tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-59310172012-01-23T21:27:37.515-07:00Revolutionary 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.comBlogger11921100tag: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.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5931017.post-90551000501314340962011-05-04T08:02:00.002-06:002011-05-05T02:18:03.081-06:00And the winner is...
Dan Arnold, the Calgary Grit himself, has won the 2011 gaffe pool, with an entry of CPC 16 / LPC 8 / NDP 8 / BQ 2. Two remarkable things about this guess - hitting a record high score for the Conservatives on the nose, and forecasting a reasonably low-gaffe election generally. At just eleven points from correct, it appears I'll be making another donation to a Liberal Donhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06622586278564088804noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5931017.post-38266478308643864752011-05-03T08:53:00.001-06:002011-05-04T06:49:26.530-06:00Dear economists:
If Harper's so fking good for the market, why is the TSX down 180 points in 90 minutes?
Edited to add: 242.14 at close. I'm not saying this is all, or even partly, caused by Conservative majority government. But I guarantee that had there been any other election result, the business media would be talking about the effect of uncertainty (or of socialism) on the market.Donhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06622586278564088804noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5931017.post-1379960744028170912011-05-02T21:43:00.000-06:002011-05-02T21:43:40.994-06:00Moods
I guess I should be relieved that the Prime Minister no longer needs to tear up the constitution to rule like a dictator.
I suppose I should be thrilled about the historic NDP breakthrough.
I know I'm supposed to be happy that the BQ has essentially disappeared from the political map.
I feel I should be happy that Stephen Harper is going to be holding the bag when Vancouver's housing Donhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06622586278564088804noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5931017.post-28288453093304883912011-05-01T18:11:00.000-06:002011-05-01T18:11:21.202-06:00Smear
It looks increasingly like Sun Media's Layton smear (I couldn't be bothered to link it) has backfired, so that makes for one essential ingredient of a gaffe. The other requires a source from a political party, and I think the chance of that is near zero, because I think this was probably Sun Media on their own. So, congratulations, Ezra Levant, on finally collecting some payback from Donhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06622586278564088804noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5931017.post-13195939198163552892011-04-30T08:51:00.001-06:002011-04-30T08:58:08.464-06:00Leader gaffe goes almost unnoticed
I don't know why it's so hard to find Layton's direct quote in his interview with Thomson Rueters, wherein he expressed an opinion about interest rates, leading to criticism from other parties and a mea culpa from Layton on Friday.
It's good that he took the step back. He's right, that interest rates are going to strangle a generation of debt-addicted Donhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06622586278564088804noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5931017.post-31536398570219233642011-04-28T07:07:00.001-06:002011-04-28T07:30:45.233-06:00Thank goodness for alert readers
This one completely escaped my notice, and Google alerts. (I might need to tweak my search.) Cam Stewart, a Liberal candidate in Calgary, complains that his south Asian opponent has his workers intimidating and threatening opponents' volunteers - fair game to call that out - "like Indian Politian's" - whoops!
The press release came out following an altercation Donhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06622586278564088804noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5931017.post-12507931438167842682011-04-25T16:51:00.000-06:002011-04-25T16:51:08.372-06:00The West Wing election
Once again, the campaign is starting to have eerie parallels to the 2006 Presidential election. You know the one: Santos - Vinick.
Okay, maybe not a lot of parallels. But we did have the chickens. Now it turns out, the best opposition research is done by one's own people. Thanks, Tom Flanagan! Forget everything I said about you. Oh, except that thing where you Donhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06622586278564088804noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5931017.post-65363033421075663812011-04-21T16:17:00.001-06:002011-04-21T16:29:16.154-06:00Burying the lead
Pogge has expressed his frustration at the clear disparity between what Michael Ignatieff said to Peter Mansbridge, and how it was reported. Now let me express my concern that Stephen Harper's interview is being likewise misrepresented:
Here's the headline:
Harper vows not to form government without most seatsAnd here is my transcription of the key part:
Peter Mansbridge: What Donhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06622586278564088804noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5931017.post-3609680252000082742011-04-21T07:43:00.002-06:002011-04-21T07:50:39.460-06:00Don't you people know how to dog whistle?
A Conservative incumbent candidate from Saskatchewan thanks local anti-abortion groups for the signatures that helped defund Planned Parenthood International. Bring on the conversations about the hidden agenda!
My short read of Brad Trost's history seems to suggest he's one of the useful idiots the CPC likes to have around. They don't want to be seen asDonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06622586278564088804noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5931017.post-16156436434830703492011-04-20T06:53:00.000-06:002011-04-20T06:53:47.465-06:00What's going on?
Campaign teams, I count on you to screw up. A lot. Did you learn so much from the pre-debate tomfoolery that you've all straightened up your acts? What happened to our error-prone candidates?
Oh! They're hiding.
(h/t pogge)Donhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06622586278564088804noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5931017.post-56592766779884102202011-04-14T11:58:00.003-06:002011-04-14T12:39:04.047-06:00Inevitability
Thank goodness I'm not scoring the Green Party, or we'd have to have some discussion about this jackass:
A Green Party candidate in British Columbia has resigned after concerns were raised about him posting a comment about rape on his Facebook page.
Alan Saldanha, who was running in the riding of Fleetwood—Port Kells, resigned Wednesday afternoon after it was revealed he posted, Donhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06622586278564088804noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5931017.post-52046439262955303732011-04-14T10:44:00.001-06:002011-04-15T06:19:56.619-06:00Set dressing
A Tory operative sends out a letter asking local ethnic organizations to bring members wearing "ethnic costumes" for tonight's event with the Prime Minister in Etobicoke. I might have let this slide, if the Conservatives hadn't already treated brown faces as props, rather than as voters. 1 x 1 = 1.
Edited to add, Friday morning: I underestimated the ire this was raising among Donhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06622586278564088804noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5931017.post-42382267583082694432011-04-11T08:26:00.000-06:002011-04-11T08:26:43.904-06:00Twitter is the "no zone defense rule" of the gaffeometer.
Is the basketball reference too obscure? How about "Twitter is the removal of the red line"? Twitter makes scoring more likely, is what I'm saying right here.
Anyway, an attentive reader notes another Tory twitter dimwittery, this one from an Ontario incumbent. Stephen Woodworth insensitively uses the word "crippled" in the punchline of Donhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06622586278564088804noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5931017.post-21994704736179006732011-04-08T10:50:00.002-06:002011-04-11T08:04:36.431-06:00Non-gaffe (so far)... edited to add, now a gaffe.
Montreal Conservative candidate Larry Smith says it's normal for government-held ridings to see more government largesse. "Normal" is interesting, but the rest, that it happens thusly, is objectively true, even if you aren't supposed to say it out loud. So we'll see if he backpedals, gaffing it up in the process.
Edited to add, Saturday Donhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06622586278564088804noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5931017.post-73848562610667976162011-04-08T08:45:00.002-06:002011-04-08T08:55:03.295-06:00Where's the gaffe?
Wednesday: "Look, I think when the other guys are complaining we're turning people away, and they can't get people, I think that tells you how this campaign is going, I want to get our message out to as many people as are interested in hearing it... I think it's better when you’re turning people away than when you can't get people to come out."
Thursday: "If anybody is kept Donhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06622586278564088804noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5931017.post-26982488309018275152011-04-08T07:28:00.000-06:002011-04-08T07:28:47.703-06:00Liberals on the board
John Reilly might be a star candidate in some ways - a prominent judge, published author, and expert in the field of restorative justice. But he's running in Wild Rose, where the Liberal Party hasn't cracked 15% in at least 25 years. Prom = 1
Reilly argued against mandatory minimum sentencing on Dave Rutherford's radio show, arguing that a charge like Sexual Assault coversDonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06622586278564088804noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5931017.post-66585320496949941582011-04-07T23:37:00.000-06:002011-04-07T23:37:50.091-06:00Scorecard now, explanations in the morning.
Decisions have been made, but I'll spare you the details until coffee is involved. Cons 10, Grit 2, Bloc 3, NDP's shutout continues. They must have with Luongo in goal.
LOOOUUUUU!!!!!!!Donhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06622586278564088804noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5931017.post-53129867439621471912011-04-07T09:14:00.001-06:002011-04-07T09:16:04.244-06:00But does he have any promises for the 41st Parliament?
Stephen Harper promises another tax break, this one an extension of TFSAs, to be applied just as soon as the budget is balanced. Of course, even by the government's own budget projections, that won't happen until 2016, by which time even Harper's wished-for majority is going to have to call an election. I suppose that's unless that Donhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06622586278564088804noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5931017.post-86781409951296897942011-04-06T13:12:00.001-06:002011-04-06T13:17:19.811-06:00Score?
I heard it on the radio this morning, but I can't find a link, and no one seems to have noticed or cared, so my initial instinct to score this was perhaps wrong.
I'm talking about Harper joking about vetting rally attendees, saying it was better to have to turn people away than it is to have to beg people to come. Really? How are people not pointing at this as evidence of the Prime Donhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06622586278564088804noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5931017.post-19386651675079404792011-04-06T10:02:00.000-06:002011-04-06T10:02:41.484-06:00Preemption
Dated racist mutterings or memberships, even discovered during the writ period, is not a gaffe in the current campaign.Donhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06622586278564088804noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5931017.post-54455089826753473292011-04-05T17:01:00.003-06:002011-04-05T20:27:54.596-06:00Dear Bill Mah, Edmonton Journal:
Here's some other stories you could do:
Salespeople at Goldline say it's a fantastic time to invest in precious metals.
A car salesman at a car show says it's an exciting time to be a car buyer.
Here's someone in the business of selling private islands. He gives tips to help you determine if a private island is right for your portfolio. (Spoiler alert - it is!Donhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06622586278564088804noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5931017.post-16092897124766468392011-04-05T10:16:00.002-06:002011-04-05T10:19:52.143-06:00Mock the vote
The CBC reports on young people who won't cast ballots opening with the following:
University of Toronto linguistics student Filip Tisma voted in the last federal election, but has no intention of casting a ballot this time.
"I'd rather just not vote and send a message that way that I'm unpleased with how the voting system is turning out in this country," said Tisma, 22.Bad news,Donhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06622586278564088804noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5931017.post-59863475919597974982011-04-04T09:07:00.001-06:002011-04-04T09:38:44.955-06:00Thanks goodness for readers (Cons 4 BQ 3)
Another alert follower of the Gaffeometer has let me know about BQ incumbent Yvon Levesque's racist nonsense. Actually, he was only saying that his constituents are racist, but let's not split hairs:
Yvon Levesque, the incumbent MP for the riding of Abitibi-Baie James-Nunavik-Eeyou, had to apologize Friday after he said "certain voters won’t choose the Donhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06622586278564088804noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5931017.post-28797915815165675872011-04-03T22:56:00.001-06:002011-04-03T22:57:49.485-06:00Leftover gaffes (Cons 4, BQ 1, Liberal and NDP no score)
This is the last time I'm going backward, I sincerely hope.
Commentors point out that I've ignored a couple more minor gaffes. First, right on day one a Conservative incumbent tweeted the name of the Liberal leader as "Igaffi". Then she apologised, again via tweet. Honest to God, if I start reading every candidate's Twitter feed to keep Donhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06622586278564088804noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5931017.post-58717434350042514672011-03-31T08:51:00.000-06:002011-03-31T08:51:46.321-06:00Working backwards
I've been asked to pass judgement on a few more gaffes, some dating back to the opening weekend. Let's get to them:
Stephen Harper has some trouble putting on a pair of gloves. A Google News search for "Stephen Harper work gloves" produces the story I linked, and only that. This, plus a single tweet from one reporter, even repeated by Kinsella, does not a gaffe make. No score.Donhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06622586278564088804noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5931017.post-50951450557095606552011-03-29T09:47:00.000-06:002011-03-29T09:47:28.595-06:00You people (Cons 3, all others zero)
Mrs. Revmod and I were watching the news on Sunday night when we first heard the "you people" from Harper, speaking in front of an audience of South Asians. And when I say "in front of", what I mean is that every brown face in the room seemed to be sitting behind him, playing the role of wallpaper to his speech. When the broadcast took a wider shot of the Donhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06622586278564088804noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5931017.post-77502172216089032452011-03-29T08:42:00.002-06:002011-04-04T06:34:53.126-06:00The early gaffes
I'll save the obvious one for the next post. Let me start with the reader tips.
Shelly Glover, a Winnipeg Conservative incumbent described a neighbouring 68-year-old Liberal incumbent as "past her expiry date." Cue the (false?) outrage from seniors. But here's the thing - it's clear to me from the context of the comment that she wasn't saying Anita Neville was too old for the Donhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06622586278564088804noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5931017.post-81712867504966319712011-03-28T22:57:00.001-06:002011-03-28T22:57:52.581-06:00Deadline
I already have a couple of suggestions for early scores to go up on the big board. Because entries don't close for a couple of hours yet, I'll be deferring any scoring until then. Once entries close, the gaffeometer AT gmail address will serve as an excellent contact point to keep me up-to-date about the latest jackassery. The comments sections serve almost as well, but slower.
Start Donhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06622586278564088804noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5931017.post-64009438186220085782011-03-27T22:11:00.001-06:002011-03-28T10:31:51.075-06:00Gaffeometer deadline
Between the weekend writ-drop and the lack of gaffes over this opening weekend, I'm deferring the prediction deadline to Monday midnight. Tell me at gaffeometer AT gmail the scores each party will generate over the campaign for a chance at a donation made to your favourite local candidate. And, no - just because I've excluded the Greens from the gaffeometer doesn't mean Donhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06622586278564088804noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5931017.post-91983355252400660752011-03-26T09:33:00.000-06:002011-03-26T09:33:01.428-06:00May 2
Wow - short campaign. It suggests to me that Harper sees some downside potential over the course of the campaign, and not so much upside. I guess when you've spent millions of dollars and a couple of years defining your opponent, you don't want to give very much time for Ignatieff to break out of that box.
The short campaign might explain why everyone seems to have started throwing Donhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06622586278564088804noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5931017.post-34138165854277006552011-03-24T12:43:00.000-06:002011-03-24T12:43:45.086-06:00An ounce of prevention
It's becoming obvious from the action in the House of Commons today that the Conservatives will say "It's us, or it's an antidemocratic coalition of socialists and separatists" every time they get in range of a microphone for the next six weeks.
Do you know when would have been a good time to talk about the great tradition of coalition governments in Westminster-style Donhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06622586278564088804noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5931017.post-64531402889887154252011-03-24T07:13:00.001-06:002011-03-24T07:21:14.531-06:00Before it all gets going:
It's not a gaffe, per se, but the NDP may have found the dumbest doorstep issue of all time to treat as a marquee issue: a promise to exempt home heating from the GST.
Let me get this straight: Canada's left-wing party is proposing a tax break which will give the greatest benefit to the rich owners of huge houses and those who are the most wasteful with hydrocarbons. Donhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06622586278564088804noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5931017.post-15633846855157154792011-03-22T10:11:00.001-06:002011-03-22T12:37:50.591-06:00Reminder
Previous final scores:
2004:
2006 included six points for the Liberals, earned by Scott Reid. (I believe that prompted the only time I tried to explain the scoring to a media outlet.):
and the remarkably low-gaffe election of 2008:
Donhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06622586278564088804noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5931017.post-41236663438355239522011-03-22T09:58:00.000-06:002011-03-22T09:58:07.751-06:00It's that time again
Unless Canada's punditocracy is wildly off-base (and when has that ever happened?), this week should see the beginning of Gaffe-o-meter 2011, and to a lesser extent, an election campaign. Does everyone remember the rules for scoring?
1) The scoring will begin on the day the writ is dropped for the Federal election - entries will be cut off midnight the next day. Entries Donhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06622586278564088804noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5931017.post-47464021729767788432011-02-22T21:36:00.000-07:002011-02-22T21:36:43.640-07:00Suckers
Gary Bettman (pictured here) and Daryl Katz must think we're idiots. Rexall Place sells out for every Oilers home game, and Phoenix is a more viable team because the hockey rink is so much better, empty though it is every night?
Edmonton taxpayers might be willing to put up some money for a new rink, if we can make sure we get value for the money, but I don't think Edmontonians are Donhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06622586278564088804noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5931017.post-57250847099568360012011-02-02T22:49:00.000-07:002011-02-02T22:49:32.503-07:00March 29th?
Prime Minister, I want to quickly remind you, as I did a few years back, that you legislatively stripped yourself of the power to call elections at random times without a defeat of your Government. It's possible your 2008 election call only violated the spirit of the bill, but not the letter, but it's worth noting that since it was your government's idiot bill in the first place, Donhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06622586278564088804noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5931017.post-72959145553241800702011-02-01T19:21:00.001-07:002011-02-05T17:07:26.501-07:00Why do I have to go all the way to New Zealand to get my dose of Gwynne Dyer?
Dyer tends to be pretty on the nose about things. He says Hosni Mubarak is done, and he'll be leaving Egypt soon.
So what happens once Mubarak leaves? Nobody knows, because nobody is in charge of this revolution.
One thing that's come clear - Western governments, including our own, who have not dared to risk theirDonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06622586278564088804noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5931017.post-13130346195150513342011-01-27T07:13:00.000-07:002011-01-27T07:13:50.869-07:00Steady, Eddie.
I think we're going to miss Ed Stelmach as Premier. I think we have too few people in politics who sincerely see public service as service, but I think the Premier does. And I think if Ted Morton is next in line, as some have suggested, followed by Danielle Smith, we're going to be thinking fondly back to the Stelmach era for years to come.Donhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06622586278564088804noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5931017.post-25512183533107658242011-01-18T07:12:00.001-07:002011-01-18T08:00:13.967-07:00It's been a while...
... not only since I posted, but particularly since I posted bearish predictions about the real estate market. However, with Jim Flaherty's announcement yesterday, I think the moment has arrived. Home Equity Lines of Credit are no longer insurable by the CMHC. The CMHC won't insure 35 year amortizations. HELoCs have been reduced to 85% of the total equity in your home.
Donhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06622586278564088804noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5931017.post-76885543358533487722010-12-04T08:26:00.003-07:002011-04-25T16:52:44.839-06:00Killing the messenger
I'm not surprised the American government would like to see Wikileaks shut down. What I'm surprised at is how easily non-government actors fall into line to help out.
Fundamentally, Wikileaks is a news gathering organization, and yes, a quarter million classified documents is news. Wikileaks didn't break confidentiality by publishing the documents, because they aren't Donhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06622586278564088804noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5931017.post-25852762609369414382010-11-29T16:02:00.002-07:002010-11-29T16:26:00.067-07:00Seen in the Wikileaks dump
Here's a memo relating a conversation between a State Department official and the then-head of CSIS, Jim Judd. Judd expresses concern about the about-to-be-released video of Omar Khadr's interrogation by Canadian officials. The specific concern was that:
...the images would no doubt trigger
"knee-jerk anti-Americanism" and "paroxysms of moral outrage,
a Canadian Donhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06622586278564088804noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5931017.post-23893269563284984372010-11-24T17:55:00.001-07:002010-11-24T18:36:40.758-07:00Regarding Alexander Keith's IPA
Dear Labatt's:
If I wanted to drink Ontario piss water, I already have plenty of options. I guess Corb Lund is right, again.
Donhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06622586278564088804noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5931017.post-41143372690494878572010-10-25T19:57:00.000-06:002010-10-25T19:57:25.334-06:00Congratulations, Toronto!
On the heels of Calgary electing a progressive, urbane young Harvard-educated professor, Toronto also commits to a new direction.
Rob Ford, fat f*ck.
Rob Ford isn’t repugnant and offensive because he’s fat. Being fat is only one part of a full package of traits that trigger disgust and apprehension in anyone who doesn’t pick fights with the press, doesn’t assault his Donhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06622586278564088804noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5931017.post-70333360462091306442010-10-25T08:25:00.005-06:002010-10-27T06:33:00.911-06:00Congratulations, Obama and Harper!
The American and Canadian governments have avoided the embarrassment of trying Omar Khadr. Now they don't have to explain why throwing a grenade on a battlefield when most of your compatriots have been killed by the attacking force can be called murder, why a child soldier should be tried as an adult, and how being buried under a pile of rubble didn't prevent Donhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06622586278564088804noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5931017.post-60614296447681141402010-10-18T22:46:00.002-06:002010-10-19T21:28:30.814-06:00Happy, happy surprise
I met Naheed Nenshi over twenty years ago, working long days on a campaign until late each night, when I would give a few members of the team a lift home in my old rattletrap of a car. I don't doubt some of his committment to safe, reliable public transportation was formed while he listened to the whine of my engine struggling up 36th Street, drowning out the strains of Donhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06622586278564088804noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5931017.post-15283699630518185052010-10-04T20:15:00.000-06:002010-10-04T20:15:37.021-06:00To virtually no one's surprise
It turns out the Tories are a bunch of lying liars who lie. I still can't figure out why they've bothered. Do they really have such an ideological hate on for the long-form census that this is the hill they're willing to die on?
You know, during the 2006 election, I kept hearing how the Sponsorship scandal was evidence that the Liberals had become too arrogant, Donhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06622586278564088804noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5931017.post-15429768666596990422010-08-14T09:38:00.002-06:002010-08-14T09:52:44.769-06:00Funny/Sad
The Fraser Institute sends Paul Wells an invitation to a $200-a-plate fundraising lunch, using data produced from the long-form census in the pitch. Four days later, they send another fundraising request, bragging about being on the cutting edge of wanting to tear up the mandatory long-form census.
Drink up!Donhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06622586278564088804noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5931017.post-62846389880871750802010-07-28T07:47:00.000-06:002010-07-28T07:47:53.342-06:00Surprise!
British PM David Cameron comes out and calls Gaza a "prison camp". Someone call Stephen Harper and let him know that you can be a Conservative without giving Benjamin Netanyahu a "ready, aye, ready" every time Israel's government does something stupid or mean.Donhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06622586278564088804noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5931017.post-50064457999140168522010-06-11T13:27:00.001-06:002010-06-11T21:10:26.150-06:00Gooooooooooooooooaaaaaaallllllll!
A right-wing wacko explains why soccer is anti-American, and therefore beloved by the liberal media. Sure does make me want to cheer for the USA side, to make tea partiers crazy.Donhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06622586278564088804noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5931017.post-28227890393699226832010-06-09T05:33:00.003-06:002010-06-09T10:16:23.492-06:00Crazy Talk
I am almost certain that this is just nonsensical blog talk, as opposed to serious consideration. Why the CBC is reporting this merger talk nonsense, already rejected by the leader of the Liberal party as "absurd", as anything but punditry wankage is beyond my understanding.
Calgary Grit has made the arguments and done the math, and if the only point of an NDP-Liberal merger is to Donhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06622586278564088804noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5931017.post-31901704778419910502010-06-03T08:16:00.001-06:002010-06-03T08:29:16.616-06:00"But nobody else has to!"
This is the thinking, rejected by kindergarten teachers everywhere as a sign of social immaturity among their charges, that passes for Israeli foreign policy these days. Israel is rejecting the UN's request for an investigation of Monday's flotilla raid:
An official in the prime minister's office said there is "no case in recent history" where a democratic country's Donhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06622586278564088804noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5931017.post-5273540071408753462010-06-02T12:15:00.000-06:002010-06-02T12:15:45.006-06:00Isolation
So, perhaps my initial reaction was too strong, too angry, and certainly too unrealistic. However, I've been clear enough about my feelings that I have objected to much of Israel's behavior toward its neighbours in the occupied territories and beyond over the last decade. I've said as much on this blog on occasion. I believe that Israel's government prefers bullying its neighbours Donhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06622586278564088804noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5931017.post-91313688167875393232010-05-31T18:27:00.000-06:002010-05-31T18:27:59.642-06:00Missed opportunity
You know, if we were ever going to take the opportunity to stand up for our NATO allies in Turkey, telling Netanyahu that he was being held here while we investigated his government's attack of a ship flying a Turkish flag in international waters would have been a good chance.
Alternet has a short-and-sweet article to unspin the nonsense Israel's press relations office has Donhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06622586278564088804noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5931017.post-38984509374730113802010-05-28T17:15:00.000-06:002010-05-29T06:25:54.632-06:00Friday Night Videos
Via POGGe, via Stageleft, your Friday night video. Enjoy the phat beats of the lying liar (or possibly forgetting forgetter. Will he be asked which one by reputable media?) Jason Kenney.
When they're done asking him about this disagreement between his words and the verifiable facts, will he get out of the way of MPs trying to find out exactly how complicit Canada is in Donhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06622586278564088804noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5931017.post-70965757556307806052010-05-26T07:48:00.000-06:002010-05-26T07:48:40.087-06:00When even the bank sounds bearish, what's on the horizon?
A CIBC economist has predicted that Canadian housing prices are due a correction, albeit slow and steady over the next couple of years. Given that the bank has a vested interest in the bullish side of the real estate business (Step one, issue mortgages. Step three, profit!), this can't bode well.
But don't worry, the Chief Executive of Donhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06622586278564088804noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5931017.post-10017414546442391222010-05-19T10:24:00.001-06:002010-05-19T10:24:44.494-06:00Over? OVER?!? It's not over until we say it is!
First of all, I have to say something you'll rarely hear on this blog: Stephen Harper's government is right. Taxing banks in order to create a bailout fund is a very bad idea. Primarily, it will destroy whatever small sense of moral hazard remained in the market. Not only will a bailout be expected, it'll be guaranteed, so go ahead and continue Donhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06622586278564088804noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5931017.post-31541711381294354222010-05-18T23:23:00.000-06:002010-05-18T23:23:27.395-06:00Finally, a reason to follow Twitter
Best feed ever.Donhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06622586278564088804noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5931017.post-18223655968676633932010-05-11T14:01:00.000-06:002010-05-11T14:01:39.732-06:00Now she tells us
Helena Guergis, yesterday:
I feel as though they've thrown the rule books out the window, that they're not respecting due process at all. I find it very undemocratic.Gee, ya think?Donhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06622586278564088804noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5931017.post-54897472488196120752010-04-27T14:18:00.000-06:002010-04-27T14:18:58.301-06:00The ball in the Prime Minister's court
The Speaker's decision is pretty clear - when it comes down to it, the House has the right to insist on whatever documents it wants. However, he's given the government two weeks to find an accommodation with Parliament about how to release these documents and still protect the national interest.
One of two things will happen now:
The Prime Minister Donhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06622586278564088804noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5931017.post-77123091031100380242010-04-27T11:56:00.000-06:002010-04-27T11:56:40.693-06:00Decision Day?
I was hoping to be safely tucked back into my own domain before another election brought about Gaffe-o-Meter IV: The Gaffinating, but there is some buzz that the Speaker's decision regarding the contempt of Parliament motion made weeks ago might send Canadians to the polls. However, I will do what I need to do, if the Prime Minister decides that it's easier to ignore his own Donhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06622586278564088804noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5931017.post-27993856368744256842010-04-13T21:46:00.001-06:002010-04-27T07:42:56.127-06:00As Bear604 always liked to write, "For those of you scoring at home"
Two weeks after banks bumped mortgage rates 6/10s of a percent, here comes another quarter. This will be a wilder ride than even I thought.
On a four hundred thousand dollar mortgage (not an unreasonable amount of loan to buy a pretty boring run-of-the-mill single family detached house in Edmonton), in two weeks your debt Donhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06622586278564088804noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5931017.post-26567743042604632542010-04-13T19:44:00.000-06:002010-04-13T19:44:11.190-06:00Good news at last
The Oilers have the first draft pick in the 2010 entry draft, so that was totally worth sucking all year long.Donhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06622586278564088804noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5931017.post-29270481024382294772010-04-13T07:30:00.001-06:002010-04-13T13:52:06.369-06:00Here I am
If it wasn't for messing around with the blog, I'm sure I would have something pithy and entertaining to say about Rahim Jaffer or Dave Taylor. I'll see what I can come up with later today.
Meanwhile, this generic template is very much like my original back in 2002, so I might have some fun with it before I return some variation of blinding red and orange.Donhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06622586278564088804noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5931017.post-5238103242972157762010-04-12T09:58:00.001-06:002010-04-12T15:52:48.825-06:00Today's the day
Blogger stops supporting FTP transfer on the first of May. I've been using FTP transfer to publish my blog for nearly a decade. I also have my own URL and several side pages. So, long story short, this is going to be interesting.
Fortunately, no one reads me any more except me, so no one should notice if I break everything. Wish me luck!
Edited to add: It didn't go as well as Donhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06622586278564088804noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5931017.post-9952615246964454702010-03-30T17:36:00.001-06:002010-05-22T17:50:59.061-06:00We will now begin our descent. Fasten your seatbelts.
I don't think I'm a genius for predicting interest rates were due to rise, but apparently many people were surprised by this sudden turn of events, and are responding to the change by.... er, assuming a mountain of debt while they're still allowed to. But don't worry - this couple won't spend more than they can afford. They're both personal Donhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06622586278564088804noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5931017.post-14309269891967710692010-03-23T18:41:00.000-06:002010-04-12T11:13:27.823-06:00International newsSo the United States finally has public health insurance.What? Really?Okay, so the United States finally has universal health coverage.No! Really?So, I'm led to believe that the United States finally has health coverage extended to many more people. Yes? Whew!Anyway, David Frum explains the difference in the interests of the Republican Party and the Conservative Donhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06622586278564088804noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5931017.post-80764126772183289392010-03-19T07:34:00.000-06:002010-04-12T11:13:27.833-06:00And now, InflationJust a week ago, analysts were expressing concern about the rising dollar and inproved job situation, and hoping for an interest rate increase much sooner than September, Mark Carney's hoped-for date of moving from zero. Those analysts are worried that, while we all want the economy to recover from recession (and for jobs to appear in greater numbers), if we overshoot, we can Donhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06622586278564088804noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5931017.post-48422176733328135702010-03-15T06:46:00.000-06:002010-04-12T11:13:27.842-06:00Generational theftIn the face of a growing deficit and lower oil and gas prices, the provincial government has elected to return to the sort of fire-sale royalty rates we charged for our oil and gas before Ed Stelmach was elected leader of his party on the promise of a review of those rates.So, unlike other jurisdictions that have responded to major recessions with one-time infusions of cash intoDonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06622586278564088804noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5931017.post-170223230033712652010-03-03T08:07:00.000-07:002010-04-12T11:13:27.861-06:00Another reason I preferred Stephane DionPOGGe has been pointing out occasions when Israeli Apartheid Week, described as a "pro-Palestinian teach-in" on university campuses across the country and indeed around the world, has exposed several of our nation's leaders as anywhere between timid mouthers of platitudes to rabidly pro-Likud and pro-occupation and expansion.Among the first set are people Donhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06622586278564088804noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5931017.post-31874569869582409212010-02-24T08:00:00.000-07:002010-04-12T11:13:27.871-06:00Dear Olympic attendees who got curling tickets as part of a package instead of events you really wanted to go to:I'm sure you don't know any better, but this is unbelievably rude. So is this. Would you scream and yell at golfers about to take a swing, or as the first article suggests, ring a cowbell through a figure skating routine?It's partially the venue's fault for not having someone holdingDonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06622586278564088804noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5931017.post-15930547160287373542010-02-21T12:33:00.000-07:002010-04-12T11:13:27.880-06:00A true test to see if Danielle Smith is as savvy as everyone says - will she say "Thanks anyway"?My one-time M.P., crazy-ass Myron Thompson, is now sitting on a Wild Rose Alliance constituency association board. So, lucky them.Donhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06622586278564088804noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5931017.post-56877993515171737472010-02-19T11:08:00.000-07:002010-04-12T11:13:27.888-06:00This has the potential to be interestingIn the face of the Wild Rose Alliance becoming a force in Alberta politics, and watching neither the provincial Liberals nor the NDP (who I continue to dutifully belong to and donate to, barring a better alternative) show any desire to renew themselves after taking an election pounding that was at least partially self-inflicted, I'm ready to hear other Donhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06622586278564088804noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5931017.post-64682906310208907052010-02-18T09:29:00.000-07:002010-04-12T11:13:27.897-06:00MathI'm becoming increasingly concerned about the changes Flaherty announced on Tuesday, so I've been crunching some numbers. I posted large swaths of this in the Edmonton Real Estate blog comments section this morning, but I thought it bore repeating here:I'm more than a little concerned that the delay before the change will create a bubble all its own, quite aside from any debate about a Donhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06622586278564088804noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5931017.post-89921817408682008012010-02-16T07:23:00.000-07:002010-04-12T11:13:27.851-06:00ChangesJim Flaherty has announced a few changes to CMHC rules in the hopes of deflating a bubble that he insists doesn't exist.Some people may chalk up the timing of this announcement as the government wanting it to be ignored in the face of Olympic fever. I think it shows how quickly we've gone from zero to consensus that Canadians are living with a housing bubble, and that the government wantsDonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06622586278564088804noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5931017.post-89176200793578513582010-02-15T22:47:00.000-07:002010-04-12T11:13:27.909-06:00Before the market tanks...... it's fun to celebrate a little something. Congratulations to Alexandre Bilodeau on Canadian gold!Donhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06622586278564088804noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5931017.post-29777831913072754062010-02-09T22:41:00.000-07:002010-04-12T11:13:27.923-06:00You read it here firstThe Wall Street Journal yesterday asks interesting questions about a Canadian housing bubble.Donhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06622586278564088804noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5931017.post-38754099182458610282010-02-08T09:42:00.000-07:002010-04-12T11:13:27.937-06:00Canadian Economy Death Watch, part 2In the United States, the inevitable failure of sub-prime lending threatened to pull down banks and insurance companies directly, and the ensuing recession managed to bring the car industry to the brink. In Canada, our banks may be huge sub-prime lenders, but backed by the government via the CMHC, the bubble looks isolated from the rest of the economy (so long Donhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06622586278564088804noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5931017.post-29989759709414208462010-02-04T09:20:00.000-07:002010-04-12T11:13:27.955-06:00DangerSo, Mrs. RevMod and I have been doing some househunting, and we were both shocked at the size of mortgage we've been pre-approved for. We've also been wondering why the housing market in Canada hasn't suffered the massive deflation of the American market. Even as we've gotten closer to buying, we've been researching the answers to these questions, and we've reached the point of stepping Donhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06622586278564088804noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5931017.post-64818752800723532212010-01-07T07:39:00.000-07:002010-04-12T11:13:27.971-06:00That can't be rightSo, there are in the range of thirty-five thousand commercial flights in the United States daily - thirteen-and-a-half million in 2008. That's one hundred and eight million flights in eight years. In that time, two whack-jobs - one with a theoretically-exploding shoe, the other with theoretically-exploding gaunch - have tried and failed to blow holes in two planes. I'm going toDonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06622586278564088804noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5931017.post-29408836912362347672009-12-14T18:43:00.000-07:002010-04-12T11:13:27.985-06:00Of course they wereThe Yes Men have admitted responsibility for the fake Environment Canada press release this morning setting impressive goals for carbon dioxide emission reduction. I only wish I had had time to predict this outcome on the blog this morning, because I certainly did to my wife at 7am. Oh, well.The best part was when an official from the PMO described the hoax as "childish" in Donhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06622586278564088804noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5931017.post-78161091159753723712009-12-03T08:31:00.000-07:002010-04-12T11:13:27.996-06:00Let's see those assholes in Strathcona County ban me from using this: Yes, that's a steering wheel laptop tray. That's totally going on my Christmas wish list. As a bonus, I'll get to test my vehicle's airbags, repeatedly.(from Amazon, hat tip Wonkette)Donhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06622586278564088804noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5931017.post-42713321798933943672009-09-26T00:34:00.000-06:002010-04-12T11:13:28.006-06:00Announcements, alt music FridaySo, in a week, I'll be marrying the future Mrs. RevMod.My strongest impression of my stag evening tonight was this music. Though you won't be seeing an attractive brunette's breasts in accompaniment, as I did, enjoy!Donhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06622586278564088804noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5931017.post-20351597896588040062009-09-16T09:10:00.000-06:002010-04-12T11:13:28.035-06:00Tory troubleDan thinks last night's Calgary-Glenmore by-election could be the first indication that the political map in Alberta is about to change.Donhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06622586278564088804noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5931017.post-18398354714384027632009-09-16T06:52:00.000-06:002010-04-12T11:13:28.022-06:00Obama calls Kanye West a "Jackass"Which is, you know, totally obviously true, so if Obama finds himself having to beg for forgiveness for this, I'm going to be a little pissed off.I hope this is the only question that's raised during the press conference at the end of the meeting with the Prime Minister today, which of course it will be.The best part of this story is the President's choice of Donhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06622586278564088804noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5931017.post-34066348195378178222009-09-15T04:27:00.000-06:002010-04-12T11:13:28.056-06:00CoverIt's beginning to become clear that neither the NDP nor the Conservatives are particularly interested in going to an election right now. The Tories are still attempting to write a negative script about Micheal Ignatieff, because neither the one where he's a foreigner (born in Kenya, perhaps?) nor the one where he's in bed with"the socialists and the separatists" seems to be sticking. I Donhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06622586278564088804noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5931017.post-38151265256128805262009-09-03T09:33:00.000-06:002010-04-12T11:13:28.067-06:00Gaffe-o-Meter 2009?So, rather than wait for an inevitable bit of Tory pushiness or stupidity, Micheal Ignatieff has announced that the Liberals will vote against whatever confidence measure happens to wander up. I suppose he avoids being seen as indecisive or unwilling to pull the trigger, the way Dion was, but this blanket "Let's have an election" declaration seems to be distasteful to a lot ofDonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06622586278564088804noreply@blogger.com0