tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-59310172024-03-13T19:59:51.112-06:00Revolutionary Moderationrevmod.ca has been broken by Blogger's FTP shutdown. My own life is too busy to repair it right now. Please watch this space for its return.
Contact me at revmod AT gmail.Donhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06622586278564088804noreply@blogger.comBlogger1203125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5931017.post-47925819631942127242015-08-02T22:20:00.000-06:002015-08-02T22:40:07.047-06:00Gaffeometer
Yes, I'll be running the Gaffeometer again. I hadn't really given it any thought, because I obviously don't spend a bunch of time blogging any more. Twitter's been my latest outlet. Frankly, I'm a little resentful that the Prime Minister's constant need to game the system means I have to start this process in August.
That's hardly the worst sin among Harper's Donhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06622586278564088804noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5931017.post-22743574846121939482015-03-06T23:07:00.001-07:002015-03-06T23:07:21.821-07:00The Right Moment
(Much of this is cross-posted from my comments on daveberta.ca)
I can't remember a time the Tories seemed so vulnerable. Wild Rose taught an entire generation of Albertans it's okay to vote against the PC party, and Danielle Smith managed to make those voters mad at herself AND Jim Prentice. There's only one opposition party that doesn't seem to be in disarray,Donhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06622586278564088804noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5931017.post-12656360243169461022014-03-20T07:44:00.000-06:002014-03-20T07:46:28.324-06:00Tory Headscratcher
So, Alberta's Conservatives avoid voting for one of two divisive candiadates by choosing the third-place finisher in round one, Ed Stelmach. The media and his political opponents think he's a good-natured bozo, but he leads the party to an electoral victory that outstrips every pre-election pundit prediction. Naturally, the Tories get out the knives, and Stelmach never Donhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06622586278564088804noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5931017.post-33683318845744570142013-04-11T10:55:00.000-06:002013-04-11T11:46:25.589-06:00The Arena, again
This deal's getting worse all the time! Seriously, who do I need to vote against to get the arena funding plan torn up in October?
(I have to admit, another playoff-free spring is making it easier for me to tell Katz to go to Seattle hell.)Donhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06622586278564088804noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5931017.post-85973695815116310162012-10-13T11:15:00.001-06:002012-10-13T14:38:49.683-06:00City issues. Okay, really just the arena.
I wrote to my city councillor this week. I'm happy to share.
Mr. Sohi:
I love the Oilers. I spend money to make sure I'm in the arena a few times a year to see them in person. I pay again to own and wear their jersey. My opinion is the opinion of someone who has no desire to see the team leave.
I've been reluctant to write because Donhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06622586278564088804noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5931017.post-58520422210513885742012-04-24T06:44:00.002-06:002012-04-24T06:44:35.891-06:00Surprise
Given my expectation of a WRP majority, this is certainly a better result. In fact, if Redford governs from as far left as she campaigned (not, you know, super far left, but better than the last many years), it might be a good result. But the "how" mystifies me a little bit. Stelmach did the same thing, polling not nearly as well as he finished on election night. Is there some sort Donhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06622586278564088804noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5931017.post-22988513763123402052012-04-23T19:35:00.001-06:002012-04-23T19:35:18.659-06:00Walking
I'm sure, if the Legislature seems to be shaking out to be in minority territory with an advantage to Wild Rose this evening, there will be some talk about which of the elected PCs can be talked into walking the floor to get WRP to a majority and shut the smaller parties out of the process. If this does in fact come to pass,let me be the first to issue a warning: the PCs that win Donhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06622586278564088804noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5931017.post-50226514320124336342012-04-19T22:42:00.001-06:002012-04-21T13:47:12.261-06:00Strategic voting, again
There's been lots of sturm und drang the last couple of days regarding a video produced with some Calgary youngsters, promoting a plan of "hold your nose and vote Tory."
Here's the thing: there's a certain sympathy to this strategic vote plan. Going by this campaign, the Progressive Conservatives are much more moderate than the Wildrose party. Of curse, going Donhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06622586278564088804noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5931017.post-60984511883641596892012-04-17T22:25:00.001-06:002012-04-17T22:26:51.830-06:00Your local candidates
You know, I could accept Allan Hunsperger's "gays will burn in hell" nonsense, if it was left there. But it wasn't. Hunsperger went on to complain that Christian schools that fell under the auspices of the public school system would have to follow board policy, which says "The Board is committed to establishing and maintaining a safe, inclusive, equitable, and welcoming Donhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06622586278564088804noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5931017.post-19849227242876487402012-04-03T11:43:00.002-06:002012-04-03T11:43:14.873-06:00Me too
I heart taxesDonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06622586278564088804noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5931017.post-33092742314035439022012-02-14T08:07:00.000-07:002012-02-14T08:07:32.904-07:00By that logic
According to Vic Toews, because privacy advocates are concerned about the significant overreach found in the government's new internet surveillance legislation, we are "stand[ing] with the child pornographers".
I suppose it's objectively true that the makers or distributors of child pornography may share my distaste for this legislation. It is likewise true that this sort of Donhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06622586278564088804noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5931017.post-58567155641765270452011-12-12T12:44:00.001-07:002011-12-12T13:10:11.075-07:00The CWB and the Rule of Law
Kady O'Malley laughs off the notion that the Governor-General will have any reason to consider Bob Rae's request that Bill C-18 should be put in a drawer until such time as a court rules the bill consistent with the rule of law.
O'Malley suggests there's no precedent for this, and she may be right. But there are two fair questions that follow:
- Is there any Donhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06622586278564088804noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5931017.post-11789940942095525822011-11-24T07:36:00.000-07:002011-11-24T07:36:24.590-07:00Grudging respect
I have, over the past couple of years, found myself increasingly appreciating the writing of Canadian ex-pat and Dubya speechwriter David Frum. Perhaps it's because he comes from a type of conservatism that exists in reality, instead of wherever Rick Perry and Michele Bachmann live.
His article in the current issue of New York magazine is required reading for anyone looking on Donhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06622586278564088804noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5931017.post-280933933228977942011-11-15T07:36:00.000-07:002011-11-15T07:36:18.875-07:00You win
Brothers and sisters of Occupy Wall Street, I was initially saddened to hear of your forced eviction from Zuccotti park overnight. When Mrs. Revmod and I visited you in October, on a day you were scrubbing the park clean to avoid an eviction then, we told a few of you that we thought you had already changed the world. I believe that more even now. Concepts like "the 99 percent" are Donhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06622586278564088804noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5931017.post-28075336908364896622011-09-29T09:19:00.000-06:002011-09-29T09:19:53.768-06:00The Arab Spring becomes the American Autumn
Occupy Wall Street is continuing to grow. The American media seems flummoxed by them, I suppose because they aren't dressed like overweight American revolutionaries. Good thing that everyone else seems to get it.Donhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06622586278564088804noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5931017.post-31968872925050275772011-09-12T11:50:00.000-06:002011-09-12T11:50:27.178-06:00For the Record
As I predicted, farmers prefer to maintain the monopsony maintained by the Canadian Wheat Board. Coming up: Gerry Ritz doesn't care.Donhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06622586278564088804noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5931017.post-18024409720582421322011-08-08T07:52:00.000-06:002011-08-08T07:52:52.293-06:00While the markets crash this morning....
I watched a little of the Sunday talkies this weekend, and it seemed like almost no one was willing to talk about what S&P actually said in their report when they downgraded the US debt. I only heard John Kerry describe it as "The Tea Party downgrade", which is rhetorically clever but should have been directly backed up. To most people, it sounded like Donhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06622586278564088804noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5931017.post-17601823527515739642011-07-19T07:22:00.002-06:002011-07-22T16:28:11.650-06:00Kent Brockman: "I've said it before, and I'll say it again: democracy simply doesn't work."
The United States is making the best argument ever for Westminster-style Parliamentary democracy:
Decades of gerrymandering have turned most congressional districts into unassailable fortresses for a single party. The real fight for seats in the House of Representatives comes during the primaries, where Donhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06622586278564088804noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5931017.post-3821080350939355472011-06-15T18:48:00.000-06:002011-06-15T18:48:42.642-06:00Final
I note the Boston Vancouver Pizza ad on the board behind Thomas. Shouldn't Tim Horton's also be sporting a temporary name? I recommend "Roberto Raymond's".Donhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06622586278564088804noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5931017.post-60736645113734416042011-06-01T16:36:00.000-06:002011-06-01T16:36:10.428-06:00More on the CWB
Some farmers are calling on a referendum on the Canadian Wheat Board's monopsony on wheat and barley sales. Responds Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz, we already had a vote on the future of the CWB. "It's called a general election," says Ritz.
So, in conclusion, the last chance you had to consult with this Government was May 2. They'll see you again October 2015 for their Donhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06622586278564088804noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5931017.post-62906620854802828122011-05-24T09:43:00.002-06:002011-05-24T09:44:51.116-06:00Shorter Benjamin Netanyahu:
Our peace plan proposal involves everyone else surrendering.Donhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06622586278564088804noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5931017.post-44215214404190777332011-05-18T21:56:00.000-06:002011-05-18T21:56:10.781-06:00Why does Stephen Harper hate farmers?
It's been clear for a long time that Conservatives hate the Canada Wheat Board. They've been trying to break the single-desk marketing board since they first formed government, but up until now, they've only really tried through the board itself, to convince the farmer-members to eliminate the Board, or the board's monopsony. Farmers have consistently Donhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06622586278564088804noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5931017.post-73529794099135075632011-05-11T10:02:00.000-06:002011-05-11T10:02:40.233-06:00A Tory majority is good for the market
The TSX Composite is down 450 points since the close of business on May 2. I wonder if I need to create a gadget to track this for others to put on their websites.Donhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06622586278564088804noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5931017.post-37044501906053610602011-05-05T15:29:00.001-06:002011-05-05T15:29:46.397-06:00I don't remember that promise from the campaign
A CPC member backpedals comments about an eventually completely voluntary census. Now that I mention it, I don't remember the destruction of the long-form census being discussed before it happened, either. Does the Secret Agenda begin to rear its head?Donhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06622586278564088804noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5931017.post-67044922855582708752011-05-04T20:29:00.001-06:002011-05-04T20:30:00.827-06:00Goody
Thomas Mulcair shows up to Ottawa smelling of truther.
Ruth Brosseau (NDP - Las Vegas) may have sketchy nomination papers.
Can we get all this shit out of the way now? A year of this, and we can invite the Liberals back to Stornaway.Donhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06622586278564088804noreply@blogger.com0