The Sleveen Institute

Aftermath

2011-05-07T11:28:00.002-05:00

That was fun wasn't it? Anyone learn their lesson from the wraps on the knuckles? I've avoided politics like the plague since some people acclaimed our version of John Kerry as leader. That's when I gave up.

Now we have a chance to truly rebuild the party into something Canadians can again look to. The interim leader will not be the subject of attack ads since it would be a waste of campaign dollars. Appoint one and keep him/her for 2 years so the party can rebuild under that cover. I won't speculate on the potential leader since I am sure there is a lot of apprehension among those who may be thinking about it. Can't blame them after the full on onslaught of Iggy who bent over and took it. That was the reason for the loss.

I do want to make a point. When the liberals compile a platform again please do not offer things you took from a previous generation. That's not a complete vote getter. I was rather bitter with the learning passport as all assistance when I started university was cut and I was left with debt to my eyeballs that I am still paying off 15 years later. Also being a gay man I have absolutely no use for daycare, or any of the "family pack". I was rather pissed at seeing my tax dollars being spent on a select group of people. Please provide programs that are available to everyone, otherwise it looks like pandering to a subset that leaves everyone else out in the cold. If you want the liberal vote then appeal to liberals not rural conservatives. They don't like you and never will for fictitious reasons.

The results of the election were bad but were necessary. I see a chance to get involved in the part other than being a wallet. The grassroots can be involved again and the business/special interest will be gone. We liberals will get our voice back.

New Conservative Ad

2010-05-10T10:56:00.003-05:00

This one has the REAL WOMEN of Canada in it. Quite interesting. It seems they aren't hiding the agenda anymore.

My 2 cents on Shoppers Drug Mart

2010-04-12T16:13:00.006-05:00

When I read stories like this only one thing comes to mind and that is run them out of business. Our government sets policy and business follows it and never the other way around. So Shoppers needs to simmer down and deal with it and adapt their business model. I'd like to know who the hell companies like Shoppers think they are. We are the citizens and our government has spoken and Shoppers will still make an obscene profit.

This is about as close you can get to those "death panels" Sarah Palin talks about and guess what, they consist of shareholders.

There are many small independednt drug stores so get out there and support your local businesses.

To hell with Shoppers.

How Odd.

2010-03-23T17:17:00.003-05:00

So the Liberal party is Anti-American? Yet The Cons say that Mr.Ignatieff is an American? Just visiting. An American led Anti American party. That doesn't make sense in the real world but who knows what goes on in the tainted mind of a Conservative/Reformer. It can' t be both.

And what is this about the liberal motion damaging our trade relationship with the US? We do trade with China, no? So how do you think this major trading partner will feel about the ridiculous "Monument to the Victims of Communism"? Anyone tally how many have starved to death or died from poor health due to capitalism?

Just asking.

Senate, courts would keep Tories in check: Harper (2006)

2010-01-29T16:21:00.003-05:00

Ah, the good ole days when people thought he spoke the truth. Remember this:

The Tory leader drove home comments he made Tuesday that the Conservatives would be unable to wield absolute power even as a majority, as they would face a series of checks and balances from Liberal-appointed judges and senators.

"We have no alternative but to accept the checks; they're part of our system," Harper told a news conference in Toronto, facing some of the sharpest questioning he has faced recently.

"Judges are named, (and) judges can't be removed by governments except under extraordinary circumstances."

Harper has vowed to end the Liberal practice of "parachuting" political staffers into civil service positions where they can exert influence.

The Conservative leader also said he believes civil servants would welcome a change in government.

"Obviously, the civil service has worked for many decades much more closely with Liberal governments than others," Harper said.

Well, he ignores rulings from the courts and breaks his own laws. Apparently they are for others, not him. If you dare ask the government about accountability it will take you to court to shut you up. He ignores and gets rid of the countries watchdogs. He shut down parliament to end questions about his actions. He now has a majority in the senate. Did I also mention he violates charter rights?

I hope Canadians realize that all the reassurances from 2006 are gone. They were actually never really there. Its just taken 4 years to destroy our system. There is nothing right now acting as any sort of check or balance. By definition, Mr. Harper IS a dictator at the moment.

Dictator definitions:
* a ruler who is unconstrained by law

* authoritarian: a person who behaves in a tyrannical manner;

* a form of government in which the ruler is an absolute dictator not restricted by a constitution or laws or opposition etc.

* A dictatorship is defined as an autocratic form of government in which the government is ruled by an individual, the dictator, without hereditary

It is absolutely imperative that Canadians understand that nothing is stopping this guy anymore. Its time to wise up and do some serious thinking. The next election is key to saving the country as we know it. It may be time to put aside your particular party affiliations and line up behind one party to stop Harper.

I am not saying a majority but at least a strong minority to put Harper where he belongs. On some right wing blow hard talk show host on fox where you can just tune him out for good. We all know that's where he is headed. Why else did he spend our money advertising him self down there lately?

Mr Colvin, the whistleblower, faces reprisal from the Conservative Government

2010-01-25T18:17:00.004-05:00

Just a few years ago when Harper was trying to unseat the Liberals, I remember him trotting out a gentleman by the name of Alan Cutler. This man was the sponsorship scandal whistle-blower who the Reform-Conservatives recruited as the poster boy candidate for accountability. Mr Cutler was recruited as a Reform Conservative candidate. He did and lost. Pierre Poilievre at the time praised the man and said that the government should be paying whistle-blowers to well, blow the whistle.

Fast forward to today and the latest whistle-blower, Mr. Colvin, is not being paid, and instead the government is refusing to pay his legal bills which they are required to.

Governments are usually defeated when they become everything they were against upon election. If that is the case, The Reform-Conservatives have reached that point after just 4 years. They have in essence become as crooked as the government they denounced and replaced just 4 years ago. Not bad. It took liberals 13 years to become so hypocritical people felt it was time to change.

Where are the new Reform-Conservative Senators?

2010-01-14T15:45:00.005-05:00

Could it be Harper knows Canadians are finally watching?

Or is something major going on in the Reform-Conservative Party? Both Flaherty and Flanagan contradicted Harper's excuses for proroguing this week.

Something is going on.

Harper's waited 4 years for this moment. I find it strange the senators seem to be delayed.

Or are they canceled?

I do believe this is the end of Harper. I was apathetic myself about politics but then in 1993, my first vote, I voted Liberal. It was just coincidence that years later I found myself actually agreeing with their policy. I voted Liberal in 1993 purely because it would get rid of the Conservatives, otherwise I would have not voted at all. Harper seems to have created the conditions for this sort of scenario for many people and he will be ousted. Harpers only achievement as Prime Minister will be increasing the voter turnout by giving them a reason to vote.

To vote him out.

PS: Been very busy with new job. My comment section is gone as haloscan is no longer in existence. I will be migrating over to wordpress in the next month or so and comments will return.

Like anyone gives a shit.

Harper has dinner with 7 Columnists

2010-01-06T17:31:00.006-05:00

Except they were American, arranged by George Bush's former spokesthingie Ari Fleischer .

Yes we paid for Harper to dine with American Journalists. Its pretty obvious Harpers got a boner for the USA or the Republican aspects of it anyway. Once he's booted just watch how fast he moves there.

Delacourts got a point here. Why should Harper be allowed to create a majority in the Senate when hes failed to get one from the electorate?

Where's the apology?

2009-12-14T19:06:00.002-05:00

Dimitri Soudas shoots his mouth off in typical reform-conservative fashion.

Be a man and apologize.

Conservative Nanny Statism

2009-12-10T20:41:00.002-05:00

Banning clothing from groups that hold them to account.

Its not the shirt that's protesting, its the people wearing them.

This goes out to all the peeps in the CPC and its supporters

2009-12-10T19:42:00.002-05:00

Language alert.

Oh Dalton

2009-12-10T19:30:00.004-05:00

Why?

Could you not have waited until after the recession to bring in the HST?

I am on my 3rd job in one year due to the downturn with each lay-off lasting a month or more. My savings are gone. My transit pass is going to cost me 30+ dollars extra each month starting in January. Groceries are skyrocketing. I make exactly the same as I did last year except ends are not meeting. I've canceled cable, and my home phone and still ends don't meet. I have to live in a building with crack heads living in the stairwells and ends don't meet.

Ontario is becoming way too expensive and your bribe money discriminates against singles. I come from a province which has HST but we lobbed off 4% when we harmonized. You never. I am supportive of the HST but you have fucking shitty timing dude.

I will not vote for you Dalton in the next election. The NDP has my vote next time around. Hopefully you'll remember the little people then instead of business.

Federally the NDP can still kiss my ass.

His reputation precedes him

2009-12-01T23:10:00.004-05:00

China lifts ban on Canadian pork with Harper en route

Sounds like they want in on the stimulus spending.

Canada's Latest International Embarassment.

2009-11-13T17:59:00.004-05:00

'Thatcher Dead' Text Sparks fears

U.K. press purrs over Baird's 'Thatcher dead' text

Margaret Thatcher Is Not Dead; But Text Message About Cat Starts Rumor

If they wanted to put Canada on the map, congratulations, they now know where to find a good joke.

Do these people not take anything seriously? After 4 years it's still amateur hour.

#1 Latest Pet Peeve

2009-11-09T18:24:00.003-05:00

Conservatives while talking about the money involved in the gun registry have taken to the talking points imagine the social housing and how many single moms we could have helped.

Of course, Conservatives don't believe in social housing and when it comes to Conservatives, especially with Mr Baird, there is no track record with helping any single moms on welfare. Leaving to die maybe.

Conservatives make me sick. For a bunch wrapped up with Evangelicals, they sure lie, cheat, distort and completely lack any morals.

I can't argue with this

2009-11-08T18:23:00.003-05:00

Rural over-representation defeats the people's will.

20% of the country has more pull than the other 80%.

Its about time that we have a government that represents the people of this country instead of its vast landscape, no matter how beautiful it may be. We end up with a government just as barren as the prairies when it comes to ideas, morals and ability to lead a country.

The 20% that seems to have more power tend to have so few issues they elect members for one thing only. Things such as a gun registry. Is this how we want to run our country? With single issue government? That's all the reform-conservatives are. Its always been about guns and suspected crime in face of stats proving otherwise. Everything else they have promised they have taken half measures or completely neutered it to the point its useless, like the accountability act. We get mandatory election dates that are actually unenforceable. We also get 3 environmental plans yet none get implemented.

Ask yourself. What have the tories done that has improved EVERYONES lives.

They are not the government of canada. They are the Government of Conservatives areas within Canada. They are ignoring everyone else until you give in and elect one of them.

Wow. They can go even lower than imagined.

2009-11-04T16:47:00.002-05:00

Gov't program wants job applicants' views on Tory budget.

Yes, indeed.

You are still in Canada, whether you recognize it or not.

At least the weather is warmer in Zimbabwe.

I though Public Service was anathema to Reform Conservatives. But I guess like pork-barreling, its only bad when others do it.

Teh Stoopid or How to be a Conservative

2009-11-02T15:16:00.005-05:00

One week argue that everyone who has a bicycle should be required to licence it. And then later that everyone with a gun or guns shouldn't have to license them.

There you have it. The bizarre world of conservatism where a bike is a dangerous thing that should be licensed but guns should be freely available and don't you dare ask who has one.

No need to be confused. They never make sense. They are reactionary and have a mean streak. Its not about principle its about being an atrocious human being. You see having a bicycle makes you a tax loving green socialist liberal and thats just wrong but stock piling guns, rifles and automatic machine guns makes you a pillar of the conservative community.

I wonder how much money criminals and criminal organizatons are donating to the conservative cause right now??

Don't give me that BS about a gun not being a weapon unless a human shoots it. That can be said about anything, including illegal drugs. That argument only works on Teh Stoopid aka Conservatives/conservatives/reformers.

Somebody, Please make It Stop!

2009-10-18T12:18:00.003-05:00

I beg of you, media, please stop the coverage on the nonstory "Balloon Boy". Besides the fact he was never in the balloon, this story has no importance whatsoever.

I have already reduced my cable to basic to combat trash media, now I am considering removing it altogether. I think its become painfully obvious that the internet has had nothing to do with mainstream media demise, they are are killing themselves.

One more plea, please stop the other nonstory about the Gosselin family also. Who gives a shit, my neighbours are splitting up also and I see no media bandwagon there.

Is it available on toilet paper?

2009-09-29T10:47:00.004-05:00

Yawn. She's a neo-con republican and as such this book will be nothing but lies and revisionism to bolster her electability. I am sure it will read similar to a trailer park boys episode.

So.

2009-09-02T21:54:00.005-05:00

I fail to see the outrage about this ruling. In any country where there is a majority of one "race" there is always oppression. To pretend there isn't is to be a fool.

My friend Dwayne moved here from South Africa 8 years ago for the same reason. Racism occurs anywhere where one race is dominant over the other

It occurs still here in Canada. Usually when you travel and need to get home though.

Bravo Mr Harper! Your lowest low yet!

2009-09-01T16:56:00.004-05:00

You have taken an independent body central to our democracy and through a lawsuit you are forcing it to get involved in politics and attack the liberal party. How honorable of you to even pay for it.

There is a perfect word for you but Zimbababwe has it borrowed.

At which point can I use treasonous?

Alberta's Tar Sands are Socialist

2009-08-31T19:37:00.003-05:00

Actually worse.. Communist!

Whatever will the neo-connies do.

Pope Stephen I of Canada

2009-08-29T13:40:00.005-05:00

Now he's getting just plain weird. Stephen Harper has now said that he cares more about God's Verdict than what voters think.

Lovely. So god speaks to him now. How else would he know what god wants. Whose god? I would imagine the evangelical angry god. The one who approves of an eye for an eye. The black and white view of the world. Does his god know about the Pope of Canada's penchant for psychics? tsk tsk.

This is enough for most to not vote for this man.

Why would an Hindu, Buddhist, Shintoist, Atheist, etc want to be subjected to Pope Stephens evangelical christian view of Canada?

Whats happened to Canada, we use to pride ourselves as secular and honest brokers. Now we've become a theocracy subject to 6000 year old morality laws.

Will he add blasphemy to his law and order agenda?

Who the fuck does he think he is?

I am doubtful.

2009-08-14T10:41:00.001-05:00

Dick Cheney to publish tell-all memoir

Wouldn't that result in a lot of people being arrested and put in jail for life including the author?

Who would have thought...

2009-07-20T17:49:00.003-05:00

A right-winger in Downtown Toronto. Pretty much in the gay village no less.

One question. Why can you buy a semi-automatic gun in Canada? And please include what you would legally use it for.

On Political vs "Touristic" Events

2009-07-08T15:51:00.009-05:00

Brad Trost on Toronto Gay Pride funding:

"Canadian taxpayers, even non-social conservative ones, don't want their tax dollars to go to events that are polarizing or events that are more political than touristic in nature."

So no funding for events that are more political than touristic. Well touristic isn't a word as far as I know but I get the point.

Well this event seems to be political as well and it received $2,000,000. This isn't the first time that this "touristic" event was picketed either. If I didn't know better I'd say its getting as bad as the G8 summits.

Call me old fashioned but when an event is picketed it IS political and I don't recall any picketers at Toronto Pride...ever.

---

Toronto Pride's response to this funding issue

They gotta be kidding.

2009-07-05T12:02:00.007-05:00

Ottawa is planning a memorial for communism's victims. This is a bit much don't you think? Elevating a form of government to the holocaust. Its the decisions governments make, how they implement policy that hurts people, not a form of government.

Hitler wasn't a communist yet look at we he did. Should we ban democracy too because that's how Hitler got into power? All it required was messaging and making a group of people look like the cause of society's ills. Much like how Harper derides liberals, homosexuals, or anyone other group that is too smart to vote for him and his ilk. Maybe to be fair they could put in a monument to those who died due to right wing governments. You know those leaders like Hitler, Franco, and Pinochet.

An example of right wing policies killing someone can be seen in the Harris government of Ontario. The Harris government's welfare policies resulted in a pregnant woman in Sudbury, Kimberly Rogers, dying while serving a house arrest for welfare fraud. The woman had been confined to her apartment for three months and reports stated her pregnancy was "exacerbated by sweltering conditions in her apartment". Just a note but this was John Baird's portfolio. So the same beliefs that created this situation lives on in our federal government.

Listerosis anyone?

Stay tuned for China's response. This may just be Harper's "axis of evil" moment.

Manitoba's Mysterious Gun sale to Saudi Arabia

2009-07-03T11:20:00.003-05:00

Please do provide more information feds.

Why are we exporting such items to country's whose human rights are described as dire?

According to international-trade data available on the Industry Canada website, Manitoba exported a total of $3.1 million in "arms and ammunition" to foreign countries last year. That could include anything from flame-throwers to shotgun cartridges to rocket-launchers, and it's double what the province exported in 2004.

...The data baffled Manitoba peace groups and raised more questions than Ottawa was willing to answer.

To export weapons — even one gun to a private hunter in the United States — requires an export permit from the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade. Getting a permit is a process one vendor called such a "humungous hassle" that virtually no Manitoba retailers bother.

The Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade wouldn't reveal any information about the permit issued to export 110 guns to Saudi Arabia, saying the buyer and seller are confidential.

So you JUST noticed it Bev. Really?

2009-05-11T17:20:00.003-05:00

Oh please like you have any right to talk about guns appearing anywhere.

Bev Oda says she noticed Tamil Tiger flags being flown at the protests, including one in Toronto that shut down a major highway Sunday.

This coming from a representative of the government trying to make it easier to get machine guns and get rid of the gun registry.

Also from the same MP, a hand gun raffle. Don't all conservatives say that hand guns are already banned?

At least they are consistent in their inconsistency.

Here's an idea that will get the Neo-Cons paying attention to the Tamils.

2009-05-11T17:07:00.006-05:00

We all know that Neo-Cons don't care much for anyone once they leave the womb so why not get some stats on unborn fetus's that have died in the latest fighting in Sri Lanka.

Trust me, they will at least pretend to care after that and feign outrage. Its about "looking" concerned with these bunch of a-holes, as they can't care about living people because it means they have to do something.

After looking at comments on various news sites about the Tamils here in Toronto I have arrived at the conclusion that Conservatives are cheap heartless bastards and most definitely not Canadian in the least.

Neo-con MPs less experienced, and stupid.

2009-05-04T16:05:00.005-05:00

And boy, does it show.

It took Flaherty 4 months to realize we are in a recession and he is still scratching his head about how swine flu will affect the pork industry.

Jim, this ones on me. Swine = pork. I know, I know. Its shocking but true Jim. Also bacon and ham. I know it sounds magical but trust me on this. I hope you can make the next connection on your own. (Hint: flu makes people and swine sick and people don't like that).

Then there is Harper whose only policies come from red necks or when it looks like he's about to get the boot, stolen from other political parties.

The dumbing down will continue and the decorum will continue to be childish. That is the only way the neo-con MP's can act and the only way their supporters can understand them.

Sad really as we are all paying the price at this very moment.

Harper and the Neo-cons spent $1M on phantom appointments commission

2009-05-04T16:00:00.004-05:00

So, the question is if this commission has never really fulfilled any mandate , why should we be expected to pay the bill as taxpayers? Sounds like rewarding friends with non existent jobs. You know, money for nothing. None of the 18 recently appointed senators were vetted by this group nor were any other appointed officials by The Harper government which must be in the 200-300 person range.

The Conservatives have a big war chest. How about paying us back that $1 Million?

Religious gatherings trigger neighbourhood feud

2009-04-27T16:39:00.004-05:00

Simple solution would be to start hosting nude events within eye shot.

No one should have to deal with that much crazy in their neighborhood. Especially on a regular basis.

Not surprising

2009-04-27T16:36:00.002-05:00

Flaherty unsure if swine flu will impact economy. Not surprising. It took 4 months for him to realize we were in recession.

He'll catch on sometime by September.

Tea bagging

2009-04-20T16:01:00.004-05:00

I have been in stitches for over a week now over republicans and their embracement of teabagging. Which loser failed to google to find out what it means these days? Actually its only ever meant one thing because what else would you tea bag someone for?

I present tea bagging in all its glory!

Imagine in this video that the bartender is Ann Coulter.

I still haven't figured out how this will reduce taxes.

We get it.

2009-02-27T19:12:00.003-05:00

Your standing up for Canada.

Albeit it happens all the time and apparently the Russians have a right to train according to NORAD, But what would they know.

So whats up Steve? Deflection or scaring up your base? A little of both? Embellishing Pete's resume to get him out of the way?

Does all of us a favour and buy a fucking XBox the next time you wanna start up some war games.

You don't have the ability to lead us out of an escalation of tensions.

PS: Steve this little game is oh so transparent. Reporters are asking the proper questions and it doesn't look so good.

Fireman Ross

2009-02-27T14:23:00.001-05:00

LOL. Hope he never shows up to save me, especially with my tablecloth.

Why Children should be protected from religious indoctrination

2009-02-10T16:05:00.004-05:00

Catholic Church in St. John's found liable for abuse of 8 altar boys

The boys, who were the altar boys in these parishes, generally came from the more devout Catholic homes. The more devout, the more religious parents that pushed their children to become altar boys, and these were the boys who were victimized by their parish priest.

And how did the Catholic Church respond to this abuse?

There were also allegations that previous investigations, beginning in 1975, had been covered up, and the offenders whisked away to other provinces, where they received treatment and soon took on new religious postings.

Irresponsibility, denial, and law evasion.

Apologists will say its isolated, blah blah, blah, but this kind of recurring news has brought the catholic church to its knees.

Pardon the pun.

We don't send children into any high risk areas and its about time people view the church as one of those places.

Tree of Life

2009-02-09T15:46:00.006-05:00

Now contrast this with Abrahamic beliefs. 6 days to get to life and they forgot women. Women were an afterthought and made out of a rib bone which if we actually could make anyone from it would be another man since its got XY not XX. Plus we know stem cells are a no no with reluded people. Its never mentioned but did females animals get left out also? Humans supposedly have no connection to animals, and on and on with the complete ignorance of the world around them.

Little did they know and still today they deny the existence of junk DNA, that little bit of info carried forward from the previous species to the newly adapted one, providing a link back to all life's ancestors. It is completely backed up by evidence and requires no faith at all.

Whereas, religious folk, like Stockwell Day, has some sort of dinosaur rodeo envisioned with humans and dinos frolicking together. The only dinosaur in that imagery is Stockwell himself.

MUST SEE COMPANION WEBSITE www.welcometreeoflife.org

PS: Sorry about the video size not cooperating with my blog layout. I need to update so I can post widescreen video.

Sir David Attenborough's Creationist Hate Mail

2009-01-29T16:13:00.003-05:00

Sir David Attenborough has revealed that he receives hate mail from viewers for failing to credit God in his documentaries...

...Telling the magazine that he was asked why he did not give "credit" to God, Attenborough added: "They always mean beautiful things like hummingbirds. I always reply by saying that I think of a little child in east Africa with a worm burrowing through his eyeball. The worm cannot live in any other way, except by burrowing through eyeballs. I find that hard to reconcile with the notion of a divine and benevolent creator.

Nor can I reconcile that either. I also cannot reconcile the entire human race being attributed to a single inbreeding family with identical DNA. Yet it is the basis of all the Abrahamic Religions.

Balls in Micheal's Court.

2009-01-27T16:43:00.004-05:00

I see the Conservatives are maintaining a denial of women to fight for equal pay, a carryover from the poisonous December fiscal update. On top of that the budget completely fails those who have lost jobs and about to lose them.

An extension of five weeks for EI is useless because there is a group of people who decide what you get. I was given only 20 weeks after paying into EI for the past 9 years. So should I expect to now get 25 weeks? Of course not that's up to the group to decide. All they have now is an extension of the max a person can receive when considering their application. Nothing more.

As a Liberal, I cannot support this budget because of the women's pay equity issue. As a recently unemployed person I can no longer support my party if they choose to support this budget for political reasons instead of doing whats right.

Balls in your court Micheal, am I still a Liberal or just a liberal?

Shit or get off the pot.

What I need in this budget

2009-01-26T14:12:00.006-05:00

In the last 12 month period I have lost two jobs. The first position was one which I held for 7 years. After 2006, with a Conservative government, EcoAction funding was slashed. I lost two co-workers immediately, Over the course of the next two years funding continually dwindled to the point that I was notified I would also have to go in order for the organization to stay belly up. To avoid lay-off I managed to get another job and avoided having to apply for Employment Insurance. Failure on the Conservatives part to be truthful and actually do something to head of the worst of the recession resulted in a second job loss.

After 6 weeks I finally was approved for EI for only 20 weeks. A coworker with less hours than I and after only working 6 months received 30 weeks. Make sense? Not to me. After 8 years of paying EI I get diddly squat after 6 weeks of surviving on my own. EI covers my rent and student loans only. Yet I hear Harper is extending benefits to self employed women, a group who don't even qualify. Buying votes again, I see.

I know I will be recalled back to my previous job in March/April but the problem is that the EI program will not get me that far. All gains I have made since graduating will be wiped at that point. I will have exhausted my savings and may have to default on student loans.

What I expect to see from the government is that they treat the program as it should be, not as if it is being administered by Manulife Insurance. I paid in, so pay out. Give me the max coverage or from here on in stop deducting it from payroll. I'll bank it myself. Give an actual 55% of wages and do not cap it. Get rid of the waiting period and stop clawing back money should someone unfortunately luck into a part time service job. I don't want free money, I want to get from point A to point B without losing everything I have. I paid premiums for a reason. Its the least I am owed after the mess the current government has allowed to happen. I don't care about tax cuts because currently I and other unemployed people have NO INCOME!

I expect nothing from the current government, a continuation of what they haven't been doing is no surprise. My expectations fall squarely on Michael Ignatieff. He's talked a great deal about what he wants in the budget but hasn't said exactly what he will do if it doesn't contain what he wants. I expect Mr. Ignatieff to vote it down and go to an election or a coalition. I expect nothing else. This, to me, is a test of his leadership and whether I can support him as a leader of the Liberal Party. This time my party leader's choice will definitely affect my life immediately.

I hope I am not let down but I'm not holding my breath.

Conservative Policy 2009: 20 minute fresh

2009-01-21T20:20:00.003-05:00

In case you missed it. Mercer nails it again!

"There is probably no God. Now stop worrying and enjoy your life."

2009-01-19T12:12:00.003-05:00

This may be a slogan you see very soon in Toronto. The ad campaign spawned in England is spreading, surprisingly this is occuring because of the large amounts of donations coming in. I donated myself this morning.

I cannot wait for the outrage. There should be none. Religious conservatives have been saying what they want about others beliefs, lives, ethnic groups etc under the guise of "free speech. Lets see if they have a double standard. Actually I will bet they do.

I hope this is not true.

2009-01-12T13:30:00.003-05:00

Human rights groups say Israel is indiscriminately using white phosphorus in Gaza's densely populated areas. When ignited, the chemical can burn the flesh off of a person, down to the bone.

If this is true I guess we can through out the notion that we learn from our mistakes. Seems no one learned anything from WWII. Especially those who were treated most horrifically.

We have a Winner...

2009-01-09T16:17:00.005-05:00

...for the most idiotic opinion piece ever. Tom Flanagan says Canada is NOT a constitutional monarchy.

Here's a tidbit:

Canada changed from a constitutional monarchy to a constitutional democracy as the franchise was extended to all adults and political parties became national in scope. That evolution was recognized in 1982 in the Charter of Rights and Freedoms.

Whats concerning is the revisionism seen in this piece, he completely reinvents Canada and its institutions. Not to mention the contradictions such as Harper using the means provided by our constitutional monarchy to prorogue parliament yet Flanagan would have us believe that we are not even a constitutional monarchy. Even worse, he doesn't even understand/refuses to acknowledge how our system even works.

I would say that the attempt to whitewash our understanding of our own government borders on treason in its attempt to change how our system works without actually changing it and trying to make us believe we have a system similar to the US. Misinform and take advantage of it to suit your needs.

We don't need any Anti-Canadian neo-con trash telling us what our country is or how it works.

I took democracy in high school Mr. Flanagan, you might want to try the course because your American super expensive education misleads you. Where did you go anyway, Liberty College?

Sheesh.

8 months in...

2008-12-20T20:25:00.003-05:00

My blogging duties have obviously fallen by the wayside. I haven't posted anything substantial since April, and I guess some will say I never have.

To the same sex marriage detractors who say its not really marriage if its two men let me say this, you know not what you speak about. 8 months into my separation I am just getting over the turmoil in my life. Losing a spouse is awful to put it mildly. It is said it takes 6 months to get over a death, well this is harder. That part of my life is dead but I see his zombie almost daily. A constant reminder, like salt in a wound.

The worst aspect is I have come to a realization that I no longer have an identity. After years who of conceding little bits of myself to placate another I find myself only with my man bits intact, nothing of an individuality left. Where is that sk8er boi gone? Where is my snowboard?

Where has the fun in my life gone? Once upon a time I couldn't choose between the daily options. Now I find myself always at home. A tired man getting older and now with gray hairs.

Half of the person I was for the last 7 years is gone and the other half is unable to stand on its own. No longer twenty something, I'm nearing the midway of my 30's. The biggest shock was accepting I wasn't that young guy with everyone's eyes fixed on me. Now I'm just background noise. When did that happen?

Being from out of the province, and meeting my future ex husband upon arrival, the only friends I had were friends of his. Did I mention his intense jealousy and my inability to even speak with a stranger? I shouldn't blame him, It's my fault for placating. No one to blame but myself. So not only am I husbandless, I find myself here nearly completely alone except for a few friends with extremely busy lives. All of them couples.

Who am I? How do I go up from here? How do I reclaim me and carve out a new separate future?

I'm sure I'll figure it out but I really hate this shit.

But I do know one thing, when I am back, no man will ever dismantle me piece by piece again.

------------------------------------------------------------

Oh and on the subject of politics:

Stevie Harper still sucks. Glad to see him running tail between his legs to have the Queen to save his demagogue ass. Nothing better than see a republican run to the monarchy. LOL. At this point does Harper even stand for anything at all? 30 billion dollar deficit. He's conceded on almost all fronts. Whats next? Will Stevie legalize marijuana? OMG What a loser.

Iggy rules. Period.

About the coalition. It was useful but like jumping in bed with people you don't know, the Liberals should be wary of what they might get.

Conservatives. Yesterday's solutions for today's problems.

2008-09-03T16:28:00.004-05:00

EARTH TO STEVE.

Its called alternative energy and it isn't in a V8 and it doesn't burn gas, no matter how much you wanna cater to just one province.

Look up hydrogen and get back to us.

Or better yet, just leave.

What Conservatives stand for.

2008-08-15T17:13:00.004-05:00

Everything that the conservatives do is actually the exact opposite of what they say. And I mean everything. They are the antithesis of what their supporters voted for. Unless of course they are just as bad and two faced.

National Security. Leave a top secret document at a hoochie momma's place. She has ties to biker gangs.

Classified document about the environment. It actually became litter. And also flies in the face of what they said about national security.

They said they would cut government spending. They have increased it.

Elected senate. Appointed Fortier.

The list goes on.

So when they say "stand up for Canada".

You get the picture.

For my lost love.

2008-08-11T19:49:00.002-05:00

I miss you dearly. I still dream our dreams.

I am almost back to normal (a new normal) I hope to return to regular blogging this fall.

How dumb are the Conservatives?

2008-05-23T14:23:00.005-05:00

They are so dumb that it takes Peter MacKay, Stockwell Day, Jim Prentice, Helena Guergis and Gary Lunn to handle the Foreign Affairs Post held by the aloof Maxime Bernier. So we have 6 people handling Foreign Affairs and doing a piss poor job of it.

Don't believe me?

Afghan detainees - Peter MacKay - useless no matter where they put him.

death row inmates abroad - Stockwell Day - who decided to just let them die

proposed sale of the Radarsat 2 satellite system - Jim Prentice - made a decision contrary to Con policy of selling off to US because it might help them in the polls to "look" pro-Canada

Brenda Martin case - Helena Guergis - self-explanatory unless you live under a rock or a conservative (same density)

Summit of foreign affairs ministers of Arctic nations in Greenland - Gary Lunn - screwing with diplomacy by just showing up. It was a meeting of Foreign Affairs ministers not twatwaffles.

So what exactly does Maxime do anyway besides make mistakes?

Why are so many people handling one file? My guess is they have nothing to do. This government ran out of ideas well over a year ago with their 5 then 4 priorities which they gutted before implementing and have since become just reactionary possibly due to the near daily goofs or scandal on the part of the government.

So is it fair to say that a conservative is only 1/6 as capable as a liberal? It sure looks that way.

An example of Taxpayers dollars being used for Conservative propaganda

2008-04-25T09:36:00.010-05:00

This turned up in my worplace mailbox in the Riding of Don Valley West. It's from Peter van Loan whose riding is actually York-Simcoe, which is a considerable few ridings away. These are known as the 10 percenters and the Conservatives are blitzing ridings at taxpayers cost with these. Its a propaganda campaign for the Conservatives and you have no choice about it. They are not using their money, they are using yours. Besides abusing taxpayers dollars with this, they are also causing financial issues at Canada Post because Conservatives are abusing this so much they can't afford to subsidize the postage. The cost being incurred is quite shocking.

There is really nothing that can be done except kick them to the curb if an election is ever called. They are not breaking the law because they are utilizing loopholes, but they indeed have shredded the spirit of the law.

For your amusement and disgust I present your taxpayers dollars going down the tube.

And its not like they have a shot in hell of winning this riding, these constituents wouldn't even elect a moderate Tory leader named John Tory. Pissing in the wind at your cost. Todays Conservatives and Canada's Ailing Government™, makes you proud doesn't it?

More Conservative Intolerance towards minorities.

2008-04-11T10:47:00.004-05:00

Calgary MP and Secretary of State for Multiculturalism and Canadian Identity Jason Kenney, in an 8 year old video, suggests members of an ethnic minority will use "the race card" to win arguments.

No surprises there. This is typical neo-conservative thought. The very reason none of the Harperite MP's, except a couple, are allowed to speak. Those who can, cannot stray from a set list of topics. For good reason obviously. Tom Lukiwski's comments were unacceptable and Mr. Kenney's is equally repulsive. They tried to write of Tom Lukiwski's comments as insignificant due to it being 17 years old even though he was a 40 year old man at the time. One does not grow up after that point. Sorry. Lets see how them to try and right off something recorded since adscam, the favorite red herring of the neo-cons.

The Hidden agenda has not gone away. It is still easy to find snippets of full neo-conservative thought from current MP's to compare and contrast with their poorly thought out policies. Mr. Kenney's comments are indeed scary when you look at the immigration bill the neo-conservatives buried in the budget. Even scarier, he's the Secretary of State for Multiculturalism and Canadian Identity. Obviously to him Canadian means white and Multiculturalism is just a dirty liberal idea. Any questions about that means you are using the "race card".

1+1 still equals 2.

Personal Note: I may not be blogging much, even less than I have. I am currently working through 3 major blows dealt to me by life. Stay tuned.

Thoughts on Monday's By-Elections in Toronto-Centre

2008-03-15T13:52:00.005-05:00

Last night I had a gathering at my home with friends. One of the many topics that came up were Monday's by-elections as we are in Toronto-Centre. There were 11 of us present and I know that 5 of us vote liberal, with the other 6 voting NDP. In the past of course. Monday I believe will show some problems for the NDP. Only one of the 6 of my friends who vote NDP will be doing so in the by-election. Three seem to be leaning Green and two to the liberals. The main reason that I could get from the discussion about changing vote was mainly from the strategy the NDP are using. We are all familiar with how Harper bully's the Official Opposition, something that would happen to any party if they were the Official Opposition in this parliament, it is what we all hate most about how Harper governs, no matter which party, one time or another all the opposition parties have felt this.

The government staged a whole set of confidence votes to cause an election that frankly right now would possibly bring in a conservative majority. If your a partisan hack sure you could spin it as something needed to be done but the average progressive sees it as pranks that risk the progressive society we have and could care less right now about party politics. So what do we see occurring? The NDP are also trying to play these games of setting traps and wants to trigger an election because it thinks it can get some of the liberal vote. On top of that its blatantly obvious that Layton is making good use of the Conservatives giving them a free ride. The possibility that in a single election cycle the NDP could get enough votes to secure a majority and save our progressive society is a pipe dream. It's impossible, so people who could care less about party politics are seemingly moving to either back the liberals to block the conservatives or are moving to the Greens because they are disturbed by the campaign literature that has been handed out by the NDP which I am told is along the same lines as the stuff the Conservatives are using. The "not a leader" type stuff. The now former dippers say thats what they hate about the Harper government, the negativity, so why would we support it in the NDP? We want it gone not more of it. The new Greens say they want a new voice, a new party. The new reluctant new liberals say they want Harper out, even if it means they have to vote Liberal. (Not flattering but hey its a vote!)

It seems other Dippers are moving to the Greens for other reasons.

Now, of course, this is just commentary from a group of people and may in no way reflect on what happens on Monday. I believe, though, we will see something interesting. On Monday, the Liberals will increase the amount of the vote from the last election for Toronto-centre and the Greens will come in a strong second. Where the NDP will place I don't know. I think the Conservatives and NDP will be battling for third and fourth. Hopefully the Canadian Action Party comes in dead last. Really, who would vote for a party that has "911 was an inside job" posters and various other conspiracy theories you see on the far left but at the same time they are anti-semitic and anti-immigrant like you usually see on the far right. What a f**ked up mixed bag of kookery.

What happens in the other three ridings having a by-election, I have no idea.

Cash for Souls: Missionaries nothing more than parasites?

2008-03-05T18:13:00.006-05:00

I called this one long ago and had a freak claim otherwise and get nasty so imagine my surprise last night when CBC showcased what has happened in Thailand since the tsunami.

Missionaries swarmed the country post tsunami supposedly to help end the misery but instead they brought more. Promising no more Tsunamis if you convert, giving cash to people so they would convert, approaching entire towns and denying assistance unless the whole community converted. Makes my stomach turn.

Besides peddling delusional lies, they have destroyed many people's traditional lifestyles in the process.

These groups should be banned completely worldwide. If we look at our past we can easily see they haven't changed their wicked ways one bit. Despite the claims of the terribly delusional Adam (commentor from the post linked above)

Anyhow, the video is available here and I think its about 15 minutes.

And to you religious crazies, don't bother to comment. You exist in a realm where facts are considered false and the most delusional thoughts are the truth. I have no desire to have a "conversation" about your baseless fabrications thank you.

Fortier has no authority to criticize the senate...

2008-03-04T13:30:00.004-05:00

...especially when you yourself were appointed and have only showed up for 5 votes out of 34. Not to mention having a Minister porfolio without being a minister or even elected.

If you want to fix the problem you say is there then stop being a part of it. If it matters so much then resign. Staying in a place you hate is not something sane people do unless its for the public money and not having to work for it or face the electorate.

Harper on Obama on NAFTA

2008-02-29T12:10:00.006-05:00

Mr. Harper you should not be interfering in another countries political process. We all know you wanna fight for the Republicans as members of Republicans International.

Besides, its just pre-election talk. Obama is using NAFTA to score points like you used accountability and cleaning up government and we all know you didn't mean that. The difference is Obama hasn't run a nation-wide Presidential campaign on lies yet.

You, Mr. Harper, apparently did.

What the New Tax Free Savings Account achieves

2008-02-27T11:15:00.004-05:00

The new tax free savings account must have conservatives drooling. It allows for the rich to sock away money at the expense of those who live month to month. Other types of savings such as RRSP's, RESP's etc. allow you to save for a specific reason. This one doesn't, in fact there are no strings. Put away cash and use it whenever you want and avoid paying taxes.

The only thing this new savings account will achieve is to undermine our progressive income tax system where those making the most pay more taxes.

Now the the rich can hide excess cash interest free in the ideologically driven idea of a tax free savings account. They may have finally hit the holy grail of conservatism and that is to allow the rich to pay less tax.

1912

2008-02-19T15:05:00.007-05:00

This year is very significant. Besides the Titannic disaster something truly monumental happened, the Conservative Government of Canada, headed by Sir Robert Borden posted a surplus.

Now posting a surplus is nothing new, if you are a Liberal but for a conservative its quite the task. How much of a task you ask? Well 1912 was the last time a Conservative Government posted a surplus. You can argue that Harper has also but he inherited the great financial situation we Liberals put this country in and rumour has it that the current Conservative one may have a deficit on the way, which is why we saw Mr. Prentice out and about yesterday debating facts. When one has to debate facts in order to make their budget next week look somewhat okay its not the sign of a good budget.

It is also interesting to note that Flim Flam Flaherty wasn't the one discussing deficits and surpluses. Great idea as he wouldn't know what a surplus was even if it flew up his ass judging by his time as Finance Minister in Ontario. Also smart not to have Flaherty criticize Rae's budgets because Flaherty was way way worse and actually was a finance Minister.

Memorial honouring Gay Holocaust Victims to be built.

2008-02-15T12:05:00.004-05:00

This has been a long time coming. Homosexuals, originally, were not considered victims of the holocaust and Between 5000 and 15,000 were held in concentration camps as members of an anti-social group. 60% of these people died while in camps. Many Nazi soldiers would use the pink triangle tattoo forced on them as identifiers as a target to shoot at.

Unfortunately it didn't stop there. After WWII, Gay men were not recognized as victims of the Holocaust and were re-imprisoned by the authorities because of their sexuality and were denied the reparations and state pensions available to other groups.. In 2002, the German government pardoned the gay men who were imprisoned by Nazis.

The design of the Memorial to homosexuals will be similar to the one picture above for the Jewish victims.

Many on the right (wingnuts) frequently reference the Holocaust as the reasoning for supporting the Jewish people and Israel, yet cannot afford the same respect to other victims of the holocaust. Bigots such as SDA come to mind but no one expects much better of such people. In one post she pays respect to the Victims of the holocaust and the next she is making jokes out of the tattoos that were forced on the victims of the Holocaust. See how that works? Its an attempt at inoculation. I have also read a couple posts at the Blogging Tories about a so-called "brown threat" and insinuating all Muslims have a secret agenda. Thats how the Nazi's turned its population against Jews. Spreading falsehoods about a minority group of people and because the average person doesn't know much about said group they are more likely to believe what others tell them.

Governments on the other hand shouldn't be ignored when acting similarly. The current government has taken to trying to rescind same sex marriage rights or play little games with age of consent. Treating gays and Straights differently when both are equal citizens of this country. They seem to have found more votes in their bigoted core voter base than they could ever get treating people equally but then again fascism does come from the right side of the political spectrum and the current one does employ some similar techniques when it comes to dividing a population and turning it on itself for political gain. I'm not saying that our current government are fascists but they seem to have no qualms about where they get their techniques (blaming a group for everything they fail at or are unable to do) in their continually failing attempt to secure a majority government. We have division in this country now that is the worst I have ever seen for Canada and its not over an important issue facing the nation like free trade or GST. Its more McCarthyish with Communist replaced by Liberal.

Yes We Can

2008-02-11T16:37:00.000-05:00

All I can say is wow. What a powerful speaker and a powerful song.

This is the change that America needs and hopefully a little will rub off on our population because we also need change from what we currently have taking up useful space at 24 Sussex. Oh and in this video, an Ontarian named Esthero (a self described liberal and Humanist) makes a contribution to the vocals.

Why Change?

The change these people are singing about is not necessarily a new face. Change refers to the end of divisive politics. You know those tactics adopted by the Republicans and the Conservative Party of Canada. The tendency to speak in black and white, never admitting blame, preferring instead to blame a perceived enemy (liberals) for everything. If you don't agree with conservatism its because the liberals have ruined the country and everyone is tainted instead of admitting their policies stink. Basically how we've been governed these past 2 years.

The question is do we prevent it from getting worse or do we let it go on until we are begging for it?

I prefer to be proactive. Harper gotta go.

Stick by your plan Mr. Dion

2008-02-06T14:05:00.000-05:00

Do not sit on your hands and abstain from voting against the governments confidence motion. The neo-tories do not have the default preferred stance on the Afghan Mission. Neither does the NDP. The population will not support an open ended war nor would they support sheer cowardice. The people of Canada wants a realistic mission that works and accomplishes the goal. Your stance Mr. Dion seems to fit what the population wants. Stick with it even if it brings the government down. The election will not focus only on the mission. There are many other issues such as the economy, the environment, and the unending list of Harpers broken promises and surprise social conservative ones. Not too mention he's made government more unaccountable and even less transparent in direct opposition to what he promised and campaigned on.

Let the writ drop and lets win the next election. We want a Canada thats richer, cleaner and fairer not the broken mess and division we see today, nor the lies on climate change repeated by this government and its cohorts, or the attacks on seniors incomes and tax cuts for the rich.

Mr Harper thinks leadership is being an asshole but we can show him its bringing great policies, consensus building and co-operation that makes a leader. All things he has failed on, especially with the lost opportunity to bridge partisan divides and work together to hammer out a future for the Afghanistan Mission. Instead he builds his firewall, keeps with his unwanted open ended war and then makes it a confidence vote. All this for a view that barely 1/3 of Canadians feel is appropriate. He's like a child sulking in the corner. Some leader.

Please do take your ball and go home.

Self Fulfilling Delusions

2007-12-26T12:34:00.000-05:00

It appears Harper's got his undies in a bunch once again. A fundraising letter sent out to his faithful continues the trend of blaming everyone else for their woes but this time with an added begging for cash to fix it. This time the finger points at the CBC

It appears the greatest delusion in the conservative grassroots is coming true. the A Reporter for the CBC allegedly has written questions for a Liberal Mp to ask at the Shreiber-Mulroney circus.

The horror.

First of all allegedly. Like the supposed gay agenda, socialist money sucking schemes, every Muslim is a terrorist Far Right Conservative/Republican conspiracy theorist sort of allegedly. These guys/gal make the looney left conspiracists look sane.

They conveniently leave out CBC reporters wrote questions for them to ask during the sponsorship inquisition. damn facts never seem to work well with CPC propaganda.

This is just to rally their most delusional in the wake of crumbling support. The never did get rid of the gun registry, gay marriage, fully return the death penalty or put children as young as 12 in jail so I guess they think they may be losing them.

This liberal media bias needs to be put to rest. It simply is not true. The fact is ,in general, what the conservatives have to say and what their policies do is abhorrent and in no way is news to majority of Canadians. Same old story from the party with the tag "Tory times are hard times". It seems the majority is interested in solutions and modern ways of thinking about issues. If thats what people are interested in then obviously the media reports it. To do otherwise specifically is nothing but party propaganda. Luckily for the liberals and other left we are on the "right" side of what they are looking for politically.

Suck it up.

Let me offer up a scapegoat. The Conservative Appointed Head of the CBC? Doesn't matter he has nothing to do with it but thats the thing about those pesky facts, they can be optional for everyone for blind partisan means.

Der PanzerKardinal Addresses his loyal At Christmas...

2007-12-23T15:54:00.000-05:00

...And in the process tells his most loyal to spread catholicism worldwide. Forgive me if I am appalled, but when a former member of the Nazi Youth tells an audience to spread any ideology I get a little nervous. Especially with an ideology that has a history of Crusades and other horrors. Not too mention the anti-gay, anti-Jew, anti-Muslim, anti-Atheist, and censorship stances this pope has taken in modern times (John Paul must be rolling in his grave).

Apologists for the pope will tell you he had no choice, etc, etc. Most people stood up for who they were and unfortunately died in the process.

Capitulation is cowardice and NOT a leadership quality.

You sir, had a choice.

By-election in 70 days. Whats wrong Harper are you...

2007-12-21T18:52:00.000-05:00

'nuff said.

The Jack Ford Story: Newfoundland's POW in Nagasaki

2007-12-19T18:47:00.000-05:00

This book is an account of my Great Uncle Jack's time spent as a POW in Nagasaki when the atomic bomb known as "fat boy" was dropped. It was written by Jack Fitzgerald and the interviews took place over the last couple of years and Uncle Jack is still around today.

It covers his enlistment in the Royal Air Force where he joined with the British (Newfoundland was a colony still) and was eventually stationed in Singapore. The Japanese military captured him and many others when they took over Asia and he was ultimately transferred to a prisoner of war camp in Nagasaki.

The account of his time in the camp , during the nuclear blast and his ultimate freedom is quite heart wrenching.

A must read for anyone interested in World War II history.

The Book is published by Creative Book Publishing, ISBN 1-897174-23-3.

Conservatives, Liberals Statistically tied

2007-12-19T12:07:00.000-05:00

A new poll suggests Stephen Harper's Conservatives have lost their big lead over the Liberals, plunging six percentage points in popular support in just one week.

The actual numbers
Liberals: 32
Conservatives:30
NDP: 15
Greens: 12

Margin of error of 3.1 percentage points 19 times in 20.

Possible Reasons given for the drop:
- Former Tory PM Brian Mulroney's admission he had accepted cash-stuffed envelopes
- Canada's position at the climate-change summit in Bali.
- Medical isotopes shortage due to the shutdown of the Chalk River nuclear reactor and their assigning of blame to everyone but themselves.

Breakdowns:

Ontario
Liberals: 41
Conservatives: 31
An increase for the Liberals

Quebec
Bloc Quebecois: 40
Liberals: 23
Conservatives: 17 per cent
an 11-point drop for the Conservatives

Alberta
Conservative support plummeted almost 20 points to 45 per cent

British Columbia
Conservative support dropped 17 points to 31 per cent.

Atlantic Canada
Liberals: 36
Conservatives: 33
Conservatives were leading

Among male voters
Conservative support dropped to 32 per cent from 40 per cent.

Rural Voters
Conservatives sank eight points to 35 per cent.

----

Looks like its across the board regionally and in traditional strongholds and among groups usually most supportive. Lets hope this holds. Stephane Dion in interviews last night said he's saving his policies for the election campaign.

Smart move, Steve has a knack fro stealing Liberal policies.

NDP: Not only baseless smears but intolerant too!

2007-12-16T02:07:00.001-05:00

I guess we can dispense with the notion that the NDP are a party for minorities completely. In their rush for the centre they seem to have overshot and landed to the far right. It seems that the NDP has dumped a Qubec candidate because she was transgendered. Who would have thought THE NDP, progressive, tolerant, principled, do-gooders of parliament would discriminate based on sexuality? Well. Not surprising really. They have been taking part in smear campaigns as of late so I guess this was a logical next step for a party stuck in the gutter.

Is Jack Laytons still leader? It seems he's never available for comment these days. Maybe its due to all the feet thats been shoved down his throat. Which private clinic is he attending to have those removed I wonder?

Thats okay Jack, the liberals can fill the void you leave plus we can actually form a government.

So I guess when Libby Davies says this its just rhetoric. She obviously does not know what the T in LBGT actually stands for. As a lesbian she should be ashamed to be associated with these people. I wonder if she has ever thought of sitting as an independent or maybe shes just fine with being a sellout to our community.

My advice to Micheline Montreuil is sue, it worked for everyone else and it seems that is all the rage these days with regard to the NDP. They seem to be showering every other party with apologies so why not one of their own?

I guess the real question should be who the hell still supports the NDP and why pray tell? They have violated all they claimed to be and I am left wondering whats left except the cheesy moustache.

Basket full of lemons and they all taste the same

2007-12-10T23:44:00.000-05:00

I find this poll by CTV and Strategic Counsel quite curious. It would appear that the Conservatives are on the wrong side of all the issues Canadians hold dear.

If you look at these results its hard to understand what the current government is thinking and even worse they have completely wasted 31 million dollars in polling firms since they have done exactly opposite of what this poll turned up.

* 1/3 Canadians says that climate change is the biggest threat facing the world today
* 39 per cent think that Canada's foreign policy is less independent than 50 years ago
* 25 per cent believe that Canada's relationship with U.S. is the major factor influencing domestic foreign policy today
* Only 5 per cent say that the Canada-U.S. relationship should be the major factor influencing Canadian foreign policy today
* 33 per cent believe saying 'no' to involvement in Iraq is Canada's greatest foreign policy achievement
* 10 per cent say signing NAFTA was the greatest foreign policy achievement while another 10 per cent say it's the current mission in Afghanistan

The Conservatives have
* Screwed us all on the climate change file, killed what programs that were in place and working and made us a global laughing stock
* The Conservatives have tied us to American foreign policy which influencing our actions on everything. Even selling out our softwood industry.
* Conservatives wish we were in Iraq
* Claim the Afghanistan mission is our defining role currently in the world to no other and not too mention the abandonment of our peacekeeping role. Where was the commemoration for Lester B. Pearson's Peace Prize?

Very sour indeed.

Lock, Stock-well and Barrel

2007-12-10T01:09:00.000-05:00

Stockwell Day, Minister of Public Safety Has shelved plans to mark legitimately sold guns in Canada, a measure that would help identify where all our guns on the street are coming from. I know the Harper government wants the gun registry scraped because they claim it mistreats legitimate gun holders so why are they protecting people with illegitimate guns? Who are they protecting/ furthering the cause of? Whats the purpose of denying our Police the tools they need to ensure law and order? They want to know personally.

There is no reason in my mind why this would be shelve, except for money from the National Rifle Association, or wanting to give criminals guns. Which is it? Who gave Harper all that cash he refused to disclose the source of?

I do believe we have the answers.

The more things change the more it stays the same.

2007-12-05T15:24:00.001-05:00

I see the Catholic Church is still involved in censorship, they just downloaded it to the fundamentalist supporters to do their bidding. Having been involved in the past with this subversion of public interest you'd think they'd step back and let people make up their own minds. How fragile is their grip on a child's mind they have to ban a book of fiction?

Then you have Pope Benedict latest screed against atheists saying they are responsible for the "greatest forms of cruelty and violations of justice in history" while not even mentioning how the Catholic Church was in bed with fascists in the 1930's. Nor does he acknowledge the millions killed by the combined horrors of the Inquisition, the Crusades, cash for souls programs, continued repression of women, gays, and lets not forget the epidemic of paedophilia flowing from this pious and righteous institution and abstinence programs and misinformation leading to increased HIV infections

If this "entity" wants to retain public dollars for its public school then it should make the same literature available that is found in the real public school board, otherwise pull its funding, and tax the church for advocating on the public dime something no other group can do that receives the same breaks.

Seriously do people actually still think this antiquated bloated propaganda spewing business has any answers relevant to todays life? They have ducked all responsibility for their horrors inflicted on humanity every step of the way without once being sincere and they continue to whitewash their sordid history to this very day.

Sorry Benedict its not the atheists that are evil, we've been exposing you since day one. We're not evil we're just a thorn in your money grubbing ass.

Yes Benedict I know what goes on in your ~~semen~~ seminary schools. I have many gay friends who have quit and told me how much ~~sex~~ fun they had. As much fun as you get in all these male focused religious training schools.

UPDATE (Dec 6, 2007)::Judge suspended for upholding Italy's laws on secularity. Crosses were introduced during Italy's fascist period when as mentioned above the Catholics were cosy with fascists. CBC has a great documentary on this story here (video on side runs approx 17 mins) It is quite disturbing that the Catholic Church would subvert Italy's laws by manipulating the government. No shame and respect for peoples institution, but no surprise. They should have their seat at the United Nations taken away.

UPDATE 2: Be sure to check the comments where a social conservative argues about how the Catholic School Boards are justified in banning "The Golden Compass" by Philip Pullman though he admits he has never read it. A problem common among the bible thumpers. All high and mighty but ignorant on the subject at hand. Relying completely on rhetoric and NO FACTS OR PROOF of anything he said. But don't worry, he's full of faith (aka shit). Running out of baseless rhetoric he attacks EGALE. It ended with a vicious personal attack which I removed.

George Carlin on religion in general. Very amusing and very true.

Take to the streets on December 8 to stop Climate Chaos

2007-12-03T13:58:00.000-05:00

Do your part as a responsible citizen and use your right to peacefully protest.

More info

Spread the word.

----------------

Just for Raging Ranter to counter his piss poor attempts at denialist propaganda on my blog. Click to enlarge. Check for yourself here. Like I said, this stuff IS my job.

Is Senator Larry Craig a Skank?

2007-12-03T13:42:00.000-05:00

New gay sex allegations levelled against Craig

"Eight men say they either had sex with Sen. Larry Craig or were targets of sexual advances by the Idaho lawmaker at various times during his political career, a newspaper reported.

One of the men is the former escort whose allegations disgraced the Rev. Ted Haggard, former president of the National Association of Evangelicals."

For crying out loud. Come out of the closet and get it over with. You are a married man with 3 children and 9 grandchildren. Is this what conservatives call "family values"?

This man is pathetic.

Are things fine just because we do it everyday?

2007-12-03T12:43:00.000-05:00

Great song by a great artist with exquisite well thought out lyrics.

Feed Test

2007-12-03T00:21:00.000-05:00

Nothing to see here...Move along.

Still More Lack of Accountability & Transparency with the Conservatives.

2007-11-26T14:41:00.000-05:00

Tories paid $25 billion in grants and subsidies over first year in office

Once friends of the Conservatives now enemies due to their unique ability of telling the truth, the Canadian Tax Payers Federation says:

The group says the 100 largest payments, doled out by 16 different departments and agencies, total $3.3 billion - much of it spent "questionably, inefficiently and, in some cases, outright irresponsibly."

And we have this:
Group calls for ethics probe of Harper over Mulroney-Schreiber affair

"When Canadians face allegations about themselves or their associates, they don't get to decide the limits of the investigation, control witnesses or choose their own judge, and neither should the prime minister, cabinet ministers or any other politician," said Conacher.

Make no wonder Dion is closing the gap Not good news when your cheerleaders at IPSO-Reid and CanWest turn their backs on you and spin for the liberals.

So he actually was a Conservative after all!

2007-11-23T19:06:00.001-05:00

Wajid Kahn charged with violating elections act.

Is this some sort of initiation rite or something?

Young Offender Legislation: Denunciation? WTF?

2007-11-19T19:23:00.000-05:00

Deunciation is the act of public denouncement.

What are they thinking? And how do they intend to do it?

In true Conservative fashion, there are no details but the idea of this entire concept leaves me thinking of what's in this picture.

Just a note but this sort of behavior is banned in the US because it is cruel and unusual punishment which is banned by the UN Convention on Human Rights. Great job there conservatives. Canada's back alright, back to the medieval times.

When do I start paying indulgences again?

Conservatives trying to extradite swindler from Bulgaria

2007-11-19T18:04:00.000-05:00

Um. This is strange. One would think someone on death row would take precedence over someone who will be slightly uncomfortable and then get to go home.

I thought we weren't going to interfere with the legal systems of democracies such as Bulgaria?

Or do we only trust other democracies in so far as killing people only?

Does this make sense to anyone else out there?

Are Conservatives poisoning Canadians?

2007-11-07T13:01:00.000-05:00

Three environmental groups are seeking a judicial review of Environment Minister John Baird's actions. Apparently he may have been telling Mining companies to not disclose two types of pollution, mine tailings and waste rock. There is not really much more to mining pollution than these two types.

What is bad about mine tailings and waste rock? Well, here is it list of what tailings can contain depending on the minerals for extraction.

Arsenic
Barite
Calcite
Fluorite
Radioactive materials - Naturally present in many ores
Mercury
Sulfur - Forms many sulfide compounds / pyrites
Cadmium
Hydrocarbons - Introduced by mining and processing equipment (oils & greases)
Cyanide - as both Sodium Cyanide (NaCN) and Hydrogen Cyanide (HCN). Leaching agent.
SEX - Sodium Ethyl Xanthate. Floatation agent.
PAX - Potassium Amyl Xanthate. Floatation agent.
MIBC - Methyl Isobutyl Carbinol. Frothing agent.
Sulfamic acid - Cleaning / descaling agent.
Sulfuric acid - Used in large quantities in the PAL process (Pressure Acid Leaching).
Activated Carbon - Used in CIP (Carbon In Pulp) and CIL (Carbon In Leach) processes.
Calcium - Different compounds, introduced as lime to aid in pH control.

Some of you will notice that some of these chemicals are part of the conservatives supposed crackdown on pollutants. Obviously a lie as these chemicals are being piled up near communities. These chemicals leach into the ground/groundwater and always affect those living in the area and as well, wildlife.

This government lies and deceives at every opportunity while presenting a second face to the public. The public are not off the hook on this. This is your country, pay attention to whats going down.

Reaping what you sow

2007-10-11T18:24:00.000-05:00

A new study by The Barna Group conducted among 16- to 29-year-old Americans found that a new generation of Americans is more skeptical of and resistant to Christianity than those just a decade ago.

Some of the highlights:

Common negative perceptions include that present-day Christianity is judgmental (87%), hypocritical (85%), old-fashioned (78%), and too involved in politics (75%) - representing large proportions of young outsiders who attach these negative labels to Christians.

And more interestingly

The new study shows that only 3% of 16 - to 29-year-old non-Christians express favorable views of evangelicals. This means that today’s young non-Christians are eight times less likely to experience positive associations toward evangelicals than were non-Christians of the Boomer generation (25%).

This isn't really that surprising. And the icing on the cake.

As pointed out in the Barna Update related to atheists and agnostics, this is not a passing fad wherein young people will become "more Christian" as they grow up. While Christianity remains the typical experience and most common faith in America, a fundamental recalibration is occurring within the spiritual allegiance of America’s upcoming generations.

Now thats good news! The shift in attitude is not only occurring among those outside of Christianity but those within and even among young born agains.

Now back to evangelicals because they really irk me.

Seriously.

How long did they think they were going to be tolerated being so self-righteous and judgmental, blaming homosexuals and feminists for everything from 9/11 to the price of gas, ignoring the interests of the less fortunate in favour of those of big business, and passing off any kind of environmental stewardship as just a waste of time until the rapture comes. They didn't see anything at all wrong with elevating the most spiteful and amoral among them as their national spokespersons, and rewarding them richly. We have Pastor Ted Haggert, and Larry Craig, two mouthy evangelicals caught with their pants down so to speak with other men. Two of the biggest anti-homosexual bigots out there. Lets not forget about Regent University. I didn't really care to find out what the Oral in Oral Roberts meant.

What bloody hypocrites. Make no wonder people are turning against them and Christianity in general. If this is what it has to offer who wants anything to do with that?

And the Zeitgeist moves forward just a little more.

Diane Finley permits Jamaican rapper advocating deaths of gays into Canada.

2007-09-21T13:47:00.000-05:00

Diane Finley wouldn't prevent Elephant Man, aka O'Neill Bryan from entering Canada. Besides his music being crap it also preaches killing homosexuals and even torching them alive. He writes such enduring beautiful lyrics such as a song called Log on.

Log on and step pon the chi chi man
(Log on and step on the queer man)
Dance wi a dance and a bun out a freaky man
(Join our dance and let's burn out the queer man)
Step pon him like a hold cloth
(Step on him like an old cloth)
A dance wi a dance and a crush out a bingi man
(Join our dance and let's crush queer men)
Do di walk, mek mi see the light and di torch dem fast
(Do the walk, let me see the lighter and torch*)

*lighter and torch: makeshift flame-thrower made from an aerosol can

Disgusting and conservatives consider this stuff "free speech" when it is obviously hate speech directed at a minority group. Substitute gay for any religion or ethnic group and this guy would have been sent away as soon as he arrived.

Instead we see him welcomed with open arms in Edmonton.

My advice to anyone who thinks this is horrendous and very un-Canadian is to take a walk down to Gingur Sky Lounge located at 15505 118th Ave, Edmonton and make your displeasure very well heard. Then whip of an email to Diane Finley telling her to go f**k herself because she doesn't know how to do her job, other than cruising around in limos for her eyes or some nonsense.

Jamaica might be proud to be the only country in the New World that allows the murder and rape of homosexuals but that doesn't mean we have to be proud to share an hemisphere with them.

UPDATE:
Hamilton has cancelled the Elephant Man concert and here in Toronto, protests are planned for friday (the date of his concert here). The venue being used for this concert is the same as Prizm, a gay event and one of many that our community has at Kool Haus (Guvernment) and they have been advised of lost business if this concert goes forward. The owners of the venue claim to have been away when this concert deal was signed. They claim there is nothing they can do. Bullshit, their is always a choice and I am sure numerous lawsuits are in the works for enabling hate speech by providing a venue.

Oh and you can send your complaints to Dianne Finley, Useless "Heritage Minister".

Parliament Hill
Room 707, Confederation Bldg House of Commons
Ottawa, ON
K1A 0A6
Phone:(613) 996-4974
Fax:(613) 996-9749
E-mail: finley.d@parl.gc.ca

Simcoe Riding Office
70 Queensway West
Simcoe, ON
N3Y 2M6
Ph:(519) 426-3400
Toll Free:(866) 496-3400
Fx:(519) 426-0003
E-mail: finled1@parl.gc.ca

Dunnville Riding Office
231 Chestnut Street
Dunnville, ON
N1A 2H2
Ph:(905) 701-1881
Fx:(905) 774-9281
E-mail: finled1@parl.gc.ca

UPDATE 2

All Elephant Man and Sizla concerts have been canceled in Southern Ontario, including Toronto and Hamilton. The fight is now in Ottawa where stupid people at a university booked this duo to perform in a place of higher learning. What retards. I am sure they will cancel as well. I am quite pleased to see that therewas enough support in Ontario from all communities to stop this concert of hate from going ahead.

Of course, we wouldn't have had this attack on our communities had Dianne Finley done her job properly. Really whats her purpose anyways? Limousine seat warmer??

Update 3

Its official! The concerst have all been canceled. The star mentions the federal government's silence on this issue.

Akim Larcher, founder of Stop Murder Music Canada – a coalition made up of 20 organizations that promote human rights – says the federal government has remained silent in this issue.

"They shouldn't have been allowed to get visas to perform in the country. It's not about censorship or artistic freedom. That stops when hate propaganda is involved," says Larcher.

Unfortunately it really isn't that surprising. The Conservative federal government has not done much to protect anyones rights during their tenure.

John Tory & Deciding What Your Taxes Pay For

2007-09-17T13:56:00.000-05:00

The position usually taken by proponents for funding "segregated" religious schools is that they are paying money into a system which they don't use and they want their funding to go towards religious education at a private school soon to be public school.

Well, lets look at that argument. Me and my husband are currently paying into public education but we have no children. Hell, a lot of Ontarians are paying into both public and catholic systems when they have no kids. So shouldn't our money go to where we need the services? Preferably I'd rather get a lower tax bill or even have the funding deposited back into my bank account. I have had to visit a doctor more this year than the last so can't my money be directed to others services that I ACTUALLY use?

Its also evident that some communities based on a religious lifestyle choice would definitely not be able to pay for their public schools based on what is collected from tax payers of that lifestyle choice. In this situation where does the extra funding come from? John Tory hasn't said from what I have seen or read so its probably safe to assume it comes from our tax dollars. So now we are going to be getting into a convoluted process of money going to your choice but not all since some other boards can't pay for themselves. Thats not where I want my money. Its bad enough paying for public education I don't use but as an atheist I will protest my cash going to a school based on a lifestyle choice such as religion.

So if you don't use doctors, ask John Tory to stop all your payments for it. Hell lets stop paying all our taxes until the government lets every individual decide where the government spends every cent of our tax money.

Makes a lot of sense doesn't it? Not really, but in the conservative world it seems to.

Our Party Leaders should take a Cue from Spiders

2007-09-12T10:33:00.000-05:00

I giant web found in a North Texas park has been found to have been created by a different species of spiders working together. Normally cannibalistic, they worked together to create a giant web, even sharing common strands of webbing.

A variety of spider species built on one another's work to create a sprawling web that blanketed hundreds of yards of trees and shrubs at a North Texas park, according to entomologists who studied the unusual formation.

Heavy rains early this summer created prime feeding conditions for the spiders, which worked collectively to spin a web that nearly covered a pond ripe with mosquitoes and other insects.

Dean studied 250 specimens and identified 12 families of spiders in the same web. He said the most prevalent type is from the tetragnathidae family, which typically weave individual orb-shaped webs.

Personally, I find spiders gross but won't kill any. I just avoid them. But if I stumbled into this web I would ask for a mercy killing. Eeewwww. Just as repugnant as our political parties and their leaders.

Maybe they should also stop being cannibalistic and work together to build a more grand, better Canada.

John Tory's Segregated Schools Promise gets Worst.

2007-09-05T11:57:00.000-05:00

So now these schools will be able to teach such topics as creationism (cretinism in my book). Is this supposed to make this idea more palatable? If anything, it confirms what I though would be taught which was the reason for my initial refusal to ever vote for John Tory. This is very bitter icing to put on that cake.

Whats wrong with having ALL our students learn about scientific truths backed up by hard science? Why would you want to send children out to a segregated school to learn about lies, mistruths and a bastardization of science?

John Tory you are a complete idiot.

Creationism is not even doing so well in the US, why would you want to import such a false idea into Ontario and have it taught in what you call a religious "Public" school which is open only to certain segments of the public? Why? Why? Why?

Why do you equate creationism as an equivalent alternative to scientific fact? Is it because it got equal consideration in the southern trailer parks? Thats not proof of truth Johnnie boy, it just means a couple people paid attention to a retard and thought he had a good idea.

My vote is now solidly behind Dalton. I was going to oppose his half ass plan which kept an elite group in their own "public" school and vote Green. But now my vote is going to Dalton to make sure that John Tory and his air brain segregated indoctrination centres stay only as a campaign promise.

Why in hell would anyone allow the teaching of something evangelicals cooked up in the last 20 years because they are on the wrong side of science is beyond me. Why a politician would allow it is absolutely a travesty and a betrayal of the people he would be responsible for.

Do as I say, not what I do in the washroom with other men.

2007-08-28T10:21:00.000-05:00

Looky looky. Another one.

Conservative, Republican Senator Larry Craig has pleaded guilty for committing a lewd act in a mens bathroom stall.

This is what this man is known for:

He supported a federal constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage, telling his colleagues that it was "important for us to stand up now and protect traditional marriage, which is under attack by a few unelected judges and litigious activists."

Craig also voted in favour of the Defence of Marriage Act, which denies federal recognition to same-sex marriages and prevents states from being forced to recognize the marriages of gay and lesbian couples legally performed in other states.

Craig has also opposed expanding the federal hate crimes law to cover offenses motivated by anti-gay bias and, voted against a bill that would have outlawed employment discrimination based on sexual orientation, which failed by a single vote in the Senate.

Now why would someone hate themselves so much? Maybe he's frightened that if he groped the wrong person he'd have to marry him. Is he just a man whore? Bitter because he was forced to marry a woman when he wanted a man? Is his life work just a way of trying to convince himself he's not gay?

Who cares. The old bigot will soon be gone. At least we had the opportunity to witness more conservative hypocrisy in action. What a bunch of assheads.

According to Roll Call, the arresting officer alleged that Craig lingered outside a rest room stall where the officer was sitting, then entered the stall next door and blocked the door with his luggage.

According to the arrest report cited by Roll Call, Craig tapped his right foot, which the officer said he recognized "as a signal used by persons wishing to engage in lewd conduct."

The report alleges Craig then touched the officer's foot with his foot and the senator "proceeded to swipe his hand under the stall divider several times," according to Roll Call.

At that point, he put his police identification down by the floor so Craig could see it and informed the senator that he was under arrest, before any sexual contact took place.

Some misunderstanding. Senator Craig even knows all the intricacies of bathroom stall sex, including the signals. I am surprised he wasn't wearing an armband signalling which position he likes or even have a bag of hankies to throw around. Unfortuantely for Mr Craig, the officer didn't have the common decency to even provide a reach around to make it all worthwhile.

UPDATE:

Oh and if you are wondering, here is the tally so far! Jeez guys get a room!

Sen. Ted Stevens, R-Alaska, is under fire for his relationship with a contractor who more than doubled the size of Stevens' home.

Sen. David Vitter, R-La., has acknowledged that his phone number appeared in the records of a Washington-area business that reportedly was a prostitution front.

In 2006, a furor erupted when it became known that Mark Foley, then a Florida Republican congressman, had been sending sexually explicit messages to male congressional pages. In addition, some in the Republican congressional leadership knew about it and did nothing.

Oh and of Course I have to add Ted haggard, special religious advisor to George W. Bush, caught with a crack-head gay male prostitute and doing drugs. Talk about hardcore. Not a senator but played a role in his government.

Anyone else see a pattern here? If they were younger I'd gladly sit in on their cock-us meeting. Hey, nothing wrong with being a voyeur!

Harpers fails Newfoundland victims of Chantal

2007-08-18T15:03:00.001-05:00

No surprise here. Harper shows up for a photo op, tells everyone he's got them covered and then no money flows.

Catherine Newhook says she's disappointed with the politicians who visited her this month after tropical storm Chantal hit Newfoundland and Labrador.

After waiting for days, Newhook finally called Monday to inquire about assistance.
Adjusters visited the next day and the Newhooks were told damage to the house would be covered, as would rock and crushed stone for their driveway. But the family was devastated to learn the program won't pay for asphalt.
"Really, I think they should do a whole lot more," says Newhook, who estimates they suffered thousands of dollars damage.
She's now questioning why Harper visited at all.

No shit Catherine, I am still wondering why he is even our Prime Minister.

Here's a tip for the next group to get f**ked over by one of Harper's photo-ops. DON'T PAY ATTENTION TO THEM WHEN THEY SHOW UP. Don't make eye contact and don't say hi. They are like Jehovah's Witnesses, once they get in the door its all over.

Just turn your backs to him like he has already done to pretty damn near everyone in this country.

In the next election vote ABC.

Just the Tip of the Iceberg in Truro

2007-08-15T16:41:00.001-05:00

On August 3, 2007, Truro Mayor (aka Bible thumping homophobe) refused to raise the Pride Flag, quoting scripture which says it goes against his beliefs, yet strangely he did not ban seafood or those of cloven hooves.

On Sunday August 12, 2007, Truro Councillor Raymond Tynes was subjected to racist slurs by white youths which apparently was not the first time he has to deal with this sort of thing.

This two stories do not bode well for this community, especially when your elected mayor is lumped into the same group as racist youth. It just looks really, really bad.

As I said about Herouxville, Quebec, it is best to get the hell out of dodge. This is symptomatic of a serious underbelly of hatred brewing and not much you can do about it but leave and watch the town slide into oblivion. As well who wants to deal with such pigs on a day to day basis?

When stories like this make news nationally, and internationally, its a safe bet they will be paying the price through loss of jobs and business. Who wants to locate a company in an area where their employees are subjected to homophobia, racism and general bigotry? Who wants to hire potential employees that will gum up the operations with human rights complaints left and right ? I know I'll be putting up my windows and locking my doors as I drive through that hick town for now on.

To hell with Truro. It'll be a nice picturesque ghost town or retirement town for old bigots. Maybe Suzanne at Big Blue Wave has already bought some waterfront property. Who knows.

Be sure to check back to read the racist, bigoted, and homophobic comments that will surely follow this post.

It begins!

2007-07-26T10:19:00.000-05:00

I have to clarify right away that this is not me sending this letter to the Globe and Mail, though I will admit to leaving Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster paraphernalia thoroughout the TTC as of late.

This is what John Tory's stupid segregated religious schools plan for Ontario will bring. With about 100 religions registered we are headed for a huge F**king mess and a massive loss of tax dollars into the indoctrination of others and even the catholics will pay for the religious education of other religious groups.

I am still waiting for a letter from John Tory about his plan to help fund the Church of FSM schools and Scientology schools as well. No response yet and most likely I shouldn't expect one.

Rob Shirkey of Toronto if you see this contact me. The more of us that band together the more likely John Tory will see us as worth the votes and give us a school as well because it IS shameless pandering and dangerous at that.

UPDATE: What does it mean when you get two "bounced" emails that look suspect and a read receipt for one? It means John Tory's Conservatives (The P word is silent) have created a really bad campaign issue for themselves and they are dodging it big time.

Note to Ontario's Conservative (PC) Party, when an email gets bounced it doesn't just have "This email wasn't delivered" typed on the top and servers don't take a week to process unless absolutely everything about your party is out of date. It also has routing information contained in it. Duh.

Money Well Spent?

2007-07-24T15:27:00.000-05:00

From the ranks of Christianity"s only true church we get this lovely story of a yet another holy man paying for sex (at least he just didn't take it from a child).

The Rev. Mark Sorvillo loved taking his parish's money ($200,000) and spending it on himself.
Trips to Rome, Venice, Paris. And $900 meals at New York restaurants.
In 1999, Sorvillo found someone else to lavish his parishioners' collection-plate donations on -- a male stripper.He gave cars, plane tickets and thousands of dollars in cash to James Sosnicki, a married Louisville man who stripped frequently at gay clubs in Chicago.

I find this both hilarious and very sad. Obviously a gay man forced into catholicism and due to the nature of his beliefs he cannot function because he is at odds with what a bunch of old farts said over 2000 years ago and what his brain says.

I guess the least he's done was bridge two religious communities. Evangelicals with Ted Haggart now have more in common with Catholics than they thought.

A Rare Gem

2007-07-22T00:00:00.001-05:00

Not often (nearly never) will you ever see me praise anyone full of Jesus but I have to pause to mourn the passing of Tammy Faye Messner.

Formerly Tammy Faye Bakker. The one and only moment that moved me (by religion) was Tammy Faye's interview with an AIDS victim. I have never seen such kindness towards another human being.

Her tears brought me tears.

She credits gay people with saving her after her husband screwed her big time. Our community embraced her and helped her when it mattered most. She tried to bridge the mighty chasm between the gay community and evangelicals.

Cheers Ms. Messner

Current Favorite Musicians

2007-07-19T10:44:00.000-05:00

Artist: Mika
Video: Relax, Take it Easy

Artist: Maroon 5
Video: Makes You Wonder

Artist: Scissor Sisters
Video: I Don't Feel Like Dancing

Artist: Bob Sinclair
Video: Give a L'il Love

Artist: Chris Garneau
Video: Relief

Artist: Lily Allen
Video: Alfie

Artist: Madonna
Video: Hey You (Live Earth Video)

Whats Harper Trying to say in Chile?

2007-07-18T09:35:00.000-05:00

I found this excerpt from Harpers speech in Chile quite amusing.

"Too often some in the hemisphere are led to believe that their only choices ... are to return to the syndrome of economic nationalism, political authoritarianism and class warfare, or to become 'just like the United States,'" Harper told Santiago business people at a Canada-Chile Chamber of Commerce luncheon, following a meeting with Chilean President Michelle Bachelet at the presidential palace."

Whats he saying here? The alternative is to be Liberal? I thought you said Liberals were evil Mr. Harper. And when you speak about class warfare are you speaking to your Tim Horton's crowd or latte sipping liberals, the distinction made between two groups of people here in Canada by your supporters? Also Mr. Harper you are not one to even speak about authoritarianism with your blatant disregard for well over half of Canada's elected officials.

I am glad you finally recognize that liberalism provides a safe government when given the option of one rigid ideology from the right (you Mr. Harper) and the rigid ideology of the left (NDP).

Thanks for finally coming around.

UPDATE: Seems, Stephane Dion and Liberal Party are also impressed by Conservative Prime Minister Stephan Harper's open endorsement of Liberal Governments as being the best available for everyone. I would like to extend a very nice thank you to Mr. Harper for his acknowledgement that he does indeed love our Northern European Welfare State as much as the rest of us.

The Toronto Star addresses their Liberal Bias

2007-07-14T11:38:00.001-05:00

This column was quite funny. A very tongue in cheek way of addressing the whining conservatives do over the media and its supposed liberal bias.

This is so sweet!

2007-07-09T18:21:00.000-05:00

Enrique Iglesias serenades to gay fan. This man is obviously very secure with his sexuality. Dare I say a a real modern man?

Enrique Iglesias Thrills Gay Fan - video powered by Metacafe

Chavez Finally Gets Something Right

2007-07-08T01:34:00.001-05:00

Chavez recently described the Catholic leadership as "liars" and "perverts." which is something I can concur with after being abused by the clergy myself. Trust me, after being raped by God's people you kind of get the feeling he doesn't actually exist except in your worst nightmares.

"The bishops said Saturday that "no one, much less the president … has a right to insult or attack people or institutions who dissent."Venezuela's Roman Catholic bishops expressed serious concern about President Hugo Chavez's plans to rewrite the constitution, saying he has no right to insult priests who publicly disagree with him.

The bishops said Saturday that "no one, much less the president … has a right to insult or attack people or institutions who dissent.

They also expressed doubts about Chavez's efforts to help the poor and said they're concerned about upcoming education reforms, citing fears that schools could take on an "ideological and political orientation."

And the catholic church is so well known for there "no strings attached" ways of dealing with issues. This coming from the group ruled by the worst human being who ever existed (Pope Benedict) who has decided to allow praying for the souls of Jews.

Can you be anymore of a bigoted prick? This man (and I am grasping at straws at calling him a man who has no qualities to qualify him as such) should be called on his words and actions, and removed from society. We have no need to for such a poisonous member of the human race.

F**cking pig. Perfect match for Joanne at Joannes Journey (warning, don't click if you have a "soul").

The Climate Lottery

2007-07-06T14:14:00.000-05:00

This is a great way to look at the issue of global warming induced climate change and what it means if we do nothing as opposed to doing everything in our power.

The planet's complex and varied systems are extremely difficult to have full knowledge of and its pretty obvious that there are more than we know of yet. We cannot afford to wait. The cost of waiting and being wrong would be devastating.

Below you will see a table. To those who have done genetics or biology courses will recognize it is similar to a genetic cross.

As you will notice there are two columns; A and B. If you treat these columns like a lottery ticket and assess your odds you will see that one ticket is better than the other.

Lottery Ticket A - Take Action.

If we take action on global warming and we were wrong then a global depression is possible. We have had them before and we have obviously survived and thrived better than ever. If we take action and we were right about global warming then we have a big win, we saved the world so to speak.

Lottery Ticket B - Don't Take Action

If we don't take action and it turns out global warming is not occurring then we win. But and a big but at that, if we don't take action and global warming is real then we will have a complete economic collapse that we may never be able to pull out of, mass extinctions, violent weather, crop losses, food shortage, sever coastal erosion, flooding, sea level rise swamping low level areas.

There is a greater negative associated with doing absolutely nothing than doing something.

This science teacher in this youtube video explains it as well.

Which lottery ticket do you want?

Does Newfoundland & Labrador actually want a referendum to separate?

2007-07-05T13:27:00.000-05:00

There is a online poll (very unreliable) at The Telegram Currently (2:30pm EST) the poll is showing 55% in favour of one with 42% against the idea, 3% undecided. The paper isn't really left or right politically and I don't recognize any freeping. Could there be something to this?

Obviously , regardless of the accuracy, there is a problem brewing.

Is this what Harper meant by we are more united than we have been in 40 Years?

If so, please stop Steve your view of being united is obviously flawed.

What a flake. I am embarrassed he represents me globally.

Gay Man Taunted by police gets $28,400

2007-07-05T10:20:00.000-05:00

A 29 year old man who was taunted by police in Trinidad and Tobago was awarded $28, 400 after being forced to stand nude for three hours while officers made fun of his penis.

Why is it that no matter which country you look at, police are always involved in these types of things. Things like pepper spraying infants, teenage rape, preventing the exercising of rights or accepting bribes

Its obviously not part of their oath so what is the root of these problems? Is it the power they are given goes to their heads? Is it related to some types who are drawn to the police force? Do they feel that they are above the law and they think they've been given the power to interpret the law as they see fit?

Personally, I don't know but I do know that I have less confidence in police than I have ever had in my life. A friend of a friend was caught drunk driving going the wrong way on a one way street while speeding with no lights on. [This is not a Canadian example before you NeoCons start freaking out and accusing me of hating police.] Did he go to jail? Get fined?

Nope.

Cost him 5 bucks which he gave to the cop, it was all he had.