of the Liberals in Canada) have a number of unintended negative consequences.

For decades now the politically correct set of the Left have been telling everyone that Christmas is strictly a Christian holiday and allowing it to be celebrated more broadly is hurting non-Christian minorities. Whether it has been scenes of Christ's birthplace on public property, the use of Christmas trees, or wishing someone Merry Christmas, all of these things have become politically incorrect actions.

There is no doubt that such anti-Christmas / anti-Christian campaigns have opened the door wide open for the likes of Anjem Choudary:

The lawyer, who recently praised the Mumbai terror attacks, urged all Muslims to reject traditional Christmas celebrations, claiming that they are forbidden by Allah.

The 41-year-old shocked Christians and even those of his own faith by branding yuletide festivities as "the pathway to hellfire".

Choudary, who is chairman of the Society of Muslim Lawyers, ruled out all celebrations, including having a Christmas tree, decorating the house or eating turkey.

In the sermon posted on an Islamic website, he said: "In the world today many Muslims, especially those residing in western countries, are exposed to the evil celebration Christmas.

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It is true that the politically correct set are not directly responsible for Mr. Choudary's diatribe. But to take no responsibility whatsoever for laying the groundwork for him & his ilk is irresponsible to the extreme.

Recently I documented an example of how allowing the disparaging of an identifiable group can lead to harm much more significant than mere words. From an historical perspective it's easy to see the step-by-step progression of how German Nazis:

1. Dehumanized Jews
2. Imprisoned them
3. Murdered them en masse

At the present time we have countless "progressives" who see nothing wrong with keeping up a constant barrage of verbal attacks and dehumanization of Christians and their traditions. I can only imagine what's going on in the minds of the perpetrators: "It's in fashion, 'everyone' is doing it, it's what the Kool Kids are doing!" So it's very clear that Step #1 is well under way.

"Yes, but we can never get to Step #2!", some will immediately respond. Really? Maybe not quite yet but then how would you explain what happened to Christian Pastor Stephen Boissoin earlier this year? I don't agree with his views but it has become perfectly clear that he was prosecuted by the Alberta HRC solely because he's a Christian. If you doubt that then you're not up to speed with what has recently happened in Quebec.

Coming full circle, I am absolutely in favour of Anjem Choudary being able to say whatever pleases his little heart. But it's then the responsibility of all concerned citizens to speak out against him.

Quotes from the Vapid Left

In the liberal media that is ... though we all know that they have no bias ... because they keep telling us so. Sigh.

Here's a list of the Top 10 choice quotes of the liberal media in 2008.

A few examples:

• "To see his [Jeremiah Wright’s] career completely destroyed by three 20-second soundbites, all of the work he has done, his entire legacy gone down the drain, has been absolutely devastating to me — to him, sorry....We are still a racist country." — Washington Post writer Sally Quinn on PBS’s Charlie Rose, April 30.
  
  
• "Not doing it [fighting global warming] will be catastrophic. We’ll be eight degrees hotter in ten, not ten but 30 or 40 years, and basically none of the crops will grow. Most of the people will have died and the rest of us will be cannibals." — CNN founder Ted Turner on PBS’s Charlie Rose, April 1.
  
  
• "If you have a few hundred followers, and you let some of them molest children, they call you a cult leader. If you have a billion, they call you ‘Pope.’ It’s like, if you can’t pay your mortgage, you’re a deadbeat. But if you can’t pay a million mortgages, you’re Bear Stearns and we bail you out. And that is who the Catholic Church is: the Bear Stearns of organized pedophilia." — Bill Maher on HBO’s Real Time, April 11.

S.E.C. Incompetence

I just heard a detailed accounting of how Bernie Madoff has been able to pull off his $50 Billion scam over several decades. You can listen to it here (tune to 36:00). Here's the article of the interview subject, Binyamin Appelbaum.

One critical part of the story that is not yet mentioned on Wikipedia is how a competitor of Madoff's named Harry Markopolos took a careful look at what Madoff was doing. He concluded it was a scam way back in 1999. So he informed the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (S.E.C.), not just once, but multiple times. They ignored him repeatedly. Finally, in 2005 they did investigate Madoff and ... wait for it ... concluded that he was legit!

How on earth could the S.E.C. have failed to detect this massive crime? Was it just pure incompetence or was someone paid off?

This clearly had to be the rotten cherry on top of a year where the very roots of our entire financial system has been badly shaken.

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Update: Sadly, one of the investors of Madoff, has allegedly committed suicide:

There's No Such Thing as Too Much Hypocrisy for Elizabeth May

The Green Party's Lizzie May has decided to give us all an early Christmas present. You've got to read this.

May's piece should be a must read for all Canadian voters as well as every psychologist on the planet!

I have two questions:

1. If a Radical Leftist accuses someone of being "biased", what precisely does that translate into in English? Perhaps "center of the road & sane"?
   
   
2. How rich is the irony that Queen Lizzie May is criticizing the appointment of Mike Duffy when she, who has done NOTHING positive for this country, but was entirely ready to accept a Senate seat from Monsieur Dion and the Video Professor merely for mouthing a few words of support for them? Vancouver's despicable ex-mayor, Larry Campbell, pulled such a trick for Paul Martin and look what it got him.
   

January's going to be fun, watching Lizzie May and countless Liberal MPs mouthing off about the senate seats. I truly wish a reporter would ask one of them, "How precisely do you keep your hypocrisy from staining your clothes when you utter so much 'dirty' hot air from your front orifice?"



Hat tip: Alberta Girl

Pre-Xmas in Vancouver

Wishing You an HRC-Approved, Politically Correct Holiday!

Whoah, how *dare* I step out of line and call people out on their political correct nonsense or *dare* make a joke about a writer of a newspaper up at Whistler that many amongst the Radical Left Drug Induced Kumbaya Set treat as their Bible. (Note: Thankfully said writer saw the humour in what I posted!) But some of the hate mail I've received today simply isn't fit to print.

So in honour of these PC ninnies who clearly had the last remnants of their senses of humour removed duirng their last colonic treatment, let me repost this video which I prepared earlier this year because of this:

And may I also offer them all the Joy-free Non-demominational Holiday Wishes that they appear to be seeking.

Note: No Holiday Joy Trees were harmed in the creation of this posting!

Zellers = Stupidity Plus

Apparently Zellers, owned by the Hudson's Bay Company, has imposed a ban on "Christmas". So I've decided to place a personal ban on both stores. Click on the link to go to the actual web page.

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Update: Here's the response I just received from Zellers:

Thank you for your e-mail and taking the time to contact us. Just to
clarify, Holiday tree is a brand name for our Christmas trees. If you
read this week's flyer, we clearly emphasize Christmas as ?A special
time for making lasting memories while celebrating the birth of Jesus
Christ.? Merry Christmas!

Regards,
Susan
HBC Customer Service

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Update #2: David Menzies shares his thoughts

Breaking News: Canada's New Senators

• Newfoundland and Labrador - Fabian Manning
  
  
• Nova Scotia - Fred Dickson, Stephen Greene, Michael L. MacDonald
  
  
• PEI - Mike Duffy
  
  
• New-Brunswick - Percy Mockler, John D. Wallace
  
  
• Québec - Patrick Brazeau, Suzanne Fortin-Duplessis, Leo Housakos, Michel Rivard
  
  
• Ontario - Nicole Eaton, Irving Gerstein
  
  
• Saskatchewan - Pamela Wallin
  
  
• British Columbia - Nancy Greene Raine, Yonah Martin, Richard Neufeld
  
  
• Yukon - Hector Daniel Lang

More info here

Why Official Multiculturalism Must End

I started writing a comment for this blog posting but then realized that I had more than a little to say. Here are my thoughts:

I don't have a problem with any particular group of people immigrating to any country in The West. What I do have a MAJOR problem with is the politically correct, multicultural, wishy-washy immigration agenda of the Radical Left.

As writers like Mark Steyn have frequently noted, "official multicultural policy" does not mean that we'll have a variety of diverse & interesting restaurants. No, the Official Multicultural Policies of The West assert that all cultures are equal and that no particular culture is any better or worse than another.

As often occurs with the policies dreamed up by the Radical Left, the longterm repercussions are not thought through. As a result, countries throughout the West now have large ghettos in their urban areas - some rich, most poor - of people predominately from one country and often of the same religion.

The language & signs throughout these ghettos is never of the host country. Any attempt to change this generates cries of racism, with often the loudest voices coming from the mainstream liberal media. The immigrant adults in these ghettos often never learn the language of the host country very well or at all. What incentive or purpose is there for them to do so? Most everything around them resembles the country where they came from. They can take their driving test in pretty much any language they wish. Every government agency guarantees them all interactions in their native language; the host country's language(s) are unimportant.

The young children of immigrants do mostly learn to converse in the host country's language(s). Though they often struggle in school in their early years. Since their parents can't read the schoolbooks, there is no support for them at home. Their teachers, while trying their best, struggle to teach the core material while propping up each immigrant student's basic communication skills. The core material always suffers, as does the entire education of their classmates whose parents are natives. Any attempts to change this dysfunctional system is met with cries of racism, with the loudest voices coming from Radical Left academic "experts".

As these kids get older they tend to hang out almost exclusively with others from their own cultural community. After their basic schooling it "suddenly" becomes apparent to them and to those aforementioned "experts" that:

• They have little understanding of the mainstream of the society in which hold a passport.
  
• They sometimes have very twisted views of their country's history and accomplishments.
• They have often have little to no loyalty of the country in which they're a citizen.
• If their academic skills are poor then they have no hope of getting a higher education.
• Mainstream employers, given a choice between hiring positive, well spoken native speakers and culturally dysfunctional applicants opt for the logical choice.
  

And what then happens? Frustration. Anger. Violence. Riots. Terrorism.

It is all so preventable: Replace multiculturalism with a strict melting pot strategy and insist that every young person take pride in the country in which they grow up - each & every day. Lo and behold, divisiveness will be replaced with cohesiveness. But the Radical Leftists who have infested government, academia, and the media will fight such a progressive change every step of the way.

The Toyota Way

And for a little smile:

A Winter Poem

'WINTER 2008'
a poem by
Stephane Dion

Though I should be da prime minister of Canada now,
I refuse to let it get me down.
Me and da Liberals came so close to our Green Plan
For every woman, child, and even every man.

But I look at da snow covering the country now,
And only one word comes to mind: How?
So I clearly don't feel like singing a song,
But instead will just chant that Al Gore is a real ding-dong!

The End

Liberal Media Squirming

This video is absolutely priceless! Kudos to Joe Scarborough for asking some simple, but very important questions. The liberal media in America is now having to admit that they badly failed the American public by failing to properly ask questions of the Obama campaign.
More analysis here.

Salim Mansur: A Different Take on the Shoe Throwing Incident

Salim Mansur is a professor of political science in London, Ontario and a frequent columnist in several newspapers. He's also a Muslim. He has a very different take on the now infamous incident of the Iraqi journalist throwing a shoe at President Bush ... and the subsequent support for this journalist. Definitely worth a read.

Mark Steyn on the Current Bailout Madness

General Motors now has a market valuation about a third of Bed, Bath & Beyond, and no one says your Swash 700 Elongated Biscuit Toilet Seat Bidet is too big to fail. GM has a market capitalization of about $2.4 billion. For purposes of comparison, Toyota's market cap is $100 billion and change (the change being bigger than the whole of GM). General Motors, like the other two geezers of the Old Three, is a vast retirement home with a small money-losing auto subsidiary. The UAW is AARP in an Edsel: It has three times as many retirees and widows as "workers" (I use the term loosely). GM has 96,000 employees but provides health benefits to a million people.

How do you make that math add up? Not by selling cars: Honda and Nissan make a pretax operating profit per vehicle of around $1,600; Ford, Chrysler and GM make a loss of $500 to $1,500. That's to say, they lose money on every vehicle they sell. Like Henry Ford said, you can get it in any color as long as it's red.

Full article here

The AFL-CIO's Bill Samuel

Watch a devout union leader poorly argue how America should be converted into a socialist country:

This madness has to stop!

Non-Newsmakers of 2008

That well known journalist (well known in his own mind), Jesse Ferreras, just published the Top 5 Newsmakers in the minds of Canadians. Mark Steyn made #3, with this gem from Mr. Ferreras: "The New Hampshire-based neoconservative columnist is not an easy person to like."

It's a remarkable coincidence, because Ferreras made it into a list too:

Pelalusa's Top 5 List of Insignificant Canadian Blowhards

5. Maude Barlow
4. Olivia Chow
3. Jesse Ferreras
2. Jack Layton
1. Elizabeth May

Barbara Yaffe: The Left Coast's Resident Liberal Party Hack

Delusion: Barbara Yaffe wants an Obama regime in Canada

Reality

Corruption at Vancouver City Hall

Gregor Robertson promised Vancouverites a new era of good government, transparency, and accountability. So far he has done exactly the opposite. Is this the "Hope & Change" many were counting on.

There's a website devoted to following the hijinks at the city hall, which I'm going to add onto the sidebar.

The Public vs. the Private Sector

David Berner has just published a long, but interesting article.

Here's the comment I left him:

Superb post, David. Very comprehensive and tackles the prime issues our society is struggling with these days.

I, for one, have no problem with a mixture of public & private involvement in our society. Two primary tenets guide my thinking: Accountability and Competition.

The inherent problem with public sector *anything* is that there is inherently no competition and - the way things are setup - almost always little to no accountability. I lay the latter failing primarily at the feet of public sector unions who protect the incompetent and thus spread this dysfunctional cancer throughout the organization.

2008 has shown us that Accountability and Competition seem unimportant to many large private sector industries too. This is unfortunate. For there is no worse mistake for government than to offer large companies corporate welfare.

Michael Ignatieff vs. "ET"

Michael Ignatieff has just written an editorial, published by the National Post.

A regular commenter on SDA, who goes by the nickname of "ET", wrote a rebuttal:

There's an essay by Ignatieff in the National Post today. Quite incredible. It outlines clearly his view of himself, Canada, the world. It's not a constructive but a disturbing presentation.

He is moving into the traditional Liberal reductionist strategy of 'let's all feel good, get along together and love each other'. By this I mean that the Liberal strategy has been to minimize and isolate dissent, questions, debate, analysis. Instead of this hard rational interaction which involves us all in the future of our country, the Liberal strategy has been to reject dissent and debate, and therefore the exercise of reason..and move us into living only on the emotional level. And only one emotion - that of acceptance of anything. No questions. No dissent.

Notice how when we have questioned the role of the Bloc in the Coalition, we have been chastized for 'bashing Quebec' rather than criticizing the role of an isolate regional party in decision-making.

Then, Ignatieff moves into the second part of this mantra is the off-repeated nonsense that 'Canada is the best in the world, and the most tolerant and the most...etc". Again, such reductionist claims rejects our right to self-examine ourselves, to question ourselves, to dissent, debate and participate in our future.

Since we are 'the best', and we are 'tolerant', this means that we are NOT ALLOWED TO DOUBT. Such a repression of doubt is actually a key strategy of all Sovereignist Rule.

The Liberal rhetoric doesn't deal with reality. It operates only within the realm of fiction, a fictional account of ourselves and others created by our Sovereign, by our Ruling Party, to calm and soothe us into submission to its rules.

This declared tolerance ignores reality, it rejects the reality that Canada rejects freedom of speech.

The reality that Canada has set up a balkanized immigration framework - one which the Conservatives are working to undo - is ignored. The Liberals set up immigrants into isolate groups, told them to 'stay as you were in the old country', discouraged integration, discouraged collaboration, and thus kept them economically isolated.. and funded them for this narrowness of perspective. In return for their votes. The Conservatives are working to encourage integration, collaboration across cultures, shared future agendas.

Bilingualism set up a framework of power, which, because it is fiction rather than reality, moved this governmental power into the bubble isolation of cabals in Montreal-Ottawa.

Ignatieff's rhetoric promotes what he calls a 'stable government' over differences - and tell us that all that is needed to manage 'all problems' is a stable government. What the heck does that mean? Dictatorships provide stable government; that's their basic nature.

Notice that Ignatieff is betraying that his ideology fits right in with the Old Liberal Modus Operandi - that of the Sovereign Ruler, he who rules over the multitude and masses by divine right, he who makes the decisions for them and rejects their right to 'doubt', to question, to do anything other than 'accept'. Power to the Ruler rather than Power of, by, for, the People.

Then, Ignatieff says of Canada, that: "Our vocation in the world is to help other countries deepen and develop their citizenship as we have deepened and developed our own."

Incredible, the pompous vanity, the arrogant self-congratulatory assertion of supremacy and the idea that such perfection, superior as it is to that of other peoples, means that we must Guide and Rule and Teach the less-perfect in the world. All this arrogance - in one sentence.

So, it's clear that Ignatieff is setting himself up as a Sovereign. Many Canadians feel comfortable with this infrastructure - that reliance on government rather than the self. This has been the ideology since colonization. But I maintain that the new Canada isn't as simple and passive as the Old Canada and won't support being moved back into the realm of the hapless ruled.

Posted by: ET at December 20, 2008 11:37 AM

Card Carrying Feminists vs. Reality

I just read this posting, which lead me to this one. The latter one is from a very unhappy woman who deeply believes she is a true feminist. She's extremely unhappy because the Canadian 'Best Feminist Blog' award didn't go her way. Here's a sampling (language warning) :

Within hours, sda received a slew of nominations from her tongue-lolling, crotch-scratching fans. Other rightwing female bloggers were nominated, albeit without the attendant frenzy of the admirers that sda commands who rushed the CBA site like so many grotty little boys comparing the length of their posts and the ejaculatory reach of their verbosity. All deleted now by a CBA moderator who had to dip her laptop in bleach after that little display of frothing fannitude for sda.

To this woman I just had to share my thoughts:

A Little Background . . . I'm one of those metrosexual guys who has always believed in and advocated for full equality for women and minorities throughout my life. Within my technology company I've hired people from around the world, including many women. Gender, race, skin colour, sexual preference - none of these things mattered one whit in terms of hiring or promotion. There was zero discrimination. In fact, women often have the more senior management roles and often the highest salaries! In my professional life there has never been a feminist agenda per say, but rather just a glorious meritocracy.

So for me the word "feminist" has always meant "equality for women", which is the original & proper meaning, is it not?

How naive I was to think that everyone still shared this definition. The recent U.S. election revealed a dirty little secret about card carrying feminists, didn't it? The infamous posting of the CBC's Heather Mallick showed a deep-seated HATRED (there's no other suitable word) toward Sarah Palin and women like her. And why? Because she's a strong proponent of the Pro-Life Movement and a Republican. Wow, what a horrible person!!

I actually don't share Palin's beliefs on abortion but do recognize them as being morally consistent. So while I don't agree with the 'no exceptions' views of Pro-Lifers, I do respect them.

It seems crystal clear that you and your like-minded readers have a long road to walk before you will ever understand that "feminism" simply doesn't equate to "pro-Abortion". The fact that you deeply believe that a feminist MUST be vociferously pro-Choice is a mystery I'll leave for Sherlock Holmes to unravel.

Another mystery is why you believe that feminists can ONLY have Radical Left political views? "Socialism is the only path to set us free, sisters" ? ! ?

The 3rd Requirement in the Trilogy for Card Carrying Feminists seems to be a certain degree of antipathy toward men, especially if they're Caucasian. If you think I'm exaggerating then you really need to hire a different polling firm.

So in summary, there are you you and your ilk who believe that Feminism means:

• Pro-Choice (anytime, anywhere)
• Radical Left political views
• A little or a lot of dislike towards men
  

Then there's the rest of us. Thank goodness there's the rest of us!

Until you realize how far off the rails your movement has veered, you will never be able to grasp why women like Sarah Palin, Kate McMillan, Michelle Malkin, Amy Alkon, Laura Ingraham, and Patricia Heaton are the TRUE feminists of the New Millennium.