Andrew Coyne: The Tories made them do it

Finally we have a voice of reason in the Canadian written media! Like a sharpshooter at a shooting range, Andrew Coyne lines up his crosshairs directly on the political pundits in this country and fires again & again & again. He scores so many bullseyes I simply couldn't keep track. But here are some highlights of this must read:

• Well that didn’t take long. Barely three days after the Finance minister rose to deliver his annual fall update, it is all in the dumpster: the fiscal plan, the curbs to subsidies to political parties, the suspension of public employees’ right to strike, maybe even the government itself. And the settled wisdom of every single pundit in the country is that it is all the Conservatives’ fault.
  
  
• Absolutely no one pins even a sliver of blame on the Liberals, the NDP or the Bloc. Of course not. Faced with the unreasonable and extreme proposal that they raise funds in the same way as the Conservatives have been doing for years — by asking people for their money, rather than taking it from them — they really had no alternative but to seize power.
  
  
• No. No, the sensible, restrained, pragmatic thing to do when threatened with the loss of subsidy is to take down the government. The sober, reasonable, moderate thing to do in this time of economic uncertainty is to provoke a constitutional crisis — to cobble together a coalition without a prime minister or a program, propped up by a separatist party, and demand the governor general call upon it to form a new government, replacing the old one we just elected. It’s been six weeks, after all.
  
  
• Thank God that Canada has such statesmen in this time of peril, willing to put partisanship aside in pursuit of high office. What a contrast to those hyper-partisan, power-mad Conservatives, with their insane demands that the parties make do on the millions in tax credits and reimbursements they receive outside the subsidy.

Mark Steyn's Xmas Present to Ryerson's John Miller

If I were going to only permanently bookmark 10 web pages from 2008, this would be in the Top 3:

Mark Steyn's rebuttal to Big City Lib, Requesting He Apologize to Ryerson Journalism Professor John Miller

Jack Layton: How to Gain Power Without Ever Earning It

Full transcript from Stephen Taylor here.

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So now we clearly know what the NDP/Liberal/Block Cabal de Trois has had planned all along. Do they have the legal right to form a coalition? Absolutely.

Should the Governor General let them take power in this way, without putting it to a vote of Canadians? Absolutely Not! As I've stated repeatedly before, there is no similar precedent, not even one, in Canada's 141 year history. Never before has control of the government been handed over this way if the sitting Prime Minister demands an election be held instead.

So let an election indeed be held with:

• Stephane Dion or Bob Rae or Michael Ignatieff as PM
• Jack Layton as Finance Minister
• Gilles Duceppe as ?????

Let the People of Canada decide if this is what they want. If my fellow citizens choose to go this path then I will fully accept their decision.

The Liberal Trolls Are On the Loose!

It's now clear that the call has gone out to Liberals and the Radical Left to flood conservative blogs like this one and radio talk shows. I noticed this in the last hour of Roy Green's show today, which you can listen to here by the way. Move the slider to 07:10 and you'll here an excellent interview with Lorne Gunter and Lori Goldstein.

So when you see commenters claiming to be "lifelong conservatives" go onto trash Harper then you know that they're duplicitous, dishonest Liberal/NDP trolls. The other little psychological trick they use is to say that all conservatives are "extremists" whereas they and their CBC ilk are "average Canadians". Yeah, right!

ANYONE who supports this technically legal but highly undemocratic takeover of power BEFORE EVEN ONE BUDGET has been presented, has no respect for Canada, its history, or its traditions. And as we learned today, Jack Layton and Gilles Duceppe had this all planned long ago.

If you want to see some honest candor from the power-hungry thugs on the Left read this diatribe by the infamous Scott Reid. In the aformentioned radio interview his piece is discussed, though not mentioned by name. Reid's head is so far up the ass of the Liberal Party that he must be a touch typist because there's no possible way he could ever see the keyboard! But at least he's being honest. Sure, he doesn't give a damn about the democratic franchise of the Canadian people. Sure, he doesn't give a damn about destroying 141 years of parliamentary tradition. Sure, he doesn't give a damn that this may cause Western Separation and only heighten the possibility of Quebec Separation. But at least he's being honest with views.

That's a lot more than one can say about the Liberal trolls.

Norman Spector's Advice to the Governor General

Political pundit, Norman Spector, offers Canada's Governor General, Michaëlle Jean, some very wise advice: If the elected prime minister, Stephen Harper, requests that a new election occur to let the people decide whether they support the Conservatives or the Cabal de Trois then the people should be given this opportunity. He argues, correctly, that there is absolutely no historical precedent to do otherwise. She does indeed have the power to do otherwise, but risks a severe constitutional crisis and disenfranchisement of Western Canadian voters.

Here's a key part of what Spector wrote:

I'm still skeptical that the Liberals will be able to work out their internal rivalries. Or, that they, the NDP and Bloc could put together a common program to present to the Governor-General that would last two years—as was the case in Ontario in 1985. If I'm wrong, however, Ms. Jean would be wise not to forget that in Canada, "the people choose their government."

An election, while costly, would present Canadians with a clear choice between Mr. Harper's Conservatives and the coalition being proposed by the three opposition parties. The alternative is the very real possibility of a constitutional crisis.

If Ms. Jean were to decide to hand power over to a Liberal-led coalition, Conservative voters would be furious. Western Canadians, in particular, would feel that the government had been stolen from them. Outside Québec, there would be strong resentment against a party dedicated to breaking up Canada having a role in governing the country.

The Cabal's Secret Talks

CTV is reporting that Jack Layton of the NDP has been in secret talks with the Bloc Quebecois long before this past week. Please read the story carefully.

Never before in Canada's history has an immediate overthrow of a democratically elected government ever been attempted. This may very well be "legal" according to the letter of the law but in no way, shape, or form is it in the spirit of democratic principles, tradition, or precedent.

Let's not pull punches: Jack Layton is completely ignoring the will of the Canadian people and instead using political tricks to gain power. If he succeeds, the people of this nation must punish him & the NDP badly, very badly at the voting booth the next time we're given the opportunity.

Key Points Revealed by the Historical Research

In my previous posting I itemized several statistical observations that jumped out at me when I looked at the data. But here are two of the most critical high-level facts that I learned from doing the research:

1. The notion that political parties in Canada "normally" get over 50% of the vote is pure nonsense. If one wants to argue the point that our political system needs to now be altered after 141 years to better represent small parties then that's one thing and a discussion that we should all have. But to twist this around to say that "the majority of Canadians voted against the Conservatives" is disingenuous to the extreme. It's the kind of argument an anarchist might make.
   
   
2. Nowhere in our country's federal electoral history is there any direct precedent for what the Liberals, NDP, & Bloc ("Le Cabal de Trois") are contemplating doing. The King-Byng Affair in 1926 is often cited. When someone says that, please ask them specifically what are the commonalities between what occurred back then and what is occurring now. Prepare to grab something firmly anchored to the ground because you're going to get a whole lot of S-P-I-N!!! Or more often than not you'll just get utter silence because all they're doing is echoing a talking point without any understanding of what it means.
   

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As a complete aside, doing the research actually calmed my outrage at this clear breach of democratic tradition. Why? Because reading in detail about all the past elections, the governments that have come & gone, we as people will get through this. I choose my words very carefully. Canada as a country may very well be destroyed by this action because many in the West, starting in Alberta, will wonder what on earth is the point of being part of Canada if the parties [predominately] elected in the East won't even let an elected party get to its first budget. But we, individually as people, will survive, no matter what nation we call home.

I also believe that Stephen Harper & co. suspected something like this could happen. They clearly didn't want it to happen but realized it was a possibility. For it's not too difficult to figure out how Liberals think. If the government handouts to them were pulled then they could either do some hard work and ask their grassroots supporters to put their money where there mouths are -OR- they could throw a hissy fit and threaten to do something so far afield from the Spirit of Democracy that no other political party has ever attempted it in our nation's history. And clearly for good reason.

The NDP are going along because they can finally taste the power and feel they have nothing to lose. The Bloc Quebecois is going along because they will get any "gifts" they ask for and also, this can only heighten the chances of Canada breaking up. They have absolutely nothing to lose.

Harper is a smart man and a long term strategist. Even his most fervent opponents realize this. Note: I'm talking about the intelligent ones, not the Radical Left twits who inhabit the CBC News message boards (Canada's own version of the DailyKos Kooks). So worst case for the Conservatives, they may lose the next "quarter" but Harper is counting on many Canadians to be rightly outraged. It won't actually take that many more voters to come out to give the Conservatives a clear majority in the next election, very much at the expense of the Liberals.

Interesting times ahead.

Historical Summary of Canadian Elections

In reading the comments to this post by Ezra Levant I came across yet another disingenuous talking point about the Conservatives not getting a clear majority in the recent election. Such stupidity falls under the category of "If you repeat B.S. enough times, Sheeple will accept it and no longer challenge it."

I pride myself on being a stickler for facts so such comments spur me on! Here's what I wrote to the fellow who made it:

Would you and your ilk please stop with your stupid, phoney talking point that the Conservatives only got "xx %" of the vote. This disingenuous comment has been false from the first time it was uttered and is even more so today. If you're so ignorant that you don't actually understand what I mean then please look back at the popular votes of every government where there have been at least 3 [significant] parties. It's how our system works and is basic math. So just cut it out as it's really boring us all.

When I wrote this I knew anecdotally that I was accurate but didn't know all the details. It being a miserable evening in Vancouver, I decided to do a little research. Here are some results that I think you'll find as fascinating as I did (click on the image to see it larger) :

Note: The # of Parties is based on those achieving at least 5% of the popular vote.

For those so inclined, you can download a copy of the Excel spreadsheet, complete with additional footnotes, by clicking here. The sources I used can be found here and here. If you find any errors, please let me know!

Here are some interesting facts:

1. The lowest popular vote that resulted in a minority government was 35.89% by Joe Clark's Conservatives in 1979. Note: There were three major parties at the time.
   
2. The largest popular vote that resulted in a minority government was 46.13% by Arthur Meighen's Conservatives in 1925. Note: There were three major parties at the time.
3. The lowest popular vote to win a majority government was 34.84% by John A. Macdonald and his Conservatives in 1867 (Canada's first parliament). Note: There were only two major parties at the time.
4. In a 2-party race, the largest popular vote ever achieved was 56.93% by Robert Borden's Unionists in 1917.
5. In a 3-party race, the largest popular vote ever acheived was 53.66% by John Diefenbaker's Conservatives in 1958.
6. Even at the height of his popularity, Pierre Trudeau only won only 45.37% of the popular vote [in a 3-party race in 1968].
7. Only 6 times in Canada's 40 federal elections has a party ever achieved more than 50% of the vote. Four of these times were when 2 major parties were running, the remaining two times were when 3 major parties were. The most recent of these was in 1984 when Brian Mulroney just squeaked over the half-way mark with 50.03%.
   
8. Four times in Canada's history the winning party has had a lower popular vote than the 2nd place party [1896, 1926, 1957, & 1979].
9. Those who believe that a government only has legitimacy if it gets the majority of the votes [ie. 50% + 1] thus must believe that only 6 of Canada's 40 governments had any legitimacy.
   
10. Perhaps the only consistent statistic is that since 1988, the voter turnout has been on a steady decline downward. :-(
    

Ezra Levant vs. Susan Smith

You can click here to watch the debate.

Ezra was a whole lot more calm & polite than I would have been. Do you notice how comfortable Ms. Smith is with unseating a government elected just 46 days ago? It also didn't escape my attention that here's a perfect example of an Ontario Liberal telling a Western Canadian to go get stuffed. What a pathetic sycophant she is!

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Here's a video from Rick Mercer's show focusing on our possible new prime minister:

Who Will Jennifer Burke Now Cheer For?

Now that Brian Burke is the new head of the Toronto Maple Leafs hockey team (aka "Commander of the Center of the Universe") it'll be interesting to hear who his pretty wife, Jennifer Burke [nee Mather], will be cheering for. Will her old allegiances to the Vancouver Canucks become yesterday's news?

She very much is one of Vancouver's favourite daughters, having grown up much of her life here. She had an illustrious career on TV and radio before taking a break from it all to raise a family.

I hope that her old colleagues in the Sports Department at CKNW [playfully] get a chance to give her the 3rd Degree questioning about this!

And now that she's back in Canada, let's hope that the local media in Toronto don't place her home province mistakenly in South America like those in Southern California did!

Michael J. Fox Car

This beautiful Delorean DMC-12 was manufactured in North Ireland in the first few years of the 1980's. It gained fame in the Back to the Future trilogy featuring Vancouver's own Michael J. Fox (who was in the Grade 5 class of my Uncle Martin by the way!)

Interesting Public Space at VGH

The eastern portion of the block bounded by 12th & 13th Avenues and Willow & Laurel Streets has some sort of industrial facility buried under the ground. On top they've created a nice little park with the most interesting sculpture / water fountain. I need to get back here on a sunny day but here's a preview.

Witness to a Crime!

Okay, not a major crime but a crime nonetheless!

The burgundy Honda you see here tried to pull into the parking space but side-swiped the driver's side front bumper. She then backed up and pulled in a second time.

Here she is walking to the rear of her car.
She completely ignored the other car and went to take a quick look at what she had done to the rear passenger door of her own.
I thought for sure that she'd then go leave a note on the other car.
But no, she simply went to put money in the parking meter and then illegally jaywalked across the middle of Broadway. A stellar citizen!
Seeing this, I ran outside and photographed both cars, plus close-ups of their license plates (not shown).
I couldn't tell whether the other car was noticeably damaged or not but the hi-resolution version of this photo shows it very clearly.
When the owner came out I explained to him what occurred and gave him my card in case the other driver disputes that she hit him.

My Comments to David Berner

David Berner is back from his vacation and blogging like crazy! Here he posts the thoughts of a regular contributor named Victor. Here was the comment I left him:

Welcome back, David, welcome back! And little did I know until now (Saturday afternoon) that you've been blogging up a storm!

I agree wholeheartedly with everything Victor said. And especially now, that the public funding removal idea (which I actually support) has been laid to waste.

Precisely on what basis do the Liberals and NDP and their separatist brethren now have for discarding a democratically elected government just 46 days ago?

You hinted on another post that there's not enough of an economic stimulus from the Conservatives. Poppycock I say to that, David! Canada is in much better shape than any other G8 country. Our banking system is not in trouble. So on what prudent financially sound basis should the government be "injecting" billions of dollars into the economy? As a Western Canadian, you can't possibly be supporting the idea of giving the Big 3 automakers and the Quebec forest industry any more money, can you?!

What our pretty GG should do is declare an economic stimulus plan by forcing the parties to hold another election. That'll inject $300 Million into the pockets of Average Joes and Janes across the country. Then let the people of Canada decide how they feel about the Liberals & NDP ignoring the mandate of the people recently delivered.

But I expect what she will do is let the Cabal of Trois rule the roost. If this doesn't have serious negative repercussions that may even shake the foundations of unity in the West, then I'll be shocked.

Economic Stimulus via Elections

I keep hearing from our friends on the Left in Canada that the federal government needs to inject a lot more money into the economy. I don't happen to agree with this premise but assuming I did, what would be a good, quick way to do so? I know, hold an election! Every federal election costs a reported $300 Million. This money isn't "wasted", in that it's spent on supplies and people's time and renting space, etc. It is very clearly injected right back into the economy.

So on December 8th, when the government is voted down and the Cabal of Trois tells Governer General Michaëlle Jean that the reason they did so was an insufficient stimulus package, she should immediately say, "Okay, you want a stimulus package, I'll give you one. We're going to have another election!"

Then let the people of Canada decide what they think of the Liberals & NDP & Bloc Quebecois refusing to work with a government elected less than 2 months ago!

The Confused Views of the Canadian Left

Anyone supporting the overthrow of the Conservative government must realize that they're advocating the non-election of a coalition that includes a group of separatists who want to dissolve Canada. Supporting this coalition means supporting Gilles Duceppe because it's abundantly clear that he will be pulling the strings of Dion & Layton on every single decision.

What's most hilarious at this juncture is that now that the Conservatives have withdrawn the idea of removing the taxpayer supported political contributions, precisely on what actual points are the 3 parties in the Cabal standing on? I can only think of two: Power & Ego.

Roy Green's Coverage of Canada's Constitutional Crisis

The Corus Network's Roy Green had 3 solid hours solely focused on the constitutional crisis ongoing in Ottawa these days. You can listen to it here:

• Hour 1: Yours truly and Libby Davies (he wouldn't put up with her B.S.)
  
  
• Hour 2: Bob Rae
  
  
• Hour 3: John Baird

Bumper Sticker Protest

Just want to be prepared in case the unthinkable happens . . .

Hi-res version available here.

Michael Campbell Has His Own Website

Michael Campbell, one of CKNW's financial pundits, now has his own website: www.moneytalks.net Interesting stuff throughout!

The Undemocratic Belief System of the Radical Left

In America, if you want to see the mindset of the Radical Left you go to the DailyKos.com. In Canada you just go to the CBC News website. Read the comments on what's going on in Ottawa these days. Here's the comment that I left there:

I am deeply ashamed by so many of the comments I'm reading on here.

Let's remove the spin and ascertain two facts remain crystal clear:

1. The ONLY reason why the Liberals, NDP, and Bloc Quebecois are considering this takedown of a democratically elected government is because the taxpayer-funded $1.95 per vote going towards ALL parties may be eliminated.

2. If this occurs, it may very well be constitutionally legal but is nothing other than a Coup d'Etat.

Don't insult us by pretending anything else.

The fact that so many of you are so willing to, not just to let this happen, but to actually encourage it, is a clear sign of the deeply undemocratic mindset so pervasive in Canada these days, especially those on the Radical Left side of the political spectrum.

The Conservatives were elected as a minority government just 45 days ago. Back then many of you were saying, "I'm glad that Harper only got a minority. It's what Canadians want. They'll all be forced to work together."

Now, at the very first chance, your politicians in Ottawa are saying, "Ahhh, we didn't really mean that. We're going to seize power instead." And you all are cheering them on.

What absolute hypocrisy! Ashamed you should be, but too arrogant to realize it in fact you are. You must truly all be mad to think that the best course of action for Canada is to have Stephane "Defeated" Dion as its figurehead PM but the real reins of power clearly in the hands of the Bloc Quebecois.

Just remember that for every action there is a reaction. If you think the people of Western Canada are going to see their duly elected government thrown out of office, you truly are dreaming. Should this occur, I expect permanent negative repercussions to affect Canada for the next 50 years ... and that is if Canada even remains together should this disaster unfold as you're hoping.

How It All Begins :-)

As I was leaving the supermarket today a young couple walked in. The fellow started walking toward what he wanted to buy but some plants near the entrance caught the woman's eye. She walked up to one, turned around and said to him, "Would you be adverse to having one of these at your place?"

Without really even looking at it, he responded, "Oh sure, I wouldn't mind."

You Pussy! You Coward!! You Woosey-Boy!!!

Okay, those weren't precisely my thoughts but I did smile and felt like saying to him, "Run while you can amigo, run while you can!" :-)

That's how relationships always begin, don't they? The woman "suggests" that the fellow get a particular plant. Then a few weeks later the bed sheet doubling as a tablecloth has to be replaced - and never with a good explanation IMHO - with something more elegant and dainty and colour-coordinated. Beginning about a month after they met he'll find himself accompanying her into more & more men's clothing stores, with new "suggestions" being thrown at him on each visit. He better be diligently recording every single word & emphasis of these "suggestions" into his Blackberry. I guarantee you that she won't forget a single one! And lo and behold, at a BBQ two months later, all of her girlfriends will somehow remember every one of them as well ... even though they were never there when they were made!

Eventually, and sadly 9 times out of 10, the relationship will end within a few months. The poor fellow will be caught off guard with a question about an attractive woman they both saw earlier in the day or not make mention of her new pair of shoes, or neglect to compliment her on the styling genius of color matching her gloves with her socks, or take 1.3 seconds too long to answer this question from her: "When you think of me, what animal comes to mind?" (And never answer with the animal that was so clearly obvious to her!)

However it happens, the poor slob will not know what he did wrong. Her demeanor will forever change from then on and no matter what he tries to do to make her happy, nothing will ever please her again like it seemed to before.

Then one day soon after he'll hear the 4 words most frightening to every male on this planet: "We Need To Talk". In a long tirade of emotions, she will explain that she is bitterly unhappy and things are just not working out as she had hoped. Some women will go right for the jugular and list more offenses that he has committed than were heard at the Nuremberg Trials. Others, even though they have such a list in their head, will choose the easier route and just say, "It isn't you, it's me. I need time alone. You're a great guy and one day some lucky woman will be grateful to find you."

And in the end, the devastated fellow will be left with a damn ugly plant that he never wanted in the first place!!!
Disclaimer: This entire rant about relationships was entirely made up and solely intended to put a smile on the face of all reading it after a terrible week. In no way, shape, or form does it reflect the personal opinions or experiences of the author, who can't believe that any women would actually do/say/think such things. :-))

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Update: You must now read this post. Hilarious and touché, touché, touché Ms. K!

A Canadian Coup d'état ?

Didn't Canadians just soundly reject Stephane Dion in a $300 Million election? And now Monsieur Chretien is back behind the scenes. Are we about to witness our own version of a Coup d'etat? Hey, if you can't get elected by the people, just seize power any other way you can! (That'll make for a great Liberal Party fundraising slogan!)

And yet ... through it all, their friends in the liberal media are mostly only condemning the Conservatives through all of this. If it so transpires. watch the Sheeple of Canuckistan stand by and say not a thing. :-(

It's one thing for the people of Ontario to kick the citizens of Western Canada in the head. It's another thing entirely to actually sever their head altogether.

Wither Canada.

Christy Clark: Liberal Hack

I happened to catch Christy Clark's show on CKNW this afternoon. It's beyond hilarious how she pretends to be unbiased and centrist, when in fact her and her husband, Mark Marrison, are deeply connected to the federal Liberal Party of Canada.

Listening to her talk with a political science professor from the University of Victoria, it was indistinguishable from the Liberal Party Rah Rah Rah that one constantly hears on the CBC.

On The Opposite End of the Self-Reliance Spectrum

We have England, with this crazy story.

Drunk women wearing high-heels will be handed flip-flops by police so that they don't hurt their ankles. Yes, you read that correctly. Remember, we're nowhere near April Fool's Day. This is a true story.

And I realize that some will argue that such a program makes financial sense because it cuts down on health care costs. But there is an obvious question that goes begging: Do we really want to live in a society that treats us all like 3 year olds, in which there is absolutely no need to be responsible for anything? For the Radical Left, this is their idea of nirvana. For some of us it's nothing short of an Orwellian nightmare!

Happy Thanksgiving to my American Friends

Michelle Malkin has an inspirational story that will give you much energy for the year ahead!

Huffing and Puffing In The Ottawa Sandbox

Bob Rae and others in Ottawa are whining at the top of their lungs that the big bully, Stevie Harper, is going to remove all the toys (read "public funding") from their community sandbox. Even though the parents (read "taxpayers") of the neighbourhood kids are struggling to make ends meet these days, Lil' Bobby is demanding that new toys be purchased every year.

So he and his pals are now pouting, walking around with their little arms crossed, and stammering that they're no longer going to play in the sandbox. The parents, seeing their little ones so upset, nominate a woman in the neighbourhood, who is not directly connected with any of the children, to listen to all sides and decide what to do. Her name is Michaëlle. As an aside, all of the fathers of these kids think that Michaëlle is the hottest woman in the entire neighbourhood so they secretly relish getting to talk with her as often as possible! ;-)

Michaëlle calls together all the kids:

1. Not so little Stevie Harper
2. Un petit garcon, Stephane Dion
   
3. Lil' Bobby Rae
4. Mikey Ignatieff (who recently arrived from Boston)
5. Lil' Jack Layton (who already has a little business selling computer tutorials on DVDs)
   
6. Un autre garcon, Gillie Duceppe
   
7. And the only girl of the bunch, Lizzie May
   

Michaëlle looks at all of the children and then focuses in on Lizzie. She asks her, "Young lady, you only look to be about 3 years old. Do you really play in this sandbox with the older boys?" Lizzie, who has seemingly been speaking non-stop since she turned one, starts talking about all sorts of wonderful things: "Green faeries in the forest and tricycles made by Suzuki that run on water and a white unicorn nicknamed 'Gore' and . . . ." Michaëlle, sensing this is going to go on for awhile, turns to the boys and asks them if Lil' Lizzie really plays in the sandbox. In unison, the 6 turn toward Lizzie and say "Non!" So Michaëlle asks the little girl to go back to her parents. She does so reluctantly but strolls away, talking to herself all the way home.

Michaëlle then asks the boys, "I trust you all understand that your parents have given me free reign to make whatever decision I wish. I need your promise that you will abide by whatever I decide."

Hearing this, Gillie puts his hands on his hips and says, "Madame, I hate this sandbox and I hate these boys. They're not mes amis and I will never agree to anything they ever say. I'm going to get someone to build me a new sandbox and I'll play there with my other friends!" With that, he stomps off.

Michaëlle rolls her eyes and continues, "Okay, is there anything else important that any of you want to tell me before we actually discuss things?"

Somewhat sheepishly, Stephane slowly raises his hand and says, "Well, the fact is that mon papa got a job in France and we're moving soon. So I won't be playing in this sandbox much longer anyhow. I think I better go." And with that, he politely leaves.

Michaëlle is somewhat ecstatic by this turn of events because the untenable group of 7 fidgety kids has now shrunk to just 4: Stevie, Bobby, Mikey, and Lil' Jack. She looks at them all and then focuses on Stevie: "From what I understand the other three seem to not like the way you're running the sandbox." Stevie nods and says in a very confident voice, with a barely detectable grin, "Apparently so."

She then looks at the other three and says, "Boys, perhaps you could tell me precisely what your issues with Stevie are?"

In a cacophany of little male voices she hears some semblance of the following: "Well, well, he's not playing fair. He wants to take away all of our toys and then we won't have anything to play with in the sandbox. Did we mention that he's not playing fair, you know?!"

This goes on for a few minutes, with the three of them endlessly repeating themselves. Eventually Michaëlle raises her hands and says, "Okay, okay, I think I get it! Stevie, could you explain things to me from your perspective?"

He contemplates for a moment and then starts talking:

Well, just last year our parents bought us a new set of toys for the sandbox. I've recently heard my parents talking and Dad might be laid off from his work soon. Mom has already had her hours cut back at the bank where she's a teller. My Uncle Bernie was up here from Windsor last week. I overheard him telling my dad that he and all his friends might be losing their jobs soon too. So I just decided that because our parents are going through all of this, it really doesn't make sense for them to keep on buying us new toys. Sure, in the big scope of things, the cost of the toys isn't a big part, but it's the principle of it and we need to show we care too. After all, money doesn't grow on trees.

So instead of them buying them, I think we should start trying to raise the money on our own to pay for the toys. My brother and I have already built a lemon-aid stand and I've put posters all around the neighbourhood saying that I will cut anyone's lawn for 10 bucks. There's nothing stopping Bobby and Mikie and Lil' Jack from doing the same. We can have more toys for our sandbox but we need to buy them ourselves.

"What a bright young man," Michaëlle thought to herself. But looking at the other three, she could see that their reaction was quite different. They were nothing short of stunned! Eventually, when they could talk again, there was but one word mostly coming out of their mouths: "But ... But ... But ..."

Then over the hedge, they all heard some other boy scream, "But I'm entitled to my entitlements!!" He giggled and could be heard running away. Michaëlle later checked the front of this house and the family name 'Dingwall' was emblazened beside the door!

Michaëlle looked again at the 3 boys beside Stevie, "Well, I think that your sandbox leader here has proposed something very interesting. I'm going to recommend that your parents keep him in as leader for the time being. Ultimately the decision is yours though. You can stop playing in the sandbox and demand that your parents hold another vote. But you know that this costs them time & money and you might not be happy with what they decide. In fact, they might just invite a whole new set of kids to come play in the sandbox with Stevie . . . ." She let those words hang in the air as she slowly strolled away.

Ezra Levant on "Human Rights" in Nova Scotia

Jon McComb on Human Rights in Canada

Yesterday I heard an extremely powerful analysis on the current state of "human rights" in Canada from CKNW's Jon McComb. I asked him for a copy of the editorial, which he has given me, along with permission to post here in full.


Human Rights Report - November 26, 2008

With all eyes fixed on the economic and financial turmoil a recent development in the free speech debate got lost in the shuffle…but I think it’s an important one to shed light on.

You’ll recall the recent nonsense around the human rights complaint against Maclean’s magazine brought by the Canadian Islamic Congress. Maclean’s was forced to spend tens of thousands of dollars defending itself before the B.C. Human Rights Tribunal over an article written by commentator and author Mark Steyn. The Islamic Congress tried to portray the article as promoting hatred against Muslims.

But even the activist human rights tribunal couldn’t swallow that argument and eventually ruled in Maclean’s favour. But the magazine is still out the thousands in legal fees.

Imagine you’re an online blogger or website owner and, because you’ve done little more than hurt someone’s feelings, you’re made to mount a similar defence … even if a ruling goes your way, you’re still likely put in a terrible financial bind, if not bankrupted by a lengthy, secretive process. By the way, the complainant has their lawyers paid for by the taxpayer.

Well, now a report done for the Canadian Human Rights Commission by a Queen’s University law professor says the Commission needs to get out of the business of trying to censor hate speech … because freedom of expression trumps overbroad minority rights laws. Professor Richard Moon said: "Because discriminatory attitudes and assumptions are so pervasive, it is vital that they be confronted, rather than censored."

Professor Moon goes on to point out that Canada already has criminal code legislation to deal with hate mongers and hate crimes…and such matters should be left up to the police and the courts to sort out. In his view, Section 13 of the Human Rights Code should be repealed. Amen to that.

What’s outrageous is that cases involving basic charter rights are being heard before a bureaucrat driven skeleton of a real court … by a group of human rights lawyers, most of whom have never practiced anything else. “Kangaroo Court” is a description that comes up a lot.

Then there’s the fact the tribunal doesn’t adhere to standard procedures of evidence and due process so central to our real court system. These are proceedings in which truth is not a defence, innocent intent is not a defence, fair comment and the public interest are also out, as is good faith and responsible journalism. In other words, there is virtually no defence when going before a human rights tribunal.

Think about that for a second and then ask yourself what country we’re in.

Canadian Human Rights Commissioner Jennifer Lynch said that she welcomed the "thoughtful report" from Professor Moon but noted it is not binding. She said she will solicit public reaction to the recommendations over the next few weeks, before she asks Parliament to clarify her mandate.

As far as I’m concerned Parliament doesn’t need to clarify anything. It needs to take swift action on Professor Moon’s recommendations and repeal Section 13. I advocate getting rid of these commissions and their “Star Chamber” proceedings altogether … but that might be too much to hope for. While they’re at it, Parliament should amend the Human Rights Act to bring in legitimate rules of evidence and conduct.

The Supreme Court of Canada has recently underscored our right to free speech by confirming the defence of fair comment…why then are Human Rights Tribunals still putting that right in jeopardy?

Public Financing for Political Parties to be Slashed

Federal Finance Minister, Jim Flaherty, is going to drop a bombshell in Ottawa tomorrow.

You may or may not be aware but for the past few years all of the major federal parties in Canada get $1.95 per vote on an annual basis. In the last election, roughly 14 million eligible voters cast their ballots, which translated to $27 million in taxpayers' money for the parties each year. Here are the funding cuts that Flaherty is proposing:

• Conservatives: $10.0 million
• Liberals: $7.7 million
• NDP: $4.9 million
• Bloc Quebecois: $2.6 million
• Green Party: $1.8 million

But when you examine what percentage of funding each party gets from public funds, a very different picture emerges:

• Bloc Quebecois: 86%
• Green Party: 65%
• Liberals: 63%
• NDP: 57%
• Conservatives: 37%
  

Some politicians are going to scream that this is dirty politics and is unfair. But is it? Here's why these politicians will be fighting a losing cause if they stay on this tangent:

1. The Conservatives will lose the most money by far.
2. The Bloc Quebecois' funding will be decimated, but who outside of Quebec will object? Many already feel that a separatist party, whose primary mission is to destroy Canada, shouldn't be funded in the first place.
3. Most people are generally sick & tired of all politicians of every stripe.
4. Demanding more money from Canadians as we (and the world) are entering a recession is a fool's gambit: "Dear Mr. Taxpayer, I know that you've lost your job and that you're struggling to keep your family housed & fed but don't you dare stop paying me even a cent less!"

And don't forget that each political party has every opportunity to attract more donations from millions of Canadians. It's long overdue that each party's supporters put their money where the mouth is. In other words, start walking the talk!

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What's exceedingly delightful is to read the fever-pitched whining of the Radical Left at the CBC News site. The top rated comment asserts that this is simply Harper's latest move at creating a dictatorship. ROFL

It made me wonder how a psychologist would evaluate a person who constantly exaggerates everything to the extreme? I'm guessing that the term "Delusional Paranoia" might be used. Or equivalently "radical liberal" would suffice!

Mumbai: A Russian Military Analyst's Perspective

Who knows if this fellow is correct, but it sure is fascinating.

Vancouver: Georgia & Burrard

Today I got the opportunity to take some photos from high up above Georgia & Burrard, one of Vancouver's busiest intersections:

More Time-Lapse: Google Doodles

Reality vs. Parody: Crying Over Dead Trees

One of these videos is of real people crying over dead trees and the other is of actors mocking these nitwits. I'll leave it to you to decide which is which!

Carleton University: White Males Not Wanted

Who says the Radical Left doesn't have its favourites when it comes to hate?!? In the case of the Carleton University Students Association they have now officially voted it perfectly fine for white males to suffer much and die young.

"Whereas Cystic fibrosis has been recently revealed to only affect white people, and primarily men.... Be it resolved that: CUSA discontinue its support of this campaign." [Source]

Of course that's not the way they're trying to spin it, but that's precisely what happened at a recent vote, where it was decided that annual fundraising for Cystic Fibrosis Research was to be discontinued on a regular basis. One of the reasons cited was that this terrible disease “has been recently revealed to only affect white people, and primarily men" — and therefore is insufficiently “inclusive.”

If you don't immediately grasp the audacity of this, what would your reaction be to these hypothetical quotes:

• "We're going to discontinue annual fundraising for breast cancer research because it's a disease that mostly affects women and is therefore insufficiently inclusive."
• "We're going to discontinue annual fundraising for AIDS research because it's a disease that mostly affects gay men and is therefore insufficiently inclusive."
  

There must be a power shortage in Ottawa because there are some really dim bulbs on the Carleton student council. So much so that there's a delicious irony to this story. An irony so deep that it could swallow the entire Carleton campus. As Jonathan Kay points out, the research used by these students prior to their vote was completely flawed:

Approximately 1 in 25 people of European descent … is a carrier of a cystic fibrosis mutation. Although CF is less common in these groups, approximately 1 in 46 Hispanics, 1 in 65 Africans and 1 in 90 Asians carry at least one abnormal CFTR gene. Cystic fibrosis is diagnosed in males and females equally.

Does Carleton represent our best & brightest minds in the under-25 set, our smartest lads and lasses from across the nation?!? I think not. But who knows, fueled by such venomous political correctness and a disinterest in facts & truth, they'd be absolutely perfect for employment at the various "Human Rights" Commissions across the country. There's a rumour going around that there'll be lots of people fired there soon. Someone should suggest to the "geniuses" at Carleton to start applying soon!

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Update
Jonathan Kay was forwarded this letter from a hospital worker, who sent it to each fo the Student Council Executive members:

To whom it may concern:

I am astounded at the pathetic display of ignorance and the lack of basic humanity that is illustrated in your recent decision to remove Student Council support for the cause of Cystic Fibrosis. You may try to couch this decision in terms of just trying to spread the charitable dollars around, but it's obvious to even to most casual observer that this is simply damage control, from a Council that did not do their homework thoroughly in the first place.

I work at a major Children's Hospital, directly with the young sufferers of this terrible disease. Over the past 15 years, I have seen them and their families struggle against huge odds to survive, even to their 20th birthday. They are in hospital every 6 weeks for their entire lives, undergoing almost constant respiratory therapy. They are courageous, wise and wonderful children.

They come from many walks of life, are equally male and female, and sometimes there are multiple children in the household who have the condition. I have had families who lost both children before the age of 18. This is a tragic illness that does not deserve to be treated as a political-correctness pawn.

Last week, one of my favourite patients, whom I have been seeing for over 8 years, died just short of her 15th birthday, through massive hemorrhaging in the lungs. Two weeks before, she had been a lively, if unbelievably thin teenager, dressing up for Halloween, and helping other, smaller kids get their costumes ready. I went to her memorial, which was attended by over 250 adults and children of all races, and we mourned the passing of such a wonderful soul.

I left the service, heard the news of your decision on the radio, and was sickened by it. How closed-minded can our supposedly educated student bodies be? This girl was looking forward to attending a University, just as you are able to do, in your arrogant self-righteousness and good health. Do you refuse support for Ovarian Cancer, because it only afflicts women? Do you do the same for Alzheimer's, because it affects primarily the elderly? You have to give your heads a shake, apologize, and be better informed in the future.

This decision is a disgrace.

Paul Hooson

The CHRC Has Nearly Put the Final Nail In Its Own Coffin

As Ezra Levant elaborates in great detail, the despicable Canadian "Human Rights" Commission power to determine what constitutes free speech in Canada is almost over.

And after Section 13 is removed we can only hope that Jennifer Lynch's employment will be terminated as well. Perhaps she can get a job at a Holocaust museum talking about tolerance. Though I have little doubt that every 5 year-old she would meet would know a lot more on the subject than she would! Don't let this sweet, smiling photo of Ms. Lynch fool you. She's a despicable human being who saw nothing wrong taking Canada down the road of totalitarianism, one baby step at a time.

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Update: More on this from Mark Steyn and Sean Berry.

Adventures in Time-Lapse Photography

I've owned my Canon G9 camera for almost a year but only now discovered its time-lapse capability - Duhh!

I don't know yet know any practical application to this feature, other than perhaps watching a flower or a building grow, but it does offer a neat effect nonetheless!

Freedom in America: From an Immigrant

I just received another stellar comment on the Dr. Anne Wortham video. Here is the comment in full:

I am a latin woman who left her communist/totalitarian country when I was a girl and went to live in another country. In that country I lived with all the restrictions that a foreigner confronts when you are a legal resident. Even to work I had to ask for permission and was restricted to work in certain companies only.

That country is Mexico.

Now this (USA) is a unique country, I always looked up to this country because I knew that here you could succeed if you wanted to. Believe me! it was a wonderful change, from night and day, when I moved here.

I am an american citizen and love this country, it is hard to see how people don't understand that if the government controls your life "there is no freedom". I saw this in Mexico, the media could not criticize the government or there would be repercussions, and believe me, there were!

Freedom is what allows you to be successful, there are no limits to your aspirations, it's up to you to get where you want to get. Oh! but when the government interferes in your life, there is no motivation to do anything, what for? There is no reward coming your way, you almost work for the government, since they will take a big chunk of your efforts to throw them away in any of their unuseful/wasteful programs.

Those who think that socialism is a good idea, I tell you, it's not!!! Once they start, they never end...I wonder why there are so many that are so self-defeated and so many that are naive???
The beautiful thing about life is to do your own thing and get rewarded for it. When you feel accomplished you are more giving, happier and inspired to do more. A system that restricts your freedoms and obstructs your success has a terrible and negative effect in the economy of a country and on the lives of its individuals.

Have you ever seen americans trying to flee this country in search of a better life? NO!!! But you see the rest of the world trying to come here in search of the "American Dream"...why so many want to take this away???

I urge you to think about it!!!

Diana

Radical Left Business Accumen

Here's the Radical Left mindset at work in one of the most liberal neighborhoods in Seattle: 'Pay what you want' store forced to close

"I ask people when they pay to pay with their head or their heart,” said OpShOp owner Jane Horowitz.

Imagine that, the good little liberals of Seattle not walking their own talk. Now there's a shocker!

Supporting Freedom of Speech in Canada

If you live in Canada, do you think you have the Right to Free Speech? Steve Janke, an engineer and political blogger, thought he did too. Failed West Vancouver MP, Blair Wilson, has other ideas. As Jonathan Kay details, Wilson is suing Janke for something he posted on his blog; something truthful by the way.

Essentially Wilson has launched a SLAPP againt Janke, trying to shut him (and others) up. This is more than wrong. It's despicable.

If you're like me (and like most Canadians for that matter), you haven't ever had to do a thing to protect the enormous freedom you've enjoyed since birth. So you can shake your head and say, "Oh poor guy, that's too bad." Or you can actually do something tangible by donating a few bucks to Steve Janke's legal defense fund. Please read the details here and strongly consider helping him out. I just sent him $75.00. Help restore Canada once again to our claim of the True North, Strong and Free.

As an added bonus, if you make a donation I will be more than happy to send you the hi-res original of any photo of mine that you've ever seen on this blog or here or here. They're perfectly for enlargements to hang in your home or give as gifts. Here are a few minor examples.

Sunny Granville Island

It was rather chilly in Vancouver today but Granville Island was warm & vibrant!

Movie Recommendation: Local Color

I just saw a beautiful & touching movie called Local Color. It's about a successful American artist who reflects back to 1974 when he spent the summer being tutored by a Russian master. The beautiful images and story carry the film. The performances by Armin Mueller-Stahl and Ron Perlman are brilliant.

But perhaps most important of all, this film should be mandatory viewing by everyone in the artistic community for it shows just how full of B.S. so many of them are, promoting absolutely nonsense that could be done by a 5 year-old. Watch the film, and you'll understand precisely what I mean!

The Twisted Mental Juxtapositions of the Radical Left

If you'd like to see a textbook example of how a Radical Leftist can twist any circumstances to suit their own narcissistic world view, then read this little ditty by Susan Cole. Here are some choice bits:

Last Tuesday, just seconds before going on air to do a news opinion spot, I was handed a poppy to wear so I could mark Remembrance Day. On instinct, I declined.

Speaking as a Jewish woman, I'm grateful that Hitler was defeated in World War II. But there's something about Remembrance Day ceremonies that disturb me. They seem to be only about one thing – celebrating the soldiers ... and the young men who made the so-called ultimate sacrifice had no control over whether they would go and where they would do battle.

Let's be clear about something. Ms. Cole is the descendant of the Jewish people who were methodically exterminated by Hitler's nightmare. The soldiers she's referring to were young Canadian men who risked everything - and often lost everything (what she despicably calls the "so-called" ultimate sacrifice) - in order to stop Hitler from killing ALL of her ancestors. Yet she can't get herself to show even an ounce of gratitude.

To put this in a modern context, imagine Ms. Cole and her family trapped in a high-rise building that's on fire. Firemen would come from several firehouses to reach them. While everyone else is running out of the building, these brave firemen would be running into it. Imagine these men getting the Coles safely out of the building but in the process a few firemen die.

Upon the 1-year anniversary of the fire, Susan Cole would be invited to speak at the commemoration. But rather than thanking those who saved her life and those of her family, instead she would glare into the eyes of the surviving firemen and the families of the deceased and lecture them on sexual discrimination in their profession and pay equity issues.

This is what goes on in the mind of today's Radical Leftist.

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It wasn't too long ago that Cole was embarrassing herself on another front.

John Mauldin on the Financial Crisis

Dennis Prager interviews financial guru John Mauldin about the current financial crisis. In very clear, simple terms he explains what is going on and that there is hope on the horizon.

For a more detailed explanation of how we got to this crisis please read this long but excellent article!

Walking in Memphis

Marc Cohn's Walking in Memphis is such an incredibly powerful song. Turn up your speakers and listen to a few versions of it:

How to Get a Piece of the Bailout Pie

Neil Cavuto, business analyst at Fox News, provides a very cynical (but funny) look at how one should approach the government in order to get free money from them:

1. Look depressed, really depressed.
2. Wear a really cheap suit.
3. Keep insisting it's "for the kids".
4. During breaks, wrap up all food and say it's "for the kids".
5. Tell everyone that your workers are upset and have guns.
6. Say that your case is different and truly pathetic.
7. Keep taking all sorts of different coloured pills during the hearings.
   

TRIUMF Tour

Today I got the opportunity to tour the TRIUMF facility, out on the UBC Campus. It's a world class operation that has attracted physicists and other scientists from all around the world.


How many engineers can you squeeze into one room at the same time?

This made me VERY envious!


One might think that this is a trick photograph or that there's glue at the bottom of the paper clip. But there's not. Instead, there's a huge magnetic field in this area that causes the phenomenon.








Besides helping out with astrophysical research, they also are able to help out in the health care arena.
This is something really neat. What you're seeing are the traces of live particles that are naturally flowing through the air.