Flowers & Bees

New Jersey is the Canary in the Financial Mineshaft

This morning on the Corus radio stations, Michael Campbell spoke at length (beginning at 34:00) about this story. Here's a key segment:

Eileen Norcross, a George Mason University researcher who issued a report on the New Jersey pension system last month, is succinct: "It's mathematically impossible to pay this out. It's too large."

How New Jersey arrived at this moment in time is not a mystery. The decisions by governors, state legislators and union leaders have been chronicled by newspapers and in policy reports for two decades.

Experts and leaders by and large agree on what happened and why. In short, politicians looking to win elections, or just balance the state budget, either promised richer benefits or failed to find a way to make the necessary contributions each year for the benefits that would someday come due.

New Jersey may very well be the first to raise the white flag but it certainly won't be the last. California and New York seem to be in the same boat. Perhaps every U.S. state is? And I suspect that more than a few Canadian provinces are as well. So is the same with every country in Europe.

One thing is for sure: The coming decade will be an "interesting one" to say the least!

A Few Thoughts About Religion vs. Atheism

I recently observed an online argument about the age-old question of whether God exists. I never get involved in such "debates" any more for one simple reason: It's pointless!

The Atheism vs. Religion debate is because it has heretofore been impossible to DEFINITELY PROVE one's beliefs either way.

With that said, I fully respect every religious person's view, as long as their religion is not forcefully violating other people's human rights. (Note: I rarely use those last two words without quotes but it's most appropriate here.)

I have no respect for Atheism for one simple reason: The belief system is completely flawed by one simple question - "If there is no higher power out there then how did we get everything we see around us today?"  The instant response to this most of the time is, "The Big Bang".  But that's insufficient, for what existed before this grand event?  It all comes down to the simple fact that you can't get matter and/or energy from nothing.  But yet we all exist.  So there's clearly something more going on that none of us are capable of understanding.  The fact that atheists refuse to deal with this salient point not only illustrates their lack of intellectual curiosity but also completely disqualifies their belief system.

As for me, I was raised as a Roman Catholic but long ago fell away from the church.  I fully respect and appreciate the beliefs of my many Christian friends but I have to be true to myself.  And in my heart & in my head I can't honestly say that I'm convinced that God is an older gentleman with a white beard, that we only have one life on Earth, and that after this life we either go to Heaven or Hell.  God Bless those who truly believe all of this - and they may very well be 100% correct - but it just doesn't sit quite right with me at this juncture in my life.

Dear Canadians, Here's What the Federal Liberal Party Thinks of You

This is actually a mock poll created by the Liberal Party of Canada purportedly to show what a future poll from Stephen Harper's party would entail.  In truth though, it clearly reveals the disdain that Liberals have for Canadians who aren't in lockstep with them.  If you haven't voted for the Liberals in some time then realize that the next time you speak with one of their representatives that they think the following of you:

1. You are not capable of independent thought.
2. If you don't watch the CBC then you are a lesser Canadian.
3. You probably don't own any books and likely haven't read one in some time.
4. If you've ever voted for Stephen Harper then you view him as a King (ie. "dictator").
5. If you dare to question the Climate Change fear mongering perpetrated by Stephane Dion, David Suzuki, Al Gore, Michael Mann, and a host of others then you are an idiot and a "denier" (akin to a Holocaust Denier).
6. You are a misogynist.
7. Any questions you have about how governments spend your money shows you to be an unloyal Canadian.

Make no mistake, that's the how "brain trust" in the Liberal Party of Canada (and their comrades in the mainstream media) view you if you don't support them.  Please remember that the next time you're heading into a Canadian Federal Election.

hat tip Louise

A Salute to Hirsi Ali

On the same day, two completely different blogs I read posted two different videos of Hirsi Ali, the very brave Somali woman who is speaking out against the terrible aspects of Islam as well as the Left's de facto support of the religion's horrific practices.

Here's the first video I learned of from a Saskatchewan blogger named Louise. She provided some interesting insight into the mindset of the interviewer, Jian Ghomeshi: "... a Muslim by birth, a Canadian by birth, an Iranian by ancestry. He's as quintessentially Canadian as they come. Perhaps the most influential force in his life, as evidenced by his radio and TV roles, may be the Torontonians' uber-liberal apologist mindset that makes him a natural for the CBC. As usual, Hirsi Ali is brilliant and handles his asinine questions with finesse. Around the 40 minute mark I'd be more inclined to loose my cool and start shouting at him, if I hadn't done already, but Hirsi Ali adeptly, calmly skewers him."


A good follow-up is this pair of videos from an interview in Australia, which I learned of from Amy Alkon:



What Hirsi Ali is saying is of course true for anyone with any semblance of Common Sense. But her views are diametrically opposed to the Left's "great" narrative that all cultures are absolutely equal. But dare question why cultures that support honour killing and female genital mutilation are equal to ours and you are deemed a bigot by the Left.

Which, by the way, raises an interesting side point: I fully agree with Dennis Prager's theory that most people who identify themselves to be "on the Left" or "liberals" actually are NOT. For if you were to discuss individual issues like this one with them, they would adamantly disagree with the official Leftist position.

Therefore, what percentage of our population are actually truly Leftists? If it's more than 2 - 3% I'd be shocked. Will historians 100 Years from now look back and wonder how such a tiny minority of the population was able to seize control of the reins of power (political, academic, media) and steer it in such a destructive direction?

A Great Profile of Amy Alkon

Amy Alkon is an internationally syndicated writer based in Los Angeles. I love reading her blog every day because she writes directly & frankly and never from the perspective of a victim.  A comprehensive profile of her has just been published in the Illinois Times.

Watch Michael Mann Run & Hide

Most every day I listen to an excellent 4-hour podcast (minus commercials) from John Batchelor at WABC in New York City.  I just heard him talking with Bob Zimmerman about this story.  The actual segment can be found here beginning at 18:45.  It's an absolutely beautiful thing to learn about Michael Mann squirming - what a fraud!

Governor Chris Christie Talks with Devout Democrat Matt Lauer

The Obama Volt: Another Expected Failure

The Obama Volt is going to be a huge sales disaster. No reasonable person is going to spend US$41K on a car that only goes 64km before the gasoline engine has to kick in.

Full story here

Morgan Freeman on America's So-Called Racial Divide

Morgan Freeman has some interesting comments that tie directly in with those so casually & frequently throwing around the "R-word" these days.

Two Views of Liberal Journalists

Serious: Mark Judge

Not So Serious: Matt LaBash

Beautiful Vancouver in the Summer

I hosted my 2nd Annual Beach BBQ down at the juncture of Locarno & Jericho beaches. Though I was busy much of the day hosting guests ranging in age from 4 to 78, I was able to capture a few shots during the slow times.  Vancouver sure is a beautiful place when it's sunny!!!

Question: What do you get when you put 400 Leftists in a Room?

Be that room physical or virtual, Tucker Carlson has the answer.

The Best Definition of "Elites" You Will Ever Read

A must read from Victor Davis Hanson.  Here's a sampling:

There is little logic among the cultural elite, maybe because there is little omnipresent fear of job losses or the absence of money, and so arises a rather comfortable margin to indulge in nonsense. The idea that taxes cause scarcity, and subsidy abundance is a foreign concept. The notion that entitlements create dependency is considered Neanderthal. Tough penalties supposedly do not deter crime. Abroad, military preparedness or deterrence pales in comparison to “soft” diplomatic power and clever talking. Borrowing trillions is “stimulus” and need not quite be paid back. In other words, take a deep breath and imagine the opposite of everything you know by experience to be true, and you have mostly the worldview of the sheltered cultural elite, who navigate in rather protected channels and not in the open seas of the real world.

Pundits Weigh in on the Journolist Scandal

Radio commentator Dennis Prager, writing on the NAACP's attack on "racist elements" of the tea party at RealClearPolitics.com:
The charge of racism leveled by liberal organizations, whether black or white, is now regarded as the politically motivated falsehood that it is. It is rightly seen, along with its six siblings—sexism, xenophobia, intolerance, bigotry, homophobia and 'Islamophobia'—as the Left's way of avoiding argument by demeaning its opponents. . . . One day, the charge loses all its moral power. That happened this past year as a result of the liberal attacks on conservative opposition to Obama as racially based. Every conservative knows that opposition to the Obama and Democratic agenda has nothing to do with the president's color. Does any liberal honestly believe that if Nancy Pelosi or Harry Reid were president and pursued the same Leftist agenda Obama has, there would be less conservative opposition because Pelosi and Reid are white? So, something good has come of this: the de-fanging of the 'racist' label. It no longer intimidates conservatives as it once did.

Byron York, writing yesterday in the Washington Examiner:
This morning I asked Rush Limbaugh what he thought of references to him on the private left-wing journalist discussion group JournoList. As reported in the Daily Caller, Sarah Spitz, producer of the KCRW public radio program "Left, Right and Center," which is heard on a number of NPR stations across the country, wrote on JournoList that if she witnessed Limbaugh dying of a heart attack, she would "laugh loudly like a maniac and watch his eyes bug out." . . . "Not having wished anyone dead, nor having fantasized about watching someone die, I cannot possibly relate to this," Limbaugh responded.

"I can only surmise. I think most people on the left live in a world where merit is irrelevant. Theirs is a world in which connections, networking, kissing ass and obedient sameness are rewarded. I am the antithesis of all that. I am a legitimate, achieved and accomplished Number One and I've made it on my own and without them and without having followed their proscriptions. . . .

"Funny thing . . . a number of my friends sent me the Daily Caller piece and the most shocking thing to them in the story was the advocacy of having government shut down Fox News. That the left wants me dead was not a big deal to them because it was nothing new to them. I think that's hilarious. And about that: how about the LAW professor, Jonathan Zasloff, who thinks the FCC can pull Fox's license? Fox does not have a license. The FCC does not grant Fox its right to exist."

How many times can "Right Wing" be uttered in a scary way in one interview segment?

You can listen to CKNW's Bill Not So Good discuss the new "right wing" Canadian TV station with Monty Paulson and Norman Spector. The fun begins at 19:00.

Ron Harwell for Congress

Do you think the NAACP will be supporting Ron Harwell???

July 20, 1969

Birds at Lost Lagoon

Not bad for an iPhone 3GS photo, I think.  Touched up a bit with my photo editor.

The Hypocrites of Earth Day

Pat Condell: The Enemy Within

Faux Human Rights in Canada

Vancouver - A Day in the Life

Birds-eye View of Downtown Vancouver

The Olympic Rings at Cypress Mountain

The View from Eagle Bluffs

I went on a terrific hike to Eagle Bluffs. The views overlooking West Vancouver are spectacular!

The Insight of Dennis Miller

Paraphrasing: "How is it that on Star Trek, hundreds of years in the future, when spaceships can fly across the galaxy and matter can literally be transported through space, that we still see bald guys on the Enterprise? I mean, don't you think they'd have solved the male cue-ball problem by then?!"

Example #42,879 of the CBC's Biased Reporting

No editorializing in this news story, eh?! Wither journalism.

CBC News and the Liberal War Room are back to their dual purposing. And your tax dollars and mine are paying for it. :-(

Miniature Vancouver

I don't entirely understand how this time-lapse video was shot but apparently it involves the use of a tilt-shift lens.

Should the Mainstream Media Be Bailed Out?

Scratch a Liberal, Find a Bigot

Here's a discussion I had online with a typical Canadian Leftist hypocrite over this article:

A Short History of U.S. Healthcare

Dennis Miller on the O'Reilly Factor

Latest Lie of the Left: Tea Party Attendees are Anti-Semitic

I found this article highly amusing. Here's a key paragraph:

“The time has come for [Tea Party leaders] to accept the responsibility that comes with influence and make clear there is no place for racism and anti-Semitism, homophobia and other forms of bigotry in their movement," stated NAACP President and CEO Benjamin Todd Jealous.

Background: If you're not familiar with "NAACP", it stands for "National Association for the Advancement of Colored People". At one time it had a legitimate purpose but nowadays it's just another front group for the Democrat Party in the U.S.

Back to the quote ... the use of the terms "racist" and "homophobic" by pundits on the Left has become almost as common as the use of the words "the" and "but". But this latest canard of charging conservatives with being "anti-Semitic" is beyond preposterous! In any discussion about Israel in the past 10+ years, what's the common thread of non-Muslims who criticize Israel and defend or excuse Radical Islam? Answer: They're on the Left. They're always on the Left!!!

A Little Insight Into Why CNN Fired Octavia Nasr

You might have heard in passing about Octavia Nasr, CNN's senior Middle East editor, recently being fired.  Here's a typical story on the subject.  But until this morning I didn't understand 'why' she was fired.  Superficially we were being told it was because she had praised some old Hezbollah guy in a Tweet she sent out.  But who was he and why was she fired for this?  This I did not understand.  Until this morning.

I listened to this podcast (beginning at 25:30) of John Batchelor's Show.  Then I followed up by reading the blog post written by Lee Smith, who is the one interviewed by Batchelor.  From both, but especially the podcast, you will gain a lot of insight into how incredibly corrupt & biased the American news media has become over Middle Eastern affairs.

A Hearty Welcome to Al Gore

Full story here

Dennis Prager Q&A

Wouldn't it be nice if all conservative leaders were this succinct and forthright!

Brilliant Bumper Sticker

A Wake-Up Call for Canadians ... and Others!

David Harris has just published an excellent editorial that hit a LOT of chords with me.  When there is no longer any difference between right or wrong then surely society is not in a good place.

David Johnston, Canada's New Governor General

I awoke to news that Canada will soon have a new Governor General.  I was more than a little shocked that he's a white male.  Isn't it against three or four laws for such a person to be appointed to anything these days?!

The best comment I've seen so far came, surprisingly, from the CBC News website @ 9:08am:

Wow, a qualified, learned, respected and seemingly very able GG who seems to have been chosen on merit.

I'm not sure that's allowed.

The Disaster that is California

L.A. columnist Amy Alkon has an interesting item on her blog.  While the Titanic that is the California economy is headed right toward a big iceberg, the politicians there seem obsessed with rearranging the deck chairs.

Here's the comment I left:

Amy, do you recall the old adage, "We deserve the politicians we elect" ?

With yourself as a big exception, who is it that's responsible for those "Elected Morons"?

California is a bellwether state that all intelligent people concerned about their future should closely watch. The recent polls don't give me much optimism. Please tell me why Jerry Brown is remotely close, yet alone ahead?!

In my work with BC Digital Divide, I've come across a large spectrum of people. One of them was a recovered heroin addict named Bonnie. Talking with her at lunch one day, I learned that she used to live in my neighborhood, albeit inside cardboard boxes beside dumpsters. I eventually asked her the most important question of all: "What was it that eventually prompted you to break your addiction and get off drugs?"

Her answer was simple & succinct: "I eventually hit rock bottom. Up until then I had not. But once I did, the path upward was clear & obvious."

Such, I believe, is the same with those Californians who are supporting the absolutely failed policies of Jerry Brown and all that he represents. They have not hit rock bottom yet and need to suffer even more economic pain to reach bottom. For they are no different than a drug addict in that they're addicted to entitlements and a strong sense that a big government knows best. They don't and it doesn't. Period.

The Mainstream Media and Barack Obama

Ferry Ride from Swartz Bay to Tsawwassen

Volunteering at Sidney Days

Go Deutschland!

Here's a little slideshow I've put together as a tribute to my German friends & family!

What Our Society Has Come Down To :-(

A Baby's Best Friend

If this doesn't make you smile then you really, really need a vacation!

Anarchists & CUPE Ontario Supporters Destroy Toronto

Anyone who thinks that that Canada's Labour movement isn't joined at the hip with the thugs who destroyed Toronto is beyond in denial. Please watch this.

Here are some screen captures from around the 2:40 mark:

Canada's Radical Left : Just Another Day "At Work"

Be sure to click on the photo to read the comments associated with the article.

Note that most of the CBC commenters refuse to condemn the protesters in any way. :-(

A friend and I were discussing this Craigslist ad:

no strings.. (North Shore)

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Date: 2010-06-26, 4:56AM PDT

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I am in my forties and looking for someone to share parenthood with. I want to meet someone who wants a child. There are no strings. I just want a child and I'm looking for someone who is interested in having a child too.

Please let me know if you are interested. Thank you.


Of late I've been thinking a lot about what Thomas Sowell calls "First Stage Thinking".  Another way of looking at what he's referring to is "The Law of Unintended Consequences".  Generally liberals are the most guilty of this.  They react emotionally to whatever problem they see at hand but don't think through the longer term implications of their actions.

Poll after poll indicate that single women are typically the most liberal of all.

Putting these things together, and thinking about women like the one who posted this ad, I've begun wondering if First Stage Thinking is what's at work with many women like her?  Throughout her 20's & 30's I wonder if her only two priorities were:

• Working on her career
• Partying

Now she's reached the not so magic 4-0, probably has let herself go a little, and surprise-surprise there are no willing suitors waiting to impregnate her.

What I've just said isn't very politically correct but I wonder if there's more than a little truth to it?!

The Hypocrisy of the Clueless

Recently a woman I know in the U.S. joined this Facebook group: 1,000,000 Strong Against Offshore Drilling

So I asked her a simple question: "If you're against offshore drilling then where do you approve of getting your oil from?"

It took her awhile but she finally responded.  Just one word: "Nowhere!"

Here's how I responded to her:

Hypocrisy appalls me.  You need to walk your talk before you can give such an answer.  That means:
 1. No more driving ... ever
 2. No more flying ... ever
 3. Paying MUCH higher prices of ALL your products
 4. Getting rid of ALL your plastics including all your computer equipment


Are you prepared to do ANY of these?!?  I think not.

Your hypocrisy appalls me.

The Left's Complete Lack of Self-Awareness

Mark Steyn's latest column in Maclean's hits strong chords with me.  In it, he eviscerates the notion that anyone in the Liberal MSM anywhere is remotely objective. Here's a sampling:

Whereas Don Newman’s network has never asked me to guest-host anything. When it comes to the CBC, my phone hasn’t stopped not ringing. So take it as read that I’m eaten up by bitterness. For one thing, it’s severely reduced my chances of being governor general.

Why can’t the CBC, or CNN or the New York Times, just say, “Hey, you know, you’re right, we have a particular world view and our content reflects that”?  Because the garb of “objectivity” is vital to the institutional left’s sense of itself. Because, if you accept the idea that your world view is merely that—a view—it implicitly acknowledges there are other views, against which yours should be tested. Far easier to pronounce your side of the table the objective truth, and any opposing line mere “bombast” and “propaganda.”

In my experience, the lack of self-awareness by folks on the Left is stunning.  I'll never forget getting in a lengthy argument on this blog with a Leftie a few years back.  It eventually came down to me asking him to admit that everyone, including him, has biases.  His response to this was unbelievable.  Paraphrasing, he said: "Some of us have the ability to transcend the debate, rise above it, and provide a completely objective viewpoint."  What a wanker!  But I shouldn't have been surprised as this same fellow said, with great conviction, that "Barack Obama is one of the ten smartest people in the world today."

Incidentally, dare to disagree with people like this and you are immediately labeled a right-wing neo-con racist hater.

Ever wonder why so many people around the world hate the Jews? Here's a prime example of hate propaganda penned by one Moyeenul Alam who refers to himself as an established "journalist" in Bangladesh.  If you were a completely unbiased reader (pretend you just arrived from Mars), what would you think of Israel and the Jewish citizens there after reading this:

The Most Watched Commercial in the World Right Now!

Don't Like Soccer? Then You Must Be a Racist!

So says "progressive" sports writer, Dave Zirin.  Note: I always put "progressive" in quotes as a sign of deep sarcasm and disrespect to those who attach the term to themselves.

Jonah Goldberg weighs in here and here and here.

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For the record, soccer is my favourite sport.  Long has been.  But did I, for a millisecond, think Americans like Dennis Miller are racists when they mention how boring they find the game?  Hell No!!!!!

I actually don't like basketball.  Never have, likely never will.  Does this make me a racist, because a majority of professional players are Black?  According to dufus Zirin, I probably am.

Who would have ever thought that the "free thinkers" of the 1960's would start a movement in which conformity on all things is an absolute must?!?

Talk Directly to Canadian Soldiers

Talkshow host, Roy Green, has provided a way for all Canadians to send a message directly to Canadian soldiers in Afghanistan.  You can do so here.

Jewish Guilt?

It's difficult for me to watch this ranting fellow, without trying to get into his head and figure out what on earth motivates him. Keep in mind that here is a person who [supposedly] has seen the same videos as I have of provocateurs striking & stabbing Israeli soldiers yet it's impossible for his brain to process such information. The older I get, the more convinced I am that Radical Leftist philosophy is a religion of sorts, all onto itself. Whatever religion you're born into, all such beliefs are completely pushed aside if you join the Cult of the Left.

World Cup 2010 - And So It Begins . . .

Chris Christie for Canadian Prime Minister!

Here's a different angle of Governor Christie schooling a heavily biased reporter. It's absolutely beautiful!!! How do we get a guy like this in Canada?!?

Preview of the Liberal-NDP Coalition

Libby Davies is a key member of the federal NDP. The Liberals are considering merging with these cretins? God Help Canada if that ever happens and by some fluke they were able to achieve power. Before that I hope He helps Jewish Canadians because they're going to be in TROUBLE.

It's hard to believe this is happening in 2010. :-(

The New Hate is the Old Hate

Helen "Go Back Home" Thomas just chose to speak out loud what other members of the media are clearly thinking.  Mark Steyn weighs in.

Lou Pritchett's Letter to Barack Obama

Lou Pritchett is a former vice president of Procter & Gamble.  He sent this letter to the NY Times but they refused to print it:

AN OPEN LETTER TO PRESIDENT OBAMA

Dear President Obama:

You are the thirteenth President under whom I have lived and unlike any of the others, you truly scare me.

You scare me because after months of exposure, I know nothing about you.

You scare me because I do not know how you paid for your expensive Ivy League education and your upscale lifestyle and housing with no visible signs of support.

You scare me because you did not spend the formative years of youth growing up in America and culturally you are not an American.

You scare me because you have never run a company or met a payroll.

You scare me because you have never had military experience, thus don't understand it at its core..

You scare me because you lack humility and 'class', always blaming others.

You scare me because for over half your life you have aligned yourself with radical extremists who hate America and you refuse to publicly denounce these radicals who wish to see America fail.

You scare me because you are a cheerleader for the 'blame America' crowd and deliver this message abroad.

You scare me because you want to change America to a European style country where the government sector dominates instead of the private sector.

You scare me because you want to replace our health care system with a government controlled one.

You scare me because you prefer 'wind mills' to responsibly capitalizing on our own vast oil, coal and shale reserves.

You scare me because you want to kill the American capitalist goose that lays the golden egg which provides the highest standard of living in the world.

You scare me because you have begun to use 'extortion' tactics against certain banks and corporations.

You scare me because your own political party shrinks from challenging you on your wild and irresponsible spending proposals.

You scare me because you will not openly listen to or even consider opposing points of view from intelligent people.

You scare me because you falsely believe that you are both omnipotent and omniscient.

You scare me because the media gives you a free pass on everything you do.

You scare me because you demonize and want to silence the Limbaughs, Hannitys, O'Relllys and Becks who offer opposing, conservative points of view.

You scare me because you prefer controlling over governing.

Finally, you scare me because if you serve a second term I will probably not feel safe in writing a similar letter in 8 years.

Lou Pritchett

NJ Governor Chris Christie vs the Thugs of the New Jersey Teachers Union

Obama is a Symptom, Not the Cause

The following quote was translated into English of an article appearing in the Czech Republic as published in the Prager Zeitung of 28 April 2010:

The danger to America is not Barack Obama but a citizenry capable of entrusting a man like him with the Presidency. It will be far easier to limit and undo the follies of an Obama presidency than to restore the necessary common sense and good judgment to a depraved electorate willing to have such a man for their president.

The problem is much deeper and far more serious than Mr. Obama, who is a mere symptom of what ails America . Blaming the prince of the fools should not blind anyone to the vast confederacy of fools that made him their prince.

The Republic can survive a Barack Obama, who is, after all, merely a fool.  It is less likely to survive a multitude of fools such as those who made him their president.

A friend of mine then sent me these follow-up comments:

This is absolutely correct.  Obama is a symptom, not the cause.  The cause is that too large a fraction of the populace believes:

a) the government is here to guarantee equal results, not just opportunity
b) America is generally a force for bad around the world
c) The rich do not pay their fair share
d) Muslims are our friends and if we only showed them some love, radicals would go away

Unlearning these will be a very painful lesson.