Brontoforumus Archive

Discussion Boards => Thaddeus Boyd's Panel of Death => Topic started by: Büge on May 23, 2008, 06:27:36 PM

Title: News from the North
Post by: Büge on May 23, 2008, 06:27:36 PM
The Prime Minister's just waiting for the Canadian Tire guy to come out of hiding is all. (http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20080506/ag_sussex_080506/20080507?hub=Specials)

Dalton McGuinty secures the Tranny Vote. (http://www.advocate.com/news_detail_ektid54783.asp)

I'm going to miss being vegan. (http://www.hour.ca/news/news.aspx?iIDArticle=14607)
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: JDigital on May 24, 2008, 05:32:08 AM
Dalton McGuinty secures the Tranny Vote. (http://www.advocate.com/news_detail_ektid54783.asp)

All 100 of them, apparently.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Mongrel on May 26, 2008, 03:59:45 PM
This whole thing is pretty stupid, but dammed if it doesn't get funnier each time they update the story. (http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20080526.wbernier0526_1/BNStory/National/home)
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Arc on May 26, 2008, 06:49:41 PM
I'd leave extremely sensitive classified documents at her apartment anytime, if you catch my drift.

:want:
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Mongrel on May 26, 2008, 06:54:00 PM
The best part was the riposte that leaked out way back when that picture was taken.

Prime Minister Harper's office flunkey calls Bernier:
Flunkey: "That's not what Mrs. Harper would have worn to an official reception."
Bernier: "Exactly."
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Mongrel on June 03, 2008, 07:18:37 PM
In Canada, terrorists say 'eh?' (http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20080603.wterror0603/BNStory/National/home?cid=al_gam_mostview)

EDIT: Yeah, these tapes are going to make for some funny-ass listening. (http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20080603.wterror04/BNStory/National/home)
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Norondor on June 03, 2008, 07:20:37 PM
In Canada, milk comes in bags

fixed
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Mongrel on June 03, 2008, 07:46:58 PM
It comes in bags in Minnesota too :MENDOZAAAAA:

Oh wait, that secretly belongs to us :justasplanned:
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Mongrel on July 05, 2008, 10:55:21 AM
Weeeee. Drink. Your. MILKSHAKE. (http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20080705.wyellowcake0705/BNStory/International/home)
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Mongrel on July 07, 2008, 08:41:57 PM
Goddamit will this never end either? (http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20080706.wsudan07/BNStory/International/home?cid=al_gam_mostview)

Between this, the Celil case, and about a half-dozen other episodes of complete international spinelessness, I am left to wonder just how long before I won't be ashamed of my country again.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: koipond on July 10, 2008, 02:38:43 PM
You mean you aren't already?

I mean, we still have Harper in power.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Mongrel on July 10, 2008, 05:43:38 PM
Annnnnnd.. we've continued to find new lows with our utter dereliction of moral duty when it comes to Omar Khadr.

I don't care if the damn kid thinks he's Osama Bin laden himself... he was captured when he wasn't even old enough to fuckin' shave.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Mongrel on July 15, 2008, 11:57:17 AM
Videos of the above (http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/Page/document/video/vs?id=RTGAM.20080715.wvkhadr0715)

Man, that is one incompetant fucking interrogator. Granted the videos chosen are for maximum public impact and they would hardly release any videos with actual information on them, but still...
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Mongrel on August 04, 2008, 05:06:36 PM
I can only pray that someone will give this man a huge fucking medal someday. (http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20080804.wKhadr05/BNStory/National/home)

THAD EDIT: The link refers to Omar Khadr's defense attorney requesting that the charges against him be thrown out.  Khadr was a child soldier and Canadian citizen arrested in Afghanistan and is currently being held in Gitmo.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: sei on August 05, 2008, 02:04:32 AM
wtf spoilers
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Mongrel on August 05, 2008, 04:07:32 AM
Thad has no sense of the dramatic.  :gweeee:
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Shinra on September 07, 2008, 12:20:23 PM
So I hear your prime minister dissolved all the checks and balances in your government.

how's that working out for you?
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Brentai on September 07, 2008, 01:56:00 PM
Hoo boy.  I know there's an expression for this, but I can't recall it.  "Pot calling the kettle black" doesn't quite fit.  I'm thinking more like "The cripple calling the lame man slow" but it's not quite rolling off the tongue.

Well, in all honesty, it's the lame man calling the cripple slow.  It's a bad time to be anywhere in the Americas, I guess.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: SCD on September 07, 2008, 11:00:59 PM
We're looking at electing the status quo. 

The only person I'm cheering for is Dr Keith Martin, MP Esquimalt Juan De Fuca (Liberal), only because he's done a fantastic job, no matter which stripe the turncoat wears at the time. 

Speaking of which, here's an article by his team:  http://www.keithmartin.parl.gc.ca/detail.asp?lang=e&type=news&sid=2922

Forget what you see on the TV.  This is the true state of Canadian politics, and one of the major contributing factors to why our system is stagnant and out of touch with the electorate..
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Mongrel on September 09, 2008, 06:42:01 PM
Anyone who thinks Harper dissolved all the checks and balances of the Canadian government is living in a dreamland.

...along with those people who were ever under the misapprehension that we ever had any checks or balances.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Shinra on September 10, 2008, 01:59:10 AM
Hoo boy.  I know there's an expression for this, but I can't recall it.  "Pot calling the kettle black" doesn't quite fit.  I'm thinking more like "The cripple calling the lame man slow" but it's not quite rolling off the tongue.

Well, in all honesty, it's the lame man calling the cripple slow.  It's a bad time to be anywhere in the Americas, I guess.

Bush might be a bastard, but he never went out and fired all of congress and the house of representatives.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Mongrel on September 10, 2008, 04:10:43 AM
Sure, but it's not like our MPs do anything anyway.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Mongrel on September 10, 2008, 05:11:55 PM
Massive flip-flop from the party leaders after the media spent three days nagging them ragged: The Greens are in. (http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20080910.welxnlede0910/BNStory/politics/home)
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: SCD on September 11, 2008, 01:04:31 AM
Was pissed off about that myself to the point of bringing that to my superiors.  To not let a party with more than 5% of the vote participate in all the major means was a warning sign which no one should let go by.  No one.


Also am pissed off that the sacrifice of my friends means naught to Harper as he tries to win a few swing ridings - you could say I'm bitter right now.

Very bitter.  ::(:
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: James Edward Smith on September 11, 2008, 07:07:07 AM
Anyone who thinks Harper dissolved all the checks and balances of the Canadian government is living in a dreamland.

...along with those people who were ever under the misapprehension that we ever had any checks or balances.

Matt, what are you talking about, we have the Queen's royal representative. If that isn't enough of a balance to properly govern this wild wilderness fur trading settlement that we petty criminals, adventurers and freed indentured servants call the Canadian Dominion, then what pray tell is? What are you, one of the french or something?

I really wasn't looking forward to this election and was sort of burying my head in the sand and just hoping that it would go away some how. I mean, with a lame duck Liberal leader like Stefan Dion, I can't see Harper's ever strengthening Christian-right agenda being halted in the slightest by it, and that really makes me sad. Dion is a complete moron. They put him in charge over staggeringly more electable Bob Ray as a move could patch things up with Quebec after all the sponsorship scandal flak, and then he goes and alienates Quebec anyway before the election is even called. What a god damn fuck up he is. I mean, lots of Canadian politicians are fuck ups, but at least they aren't fuck ups with zero charisma.

We all thought that this was Canada, where European progressiveness could be found on American soil, but we were all just fooling ourselves. The Liberal party only did progressive things accidentally whenever they weren't busy lining their pockets or generally fucking the dog. The NDP is too radical as always and so we have turned to the Conservatives just because no one really cares who Steven Harper actually is, and at least he runs a tight ship or so he's managed to fool everyone into thinking because he isn't as blatantly corrupt or incompetent as the 13-year Liberals.

This whole thing with the 3 major parties not wanting to allow a legitimate 4th party (and yes they are the 4th party, the Bloc is not a fucking legitimate party because no party that stands for only one province should be counted as legitimate in a FEDERAL election) to get the same screen time as them was the final straw for me. WHO THE FUCK CARES IF HARPER, DION OR LATON SAY THEY WON'T COME TO THE DEBATE IF THE GREEN PARTY IS THERE? WE DON'T HAVE TO HEAR WHAT THEY HAVE TO SAY, THEY HAVE TO FIND SOME WAY TO TELL US. WE DON'T HAVE TO VOTE FOR THEM, DAMN IT. THEY HAVE TO MAKE US WANT TO VOTE FOR THEM. We are being governed by a bunch of over-inflated douchébags, children wearing their daddy's suits. why everyone suddenly thought that the situation was the complete reverse of this and thought that the debate had to yield to the politicians and not the other way around, I will never understand. But seriously, our politicians need to stop acting like we are begging them to run our country for us or something and start treating the role of party leader with some god damn respect.

I wouldn't mind starting some sort of "I vote for someone who isn't a jackass" campaign where we tried to get as many Canadians to vote for "Not a Jackass" as a write in candidate in as many ridings as possible.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: François on September 11, 2008, 11:50:25 AM
They put him in charge over staggeringly more electable Bob Ray as a move could patch things up with Quebec after all the sponsorship scandal flak, and then he goes and alienates Quebec anyway before the election is even called.

Hilariously, he's been alienating Québec long before he was even put in charge.

Quote
(and yes they are the 4th party, the Bloc is not a fucking legitimate party because no party that stands for only one province should be counted as legitimate in a FEDERAL election)

:facepalm:

I've been sitting here for five minutes, trying to figure out where to begin pointing out how intensely wrong you are. It's like a gigantic cake. I don't even know if I should take a bite or let it stand there and merely contemplate its awe-inspiring size instead. There is a monumental, impressive amount of wrong baked into it, to such a degree that I can't even see any good in touching it. There's always going to be some left, and if it's not entirely gone then what's the point of starting? It's not like it's delicious.

...

:cake:

I don't want to vote for a member of a party that has to cater to all those other provinces that I don't care about. That's right, I don't care about the rest of Canada. I don't have reasons to care. You can't make me care. I want my government to look out for me; the least business my chosen party has with other provinces, the better. If I could vote for a hypothetical Bloc Maskoutain (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint-Hyacinthe) in federal elections, I would. Even though it'd be only one guy.

Of course, at this point, you're asking me "if you don't care about the country, why do you vote for a federal party at all?"

As much as I don't like Canada's system of government as it is, I'm still begrudgingly part of it, and someone's going to represent my riding in Ottawa whether I like it or not. And if someone's going to represent me, I want this person to be one that agrees that I, among other things, don't need or want (and indeed refuse) to have the slightest, most minute impact on deciding who will set the tax rate for people living from British Columbia to Newfoundland. That's an opinion like any other, and if you say that me and people like me shouldn't have this opinion represented, then you're part of why I don't want to care.

And if the rest of Canada doesn't want to care about Québec, then that's completely wonderful. Let's get a Bloc Albertain going. Maybe we'd finally see decentralization worth mentioning. That, ironically, would be a Canada I might be tempted to give half a shit about.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: James Edward Smith on September 11, 2008, 02:28:47 PM
Alright sorry, your Hobbesian worldview is accepted.

Quote
(and yes they are the 4th party, the Bloc is not a fucking legitimate party because no party that stands for only one province should be counted as legitimate in a FEDERAL election by people who are still humouring our current system of government as even approximating an appropriate system of government and still want to take it seriously)

Which to be honest, almost isn't even me anymore. The thing is, when I finally do get to your level of disapproval --which I'm thinking might happen before this election is even over-- I'm not going to express that by voting for the Waste the Rest of the County's Time Party: Ontario Edition (WRCTP:OE).

I do agree though with trying to elect someone who truly wants to reform our system in the serious way it needs to be and actually has a good idea for it. I do not think we need to break off into little fiefdoms like the Bloc seems to think, though I do prefer that to the current Conservative plan of appointing Steven Harper as Emperor and ordering Jack Layton to serve as his Court Jester, as subtle a change to the current system as that may seem to be.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Mongrel on September 11, 2008, 04:14:37 PM
Honestly, the thing that pisses me off about Harper is not his ongoing demolition of the traditions of a government entirely based on tradition, nor is it his robotic, bullying personality, nor is it the fact that he has surrounded himself with incompetent mouthbreathers, nor is it their petty and blatantly personal-revenge based arts program cuts, nor is it even the fact of his constant flirtation with the extreme right (while pretending to be centrist like any good Canadian politico who wants to be elected.

No, what pisses me off enough to actually vote for someone else is the fact that the current Conservative fiscal policy is TERRIBLE. Their economic management is goddamn embarrassing, their ministers are all but AT WAR with their provincial counterparts. The GST cut is the greatest example of their complete inability to understand proper economic management, but not once have I seen Flaherty do a single thing I like. I'd kill to have someone of Paul Martin's caliber back as Finance Minister, because in the end, this will affect me and everyone I know, far, far more than anything on the list above.

Also, I'd like to give props to my man Joe Clark for standing up for Elizabeth May - before it was fashionable.

P.S. Re: Jack Layton: I may have mentioned this during the previous election, but I have one ironclad rule in Canadian Politics: Never vote for anyone who once served on Toronto City Council, the most useless bunch of worthless grabasses to have ever coagulated into a body politic.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Mongrel on September 11, 2008, 04:36:24 PM
Also am pissed off that the sacrifice of my friends means naught to Harper as he tries to win a few swing ridings - you could say I'm bitter right now.

Very bitter.  ::(:

I don't think this will make you any happier. (http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20080911.welxnsparrow0911/BNStory/politics/home)

 :facepalm:
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: SCD on September 17, 2008, 12:00:43 AM
This is a hard one...

And for the first time in quite sometime, I do not know who to vote for...

I don't trust the Liberals as they have proven themselves to be complacent with constitution as well as rural folk..

I lost my faith in the conservatives as only two years ago did Harper mention how Canadians don't cut and run - to a speech to soldiers at KAF

I don't trust NDP types either.. and I was more of a Jim Harris Green than a Elizabeth May Green. 

Is it just me, or am I foreseeing record low turnout?
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Mongrel on September 17, 2008, 04:29:49 PM
This election is DISMAL. The leaders are WORTHLESS.

All three major parties should have their chief strategists SHOT. Well.... except that Dion is basically COMPLETELY IGNORING the Liberal Party's chief strategist AND the chief pollster and is vetting EVERYTHING BY HAND.

Out here in Ontario the big question is "Hey, even if you all totally hate us... couldn't you at least PRETEND that you care about the province - even if only for purely opportunistic motives?" I mean, WE ONLY HAVE A THIRD OF THE POPULATION OF THE COUNTRY. But hey, who needs those votes? Nahhhh... The KINDEST thing you can say about these campaigns is that they are disorganized failures.

Jesus Fucking Christ, watching incompetence this bad makes me vomit and pass out.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Brentai on September 17, 2008, 04:33:49 PM
Oh hey, you guys are 8 years behind us.

...or 4.

...or 2.

:(



Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Mongrel on September 17, 2008, 04:34:45 PM
Only we won't get an Obama ever.

As Canadians, mediocrity is our insufferable lot in life.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Brentai on September 17, 2008, 04:35:45 PM
Hanging on in quiet desperation is the English way.

You ought to learn to stop being like them.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: sei on September 17, 2008, 10:45:46 PM
Only we won't get an Obama ever.

As Canadians, mediocrity is our insufferable lot in life.
Give it some time; maybe we won't, either.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Arc on September 21, 2008, 08:03:40 AM
Hanging on in quiet desperation is the English way.

You ought to learn to stop being like them.

Their English roots are the only variable keeping them from becoming this:

(http://img117.imageshack.us/img117/4255/norsecl9.jpg)
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: SCD on October 09, 2008, 03:04:14 PM
To the outsider:

I give you the 2008 Canadian Election in a nutshell

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4hfGy_b87gI
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Arc on October 14, 2008, 09:22:10 AM
so did you guys vote for obama today or what
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Fredward on October 14, 2008, 10:57:30 AM
Vot'd. And what's more, since I moved across the country, I was able to vote in a riding where the party I voted for actually has a decent chance of winning.  ::D:
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: SCD on October 14, 2008, 12:23:20 PM
whoa, you're no longer in Van?

oi..

Yeah, the problem with representation is you have these paradoxes like your candidate being super awesome, but her leader being a mustached douchebag..

If my military friends ever hear of this one...
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: James Edward Smith on October 14, 2008, 12:42:29 PM
whoa, you're no longer in Van?

oi..

Yeah, the problem with representation is you have these paradoxes like your candidate being super awesome, but her leader being a mustached douchebag..

If my military friends ever hear of this one...

Hahah, Commie!

Oh wait, I voted Green last election, NDP before that and will probably vote Green party this time. Never mind then.

I'm not voting NDP or Liberal because the candidates for both of those parties in my riding are avid church goers. Gary Goodyear, the incumbent conservative candidate, is actually a really good MP, the best MP my riding has had for a while, but I really don't like the ReformConservative party so he doesn't get my vote either. The only logical choice other than abstaining is to vote Green.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Kashan on October 14, 2008, 02:11:18 PM
I'm not voting NDP or Liberal because the candidates for both of those parties in my riding are avid church goers.

Wait, have they done something offensive via their church going, or is the mere fact that they're religious enough to keep you from voting for them?
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: James Edward Smith on October 14, 2008, 03:48:11 PM
I'm not voting NDP or Liberal because the candidates for both of those parties in my riding are avid church goers.

Wait, have they done something offensive via their church going, or is the mere fact that they're religious enough to keep you from voting for them?

The latter. I don't vote for anyone who actively goes to church anymore. I think it shows them to be a person who is insincere at best, or at worst a person who does not govern their decisions based on reason or rationality. I do not want to be governed by either sort of person.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: François on October 14, 2008, 04:43:33 PM
Somehow I'd rather be governed by a moderate, open-minded religious man than by a raging atheist, if that's the only information I have to go on to make my choice. Isn't that just balls crazy?

Or course if we're talking about picking between two zealots, I'd go with the miscreant every time.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Kashan on October 14, 2008, 04:46:40 PM
 :MENDOZAAAAA:
I'm not voting NDP or Liberal because the candidates for both of those parties in my riding are avid church goers.

Wait, have they done something offensive via their church going, or is the mere fact that they're religious enough to keep you from voting for them?

The latter. I don't vote for anyone who actively goes to church anymore. I think it shows them to be a person who is insincere at best, or at worst a person who does not govern their decisions based on reason or rationality. I do not want to be governed by either sort of person.

So you would vote for somebody with a contrary ethical system if they were the only cantidate that wasn't religious? Or would just not vote? I don't understand how non-religiosity could be considered the most important issue any more than I can understand how religiosity could be the most important issue.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: SCD on October 14, 2008, 05:10:14 PM
Here's something else: 

The media blackout on results still exists!  Despite the internets, the local cable company has blacked out CBC newsworld. 

Talk about out-of-date regulation!
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: James Edward Smith on October 14, 2008, 05:17:19 PM
Quote from:   :derp:
So you would vote for somebody with a contrary ethical system if they were the only cantidate that wasn't religious? Or would just not vote?

I'm sure if Thad was here, he'd mock you for throwing such a false dilema in my face, Kashan.

I voted for the Green party about an hour ago. The Liberal candidate here is a total joke and the NDP guy has been talking about is hospitals as his main concern which I don't see as being a big issue here. Both the Green member and the NDP member have been talking about air polution which I do see as a big issue here.

I would never vote for someone who has a contrary ethical system to me, but this never really comes up as most religious people have contrary ethical systems to me (They are often against homosexuals for no rational reason for instance). Why you said I would do that, I have no idea, unless you thought that the Green party doesn't share my ethical beliefs, which it does.

I never said religiousity was the most important factor in elections to me. There are other reasons that I didn't vote Liberal or NDP this election, but it was a contributing a factor. I try to be a very open minded person, and I never claim to have all the answers to anything. This philosophy has caused me to be very understanding of religious individuals for a long time, especially moderates. But I just don't care anymore. Religious fundamentalists have worn me down to the point that I just don't understand what the point of being a religious moderate is. Religion is a fundamentally illegitimate institution to me. I see no reason to persecute people for believing in it, but I equally believe that it should have no place in governmental decision making since it is based around believing things to be one way that was decided a long time ago and to never change no matter what evidence arises to challenge those ideas.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: François on October 14, 2008, 05:47:09 PM
Religious fundamentalists have worn me down to the point that I just don't understand what the point of being a religious moderate is.

It's your prerogative, and I don't blame you for ending up that way, but... I say it sincerely: I find this tragic. When extremism destroys moderation's reputation, everybody loses.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Mongrel on October 14, 2008, 06:06:58 PM
I live in Layton's personal feifdom (I may have mentioned this), but I gave my $1.70* to the Liberals.

*For the Americans: Due to legislation introduced in the last few years, donations to political parties have been severely curtailed across the board. In partial compensation, each party that meets a minimum threshold in the popular vote (5%? 8%? I forget), gets some money to spend on the CURRENT election, based on their share of the vote in the LAST election. The current value of a vote calculated on that basis is something like $1.70. Thus, even if your preferred party does not win, you get a bit of a consolation prize (next time around).

EDIT for the Conservative/NDP voters: If you're wondering why I voted for the party of big business and generalized incompetance, please note that I trust Paul Martin's party to run our economy in a far better way than Flaherty has with his patchwork disasters.

STUPID GST CUT! YOU FUCKING IDIOTS. GIVE ME AN INCOME TAX CUT! UR DOING IT WRONG!

That, and I hate Harper and Layton more than I do Dion.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Mongrel on October 14, 2008, 06:16:56 PM
Update: Looks like the Conservatives are going to be swept out of Newfoundland. :lol:

Someone give Danny Williams a prize.  :whoops: :glee:
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Mongrel on October 14, 2008, 06:33:32 PM
Hilarious side stories so far:

- Maxime Bernier re-elected, lulz to follow!
- Garth Turner on his way out. Don't let the door hit your mouth on the way out Garth!
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: François on October 14, 2008, 07:01:07 PM
- Maxime Bernier re-elected, lulz to follow!

Yeah, that's strange. I got family there, and according to them pretty much everyone hated the guy even before all the stuff happened. I guess the alternatives are too horrible to contemplate.

In other news, my riding re-elected a semi-hot Vietnamese adoptee. Score!
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Mongrel on October 14, 2008, 07:40:19 PM
Every time I've seen Bernier say or do anything, he seemed like a guy trying to act like Trudeau... only completely devoid of any brains and/or vision. He's like a caricature of the good-looking office idiot that spends all his time avoiding work and chatting up the women at the office.

And yet he was re-elected with nearly quadruple the vote of his nearest competition. And he's not even a cabinet minister anymore. Way to go Beauce?

 :?: :wat:
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Detonator on October 14, 2008, 07:46:07 PM
So you have your federal elections the day after Thanksgiving?  That seems a little strange, is it?
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Mongrel on October 14, 2008, 07:47:57 PM
Further:

- LOL at André Arthur and getting re-elected. We's trollin' in the hizzouse.
- Props to Bill Casey and the residents of Cumberland - Colchester - Fuggeddaboudit Valley. Sometimes the moral stand is good for one elections's worth of free rides (at the expense of later elections).

Way to go team independant! You can now claim total board superiority against the Greens.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Mongrel on October 14, 2008, 07:48:56 PM
So you have your federal elections the day after Thanksgiving?  That seems a little strange, is it?

Dates are variable.

Don't let the recently-passed 'fixed election dates' law you may have heard about fool you - it can be ignored in a variety of ways.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Mongrel on October 14, 2008, 08:12:11 PM
Looks like Gerard Kennedy made it in.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: on October 14, 2008, 08:19:06 PM
So is Canada fucked or saved.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Arc on October 14, 2008, 08:23:43 PM
Have a great day~!
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Classic on October 14, 2008, 08:37:15 PM
Do I still want to go there if these elections turn out... red?
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: LaserBeing on October 14, 2008, 09:10:33 PM
So is Canada fucked or saved.

It's the same as it was before the election. Basically this was just a huge waste of time.

So, business as usual, really.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: François on October 14, 2008, 09:16:55 PM
So is Canada fucked or saved.

It's the same as it was before the election. Basically this was just a huge waste of time and money.

Harper is a smarter version of Bush with a vastly smaller army. Also he's harmless to anyone who doesn't live in Canada or Afghanistan.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: SCD on October 14, 2008, 10:09:57 PM
Four more years!

Four more years!



So, do we want to start a pool on how long before the next round of elections?

I say two years less a month
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: James Edward Smith on October 14, 2008, 10:23:22 PM
What a waste of money. They could have phoned me up in September and I would have told them these exact results after consulting a sheep dog. *sigh*

I'm guessing we'll be back here again in about a year and a half again. The two things I pray to happen in the interm; Dion can some how transform into a brilliant and inspiring leader and win a minority or the Liberals can cast him out and elect Bob Ray as party leader like they should have done in the first place. If either of those things happen, then the Liberals would stand a good chance of forming a coalition government with all the left leaning parties and we'd finally be off this election mary-go-round. Unfortunately, I don't see either of those things actually happening, and I don't think that today's Dion will ever beat Steven Harper in a general election. I also see no way for Harper to win a majority or form a coalition.

My question is, why don't the Liberals, NDP and Bloc just form a coalition right now? It seems to me that if Dion and Layton actually believe any of the bullshit they said during this campaign, it would be in their best interests to at least try. Would the Bloc ever be open to such an arangement?
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Arc on October 14, 2008, 10:30:23 PM
Dion is finished.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: LaserBeing on October 14, 2008, 11:09:34 PM
So I was flipping past CBC today and I actually saw a trailer for a Canadian movie, in real theatres! Advertised on television!

I was like, WWI movie? Nobody makes WWI movies. Who would make a WWI movie? And then I saw Paul Gross and I was like "oh yeah! WE would!"
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Kashan on October 15, 2008, 12:30:14 AM
Quote from:   :kashan:
So you would vote for somebody with a contrary ethical system if they were the only cantidate that wasn't religious? Or would just not vote?

I'm sure if Thad was here, he'd mock you for throwing such a false dilema in my face, Kashan.


It's only false in that you haven't been confronted with the exact circumstance I described, it's a perfectly possible dilema to face. Karl Rove is an Atheist while Barack Obama is an avid church-goer for example. And I didn't say you would do anything, I was asking what you would do given a certain situation. You stated as an absolute that you don't vote for religious people (anymore). I found this surprising and was trying to figure whether you actually meant that you simply wouldn't vote for a religious person under any circumstances in any race. If so, that would make the two options I mentioned the only options given the.

75% of Canadians believe homosexuals should have the same rights as everybody else, and 83% of Canadians are Religious. Clearly there's some crossover there.

I'm happy to hear that religiosity isn't the most important issue to you, and that you have other reasons for not voting for the NDP and Liberal candidates, but in your initial post you simply stated that you weren't voting for them because they were avid church goers. I have trouble viewing that as open minded.

You have problems with fundamentalist religion, that's fine. I do too. It's hateful and intolerant. But holding it against somebody that they're religious regardless of how they approach it is intolerant too.

I'm curious, how prevalent fundamentalism is in Canada?
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Mongrel on October 15, 2008, 03:46:36 AM
So is Canada fucked or saved.

We continue to cruise along in the realm of insufferable mediocrity.

Do I still want to go there if these elections turn out... red?

Since it was a Canadian election, nobody won (haha, you think I'm, kidding).

Oh and our colours are reversed from yours: Blue = Conservative, red = Liberals. I've always enjoyed the fact that Canada has some of the most boring, uncreative names in the world for it's political parties.

So is Canada fucked or saved.

It's the same as it was before the election. Basically this was just a huge waste of time.

So, business as usual, really.

This ^^^

So is Canada fucked or saved.

It's the same as it was before the election. Basically this was just a huge waste of time and money.

Harper is a smarter version of Bush with a vastly smaller army. Also he's harmless to anyone who doesn't live in Canada or Afghanistan.

Pretty accurate, though Bush is too dumb to be as mean-spirited and petty as Harper.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Mongrel on October 15, 2008, 04:05:39 AM
What a waste of money. They could have phoned me up in September and I would have told them these exact results after consulting a sheep dog. *sigh*

I'm guessing we'll be back here again in about a year and a half again. The two things I pray to happen in the interm; Dion can some how transform into a brilliant and inspiring leader and win a minority or the Liberals can cast him out and elect Bob Ray as party leader like they should have done in the first place. If either of those things happen, then the Liberals would stand a good chance of forming a coalition government with all the left leaning parties and we'd finally be off this election mary-go-round. Unfortunately, I don't see either of those things actually happening, and I don't think that today's Dion will ever beat Steven Harper in a general election. I also see no way for Harper to win a majority or form a coalition.

My question is, why don't the Liberals, NDP and Bloc just form a coalition right now? It seems to me that if Dion and Layton actually believe any of the bullshit they said during this campaign, it would be in their best interests to at least try. Would the Bloc ever be open to such an arangement?

There have been several articles at length on how and when a coalition can claim legitimacy under the Canadian parliamentary system. First, as the winning party, the Conservatives must be allowed the chance to govern first - that's the law and the consitutation. So, the Conservatives would have to be defeated in a confidence vote. Simple enough, sure, but still not something to be dismissed, seeing as Harper's gotten good at loading votes of confidence. 
Next, there's the issue of the popular vote. In most previous coalitions, the coalition members could claim the majority of the popular vote - but the Liberals didn't do so well in that regard and the Bloc's vote is highly concentrated, technically they would have a collective superiority, but it's kind of a technicality in this case. Finally, in all prevous coalition governments in Canada, the parties had drafted a written agreement promising a period of stability - this may be difficult for any group involving the Bloc (and any written deals with the Bloc may be poison for any parties outside of Quebec). Don't underestimate Layton's ego causing trouble here either.

Why all the nonsense? Because under the Canadian system, the game is actually stacked against coalitions. A coalition must prove to the Governor-General or Lieutenant-Governor that the coalition they propose is better for the consituents than enother election. Usually, this means that the coalition members can strongly argue that they deserve a chance to govern legitimately. That usually means a good strong, popular leader (uh oh, Dion!), a share of the popular vote that can't be questioned, and  something to prove that the deal will guarantee political stability in an uncertain time.

The best example I can think of is the Ontario "coalition" between David Peterson's Liberals and Bob Rae's NDP. Actually, on that amusing note, Bob Rae has been involved in two of the most famous falls of minority governments in recent Canadian history. Besides the 1985 masterstroke, when he was a federal MP in 1979, he's the one who made the motion to pull the plug on Joe Clark.

Dion is finished.

Not necessarily. The party is broke (again) and tired. Basically, if they want another leadership convention, they'll have to decide to hand the house to Harper for at least 2 years. Privately, the Liberals were hoping that if they lost, the Conservatives would get a majority, giveing them time and space to rebuild (and clearly branding Dion as a loser).

Maybe a true genius idea would be a Liberal-Conservative coalition? If either party would swallow it, which I doubt.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Mongrel on October 15, 2008, 04:21:24 AM
I'm curious, how prevalent fundamentalism is in Canada?

Suprisingly frequent, but since Canada has so many different religious and cultural groups, the effect is minimal, since no group ever masses numbers beyond "angry local church group, where most of the meeting hall is empty".
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: SCD on October 15, 2008, 07:54:27 AM
 The electoral map of the results (http://www.cbc.ca/news/canadavotes/map/2008/)

Oh, Danny boy - You're not looking so hot right now, aren't ya? (http://www.cbc.ca/news/canadavotes/story/2008/10/15/williams-harper.html)
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: François on October 15, 2008, 08:20:00 AM
Harper is a smarter version of Bush with a vastly smaller army. Also he's harmless to anyone who doesn't live in Canada or Afghanistan.

Pretty accurate, though Bush is too dumb to be as mean-spirited and petty as Harper.

Heh, I almost typed "Add a hint of Vlad Putin-brand control freak in the mix."
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: James Edward Smith on October 15, 2008, 12:07:44 PM
Quote from: Iron Mongrel
That stuff he said about coalition problems

See, this is what I figured pretty much, but I think some of those conditions are fulfilled. The big one being the fact that any coalition we end up with can claim it will create political stability. I'm pretty sure everyone is sick and tired of elections. Too many people hate the Liberals nowadays to ever vote them in over the conservatives, and Steven Harper is not willing to compromise on any of his policies enough to appeal to moderate Canadians. A coalition is the only way I can see us having a stable government.

The problem is, we're fucked. Harper is too much of an asshole to enter into a coalition with the Liberals. He would never compromise that much, not when he's in the lead. On the other side you have the Bloc being a big bull in the House of Commons china shop that no one can really negotiate with to any productive end. Also, I have the sneaking suspicion that the Liberals trying to form a coalition that involved Jack Layton would be just as hard as trying to form one with Steven Harper. Why? I have no idea. I honestly have no idea what Jack's problem is, but he just seems like he will never face reality and help the other left wing or moderate parties to bring down the conservatives. All he ever cares about is strengthening the NDP's position, come hell or high water. I think it's a childish attitude that really doesn't serve Canada or Canadians in any way.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Arc on October 15, 2008, 01:07:20 PM
Coalitions will lead you down the path to our two-party system. Instead, breakup the Conservative monopoly and work from there.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: SCD on October 15, 2008, 04:14:46 PM
You won't see that happening until they are unseated from office.  So long as the Right Honourable Stephen Harper maintains strict heiarchical-style leadership over his party, and continues to gain seats while in the throne the Conservatives will be a bitch to split up considering that unity of the center-right is the only thing that keeps them in office.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Mongrel on October 15, 2008, 06:20:35 PM
You won't see that happening until they are unseated from office.  So long as the Right Honourable Stephen Harper maintains strict heiarchical-style leadership over his party, and continues to gain seats while in the throne the Conservatives will be a bitch to split up considering that unity of the center-right is the only thing that keeps them in office.

True. Also, the Conservatives BURN with the memory of the Jean-Chretien years. Even if the "reform" and "Red-Tory PC" wings have a horrible falling out, it would take a self-defeating troll of David Orchard-like proportions to even THINK of splitting off a new Conservative party. And even if they did it would have few adherents.

No-one wants to risk spending 15 years out in the cold again.

Anyway...

I think you folks are worrying too much.

I think that a restoration of the old order (alternating Tory/Liberal majority governments with minorities once in a while and the NDP occasionally trolling) is well within the realm of possibility. It just takes one little thing:

Either party needs a leader someone gives a damn about.

It has been said an innumerable number of times. Dion is likeable, able, and smart, but has all the leadership qualities of a small wet terrier. He is about as inspirational as a bowl of lukewarm oatmeal.

Worst of all, his weakness in English kills him. Not because he can't communicate, but because the man is FUCKING TERRIFIED of misspeaking in English. Anytime he has to speak in english, it destroys his confidence. The man actually can display some fire, but he just can't get over that hump.

Contrast that to our old friend Jean C, who's english was far worse but who refused to let that slow him down. He was a firey troll from hell and an ugly, dirty street fighter, and damn did I love watching him twist all of Parliment round his little finger - twice before breakfast alone.

On the other side we have a Prime Minister who's best hope is to be remembered as a small-minded, robotic bully. Stevie is more hated on a personal level then almost any PM in memory. In fact, he's more despised then even Brian Mulroney was after he introduced the GST. And yet he's had no policy failures (not that he's had any victories either, mind you), no, Stevie manages this on personality alone. Because he's basically a jerk.

In fact, that lost him the majority. If it wasn't for his entirely spurious and spiteful (not to mention fairly random) cuts to arts programs, he likely would have been able to take enough seats in Quebec to win. Or at least come desperately close. He spent two years parroting about how Quebec was important, without ever actually understanding anything about them. The thing is, he's like that with everyone. It was just Quebec that tripped him up.

And Jack? The thing about Jack is that he looks good - as compared to the two superstars above. See, Jack is that guy you knew in high school or college, the smug know-it-all, and even if he seems okay on the surface, on a base level a lot of people get the vibe. He's the slick snake-oil salesman and the preaching organic vegan all in one man. What's not to love?

Jack is a charismatic guy. He could have had a lot of traction in another party - maybe even taken the leadership (god knows it wouldn't have been THAT hard). Why did jack pick the NDP? Principles? Hah! Look at Bob Rae! Now there's a man who has grown enough to just come out and admit that he just wanted to take charge and get something fucking done. Why did Jack choose the NDP? I'll tell you why: Moral Superiority.

As the leader of the NDP, Jack can fight the good fight forever! And he'll never ever ever have to really back it up! He can flex his muscle and take the party to almost unprecedented heights - 37 seats, what a powerhouse! What a MAN! This is what gets Jack off (hur hur), of being the 'good guy', of playing hero. But the problem is that Jack's ego is so goddamn monstrous, that that's all he's doing is playing. The citizens of Canada are just mobs in his goddamn personal MMO.

When Albertans complain that people from Ontario are arrogant, self-satisfied, condescending dicks, it's people like Jack that embody everything they think about.

So.

These are the leaders of our major parties. We don't need another Trudeau, to dazzle people and pull the rug out from under everyone in the blink of an eye. ANYONE of real, solid true quality will do.

Give me Clark, give me Pearson, give me Jean Chretien, give me Paul Martin (oh god, I'd KILL for Paul Martin right now!), give me Laurier, I'd cry hot tears for a Stanfield or a St-Laurent, hell, I'd even take Borden or Mackenzie King if necessary right now (though not necessarily Borden or Mackenzie King).

As has been said, Canada is a friendly dictatorship. And if you want to be dictator, then by god, you need to be better at it than Stevie or Stephane. One of the most heartening things about Canadian politics is that Canadians are documented as having the lowest level of party loyalty of any democratic nation in the entire western world. In my mind, this is one of our finest achievements - BUT it comes at a price. No party will ever truly succeed in Canada without a damn good leader. The whole enterprise hinges on that one thing and right, we are hurting. The electorate has nowhere to turn and our political climate and public policy are aimless and drifting.

I don't know if we'll get someone of Obama-calibre leadership anytime soon (or at all), but dammit that's what's needed. This just isn't a country where a political party can cruise along under a crappy leader. Unfortunately, that's what the land of perpetual mediocrity has right now. God help us all.



in before tl;dr
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Mongrel on October 15, 2008, 06:36:23 PM
You know, its funny. Koipond and I were actually discussing Gilles Duceppe today. Once the separatist fear that surrounds him in english Canada recedes, you actually really begin to appreciate the guy.

Sure, everyone here but Zed would disagree with his most cherished opinion, but he's a warm likeable guy. He has more honest charisma than all the other major party leaders put togther, he works hard both supporting his own constituancy and works hard supporting his fellows in theirs. He's a stong leader without being overbearing and he's friendly without being a pushover. He confident, comfortable and knows how to fight dirty and use the rules when he needs to. Unlike Jack he has no illusions about his place and the place of his party in the federal parliament and doesn't waste all of his time on delusions of grandeur. He tends to have solid plans and defined goals (I mean OTHER than the obvious one) and works steadily towards those goals, with some solid successes under his belt. He's taken a party who's raison-d'étre is at an all-time low, and not only kept his party relevant, but kept it healthy and strong. And he's managed to stay away from shower caps for years now.

I have no trouble at all understanding why a non-separatist Quebecer would vote for this guy. Too bad the other parties can't get that message.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: SCD on October 15, 2008, 08:04:02 PM
give me Jean Chretien

No.  He is the reason why every firearm owner and collector in Canada went Alliance and donated in droves

And yes, I pine for Martin as well.  When the cretin butchered the military budget and equipment wise while stretching them out on deployment levels which rival today's without even making many meetings with the CDS at the time let alone visiting NDHQ at all, Martin played the symbolism card by taking a tour in the big grey building on his first day in office and brought a politically volitiale Chief of Defense staff who's own approval ratings were not only higher than any PM, but even of the Pope (source:  Economist).

The guy had a lot of foresight and was the reason why our entry in the CIA world factbook includes the phrase " Top-notch fiscal management has produced consecutive balanced budgets since 1997".  That being said, the major issue with him is that he made everyone a priority without too much focus and results. 

Nice guy, tried to help everybody. 

I still spit at the very mention of Cretien.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Mongrel on October 16, 2008, 04:05:41 AM
Well, you don't have to agree with all of his policies - or all my choices. I liked Chretien because I enjoy a streak of devious intelligence in my leaders. Though for the record, I think any kind of gun registry is a fools game and a waste of everyone's time and money. The long-gun registry doubly so. I mean, it doesn't even make a good tax grab for fuck's sake. It's just that those aren't priority issues for me, as I don't own a gun of ANY kind.

Anyway, more news this morning: They don't waste any time, do they? (http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20081015.election-dion16/BNStory/politics/home) Perhaps I was wrong on the Dion item.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Fredward on October 16, 2008, 06:50:36 AM
Quote
British Columbia's Liberal Premier, Gordon Campbell, said voters in his province clearly were not impressed by Mr. Dion. “We can't underestimate the fact that, frankly, Mr. Dion's leadership did not resonate with British Columbians. [Stephen] Harper's did.”

What they fail to mention is that the BC Liberals haven't been associated with the federal Liberals since the eighties, and now have a completely different political leaning. :facepalm:
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Mongrel on October 16, 2008, 05:40:50 PM
Wacko local is blowing up pipelines in Northern BC. (http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20081016.wpipeline_explosion1016/BNStory/National/home)

The best part is that he's mad about the awful gas and its lethal toxic fumes... so he blows up piplines and... releases the gas.

 :fuckoff:
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: SCD on October 16, 2008, 08:18:07 PM
I have a feeling that this one is going to be settled either quietly, or quietly at a bar, or should he be successful, really quietly...


Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: François on November 06, 2008, 06:17:37 AM
Soooo. Provincial elections in Québec.

 :MENDOZAAAAA:

I'm going to vote against Charest so hard he's going to die. The gesture of my pen marking the PQ circle is going to be the gesture that stabs his heart. They will have to autopsy him. And then bury him. Because he's going to be dead. Cause of death: Remote Vote Rage Syndrome. Big X marks his grave.

What an IDIOT. What a TOOL. Fuck! He just saw Harper get whupped in the very same type of election started for the very same reasons in the very same country in the very same year. Less than a month ago in fact. Is he insane?

 :fukit: :fukit: :fukit:
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Royal☭ on November 06, 2008, 07:06:41 AM
You Canadians sure do love gutting your government every few months, don't ya?
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Thad on November 06, 2008, 08:23:14 AM
...I kind of envy them.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Mongrel on November 06, 2008, 10:13:49 AM
Soooo. Provincial elections in Québec.

 :MENDOZAAAAA:

I'm going to vote against Charest so hard he's going to die. The gesture of my pen marking the PQ circle is going to be the gesture that stabs his heart. They will have to autopsy him. And then bury him. Because he's going to be dead. Cause of death: Remote Vote Rage Syndrome. Big X marks his grave.

What an IDIOT. What a TOOL. Fuck! He just saw Harper get whupped in the very same type of election started for the very same reasons in the very same country in the very same year. Less than a month ago in fact. Is he insane?

 :fukit: :fukit: :fukit:

Wouldn't you have just voted PQ (or maybe ADQ - everyone's favourite evasives) anyway? :whoops:

I know Charest has learned the traditional Bourassa-like Quebec Liberal modus operandi, but still.

P.S. I also think he was retarded for calling it now. Harper has exacted revenge on Charest for his lack of support in the federal election, by throwing Quebec under the equalization bus. You can be DAMN SURE Mario or Pauline will raise THAT little gem.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Mongrel on November 06, 2008, 10:18:02 AM
...I kind of envy them.

In the history of Canada, no Canadian politician has ever won office. Canadian Politicians can only lose office.

We even manage this when there are no incumbents!
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: SCD on November 06, 2008, 10:29:44 AM
So interesting times on the westcoast.

Right now, the provincial government is being, well, odd. 

We have a Liberal Majority that plays more like a socialy liberal, fiscally conservative party with an emphasis on steamrolling through as many treaties and getting 2010 over with.  The guy in charge isn't too popular because due to the fact that BC was on the edge of total fuck when he took  over office, we were running way over budget so he cut cut cut..

Now he's gone and cancelled the fall session of Legislature only because he has no intention of passing any laws, and hopes this will keep the opposition, the NDP, down for a spell or two before the provincial election next May. 

I'd call this undemocratic, like anyone else does, but nothing really gets done in legislature, safe passing budgets, treaties and whatnought.  That and the Liberals are going as far as quite litteraly asking our opinions through voluntary online/mailing/go to the MLA's office and drop your throughts-style poll on the next budget.  He's been doing this with that, healthcare, and well - just about everything.

I'm torn right now, only because the NDP really messed up BC in the 90's and we are still paying for it, and the green party seems quite ineffective.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: François on November 06, 2008, 10:56:24 AM
Wouldn't you have just voted PQ (or maybe ADQ - everyone's favourite evasives) anyway? :whoops:

Elections are expensive, and when we get one we should hope it lasts more than two years. Sure I would have voted PQ anyway if more time had passed, but I would have voted with much less murderous wrath.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Mongrel on November 06, 2008, 11:06:39 AM
Oh admit it. You just have the hots for Lise Beaudoin. :suave:
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: François on November 06, 2008, 11:33:11 AM
*sigh*
(http://image.blingee.com/images15/content/output/000/000/000/47c/300495538_445921.gif)
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Mongrel on November 06, 2008, 11:51:56 AM
can't stop laughing

send halp
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Arc on November 06, 2008, 03:57:14 PM
That and the Liberals are going as far as quite litterally asking our opinions through voluntary online/mailing/go to the MLA's office and drop your throughts-style poll on the next budget.

Link? Scan? I'm sure we can all come up with some sound ideas around here.

:justasplanned:
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: LaserBeing on November 06, 2008, 04:33:55 PM
You can be DAMN SURE Mario or Pauline will raise THAT little gem.

(http://anotherdimension.pyoko.org/dk94.jpg)
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: SCD on November 09, 2008, 04:09:41 PM
That and the Liberals are going as far as quite litterally asking our opinions through voluntary online/mailing/go to the MLA's office and drop your throughts-style poll on the next budget.

Link? Scan? I'm sure we can all come up with some sound ideas around here.

:justasplanned:

It's too late 

https://www.leg.bc.ca/budgetconsultations/index.htm

But I threw in my two cents. 

Vancouver island needs more Tourist Catapults.  I figure due to the latest round of new years budget cuts, we can just huck a tourist down the straight of juan de fuca towards Washington State and see if your Anti-air defense kicks in.  ::D:
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Mongrel on November 14, 2008, 05:53:33 AM
Dear Stevie, NOW is not exactly the best time to align yourself with Bush. (http://www.reportonbusiness.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20081114.wibsummit14/BNStory/Business/home)
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Büge on November 14, 2008, 08:08:10 AM
http://toronto.ctv.ca/servlet/an/local/CTVNews/20081113/Crisp_parents_081113/20081113/?hub=TorontoNewHome (http://toronto.ctv.ca/servlet/an/local/CTVNews/20081113/Crisp_parents_081113/20081113/?hub=TorontoNewHome)

This is what I get for not watching the news. I could have posted the story about some kid who ran away from home because his parents wouldn't let him play Call of Duty and they've found his carcass already.

This could have also fit into the WTF? or Games News Dump thread.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Zaratustra on November 14, 2008, 09:43:46 AM
I think the lesson we can learn from this is 'learn to climb trees properly'.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Mongrel on November 14, 2008, 01:18:21 PM
Yeah, that story was broached elsewhere on the boards... but I can't remember what thread.

When I saw how it ended, I didn't exactly feel the need to rush in and post the rather dismal news.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: James Edward Smith on November 14, 2008, 01:32:32 PM
I love this story because the media has been reporting the hell out of it and trying to set the tone like a sob story. We should all feel so awful about how this POOR kid, ran away from home and his mother doesn't know where to find him. Now he's dead and it's a tragedy.

My mother was always telling me about this story whenever I've gotten home from school or work this past week. She's always had this grim, sympathetic mother's look on her face each time. But every time she's told me, I just laugh. Now that he's actually gone and killed himself by falling out of a tree, it just makes me laugh even more.

Now, I don't want to seem callous. I mean, our information about what the hell actually happened to this kid is really vague. In fact it's the sort of classic super media vague where the story seems crafted to me and disingenuous. The media doesn't have all the answers, but why do they need them, this kid went rotten due to those damn awful video games that are also making our kids fat! Bottom line is, I don't have all the answers or any right to pass judgment on any of this, but from what the media has told us, this kid was an asshole and a retard.

He got into an argument with his parents over wanting to play Call of Duty 4 too much, they finally tried to lay down the law, so he ran away from home like a retard and then as the icing on the cake, he falls out of a tree and dies. I would never say this to his mother or his friends or whatever, but this kid was an idiot. The CBC can show press conferences with his inept parents all the want, but in my mind, there's probably a lot of other people on this planet who died last week who will never be on the news and who deserved a lot more mourning than this disobedient kid did.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Mongrel on November 14, 2008, 01:35:28 PM
LOL, It's a good thing I know you because that "sounds" awful typed as text.

Yeah, this kid was a fucking idiot, though I think the price of his failure was rather a little high.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Brentai on November 14, 2008, 02:43:45 PM
Quote
Crisp recalled how Brandon loved to play sports when he was younger. He played goalie on his local hockey team, but was let go because he was shorter than the other children. After that, he got heavily into gaming.

Quote
"Children don't want to go outside and play sports. They'd rather be inside playing these things," Crisp said, referring to gaming.

Erm.  Sorry, guy, I know you're a little upset and all, but please take a moment to straighten out your sense of cause-and-effect there.  Clearly this was a kid who wanted to play outside, didn't get a fair shake at it, and retreated into an obsession as a response.  And when that was taken from him, he climbed up a tree (so unhealthy!) high enough to kill himself, and just so happened to do so.

The worst part is that the father was actually right to limit the kid's vidjagaming, but probably went a little over the top because of his own personal bias against it.  Had the medium not been so villified in recent years he probably would have thought a little harder before yanking the bottle out of the addict's hand.

Also, he raised a kid smart and depressed enough to commit suicide basically anywhere.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: The Artist Formerly Known As Yoji on November 14, 2008, 03:28:20 PM
Wait a cotton-picking minute...

Quote from: Wiki
Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare is a first-person shooter video game developed by blah blah blah...

...

Rating(s)    BBFC: 15[6]
ESRB: M (Mature)
OFLC: MA 15+[7]
PEGI: 16+[8]
USK: 18[9]

Quote from: CTV
Brandon Crisp, 15, as seen in this family photo released yadda yadda...

:pop:
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Mongrel on November 14, 2008, 06:06:08 PM
Quote
Crisp recalled how Brandon loved to play sports when he was younger. He played goalie on his local hockey team, but was let go because he was shorter than the other children. After that, he got heavily into gaming.

Quote
"Children don't want to go outside and play sports. They'd rather be inside playing these things," Crisp said, referring to gaming.

Erm.  Sorry, guy, I know you're a little upset and all, but please take a moment to straighten out your sense of cause-and-effect there.  Clearly this was a kid who wanted to play outside, didn't get a fair shake at it, and retreated into an obsession as a response.  And when that was taken from him, he climbed up a tree (so unhealthy!) high enough to kill himself, and just so happened to do so.

The worst part is that the father was actually right to limit the kid's vidjagaming, but probably went a little over the top because of his own personal bias against it.  Had the medium not been so villified in recent years he probably would have thought a little harder before yanking the bottle out of the addict's hand.

Also, he raised a kid smart and depressed enough to commit suicide basically anywhere.

I suspect the fall was accidental more than anything. Of course that's pure conjecture on my part.

Also, I don't see anything too far out of line with 'parent completely bans X'. Taking away shit has always been a parent's prerogative. Grated you could argue that 0-60 was not what you call a smooth move, but still, it's well within the purview of your average halfway-competent parental pair.

Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: SCD on November 14, 2008, 07:42:14 PM
I also believe that the parents actions were justified on this.  Media addiction is a serious issue which is only starting to be looked at...
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Mongrel on November 15, 2008, 08:44:49 AM
I would actually like to see some serious research on the incredibly high levels of modern alienation. I think that anecdotally, we can all think of someone who spends far too much time online, often to the detriment of their ability to socialize normally. What we don't have is numbers for ANYTHING.

I'm a bit torn in guessing whether or not the first real useful social studies will come out of North America or Asia. North Americans are more likely to talk about it openly as a problem, but the issue is (apparently) far worse in Asia. Something may also come out of Europe, though the issue doesn't seem to be as severe over there (at first glance anyway).
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Mongrel on November 21, 2008, 11:49:17 AM
Ahhh Pauline... such admirable spunk. (http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20081121.wPOLmarois1121/BNStory/politics/home)
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Fredward on November 21, 2008, 12:55:42 PM
Oh, shit. That's right behind where I live. Cool.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Mongrel on November 21, 2008, 02:51:15 PM
You live in Montreal????
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Fredward on November 21, 2008, 04:23:54 PM
 ::(:
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Büge on November 22, 2008, 06:49:33 AM
Don't you remember me taunting him to try and speak his non-native french outside the city?
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Mongrel on November 23, 2008, 10:24:15 AM
I don't know why I thought Fred lived out west then.

ANYWAY...

Bilingualism is good! In my case it makes the difference between a 45k/year salary* and $12/hr ::D:

*er hopefully anyway. I find out next week.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Fredward on November 23, 2008, 10:44:38 AM
Well, that's because I did, until I moved out here for school. Which is incidentally why I was complaining about the weather. You see, it all connects. :slow:
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Mongrel on November 27, 2008, 08:19:59 PM
For all the Canadians who don't read the news all that regularly, a disaster of epic proportions is brewing: We may have another election within a month and a half.

Harper Goverment decideds to play Chicken with Parliament - and the Canadian people - all for their own political gain during a time of international crisis. (http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20081127.wfiscalpolitics1127/BNStory/Front/home)

Poison pill (http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20081127.weconomy27/BNStory/politics/home). Without this, the mini-budget might have been swallowed, but noooooo... Of course, the mini-budget is pretty bad as it is.

Relevant commentary/Coles Notes for the Americans. (http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20081127.WBwbradwanski20081127113606/WBStory/WBwbradwanski)

So this is just the initial bombshell and things could still go any which way. The Liberals could cave (oddly enough, as bad a position as they're in, I wouldn't bet money on it), the Harperites could back down (possibly as a result of public outcry... certainly nothing anybody says in Parliament will change their minds), a coalition could be formed between the opposition parties (unlikely, but still within the realm of possibility), or we could go to the polls, with a result that'd be anybody's guess at this point. Would Canadians grant Harper his sought-after majority? Would he suffer the wrath of the electorate Mulroney-style? Or will we be right. Back. Where. We. Are. Now?

We are so fucked. THANKS STEVE!
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: SCD on November 28, 2008, 08:07:51 PM
This should be where her majesty's representative steps in to try to fix things up.  After all, if the commons cannot man up, the duty rests firmly in the upper house if not the Commander in Chief to fix things up before they get out of hand.

Where is her excelency?
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: SCD on November 28, 2008, 08:11:54 PM
also, Oh fuck.  Too soon. (http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20081128.wnorthwestpassage1128/BNStory/National/home?cid=al_gam_mostview)
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Mongrel on November 28, 2008, 10:09:35 PM
also, Oh fuck.  Too soon. (http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20081128.wnorthwestpassage1128/BNStory/National/home?cid=al_gam_mostview)

That was EXACTLY my thought.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Arc on November 30, 2008, 08:59:28 PM
Dion is finished with not being Prime Minister!
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Mongrel on November 30, 2008, 09:05:30 PM
Yeah, the liberal leadership thing is still waaaaaaaaay up in the air. Both in context of this mess and in May.

But it looks like the Harper government is going to fall. Which will be a record for the shortest government in Canadian history.

I don't know that it's going to happen now, but one thing I want to see what it will look like on the day when Harper finally loses his ironbound control and his minions finally turn on him. Because he's not the kind of man who has friends. Just differences in the degree to which his enemies hate him.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Büge on December 01, 2008, 09:25:40 AM
To those of you who doesn't follow Canadian politics, this is a man who shakes hands with his wife as a display of affection.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Mongrel on December 01, 2008, 09:50:54 AM
He does the same thing with his kids too.

And if the word 'love' ever escaped his lips, most of the country is reasonably sure that he'd  :scanners: on the spot.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Mongrel on December 01, 2008, 12:02:17 PM
It's official: Dion will lead the coalition.

I know so many people hate him, but while I think there are better leaders of men, I think this was entirely the right thing to do. The Liberal party is confirming the exact same decision they all agreed to only a month ago. And they're taking the high road to contrast with Harper's ditch-digging.

I won't lie though. A part of me is entirely happy to see the man get his fifteen minutes in the sun.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: François on December 01, 2008, 08:02:30 PM
Dion is a tool, but he's like a screwdriver, where Harper is a sledgehammer. So yeah, step in the right direction.

What I really appreciate though, is that the NPD will have its first ever slice of power. I'm looking forward to how they handle it; this could be their ticket to greater things.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: SCD on December 02, 2008, 12:04:58 AM
I really have little joy of seeing the Tories throw away their election through arrogance, but I loathe the idea of a coalition under any banner.

The problem I have with the concept of a coalition government comes specifically from what I read and listened to from my short time in Israel, and the time I continued to pay attention to their politics since.

Isreal is also a parlementary democracy which is not much unlike our own, except that the President is very much like our own Governor General in terms of role, power and entry.  However, being in the eternal land of yahoos, Israel has an extensive list of parties for their small country.  Some vary between policy lines, while others vary between ethnicity and how hard they get for their monothesic idol.   As a result, there are much more than four or five parties on the election roll at any given time.  You may have heard of some parties including Likuid, who resemble our Tories, the newish Kadima party who seems to have a liberal taste to them and the Labour who are led by someone as bald and left as Mr Layton.

Then add all the fringe parties and say goodbye to any chance of a parliamentary majority. 

So what you gain are multiple parties of multiple flags under a coalition which, who have very important interests that must be looked after.  Otherwise, they pull the plug and you lose the majority, something which has been manditory for sometime to be seen as capable of forming parliament. 

They seem to try to accomplish many many things, but in reality, they sneak some pretty sneaky stuff along with all the good, many more times resulting in multiple steps backwards.  For example, their last government was elected with the mandate to slowly pull out of the West Bank. 

The amount of settlements has instead risen with more and more crazies habiting and barracading themselves within..

I see something like this happening in relation to the economy - a fragmented pork-barrel approach to fixing the shit we're along in when only a unified response can do. 

I cannot see a superintelligent, yet polite and timid 'leader', a seperatist and a man who'd promise his own mother for political gain going well as a coalition.

I also would hate to see this as a precident for the fragmentation of parties and the increased reliance on coalitions.  I hope this one never happens.

However at this point, we're just all along for the ride.  And from where I sit, being on an island on the west coast in the far backwater is like being on the backseat of this rollercoaster.  If the thing falls apart, there will be plenty of time to jump and hope I brought a parachute.

Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Mongrel on December 02, 2008, 09:06:42 AM
I really have little joy of seeing the Tories throw away their election through arrogance, but I loathe the idea of a coalition under any banner.

The problem I have with the concept of a coalition government comes specifically from what I read and listened to from my short time in Israel, and the time I continued to pay attention to their politics since.

Israel is also a parliamentary democracy which is not much unlike our own, except that the President is very much like our own Governor General in terms of role, power and entry.  However, being in the eternal land of yahoos, Israel has an extensive list of parties for their small country.  Some vary between policy lines, while others vary between ethnicity and how hard they get for their monothesic idol.   As a result, there are much more than four or five parties on the election roll at any given time.  You may have heard of some parties including Likuid, who resemble our Tories, the newish Kadima party who seems to have a liberal taste to them and the Labour who are led by someone as bald and left as Mr Layton.

Then add all the fringe parties and say goodbye to any chance of a parliamentary majority. 

So what you gain are multiple parties of multiple flags under a coalition which, who have very important interests that must be looked after.  Otherwise, they pull the plug and you lose the majority, something which has been mandatory for sometime to be seen as capable of forming parliament. 

They seem to try to accomplish many many things, but in reality, they sneak some pretty sneaky stuff along with all the good, many more times resulting in multiple steps backwards.  For example, their last government was elected with the mandate to slowly pull out of the West Bank. 

The amount of settlements has instead risen with more and more crazies habiting and barricading themselves within..

I see something like this happening in relation to the economy - a fragmented pork-barrel approach to fixing the shit we're along in when only a unified response can do. 

I cannot see a superintelligent, yet polite and timid 'leader', a separatist and a man who'd promise his own mother for political gain going well as a coalition.

I also would hate to see this as a precedent for the fragmentation of parties and the increased reliance on coalitions.  I hope this one never happens.

However at this point, we're just all along for the ride.  And from where I sit, being on an island on the west coast in the far backwater is like being on the backseat of this rollercoaster.  If the thing falls apart, there will be plenty of time to jump and hope I brought a parachute.



Well, if it's any comfort, remember three things:

1 - The chances of a new political party splintering off are slim.

Most Canadians seeking political power in this country tend to just gravitate to the existing parties. Anyone thinking of setting up a new party realizes that there are phenomenal hurdles to introducing a new national - or even regional - party and so the temptation is far lower here. Not a single party besides the Bloc has been successfully created that achieved anything at the federal level since the NDP back in the 60's.

Everyone remembers the vast wilderness that the old PC party found itself in for over a decade. And no one looking to simply start an alternative to our existing parties wants a repeat of that.

Yes, the Reform and Green parties made a showing, but in the end I consider those both failures. The Bloc on the other hand not only has a burning ideological reason to live, but they have successfully reinvented themselves multiple times, earning solid victories for their constituents. Or, more succinctly: Whatever else you might think of them, the Bloc gets results. This is why they have survived. No other political party - not even the NDP, really - has done this.

Finally, our geography should not in fact be overlooked. The barriers created by Canada's sheer size as compared to a much smaller state like Israel should not be underestimated. In Israel, not only can a small party be started up with lesser financial wherewithal, but it is also much easier to build a new and supposedly 'national' party with the support of a small close-knit local group. Canada's regional differences make it nearly impossible to build a national party out of anything but the vaguest premises.

The greatest danger probably is from new regional parties, but again, the Bloc is not a true example to follow here. Other regions don't have nearly the burning ideological drive. Alberta or BC threatening to separate sounds more like comedic hysterics then a serious threat (even if it was a serious threat), and eventually anyone involved in such a party would be tired of being frozen out of power - if they even managed to get off the ground at all.

2 - Canada is facing an all-time nadir of leadership.

In stark contrast to the Americans who may have just elected their most able and intelligent leader in decades, we are faced with a crisis of leadership that may be unprecedented in it's dismal nature. I have racked my brains, and not once in the past century can I think of a time when Canada was faced with a worse selection of federal leaders. I find it hilariously ironic that the best party leader in Ottawa right now may in fact be Gilles Duceppe (I posted about that a while back, some of you may recall).

At this point, people like Paul Martin or Joe Clark look like GODS, because for all their ground-level tactical faults, they knew what a Prime Minster should look like and how one should behave. They knew and empathised with Canada and it's problems and knew well how to talk to the people of this country. They knew what it meant to be a Statesman. Now? We have a miserable little pissant who puts his petty two-dollar revenge before the needs of the thirty plus million people he's supposed to lead, a hopeless academic with all the people skills of a dead turbot, a beau-geste idiot who forever wants to play Don Quixote, and a cunning opportunist playing the other three to his own endless advantage.

3 - Canada has the lowest party or ideological loyalty of any democratic nation on the planet.

In a way it's ancillary to the first point, but it also stands on it's own. New parties need a burning ideological reason to be created, but in Canada the desire for that is lower than almost anywhere else on the planet (which is something I adore about us). Remember the Constitution BNA Act: It doesn't mention a damn thing about Life, Liberty, or the Pursuit of [Individual] Happiness, no it clearly states a desire for Peace, Order, and Good Government. And that still hold true today. All our parties are identical: They're all centrists. The labels are just window dressing. No party rises to anything in Canada without being blandly middle of the road.

And by god, if Canada is going to be the world's greatest embodiment of hopeless mediocrity, then at least we get the occasional benefit of that too. Now and again, mediocrity cuts both ways (see: our banking sector, right now).

***

I think that for a new party to really go anywhere in this country, the Liberals would have to be in a very bad place for a very long time. They would have to post consecutive election showings WORSE than their last, and under at least three separate leaders. Even then, it still probably wouldn't happen.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Brentai on December 02, 2008, 09:10:27 AM
Remember the Consitution BNA Act: It doesn't mention a damn thing about Life, Liberty, or the Pursuit of [Individual] Happiness, no it clearly states a desire for Peace, Order, and Good Government. And that still hold true today. All our parties are identical: They're all centrists. The labels are just window dressing. No party rises to anything in Canada without being blandly middle of the road.

This right here?  This is why we always make fun of you.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Mongrel on December 02, 2008, 09:52:23 AM
Hey, my government didn't have have to rush out a banking sector bailout that approached a trillion dollars.

 ::D:

Like I said... as much as I hate it, sometimes mediocrity has its upsides.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: SCD on December 02, 2008, 12:44:56 PM
While I disagree with your assesment of the Reform Party - A success in it's own right, your post is making me think long and hard about my opinion.

Good post.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Mongrel on December 02, 2008, 02:19:39 PM
Amusing story: The only thing I ever liked about the Reform party was Preston Manning.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Mongrel on December 02, 2008, 02:28:12 PM
Oh and one more note: Real leadership is the single biggest barrier to defeating the Bloc in Quebec.

Until either the Liberals or Conservatives dig up a Pericles, Trudeau, or Obama who can appeal to the whole country, everyone's (not just les Québecois) just going to keep putting their petty parochial interests first.

Plenty of Québecois have shown a willingness to vote Liberal, Conservative, or NDP, but as long they have a solid fallback option, they're not going to vote for the first retard dumped in front of them. This applies outside of Québec too. Crazy as it seems, there actually ARE Albertans who vote Liberal.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: SCD on December 02, 2008, 06:23:02 PM
if it wasn't for the Gun registry, the Reform party would still be 4-5 seats. 

Here's a hint:  The majority of Gun owners have money and are more upper class than you think.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Mongrel on December 02, 2008, 07:31:19 PM
if it wasn't for the Gun registry, the Reform party would still be 4-5 seats. 

Here's a hint:  The majority of Gun owners have money and are more upper class than you think.

Oh I have no problem believing that at all. Sounds about right to me. I have of course voiced my objections to a gun registry of any kind before.

***

Further on the Consitutional mess, one of the Globe's columnists was kind enough to list All of Harper's available options (http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20081202.WBSteele20081202134134/WBStory/WBSteele/).

There are some scary things on that list my friends. The #1 option does not even bear contemplating. And the worst part of it all is that no one's sure just how far Harper would go to try and stay.

***

But wait! it gets better! In the middle of the worst consitutional crisis in... ever.

Direct evidence finally links Mulroney Office to Airbus payoffs. (http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20081202.wdoucet03/BNStory/politics/home)

The best part is that there is no chance that this was initiated to cover for the other mess, since it was initiated by everyone's favourite evil eel: Karlheinz Schreiber.

For those not keeping score, this is scandal that has been going on for over fifteen years and features such hilarious scenes as our Prime Minister taking cash payments in brown envelopes, from a midget German troll, in a parking lot in the middle of nowhere, while claiming that this was all totally legit. At one point that same Prime Minister actually sued the government for having the temerity to say that he had done anything wrong.

Hilarity!

Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: SCD on December 03, 2008, 12:47:27 AM
Man, if this is the worst constitutional crisis ever, then on the same scale the proceeding civil war should be a game of tiddly-winks. 
 (http://i630.photobucket.com/albums/uu23/Bon_Bon_2009/scruffy-1.jpg)

I better get practicin'

Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Mongrel on December 03, 2008, 06:38:19 AM
For a cynic and a terrible political junkie this whole thing is so awesome that my brain cannot contain all the awesome.

I've been cackling with glee for four days straight now.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: François on December 03, 2008, 08:27:50 AM
Harper calls the emerging coalition an "undemocratic seizure of power".

Man, I wish the coalition was formed of democratically elected representatives, instead of all those self-appointed local warlords.

oh wait
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Arc on December 03, 2008, 08:42:09 AM
Regarding technicalities, the public at large didn't knowingly vote in this new coalition government. A simple newspaper-sponsored poll would do well to squash the sentiment that the voters of the respective parties oppose such a coalition, thus garnering legitimacy.


For a cynic and a terrible political junkie this whole thing is so awesome that my brain cannot contain all the awesome.

Bloody revolutions have been fought over (and achieved) less. This movement is one for the books.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: François on December 03, 2008, 09:34:09 AM
The government has the ability to do a lot of stuff that the public at large never knowingly votes for. We don't vote on issues (outside of referendums, anyway), and we arguably/technically don't even vote on parties. Forming a coalition is no less democratic than just about anything else that happens in this goverment.

In fact, in the current minority government, one might say it's more democratic.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: SCD on December 03, 2008, 10:53:14 AM
At this point, whatever the opposition does is fair game.  We elect the officials, and they in turn form the government.  The current government cannot govern through consensus, so the members are going to form a completely different government. 

No matter what happens, the power right now rests within the Governor General's office.  While the GG may have been an easy ride since the second decade of the 20th century, this is certainly no easy choice for her excellency to make:  To call another election, or to allow the coalition to take the other side of the aisle.  However, given her career as a prominent journalist I believe that she has the ability to make the right choice based on her ability to tap public sentiment. 

Whatever her choice may be, I will support it. 
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Arc on December 03, 2008, 11:11:06 AM
Whatever her choice may be, I will support it.

:doit: Burn the bodies.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: François on December 03, 2008, 11:20:04 AM
Whatever Jean's choice is, Harper can still go bug the Queen to remove her. Short of anything (more) silly like Harper declaring himself dictator for life and instituting martial law, this is certainly the least democratic outcome of all.

That's right, America. Our country's solution to this crisis may very well be "let's ask the Queen of England".
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Mongrel on December 03, 2008, 01:15:05 PM
Whatever Jean's choice is, Harper can still go bug the Queen to remove her. Short of anything (more) silly like Harper declaring himself dictator for life and instituting martial law, this is certainly the least democratic outcome of all.

That's right, America. Our country's solution to this crisis may very well be "let's ask the Queen of England".

Of course, just so the Americans would be clear on this: While very technically legal, it would be a grossly opportunistic and utterly unprecedented move that flies in the face of almost our entire body of Parliamentary tradition.

If Harper chose what is essentially 'the Thermonuclear option' it would be an national embarassment - make that an international embarassment - and would probably be 'the' thing Harper would forever be remembered for. Then again, I'm sure he's going to be remembered primarily for this legendary mess anyway.

***

In other news, I may have just read the most awesome article in Canadian Politics in over a decade: Harper's life now in the hands of... Joe Clark (http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20081203.WBSteele20081203154054/WBStory/WBSteele).

Even if Joe saves his ass, revenge has never been so sweet.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Brentai on December 03, 2008, 01:54:23 PM
Hey, whatever you guys do with the reigning monarch of England is your own business.  We were very clear on the point of not giving a damn what they have to do or say.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: SCD on December 03, 2008, 02:27:15 PM
Whatever Jean's choice is, Harper can still go bug the Queen to remove her. Short of anything (more) silly like Harper declaring himself dictator for life and instituting martial law, this is certainly the least democratic outcome of all.

That's right, America. Our country's solution to this crisis may very well be "let's ask the Queen of England".

I don't think Harper would even get an audience with her majesty at that point, given Her Excellency's credentials.  As much as I like this man, the buck stops at the monarch's representative.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Mongrel on December 03, 2008, 04:54:42 PM
Whatever Jean's choice is, Harper can still go bug the Queen to remove her. Short of anything (more) silly like Harper declaring himself dictator for life and instituting martial law, this is certainly the least democratic outcome of all.

That's right, America. Our country's solution to this crisis may very well be "let's ask the Queen of England".

I don't think Harper would even get an audience with her majesty at that point, given Her Excellency's credentials.  As much as I like this man, the buck stops at the monarch's representative.

Correct.

The real problem with that particular option is that I wouldn't put it past Harper to try. Can you imagine how retarded we'd look?

Anyway, the rumour going around is that he'll request Parliament be prorogued.

Like you, I'll accept whatever the GG rules on, but in the case of her three possible responses to an unprecedented request for prorogue from a government clearly looking to avoid a confidence vote - 'yes', 'qualified yes', or 'no' - I'm hoping she won't choose the former. An unqualified yes would be a terrible precedent to set and a serious undermining of the accepted appropriate use of prorogue.

(A 'qualified yes' is where prorogue is granted, but where the GG would add a rider stating that in light of the extraordinary circumstances, the government would not be allowed to exercise any of its extra-Parliamentary powers, such as discretionary spending, making appointments, etc. A qualified yes would effectively be a true freeze until January, instead of just an extended Parliamentary coffee break.)
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Fredward on December 04, 2008, 10:49:04 AM
Like you, I'll accept whatever the GG rules on, but in the case of her three possible responses to an unprecedented request for prorogue from a government clearly looking to avoid a confidence vote - 'yes', 'qualified yes', or 'no' - I'm hoping she won't choose the former. An unqualified yes would be a terrible precedent to set and a serious undermining of the accepted appropriate use of prorogue.

Balls. (http://www.cbc.ca/canada/story/2008/12/04/opposition-parliament.html) ::(:
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Arc on December 04, 2008, 11:46:52 AM
From four days until the fall, to fifty-three. What shall the Governor General rule then? History dictates that she'll simply accept the new government, however talks of new elections are making their rounds.


Forming a coalition is no less democratic than just about anything else that happens in this government.

In fact, in the current minority government, one might say it's more democratic.

Such is the nature of republicanism, which is taken a bridge too far in not being able to vote for Prime Minister.

Now the next two months will be filled to the brim with talk of separatists, a topic entirely foreign to the lower 48. Excluding that Whole Other Country, Texas, of course.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: SCD on December 04, 2008, 12:24:36 PM
Is anybody reminded of the South Park episode "The Breast Cancer show ever"?

It totally is just that, only with Harper playing Cartman and Dion playing Wendy, which is appropriate considering how much of a pussy everyone thinks he is.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Mongrel on December 04, 2008, 06:49:18 PM
Oh boy, we're an international laughingstock and our government is going to spend two months avoiding the worst economic crisis in the better part of a century! Oh boy oh boy oh boy!

That sound you hear is the Canadian dollar dropping like a rock.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Brentai on December 04, 2008, 08:42:07 PM
Hey guys.  Glad you could join us.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Mongrel on December 05, 2008, 05:32:05 AM
No, as usual we are several years behind you guys.

Sadly, I see no inspirational leader charging over the horizon.

Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Brentai on December 05, 2008, 08:10:35 AM
Yeah, well, tell me three years ago that we were going to go straight from this to the first black President and I'd have choked on my drink.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Arc on December 05, 2008, 08:30:18 AM
:want: Grape drank.

Will this coalition hold together until January? Will they stick with Dion if elections are to be held, or move on with... Iggy?

<obligatory><godwin>

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xe-DFZA6pR0

</godwin>
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Mongrel on December 05, 2008, 08:39:01 AM
Yeah, well, tell me three years ago that we were going to go straight from this to the first black President and I'd have choked on my drink.

Fair enough. But we have a rather... lacklustre history when it comes to truly inspiring leaders. Most of those came in the 60's... and that's about it really.

My prefer the Trudeau/Chrétien "I am a brilliantly evil mastermind... for good!" type of leader (and Chretien was just a skilled Trudeau disciple). I always want my guy to be the smartest man in the room (note: Harper is NOT the smartest man in the room. He has bit of idiot-savant cleverness going on, and he certainly knows how to be ruthless, but it would be a grave mistake to confuse this for genuine intellect).

Obama has that going on without having to go the 'evil' route, which is one of the things that makes him so unique.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Mongrel on December 05, 2008, 08:51:34 AM
Side digression:

Speaking of ruthlessness, MY GOD the Liberals could use some right now. I don't care HOW BADLY you need seats, I would turf the first traitorous motherfucker to say BOO from caucus. No second chances. NOTHING. Right now they need all hands on deck, not this seditionist infighting bullshit. Rae continues to 'get it' at least, hell, even Iggy gets it enough to shut up and go along with it, even though he's a miserable greedy little pantywaist. But the rank and file, hoooooly fuck.

The Canadian people would be a hell of a lot more willing to support Dion as PM for those few small months if 1 - they continued to emphasize the fact that PAUL MARTIN is slated to lead the economic advisory panel and 2 - the Liberals could provide a united front - just until May at least - and quit trying to hang him out to dry. But nooooo... Jesus fuck could you morons KEEP IT IN YOUR PANTS?!

I swear if I was up there right now, I'd have have barbed flails in the House Whip's hands before the day was out. The next MP to open his big fucking mouth would be crucified on a burning cross made of the bodies of his own staff.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Mongrel on December 07, 2008, 10:08:08 PM
Campaign to oust Dion shifts into 4th gear. (http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20081207.wdion1207/BNStory/politics/home)

The article headline makes me feel like Iggy just put his hand on my thigh. Oh wait... that's what this feels like regardless of the headline.

You have no idea how mad I am that Harper has so clearly demonstrated his asshattery that I am now (bitterly grudgingly) willing to vote for Iggy over Harper.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: SCD on December 07, 2008, 11:48:29 PM
Pissed off at my premier right now for considering closing down the only scientific institution left in the western world for pharmaceuticals that has no political or commerical bias... (http://www.timescolonist.com/Editorial+Drug+firms+trying+shut+agency+that+saves+money+lives/1044032/story.html)
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: François on December 08, 2008, 07:05:05 PM
First ever Québec Solidaire candidate elected!  :wuv:

Parti Québécois took my county back from the ADQ!  :wuv:

Charest wins election, CBC predicts majority government. :painful:

EDIT: Aaaaaand Dumont leaves politics. Not sure what emoticon I should put here. It's not like I'm all :sadpanda: but I did kind of like the guy, even if only because of his staying power and tenacity.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Mongrel on December 09, 2008, 08:00:24 AM
I was amused to read that the Solidaire fellow is a Persian.

A Persian Quebec separatist. From Xerxes to the modern era: A CONTINUING TRADITION OF TROLLING ANYBODY ANYTIME ANYWHERE.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Mongrel on December 09, 2008, 08:05:33 AM
So as of this morning my worst nightmare has come to pass.

The three major federal parties in Ottawa are now all in the hands of smug useless assholes. Completely. Fucking. Useless. Not a single one of them displays even MARGINAL competence, nor do any of them seem to have even a marginal undertsanding of the electorate or what's good for their country. Worst of all, none of them look likely to be replaced by anyone of quality anytime soon. I see no one in the wings in either party worth speaking of.

I am truly at a loss. Out of all possible grievences, the one thing I may forever hold against Harper is that he made me vote for Iggy.

By god, I'd vote for Duceppe if I could. No word of a lie.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: François on December 09, 2008, 09:49:30 AM
Don't you have communists in your riding or something? They have no chance of winning, but at least your vote can really brighten someone's day.

:luv:: "Wonderful news, comrade. We have obtained 8 votes!"
:gay4:: "But, there are only seven of us! There have always been only seven of us!"
:luv:: "I KNOW! :8D: ::D: :pimp: :wheeeee:"
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Mongrel on December 09, 2008, 10:16:52 AM
Well, I still want to get rid of Harper most of all.

My game plan is this: 1 - Get rid of Harper. 2 - Get rid of Iggy. 3 - Pray they aren't around long enough to do too much further damage. 4 - Pray desperately for a replacement to have come along by then.

THIS IS NOT REALLY A GOOD GAME PLAN, LEMME TELLYA.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Mongrel on December 09, 2008, 10:36:50 AM
(http://a123.g.akamai.net/f/123/12465/1d/www.montrealgazette.com/opinion/editorial-cartoons/images/20081209.jpg)

I WANT TERRY MOSHER TO HAVE MY BABIES.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: SCD on December 11, 2008, 12:27:44 AM
Nope.  The Harpie and the Iggie look pretty conciliatory to the point where they will attempt to stomach each other in the same office for an hour or two.

This could be a good thing..
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Mongrel on December 11, 2008, 06:27:33 AM
Well, Iggy was saying all the right things yesterday. I'll certainly give him that at least.

We'll see how this plays out.

Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Mongrel on January 20, 2009, 05:03:34 PM
They. Always. Get. Their. Man. (http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20090120.wmayersting0120/BNStory/National/home)
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: LaserBeing on January 20, 2009, 05:27:14 PM
The moral of this story: if you want to make sure the cops actually get something done, kill a cop.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Büge on January 21, 2009, 06:51:40 PM
I thought sting operations were illegal in Canada.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Mongrel on January 21, 2009, 08:59:29 PM
Uhm... no?

 :wat:
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Arc on January 21, 2009, 09:12:42 PM
OH SHI

(http://i358.photobucket.com/albums/oo22/driftycity/txt3.gif)

c0mprmizd
kiil h00krz
brn all flpjcks
thn gt out
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: SCD on January 27, 2009, 09:29:23 PM
So recently the national film board decided to throw an online site of all their archived films, so that they never be forgotten in a digital age. 

it's all at nfb.ca
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Büge on January 29, 2009, 07:40:03 PM
See you in two weeks.

(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v316/buge/gabe_shutin060.jpg)
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: SCD on February 09, 2009, 10:56:19 PM
Peter McKay forgets definition of Progress (http://www.nationalpost.com/news/story.html?id=1271110)
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Mongrel on February 10, 2009, 04:16:31 AM
Nonono my friend, I think that headline was something more like:

Stevie Harper orders Peter McKay to forget definition of Progress (http://www.nationalpost.com/news/story.html?id=1271110)
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Mongrel on February 11, 2009, 04:42:45 AM
The Day The Muzak Died (http://business.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20090210.wMuzakbankruptcy0210/BNStory/Business/home).

For those of you unaware that this was a Canadian institution offense, just remember: If it's watered-down mediocrity you require, look to Canada for all your blandness needs!
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Thad on February 12, 2009, 06:32:13 PM
Sadly, it's only Chapter 11.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: SCD on February 14, 2009, 10:39:08 PM
I'm not too sure if anyone from To or out east has noticed, but the sixth homocide in Vancouver just took place.  It's only Feb.

We already know at this point that there is a cancer in Vancouver that wasn't there ten years back.  You can hear it in many of the stories, the high-profile murders with prohibited (already banned for all you fucks who think gun control is working) weapons, and the words  of those who have already fallen (http://www.vancouversun.com/news/Burnaby%20drug%20kingpin%20testifies%20about%20kidnapping%20million%20ransom/1278133/story.html) in one fashion or another. 

Two blocks from my friends place a shooting happened near an IGA grocery store.  If you read the globe and mail, you may also hear some pretty well-written ramblings (http://www.vancouversun.com/news/Burnaby%20drug%20kingpin%20testifies%20about%20kidnapping%20million%20ransom/1278133/story.html) about how bad the situation gets..

However, my best rumours indicate a few things.  The main assault weapon used was a Steyr (http://world.guns.ru/assault/as20-e.htm) - a high end one at that! 

Also, that the shooter used three-round bursts, and dropped the weapon and walked away.  Not run, but walked.  This is the first time I've heard of that level of professionalism. 

There is an issue.  I was there drunk three weeks ago with a close computer scientist friend who lives two blocks away from where the incident took place.  The primary residents are UBC students, YUPies, and homeowners. 

The olympics are coming next year. 

I see storm clouds brewing..
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Romosome on February 14, 2009, 10:49:01 PM
The Day The Muzak Died (http://business.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20090210.wMuzakbankruptcy0210/BNStory/Business/home).

For those of you unaware that this was a Canadian institution offense, just remember: If it's watered-down mediocrity you require, look to Canada for all your blandness needs!

My dad told me that the day he realized he was old was when he was at the grocery store and realized the easy-listening muzak they were piping into the produce section was the Rolling Stone's "Sympathy for the Devil"
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Mongrel on February 15, 2009, 07:12:59 AM
I'm not too sure if anyone from To or out east has noticed, but the sixth homocide in Vancouver just took place.  It's only Feb.

We already know at this point that there is a cancer in Vancouver that wasn't there ten years back.  You can hear it in many of the stories, the high-profile murders with prohibited (already banned for all you fucks who think gun control is working) weapons, and the words  of those who have already fallen (http://www.vancouversun.com/news/Burnaby%20drug%20kingpin%20testifies%20about%20kidnapping%20million%20ransom/1278133/story.html) in one fashion or another. 

Two blocks from my friends place a shooting happened near an IGA grocery store.  If you read the globe and mail, you may also hear some pretty well-written ramblings (http://www.vancouversun.com/news/Burnaby%20drug%20kingpin%20testifies%20about%20kidnapping%20million%20ransom/1278133/story.html) about how bad the situation gets..

However, my best rumours indicate a few things.  The main assault weapon used was a Steyr (http://world.guns.ru/assault/as20-e.htm) - a high end one at that! 

Also, that the shooter used three-round bursts, and dropped the weapon and walked away.  Not run, but walked.  This is the first time I've heard of that level of professionalism. 

There is an issue.  I was there drunk three weeks ago with a close computer scientist friend who lives two blocks away from where the incident took place.  The primary residents are UBC students, YUPies, and homeowners. 

The olympics are coming next year. 
I see storm clouds brewing..

Part of the problem with using TO as a frame of reference is that it's the one place in Canada that's going to give you a real run for your money as far as murders go.

Was that second link supposed to go to the G&M's front page story from (was it Friday or Yesterday?) on the Downtown Eastside*? That article was pretty good, though it and others have basically summed things up by pointing out that as long as the place is AWASH in ludicrous amounts of drugs and as long as all of Canada west of Thunder Bay continues to use Vancouver as the dumping ground for it's undesireables then the problem is going to continue to get worse and the organized crime that feeds it is going to get scarier.

I think the elephant in the room is the MASSIVE inflow of drugs there. I've never been a big-war-on-drugs fellow, but I believe that you need a few sticks to go with all those carrots. Apparently (I don't live out there after all) the 'stick' half has been an appalling failure... or more accurately, it doesn't even seem to exist. I mean if someone really wants drugs, they'll get 'em, but there's a difference between that and having them cheaply available ABSOLUTELY EVERYWHERE. If nothing else, it pretty much dooms any newcomers rolling into town and enriches all kinds of folks who shouldn't be seeing any of that money. Given that it's Vancouver, I suspect there's a good deal of human trafficking and other fun stuff that gets funded that way.

Regardless of anyone's thoughts on legalization, for now drugs are still illegal. There just doesn't seem to be much busting of traffickers heads for same though. Though, I don't mean users so much, or even some street level dealers, since the lowest end ones are nearly as bad in their use. This problem is huge, and needs to be hit hard at much higher levels to make any kind of a dent. I guess this is where speculation about corruption goes.

I'd agree that anyone out there should be really worried about a gang war as directed by John Woo, though it's open for speculation to guess how many bystanders out there would be killed, given that the gangs out there have a few more marbles between them than say... the Hell's Angels and the Rock Machine did in their own time.

Anyway... no solution in sight? Check.

Massive build-up in the criminal scene? Check.

Massive build up to a large public event? Check.

Vast (and growing) number of mental cases pickled in ungodly drug cocktails?

:blahblahblah:

*(or as one wit pointed out "Oh you mean the part of town that - up until an activist campaign in the 80's - was just called 'downtown'?")
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Mongrel on March 08, 2009, 08:27:53 AM
Canadian Military Milestone (http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20090308.wafghancopters0308/BNStory/Afghanistan/home).

Hey! Only FIFTY YEARS BEHIND THE REST OF NATO!  :america:
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: SCD on March 08, 2009, 06:40:45 PM
Whoa.  Sorry I missed all that fine discourse there

After the influence of the teledrama "The Wire", I really don't have too many solutions to offer except that innovation in society at large and a cultural shift is required.  The status quo doesn't work within the scope of the resources at hand. 

As far as the helecopters stand, I can honestly hear the sighs of relief, although I won't count on a decrease in IED attacks on our vehicles anytime soon.  The article describes a raid-style attack.  Those won't win any counter-insurgency alone.  The PM understands this.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Mongrel on March 08, 2009, 07:13:45 PM
Whoa.  Sorry I missed all that fine discourse there

After the influence of the teledrama "The Wire", I really don't have too many solutions to offer except that innovation in society at large and a cultural shift is required.  The status quo doesn't work within the scope of the resources at hand. 

As far as the helecopters stand, I can honestly hear the sighs of relief, although I won't count on a decrease in IED attacks on our vehicles anytime soon.  The article describes a raid-style attack.  Those won't win any counter-insurgency alone.  The PM understands this.

Say, what did you think of Harper's recent "There's no way we can win this" statement?

My gut response is that true or not, at the very least he probably should have qualified that statement. Even if all you're doing is setting yourself up to leave, such a blanket negative statement can only do you harm.

I don't mean bullshit like "Peace with Honour", but a guy could at least say something more like "To win, we'd need [X] (or [X], [Y], and [Z]), but it seems that [X] may now be unobtainable, so we should leave/plan to leave/reconsider the situation."

Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: SCD on March 08, 2009, 08:45:51 PM
Good question.  For that I would refer to the advice of the professionals, including individuals like Ret'd General Lewis Mackenzie.  He still has a lot of apoloitical clout in his arcs. 

If you look at the news over the last 24 hours, Obama himself repeated what the PM had to say, and what everyone has been saying. 

I don't like this saying however: 

Quote
"But I think what is realistic is we would considerably push back the insurgency," he said, to facilitate aid and development, as well as the handover of security responsibilities to Afghan forces.

It counters lessons learned in Iraq just before the Surge. 

There will soon be more American Boots in Kandahar than Canadian very shortly however with a new code of COIN conduct, their own lessons learned  and a capable man at the helm.  And while people do say Iraq is different than Afghanistan, the creations that led to the Anbar Awakening can be redone in this province, but only with a bodycount.


Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Büge on March 09, 2009, 07:11:15 AM
Happy 175th, Toronto!
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Mongrel on March 09, 2009, 07:16:52 AM
Yeah, it smells like this place is 175 years old anyway.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Büge on March 09, 2009, 09:59:17 AM
You sure you're just not getting a breeze from Hamilton?
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Mongrel on March 09, 2009, 10:16:28 AM
You sure you're just not getting a breeze from Hamiltraz?

:nosir:
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: SCD on March 09, 2009, 05:07:56 PM
On the military side of the house, the Chief of Land Staff, the fiercely competent Lt-Gen Andrew Leslie told the Senate Defense Committee how much of a muck we really are in (http://www.cbc.ca/canada/story/2009/03/09/military-break.html).

I'm just happy it's out in the open now..
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Mongrel on March 09, 2009, 05:16:20 PM
We don't have the tanks anymore?!?!  :facepalm: Tell me I am reading that wrong. I LOVE YOU BUREAUCRACY!

Also: Andrew is a bright kid. I've always hoped that endless dealings with our government won't sour him too too much. God knows it even started to get to everyone's favourite Combat Newfie in the end.

Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: SCD on March 09, 2009, 05:37:26 PM
I really don't think he minds.  Even though we've been stretched to the limit ever since Paul Martin walked into NDHQ on his first day as PM, the CF has been given more toys, more people, and the opportunity to develop doctrine like never before (just as the yanks).  I wouldn't be surprised if you saw him with that fourth leaf sometime down the road.

Also, The Taliban can confirm (http://www.alemarah1.com/english-4-01-03-2009.html) that we still have tanks running around as of March 1st.  Of course, you'll have to excuse them for not being able to count up to three, or not understanding that tanks usually have tracks, not wheels.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Mongrel on March 09, 2009, 06:21:49 PM
:lol:

Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: SCD on April 02, 2009, 05:01:46 PM
Note to Greater Toronto Airport Authority:

When your workers are under the national eye and ire for your piss-poor employee security protocol and corruption, you do NOT play politics, and you do NOT mess with the government with the day, especially when it's a Tory Government. 

You've just changed this from a procedural matter to a political matter. 

Lets make a couple things clear now: 

You're not going to come out of this alive, and if you do, don't expect to walk for a couple weeks.  Your arse crack will be too sore. 

Harper (or his handpicked chronies and apolitical Senate Counterparts) are now going to come out stronger and can and will turn this into a cause celebre for routing out corruption.  Not that I consider either of them a bad thing, but I know that you, being from To and all, do for both cases.

Obligatory Globe and Mail Link (http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20090402.wairportfollow0402/BNStory/National/home?cid=al_gam_mostview)

I'm going to keep my eye on this one.  It looks pretty damn entertaining.  Any thoughts from the To crowd?

Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Mongrel on April 02, 2009, 05:40:33 PM
Note to Greater Toronto Airport Authority:

When your workers are under the national eye and ire for your piss-poor employee security protocol and corruption, you do NOT play politics, and you do NOT mess with the government with the day, especially when it's a Tory Government. 

You've just changed this from a procedural matter to a political matter. 

Lets make a couple things clear now: 

You're not going to come out of this alive, and if you do, don't expect to walk for a couple weeks.  Your arse crack will be too sore. 

Harper (or his handpicked chronies and apolitical Senate Counterparts) are now going to come out stronger and can and will turn this into a cause celebre for routing out corruption.  Not that I consider either of them a bad thing, but I know that you, being from To and all, do for both cases.

Obligatory Globe and Mail Link (http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20090402.wairportfollow0402/BNStory/National/home?cid=al_gam_mostview)

I'm going to keep my eye on this one.  It looks pretty damn entertaining.  Any thoughts from the To crowd?



You are psychic sir. I was going to post this but was trying to think of a way to make a joke out of it.

Yes, the whole thing is priceless. Been following it since yesterday. I love how the GTAA has forgotten that the Minister of Transport is the pinnacle of their particular food chain. UH GUYS. NOT THE KIND OF FIGHT YOU WANNA PICK. Or hey, go right ahead! We all need entertainment.

The best part was when I saw the update today, the pagebreak was right after the article said that the Mounties had been scapegoated by the GTAA. Expecting the usual drivel, the thought that floated in my head was "If John Baird was a Real Man, he'd back those Mounties to the hilt and call out the GTAA.". Then I saw the rest of the article.

 :perfect:

I can't believe it! John Baird made me do something to respect him!

Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Mongrel on April 04, 2009, 05:09:28 PM
Elsewhere, the latest chapters in two of our ongoing national (http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20090404.wkhadr0404/BNStory/politics/home?cid=al_gam_mostview) shames (http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20090403.wabdel0403/BNStory/International/home) came out. Not something to inspire hope, folks.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Büge on April 08, 2009, 08:24:56 AM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fY79KbCptTo&feature=player_embedded
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: SCD on April 14, 2009, 11:37:06 AM
That was a pretty sweet find

But now on to the ongoing burn.  It is election time once again, but only for myself now the Fredward has joined the ranks of Les Quebecois (no offense intended, Zed) 

This is the first post-recession election (http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20090413.wbcelection0414/BNStory/Front/home), as the Globe and Mail has kindly put it, and things are starting off a wee bit topsy turvy. 

BC is one of those places where the prospect of Premier, the head of Provincial government does not stand a chance of sitting long in office.  Most due to criminal charges, some due to incompetence, and yet somehow despite criminal activity (http://dawn.thot.net/campbell_dui.html) and disenfranchisement (http://www.moveforwardbc.ca/), it appears that our current head in the office of Premier is a survivor.  How quaint.

For the last three election cycles, there were three major players in the spotlight in our shuffling-party scene: 

The BC Liberals, a small-government, pro-business, pro-fiscal responsibility team that resembled neocons with unchecked power within their first four years at 2001 when they won all but two seats.  Since their walloping public sector cuts, they've managed the budgets, brought the Olympics, settled and made accords with several native tribes, and keep low-brow with little scandal and nerdy librarian glasses.

The BC NDP which ruled before the Liberals, an ineffective socialism-leaning, big government party who royally messed up the ferry system to the annoyance of tens of thousands.  They mix well with unions and traditionally had the environmentalists under their belt

And the Green Party.  They're a green party.  No one knows what they stand for except that they want the RCMP out of BC -  Enough said.

However, last year when things were looking nice and dandy, Premier Campbell introduced the  first consumer-based carbon tax in North America (http://www2.canada.com/vancouversun/news/story.html?id=ecea1487-507c-43ef-ab88-5a972898e0b7&k=38130) (note, the stock photo is a golfer, not the past Finance Minister).  It is revenue-neutral, and all money made goes into lowering other taxes.  This made the North BC unhappy, due to their use of pickup trucks for labor and off-roading recreation.  The BC NDP has made this their bone of contention and has promised to dismantle it.

So during this campaign, the environmentalist camp is squarely against the NDP (http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/LAC.20090414.BCELECTION14ATLART2229/TPStory/National), and no one knows what who the Greens are. 

Also, there is a referendum on Single Transferable Vote to take over the traditional First-Past-The-Post electoral system.  This is the second time the referendum has been called - the first time, over 50% of the vote said yes, but a slim majority caused the premier not to be comfortable with the notion and told those who were researching it to spend the next four years explaining how it works better to the public. 

Flash explaining STV (http://citizensassembly.bc.ca/resources/flash/bc-stv-full.swf)

It's a pretty interesting experiment in democracy if it works. 

Will update if anything interesting above what is said here comes up.  Otherwise, predicting another (albeit slimmer) Liberal majority for a lack of anyone less incompetent or scummy. 
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Fredward on April 14, 2009, 05:45:54 PM
But now on to the ongoing burn.  It is election time once again, but only for myself now the Fredward has joined the ranks of Les Quebecois (no offense intended, Zed) 

Actually, I'm coming back in a few weeks, so I should be able to vote. I think!

SCD's summary seems to more or less match what little I've gathered. I'm hoping that another defeat will get the NDP to pull their heads out of their collective ass, because in general I prefer their policies. But I am not counting on it! I really would like the STV referendum to go through, though, just to see how it works out.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: SCD on April 15, 2009, 09:48:19 PM
I was finally able to figure out where the no to STV website is:

http://nostv.org

They say that it will destroy productivity in the house, and kill representation in remote areas where there are not that many people. 

I believe the first is a valid counterpoint.  However I live in the south, so I'm alright with extra representation here...


The pro-camp is:

http://stv.ca/


Keep in mind that this is referendum is something that is a separate entity from the normal election, and all parties have chosen wisely to neither endorse or speak out against either side.  Both campaigns has been also given 500k of provincial funding to state their cause.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Büge on April 16, 2009, 10:50:13 AM
Thank goodness my brother escaped that hornet's nest...

to Alberta! :facepalm:
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: SCD on April 16, 2009, 12:41:43 PM
Ha ha ha..   :perfect:

Most of my friends were able to run away from Alta before it all went sour.


Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Mongrel on April 16, 2009, 01:28:02 PM
Almost makes Manitoba look appealing.

...

what am I saying?!
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: SCD on April 16, 2009, 04:25:53 PM
Almost makes Manitoba look appealing.

...

what am I saying?!

That you're a gay fish.
 (http://www.cbc.ca/canada/manitoba/story/2009/04/15/mb-flood-second-worst.html)
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Brentai on April 17, 2009, 08:20:13 PM
Surprise, you're Canadian (again). (http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123993183347727843.html?mod=yhoofront)
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Mongrel on April 24, 2009, 03:01:15 AM
That's the way to do it. (http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20090424.wfowler24sb/BNStory/International/home)

Wait... we did something right?
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: SCD on April 30, 2009, 03:35:41 PM
BC Politics:

Carol James makes a key promise to save a legendary surfing stomping ground and an old folks hospital (http://www.timescolonist.com/news/bc-election/Leader+Carole+James+promises+save+Jordan+River+lands+Cowichan+Lodge/1546450/story.html). 

Scandals continue, no other real changes in the substance yet.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: SCD on May 04, 2009, 01:12:21 AM
Another note on BC Politics:

The election's over (http://www.cbc.ca/canada/bcvotes2009/story/2009/05/01/bc-ndp-promises-beer-wine-prices.html)
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Mongrel on May 04, 2009, 03:01:58 AM
Man, would somebody PLEASE do SOMETHING for a change that won't make me utterly ashamed of my country (http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20090504.waids04/BNStory/National/home), province (http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20090501.wkeswick0501/BNStory/National/home), or both (http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20090504.wwater04art2147/BNStory/National/home?cid=al_gam_mostview)?
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Catloaf on May 04, 2009, 04:45:06 AM
For Fucks sake!

By the way, the 'Provence' one makes me remember the most fucking ridiculous policy of my elementary school.  Where no action was ever really taken on bullying or starting a fight, but if a child were to retaliate in even a far less sever manner the child would be immediately taken away to be punished.  It was common knowledge, and it really made it easy to torment others as all you had to do was antagonize them until their they could no longer tolerate it and struck back.  This was made even easier due to the fact that we were kids, and had a hard time showing restraint in such situations.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: SCD on May 04, 2009, 12:54:55 PM
I cannot find it, but there was an article on the protest. 

As far as punishment goes, the suspension shouldn't be seen so much as a punishment, but as a time for meditation.  Personally, I wish I was suspended the day after I destroyed my bully, as I had to fight two other people, one who knew how to fight..

As far as the expulsion and charge talk goes:

1)  A charge does not mean a conviction.
2)  There are times and places for activism, especially when there is a honest-to-god message that requires urgent action at the level the protest is being demonstrated to (http://www.torontosun.com/news/canada/2009/04/28/9272411-sun.html).

For number two, unlike the countless Tibet and Falun Gong protests which fall on deaf, apathetic ears, this one is timed right, involves the right people, and demonstrates a local injustice that is contrary to the beliefs and principles of Canadian law.  Good show.

I hear the police department is still reviewing the case.  If I was the kid's parents, it would be a fantastic time to find a lawyer to press charges.  It seems like a good opportunity to turn that bully into an example to all those who follow. 
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Mongrel on May 05, 2009, 07:57:07 AM
You may have heard, York School Board has dropped everything in the Bully case and has reinstated the kid already. Now he just needs to get the assault charge dropped and he's set.

And in other news: Good on Paul Dewar! (http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20090504.wabdelrazik05/BNStory/International/home)

 :goodnews:

Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Mongrel on May 14, 2009, 06:06:35 PM
OH THE IRONY. (http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20090514.wpage15/BNStory/politics/home)
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Mongrel on May 15, 2009, 05:10:50 PM
Maybe this belongs in one of the more general threads, but... Obama's tribunal revival puts Khadr back to square one (http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20090515.wgitmo0515/BNStory/International/home).
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Mongrel on May 22, 2009, 07:44:11 AM
Sooo... in his latest brilliant move our Prime Minister has decided to channel the spirit of 1959 with a harangue about COMMUNISM? (http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/visa-delay-escalates-feud-with-cuba/article1147692/)

I don't even know what to say. Before the inevitable Bush jokes/comparisons come out, I'll say that this actually makes Bush look a GENIUS by comparison. I mean, as dumb as Bush was, he usually managed to remember what CENTURY he was living in. 

Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Brentai on May 22, 2009, 07:51:40 AM
Right, we call it Socialism now.  Durr.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Mongrel on May 22, 2009, 08:16:13 AM
You misunderstand. He wasn't railing against mere communism. No, he was ranting about Communism.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: SCD on June 01, 2009, 03:46:49 PM
So I need help here as I'm some dirty hippie from the westcoast and obviously aren't up on the hoity-toighty life you upper and lower canadians are on about...  But I really am curious on what the people here think about the mohawk bit. 

The idea that a couple guys with pistols are working on a border could offend the indigenous dudes is incroyable, and lame.  They are not combat troops, agent provacateurs, or douchebags, except to those who enter Canada.  they are customs agents, and their arcs are those who enter Canada with contraband...

Wait, this actually might make sense knowing the word of smuggling out here...

Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Mongrel on June 01, 2009, 04:52:11 PM
So I need help here as I'm some dirty hippie from the westcoast and obviously aren't up on the hoity-toighty life you upper and lower canadians are on about...  But I really am curious on what the people here think about the mohawk bit. 

The idea that a couple guys with pistols are working on a border could offend the indigenous dudes is incroyable, and lame.  They are not combat troops, agent provacateurs, or douchebags, except to those who enter Canada.  they are customs agents, and their arcs are those who enter Canada with contraband...

Wait, this actually might make sense knowing the word of smuggling out here...



'Native sentiment' aside, many if not all of the border or close-to-the-border reserves derive a huge income from smuggling and counterfeiting cigarettes.

Draw your own conclusions.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Mongrel on June 04, 2009, 10:28:46 AM
So, a federal court has ruled in favour of the blatantly obvious and has ordered the government to repatriate Mr. Abdelrazik (trapped in limbo in our Sudanese embassy for over a year now). The government has been given 30 days to comply.

I wonder just how stupid Harper and Cannon are going to be over this. They could finally accept defeat on the issue... or they can continue to provide us with tragicomedy at the expense of an innocent Canadian citizen exiled on hearsay.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: SCD on June 04, 2009, 01:13:04 PM
Link (http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/world/court-orders-ottawa-to-allow-abdelrazik-to-return-to-canada/article1168783/)

The government seems to want the individual to get himself off of the un blacklist itself. 

However, to get anything done around in the UN, you need the backing of a nation at the very minimum, if it's anything like the DPKO, which really doesn't give much to the peace keepers, except salaries to the suits who maintain bankers hours, not that I'm bitter.

Expect the Harper government to ignore this one, despite the council of CSIS, the RCMP, and the order of the supreme court justice.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Mongrel on June 04, 2009, 01:37:44 PM
It's worse than that. Even under UN restrictions, he was always allowed to return to his country of citizenship. It's been pointed out publically multiple times now that the UN has a clear exception for that specific situation.

Frankly, it has been really embarassing to watch the infantile bullshit that was being laid down. Every time the government laid down a list of requirements for him to be allowed home, they would be met... and then Cannon would move the goalposts (proabably at Harper's behest... we know who wears the pants on Capitol Hill). And all the while they pin the blame on the UN. I mean, it takes a LOT to plumb the absolute depths of in Canadian Politics, but I have not seen such disgusting spinlessness since I can't remember when.

The man has never been charged with a crime. Hell, this isn't even a case of "innocent until proven guilty hur hur hur" - he hasn't even been smeared with a suggestion of crimes he MAY have committed and god knows a LOT of people have been digging for SOMETHING, ANYTHING to hang the guy for. But I have yet to see one article in even the most right-wing papers tar this guy with a specific accusation of ANYTHING. I mean, this guy is so clean, he makes Maher Arar look like a card-carrying Al-Quaida generalissimo.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Mongrel on June 04, 2009, 02:00:51 PM
For those following along at home, Abdelrazik was vaguely accused of knowing someone who knew someone. He was thrown in a Sudanese jail (without charge) for a while, was visited by the 'usual friendly characters' and is now living in the Canadian embassy in Khartoum. He has subsequently been completely cleared by anyone who investigated him. Basically Maher Arar all over again. 

Abdelrazik  has been trying to return to Canada ever since his release from jail in Sudan.

- Sudan offered to send Abdelrazik home on a government plane. Canada said no.
- We did issue him a tempporary passport after his initial release, but it was only valid for two weeks, during which time he was not able to find an airline that would fly him home.
- We then refused to re-issue the temporary passport.
- Canadian Diplomats would visit and tell him they could not take him home because of the no-fly list - even though it only applies to commercial flights.
- We told Abdelrazik he could not return unless he got himself off the UN no-fly list. Which is functionally impossible for an individual, as it is the domain of UN committees involving the security council. In order to be removed, a nation must make a case for the affected citizen. Conveniently, the only nation that can represent him is - wait for it... Canada.
- Then after various opposition protests and legal wrangling, the government relented and said they would issue Abdelrazik an emergency passport if he could find an airline willing to take him. He found an airline willing to take him, even though that airline would be barred from commercial flights to the US forever.
- Then we said he couldn't come until he had a prepaid ticket(!) (remember he's been marooned in the Khartoum embassy for over a year with nary more than the shirt on his back) and that anyone who purchased him a ticket could be charged under anti-terror laws. In a magnificent act of protest, over a hundred Canadians pooled their money to buy the ticket - including a former Solicitor General and a former UN Emmissary.
- Then the government once again cited the UN no-fly list, saying that in order for him to return to Canada, permission would have to be granted by every country who's airspace he crossed on the way home(!!!) even though there is absolutely nothing that says anything like that in the UN No-Fly restrictions. I mean, are you kidding me? (answer: no, this is quite real).
- At that point Abdelrazik had already initiated suit against the government as had several other people. The initial court verdict in that case is what has just been handed down.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: SCD on June 04, 2009, 02:31:14 PM
Also:  There's a pun in the making here.. soomehow....  damn you all to hell...  those who mess with the beaver clan.. be damned? (http://www.cbc.ca/canada/ottawa/story/2009/06/04/ottawa-train-derailment-mattawa.html)
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: PhoenixUltima on June 05, 2009, 01:04:17 PM
Those beaver dams!
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Royal☭ on June 07, 2009, 07:39:11 AM
This is a problem!  Dam those beavers!
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Fredward on June 08, 2009, 07:11:07 PM
Stupid sexy isotopes. (http://www.canada.com/News/Raitt+caught+calling+isotope+crisis+sexy+tape+Report/1674343/story.html)

:lol:

A Canadian politician said something stupid. Happy, Thad?
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Mongrel on June 08, 2009, 07:16:49 PM
This has been all kind of funny. I love that the Conservatives defended it TO THE TEETH only for everyone to find out the story was almost entirely meaningless. The Conervatives LOSING the injunction was the best possible outcome for them.

By the way, anybody following the eHealth Ontario fiasco? OH BOY LET'S TAKE 8 YEARS AND A BILLION DOLLARS TO DO.... ABSO-FUCKING-LUTELY NOTHING!

Oh and now we are literally years behind othereprovinces in electronic health records implementation. It looks like the only solution is to kill EVERYTHING with fire and start anew.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Thad on June 08, 2009, 08:20:59 PM
A Canadian politician said something stupid. Happy, Thad?

Yes.  Yes I am.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Mongrel on June 08, 2009, 08:44:20 PM
... I wasn't aware that our politicos said anything BUT inanities.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Mongrel on June 18, 2009, 09:56:07 AM
Cranky old Alberta Tory has the gall to dare suggest we bother to raise our kids. (http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/raising-kids-right-means-one-parent-at-home-alberta-minister-says/article1186366/)

I'm amused that such a statement could even be considered controversial. Quite frankly I agree with her 100%. Furthermore, I do believe that the spectacular growth in the number of two-income households since 1965 is quite possibly one of the most damaging social trends North America ever experienced.

Caveat: I don't care which gender or orientation it is, so long as SOMEBODY does it.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: SCD on June 18, 2009, 12:26:07 PM
Colonel Saunders fixes pothole, city quips that the chicken can't fix the road (http://network.nationalpost.com/np/blogs/toronto/archive/2009/04/01/chicken-can-t-fix-the-road-city-tells-col-sanders.aspx)
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: James Edward Smith on June 18, 2009, 12:44:30 PM
Cranky old Alberta Tory has the gall to dare suggest we bother to raise our kids. (http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/raising-kids-right-means-one-parent-at-home-alberta-minister-says/article1186366/)

I'm amused that such a statement could even be considered controversial. Quite frankly I agree with her 100%. Furthermore, I do believe that the spectacular growth in the number of two-income households since 1965 is quite possibly one of the most damaging social trends North America ever experienced.

Caveat: I don't care which gender or orientation it is, so long as SOMEBODY does it.

Yeah, that seems like it got a pretty weird reaction. I mean, you can disagree with her if you like, but she's entitled to her opinion and quite frankly, I agree with her too. I guess they are worried about it because government money for daycare is such a big issue in Canada.

I dunno, I mean, this is a really jerky thing for me to even suggest I understand, but... I get the impression that a lot of poor people in Canada wanna act like they aren't poor and even suggesting that their state of affairs is some how bad or undesirable is a horrible thing to do because you are apparently then saying that they themselves are bad and undesirable people or at least that they are doing bad and undesirable things to their children.

I find this to be a pretty assinine mindset. If you can afford to stay at home with your young children, you should. It's your responsibility and if that means a smaller house, less new clothes, whatever, then that's what you should do. You should live within your means and be a good parent and person rather than filling your pointless life with material goods that you don't even need. If you are too poor to stay at home with your kids when they are young then guess what, you are very poor and your life is hard and your children aren't gonna get raised 100% the best way possibly because mom and dad both have to work just to keep food on the table. Hopefully, you'll manage to get yourself a little more comfortable before too long, but for now you are poor and yelling at politicians for suggesting that doing something you yourself can't do would be good for your children isn't gonna help anything.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Mongrel on June 18, 2009, 05:16:21 PM
Anybody who has ever seen 'Being There' will know why I am laughing my ass off at this one. (http://www.theglobeandmail.com/report-on-business/from-the-farm-carneys-lesson-for-bay-st/article1188036/)

Bank of Canada Governor uses language reminiscent of a famous comedy film.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: François on June 18, 2009, 07:12:38 PM
Oh wow.  :painful:
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Mongrel on June 23, 2009, 10:39:36 AM
Harper government to appeal court order forcing them to repatriate Omar Khadr. (http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/order-to-bring-khadr-home-appealed/article1193432/)

This kid's probably a completely fucked-up nutcase now, but I'll be damned if he isn't our fucked-up nutcase. I wonder how many times Harper has to get hit in the face with a gavel before they give this shit up? 
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Büge on June 25, 2009, 08:04:08 AM
Alberta MLA makes sexist comments in speech to high school, backpedals. (http://www.cbc.ca/canada/edmonton/story/2009/06/22/edmonton-elniski-speech.html)

Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: François on June 25, 2009, 08:29:23 AM
Quote
"The Pride Parade was an awful lot of fun and there were some people there that were really, really, really into what they do," he said Monday.

"I really honestly had no malice or anything with respect to what went on at that parade. Those guys get a rough ride all the time."

 :itsmagic: :whoops:
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: James Edward Smith on July 08, 2009, 02:31:19 PM
That guy is fucking hilarious.

But anyway...



What's the deal with Chalk River? Originally I thought the conservatives were being huge obvious dicks when they fired that woman for trying to shut it down because she was liberal but then I thought maybe she was just being partisan (the liberals aren't exactly the most scrupulous party ever) but now, I don't know anymore. What the fuck is going on with that plant?
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: SCD on July 08, 2009, 03:13:41 PM
It turns out she was right, and that we are no longer a reliable source for the particles anymore according to international standards, and even more, the policy according to the economist is to get our particles from the aussies, who are experiencing similar technical difficulties.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Mongrel on July 08, 2009, 06:17:20 PM
Basically we did what we always do: threw away decades of work and international preeminence in an industry through an abysmal lack of foresight and the usual Canadian tendency towards agonizing fumbling and lethal mediocrity.

We were the first country in the world to successfully initiate a controlled fission reaction, in a dusty, carbon-lined university of Montreal gynnasium.

We were the the second country in the world to have a fully operational fission reactor.

We sold reactors, technology, and support as a world leader in the industry for decades.

...

Me? Bitter about Chalk River and the governement's utterly fuckheaded decision to abandon the game. Naaaaaahhhh?
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: SCD on July 08, 2009, 06:27:49 PM
You know, between the tories arrogance and the whig's criminal acts, we really oughta make a new political entity known as the "competence party".

the same tried and trusted centrist policies, now with 80% more intelligence!
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Mongrel on July 08, 2009, 06:33:53 PM
You know, between the tories arrogance and the whig's criminal acts, we really oughta make a new political entity known as the "competence party".

the same tried and trusted centrist policies, now with 80% more intelligence!

God tell me about it.

I was re-reading some old material about Louis St. Laurent the other day and I almost started crying when I thought about the three shitheels we've got now.

Eh. It's been bugging me for a while now. It's not just politics. There is something rotten at the heart of this nation and God knows what it is. It's sort of like the way Albertans complain about Ontario... only you really need to apply it to the whole damned country.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Mongrel on July 09, 2009, 08:09:12 AM
Something interesting this morning.  (http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/opinions/a-family-tragedy-that-stephen-harper-has-not-forgotten/article1211219/)

It's little more than pure idle speculation, but it's more insight than we've had into our Prime Minister's character pretty much since he he showed up on the national stage.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: SCD on August 02, 2009, 06:49:48 PM
Good frakkin' riddance. (http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/8180736.stm)

this man has been a waste of our taxpayer dollars for a third-rate testimony. 
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Mongrel on August 14, 2009, 11:01:57 AM
Oh look, the federal government loses ANOTHER court case over its handing of a Muslim-Canadian stuck abroad (http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/ottawa-loses-khadr-appeal/article1251987/)

Other than Maher Arar (the granddaddy case of them all), this is the next biggest one.

For those not aware of the backstory, Omar Khadr was born into a family with a history of supporting terrorism and terrorist organizations. He was 15 when apprehended by the US (legally a child soldier by just about every statute of international law I've ever heard of). He is also the only remaning citizen of a western country in Guantanamo - all other nations agreed to repatriate their ter'rist scum (many of whom were much more clearly guilty of serious crimes).

Murder's no light thing, neither is terrorism. But I've always held that this kid has been fucked in every possible way from the day he was born. At this point I'd be hard-pressed to blame him if he found himself free and decided the best thing to do with his time was to suicide-bomb Parliment Hill.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Mongrel on September 01, 2009, 05:40:40 AM
Update regarding my previous post ITT: The government has chosen to appeal the Khadr order. Since we don't look stupid enough. Also, the last remaning other Guantanamo prisoner who was taken as an underage minor has been released last month.

But I mostly wanted to post this:

Ontario's most recent Attorney General arrested in bizarre hit and run. (http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/toronto/michael-bryant-in-police-custody/article1271489/)

This one is the kind of story that crime-blotter reporters dream of at night.

Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: SCD on September 03, 2009, 04:59:42 AM
(http://v1.theglobeandmail.com/v5/images/newspaper/20090903/cartoon-600.png)
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Mongrel on September 03, 2009, 07:21:10 AM
And still with not a single jackass worth voting for!
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: SCD on September 04, 2009, 06:11:22 PM
So I'm now back at home and talking to some of the Ontario Firearms community. 

They're snickering over the Attorney General hits and drags cyclist bit as Bryant made life miserable for legally abiding firearms owners and private rifle and pistol ranges (ie gun clubs) in the province. 

There was a poster I saw the other day:

Deaths caused by legally obtained firearms in Ontario in 2009:  0
Deaths caused by Mike Bryant's Saab:  1

Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Mongrel on September 04, 2009, 07:53:57 PM
Yeah, they're going to be talking about this Bryant thing for yeeaaarrss.

They had to outsource the prosecutor from BC. Probably the Judge too, unless it's tried by a federal Judge.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Mongrel on September 05, 2009, 08:15:44 AM
Because we can call use a laugh at some else's expense once in a while. (http://www.montrealgazette.com/life/driver+refuses+speak+English+calls+police/1963769/story.html)
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Mongrel on September 16, 2009, 04:10:15 PM
Maybe they should have sent blankets instead. (http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/body-bags-sent-to-flu-stricken-reserves/article1290332/)

It might've been less *ahem* mortifying at least.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Brentai on September 16, 2009, 05:07:57 PM
To be fair, if you don't want to come off as a hotspot for deadly viruses, don't name your area "Red Sucker Lake".
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Büge on September 16, 2009, 07:13:37 PM
No Canadian city names compare to Dildo, Newfoundland.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Mongrel on September 18, 2009, 03:59:55 PM
(http://a123.g.akamai.net/f/123/12465/1d/www.montrealgazette.com/opinion/editorial-cartoons/2007637.bin)

My love for Terry Mosher is undying.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Mongrel on September 21, 2009, 07:45:45 PM
Police break up Manitoba Flight Club (http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/little-bouts-on-the-prairie-police-break-up-fight-club/article1296465/).

I mainly posted this because I was tickled by the law the cops found to charge folks under.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: SCD on September 22, 2009, 02:37:09 PM
Another fantastic use of an unconstitutional tribunal over an important case and now, potentially on my tuition's dime! (http://www.ottawacitizen.com/news/Carleton+asked+waive+human+rights+case/2001614/story.html)

There's a good reason that lot can't get the funding on their own..
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Mongrel on September 22, 2009, 05:35:21 PM
Oh lord... there's fighting the good fight and there's knowing when the hell to pick your damn battles.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: SCD on September 22, 2009, 05:42:46 PM
Maybe they should have sent blankets instead. (http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/body-bags-sent-to-flu-stricken-reserves/article1290332/)

It might've been less *ahem* mortifying at least.

Sorry to backtrack here, but I really am pissed off that there are people out there who are more offended based on the most offensive assumption of why the health department gave them bodybags, as opposed to the more practical ones. 

Right now, North America is playing the vaccine game, not to mention the other games as if the WHO called this little flu a level six pandemic..

Oh wait one second here. 

Anyways, so if it turns out that the WHO is right and we don't get fooled again, body bags will be in short supply.  It's a stage sixer, after all and there will be people dropping like flies. 

Dropping like flies = lack of bodybag supply
shelf life of body bags = ?
lack of body back supply = increased value of bodybag per unit. 


I still see this as due diligence on the health department front.  distribute them while they're inexpensive.  If it's not a serious pandemic, oh well then.  At least the reservation clinics have what they need for the long haul in case of disaster, attrition, or whatnot.. or even the next pandemic!

You'll have to excuse me here, I'm drawing from my scouting roots here..
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Mongrel on September 22, 2009, 06:54:25 PM
I think that preparedness is all well and good, but that it's also important to take some rather raw nerves into account. 

Many of these folks were all but left to die last winter and spring. Even if the ass-backwards sterotyped view of natives is correct (remember, I'm originally from Manitoba...), it still doesn't justify what happened. I can't really fault someone for getting pissed after that.

I don't think there would've been a problem sending these if someone had simply been told beforehand. But that seems a bit too foresighted for our federal government.

P.S. the expiration dates for bodybags is roughly 3-5 years, from what I've learned. For whatever that's worth.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Mongrel on September 26, 2009, 06:39:38 AM
I've been saying this for years now. (http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/the-real-reason-no-one-wants-an-election/article1301959/)

Thank God for Rick Mercer.

 
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: SCD on September 30, 2009, 12:10:35 PM
Here he goes again

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w2r5gxQhcfI&feature=player_embedded
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Mongrel on October 01, 2009, 07:18:22 PM
19-year old becomes Canada's youngest-ever mayor... for about 36 hours. (http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/the-boy-who-would-be-mayor/article1309087/)

Then gets fucked over after he loses a random hat draw. :loser:
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: SCD on October 01, 2009, 07:53:27 PM
Well, in cases where it's half and half.  otherwise, runoff!
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Mongrel on October 01, 2009, 08:06:14 PM
They shoulda had a drinking contest for it.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Royal☭ on October 01, 2009, 08:11:56 PM
You Canadians are so cute.  Is drawing a hat just a money saving thing or do you not believe in re-elections?
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Mongrel on October 01, 2009, 08:31:54 PM
Newfoundland isn't a real place, it only exists in this novel series written by undersea monkey-men.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: SCD on October 01, 2009, 09:18:11 PM
You Canadians are so cute.  Is drawing a hat just a money saving thing or do you not believe in re-elections?

 Turns out we used all our coins at the bar (http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1P2-19512158.html)
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: James Edward Smith on October 01, 2009, 11:28:04 PM
The thing I love about our constant conservative minorities and the liberal party's constant insistance on yearly mulligans is that all any party would have to do, is publicly appear to be trying legitimately hard to compromise and get a consensous in the house of commons and then magically, when the next election came up, Canadians would be all impressed with how grown up they were being and then elect that party to a majority.

Well, as long as it was the Conservative or Liberal party.

I mean, I know it's not an air tight strategy, but it's gotta be better than the Liberal's apparent current plan of electing the easiest to tar and feather leader everytime and then voting against popular bills to force an election.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: SCD on October 08, 2009, 06:11:53 PM
Alright, so people may hear me speak about Mark Steyn.  He's a guy with many labels such as Islamophobe and Right wing loon-job. 

I really disagree with that assessment only due as people who call out to spur him usually do so with less-researched jabs than the ones he uses in his works, blogged or published.  That and INTERNEEEEET!!!!

Anyways, he has been a busy man appearing in front of Parliamentary committees regarding the Human Rights Tribunals. 

Now people don't like talking about them, especially politicians because anything that invokes the term 'human rights' and being against it is prime ground for misinterpretation, which is why the tories have not talked too much about it.

Now as a background, the first MP I voted for was the first person to stand up and say exactly why a "Human Rights Tribunal" was a bad thing...  No, an unconstitutional thing.  National Post Article (http://network.nationalpost.com/np/blogs/fullcomment/archive/2008/02/06/the-national-post-editorial-board-on-human-rights-legislation-keith-martin-s-good-fight.aspx)

Essentially, the article gives a non-judicial body the ability to enforce hate crimes at their interpretation in a manner which is separate from the well-established court system.

Also in real terms, those who are accusing do not have to pay legal fees, while the defendants do. 

Anyways, here is the reader's digest version of what happened on the hill this week (http://www.nationalpost.com/news/story.html?id=2069093), an opposing opinion by the Ottawa Citizen (http://communities.canada.com/ottawacitizen/blogs/thegargoyle/archive/2009/10/05/even-pundits-have-human-rights.aspx)

And finally, the youtube videos (http://ezralevant.com/2009/10/steyn-and-i-testify-before-par.html).  I just want to point out that we really do have a bunch of clowns in power, although you really can ask any BC'er about Dosanjh..

      Also, they invoked Godwin.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Mongrel on October 08, 2009, 07:29:28 PM
Anyways, here is the reader's digest version of what happened on the hill this week (http://network.nationalpost.com/np/blogs/fullcomment/archive/2008/02/06/the-national-post-editorial-board-on-human-rights-legislation-keith-martin-s-good-fight.aspx)

Er, you check the date on that?

Not that the folks on the Hill aren't all breathing their own fumes or anything. The other article is usual depressing claptrap from Ottawa.

Jesus Christ what horrible leaders we have.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: SCD on October 08, 2009, 07:39:05 PM
Thanks:  Link fixed

I accidentally linked that to the 2008 Keith Martin bill to abolish section 13.

Also, here is the blog of the Albertan (http://ezralevant.com/2009/10/why-im-optimistic.html).  He's optimistic that he's scratched the surface. 

But I know better than to share his assessment of Dosanjh.  He was BC's worst premier of the 20th century, NDP at that.  In what is a two party system, the next term his party didn't have enough seats to constitute an official opposition, right after holding a majority.  Even lost his seat.. 
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Mongrel on October 08, 2009, 08:19:59 PM
Any mention of Dosanjh always makes me laugh. He's almost as bad an opportunist as Garth Turner. 

I just don't get it, why are we so eager to seem open-minded that we find the WORST possible example of a given minority to promote. I mean, for instance, Germany got Merkel, Britain got Thatcher, Israel even got Golda Meir, but us? We got... er... Kim Campbell

Barack Obama? Nah, how about Ujjal Dosanjh!

...

I blame BC.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Mongrel on October 08, 2009, 08:39:37 PM
Homegrown terrorists prove to be amusingly Canadian in the end. (http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/toronto/terror-plot-finds-its-end-not-with-a-bang-but-a-whimper/article1317940/)

Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: SCD on October 09, 2009, 06:32:38 AM
Another example of cdn mediocrity/choosing the worst person possible to represent a political aim..

We really ought to change our national slogan to "meh"
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Mongrel on October 09, 2009, 07:02:15 AM
I suppose the fact that even our terrorists are limpdicked (LOL FLQ whut) is one of those blessings of mediocrity.

... I guess I'll take what I can get.  ::(:
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: SCD on October 09, 2009, 09:07:46 AM
 (http://i630.photobucket.com/albums/uu23/Bon_Bon_2009/scruffy-1.jpg)
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Mongrel on October 09, 2009, 10:27:37 AM
Hahaha, I just realized I called Women a 'minority' and no one called me on it.

Of course, the fact that this is the Canada thread on a board full of mostly-male Americans might have something to do with that.

Or maybe everyone just understood that I meant minority in the ruling classes.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Mongrel on October 22, 2009, 07:53:44 PM
On the subject of "Fuck Toronto!", it could always be worse: We could always be Montreal (http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/police-probes-mafia-allegations-in-the-palermo-of-canada/article1334813/).
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Mongrel on October 24, 2009, 08:26:23 PM
On the further subject of "Fuck Toronto"... How abou those Maple Leafs, eh?

BAW HAW HAW!~ :lol:
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: SCD on October 27, 2009, 01:02:23 PM
My MP lists multiple scumbags in the DR Congo (http://network.nationalpost.com/np/blogs/fullcomment/archive/2009/10/27/keith-martin-our-mining-companies-responsibility-to-the-congo.aspx)

Best MP ever.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Mongrel on October 27, 2009, 05:38:45 PM
My MP lists multiple scumbags in the DR Congo (http://network.nationalpost.com/np/blogs/fullcomment/archive/2009/10/27/keith-martin-our-mining-companies-responsibility-to-the-congo.aspx)

Best MP ever.

The best part is that you're still calling him 'your MP', rather than the yahoo squatting on Kingston.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Bleck on October 27, 2009, 11:00:42 PM
Maple Leafs, eh?

DO HO HO HO HO
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Mongrel on October 28, 2009, 03:02:31 AM
Maple Leafs, eh?

DO HO HO HO HO

I like how the only game they've won so far this season was against a team they have insider information on (hi Brian Burke!), and who were basically criminally incompetent that night. As if that wasn't enough, only three Leafs players really showed up that night anyway, so it's not like you could say that was a solid team effort.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Mongrel on November 02, 2009, 04:49:01 PM
He may have gone out with a victory, but that's still some rough beats. (http://www.montrealgazette.com/news/elected+councillor+dies+heart+attack/2172206/story.html)
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Mongrel on November 09, 2009, 04:05:16 AM
BC Native band petitions the government to remove their Indian status forever in exchange for shorter-term compensation. (http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/native-tribe-will-petition-ottawa-to-remove-their-indian-status/article1356107/)

Well, I don't know if this is a good idea or not (or if it can even work), but I'm glad someone's trying it so that we can finally debate the possibilities.

My initial reaction is that may be feasible, but only if you actually had true unanimity. I mean everyone in a given tribe would have to agree before they could be stripped of status. If they can do it piecemeal, on an individual basis, or by a high-margin referendum this might get somewhere, but I don't think the legitimacy of the hereditary chiefs is going to be enough. Regardless of any real-world pros or cons, on paper there's too much of a danger of disenfranchising the unwilling minority.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: McDohl on November 12, 2009, 08:50:16 PM
Hey Mongrel, SCD.

Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Büge on November 13, 2009, 06:32:31 AM
so what am i, chopped liver
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Mongrel on November 13, 2009, 09:38:58 AM
Hey, I didn't know chopped liver could post on the internet. That's a new one on me.  :vampire:
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Royal☭ on November 13, 2009, 08:18:58 PM
so what am i, chopped liver

Worse.


Canadian.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Mongrel on November 14, 2009, 07:48:56 AM
Probably the best explanation I've read in a while as to why the Monarchy in Canada isn't going anywhere any time soon. (http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/opinions/the-monarchy-offshore-but-built-in/article1363088/)
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Mongrel on December 02, 2009, 08:11:42 PM
The cop who led the Dziekanski tazer charge seems to have a nasty habit of killing random folks with impunity. (http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/british-columbia/mounties-drunk-driving-case-shifts-into-total-absurdity/article1386342/)
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Büge on December 02, 2009, 08:40:16 PM
So he's our Joe Apario, without the focused hatred of minorities.

... or any semblance of professionalism.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Mongrel on December 02, 2009, 08:43:57 PM
Or any real rank, thank God.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: SCD on December 02, 2009, 09:40:38 PM
So Elizabeth May had tea-time at the alternative cafe at the U of O the other day and was talking about many things including her plans to run at the Saanich Gulf Islands riding. 

She doesn't seem to have considered the intricacies of Vancouver Island (specifically Saanich, N Saanich, C Saanich and Sydney) and the Gulf Islands (specifically Saltspring, Mayne, Pender and Galianno, where new developments have overtaken).  Mark my words, she will not win her seat the next election or I will eat my hat.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Mongrel on December 03, 2009, 04:17:17 AM
So Elizabeth May had tea-time at the alternative cafe at the U of O the other day and was talking about many things including her plans to run at the Saanich Gulf Islands riding. 

She doesn't seem to have considered the intricacies of Vancouver Island (specifically Saanich, N Saanich, C Saanich and Sydney) and the Gulf Islands (specifically Saltspring, Mayne, Pender and Galianno, where new developments have overtaken).  Mark my words, she will not win her seat the next election or I will eat my hat.

It wouldn't surprise  me. I wonder what will happen to the green party then? That's 11% of the popular vote they're sitting on.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: SCD on December 05, 2009, 10:43:29 AM
Some onlooker and the To SWAT mistake an office worker's 248 pieces... for one piece (http://www.nationalpost.com/most-popular/story.html?id=2301787)
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Joxam on December 05, 2009, 02:58:37 PM
Wow, boston legal had me confused. I thought if you were a senior partner in your company you could do whatever you damn well please...
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: François on December 05, 2009, 03:04:14 PM
You can, as long as you have your neighbors on payroll.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Mongrel on December 08, 2009, 07:09:53 PM
Not only does Toronto still have an "impersonating a witch" law on the books, they've actually charged someone under this law. This month. (http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/toronto/historical-quirk-leads-to-charges-of-witchcraft-against-toronto-woman/article1393544/)
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: François on December 08, 2009, 09:24:44 PM
You know, before clicking the link I expected this to be a typical case of outdated judicial wackiness, but this is actually a sensible application of a law that was originally intended for this exact purpose. Nice!
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Brentai on December 08, 2009, 10:13:09 PM
This is why you probably shouldn't try to scam lawyers.  They're professionals at it.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Mongrel on December 11, 2009, 08:27:30 AM
Holy Fuck! Tony Clement I love you! (http://www.theglobeandmail.com/report-on-business/globalive-to-enter-wireless-market/article1396853/)

For the un-initiated, Canada - the country that invented the Blackberry - has the worst service, highest prices and most out-of-date technology for cellphone service in the industrialized world AND some of the frickin' DEVELOPING world. Literally, there people who come here from war-torn African nations who think our cellphone service sucks.

Massive and brutal competition funded by deep-pocketed foreigners is way, Way, WAY, overdue.

There's also a part of me that feels really GOOD about seeing an Egyptian company (Orascom is Egyptian) stand up on the global stage and beat the crap out of the dregs of entitled and lazy western corporations. I may be something of a leftist (always been a Red Tory, or Blue Liberal really), but seeing Capitalism really work PROPERLY gets my fires going too.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: SCD on December 11, 2009, 08:56:45 AM
 :perfect:
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: SCD on December 17, 2009, 03:13:49 PM
Fucking 'Eh! (http://www.montrealgazette.com/sports/2010wintergames/Lululemon+irks+Olympic+officials+with+rogue+clothing+line/2347227/story.html)
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Büge on December 17, 2009, 03:29:40 PM
Quote
“Cool Sporting Event That Takes Place in British Columbia Between 2009 & 2011 Edition.”

Quote
“We never imagined or intended it to be that way,” insisted Petersen. “We did our homework and were very confident that this is within the letter of the law.”

(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v316/buge/tommy-lee-jones.jpg)
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: SCD on December 20, 2009, 10:30:32 AM
Even behind prison doors, Conrad Black can still deliver a zinger (http://network.nationalpost.com/np/blogs/fullcomment/archive/2009/12/19/conrad-black-quot-quebec-is-a-bore-quot.aspx)
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: François on December 20, 2009, 12:11:13 PM
Rich man brushes away the merits of one of the most spectacular bloomings of liberal thought of the last century. What else is new?

Quote
The teachers and nurses left their religious orders and performed the same tasks as before, less assiduously and at 10 times the cost to Quebec’s taxpayers.

Because we all know that teachers and nurses don't deserve fair wages and should be satisfied with real estate in heaven. Plus I reallllly want the Catholic Church to control the school curriculum again, that would be so keen.

:facepalm:
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Mongrel on December 20, 2009, 02:04:43 PM
Nobody so embraces random kicks to Quebecers as western Canadians :slow:
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: SCD on December 20, 2009, 02:38:35 PM
There's two parts to this, really:

One is that for some reason, Conrad is able to remain smug knowing that his pen on ink is worth money, and that people will buy it.  The guy is in prision.

The second one with the words "grow up" really reaonates with myself.  We're about to blow money on bilingual signs because of quebec pressure on the other fracking side of the rockies shows how childish these fools can get.  More people in vancouver speak hindu and mandarin than they speak french over there.  Heck, more people speak Cantonese over there.

And yet they all can feel comfortable knowing that they will get to see the olympics in english and French.  Talk about oblivious to the realities on the ground.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Büge on December 20, 2009, 06:47:36 PM
Old man donates comics collection to Western University (http://communications.uwo.ca/com/western_news/stories/comic_books_donated_to_western_20091216445477/)
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Mongrel on December 20, 2009, 08:57:40 PM
See, I can't ever complain about any form of offical Bilingualism, because it's the only thing that keeps me employed.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: SCD on December 20, 2009, 10:00:07 PM
Again:  Relevance.

You are a logistics officer for a Canadian branch of a company, and is the primary supplier of your company's widgets to all provinces?  If no, does your area of responsibility invoke Qc?  If so, your abilities to speak both languages are required and an asset for your company's success.  Of course, if my hypothesis stands, it also would stand that we're talking a free market thing more than any official regulation.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Mongrel on December 21, 2009, 04:15:58 AM
Well, your hypothesis has been technically valid all along. It was technically valid before, during, and after the Royal Commission on Bilingualism and Biculturalism. That's not the point. They could also have saved a lot of money by not making the Olympic buildings accessible to the disabled, who will show up in Vancouver in smaller numbers than francophones from Quebec or New Brunswick, but they're not doing that either, are they?* Again, 'numbers served' is not the point.

The fact remains that bilingualism is only really mandatory for federal projects, which simply provides employment for an extra stable of bureaucrats in Ottawa who would otherwise be employed in any of that town's other, less-useful make-work projects. Official bilingualism is hardly a cure-all and is often silly, but it brought more peace and harmony at a cheaper price than a lot of other stupid things we've done at many times the cost.

Finally, there's some perspective: Even with the amount stuff they'll have to translate, I can guess by the volume that the Vancouver Olympics has retained the services of less than ten people for translation purposes - very possibly less than five people. The difference in actual printing and mounting of signs is minimal.



Disclosure: I think everyone should be heavily exposed to at least one more language in their youth, if not 3-5. And I don't mean these token classes you get, but some substantial learning. It seems to really improve kids' intellectual abilities and even their empathy and social understanding. So where other people think the policy only exists to humour a bunch of eastern cranks, renowned for yanking chains, I think circumstance has given us a rare gift.

*I'm sure you'll appreciate the comparison between Francophones and the disabled.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: François on December 21, 2009, 06:37:31 AM
Québec is the only difference between Canada and the United States.

no wonder you want us to stay

dang i'm kidding

i know, we got better beer
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Mongrel on December 21, 2009, 08:24:25 AM
It's okay, we can all be united in our shared hatred of Ottawa.

Québec is the only difference between Canada and the United States.

No way!

While the US will always have a streak of ingeniousness and industry that we can't touch, they will never be able to match the unstoppable drive for mediocrity, lip service, complacency, and all-around incompetence that gives that special Canadian shine to all our endeavours.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Cthulhu-chan on December 21, 2009, 08:39:22 AM
We try, damn it! :loser:
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Joxam on December 21, 2009, 08:42:26 AM
It's okay, we can all be united in our shared hatred of Ottawa.

Québec is the only difference between Canada and the United States.

No way!

While the US will always have a streak of ingeniousness and industry that we can't touch, they will never be able to match the unstoppable drive for mediocrity, lip service, complacency, and all-around incompetence that gives that special Canadian shine to all our endeavours.

I don't know, I hear you guys have some pretty serious competition.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xqQ6Z-HmAqY
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Büge on December 21, 2009, 09:15:01 AM
So nobody else is upset that there's a proposal being considered of legalizing prostitution for the duration of the games.

Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: SCD on December 21, 2009, 10:03:04 AM
Mongrel, Zed:   I suspect at somepoint, there will be need of a major national debate on services or education.  I'd rather go for the education one, despite a major lack of knowledge in how to fix.  Also, hooray for CEJEP. 

Buge:  Why are you upset in particular?  Without trying to sound offensive, you seem like the sort of person who would be for the liberalization on the issue of prostitution.  Regulation, taxation as opposed to criminalization of one of the oldest trades and all..  More importantly are you referring to Vancouver, which I cannot find an article, or South Africa, the home of Apartheid, Israeli nuclear technology, really nasty racially based crimes, and some of the nastiest bunch of mercenaries ever to walk the face of the planet?  If the later, have fun - won't waste time debating about anything that happens there.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Mongrel on December 21, 2009, 10:16:15 AM
I'm guessing he means Vancouver?

But I'm with you SCD, I haven't seen hide nor hair about this legalized prostitution kerfuffle.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Büge on December 21, 2009, 11:19:08 AM
I've had to revise my stance on prostitution after it came to my notice that prostitution is entwined in the human trafficking... uh, trade? Management? Industry? Anyway, legalizing it would pretty much mean carte blanche as far as traffickers and pimps are concerned, even with stringent government controls in place (viz. Amsterdam, Las Vegas). Vancouver is also one of the biggest transit hubs of human trafficking, since it's pretty much the landing point for anyone inbound from Asia.

Oh, it was overturned. (http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2008/feb/08020806.html) False alarm everybody!  :slow:

It's still a problem though.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: SCD on December 21, 2009, 12:00:40 PM
Yes, I was thinking that you were going around those lines.  Food for thought:  Human trafficking still occurs in Vancouver read boat people, where destinations are american cities.  This is not new stuff either, has been happening for well over two decades, and yet we have decided not to ban immigration.  Heck, my scout hall was lost due to an intercept of these slaves to be.  However, almost all of them slipped away to their lives in NY factories.

I agree human trafficking is a problem in the strongest terms.  People who do this deserve no part in our state.   

However, there are ways that the legal system could ensure (or mitigate, such that we mitigate organized crime) that the workers of the night do not fall into this trap, and I would not support a legalization of prostitution that did not address these issues at the same time.

Come to think of it, I really don't have that much information on the article, and so far the liberal nations have seemed to fail to manage this trade. 
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Mongrel on December 30, 2009, 10:02:00 AM
Say, that (http://brontoforum.us/index.php?topic=3689.msg124533#msg124533) reminds me! I think this about sums my feelings on the current state of affairs up.

(http://beta.images.theglobeandmail.com/archive/00390/decade-edcar17_j_390860gm-f.jpg)
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Büge on December 31, 2009, 10:24:32 AM
Natural gas well closed. Old people lose free heat. (http://www.metronews.ca/halifax/live/article/409415--couple-in-southern-ontario-forced-to-close-well-that-provides-free-fuel)

Our government, ladies and gentlemen.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: SCD on December 31, 2009, 10:48:05 AM
Honestly, I really abhore the government elected in Ontario.  Stifling innovation is certainly a meme I hear in the bars around the rural parts, while waste is what is said in the other circles. 

To top it off, the Liberal party phoned me the other week at dinner time pretending to be a polling firm, but changed tone halfway through trying to encourage me to become liberal in a province who's government has turned the leading industrial base to "have-not" status.  I gave her what's for.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Mongrel on December 31, 2009, 11:53:45 AM
I just don't know what's wrong with this damned country. It seems like Ontario is ground zero, but really who are we kidding? It's everywhere. Hell, we have a federal government that's basically making fun of our entire conception of democracy and no one gives a damn. Not in the slightest.

Call it stifling innovation, call it shortsightedness, I don't know... it's the hallmark of a people whose defining characteristic is to just take it up the poop chute.

I mean, to a point, being able to weather small things and suffer for a good reason is very beneficial, "Give me the strength to endure the things I can't change" and all that. The kind of hardworking wisdom SOME of our forebears managed to put to good use in building this country in the first place.

But it has mutated into some kind of - I fumble to try and find words to describe this disease - freakish hyper-apathy? And with the modern entitlement complex endemic to all western nations, what was once a virtue has now turned into bald ignorance.

Blah... ah whatever, I'm probably just pissed that Toronto hasn't improved its infrastructure since, oh, about 1982. Maybe it's just coincidence that these same tired refrains were once again echoed in today's editorials: Relevant Link #1 (http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/opinions/a-surfeit-of-rah-rah-a-dearth-of-serious-debate/article1414466/), Relevant link #2 (http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/proroguing-parliament-a-travesty-yet-clever/article1415391/).
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: SCD on December 31, 2009, 03:27:06 PM
The second article is dead wrong, while the first one has merits.  The issue of the Afghanistan soldiers is a leftover fallicy from the Cretien government, the one who's cabinet's micromanagement of the day-to-day activities of the forces in places such as Bosnia earned us nicknames such as "Can'tbat" (CANBATT is the abbrev for Canadian battalion).  The issue has been pushed by a media with the agenda, and as polls show, not cared about by the voters. 

I have other reasons to foam bile at that debate, but I will withhold them on these means. 

As far as proroguing not being democratic, there's always the budget as a mechanism to ensure that governments can change without bloodshed.  It's too bad that majority governments of the past and present don't share the same mechanism..  Then again, it might be a good thing.

As far as the first article goes, patriotism is garbage without some form of debate of who we are.  Example:  That UN Peacekeeping bullshit about us is the greatest lie that was continued after the cold war.

Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Mongrel on December 31, 2009, 07:03:26 PM
Hah, well, we used to be rather self-effacing.

It feels like we've now become the international equivalent of the neighbour who always has a fixed smile and tells you you can borrow anything but when you do come to ask, mysteriously he's already loaned what you want to someone else. And he's quietly filing reports with the city about the placement of your fence without telling you. The buillshit about us being great peacekeepers is just a small part of the self-satisfied wanking this nation engages in regularly. 

I'm wondering why you think the second article is garbage. The cons threw out a whole pile of pending legislation with this move, much of it theirs. They're effectively taking their marbles and going home, just because things aren't going the way they like. I mean, where else but in third world countries does the government simply shut down andtake two months off when things aren't going it's way. When did we become subjects of Charles I (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_I_of_England)?

Budget votes are only leverage in a minority situation, such as we're stuck in now. In a majority the opposition can simply go to hell. The current situation is awkward because the opposition has nothing to back up a threat against the budget bill (as they are not election ready and may possibly never be election ready under their current leadership). That's the problem when your only real moves are the nuclear option (bring down the government) or nothing.

As has been stated elsewhere, on paper Canada is essentially a dictatorship where you vote for the dictator - both of our legislative houses are essentially irrelevant. Historically, we got a lot done, because everyone bought into the notion of our governenment acting like any other western democracy. Harper has done incalcuable damage to this process by basically demontrating the true state of affairs.

Normally I might say it's a good thing for everyone to find out that the Emperor has no clothes, that maybe we can all learn a lesson and actually begin to have a serious talk about legislative reform for this utterly broken system, but 1) Nobody's paying attention. 2) Talking about the constitution is anathema (can't blame anyone there) and 3) Harper came in with a mandate to reform the Senate and he turned it into the greatest round of pork barrelling seen in years. If we fail so completely at Senate reform, how can we dare to even think of reforming the House of Commons?
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Mongrel on December 31, 2009, 10:34:52 PM
I see we've been given another chance to show how gutless we are. (http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/world/jordan-asks-canada-to-seize-dead-sea-scrolls/article1416369/)

On paper, Jordan is very much in the right, though it's a bit trollish to try and spite Israel through a third party who's probably disinclined to do so. Not sure how I feel about this one, but it'll be interesting to see where this goes.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: SCD on January 02, 2010, 07:38:27 AM
Reverse order:

While I think that of all the artificial arab nations, Jordan is the least worst of the lot, Fuck Jordan.  Their government still fails to hold the confidence of a third of the people in a way that makes the bloc look like liberal sissies, not that they need much to make them look that way.

I've seen how the arab countries take care of their antiquities versus the meticulous care of Israel.  In the interest of the maintained integrety of the documents, Israel has proven itself capable time and time again of protecting, all proven and "potential" treasures, and I say 'potential' as I've seen the tip of the iceburg of what it takes to excavate five metres anywhere in that country.  The Antiquities ministry always gets first kick at the can, and they have eyes everywhere. 

The flipside is that there are places in Jordan and Egypt (I'm not sure about Syria at the moment), where they cannot enforce the rule of law without checkpoints for their own people. 

Also, on the implications side of the house, if we were to forcefully possess property loaned to our museums by other nations without the backing of an organization such as an ICJ ruling, then countries such as the UK and Israel would think twice before lending our museums their exhibitions.  Such a move would cost our museums too much. 





--

On the subject of Harper's bush-bashing adventure, while I disagree respectfully that his actions are damaging the state of confederation, I do that and some more by pointing out that his main concern at the moment is in destroying the Senate.  The more I listen to the bs of the day, the more I realize that the senate is refusing to reform, and all Harper can do is create a majority condition in there to ensure that his laws make it all the way to the GG's office. 


-- 

On the subject of the Afghan detainee 'issue' that the globe and other left-leaning press are trying to foist, the previous Chief of Defense Staff actually explains clearly in his memoir why information was kept secret on detainee details from the usual suspects, although it doesn't touch on the actual abuse.  I intend to post it in Guild Hall, in order to hide the google bots, and lawyers (with exception of Pacobird)
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Mongrel on January 02, 2010, 09:04:29 AM
Reverse order:

While I think that of all the artificial arab nations, Jordan is the least worst of the lot, Fuck Jordan.  Their government still fails to hold the confidence of a third of the people in a way that makes the bloc look like liberal sissies, not that they need much to make them look that way.

I've seen how the arab countries take care of their antiquities versus the meticulous care of Israel.  In the interest of the maintained integrety of the documents, Israel has proven itself capable time and time again of protecting, all proven and "potential" treasures, and I say 'potential' as I've seen the tip of the iceburg of what it takes to excavate five metres anywhere in that country.  The Antiquities ministry always gets first kick at the can, and they have eyes everywhere. 

The flipside is that there are places in Jordan and Egypt (I'm not sure about Syria at the moment), where they cannot enforce the rule of law without checkpoints for their own people. 

Also, on the implications side of the house, if we were to forcefully possess property loaned to our museums by other nations without the backing of an organization such as an ICJ ruling, then countries such as the UK and Israel would think twice before lending our museums their exhibitions.  Such a move would cost our museums too much. 





--

On the subject of Harper's bush-bashing adventure, while I disagree respectfully that his actions are damaging the state of confederation, I do that and some more by pointing out that his main concern at the moment is in destroying the Senate.  The more I listen to the bs of the day, the more I realize that the senate is refusing to reform, and all Harper can do is create a majority condition in there to ensure that his laws make it all the way to the GG's office. 


-- 

On the subject of the Afghan detainee 'issue' that the globe and other left-leaning press are trying to foist, the previous Chief of Defense Staff actually explains clearly in his memoir why information was kept secret on detainee details from the usual suspects, although it doesn't touch on the actual abuse.  I intend to post it in Guild Hall, in order to hide the google bots, and lawyers (with exception of Pacobird)

Re: Scrolls: I agree with an ICJ ruling being the best way to go. I think the best thing to do would be to somehow turn it over to that body or similar for arbitration. The main thing is that the Canadian government would have to acknowledge publicly that it is not capable of making such a judgment and that we don't appreciate being put on the spot as a surprise like this.

And if the government really wants to make sure the documents, are returned to Israel they can simply choose to return the scrolls at the originally scheduled time, rather than holding them pending a decision.

But we won't do any of that. We'll just engage in some mealy-mouthed nonsense that absolutely nobody will believe.

Re: Senate: Sorry but don't really think that saying 'The Senate can't be reformed' is an excuse to appoint the likes of Mike Duffy and co., the worst dregs of the party flaks and syncophants. The Harper Senate appointees are now widely known for being the heaviest abusers of Senate privileges in a generation.

At the very, very, least he could have returned to the previous stance which was to appoint Senators who'd been voted on (remember that very first Senate appointment?). If Harper had actually done that consistently, the Liberals might have been shamed into doing the same the next time they were in power. A long shot, I admit, but it's a simple, principled act that really would have defined the party and Harper in a different way. Now, it's too late. All of Canada knows that Harper just stands for expediency, self-interest, and the same old garbage.

Re: Detainees. I think it'll help if I clarify that I'm not necessarily on the side of those who are saying "The Canadian Government is complicit in deliberate violations of the Geneva convention" - all the more so after reading your other post this morning.

What I am upset about is the fact that the government refuses to "be a Man", as it were, and face allegations head on. Instead of doing something as simple as quoting the text you listed, or giving other valid reasons for the actions of the Canadian Forces, Harper avoided the House of Commons for trumped up reasons (too many senior's curling tournaments to attend) and has now simply shuttered the government for two months - throwing out much legislation in the process. It's a failure in every possible way - to the government, to the military (for not defending them in a meaningful way), and to the general public - and an act of cowardice of the worst kind.

As long as the government acts in such a spineless fashion, the assumption from the general public will be that, yes, there is something to hide - even if there isn't (and even if John Baird finds out his voicebox goes to 12). Again, Just like last winter, Harper demonstrated that he'll do anything to hang on for one more spiteful day, long term damage to the political process (it's not pretty, but it's all we've got), the country, or even to his own party be damned.

That's the real reason he's got no majority. His opposition is at a lower point than the conservatives were at under Chretien, he has total control of the machinery, but still a majority eludes him. Not because of any bullshit about secret conservative conspiracies - most sensible people dropped that worry in '07 or '08, but (to steal a page from the Con's own playbook) because he's a bully, a shrewd operator, or a gamesman, but he is not a leader.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: SCD on January 02, 2010, 10:29:42 AM
Damn it, we've gone and argued about three things in concert, haven't we. 

My bad.   :nyoro~n:

Alright, scrolls:  Given the lack of media coverage, I suspect the request will be ignored or rejected - quietly.

Senators:  Agreed for the most part, although I am firm in believing that with exception of some liberals, such as people including Jason Kenny (I don't always agree with him, but boy do we get our money's worth out of that guy), I am curious of how the Senate will be reformed now.  I do not know enough about the profiles of those who are in, but for now I'm just going to assume that they are mostly conservative twats, as opposed to retired technocrats.  I am curious about these abuses (except for duffy's bills, the fatty), and more curious from the PM about how he's going to push reform.  The Economist's current edition indicates noise in this direction, so I suspect something quiet might be underway.

As far as detainees or generality of our current gov goes, I fully agree with the state of affairs, except that I will point out the PMO.  During the minority years with Harper, the most friction between the forces and the governing body seemed (At least as far as the Memoir is concerned) is the PMO, and their media ninjas.  Everytime the former CDS spoke, the PMO seemed tried to shut him down, and almost every slimey "outside of question period" announcements seem to come from that direction.  This is despite that the PM and Hillier enjoyed a good relationship, just as he enjoyed a good relationship with former PM Martin.  Heck, despite all the media heckling about MP Gordon o Conner and Hillier, and the former CDS, Hillier had a lot of great things to say about the effectiveness of the former minister of defense as he does the current (Can you say Tanks, planes and automobiles in record time?).   I recall in my childhood of hearing similar stories of unelected political hacks in that office controlling a lot more than they ought to, and I don't think it is getting better.  This is not a defence of the current Prime Minister, who is a player, but not a leader (albiet a better one than Martin (as much as I like him), or Cretien (who I like less)). 

Executive Summary:  Burn the PMO.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Mongrel on January 02, 2010, 08:17:20 PM
Yeah, I dunno, the whole thing is kind of murky as far assigning blame at an individual level - but ultimately the PM is responsible for shenanigans in his office under his watch (and considering the meciless ironclad control Harper weilds, I have grave doubts about the independant ageny of anyone in his office). I'm going to go with 'Burn the PMO' too. I did like Paul Martin (I really liked a lot of his policies)... he tried to do what was right for the country, he just always seemed to be one step behind someone else's political machine.

As far as the side comment about ol' Gordon (a consevative from a much older past), from the outside looking in it looked like he had been trying his best, but just kept tripping over a tangled web of politics.

Anyway, I don't even know what we're going to wind up with. My feelings on Harper are well known. Layton might actually be a credible leader if he wasn't such a self-satisfied prick high ont he ink fumes of his own press releases. And Iggy can die in a fire.

Once again Gilles Duceppe looks like the most sensible, responsible party leader. Koipond and I keep joking that we want to vote for him (We're in Layton's riding... or wait, no, I'm in Layton's riding, he's in Bob Rae's riding).
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: SCD on January 04, 2010, 02:31:57 PM
Another tale of badassery, dog saves boy from being killed by cougar (http://www.nationalpost.com/news/story.html?id=2403805).

Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Büge on January 04, 2010, 03:51:15 PM
Just so we're clear: This isn't about a teenager who was going to die of massive heart failure after a sex marathon with an older woman.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Mongrel on January 04, 2010, 06:06:48 PM
Just so we're clear: This isn't about a teenager who was going to die of massive heart failure after a sex marathon with an older woman.

Ah damn!
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: François on January 04, 2010, 06:18:40 PM
Not sure where the dog would come in.

Hmm.

better not to linger on that thought i suppose
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Brentai on January 04, 2010, 06:39:15 PM
Not sure where the dog would come in.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: SCD on January 27, 2010, 11:42:49 AM
Canada pulls out of UNRWA (http://network.nationalpost.com/np/blogs/fullcomment/archive/2010/01/27/jonathon-narvey-ottawa-strikes-blow-against-reinforcing-failure-in-middle-east.aspx)

About time.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Mongrel on January 27, 2010, 12:00:10 PM
I don't object to the decision, but man does that article ever go on for a while about how awesome the Israeli camps are without actually providing any really useful particulars.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: SCD on January 27, 2010, 12:25:56 PM
Concurred.  should have used an article instead of an op-ed. 

Also past personal observations from time visiting cities there on time off indicate that there are no Jewish camps visible in most cities, and that refugees now have somewhere to stay, unlike the palestinians in surrounding arab states, who have been denied the basic blocks of creating wealth.

Considering that the country is still importing Jewish people like mad, I'm sure the response was "no worries, we'll make you feel home here."
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Mongrel on January 27, 2010, 01:55:27 PM
Well, the machinery for integrating "right to return" jews is very well-oiled and has been operating almost since the country was founded, so no real surprises there.

(This is actually a somewhat positive comment, in case anybody was wondering).
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: SCD on January 27, 2010, 06:17:44 PM
I believe you answer your own question there.  This might be one of the few times I have the privilege of saying "check mate", and I don't think this could happen again for a long time.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Mongrel on January 27, 2010, 07:27:16 PM
... but I wasn't asking a question.

???  :OoO:
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: SCD on January 27, 2010, 07:43:56 PM
The question of "Jewish refugee camps" and their current state is what you were asking for from the article, which never gave it directly.. because there are none..?

Damn it.. my logic still trips over itself because the op-ed is flimsy by its own nature.  Do I ever feel like one of those cartoon antagonists right about now..
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Mongrel on January 27, 2010, 09:02:38 PM
Oh. LOL.

I was mostly just complaining about the op-ed posing as an article.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Mongrel on January 28, 2010, 07:42:15 PM
Compromise withdrawl starts to take shape. (http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/world/afghan-endgame-from-victory-to-compromise/article1448361/)

So SCD, what're your thoughts on this?
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: SCD on January 28, 2010, 09:50:58 PM
Long winded stuff comes to mind. 

There cannot be concrete dates, just opportunities and honor for those who are willing to fight for their villages and towns as opposed as their outworld ideologies. 

The war has to end, but first the real work is just starting with our troop increase.  I am happy to see that the civilian end appears to be working a wee bit, but every nation's foreign ministry so far has made almost nothing but mess with either their laziness or inconsistency after cabinet shuffle leaving the officers with the war and the diplomatic work. 

Also a friend gave me a call the other day and gripped about how today's rocket attack just happened as he was heading for the bathroom... bad.  He was not amused, so I told him "hey buddy, do what I do when the rockets come falling down and just remember that for those freaks to get virgins, they have to die and even then they're stuck with the 42 for all eternity....

Where all you or I have to do is just head to the local university  :suave:"

He laughed.  It's a weird thing to think, that out here, you think of them as people to be converted, wheras you call the people setting off the mortars and rockets a fire mission.  Professional courtesy?
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Mongrel on January 29, 2010, 04:01:44 AM
Rocket attack? You referring to a friend in Afghanistan, or to this (http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/no-indication-of-rocket-launch-over-newfoundland-pmo-says/article1447909/)?
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Büge on January 29, 2010, 03:15:36 PM
Non-consensual pelvic exams on anesthetized patients is the norm (http://www.theglobeandmail.com/life/health/time-to-end-pelvic-exams-done-without-consent/article1447337/)
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Mongrel on January 30, 2010, 05:24:03 PM
Supreme Court of Canada rules that Omar Khadr must be repatriated. (http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/khadr-ruling-sees-top-court-clash-with-tories/article1450138/)

A 9-0 ruling. Wow. WOW. That is literally as strong a repudiation as the Supreme Court can give.

Regardless of what anyone might think of the kid, the Federal Government can no longer stick their fingers in their ears and pretend he isn't a Canadian citizen. Because, that's effectively what they were doing.

Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: SCD on January 30, 2010, 07:27:25 PM
No mongrel, the editorial skewed it.  The SC said that there were chapter seven human rights violations upon him, but the court has no effective sway over this event, or foreign affairs and cannot do anything about it.  Must was not used in that context in the ruling at all.  I could not find any original text of the demand for repat.

Here's an instance of the word "must" in the document:

all government power must be exercised in accordance with the Constitution

Be careful with your words.  This isn't Pakistan, after all.


Now lets forget about that garbage press and move on to the actual information:

http://www.scc-csc.gc.ca/decisions/Khadr-en.pdf

IV. Conclusion
[48] The appeal is allowed in part. Mr. Khadr’s application for judicial review is allowed
in part. This Court declares that through the conduct of Canadian officials in the course of
interrogations in 2003-2004, as established on the evidence before us, Canada actively participated
in a process contrary to Canada’s international human rights obligations and contributed to Mr.
Khadr’s ongoing detention so as to deprive him of his right to liberty and security of the person
guaranteed by s. 7 of the Charter, contrary to the principles of fundamental justice. Costs are
awarded to Mr. Khadr.

Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Mongrel on January 30, 2010, 07:58:02 PM
I was re-reading the ruling in more detail. You're technically right on all counts. However, to all intents and purposes, they have set things up so that no other outcome is possible.

Relevant (from elsewhere, not the ruling):

Quote
The court refrained, wisely, from ordering Ottawa to try to bring Mr. Khadr, a citizen, home from the United States prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, where he has been for seven years. It was wise partly because the court lacks "institutional competence" in foreign affairs (as the court itself pointed out), and partly because matters of foreign affairs are a Crown prerogative, rarely to be settled by judges (as the court also pointed out).

The ruling was in fact the Supreme Court playing it very cautiously by giving the Goverment one last chance to "take the hint", as it were. But again, they've very cleverly laid things out in such a way that their ruling is all but enforced. Because if the government does NOT "take the hint", Khadr's lawyers now have pretty much inassailable legal grounds (a 9-0 Supreme Court ruling largely in their favour) to base an appeal on. If such an appeal is launched, the Supreme Court has given the Government a very clear and fair warning on how they they will rule in such a case.

The most key line may be the rather thinly veiled threat quoted verbatim from the ruling by the article:

Quote
“courts are empowered to make orders ensuring that the government's foreign affairs prerogative is exercised in accordance with the constitution.”

So again, while the government is not (yet) legally obligated to begin repatriation proceedings, they've been placed in an untenable position.

And that's fine by me.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: SCD on February 01, 2010, 03:51:14 PM
As untenable as this one is, do not expect any movement by any of the two parties. 

Alright, I tend to be pretty quiet about proroguing parliaments as it is a commonplace occurrence in the national and provincial levels (especially in BC, where they decided to push though most of the legislation in September and called it a day).  It's a tool that's generally used by majority parties and while people like to say it's done when most of the agenda is pushed through, the tories pushed all they could for the time being until the senate appointments were thrown through, no matter what the liberals want you to think. 

Executive summary:  it was used as a political tool in the favor of the governing party to kill off dissent in the government house just like every other prorogation. 

 Fact:  The tories have used it to their advantage to lead.  So far, between cutting the strings of UNRWA, and assisting Haiti in record time (not to mention giving the tools to the military in the form of tactical and strategic lift aircraft) were a modest start. 

Next, using the G8 and G20 for a reasonable goal which does not require a herculean task, but a simple cost-effective series of solutions which can dramatically affect the quality of life of several developing nations (link1 - nationalpost article) (http://www.nationalpost.com/news/story.html?id=2494289) was one of his more recent ideas that might have lasting implications, indeed - but this is something that has really stricken me:

Prentice does a U Turn with the oilsands, makes the call towards corporations to fix the issue (http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20100201/prentice_oilsands_100201/20100201?hub=Canada). 


This is pretty interesting to me, as while I'm not sold as a Harperite, I am once again enjoying his game as a tactician.  While the NDP and Liberals are crying afoul about the ministers not being in the hill yelling at each other over question period in what is the most undignified sport known to man, and yes I understand fully the implications of the word "sport", Harper is not only out playing his usual game of chess, but he is doing the job of leading the nation in the process, or at the bare minimum appearing to do so with solid and sound policies in small areas which they are more effective. 

He is also delegating.  He's letting Baird tour the airport security and cry with the orphans - which perfect considering he's a big giant teddy bear with a voice which could give any would-be terrorist PSTD.  He's letting MacKay run his show, which he is doing rather well easily at the level of Bill Graham, despite not having as favorable conditions as the later.  He's letting Jim Prentice do what he's wanted to do for sometime - no, what he needs to do as environment minister. 

I wouldn't hear too much from Stockwell Day however.  He's not going to be in the limelight, but given the praise from Harper, I expect he's doing his own cost-cutting business... not effectively but studiously.  No one is going to like Stockwell day in awhile, and I would be certain that both he, Harper and the rest of the Cabinet understand that well. 

I've never liked the present day tories except that their leader is a fantastic chess player, and they are still a hell of a lot better than the alternative (see:  no more longarm registry, private members bill on gay marriage, etc)

Oddly enough, last thursday I had a good conversation with a Saudi Expat named Mohammed about local politics.  Guy tells me that of all the leaders, he likes Harper on his own merits as his foreign policy is more focused, leading me to think of the contrasts between the titles the Economist has dubbed him including "The one-candle man", which stands in contrasts to Mr Martin's "Mr Dithers' Fiscal Cafeteria", only with foreign policy.  I don't have any other backings, but stuff that I've thrown up makes that more apparent. 

Perhaps that's why people in the Universities really cannot think of what Mr Harper has done for Canada in a lasting sense, in contrast to the killing of funds for many NGO's that promoted women's rights, and other nice-to-have things.  Perhaps a coherent and straightforward foreign policy is what will end up his legacy. 

For what it's worth, I say that the RMR Slap chop election is going to hold true next round.

IM:  I'm interested in your thoughts in particular, as well as anyone else who has good examples of where exactly I'm wrong.  Heck knows you're all a civil bunch.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Büge on February 01, 2010, 04:18:48 PM
Our Sexiest Man is Transgendered. (http://www.afterellen.com/blog/alleyhector/the-cliks-lucas-silveira-wins-canadas-sexiest-man-title)

 :victory:
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Mongrel on February 03, 2010, 11:59:27 AM
As untenable as this one is, do not expect any movement by any of the two parties.  

Alright, I tend to be pretty quiet about proroguing parliaments as it is a commonplace occurrence in the national and provincial levels (especially in BC, where they decided to push though most of the legislation in September and called it a day).  It's a tool that's generally used by majority parties and while people like to say it's done when most of the agenda is pushed through, the tories pushed all they could for the time being until the senate appointments were thrown through, no matter what the liberals want you to think.  

Executive summary:  it was used as a political tool in the favor of the governing party to kill off dissent in the government house just like every other prorogation.  

 Fact:  The tories have used it to their advantage to lead.  So far, between cutting the strings of UNRWA, and assisting Haiti in record time (not to mention giving the tools to the military in the form of tactical and strategic lift aircraft) were a modest start.  

Next, using the G8 and G20 for a reasonable goal which does not require a herculean task, but a simple cost-effective series of solutions which can dramatically affect the quality of life of several developing nations (link1 - nationalpost article) (http://www.nationalpost.com/news/story.html?id=2494289) was one of his more recent ideas that might have lasting implications, indeed - but this is something that has really stricken me:

Prentice does a U Turn with the oilsands, makes the call towards corporations to fix the issue (http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20100201/prentice_oilsands_100201/20100201?hub=Canada).  


This is pretty interesting to me, as while I'm not sold as a Harperite, I am once again enjoying his game as a tactician.  While the NDP and Liberals are crying afoul about the ministers not being in the hill yelling at each other over question period in what is the most undignified sport known to man, and yes I understand fully the implications of the word "sport", Harper is not only out playing his usual game of chess, but he is doing the job of leading the nation in the process, or at the bare minimum appearing to do so with solid and sound policies in small areas which they are more effective.  

He is also delegating.  He's letting Baird tour the airport security and cry with the orphans - which perfect considering he's a big giant teddy bear with a voice which could give any would-be terrorist PSTD.  He's letting MacKay run his show, which he is doing rather well easily at the level of Bill Graham, despite not having as favorable conditions as the later.  He's letting Jim Prentice do what he's wanted to do for sometime - no, what he needs to do as environment minister.  

I wouldn't hear too much from Stockwell Day however.  He's not going to be in the limelight, but given the praise from Harper, I expect he's doing his own cost-cutting business... not effectively but studiously.  No one is going to like Stockwell day in awhile, and I would be certain that both he, Harper and the rest of the Cabinet understand that well.  

I've never liked the present day tories except that their leader is a fantastic chess player, and they are still a hell of a lot better than the alternative (see:  no more longarm registry, private members bill on gay marriage, etc)

Oddly enough, last thursday I had a good conversation with a Saudi Expat named Mohammed about local politics.  Guy tells me that of all the leaders, he likes Harper on his own merits as his foreign policy is more focused, leading me to think of the contrasts between the titles the Economist has dubbed him including "The one-candle man", which stands in contrasts to Mr Martin's "Mr Dithers' Fiscal Cafeteria", only with foreign policy.  I don't have any other backings, but stuff that I've thrown up makes that more apparent.  

Perhaps that's why people in the Universities really cannot think of what Mr Harper has done for Canada in a lasting sense, in contrast to the killing of funds for many NGO's that promoted women's rights, and other nice-to-have things.  Perhaps a coherent and straightforward foreign policy is what will end up his legacy.  

For what it's worth, I say that the RMR Slap chop election is going to hold true next round.

IM:  I'm interested in your thoughts in particular, as well as anyone else who has good examples of where exactly I'm wrong.  Heck knows you're all a civil bunch.

Huh, I have no idea why I didn't see your post before.

I too can admire Harper's deviousness to a degree, but it's like watching a man cleverly steal candy from children with Down's Syndrome (yes, I am most definitely placing Iggy and Jackie in that category). Then you remember that this is the best we can do and whoa is that ever depressing.

Agreed on your ministerial assessments.

As for the prorogue thing, I don't think it's really so much an issue of practical outcome. the Canadian goverment has a long traditoin of taking too much time off.

For me it bugged me more for two reasons. 1) It's one of those times when you're reminded just how little regard Harper has for both the public and even his own supposed 'principles', when he lets the iron shield slip a little and you find yourself looking at something very ugly. 2) A lot of Canadian parliamentary checks and balances are purely traditional. I always wondered what would happen when a Prime Minister started to just out-and-out ignore those. Well, now I know. And while it may eventually lead to some kind of reform, I don't like it.

A final FYI there: I have an infinitely greater amount respect for Preston Manning than I do Harper. I might disagree sometimes on individual issues, but the good parson had an actual vision for making a better Canada, reached out to folks, and has a moral compass that's as true as a rod.



***


And now, the reason I came to the thread this afternoon in the first place:

Harper Government continues to refuse Khadr repatriation (http://www.theglobeandmail.com/blogs/bureau-blog/tories-stand-pat-on-omar-khadr/article1454636/).

Well, I guess we're gonna find out what happens after all! :glee:
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: SCD on February 03, 2010, 03:01:50 PM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o-j8nN4ELUI&feature=related

That's it.  Do not expect to see anything else done about it. 

I'm shocked though about your respect, or memory of Mr Manning.  I supported him way back in the Reform days, despite some of the prairie dogs he had to put up with, the poor soul. 

Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Mongrel on February 04, 2010, 04:37:50 AM
Oh I definitely expect a follow-up, because the Supreme Court effectively double-dog-dared them to do this.

I mentioned Manning because damned if he isn't a much better example of the kind of person Alberta can bring to the party when "principled man" is chosen over "blatant opportunist". Of course Harper 'won' whereas Manning couldn't get east of Manitoba, but then again we never saw that would have happened had Manning actually been a leader of a national conservative party instead of a regional one.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: SCD on February 04, 2010, 08:41:48 PM
Follow up?  You're on.    :nyah:

Case of beer (12 - local microbrew) for you if the Supreme court follows up in a fashion that doesn't involve compensation for Khadar's defense, or compensation for himself on return to Canada. (as the former was written into the verdict already)

Case of beer for me (ditto) if the Supreme Court doesn't follow up with exception of the aforementioned by the next election.  

Draw (we split the costs of a 12 pack and drink away) if Supreme Court awards fat stacks of cash for Khadar upon his return, nothing else.  

Deal?  I will be training in K-town again next summer, and will redeem around that time.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Büge on February 04, 2010, 09:26:29 PM
(http://www.kabobfest.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/12/stephen-harper-kitten.jpg) Fools! I am proroguing beer production and retail! All Hail King Steve!
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Mongrel on February 05, 2010, 04:28:27 AM
Follow up?  You're on.    :nyah:

Case of beer (12 - local microbrew) for you if the Supreme court follows up in a fashion that doesn't involve compensation for Khadar's defense, or compensation for himself on return to Canada. (as the former was written into the verdict already)

Case of beer for me (ditto) if the Supreme Court doesn't follow up with exception of the aforementioned by the next election. 

Draw (we split the costs of a 12 pack and drink away) if Supreme Court awards fat stacks of cash for Khadar upon his return, nothing else. 

Deal?  I will be training in K-town again next summer, and will redeem around that time.

Huh? But this won't even work. The court ruling isn't about compensation, it's about forcing the government to bring him back. Khadr might sue separately later or something, but that's it's own can of worms and - more importantly - a totally separate legal case.

The only thing being ruled on is whether or not the government is obligated to request his return from the United States, as (everything else aside) he is a citizen whose rights are being violated.

The recent Supreme Court ruling stopped just short of ordering the government to bring him home, so as to avoid causing a constitutional nightmare (since Canadians just LOVE those), but the court made it very clear in their ruling that they do have the power to make that request if forced to.

The Harper government has now effectively said "make me". In order for things to continue, the next step must be a new legal challenge from Khadr's lawyers that basically asks the same thing as the previous one did: For the government to bring Khadr back to Canada. It will then go to the Supreme Court again, where this time they will almost certainly rule to force the government to ask for a return. And then we'll have an unholy mess and who knows what will happen after THAT. Or maybe Harper loses an election in the interim and this all becomes a moot point.

Now I'm willing to bet on some of the above happening, but not about compensation.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Mongrel on February 05, 2010, 04:30:46 AM
(http://www.kabobfest.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/12/stephen-harper-kitten.jpg) Fools! I am proroguing beer production and retail! All Hail King Steve!

He looks like he's going to eat the thing.

You know when people say that you really can't judge a man's character by their face, that that's a load of old hogwash?

Those people are idiots.


Well, he sure ain't no John Baird*.

*I guess this is only funny if you know about John Baird's cat.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: SCD on February 05, 2010, 04:33:56 AM
That's pretty much the same point I make - that any action in the form of compensation is a non-act and pretty much anulls the bet. 

So, what do you say?
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Mongrel on February 05, 2010, 07:10:31 AM
That's pretty much the same point I make - that any action in the form of compensation is a non-act and pretty much anulls the bet.  

So, what do you say?

So you actually want to bet on financial compensation will be ordered (or given) and not on whether or not the government will actually bring him back (forced or otherwise)?

Soooo... if I read that correctly:

I get a case of beer if Khadr is repatriated without court-ordered financial compensation before the next election.

You get a case of beer if Khadr is repatriated AND the government is forced to offer financial compensation (again before the next election). Not sure how you wanted to treat 'next election'.

All bets off if neither happens by the next election period, OR all bets off if Harper ceases to be PM (i.e. bets ride if he wins the next one).
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: SCD on February 05, 2010, 07:36:21 AM
No no no...  Clarification:

You get a case of beer of the government forces repaitriation or presses charges on the government of the day or option 3 which amounts to more than a slap on the wrist

I get a case of beer if that doesn't happen by the next election

if something financial happens if Khadar gets repatriated as a direct result of Camp Delta's tribunals, bet is null and void, we split costs of beer.

Works?

Next election is the end of the betting period.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Büge on February 05, 2010, 08:25:36 AM
I've got a similar bet going, actually.

If the government forces repatriation, I buy a sundress.

If it doesn't, I buy a box of Monsterpocalypse.

If Khadr gets a fat settlement, I buy both.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Mongrel on February 05, 2010, 09:36:15 AM
No no no...  Clarification:

You get a case of beer of the government forces repaitriation or presses charges on the government of the day or option 3 which amounts to more than a slap on the wrist

I get a case of beer if that doesn't happen by the next election

if something financial happens if Khadar gets repatriated as a direct result of Camp Delta's tribunals, bet is null and void, we split costs of beer.

Works?

Next election is the end of the betting period.

Oh okay, that was what I originally thought, but all this financial compensation talk confused me.

Let's just keep it as clear as possible and toss the compensation talk - if money gets involved it will by definition only happen after some form of repatriation, so let's go with:

- I get a case of beer if the government is forced to repatriate Khadr (or is at least formally ordered to, even if the actual physical transfer doesn't happen immediately) before the next election.
- You get a case of beer if not.
- If the US sends him back to us without our asking (i.e. Camp Delta tribunal says GTFO, etc), bets are off.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: SCD on February 05, 2010, 12:33:51 PM
deal :hi5:

Now I know how it feels to be a political deal-maker in parliament.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: SCD on February 08, 2010, 09:41:01 AM
Hey mongrel, Buge, how do you feel about the TTC drama?
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Büge on February 08, 2010, 09:47:07 AM
Has the TTC stopped running?
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: SCD on February 08, 2010, 09:50:32 AM
Nah, people just uploaded a bunch of photos and videos of TTC types f***ing the chicken, causing management to slap wrists causing union to  :rage: causing public to complain more. 

Wondering how much of what I see on the globe and the star is hyperbole
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Mongrel on February 08, 2010, 10:11:11 AM
Nah, people just uploaded a bunch of photos and videos of TTC types f***ing the chicken, causing management to slap wrists causing union to  :rage: causing public to complain more.  

Wondering how much of what I see on the globe and the star is hyperbole

This is pretty much it.

Basically, everyone was pissed at the TTC for raising fares at new year's so there was this simmering resentment lingering. The TTC guys are an old school 'Union crew' so, they have a good number of bottom-feeders who milk the system.

Combine the two + INTERNETS and you get DRAMA. I didn't give a damn, really, because it was set to blow over, but the Sun keeps looking for dumbshit to pick at (IDLING BUSES IS FRONT PAGE NEWS OMG OMG OMG) so they can be all INVESTIGATIVE and TTC management is starting to give the workers shit (some deserved, some undeserved), so now I'm mildly worried, because it's turning into this stupid escalation fight on all sides just because nobody can let go.

I haven't bothered with the Star (oh god), but the Globe seems to be mostly just playing a disinterested third party... most of their articles blandly describe the goings-on, with things like "the Sun reported blahblahblah and the TTC union has replied with yaddayadda in response". EDIT: Actually scratch that. I just saw the Globe has an article of their own about how they busted into the TTC's super secret FACEBOOK CLUB.

ROLL. EYES.

It's worth mentioning that the TTC is still the most underfunded Public Transit system of any major city on the continent and that it had been estimated that gridlock in this burg will cost us upward of 10 Billion in the next decade. Keep in mind that's not a defense of the union or the papers. That's just numbers.

***

Hell, that reminds me. Anybody else see Mark Carney and the BoC's assessment of Canada's cripplingly awful productivity? It's so bad that the estimate the BoC put out was every last citizen of Canada stands to lose about $30,000 in missed gains (and some real losses) over the next decade. This doesn't even count aspects of that that were harder to quantify. That stuff ctaches my eye, because I follow the productivity story as it comes up now and again. It's going to make a lot more difference in our lives than a lot of other shit that's floating around Ottawa.

Someone put a price tag on Canadian mediocrity and man, it ain't pretty.  
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Mongrel on February 08, 2010, 05:55:49 PM
(http://www.mbarrick.net/livejournal/2009/07/vancouver_2010_mascots_sumi_quatchi_miga_mukmuk_pedobear.jpg)

So how about those Olympics, eh? Can't wait to hide from everyone for weeks while the stupid flows like water (just like the snow is looking to do on Mount Cypress, LOL)!
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: SCD on February 08, 2010, 08:10:50 PM
Will be in Vancouver next week passing through town for some business.  Will be passing the opposite way in two days after that.

Will let you know what the ground feel is like then. 

Otherwise, the local's aren't happy.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Mongrel on February 17, 2010, 03:59:01 AM
Khadr update (http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/ottawa-asks-us-to-omit-evidence-in-khadr-case/article1470621/)

Not much here, but the fifth paragraph contains a somewhat relevant update to our bet.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: SCD on February 21, 2010, 02:46:27 PM
Interesting. 

They must have heard of the bet. 

So yeah, the locals not being happy about the olympics?  That was bullshit.  It's a party, people are happy, the police are polite, and travelling through downtown is pretty easy.  The shows are fun, and the weather's a douche, but that's alright because I always wanted to see olympic grade athletes on edge due to fast speeds. 

That's pretty much the sum of that in a nutshell.  People are playing nice, and the protests fizzed.

The weather was lovely as well.  Was able to play barefoot frisbee before heading back to my Ontario fortress of solitude the other day.  The people from other nations are enjoying the weather and the fact that the westcoasters can have their snowboarding and frisbee on the same day.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: SCD on March 03, 2010, 08:00:25 PM
Harper consider's tinkering with Oh Canada (http://www.torontosun.com/news/canada/2010/03/03/13101961-reuters.html)

No!  Bad PM!

Bonus:  a ballsy way to go out. (http://www.torontosun.com/news/canada/2010/03/03/13100806.html)
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Mongrel on March 03, 2010, 09:39:11 PM
Yeah, the O Canada stuff is such a damn waste of time.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Brentai on March 03, 2010, 11:43:15 PM
...under God.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Mongrel on March 04, 2010, 04:08:11 AM
Here's the thing.

Nobody in Canada really gives a rat's ass about the national anthem.

Fun bonus story: The national anthem was written by one of Koipond's ancestors. There's also a funny story about that and a recent border crossing, but I'm a bit too lazy to type it up right now.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: SCD on March 04, 2010, 04:19:08 AM
Uh, I like the national anthem.  It's a nice song - and ours.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Mongrel on March 04, 2010, 04:30:52 AM
 :nyoro~n:
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Büge on March 04, 2010, 05:22:22 AM
Bonus:  a ballsy way to go out. (http://www.torontosun.com/news/canada/2010/03/03/13100806.html)

Demogorgon's grandpa?
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: SCD on March 04, 2010, 12:53:18 PM
And they still declined to go to the hot springs I so kindly pointed out, the lunkheads...
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: SCD on March 29, 2010, 02:56:15 PM
SecState Clinton blasts us for not involving nations and first nations in arctic talks (http://www.timescolonist.com/news/Clinton+blasts+Canada+exclusivity+Arctic+talks/2740399/story.html).


While I understand the issue with the other nations not being at the table, Clinton has no right blasting us for not bringing in non-government players into the talks.  It's not like her natives get much of a say in international treaties.. 

Of the nerve, that broad.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: SCD on April 02, 2010, 08:21:07 PM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Qm3fU04xUw&feature=player_embedded

my tax dollars fund these creeps.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Mongrel on April 03, 2010, 10:07:50 AM
That transcript might be bullshit just 'cause I sure as hell can't hear a damn thing the Palestinian House guys are saying. But I'm assuming it's true; not because those guys are Palestinian, but because they appear to be a bunch of late-teens fuckwits, so those replies sound about right.

Anyway... A collection of suburban trolls who deserve each other? I mean, who's dumber? The guy who goes out to a building full of brown guys in Mississauga and randomly start yelling "stop the Jihad!" or the idiot who trolls back about eating babies or whatever while he's on camera?



Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: James Edward Smith on April 03, 2010, 01:02:38 PM
Matt, everyone knows that Palestinians who resent having their land taken away are on a JIHAD. I mean, what's more religious than not knuckling under when your territory gets arbitrarily taken away?
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: SCD on April 03, 2010, 01:11:27 PM
Plus their org has been the centre of controversy before.  Will link later. 

Big thing is that I really don't care what they say, I'd just rather not have our tax money go into it.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Mongrel on April 03, 2010, 02:04:31 PM
Big thing is that I really don't care what they say, I'd just rather not have our tax money go into it.

Oh don't get me wrong, I'm totally in agreement there.


Imma declare a Jihad against the 905 area code, anybody with me?
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Büge on April 03, 2010, 02:45:32 PM
 :oh:
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: SCD on April 06, 2010, 04:43:34 PM
This happened in the fucking city I live in

Black people attack prominent jewish carleton students, two armed with machetes (http://www.ottawacitizen.com/news/ottawa/Machete+used+attackers+students/2766537/story.html)

I am livid to hear this.  This bullshit belongs in Darfur, Rwanda and in other places associated with motherfucking genocide, not Canada. 
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: James Edward Smith on April 06, 2010, 05:20:21 PM
What did this have to do with Rwanda and Darfur? These guys got attacked because they were jewish and support Israel.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Mongrel on April 06, 2010, 05:28:06 PM
I've said many times that the worst damage of Israel's total abandonment of any semblance of moral high ground will not be any effect on Israel itself, but the grave danger it places isolated Jews abroad.

And so the cycle continues.

EDIT: Geo, I think SCD is simply saying this anyone being attacked with machetes for their ethnicty is a barbarous act, more reminiscent of regions with little to no rule of law.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: SCD on April 06, 2010, 05:42:10 PM
Your first paragraph is correct in fact, but has the moral grounding of cow dung good sir:

If I based my beliefs for all proud muslims for the depraved acts of muslim states and was vocal about it, people of this nation would brand me a criminal, and the human rights tribunals would have bankrupted me as it caused financial grief two no less than two authors with substantially larger pockets.

That being said, your second part is is my point and spot on.  The Machetes were a primary tool in the murder of the hundreds of thousands in both regions.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Mongrel on April 06, 2010, 06:53:33 PM
Oh don't mind my flinging of cow dung, I'm just bitter that the species has failed once again to learn anything from anything.

I think Israel's policies are almost unbelievably self-destructively stupid, but much as I'd like to crow that "as ye shall sow, so shall you reap", it won't be them that pays for those policies. At least not in the short or medium term.

The state of Israel is successfully using religion as a shield, and so the religion suffers, and not the political entity. Militant, stateless, muslims are doing the same thing, only they're using their religion as a sword rather than a shield. But that's all semantics for half-wits to argue over on the internet I guess.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: SCD on April 06, 2010, 07:39:03 PM
Oh this is a topic that I'd love to rip anybody out for, and I'm as anti-god as they come.  Heck, I'm considering wearing an israeli flag on my backpack now for solidarity against the thugs..

But debate on Israel on my terms has nothing to do with the North..., so instead I'ma go ahead and bitch that that idiot greenpeace protester ruined a good thing for 15 minutes of fame... (http://www.montrealgazette.com/Feds+mulling+plan+turn+Parliament+Hill+into+high+security+zone/2770498/story.html)
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Mongrel on April 07, 2010, 03:19:09 AM
Eh, that one seems more like a tempest in a teapot. Wake me when they actually get beyond the "Maybe, possibly, we're kinda thinkin' about it" stage. And have the money to spend to do it.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: SCD on April 07, 2010, 03:31:23 AM
nah, turns out the MP5's were sitting in lockup for sometime waiting to be used...  Today's Ottawa Citizen.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Mongrel on April 07, 2010, 03:37:07 AM
... tomorrow's toilet paper?
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: SCD on April 07, 2010, 01:57:37 PM
No, you're thinking of the G+M
 :perfect:
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Mongrel on April 07, 2010, 03:29:10 PM
The easy response would be to make a jab at the National Post, but instead I'll say

"Could be worse... could be The Tronna Star."

Dohohohohohohohohohoh.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Büge on April 07, 2010, 03:32:58 PM
The easy response would be to make a jab at the National Post, but instead I'll say

"Could be worse... could be The Tronna Sun."

Dohohohohohohohohohoh.

At least use the Star to wrap fish in, geez
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Mongrel on April 07, 2010, 05:24:29 PM
[Joke about Sunshine Girls smelling like fish.]
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: SCD on April 07, 2010, 08:59:35 PM
[sad realization of all the brandon sun girls he oogled back in 01-02]
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Mongrel on April 09, 2010, 10:42:53 AM
Anybody else following the almost ballet-like neverending car crash?

I used to see you on every T.V.
Your smiling face looked back at me.
I used to see you on every T.V.
Your smiling face looked back at me.

Then they caught you with the girl next door,
People's money piled on the floor,
Accusations that you try to deny,
Revelations and rumors begin to fly.

Now you think about reaching out
Try to get some help from above.
Now you think about reaching out
Try to get some help from above.
Reporters crowd around your house.
Going through your garbage like a pack of hounds,
Speculating what they may find out,
It don't matter now, you're all washed up.

You wake up in the middle of the night.
Your sheets are wet and your face is white,
You tried to make a good thing last,
How could something so good, go bad, so fast?

Canadian dream, Canadian dream
Canadian dream, Canadian dream.

Don't know when things went wrong,
Might have been when you were young and strong.
Don't know when things went wrong,
Might have been when you were young and strong.

Reporters crowd around your house.
Going through your garbage like a pack of hounds,
Speculating what they may find out,
It don't matter now, you're all washed up.

Don't know when things went wrong,
Might have been when you were young and strong.
Canadian dream, Canadian dream.
Don't know when things went wrong,
Might have been when you were young and strong.
Canadian dream, Canadian dream.
(http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/ottawa-notebook/helena-guergis-quits-cabinet-post/article1529100/)

The irony of course being that CSNY was a Canadian band.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Mongrel on April 16, 2010, 10:45:14 AM
Is it so wrong that after reading the fifth paragraph here (http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/pms-attendance-at-funeral-in-doubt/article1536962/), all I could think was "Oh please, oh please.". It would be the greatest shot in the arm for Canadian politics in well over two decades.

*sigh*

Goin' to hell now. Nothin' new there, I suppose.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: SCD on April 17, 2010, 09:29:19 AM
On Helena Guergis:  That's just office politics that has no bearing on our activities as private citizens.  For Mr harper, I think the last bit was more of a straw that broke the camel's back, and not the big deal:  The more she was a liability for the promotion of Harper's evil dark conservative agenda  (::3:), the more the PMO lost in manhours dealing with other stuff, like blocking allegations of conduct while the troops are still out and vulnerable to the lists of individuals.  

It will blow over, and there's no reason why we should be concerned as her constituents will make it clear where she stands next election, Tory or Independent.  For her, it doesn't matter either:  She's already got the gold plated pension.  She won't have to work anymore.


Also, knocking off three leaders would not do much good for they are the products of their party's institutions.  The only exception is Duceppe, whose BQ would shrivel at his departure.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Mongrel on April 17, 2010, 12:08:36 PM
Also, knocking off three leaders would not do much good for they are the products of their party's institutions.

Why must you shrivel my dreams with your cold reality.

Also: Guergis et all is mainly entertaiing because the media is desperately staved for anything interesting or relevant on the hill. I agree that "dumbass junior minister acts stupid and gets canned" has little to no impact on us, practically speaking.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: SCD on April 17, 2010, 12:32:01 PM
Lets just face it Mongrel...


We're boring.

   :bam:
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Mongrel on April 17, 2010, 12:39:54 PM
"Boring", I don't mind. It's the "Mediocrity so apalling it will doom us all" that bugs me.

Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Mongrel on April 17, 2010, 12:43:13 PM
This would be so awesome I can't even countenance it:

(http://www.montrealgazette.com/opinion/editorial-cartoons/2919938.bin)
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: SCD on April 17, 2010, 12:51:40 PM
 :glee:  Not enough gray hair.  

I strongly believe that newfies such as him, Rex Murphy, and Rick Hillier deserve to be on the roll for a term each in good time, but give em all a decade.  Their best years are still ahead of dem newfs..
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Büge on April 17, 2010, 07:08:41 PM
I was looking at the National Post at work today and the letters column was filled with people coming to Guergis's, and her husband's, defense. One of them brought up the fact that she'd had a few miscarriages before this. Another was going on about the media frenzy wouldn't be as big if it had been a male Cabinet Minister...

So yeah. Helena Guergis is Canada's Tiger Woods.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: SCD on April 18, 2010, 08:28:30 AM
This is it!  The first domino in the dismantlement of the human rights tribunals! (http://network.nationalpost.com/NP/blogs/fullcomment/archive/2010/04/17/national-post-editorial-board-from-saskatchewan-a-great-idea-on-human-rights.aspx)

I'm stoked.  This institution has been a farce of justice and an abhorrent waste of Canadian taxpayer money.  I hope this trend spreads westwards.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Mongrel on April 18, 2010, 09:12:14 AM
Sounds good to me. The papers in TO - even the Star - have also been having a field day with the disaster that are the Ontario Human Rights Tribunals. Though out here it's more about the backlog that they're complaining about.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: SCD on April 22, 2010, 07:48:34 PM
William Shatner for Governor General (http://www.cbc.ca/arts/media/blogs/popculture/2010/04/william-shatner-to-boldly-go-for-governor-general.html)

It is the duty of every north american with a Facebook page to 'like' this.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: SCD on April 23, 2010, 01:51:08 PM
Leonard Nemoy agrees (http://www.torontosun.com/entertainment/celebrities/2010/04/23/13696861.html)
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Mongrel on April 23, 2010, 07:23:58 PM
Leonard Nemoy agrees (http://www.torontosun.com/entertainment/celebrities/2010/04/23/13696861.html)

Quote from: Leonard Nimoy
"Bill: You're being considered for Governor General of Canada. Do it!

Finally a chance to do something with your life,"

ICE.

BURN.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Mongrel on April 27, 2010, 01:10:17 PM
Just in case any of you missed this, the Speaker of the House was recently asked to determine if Harper is in contempt of Parliament over the government's refusal to release the documentation pertaining to the Afghan detainee business (Harper & co have been citing the tired "national security" refrain, in spite of accidentally admitting last week there wasn't anything in them that violated national security anyway - sorry, can't find the link to that story).

Text of today's ruling (http://www.scribd.com/doc/30588430/Speaker-s-ruling-April-27-2010)

:tldr:: Today's ruling was balanced (you guys have two weeks to compromise before I force a vote), but ultimately in Parliament's favour

Quote
“It is the view of the chair that accepting an unconditional authority of the executive to censor the information provided to Parliament would in fact jeopardize the very separation of powers that is purported to lie at the heart of our parliamentary system and the independence of its constituent parts,” Mr. Milliken said in his ruling.

“Furthermore, it risks diminishing the inherent privileges of the House and its Members, which have been earned and must be safeguarded.”

The Magna Carta once again demonstrated that it is still relevant. And Parliament remains kinda slightly relevant (as opposed to the to the senate-like effective uselessness it was facing, had this ruling gone against Parliament).

:dance:
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Büge on April 27, 2010, 02:24:04 PM
(http://www.dailyseagull.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/09/stephen-harper-kitten1.jpg)Noooooo! King Steve won't stand for this! A Deo rex, a rege lex!
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Mongrel on April 27, 2010, 03:47:53 PM
Every time I see that pic, I can't help but wonder just how many hours of "let's try and make Steve look nice!" brainstorming and setup were just completely wasted on that.

I mean, hey, I have no problem with a leader who's as mean as a decade-old box of C Rations or as hard as a coffin nail, so long as he doesn't make any bones about that fact.

...And who actually does stuff instead of just starting fights everywhere with everyone. That's maybe important too.

Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: SCD on April 27, 2010, 04:17:34 PM
For what it's worth, I doubt information, especially that of names of those incarcerated will not be unblackened to the general public until Feb '011 at the earliest.  The delay of information for the explicit purpose of fucking around with the heads of the enemy where our solders are actively engaged in a theater of counterinsurgency operations trumps.

Also, the MPs who have been elected upon the fall of Martin's Liberals won't receive their plunder/gold plated pensions until July.  Do not expect an election called until then.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Mongrel on April 27, 2010, 05:13:55 PM
Oh, I'm not interested in seeing the gritty specifics myself. I actually think the documents are a non-issue tempest-in-a-teapot kind of thing.

As far as the detainee issue goes it could probably be summed up as "We fucked up. Either a bureaucrat forced military personnel to do something they disagreed with, or some military personnel looked the other way, maybe a bit of both, but regardless we fucked up. However, it's not nearly as bad as some other much more frightining fuck-ups from the 90's so, just try keep some perspective and learn from this one, eh?"

The Speaker's ruling is a spearate issue, and could have been fought over anything really. What it came down to was nothing less than the culmination of thirty (or arguably eighty) years of Prime Ministers gradually marginalizing the role of Parliament. Harper is just the end result of a long line of smarter, more charismatic men who did exactly what he did, only with a far greater and subtler sense of what they could and couldn't get away with.

Maybe it's a bit late, and maybe it would have been nice the line line hadn't need to be drawn in the first place, but all the same it's nice to have finally there in the sand.

Also: Totally agreed on us not seeing an election before July, for the exact same reason you believe this to be the case.

If Harper somehow manages to blunder his way into causing one (remember: Mr. Miliken has given him a very clear way out of this mess), I fully expect him to be strung up by his marginalia by his own caucus, because at their current levels, there's no way they're doing much better at the polls.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Mongrel on May 07, 2010, 06:43:58 AM
Ah. Er... Fuck. (http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/press-cant-protect-sources-supreme-court-says/article1560097/)
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: SCD on May 07, 2010, 09:36:21 AM
You call it the end of the world, I call it a real election issue.

Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Mongrel on May 07, 2010, 12:01:22 PM
You honestly think it'll even come up for debate?

Trust me. It won't.

FAKE EDIT: Okay, I can't say that with absolute certainly, but I'm going to say that I have severe doubts any major party will raise it.

I expect the next election to be an excruciating exercise in worthlessness. The only thing it will accomplish is to give Iggy his obligatory kick at the can so that the Liberal party can - once again - self-immolate and so the Cons can start sharpening their knives for Stevie*. The next election will only serve the Canadian people by proving once and for all that the leaders of all the major relevant parties are now and forever unelectable.

*This is based on my ongoing assumption that barring an unforeseen event of biblical proportions, any election will simply restore the status quo of a minority Conservative government, with little to no gains for the Liberals (any gains will be in the Dipper and perhaps Bloc camps at the expense of the larger gangs).
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: SCD on May 08, 2010, 11:15:27 AM
For what it's worth, The National Post editorial board does a good job weighing in (http://network.nationalpost.com/NP/blogs/fullcomment/archive/2010/05/08/national-post-editorial-board-a-bittersweet-day-for-press-freedom.aspx)
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Mongrel on May 08, 2010, 06:53:18 PM
That is actually a pretty thorough and balanced response.

Too bad it's all going to get swept under the rug. Along with whatever the next big scandal is that we'll never hear about.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Mongrel on May 12, 2010, 06:37:01 PM
Godamnit! Where'd our sports thread go because MONTREAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAALLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: SCD on May 12, 2010, 07:41:30 PM
Take that, Kayma!
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: François on May 12, 2010, 07:49:31 PM
I don't even really care about hockey that much but I'm still all :dance:.

Halak is basically a wizard; I don't think anyone could have predicted that kind of score. There was still some small, tiny doubt left while it was 4-2, but the last 10 minutes were a funeral march for the Penguins.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Mongrel on May 12, 2010, 07:57:31 PM
My favourite quote so far (was posted this morning, prior to the win):

Quote
halak is an unstoppable machine sent from the future to stop the pens from winning a bunch of stanley cups in a row

The icing?

That was posted by a Pens fan, who added "I DIDN'T MEAN IT!" about an hour ago.

 :whoops: :whoops: :whoops: :whoops: :whoops: :whoops:
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: SCD on May 15, 2010, 08:23:29 PM
An even bigger victory for Canada in the internal stage! (http://www.financialpost.com/news-sectors/story.html?id=3030358)  Essentially if the amendments to the bank acts pass, credit unions would be able to take on banks beyond provincial boundaries. 

While you Ontario and Quebec freaks wouldn't understand a good bank if it danced on you (understandable considering the best alternatives you have including Desjardins and Altera still love to rip the lot of you apart), this could mean that eventually institutions like my first Credit Union, Coast Capital (https://www.coastcapitalsavings.com/) (which I still use as my primary means of investment, deposit and debit) if able, would not be constrained by law in its expansion eastward. 

Again, it speaks volumes of a bank which does not charge service fees for simple debit transactions before and after the recession, while still gaining the highest yields on investments (albeit after conversation with family - a rather unscientific process).  These guys are transparent as glass as they maintain a coop structure, have top-notch customer service (every time I visit an RB here, it is a grueling experience, where as I've never had to wait more than 10 minutes and everyone's cheery and helpful as they come). 

If people like this crew made it to Bay Street, there would be changes in the banking culture in a way that I wish would shock the world. 

And yes, I will plug these guys every chance I get - they deserve it.

So yeah, fingers crossed the tory amendments to the bank act are approved.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: François on May 15, 2010, 10:34:00 PM
That's good news! I'll take anything over the second dick that Royal Bank is gonna squeeze into my ass next month; apparently their notion of "improving their service" involves reducing my amount of free monthly transactions from 1 to 0 and offering nothing in return.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Mongrel on May 16, 2010, 05:06:17 AM
In fairness to the big evil banks, I'm with TD and I have ZERO problems ever and pay ten bucks a month for unlimited transactions on everything everywhere (except weird stuff like third party-withdrawals or out-of-country interac).
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Büge on May 16, 2010, 06:24:30 AM
Strange. I don't have a big problem with RBC. My transactions mostly consist of "withdraw" and "pay visa" though.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: SCD on May 16, 2010, 02:12:04 PM
That's the thing:  I don't pay anything, and I get interest:  1%.  For a simple account with unlimited debit.  You don't.  

That's because I'm from BC.  You aren't.  
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: François on May 16, 2010, 06:21:03 PM
Halak is basically a wizard;

:oh:

his magic could not save him
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Mongrel on May 16, 2010, 06:27:44 PM
Yeah... tonight was :mikey: :facepalm:
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: François on May 16, 2010, 06:35:53 PM
I thought the worst days for Penguins and Capitals fans this season had already come and gone, but I'm pretty sure today is much worse.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Mongrel on May 17, 2010, 11:26:58 AM
Lumber industry and environmental groups to arrange permanent truce. (http://www.theglobeandmail.com/report-on-business/loggers-environmentalists-reach-truce/article1571684/)

Now, if this turns out to be non-bullshit and both sides make a genuine effort to make the idea work, this may be one of the only smart moves I've seen in Canadian industry in quite a while.

Sure there will always be fringe green-heads who'll protest anything anyone does, but a true working partnership would be an unbelievable coup for both sides.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Büge on May 22, 2010, 05:02:23 PM
Robert Munsch has been using coke for the last five years (http://www.nationalpost.com/news/story.html?id=3030781) to combat his bipolar disorder.

Honestly, I can't begrudge the guy trying to keep himself functioning. And it doesn't affect the warm memories of his stories about Jonathan's futile cleanup attempts or a princess that realizes she doesn't need a man in her life, just a singed paper bag dress.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Mongrel on May 22, 2010, 05:12:46 PM
Saw that. The response to his admission has been overwhelmingly supportive, from what I can see.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Mongrel on June 03, 2010, 09:55:58 AM
John Baird: Macleans Parliamentarian of the year (http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/ottawa-notebook/john-baird-parliamentarian-of-the-year/article1590809/)

Good fucking God in heaven, someone just shoot me now.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Büge on June 03, 2010, 10:20:56 AM
I guess he's just really recognizable...?  :shrug:
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Mongrel on June 03, 2010, 10:24:56 AM
Well, to be fair, the phrase "Baird’s is perhaps the definitive face of the Harper era." is 100% correct.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Fredward on June 13, 2010, 10:34:01 AM
So what about the Libs being all tsundere for the NDP?

Also I do not care how ridiculous this (http://www.vancouversun.com/Push+Canadian+population+million+scholar/3147619/story.html) actually is, because I get a little bit of a boner thinking about Canada as a world power. Just a little bit.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Mongrel on June 13, 2010, 10:53:04 AM
Thoughts on the call to grow Canada's population:

1) This can only speedily happen through ramping up Canada's immigration system - a system that already allows in more immigrants per capita than any other nation on the planet.

2) This is a really old idea. People have been arguing this point since before Confederation and have seriously argued for it as a possible policy since Laurier called for the twentieth Century to be 'Canada's Century'. Imaginative and novel my ass!

3) It may happen anyway. If people are right about the potential severity of global climate change, Canada will be one of the very very few countries in any kind of position to accept large waves of climate refugees.

4) This policy can only work if Canada finally finds a way to channel new immigration to the smaller towns which are currently declining in population (which we have actually tried but failed to do through the past 50 years of immigration). Dumping more immigrants on the major metropolitan areas - of which we have a total of three, four if you're feeling generous - is asking for disaster, but this is ALREADY the current default state. 

5) We're already having trouble making use of the immigrants we accept. The accreditation of foreign skills is at an all-time-low and new immigrants are now only making 65% of a native-born citizen's wage on average now, as opposed to 20 years ago when new immigrants were making on average 80% of a native-born citizen's wage on average (number taken from an article I saw just this week).

6) Who says intensive population growth is so great? I for one would like to retain some underpopulated countryside, thanks (not to mention encourage some gradual global depopulation, without resorting to fun things like genocide).

7) Who says making Canada powerful is so great? Do we really need to export the social and cultural values of a country which is now basically a national-scale personification of a lazy, mediocre, middle-class, self-satisfied asshole, mostly known for avoiding work and paying lip-service to anything of real value?

8) On the plus side, maybe with that many immigrants we could dilute our former ruling classes to the point that someone here might get something fucking done and do it right for the first (or even second or third) time since, oh I dunno, the seventies.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Büge on June 13, 2010, 11:25:51 AM
6) Who says intensive population growth is so great? I for one would like to retain some underpopulated countryside, thanks (not to mention encourage some gradual global depopulation, without resorting to fun things like genocide).

This this this this this.

This.

Let's keep the true north strong and free.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Mongrel on June 13, 2010, 12:05:51 PM
Speaking of point #7... Current parliamentary session closes without anybody having really got anything done. (http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/parliament-stumbling-to-a-close-with-virtually-nothing-accomplished/article1602511/)

Haha, fuck, shit, geez maybe we should've just Stevie prorogue the whole fuckin' shitpile forever after all.

Yeah, I'm not bitter.

Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: SCD on June 13, 2010, 08:09:51 PM
Got something to say on this one.  First as you can already see, most of the productive Europe's already gone in terms of the demographic crunch but to argue this would be to ignore the summer trends in France, and the overall birthrate in declining nations such as Greece, Portugal, Spain, or Germany.  We're not too far away either.  As with France, Denmark has also recently had its say in terms of the immigration, especially considering that every influential person there has to live with hired security or risk ending up like Van Gogh...

Sadly, I'm a strong believer that while the rest of the world is in a position to suffer from climate change, the northern nations are in a position to prosper as the permafrost heads up further north beyond the continent to the pole.  Previously the edges of permafrost have been a strong impediment to development as the freeze-thaw cycle makes things as shit simple such as streets or housing a pretty epic challenge up north.  While there will be a period of bad luck for all the territories, the ice will be gone for good sooner than later. 

Add the fact that as of this summer, the buffers that ensure the creation of first-year sea ice are not around (google the team "Ice arches"), most of the insulation this year is gone.  I'm willing to bet that by 2012, the Northwest passage will be fair game to the non-icebreakers in the summer months.  This means as much as we wish to continue mediocrity, we may not have that option much longer as far as the North is concerned.  After all if we want to have all our rules such as "no oil tankerz" in Canadian waters, we need to enforce that.  Currently the only enforcers are American submarines, but they're not really there (so forget that I said that).  Either we man up about certain areas, or we will lose the north in no different a fashion than how the Spanish lost the pacific northwest in the days of colonization.  As much as we would like to believe that agreements written on paper and transnational courts will protect our mineral rights up north, in desperate times the one with the gun usually gets the say.  If you have any questions on how that works, please see the origins of piracy in Somalia.  While you may be wondering how some wahabbis and Eritritians influencing dirt poor Africans has anything to do with this, but keep in mind that you will have a larger proportion who are currently unemployed by the standards of western civilization, but have also lost their hunting grounds as well.  While some people may poo-poo this on account that there are no weapons nearby, keep in mind that they are closer to Russia than the rest of us, and their arms factories really could use the business (while the concept of a netural nation mucking with our lives may shock you, keep in mind that there are no longer any war relics in Afghanistan.  The rockets and arms captured over there are increasingly Chinese)...

That being said, we cannot go about just immigrating our woes away, otherwise we will end up like Toronto and Ottawa with a large proportion of partially-qualified, yet unemployed youth.  After two machete incidents in my city this year, I personally wouldn't mind a ban of immigration from states without a functioning society myself.  Preferably one with the secret-police "you fuck around and you and your families will disappear" type will do nicely, but I would even settle for tribal areas which are historically apolitical, such as the Kurds or Druze among others.  I'm sure the Coptic Christians and Sufi's in places like turkey and Iraq would be more than thrilled at the prospect of preferred immigration, given 2006 for Iraq, and the way things are currently going in Turkey...  As far as BC, while the Sikhs are still a major issue as The Honorable Mr Dosanjh quietly points out this year (the last time he did, he was sent to the ER and a India-bound plane from Canada was bombed by sikhs the next week), the Chinese didn't really get the clue the other century when we sent them as suicide bombs to build our tunnels for the railway and since then they've done a great job immigrating and integrating.  Between the composition of the mil reserve units in Vancouver and the fact that the scouting movement is still strong and proud even in the "If you're white you're a minority" areas.  Heck, was in a chinatown for robbie burns day a few years back out of coincidence, and there was a place where I had stirfry, haggis and scotch in the same meal.  What can I say, I'm a sucker for traditions like that, and for people who while refusing to give up their own traditions, will more than gladly pick up the host nations up to the point where they compliment.  Yes, the crime is an issue with the drug and bootleg trades, but how else am I going to afford Tommy Hillfiger and SK on a post-grad's budget?

---

As far as governmental accomplishment goes, I dispute that government's effectiveness is measured in just laws past.  If that was the case, you'd end up with a city like Ottawa where because some whale-petting tree-hugging, save the world councillors decided to get bored, and wanted to look like they were doing something I now can be a criminal or ticketed trying to walk home from downtown (I live about a good 10km yomp west), or walk my dog in an unoccupied field without a leash in a suburban setting where no appropriate areas exist within a reasonable distance.  Fuck the bills.  Fuck the laws, if anything time needs to be spent also scaling back a lot of the more idiotic laws on social conduct which would have made sense in the past.  I don't expect anything to get done in the meantime between the format of Question Period, as well as other procedure's I've seen on the hill... 

Lets talk real progress and something that isn't can't be defined by laws and something dear to me:  The Navy.  The navy is in it's centennial and I'm sure if anyone follows the Canadian news, they'll have noticed the procession of the fleet in my old stomping grounds, or as I like to call it:  home.  Yet in this great time of honor, the navy has nothing to show for it except the return of an old British tradition:  The executive curl (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Executive_curl).  The navy is right now not in it's better days due to sacrificed made by all the forces to continue the expensive, but lawful and just counterinsurgency in support of our greatest ally, the states.  In fact, it got to the point, where the CNS had to politically humulate the CDS (http://communities.canada.com/ottawacitizen/blogs/defencewatch/archive/2010/05/14/natynczyk-cancels-mcfadden-s-order-to-dock-ships.aspx) in order to ensure that his frigates didn't go to mothballs.  While there is a general money issue, what is even more strange (and another relic of years of horrible fiscal policy) is that there are a couple billion dollars which sit untouched every year for the creation of new ships, let alone the parts.  However, the problem is that between the treasury board and the rigmarole of "fair contract bidding" and the legal costs of lawsuits from the losing companies, we have not seen a new ship since the Halifax-Class anti-submarine patrol frigates which finished off in the mid nineties.  This despite knowing that our trumps and minesweepers are long gone, and that our replenishment ships are next on the decommissioning line.  And as much as I want to blame the Tories for the current state, the navy of today was built ten years ago, and the 90's were called the "dark decade" in defense lines for a pretty good reason...

The Conservative government's framework on long-term shipyard designation helps there in creating a contract that "for ten years, you will build this size of vessel, you over there will build that size, and you guys will do parts".  This way, there is a saving on cost in assembly line because it remains in the same location over a long period of time.  This is important because the companies were too afraid of impending lawsuits government side which would have caused the shipyards to lose contracts that no one bid on the joint support shift the Tories were dreaming of alongside the Leopard-2 tanks. 

Yes I understand that I present only one example in a sea of mediocraty, but that's because I pay more attention to the military and geoscience sides than the average person can.  Otherwise all I have is bell media, some government-funded elites who have an axe to grind, and canwest global and all they're interested in talking about is how the PM is doing skullfuckery to ensure that names of detainees that were awaiting trial in the sandbox weren't made public (while explicitly ignoring statements about the operational reasons why they weren't), the amplitude of Baird's yell, or how the PM shitkicked one of his cabinet when she became too much drama and not enough effectiveness or how the PMO is a concentration of the power (no change from previous gov'ts).  No, I'm through and pretty tired of that lot.  To solely measure the effectiveness of the government based on criteria by approved columnists in the media is to fail to judge the government based on their actual merits and flaws. 

Executive Summary
- Immigration en masse is not working for the progressive nations incl EU OZ UK Etc.  We require to increase birthrates to sustainable levels, of which only the US has.  We should figure out which states have high levels and emulate those techniques
- In addition, government needs to be more selective of people to allow immigration.  Choose from only nations with a civil society, secular regions where society is failing, or in special cases in which individuals and their families have assisted Canadian Gov't abroad
- The north will be open no later than 2015:  We are going to have to man up there or lose sovereignty.  Progressives need to learn that in cases of the frontier and within that this sovereignty will have to be enforced at places by the barrel of the gun.
- While the tores could be doing much better in office, their progress and work should not be measured by just the laws past. 
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Dooly on June 14, 2010, 08:11:34 PM
And to think my mother's been telling me I ought to join the Canadian Navy because it's a guaranteed job and they haven't so much as fired a shot in decades except to spook Somalian pirates.  It's going to be a big nautical horror show up north sooner than later.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Mongrel on June 15, 2010, 03:06:12 AM
That'll make the navy a good job anyway.

Trying not to be mean, but you probably shouldn't let SCD's somewhat rambling diatrabe deter you from taking what might be a good job.

The Navy is perpetually under recruitment. If you're healthy and not a lunatic, you're a shoe-in. And the latter one, well, maybe they'll give ya pass on anyway ;)
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Fredward on June 15, 2010, 08:57:24 AM
Make way for Fox News Canada. (http://www.cbc.ca/arts/tv/story/2010/06/15/quebecor-news-channel-suntv.html?ref=rss)
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Mongrel on June 15, 2010, 10:43:15 AM
Yeah, been seeing the inane chatter on that one for days. That should be worth a few giggles.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Büge on June 15, 2010, 10:53:32 AM
Quote
The new channel will share resources and reporters with Sun Media and will have an emphasis on "strong personalities," Péladeau said.
:facepalm:

Quote
Kory Teneycke, Prime Minister Stephen Harper's former communications director, will be vice-president in charge of developing the news operation.

He came out swinging against Canada's existing news networks at the news conference, saying they are "narrow, complacent and politically correct."

"We're taking on smug, condescending, often irrelevant journalism. We're taking on political correctness," Teneycke said.
::(:

Quote
The network will offer "strong opinions and analysis" but will carry a range of points of view, he said.
:lol:
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: François on June 15, 2010, 02:37:06 PM
In my book, anyone who insults the CBC news service is basically an asshole.

Quote
The network will offer "strong opinions and analysis" but will carry a range of points of view, he said.
:lol:

yaaaaay

extremists yelling at each other 'round the clock

just what canada needed
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: SCD on June 15, 2010, 05:09:45 PM
Dooly, if you are a Canadian Citizen, than we want you in the navy.  The pay is good, and while there is the good with the bad, the peacetime quality of life is really, really good.  You can make a career out of this, you can retire on this, and you can support a family on this.  Strongly suggested if you've got no other options and you are bright.

Mongrel  ::(:  I should get to the point and faster lest I don't want a position on Fox.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Mongrel on June 15, 2010, 05:13:39 PM
Let's just say you ah... branched off a bit here and there.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Mongrel on June 18, 2010, 05:49:38 AM
I finally found a Twitter account worth following. (http://twitter.com/tonyclement_MP)

In spite of his hilariously egregious Muskoka-riding pork-barrelling, Tony has been just about the only guy in the conservative caucus I either like or respect (not that there are that many MPs in the other caucuses I like or respect). 
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Mongrel on June 24, 2010, 10:39:51 AM
Police arrest Rambo/Ash-wannabe near the G20 security zone. (http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/world/g8-g20/news/police-arrest-man-with-arsenal-of-weapons-near-g20-zone/article1616347/)

Haha, a homemade CROSSBOW? Oh man. Wow. We narrowly missed some prime entertainment, folks.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: McDohl on June 24, 2010, 11:05:02 AM
Quote
a crossbow, five arrows, a sledgehammer, a pick-axe, a chainsaw, a baseball bat, a gasoline canister and a cola bottle.
Guys, guys, guys.  He was just heading to Valve to help them playtest the new TF2 LARP game.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Mongrel on July 01, 2010, 10:36:11 AM
(http://www.qwantz.com/comics/comic2-115.png)

EDIT: Hey, you know the guy from the link above, with the carload of weapons? Turns out he really WAS going to a LARP.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: McDohl on July 01, 2010, 11:01:57 AM
I AWARD MYSELF FULL POINTS!
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Joxam on July 01, 2010, 11:44:55 AM
Wait, is he still in trouble? That's kind of crap.... D:
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Mongrel on July 29, 2010, 07:28:57 PM
You know... sometimes when you hear about a racial profiling case, you can see how someone might make a mistake or that it really might just be a misunderstanding. But four times in one week? (http://www.montrealgazette.com/opinion/editorial-cartoons/Qu%C3%A9b%C3%A9cois+name+much/3335826/story.html)

I mean, I like the one cop who was like "Yeah. We stopped him 'cause he's black. Yep."



Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: SCD on August 02, 2010, 05:11:04 PM
To Iggy's Credit, talking and making promises on nuclear energy is the first issue that he's been willing to talk about that has received my ears (http://telegraphjournal.canadaeast.com/front/article/1159197).

But he is not being completely honest.  Canada's nuclear energy infrastructure is waning in the same way Canada's Navy is waning:  These things are planned for a decade in advance. 

I am a big proponent of 4th Gen nuclear stations, but that's only because most of the EX1 and 2's I've talked to in the environmental sector in the civil service are the same.  The best suggestion I've heard is to throw one into fort McMurray, and use the waste heat to separate the oil from the tar sands, which sure beats using combustion. 

I want this to be an issue in the next election bad, but I digress.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Mongrel on August 05, 2010, 04:52:10 PM
This (http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/prairies/police-bust-12-million-calgary-mortgage-fraud/article1663527/) is a small-time, almost insignificant article about a mortgage fraud in Calgary. Why post it?

Because, man, I am laughing my ass off at the name of the false holding company.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Büge on August 05, 2010, 05:55:25 PM
 :asplanned: ...
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: SCD on August 17, 2010, 02:59:47 PM
Ontario Politics

So I'm pissed off at the McGuinty Government, and not just because I'm a frothing pro-war Libertarian Conservative who wants to high five harper every five minutes, but more because I'm an ethnocentric left-coaster.

Here's the breakdown:  There are a bunch of clowns posing as an advocacy group setting environmental policy.  Their results so far this summer have been a eco-fee system that Canadian Tire decided after two days not to follow (contrary to law) because the system had no standards, in that one brand of product had a higher fee than another brand that had the same product, but for a different application. 

Now they've decided to go subsidize lower-income home renovation (http://www.ottawacitizen.com/entertainment/McGuinty+giveaway+will+hydro+burden/3397282/story.html) and wind-power generation by jacking up electricity bills.  This annoys me to no end, because I cannot trust those clowns to pull it off in a competent fashion as it is still inaccessible to those who could benefit the most, and it certainly would not have nearly as strong as an effect as subsidizing fiberglass insulation and double-pane windows for old homes and apartments as this program with its fee would also require some green people to run it.  And let me tell you, every advocacy position my incomplete GIS education so far has opened my up to so far is in the six figure range for being a friendly face to bullshit.  If anyone would like to call me on that, I have pdf's of the positions I've found so far handy. 

Sigh.

Meanwhile despite all this environmental protection and carbon conservation rhetoric that has not produced any tangable results (PS:  BC is now the only province whose carbon output from vehicles fell 0.1%!  The rest rose), I go to the beach at the base of a cliff near 24-sussex drive about a click north, and what do I see?  pop cans, oil cans and milk bottles.  What the fuck Ontario!  That's the upper-crust part of Ottawa!  The Governor General and the PM live there and you can't even keep those beaches clean..  Didn't you know that we (BC) already solved this problem? 

Two years ago, if I walked through the beaches in Victoria, I might have found a couple temporary homeless shelters, or someone asking for change but in no way would I have to navigate through a beach that was layers upon layers of sedimentary pop cans!  And right near the PM's home at that! 

Do you know what solved this issue?  Privatization!  That's right.  Throw a deposit like on beer cans on anything that can be recycled and let the private sector do the rest (after helping the startups with some temporary grants for five years).  The deposit will create the clientelle seeking compensation for fundraisers or their next dose of heroin, and the profit comes from selling this stuff in mass to the next area of the supply chain!  You've heard of polar fleece, right? 

Yes, you might have bums rummaging through your recycling, but deal with it.  They'll also rummage everywhere else, ensuring that the bottles don't hit the landfill or beaches.  Studies at UBC have found people who salvage as a career do exist, and that they add value to a society.  They were also able to put a dollar value beside it, but I forget how much at this moment. 

Yes Ontario, I know that you're afraid of corporations, or at least that's what I get the feeling of considering how much the manufacturing and housing sectors have shriveled in the year and two months I have been here.  But for the love of Bob This creates jobs and while the PR might cost tax dollars at the start, or the grants to recycling start-ups it will pay for itself in the long run in terms of space saved in the landfills and the tax reaped from those working in the companies at the receiving, admin and processing sides!  There are also political benefits.

People may see nothing but bad press by the socialists and the New Dems for Campbell and Alberta's Premier, but without them successful companies like these (http://www.encorp.ca/cfm/index.cfm?) would not exist and I would be wading in pop cans on those beaches as well...

Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Mongrel on August 17, 2010, 04:35:36 PM
wants to high five harper every five minutes

Now that's just embarrassing.

Harper's no conservative, he's too stupid. It's like asking algae if it's left or right wing.

For the love of god, give me Zombie Robert Stanfield. For a real conservative, give me Preston Manning, I mean, I'll happily disagree with half of his politics, but he's twice as smart as any leader (other than Duceppe. Shit son, I'd vote for Gilles in a heartbeat).

Fuck, at this point I would take BRIAN FUCKING MULRONEY over Harper. Anything to save us from the worst mismanagement since, well, Mulroney. And possibly since Diefenbaker.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: SCD on August 17, 2010, 04:54:08 PM
Pay little attention to that.

I'm trying to state that I'm an evil conservative-lover, and yet my ideas I stole from the only province that has free trade with all its neighbors (Until now, Ab has free trade with Sk), the only effective carbon tax, and the only competent environmental programme all made from a conservative government that happens to have the Liberal name can do better than your eco-twats and tree-hugging whale petting politicians your Toronto Constituents have elected in Queens Park.  I can't wait until I get my piece of paper and move back out west so I can tell all my friends what a stupid and scary place Ontario is.  I'll save Quebec for the campfires.

And for the record, your wind farm on wolfe island is a failure.  Give up on wind already.  All the progressives in Europe have already moved on to deep-ocean wind.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Mongrel on August 17, 2010, 05:08:39 PM
Oh don't get me wrong. McGuinty's a flailing retard too. Not that his competition looks any better. Tim Hudak makes Mike Harris look like an intellectual giant.

But what can I say? It's the Ontario disease, centered on Toronto. Look at the Mayoralty race for christ's sake. We've got a white-trash piece-a-shit would-be demagogue who can't do basic math (Rob), two utterly insufferable pretentious liberals, one known mostly for raging at everything and picking pointless fights (Furious George), the other for being a party greasemonkey (Rocco), and a bunch of nobodies who won't gather enough votes between them to pay back even one of their deposits*. The only truly qualified man pulled a Joe Clarke and recused himself from the campaign, even though most of the city was practically begging him to run (John).

As for liberals doing 'conservative' work, well, no one will ever beat Paul Martin in my books. That man spent a solid decade as the greatest economic steward this country's had since Louis St. Laurent. Don't let anyone ever tell you different.

As for Gordo Campbell, well, he may have some successes, but right now he's getting his clock cleaned by Vander-fucking-Zalm of all people. Time will tell, I guess?

* At this point my vote is with Sarah Thomson, who at least bothered to articulate a platform that makes sense on some level and has math to back it up.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Mongrel on August 17, 2010, 05:15:19 PM
By the way, you see this?: Scathing indictment of the government's treatment of vets from Pat Stogran (http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/ottawa-notebook/outgoing-watchdog-deplores-how-our-vets-are-being-treated/article1675638/)

Granted, he's mostly mad at the bureaucrats, but in the end the buck stops at the minister - and they did have discussions several times. Also Harper was questioned on the matter briefly and really seems to blow off Stogran without so much as a pause.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: SCD on August 17, 2010, 06:38:46 PM
Sorry Matt, but my gut tells me not to speak my mind on VA publicly and the Ombudsman, as I'm in the forces and the gripes go to him, and he has done a good job of making them public.  Remember that Harper plays chess while his enemies play checkers.  The reason why Strogan's not coming back may be for similar reasons why Brown (RCMP complaints commissioner) is not either. 

On BC politics, it's just weird.  I'm anti-HST and so is mr plaid-suit Vander zalm.  But we both like him more than the NDP or (hah!) the greens.  For all his hatred, he has done some legacy shit.  I'm going to list his legacy:

Olympics:
Olympic housing is modular and now is being used to house homeless in multiple cities
command and control centers now police headquarters that replace defunct centres
Arenas, rinks
Canadian Pride, something we haven't been this outgoing about since the Molson "I am Canadian" guy's rant
Sea to Sky Highway no longer has to kill 6 people a year.
The overall profile of Vancouver

Infrastructure:
Prince Rupert is now a megaport.  Check google earth if you don't believe me (you may not know where it is, but the Chinese do)
Site C damn, which allows us to continue exporting energy
Strengthening Vancouver into "Hollywood North" (just ask Space MacGyver)

Bureaucracy/Policy:
Cut tape so that companies such as Encorp could finally prosper
simplified recycling, deposit, and fee regimes
lowered both Provincial income tax and income tax
implemented only successful carbon tax, without much fanfare and the label of "experiment" in the case it flops.

Revitalized and gave new meaning to the Lt-Governor Position by appointing it to Steven Point, a former supreme court justice, native band chief and all-around good guy.  Open houses and cultural outreach all-around by adopting BC and the white people into his culture of the Coast Sailish.  Only Lt Governor since the 1800's to wear the silly uniform, hat and sword.  Loves the troops.  Previously given to NDP flunkies and union heads.


-1:  Created the HST
-1:  Tuition has skyrocketed (albeit after a decade of forced tuition freezes)
-1:  Infrastructure and jobs in interior has faltered (w/ exception of Kelowna)
-1:  DUI conviction in Hawaii (it's like a tradition for our premiers to go to court on charges while in office)
-1:  Cut civil service every time some fat is seen

There's quite a few more -1's.  I just can't remember them but overall, he is the only politician that I respect and hope retires soon at the same time.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Mongrel on August 17, 2010, 07:35:40 PM
I really don't get the beef with the HST. I mean, the tax rate doesn't change, it's just that some exemptions have been removed. Really, I would have thought that libertarian-leaning cons would prefer flat taxes, over complex ones with a web of exemptions. I mean, were you looking to buy a house worth more than $525K or something?

Sure I don't buy for a second the "And businesses will pas the savings on to consumers!" bullshit, but I prefer consumption taxes to income taxes by far.

Also, you forgot a key -1: "BC Rail, LOLOLOLOL".
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Büge on August 17, 2010, 07:42:03 PM
I feel bad that I don't have the attention span for politics anymore. You guys sound like you're discussing stuff I should have a vested interest in.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: SCD on August 17, 2010, 08:03:53 PM
Matt:  Concurred on the HST except that I wish that in the coming years the savings in this province would go towards income taxes.  It still slowed down real-estate, but more due to poor communication than anything... 

Buge:  I can't blame you.  I don't have the vested interest to listen in on Ontario, Ottawa, or Toronto politics either as it's really too murky and complicated, where the issues in comparison out west seem more easy to deal with.  It might be a sign, but it really delivers credit to Matt for being able to keep in as much detail as he has, without getting distracted by every mention of war.

On the flipside, I feel bad that I have a hard time talking about normal things that most people can talk about.  You have me there.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Mongrel on August 18, 2010, 02:51:48 AM
I don't know why I follow this stuff. It's such terrible masochism to read these articles when you see how blitheringly stupid our rulers are, but also know that this was a country that once produced an exceptional stable of sensible intelligent leaders in many provinces. Really it isn't just Ontario all the time... look at Alberta, they went from Peter Lougheed to Ralph Klein and now Ed Stelmach. It's not as bad as Ontario, but what a joke.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: SCD on August 23, 2010, 09:34:42 AM
After a good week of asking myself why do I care, I think I'm starting to get a good idea of why in the form of where.  In about three years I'm going to be in a position where I'm going to be able to root, and I want to figure out which joint gives myself and my potential children the best possibility of success in our lives.  By understanding developments as much as possible in my free time both North and South of the border, I eventually will be able to figure out where to spread roots. 

Also the idea of better understanding urban systems is pretty nifty.  You look at cities such as Calgary and Vancouver, which are pretty-gay and racially friendly but conservative to boot (in the former, centrist in the later) and compare them to cities such as Toronto or Ontario which are overall pro-liberal except in certain areas such as some portions of suburbs which contain middle to upper-middle class technicians and administrators and are more conservative (mine has the highest "registered" handgun per capita postal code in Canada, and the least crime of all districts) and what you see is this fascinating web of interaction and efficiency. 

Understanding how this web works is something I wish to get down before I decide to move to my next big adventure come 2013 in a fashion that can account to political beliefs, which immigrant cultures are more easily accepted than others and other factors compared to the overall efficiency of running a city.  This is why I care.

PS:  Has anyone read the new Toronto Transit Report (http://ttcpanel.ca/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/report.pdf)(PDF) on Customer Service?
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Mongrel on August 23, 2010, 09:41:57 AM
Yeah, it pretty much runs "We suck assholes, but don't have any money to fix things". It's a long list of helpful, sensible suggestions, and then a pile of pages of waffling on how to pay for it (tl;dr version: they have no clue).

Soooo.... nothing new at the TTC! I hear that when you're broke, things suck!
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Mongrel on August 23, 2010, 09:56:45 AM
Oh hey, I'd just like to take this moment to officially call the Toronto election for Rob Ford.

Now don't get me wrong, I think he's an absolute idiot who's going to fuck things up even worse than they already are, BUT barring something ridiculous, he's going to win.

Why?

Well, in the first place he's not just an idiot, he's that very special political creature; the idiot-savant. Ford has mastered that magical art of telling absolutely everybody exactly what they want to hear.

Now that sounds stupid at first. Politicians tell everybody what they want to hear all the time, right? Well, yes, but they normally wrap it up in a lot of language that makes them seem more intelligent than they are, as well as being weaselly enough with the wording that they can back out of their 'promises' later. We're just so used to the phenomenon, we don't even bother to think about it anymore, let alone dissect it.

Ford simply has no such safeguards. He just parrots any requests he hears, only as a proclamation. People want subways? Rob says "We're gonna build subways!". Some journalistic wit points out that - as badly as new lines are needed - Toronto has no money for new subways. No matter! Rob simply replies "Well the people of Toronto have said they want subways!". There's no varnish, no spin; hell, the statements are so blitheringly stupid you can't even call them lies!

Out of the mouths of babes, one might say. 

Second, all Rob's opponent's seem only able to do one thing: talk endlessly about Rob Ford. Seriously. They are doing their ever-loving best to turn their entire campaigns into finely tuned get out the vote machines... for Ford.

Hell, the only person who's even articulated a coherent policy platform of ANY kind is Sarah Thompson. And she's in like seventh place with almost no press besides "the only woman in the running". Go on. Tell me what Smitherman's platform is, besides "I'm Gay!" and "I'm gonna get mad at people!"

You might think that I'm not giving the residents of this cretinous town their due. That enough stolid voters will see through this ruse. To which I reply that I am giving the voters of this town the EXACT amount of credit they deserve.

God. Mel Lastman's going to look like David-fucking-Crombie before the next mayoral term ends.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: SCD on August 24, 2010, 06:34:23 AM
There's also another side to it as well.  Looking at your candidates, the lot seem to be liberal leftists which I'm certain a lot of people are sick and tired of, given the coddling and funding of the types that promoted the G-20 backlash that went in your parts when compared to the G-8 in Calgary sometime back (right after Genoa).  There's of course all the other reasons as well, the concept of social programmes over infrastructure, and the transit woes to boot.  While this image may not be true, the feeling is getting pretty strong at this point in conservative circles and having MacGuinty in Queen's Park doesn't do the notion any harm, now that our fucking electricity bills have effectively doubled under that liberal twat so that the grasshoppers can get CFLs, defunct wind turbine subsidies and other crap(not that I'm bitter).

Ford looks like the closest thing to a conservative candidate, which is not surprising considering that all the competent ones are likely busy running or working or raising a family to get involved in "that" city they live in.  Ford will win.  He gets all the media attention, all the attacks, and comes from a normal working-class background.  I would vote for Ford over anyone else.  Who knows, he might even have a nice puppetmaster pulling his strings!
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Mongrel on August 24, 2010, 07:16:09 AM
Don't get me started on CFLs.. YEAH! LET'S LOAD UP OUR LANDFILLS WITH A SHIT-TON OF MERCURY!
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: SCD on August 25, 2010, 05:08:08 AM
The NP and polls agrees with my hunch, and expands on it (http://news.nationalpost.com/2010/08/25/rob-ford-most-divisive-mayoral-candidate-poll/).

Essentially what is going on is that the property owners are bankrolling all of Toronto's services to a significantly higher degree (apartment renters don't pay property taxes), while receiving a significantly reduced share of the services and for the big two Ontario cities, the gut reaction to any budget shortfall is not to cut the fat and incompetence, but to raise spending and taxes. 

Rob Ford will win because he represents the disgust with the state of affairs of the city, and will continue to win until the city decides to go full circle gentrification to ensure that condos and taxpayers in the city core are the rule and not the exception.  It isn't scandal or personality that will win this election, but a core issue.  You may not realize this, but I envy the vote you are about to be given.  It's another thing to say I'll envy you for having the man who comes in to office.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Mongrel on August 25, 2010, 05:58:30 AM
The problem isn't one of left vs. right. That's the nonsense that's been sold in this town for years to justify the endless ridiculous ballyhoo in city council that's wasted YEARS of this city's life. It's a problem of smart vs. stupid, only anybody intelligent has been thoroughly terrified away from trying to run this ossified town.

Ford will be a disaster, not because he is a right-wing budget chopper, but because he's an idiot who will start hundreds of needless fights, have morons for subordinates (a sure recipe for endless corruption and graft, not to mention project failures and cost overruns even worse than they are now), generally embarass the city, and frighten away useful people who might otherwise move here.

I mean, at the end of the day, it doesn't matter if you're left-wing or right wing, so long as your plans are clear, sensible, achievable, honest, and well-implemented. I wouldn't trust Rob to be able to get any of that right.

That doesn't mean I trust Rossi or Smitherman either, but they're more likely to simply continue the status quo of across-the-board failure out of inertia.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Mongrel on August 25, 2010, 06:55:29 AM
More silliness about the new jet fighters Harpo has a hard-on for. (http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/ottawa-notebook/pmo-launches-pre-emptive-strike-against-fighter-jet-critics/article1684390/)

Really the only reason for me to mention this is that every time the "BUT WHAT ABOUT THE RUSSIANS?!?" slapstick repeats itself, the most dark and cynically comedic parts of my brain keep suggesting that Putin is actually continuing these overflights (they're nothing new) as a some kind of perverse favour to Harper that amuses only himself.

It may fly in the face of good sense, but people have done sillier things.

Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: James Edward Smith on August 25, 2010, 09:15:00 AM
Unmanned drones are gonna be all the rage soon anyway.

Electronic warfare could already disable a plane that has a pilot in it now anyway, so why risk a valuable pilot's life every time he takes off and limit his maneuver options to the fragility of his body rather than of his plane when he can instead just fly the thing by proxy and eliminate all those risks?
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Mongrel on August 25, 2010, 09:28:20 AM
Yeah, the whole fighter thing seems silly. I agree that air-to-air superiority will be drone-based soon, with maybe some electronic warfare. The romantic nostalgia for Top Gun dudes is cute, but it's rapidly becoming akin to the love for battleships prior to WWII.

Like, I am absolutely okay with a program that says "Canada should have trained fighter pilots". Because while you can buy tech if you really need it, you can't reconsitute a body of skill and tradition once you destroy it. I expect that it will still be a long time before pilots are WHOLLY obsolete and having at least some planes that can go fast and pull high G's is important to keeping a core of skills intact for any future needs.

So sure, I don't mind us getting new planes of some kind. But let's be realistic about this. Forget about fighters designed for air-to-air combat between realtive technological equals and give them planes that are suited to the roles Canada finds itself in (i.e. planes that are good at close infantry support, or long-range/long-haul patrol/recovery).

Buying planes whose primary role is to be an airborne Porsche for jet jockeys who want to GOES FASTER is maybe worth a few macho points, but I'd rather they didn't do it on my dime.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Büge on August 25, 2010, 02:51:15 PM
The wars of the future will not be fought on the battlefield or at sea. They will be fought in space! ...Or possibly on top of a very tall mountain. In either case, most of the actual fighting will be done by small robots. And as you go forth today remember always your duty is clear: to build and maintain those robots.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Mongrel on August 25, 2010, 03:13:17 PM
In the grim future of this world, there are only tiny robots.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: James Edward Smith on August 26, 2010, 01:38:36 PM
Yeah, exactly, we still need fighter pilots, it's just they won't be in the planes anymore soon, they will be in a base in Trenton with a flight stick in their hand and 8 monitors around them getting ready to get the weapons hot command from a guy standing right next to them so they can drop bombs from a million dollar "RC plane".

I was just saying, we are quickly getting to the point where his connection to the plane from that base in trenton is less and less interruptable to the point that it's just as easy to take it away if he was still in the plane anyway so might as well just not have him in it anymore and sitting in an office chair instead.

So sure, I don't mind us getting new planes of some kind. But let's be realistic about this. Forget about fighters designed for air-to-air combat between realtive technological equals and give them planes that are suited to the roles Canada finds itself in (i.e. planes that are good at close infantry support, or long-range/long-haul patrol/recovery).

Buying planes whose primary role is to be an airborne Porsche for jet jockeys who want to GOES FASTER is maybe worth a few macho points, but I'd rather they didn't do it on my dime.

Mmmm, hold on now, Matt. They aren't getting F-22s they are getting f-35s. The performance of both these new generation aircraft in any role seems still very untested to me, but the F-35 is supposed to be the new ground support aircraft. Well as I understand it, it's supposed to be the multirole, does everything in one package aircraft. This generation's f-16 basically with the same ton of variants. The F-22 is the air superiority Porsche.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Mongrel on August 26, 2010, 07:25:42 PM
Huh, I thought it was the other way around? Oh well.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: SCD on August 27, 2010, 07:59:34 AM
James is correct. 

Big thing about it is that as the old 18's go faster than the 35's.  Too fast to be that much use for ground support and tank busting, which is about the same as bunker-busting but with different ordinance.  Another big thing is interoperability.  As much as aircraft cost, part and maintenance really cost as the things go out of style.  The 35's are joint by not just the Americans and Britons, but by a whole whack of other nations.  Parts suppliers can come from a larger array of nations now, and if our private sector gets it right, we can be the country giving lowest-bid/highest quality widgets to the brits so long as the EU's economic nationalism and sense of "righteousness" doesn't get in the way, not that I'm bitter about their anit-seal bit. 

 Oh wait.

Also when it comes to UAV's, it really plays more like an RTS with XBOX 360 controllers, at least on the US side.  No, I am not making this up.  And I'm happy to say that you guys are currently off to left field about EW and fighter planes, but I will not add more to that.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Mongrel on September 28, 2010, 06:38:35 PM
Ontario Superior court ruling will decriminalize prostitution in Ontario in 30 days unless the government appeals to the Supreme Court (http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/ontario/judge-decriminalizes-prostitution-in-ontario-but-ottawa-mulls-appeal/article1730433/)

Now, I'm not exactly planning to run down the the nearest street corner myself, and I fully expect the Federal Government to appeal, but it's an interesting news item all the same.

Last time a similar issue came up (gay marriage), the Supreme Court struck down the old laws as unconstitutional, but sent the matter back to Parliament to be legislated rather than simply striking down the old laws outright. The Court knew that their decision would have immense and far-reaching consequences. For something so important, Parliament needed to make the call so that instead of having a new law imposed through Judicial Activism, we would get a new law (within the bounds of the Constitution), that was fully deliberated by Parliament and carried the weight and credibility of any other major legislation.

It was one of the most startlingly intelligent decisions I've ever seen out of a high court, frankly. It'll be interesting to see if this becomes a two-for.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Büge on September 28, 2010, 07:29:55 PM
I sure hope it happens. I'm not advocating prostitution as a legitimate career choice, but if that is how you earn your money, you should have the right to do it as safely as possible. As it stands right now, prostitutes have to put themselves at significant risk to do business.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: TA on October 08, 2010, 12:21:20 PM
So, you know that whole "right to an attorney thing" you used to have? (http://www.canada.com/news/right+lawyer+during+police+interrogation+Supreme+Court/3644013/story.html)
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Shinra on October 08, 2010, 01:27:41 PM
Oh, canada!
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Mongrel on October 08, 2010, 04:15:18 PM
That's never been a clear-cut right here, so this isn't a great change. All that existed before was a "right to counsel", without full clarification of exactly what that entails. So while dumb Canadians might assume the law was the same as it is in the US, that's never really been the case here.

Which isn't to say that the ruling isn't embarrassing.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Mongrel on October 25, 2010, 04:50:49 PM
Walp, they went and did it, just as I predicted. Rob Ford - a man dumber than the average paramecium - is now Mayor of Toronto.

Of course, to add insult to injury, Calgary elected a cool, young, and frighteningly intelligent mayor (I think god is trying to tell me something. Too bad I don't have relatives in Calgary or $3000 to just pack up and move there).

Hell, even the city councillor elections are a wash. My ward elected the idiot with the biggest lawn signs, rather than the one with the best platform.

Oh boy! Can't wait to ride the train to hell!
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Büge on October 25, 2010, 08:58:14 PM
Mmmm, yes. I would have voted, except

1. I don't know what ward I'm in.
2. I don't know what I'm voting for.
3. Even if I did vote, I'm probably going to leave this area in a few years anyway. In the last four years I've moved three times.
4. Judging by the number of flyers dropped in my mailbox, I'd be voting for five different positions with three people each vying for the seat.
5. By the time I realized it was voting day, I was already on my way to work.

I realize this is probably going to open myself up to a lot of flak, but I honestly can't keep up with this sort of thing. The political process is both dull and disingenuous, and I just don't feel as though my vote goes towards anything I can honestly say I have a vested interest in. Maybe if I were a homeowner or someone with business ties to the community, I might get more involved, but honestly, I probably won't so long as the first two layers of Maslow's Pyramid are secure.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Mongrel on October 25, 2010, 09:03:23 PM
Also, you don't live in Toronto.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Thad on November 05, 2010, 03:09:47 PM
Steve Nash quitting Suns to run for Mayor of Victoria. (http://www.phoenixnewtimes.com/2010-11-04/news/setting-sun-steve-nash-s-quitting-the-phoenix-suns-to-enter-canadian-politics/)

Don't know much about the dude's politics (and the article doesn't shed any light on them -- this is Phoenix, after all, not Victoria), but he's anti-1070.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Mongrel on November 05, 2010, 05:04:51 PM
:scanners:
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Royal☭ on November 05, 2010, 06:08:47 PM
I'm sorry that Toronto wasn't able to elect Chip Zdarsky as mayor (http://www.comicsalliance.com/2010/10/14/985-words-on-chip-zdarskys-fake-mayoral-race/).  He was more than qualififed (http://stevetastic.com/ccomix/prison-funnies)
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Thad on November 07, 2010, 11:22:14 AM
USA Today (http://content.usatoday.com/communities/gameon/post/2010/11/steve-nash-will-someday-rule-the-world-but-hes-settling-for-the-nba-right-now/1): "The story was a total fabrication."

Huh.  Well, I've always taken the New Times with a grain of salt, but they don't usually put entire five-page articles together out of pure bullshit.  Okay, New Times, you got me.  I'm just...a little bemused as to what the point of all this was.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Shinra on November 07, 2010, 12:17:12 PM
(http://rleahy.ca/rleahy_files/image002.jpg)
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Mongrel on November 07, 2010, 01:11:58 PM
Yeah, that was a LONG DAMN ARTICLE for a fake.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Büge on November 22, 2010, 12:58:42 PM
Edmonton anti-rape campaign targets potential rapists (http://www.vancouversun.com/news/Campaign+targets+prey+drunk+women/3857999/story.html#)

That might sound redundant, but

Quote
Most sexual-assault campaigns focus on providing prevention tips for women, Smith said. “Tips just reinforce the myth that women are somehow responsible for anticipating and preventing sexual violence.

“This innovative SAVE committee believes that, as long as society directs prevention strategies at women, we all stop looking at what the real problem is — the perpetrators.”
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Beat Bandit on November 22, 2010, 01:13:48 PM
Apparently the internet hates me, if you manage to find good shots of each individual ad I would be very grateful.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Mongrel on November 22, 2010, 09:40:37 PM
Fowl's post almost gave me a heart attack thinking the City of Edmonton had done something colossally stupid, but the actual link seems well-thought-out.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Mongrel on December 16, 2010, 07:16:23 PM
Holly shit, has Iggy found his spine again? (http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/ignatieff-set-to-trigger-election-call-in-new-year/article1841549/)

I was despairing extra deeply about the state of our union confederation this morning, so this is very welcome news indeed. I actually think Iggy's right that a: he'll do much better in an actual election then just coasting along like this and b: he needs to start being proactive or he (and the party) is dead meat. Not just hitting BACK, but hitting FIRST, and right in the gut.

At the very least he seems to be pressing those key buttons a centre-leftist should, reminding the citizenry what they stand for. Exactly what the Democrats SHOULD be doing but aren't in the US.

I mean, even if the other parties stand with Harper, prop up the budget, and keep the Cons alive, the Liberals'll get a huge boost. The NDP will take solid hit from their core base or the Conservatives will look horrible to their own base for accepting Bloc support. Sure, this could all fizzle again, or he could just chicken out - but even that's positive, because at least the Liberals will be fed up enough that he'll be thrown out on his ass and we'll have another go with a different leader.

FINALLY. LET'S GET THIS PARTY STARTED.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Büge on December 16, 2010, 07:19:48 PM
But was the party really started?

Quote from: Büge of 2012
No, it wasn't.

... Or was it?
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Mongrel on December 16, 2010, 07:48:40 PM
NO DON'T SPOIL MY DREAMS.

WE CAN'T HAVE AN ELECTION TOO SOON.

God, even if Harper wins again, I'll be happy.

Iggy wins: YAY! (I'm not CRAZY about Iggy, but HARPER WOULD BE GOOOOOONNNNNNNNNNE)
Harper wins minority: Harper will almost certainly be stabbed in the back by SOMEONE in the Con party.
Harper wins majority: At least we'll have stability for a few years and the Liberals will have time to rebuild PROPERLY after chucking out their latest leader.

I mean, you need to understand something. I don't care if a politician is left-wing or right-wing so long as they are SMART and can GET SHIT DONE. I mean, up until Iggy decided to do something besides BEND OVER ALL DAY, I'd have been happy to vote for, for... friggin' Preston Manning over any of the current party leaders because he's an intelligent, moral, man who would at least have a plan of some kind. I may not agree with him on a lot of things, but he would be a constructive nation-builder instead of a gigantic poisonous asshole.

Harper can maybe get a few things done, but you'd never call him smart. In fact, he's more like an idiot-savant where the one thing he can do right is political maneuvering. Even the usual boring Canadian mediocrity and slow decay is an improvement over the active national self-destruction Harper practices.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Büge on December 16, 2010, 08:26:49 PM
friggin' Preston Manning

Whoa whoa whoa. Let's not say things we can't take back.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Mongrel on December 16, 2010, 08:34:28 PM
Dead serious on that.

He may be an evangelical Christian, but I'd take him in a HEARTBEAT over Harper.

Not least of which because he's a thoughtful, intelligent, nice guy.

Now... if Prime Ministers could run roughshod over the judiciary and the Constitution (well, more than the usual level abuse anyway), I'd probably not say that. But I actually would not be the least bit afraid that Manning would try to evangelize Canada (well, okay, I'd have no fears of him SUCCEEDING).

In case you hadn't noticed Harper has actively been trying in a sort of a sideways way. But when he tries, his popularity plummets. Most of Harper's worst failures have come when he tries to give in to his inner ideologue.

HOWEVER, if Iggy has really, truly, finally found his spinal column, he'd get my vote even with Manning around. But I'd actually have to think about it. With Harper, no thought is needed.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: sei on January 10, 2011, 12:36:33 AM
Quote from: http://www.zeropaid.com/news/91228/crtc-ruling-could-mean-data-caps-for-all/ in November 2010
Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) approves Bell Canada’s request to implement usage-based billing for their Gateway Access Services (GAS) customers, meaning that customers of the smaller ISPS will likely no longer enjoy unlimited Internet usage, and will face monthly data caps as soon as 90 days from the now, what the CRTC calls a “reasonable implementation period.”
Quote from: http://www.zeropaid.com/news/92005/canadian-isps-start-rolling-out-bandwidth-caps-higher-fees/ in January 2011
ISP competition in Canada is quite grim. At most, Canadians have a choice between Rogers/Shaw, Bell and Telus/AT&T. In a number of cases, only two ISPs even exist in the marketplace – and all too often, none of the above are willing to enter the last mile markets, keeping those in smaller communities on dial-up to this day.
...
ISP competition in Canada is quite grim. At most, Canadians have a choice between Rogers/Shaw, Bell and Telus/AT&T. In a number of cases, only two ISPs even exist in the marketplace – and all too often, none of the above are willing to enter the last mile markets, keeping those in smaller communities on dial-up to this day.
...
Doesn’t Canada have a regulator? Well, indeed, Canada does have a controversial regulator known as the CRTC (Canadian Radio-television Telecommunications Commission – or as some have jokingly referred to it in the past, Can’t Recognize True Canadian) which is suppose to regulate the industry such as internet services. One of the sources of contention is certain board members coming from companies like Bell.

Kind of glad I'm not you guys, right about now.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Mongrel on January 10, 2011, 08:07:50 AM
Oh come on, this is Canada! We wouldn't know free-market competition if the CEO of two telecom companies got into a literal fistfight.



Serious reply: Canada's Telecom sector has been a complete disaster in terms of competition for over 25 years. The Canadian BBB and federal consumers watchdog probably get more complaints about telecom companies than all other industries combined. High rates, poor service, you name it.

For my money, the only way to increase competition is to dramatically increase the legal amount of foreign holdings allowed in the industry. I'm not against Protectionism in some cases, but it's clear that it has served us in almost no practical way as far as telecommunications go.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Büge on January 21, 2011, 12:54:37 PM
King Steve is threatening to cut public funding for political parties. (http://www.thestar.com/opinion/editorialopinion/article/924883--dollars-and-democracy)
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: François on January 21, 2011, 01:16:55 PM
At first I thought you were talking about this King Steve (http://www.nuklearpower.com/2002/06/19/episode-163-king-steve-is-stupid/). Then I figured that might have been the intended reference.

Then I wondered if we wouldn't be better off with that one than with actual King Steve.

...still wondering.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Mongrel on January 21, 2011, 01:37:50 PM
Didn't his last attempt to do that leave him a hairsbreadth away from losing the government?

Oh Stevie. 
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Büge on February 26, 2011, 05:32:22 AM
A convicted rapist will not go to jail because a Manitoba judge says the victim sent signals that “sex was in the air” through her suggestive attire and promiscuous conduct on the night of the attack. (http://news.nationalpost.com/2011/02/24/no-jail-for-rapist-because-victim-wanted-to-party/)
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: jsnlxndrlv on February 26, 2011, 09:56:10 AM
And that's why "rape culture" is a problem.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Mongrel on March 17, 2011, 05:35:15 PM
HAHA MY WEEK IS GETTING BETTER AND BETTER BY THE MINUTE! (http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/harper-government-to-be-found-in-contempt-could-trigger-election-call-next-week/article1946464/)

 :glee:
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Büge on March 17, 2011, 06:25:32 PM
Interesting. I was just reading an article today about how King Steve is constantly co-opting Parliament and trying to decrease transparency in government activity. The fact that he's trying to change "The Government of Canada" to "The Harper Government" is particularly damning. I hope they run him out of town on a rail.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Mongrel on March 17, 2011, 06:48:40 PM
Welllll... there's no guaranteee. Stevie could still win out in an election by playing the "we're good economic managers!" card, even though he's NOT and the only reason Canada didn't tank in the great recession is thanks to ten years of Paul Martin's Good Work. The tories are about as good with money as Bush & co. were.

But this is a land of dullards, so he just has to say it and SOMEBODY'S gonna believe him.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Mongrel on March 17, 2011, 06:51:44 PM
Regardless, an election will be a good thing.

Scenario A: Steve wins a majority. At least the Liberals will have the time and comfort to dump Iggy and find a real leader and stabilize.
Scenario B: Steve wins another minority. Out come the Tory party knives!
Scenario C: Iggy actually wins. Hey, let's give this guy a try! And the Tory knives will be even more sure to come out for Steve.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Büge on April 10, 2011, 07:16:54 PM
Looks like King Steve wants to spy on the internet too. (http://www.boingboing.net/2011/04/10/canadian-tories-camp.html)
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Mongrel on April 11, 2011, 03:49:46 AM
Oh Steve

Eh, if that gets passed I expect it to be overturned after a mess of some kind (but not before that - we're Canadian after all. Apathy must rule the roost). That's pretty massively unconstitutional and there's already a body of rulings treating computer info similarly to other personal sources of information.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Mongrel on April 18, 2011, 03:55:48 PM
http://www.vintagevoter.ca/ (http://www.vintagevoter.ca/)
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Mongrel on April 21, 2011, 05:16:16 PM
Jack Layton's on a roll. he's projected (currently) to set a new record for NDP seats. And those seats are coming mostly at the expense of the Bloc and Tories. (http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/ottawa-notebook/ndp-on-track-to-win-60-seats-poll-projects/article1994856/)

I don't think it'll last, but this election just became very heartwarming. And hilarious.

The only thing I really REALLY want out of this election is for Harper to finally get the damn message that, no, we really don't like you.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Büge on April 21, 2011, 06:45:08 PM
I think he'll get the message unless he wins a majority.

I keep reading in the papers that a lot of people are satisfied with King Steve's work or something along those lines, and predict that he will get another term in office. I can't help but feel that it's mostly the papers I'm reading have a lazy conservative slant (The Toronto Sun) or a decidedly aggressive conservative slant (The National Post).

Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Mongrel on April 21, 2011, 08:07:23 PM
One of the most interesting things about this campaign is the fact that the percentage of voters who get out and exercise their franchise may actually increase, for the first time in like forever.

What makes it so interesting is that the surge in possible non-apathetic voters is very youth-based. Since most polls take their data from established call lists (for things like credit cards), the youth vote is horribly underrepresented in polling. Which means the polls we've been seeing may turn out to be horribly wonderfully askew. We may be in for a surprise!



Plenty of older voters are alright with Steve, basically out of old-folks intertia. Now, to be honest there are Cons I don't mind, and I could even like Jim Flaherty (this will remain unconfirmed until I get to see him perform somewhere under than the underside of Steve's asshole), and I USED to like Tony Clement, but then I realized how much of a salesman scumbag he is. >:(

But here's no way I could vote for Steve-o. For me it's never an issue of a man's political affiliation, it's matter of his intelligence. I'd be happy to vote for a Conservative over Iggy if he had more then two brain cells to rub together. And God help us all, Steve keeps looking for the worst possible way of doing things.

And yeah, those papers have a fairly bad conservative slant, though there's the occasional balanced view in 'em.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Mongrel on April 25, 2011, 05:53:42 PM
So, is this king Steve's ultimate Legacy? To give the country over to the blatant leftists? French ones at that? (http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/ottawa-notebook/terra-incognita-poll-projects-100-seats-for-surging-ndp/article1998361/)

I'm not saying I have a problem with Quebec leftists (at least no worse than the problems I have with Steve the Sun King's one-man rule-by-idiocy), I'm just cackling because that's pretty much his ultimate worst nightmare.

No matter how bad the NDP would actually be in government, I can imagine no sweeter repudiation of Steve. If this pans out, he will go down in Canadian history as the worst thing to ever happen to Conservatives in Canada. And that's saying something!
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Büge on April 25, 2011, 06:20:43 PM
I am looking forward to an orderly election that will eliminate the need for a violent bloodbath.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Mongrel on April 25, 2011, 06:30:01 PM
BUAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! (http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/tories-collected-harper-quotes-that-could-come-back-to-haunt-him/article1998176/)

This just gets better and better and better.

The funny thing here is that when you really get down to it, many of Canada's former leaders have had personal issues just as bizarre or crippling as Steve. Only, Steve has made sure that the press will never ever EVER stop hounding him with even the smallest stories, simply by being such a complete dick to them for so long. Chretien, Martin, Mulroney, Trudeau, they were all loaded with faults of their own, but they all had good long periods when everybody liked them.

Let this be a lesson: Rousing the Canadian Press from its thousand-year slumber by never growing out of your "petty little dickbag" stage is only going to get you a one-way trip to the curb.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Büge on April 25, 2011, 07:16:59 PM
I bet King Steve is wishing he was as bland as Ignatieff.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Mongrel on April 25, 2011, 07:33:09 PM
Okay, in fairness, my cynical mind expects the voting public to recoil in horror at the though of an NDP government and to switch at the last minute, splitting enough votes to give Stevie the majority he so desperately wants to fritter away with two-bit grudges.

But then again, it might not happen. I doubt much of Quebec will change their minds back to the other three options, and there's also that "unknown number of Rick Mercer-induced youngsters" that MAYBE aren't showing up in poll numbers.

We shall see. At the very least, this election went from mind numbing to THE INCREDIBLE THRILL RIDE in no time.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Mongrel on May 02, 2011, 07:50:27 AM
I BETTER HEAR THE SOUNDS OF CITIZENS VOTING TODAY.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Büge on May 02, 2011, 07:53:52 AM
holy smokes, I better get to a voting booth
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: François on May 02, 2011, 08:23:33 AM
cock-bloqued

:nyoro~n:
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Mongrel on May 02, 2011, 09:55:30 AM
This just in: Zed hates mustaches.

:suave:
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Dooly on May 02, 2011, 04:57:15 PM
I voted a week ago.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Mongrel on May 02, 2011, 05:06:46 PM
Hey what ridings are you guys in?

Amusingly, I'm in Layton's riding but didn't vote for him (thought about it for a bit though).

Man, how awesome would it be for this neighbourhood to actually get some of that "You live in the Prime Minister's Riding, welcome to the Gravy Train" shit that always goes down? It's actually... not impossible!
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Mongrel on May 02, 2011, 05:13:29 PM
Anybody else see this yet?

People all over the country are getting fake phone calls pretending to come from Elections Canada that send them off to the middle of nowhere (http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/messages-provide-false-polling-station-info/article2007127/)

Going to be a shitstorm once they figure out who's behind it.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Büge on May 02, 2011, 06:12:55 PM
Man, how awesome would it be for this neighbourhood to actually get some of that "You live in the Prime Minister's Riding, welcome to the Gravy Train" shit that always goes down? It's actually... not impossible!

Now that's what I'd call a moustache ride.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Mongrel on May 02, 2011, 06:18:33 PM
Holy Christ the Bloc is getting wiped off the map. Early returns show them with only SIX SEATS (they had fourty-seven going in). The Liberals are getting WASTED too.

Once results start coming in from BC, things are going to get INTERESTING.

EDIT: Uh, make that four for the Bloc.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Mongrel on May 02, 2011, 06:34:22 PM
Ohhhhhhh fuck, things do not look good for avoiding a Harpo majority.

Fuck fuck fuck.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: LaserBeing on May 02, 2011, 06:41:54 PM
I don't understand it at all. What will it take to get rid of this asshole? Does he need to literally be in jail before people will stop voting for his bullshit?
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Mongrel on May 02, 2011, 06:54:32 PM
Well, the "I'm over 45" demographic is pretty locked in for Harpo.

I think a fair number of seats will have gone to Harpo through vote splits, but also their popular vote was higher than anticipated. I also bet their get-out-the-vote-machine is second to none.

What can I say? People voted for Dubya and I always knew that Canadians aren't really any smarter.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Mongrel on May 02, 2011, 06:57:31 PM
Oh man, it looks like Elizabeth May might actually win her seat! Ha!
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Büge on May 02, 2011, 07:22:41 PM
(http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y233/foxylibrarian/crying-frenchman500x393.gif)

I can't think of a more appropriate time to use this image.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Smiler on May 02, 2011, 07:42:51 PM
So what happened? I am too american to find out on my own.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Büge on May 02, 2011, 08:04:38 PM
Mongrel is probably better at explaining this type of thing but:

Up until today, the Conservative Party (our Republican equivalent) had a Minority government, meaning that they had more seats in parliament than any one party, but if the other parties teamed up on an issue, they could outvote the Conservatives*. The Conservative Party has won a Majority Government. They now have enough control over parliament to make decisions without seeking support from other parties.

*I think that's how it works
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Büge on May 02, 2011, 08:07:24 PM
So yeah, we can expect social programs to be gutted, less transparency in government, and spending tax money on a military we never use.

 :endit:
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Mongrel on May 02, 2011, 08:21:56 PM
Basically Smiler, the Liberals, the party that used to be THE centrist party, and the party that won maybe 2/3rds of the time, has hit a historic low, Meanwhile the NDP (strong leftist) party, usually a third-place also-ran that served as something of a "conscience" to the two main parties, has gained a vote total of about 250% of their high-water mark. In Quebec, the regional Bloc party that had been strong there for 20 years was, well, totally obliterated. The conservatives won a majority through vote splits and mistakes on the part of the Liberals.

========

If I was a betting man, I would call the next election as a true three-way race. The NDP are gonna have some new faces who'll be certain to do some stupid things, given that they were total longshot candidates, cones unexpected to win. The Liberals will be at least a little better off, without the full weight of the Con propaganda machine gunning them down every day (that will now be directed at the NDP)., and while the Cons will no doubt still have a strong core, I can only see them losing votes - I think this will be their high -water mark under Harper. He's just too prone to self-inflicted damage, even with the tightest imaginable controls.

A lot will depend on who the Liberals will choose as a new leader, and how well Layton manages a hugely increased stable. The NDP might look like government material if they do really well in opposition.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Mongrel on May 02, 2011, 08:23:48 PM
Also, it is so cute that Elizabeth May won her seat.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Mongrel on May 02, 2011, 08:26:29 PM
For what it's worth, I also think there are some limits on what Harper might fuck up. He's smart and experienced enough not to do anything dramatically destructive (for instance, I actually believe him on the point about Supreme Court justices), it's more the neverending parade of horribly stupid little incompetences and petty little jabs that will degrade our government piece by piece. Stuff like the fighter jets, the unneeded jails, the census fuckery, etc., none of these things are a total disaster in and of themselves, it's only when it's taken all together that the picture stinks.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: François on May 03, 2011, 02:46:45 AM
Part of me feels down right now to say the least, but Québec could have done far worse than the NPD, and I'm happy to see we've become the biggest bastion of non-Conservatism left without going so low as to elect a bunch of Liberals. Plus we've proven that as a people we can change our collective mind. So I suppose there's nothing to it but looking forward to the future.

a future with harper's name on it

:painful:
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: François on May 03, 2011, 03:23:00 AM
And, hey, there's another silver lining. We lost the Bloc, but in a way we've still made it clear that we're pretty damn different from the rest of that big ol' back-asswards plane-buyin' kid-jailin' nature-rapin' country.

(http://zedpower.dreamhosters.com/images/misc/elec.png)
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Büge on May 03, 2011, 05:03:54 AM
And, hey, there's another silver lining. We lost the Bloc, but in a way we've still made it clear that we're pretty damn different from the rest of that big ol' back-asswards plane-buyin' kid-jailin' nature-rapin' country.

(http://zedpower.dreamhosters.com/images/misc/elec.png)

Can I come live with you Zed
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Mongrel on May 03, 2011, 05:31:10 AM
Oh man, Maxime Bernier won his seat. AHAHAHAHAHAHA!
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: François on May 03, 2011, 06:27:13 AM
Can I come live with you Zed

that would be sweet except it ain't gonna make a gdamn difference 'cause we ain't actually separated yet

but hey, clearly the NPD is the new Bloc so all bets are off amirite :whoops:

Seriously though Layton owes Québec so much it's not even funny. We basically own him now. How sneaky of us, squeezing our way in the official opposition chair again right through the back door!

Oh man, Maxime Bernier won his seat. AHAHAHAHAHAHA!

Jesus Christ. My mother's side of the family is from Beauce. I think I'm gonna have to start saying I'm from Pakistan or something.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Mongrel on May 03, 2011, 07:51:20 AM
That guy is such an incredible assclown. I can't wait for the eventual day he tries to run for leader of the Cons. :glee:

Anyway, I feel worse about the election that I did last night (ugh!). Unless the Liberals seriously rebuild AND get themselves a smart, credible leader who can attract a wide following, this will mark the beginning of polarized American style politics. Stay well away from Bob Rae, Justin, and all the others. See if you can drag John Manley or someone - anyone! - with real rock-solid business credibility back.

A lot of people are comparing the Canada of today to the UK of 1922. back then, the Liberals, a centrist party that had governed very successfully for most of the previous 50 years, were destroyed in two elections only to be eclipsed by Labour, who permanently drove the middle-class vote into the hands of their Tories. Last night I saw ample evidence of that middle-class shift here, and it probably accounted for more Conservative wins in borderline ridings than vote-splitting did.

That said, the Canada of 2011 is not the same as the UK of 1922, there are a few crucial differences.

- The biggest rise in NDP votes came from a section of the population that had been effectively out of play in federal politics.
- The Cons can still potentially self-immolate (Harper is as Harper does).
- As bad as income disparities are getting, on its worst day Canada is not half so stratified as England.
- Other demographic differences (though these are a mixed bag - an aging population favours the Conservatives)
- We could even see a shift where the NDP becomes centrist and the Greens take their place on the left, leaving us right where we were only with different labels. This would take a while though. Probably a full generation.

At the risk of repeating myself, the survival of multi-party elections now hinges on what each party does in the next four years. But especially on what the Liberals choose to do.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Pacobird on May 03, 2011, 08:42:17 AM
Prediction: new Con government tightens borders; Windsor completely collapses as the stream of 19-year-olds from Michigan looking for the Tijuana of the North dries up.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Mongrel on May 03, 2011, 09:05:21 AM
Hahaha. Maybe!

Oh, one other thing to add to my list of "Why the Canada of 2011 MIGHT not turn out to be the UK of 1922": Zed might be right in a very indirect way! The NDP might just become the new Bloc (i.e. the "Quebec Party").

But even in that case they'll still have a reach outside the Province, which is something the Bloc never had. So I guess it's another argument in favour of there being true three-way races - if the Liberals shape up.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Pacobird on May 03, 2011, 12:30:02 PM
I guess that's not entirely fair; should probably be "stream of 25-year-old skeezes following trickle of 19-year-old girls only recently acquainted with tequila".
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Mongrel on May 03, 2011, 02:27:33 PM
So Jack just totally blew off the idea of an NDP/Liberal merger. My surprised face, let me show it to you.

But that's actually good news, since it means we'll remain a three-party state. So even if the Liberals totally fuck everything up, they'll still be hanging around whenever the wheel finally turns.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Mongrel on May 05, 2011, 08:16:20 PM
Okay, I've mostly ignored the silliness with Ruth-Ellen Brosseau, but man, just look at her dad (http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/rookie-quebec-ndp-mp-missing-in-action-before-and-after-election/article2012143/).

:lol:

EDIT: I think the NDP would look better if they just straight up admitted "look, we really didn't expect to win this riding AT ALL and thought that this would some valuable experience for a party organizer". Like, that looks bad, but not nearly as bad as the "ummmmm... ahhhhh... errrr..." canned lines.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Büge on May 05, 2011, 08:52:06 PM
Man, I wish I'd thought of that.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Büge on May 06, 2011, 06:04:48 AM
(http://www.filibustercartoons.com/comics/20110504.jpg)
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Mongrel on May 06, 2011, 06:14:44 AM
Oh my god wow.

WHAT IS THAT FROM?!
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Büge on May 06, 2011, 07:59:28 AM
http://www.filibustercartoons.com/ (http://www.filibustercartoons.com/)
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Mongrel on May 17, 2011, 07:16:36 PM
Oh my God. John Baird has just been appointed this nation's top diplomat. (http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/baird-vaults-into-foreign-affairs-in-new-stable-harper-cabinet/article2025881/)

:scanners:
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Büge on May 17, 2011, 07:52:25 PM
I'm not sure what that means for us...
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Mongrel on May 18, 2011, 07:22:18 PM
Hilarious embarrassment!
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Mongrel on July 26, 2011, 03:07:39 PM
Let me remind you: This is our Mayor (http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/toronto/flipped-finger-a-misunderstanding-toronto-mayor-says/article2110277/)

I mean, at this point, I would actually trade him for George W. No questions asked.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Mongrel on August 09, 2011, 08:46:47 PM
And this is one of our most senior City Councillors (http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/toronto/facebook-group-for-working-class-torontonians-not-layabouts-and-communists-councillor/article2124290/)

This is the same guy that wanted to turn a portion of the Toronto Islands into a designated Red Light district (for non-residents: The islands contains an airport, an arts community, some beaches, and a childrens' theme park) and who was once caught in a strip club on the taxpayers dime (He claimed it was "research". Do politicians still even make those kinds of claims with a straight face anymore? I guess so!)

Meanwhile, our mayor, such as he is, has received his second legit death threat in as many weeks.

I mean, even Hamilton is making fun of us now (http://www.thestar.com/news/article/1036404--scorn-in-toronto-acclaim-in-hamilton) (for non-residents: This is like Buffalo making fun of New York).

Just burn this city to the ground. Everything wrong with this country flows from here or Calgary, so that'd get us halfway to somewhere decent.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Mongrel on August 12, 2011, 08:29:32 AM
Giorgio Mammoliti - the gift that keeps on giving (http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/toronto/ford-canada-asks-toronto-councillor-to-remove-company-logo-from-facebook-page/article2127742/)

Quote
Even after wide criticism of his anti-Communist rants, Mr. Mammoliti is holding firm to his view that a red scourge is prevalent among Canada’s left.

“There’s an underground element that has filtered into a major party in this country,” he said of the NDP. “I’m dead serious about this.”

He said six or seven communists sit on City Council with a long-term plot of installing “a system of government where government takes over all private property and controls the thoughts and views of people.”
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Cait on August 22, 2011, 09:05:43 AM
Jack Layton died today (http://www.ctv.ca/CTVNews/Canada/20110822/ndp-leader-jacklayton-obit/).

(Cross-posted from obit thread)
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Büge on August 22, 2011, 10:30:06 AM
Jack Layton died today (http://www.ctv.ca/CTVNews/Canada/20110822/ndp-leader-jacklayton-obit/).

(Cross-posted from obit thread)

 :oh:
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: François on August 22, 2011, 12:18:39 PM
Aw man. Jesus.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Mongrel on August 22, 2011, 02:15:10 PM
Saw that pretty early this morning. I didn't really get much work done today.

My neighbourhood was his riding too. 
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Büge on September 03, 2011, 10:39:15 AM
Edmonton hair salon makes controversial ad, is surprised at backlash (http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/prairies/edmonton-hair-salon-vandalized-after-controversial-ad-makes-headlines/article2150909/)
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Büge on September 07, 2011, 11:26:00 AM
King Steve claims that "Islamicism" is biggest threat facing Canadians, plans to re-institute draconian anti-terror laws (http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/story/2011/09/06/harper-911-terrorism-islamic-interview.html)

Translation: "nyah nyah, I've got a conservative majority and my biggest opponent is six feet under."
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: François on September 07, 2011, 12:53:38 PM
Boy but I wouldn't want to shine a UV light on the little shrine to GWB in that man's house.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Mongrel on September 13, 2011, 04:42:01 AM
Ladies and gentlemen: Our national intelligence service (http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/csis-didnt-have-the-dirt-on-him-so-sloppy-spy-wins-dismissal-suit/article2163624/)

Glad to see that little has changed since that time a briefcase containing an entire year's worth of intelligence reports was stolen by a crackhead from a car parked outside the Air Canada centre while the agent was at a hockey game.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Büge on September 13, 2011, 09:10:12 AM
Hey Mongrel! What's this I hear about Toronto City Council proposing to gut daycare, senior care, libraries, and sell the frickin' TORONTO ZOO???

 :hellamad:
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Mongrel on September 13, 2011, 04:07:28 PM
You left out: cut 1000 TTC jobs and scale back even peak service from the TTC, cut 400 cops, Cut fire response to medical emergencies, etc etc.   

Oh, did it turn out that Rob Ford was a giant clueless lying idiot, just like anyone with even a quarter of a brain said he was? Oh, imagine that.

Did it turn out that giving the Mayoralty to a guy who once promised a semi-homeless serial troll that he would go out and score street drugs for him was a bad idea? The same guy who once got into a public fight with the owner of a snack bar, flipped off a seven year old who scolded his bad driving, and had a giant public temper tantrum at a Leafs game? Oh do tell!

This is what the stupid stupid dumb-as-fuck shit-eating citizens of this goddamned miserable failure of a town get. Hell, we all got exactly what we deserved. Even those of us who didn't vote for this fiasco-in-marshmellow-man-form.

Am I mad? Just a little!

There ain't no gettin' offa this here GRAVY TRAIN we're on!
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Büge on September 13, 2011, 04:20:52 PM
What happens to all the money they cut from those programs, anyway?
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Mongrel on September 13, 2011, 05:01:06 PM
Well, the problem is that we don't actually have any money. 

People believed Rob when he said that there was lots of money and that it was all being wasted by FATCATZ. Only... it wasn't and never was. Tuns out the city had been a pretty tight, if worn-out and underfunded, ship for years.

(Our property taxes are lower than all the surrounding municipalities and Ford killed all the new taxes Miller introduced two years ago. You know, the taxes that were introduced so we wouldn't be broke and have to cut police, transit, fire, medical, or community services)
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Friday on September 13, 2011, 05:22:24 PM
The amazing thing about people of any nationality is they do not understand what taxes are for. At all.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Mongrel on September 30, 2011, 05:23:58 PM
This is just... golden. (http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/ottawa-notebook/baird-deflects-business-card-fire-laughs-off-golden-shower-quip/article2186393/)
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Büge on September 30, 2011, 05:56:53 PM
YEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHH
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Defenestration on October 01, 2011, 10:33:52 AM
Quote
“But I certainly wouldn’t want to piss off the minister.”

This made me crack.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Büge on October 06, 2011, 10:07:08 AM
Vote.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Mongrel on October 06, 2011, 06:08:10 PM
I am hoping for a McGuinty majority. I'm not his biggest fan, but Hudak campaigned on fucking reactionary gimmicks, sound bites, and BAWHHHHHHHH MCGUINTY BAAAAAADDDDDDDD. As the saying goes 'round here "The candidate who applies for the job of Opposition Leader will get the job."

Horwath didn't get nearly the scrutiny she should have, as her plan was full of giant fucking holes.

Normally I'd be okay with a Liberal NDP coalition or something, but Horwath seems determined to go back to some kind of Soviet Stone age command economy. Gas price controls? Are they fucking kidding us?
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Mongrel on October 06, 2011, 10:44:16 PM
One seat shy of a majority for Premier Dad. Wonder just what it'll take to buy a turncoat.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Büge on October 21, 2011, 08:00:47 PM
So a Canadian won a prize in the "Dance Your PhD" contest. (http://www.cbc.ca/news/arts/story/2011/10/20/dance-your-phd-winner.html)

I think it'd be great if more science hypotheses could be expressed in dance routines.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Mongrel on October 27, 2011, 06:52:50 AM
It's time for another episode of The Mayor Rob Ford Show! (http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/toronto/torontos-rob-ford-verbally-abusive-but-reports-of-911-profanity-inaccurate-source/article2215608/)

Background: Ford was accosted by the makers of This Hour has 22 Minutes (a famous Canadian Comedy show with a long history of cooperative politician guest apparences - even Dictator-for-Life Steve has played along on multiple occasions). What did he do? Ran in his house and called 911.

Then when the original story broke, he claimed he'd called 911 because it was dark and that he had his youngest daughter with him. He also pointed out that he's been the target of several anonymous death threats (this is true). 

So fo course the CBC published their footage from that morning.

(http://possiblyhelpfuladvice.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/liar_tom_pants__art_.jpg)
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Büge on October 27, 2011, 07:25:27 AM
Mongrel, seriously. What were you guys thinking when you elected that slug?
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Mongrel on October 27, 2011, 09:27:01 AM
That a majority of the citizens of this city fell for a campaign that amounted to "I promise cake and pie and gravy and toy cars and barbie dolls and everything for everyone all the time! Everyone else is eeeeeeeevil! Also, I really believe this!" says a great deal about this town.

Seriously guys. Possibly the most diverse city on the continent elected white trash with an IQ of about 90.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Büge on October 27, 2011, 11:09:34 AM
I mean you go from electing a Jewish furniture salesman who actually did things for the city (losing the Olympics notwithstanding) to a guy who even looks like Hermann Göring if you squint a little in less than ten years.

What's next, Ed the Sock?
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Mongrel on October 27, 2011, 11:44:00 AM
Well, I always did say that Ford's lasting legacy would be to make ole' Mel last man look good.

Ed the Sock would be an improvement.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Mongrel on October 29, 2011, 10:35:44 PM
So tonight, Olbermann called Rob Ford the "Worst Person In The World" (http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/toronto/us-tv-host-calls-toronto-mayor-rob-ford-the-worst-person-in-the-world/article2219017/)

We're doin' good, I can tellya.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Büge on November 08, 2011, 01:56:05 PM
The conservatives can't balance the budget (http://ca.news.yahoo.com/ottawa-likely-miss-four-balanced-budget-target-todays-090013137.html)

 :slow:
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: François on November 08, 2011, 03:25:55 PM
Welp, this is who you have voted for and why you have voted for them, rest of Canada. Good work!
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Mongrel on December 01, 2011, 04:04:46 PM
Latest Chapter in the McKay chopper kerfuffle (http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/e-mails-contradict-mackay-on-chopper-flight-from-fishing-hole/article2257188/)

I am laughing so hard at those Col. Ploughman quotes right now. "Uhm, guys? Are you stupid?... Okay, well never mind than, I guess I'm just a lowly Colonel who doesn't know anything. ROLL EYES."

:glee:
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Mongrel on December 10, 2011, 07:38:02 AM
That picture of Peter Mansbridge may be the funniest thing I've seen all week (http://beta.images.theglobeandmail.com/archive/01349/drawn1203_1349507a.jpg)
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Büge on December 14, 2011, 09:52:25 AM
Remember how Mayor Ford Boss Hogg canceled the plans to build a Light Rail System in Toronto? Well the cancellation bill just came in: a fat sixty-five million dollars (http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/toronto/cost-of-cancelling-transit-city-could-hit-65-million/article2270358/). This comes up just as TTC service is being cut and prices are being raised.

Remind me again how he got elected...? Because it seems like he's doing exactly what Bush did after Clinton: turn a budget surplus into a deficit.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Mongrel on December 14, 2011, 04:02:11 PM
Look at it this way.

At least he's making it as glaringly clear as possible, as fast as he can. Better that than hiding it for a while and giving people wiggle-room to rationalize his failures away. 
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Mongrel on January 07, 2012, 08:40:23 AM
New report indicates that the reason Canada wound up in Kandahar is largely because our military leadership wanted to be there so bad, you guys (http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/world/doug-saunders/canada-picked-its-kandahar-moment/article2294450/)

 :oh:
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Büge on January 29, 2012, 05:14:34 PM
So, the Shafias are going away for life (http://news.ca.msn.com/canada/shafia-jury-finds-all-guilty-of-1st-degree-murder).

(For those of you who don't know, this concerns the trial of a man, his second wife and his son for the murder of his two daughters and first wife. They're also Afghan.)

Can't help but wonder what SCD would say.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Mongrel on February 15, 2012, 11:32:58 AM
So, some of you may have heard that King Harpo and the Cons are trying to get a new bill passed that basically would require complete internet traffic monitoring AND allow partially-warrantless surveillence of internet traffic by the government. Herpaderp etc. 

It got more ridiculous when the Justice Minister - Vic Toews, one of the worst ideologues the Cons have - literally responded to a question in parliament with "You're either with us or you're in favour of child pornagraphy", which just goes to show that there is simply no amount of blind cognitive dissonance that will dissuade a True Believer.

But some delicious - if incredibly mean-spirited - returns have been reaped as a result. Some wit got ahold of Toews divorce proceedings and started This Twitter feed (https://twitter.com/#!/vikileaks30), posting choice bits from the affadavits, under the tagline "Vic wants to know about us? Let's get to know Vic.". It's not quite Newt-worthy, but it's... ah... brisk reading.

Well now.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Thad on February 15, 2012, 12:23:45 PM
They've also renamed it the Protecting Children From Internet Predators Act (http://boingboing.net/2012/02/15/orwell-would-be-proud-of-canad.html).

Which I suspect is going to be the name of every bill in every country from now on.  The budget?  Protecting Children From Internet Predators Act.  Tax cuts for the wealthy?  Protecting Children From Internet Predators Act.  The next iteration of SOPA?  Oh right, you already covered that one. (http://brontoforum.us/index.php?topic=6196.msg217883#msg217883)
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Mongrel on February 15, 2012, 02:02:31 PM
I'm not as worried as I might be, since this legislation actually seems so blatantly egrigious that it probably doesn't have a ghost of a chance of passing a charter challenge.

But that doesn't mean I'm okay at all with it being passed, even breifly.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Mongrel on February 15, 2012, 04:35:01 PM
Posting this here mostly so the link will be handy when I get home from work, but some of you may also be interested: The Don Drummond report on Ontario spending reform (http://www.fin.gov.on.ca/en/reformcommission/)
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Mongrel on February 29, 2012, 07:32:45 PM
I keep seeing people I know changing their online screename in various games to "Pierre Poutine". :glee:
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Mongrel on March 02, 2012, 10:42:03 AM
For the first time in 150 years, another country - in this case, Iceland - is thinking of adopting the Canadian dollar as its currency. (http://www.theglobeandmail.com/report-on-business/economy/iceland-eyes-loonie-canada-ready-to-talk/article2356634/)

... wow.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Büge on March 02, 2012, 11:10:08 AM
neat.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Büge on March 03, 2012, 09:53:28 AM
Cross-index this one (http://www.ottawacitizen.com/news/Afghan+vets+reject+Anders+apology/6244153/story.html) in the WTF category.

A conservative Member of Parliament falls asleep during a pair of Afghanistan vets' presentation on how to help homeless soldiers.

When he's woken up and censured for his action, he accuses the soldiers of being "NDP hacks" and supporters of Vladimir Putin.

 :hurr:
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: François on March 03, 2012, 10:17:14 AM
Now I'm curious about that guy's dreams. He might as well have accused them of stealing his clothes and forcing him to attend the presentation naked.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Mongrel on March 03, 2012, 01:29:28 PM
Oh yeah, Rob Anders is a sack of shit. He gets a free pass because he's a Calgary MP, but I've even seen hardcore Calgary Con constituents complain about the guy.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Mongrel on March 09, 2012, 11:24:00 PM
More ROBOCALL NOOZ: Star Article alleges that the targeted victims were all seniors who'd been previously contacted by Conservative researchers and who had indicated they would NOT be voting Conservative (http://www.thestar.com/news/canada/politics/article/1143808--robocalls-older-voters-targeted-by-phony-voting-day-phone-calls-elections-canada-believes).

If true, that's about as close to "circumstantial-evidence-that's-almost-not-circumstantial" as you can get.

But then again, what person doesn't think the Conservatives are behind this anyway? The victims were all non-Conservative voters (blabber from the Cons about their supporters being targeted notwithstanding - no Conservative voters are actually coming forward to complain). The only real question is whether it was just some party flacks (it definitely wasn't just local) or if the senior leadership really was aware.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: François on March 10, 2012, 11:32:55 AM
I hate that such a thought even comes to mind, but this does seem like a very American thing to do, politically, and that domain has Harper's name all over it. Problem is, if he's directly involved in that sort of thing, he's also smart enough to have planned for plausible deniability from the beginning, or to have fanatical flunkies all too willing to take that bullet for him.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Mongrel on March 10, 2012, 11:58:51 AM
I'd prrrrrobably say yes, only you can never underestimate the ability of his pure raw hatred for LIBERALS to blind his normally cold and calculating logic. I mean, this image would not be an inaccurate characterization of the Prime Minister:

(http://rubbercat.net/artduck/artduck03.gif)

But does anybody really think that the Conservatives aren't behind this anyway? The victims were all non-Conservative voters. Even the hardcore idiots in the National Post crowd seem torn half-and-half in believing it was them or not. Outside of the diehards, pretty well everybody knows it was the Cons. Even if it wasn't really orchestrated by the party, the frame fits too well, you know? Live by the sword and all that.

The only real question is whether it was just some party flacks (it definitely wasn't just local) or if the senior leadership really was aware. If a Minister, member of the PMO, or senior national campaign/party administrator knew, that'll be good enough for it to stick to him.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Büge on March 21, 2012, 02:38:48 PM
http://news.nationalpost.com/2012/03/13/tory-backbencher-wins-bid-for-abortion-related-debate-in-house-of-commons/ (http://news.nationalpost.com/2012/03/13/tory-backbencher-wins-bid-for-abortion-related-debate-in-house-of-commons/)

Homer Simpson Shouts A Bad Word (Original) (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vXuCeZyPfmM#)
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Mongrel on March 21, 2012, 05:49:48 PM
Nahhhh, this is actually a very very good thing.

If Harper decided to actually try and pass legislation, it'll be INSTANT death for him (we may be backsliding US-wards, but by god even King Steve hasn't brought us that low that fast) and any debate will almost automatically reflect horribly on the Cons.

The only way Harper can pull out a win here is if he can somehow get it buried, but arrange it so that it's the opposition that does so. And even then, that's only a win on his side. The Liberals and NDP can still use it as a whipping post.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Mongrel on March 23, 2012, 04:35:13 PM
Well, if there was any doubt left that it was a Conservative behind the Pierre Poutine calls, you can forget it (http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/pierre-poutine-taped-election-call-impersonating-liberals/article2379712/)
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Mongrel on March 26, 2012, 07:44:54 AM
Ontario Superior Court rules that anti-prostitution laws in Canada are unconstitutional and must be struck down. (http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/ontarios-top-court-legalizes-brothels-pimping-in-bid-to-protect-prostitutes/article2381372/)

Ruling states that as of next year it will be legal in Ontario, though effectively only indoors. Of course I fully expect a Supreme Court challenge on this one and a stay of implementation, but the gauntlet has been thrown. If the Supreme Court does uphold the ruling (I can't see them not taking the case), I expect they will do what they did when the provision against same-sex marriage was struck down: Send it back to the legislature to make and vote on a law that is constitutional, so as to give a ruling with significant social impact more legitimacy and head off charges of judicial activism.

Stay tuned for the Harper (and Dalton McGuinty/Tim Hudak) reaction.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Büge on March 26, 2012, 08:09:07 AM
McGuinty will waffle, Hudak will grumble. It is the way of things.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Mongrel on March 26, 2012, 08:12:28 AM
Sounds just about right!
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Mongrel on March 29, 2012, 09:58:04 AM
On the off chance you haven't seen it yet: Elections Canada confirms valid robo-calls elections fraud complaints received from over two-thirds of all ridings, in all 10 provinces. (http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/ottawa-notebook/robo-call-complaints-received-from-about-200-ridings-elections-canada/article2385679/) 

Well now.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Mongrel on April 01, 2012, 07:45:54 PM
I can't say as I ever watch boxing, damned if this wasn't awesomely satisfying and fun.

TRUDEAU VS BRAZEAU - FULL FIGHT - COMBAT COMPLET (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B_HZ3exrEOs#)

It's even better if you watch the weigh-in first, where Brazeau really goes for the big talk.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Joxam on April 01, 2012, 10:00:37 PM
Eh, Amateur boxing is a little bit of a let down. The blue dude tired himself out at the beginning because of how amateur boxing is scored. Basic rookie mistake. You see, unlike in professional boxing amateur boxing is scored by clean hits almost exclusively and not on a round by round basis. So, say in a three round bout you scored 110 clean hits and your opponent scored 98. As long as it goes to the end of the match, you win. Therefor, the standard amateur strat is to get a lot of clean hits at the beginning and then cover up and hang on for the last few rounds. It actually usually works but the dude tired himself out and then the other guy just worked him through the next few rounds....

And then I googled it! :D Man your politicians are a lot cooler than ours!

Nevermind I guess. Still he did make a basic rookie mistake of... exactly what I described. He tired himself out too early and let the other guy work him in the next few rounds.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Mongrel on April 01, 2012, 10:06:02 PM
And then I googled it! :D Man your politicians are a lot cooler than ours!

Some of them anyway!
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: François on April 01, 2012, 10:20:30 PM
can't find much glee in watching the spawn of a douche win a fight, sorry
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Mongrel on April 01, 2012, 11:17:34 PM
YES YES, WE KNOW.

Anyway, I thought it was a neatly well-calculated risk on his part. He played up his status as the underdog (which also gave him an out), only to reel his opponent in by setting up a fight on "his turf", by which I mean, he has actual boxing experience and Brazeau didn't, really.

He's been saying and doing some stupid stuff and this was a good way to pull out a bit of a feel-good recovery. He may not have his father's sinister wit, but this was pretty well planned and executed. I can appreciate that, no matter what side of the fence someone's on.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Büge on April 02, 2012, 04:40:15 AM
can't find much glee in watching the spawn of a douche win a fight, sorry

Hey, c'mon, Trudeau was our JFK.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Mongrel on April 02, 2012, 08:33:21 AM
can't find much glee in watching the spawn of a douche win a fight, sorry

Hey, c'mon, Trudeau was our JFK.

Pssst, Buge

Frank is a Sep-ar-a-tist, remember?
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: François on April 02, 2012, 01:48:16 PM
Yeah, this is about separatism, not about the man's list of glorious deeds from kicking a harmless comic in the nuts to suspending the civil rights of an entire province and throwing who knows how many artists and intellectuals and other random innocents in jail on account of ten god damned morons.

I think JFK deserves a lot better than this comparison.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Mongrel on April 02, 2012, 02:01:57 PM
Oh there's any number of excellent reasons to hate Trudeau if you want to. But when I look at the other offerings he looks pretty damn good. Take our current Prime Minister (please!).

I think JFK deserves a lot better than this comparison.

I dunno, I think JFK just had better advertising.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: François on April 02, 2012, 02:58:54 PM
He got a couple things right, and in some regards the country is a better place for his having run it. But calling him merely a douche is still far more kindness than he deserves.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Mongrel on April 12, 2012, 04:24:11 PM
News Item: Language tests to be done for immigrants applying as low skilled workers.

(http://beta.images.theglobeandmail.com/archive/01394/web-Friedcar13c_1394969cl-8.jpg)
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Büge on April 18, 2012, 06:06:33 AM
http://ca.news.yahoo.com/sun-news-network-turns-old-continues-spark-controversy-080008845.html (http://ca.news.yahoo.com/sun-news-network-turns-old-continues-spark-controversy-080008845.html)

Oh yeah. I forgot we had a Fox News up here.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Mongrel on April 23, 2012, 08:29:06 PM
Well, well, well, looks like a critical mass of non-lunatic Albertans came out of the woodwork. How about that?
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Büge on April 24, 2012, 08:19:31 AM
They still voted Conservative.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Mongrel on April 24, 2012, 08:51:27 AM
The Alberta PCs are basically a liberal party now in that they are really just centrist. They even want to raise taxes and spending this go-around.

Harper's buddies were actually supporting the Wildrose party and not the PCs. In fact that crew derides the Alberta PCs as "Clarkies" (as in Joe Clark).

I'm not saying the Alberta PCs aren't Conservatives, but they're at least Conservatives I could vote for.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Mongrel on April 27, 2012, 10:35:05 AM
If the government itself triggers Godwin's Law, does that mean we get to ask for an immediate election? (http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/ottawa-notebook/why-is-harpers-team-invoking-hitler-to-debate-new-democrats/article2416122/)
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: François on April 27, 2012, 11:33:31 AM
man can the student riots in montréal just trigger somehow immediate secession or something already

the words "québec spring" are silly but anything to get us away from the country that voted for this party
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Mongrel on April 27, 2012, 02:46:25 PM
Don't blame me, I voted for Kodos.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Mongrel on May 04, 2012, 04:43:41 PM
(http://beta.images.theglobeandmail.com/archive/01402/web-satedcar05c_1402774cl-8.jpg)
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Thad on May 17, 2012, 10:36:11 AM
Canada's warrantless surveillance bill is, improbably, dead (http://boingboing.net/2012/05/16/canadas-warrantless-surveill.html)

Quote from: Doctorow
Remember Canada's Bill C-30, the sweeping surveillance bill proposed by Public Safety Minister Vic Toews, who declared that if you opposed unlimited, unaccountable, secret warrantless snooping on networked communications by the police and by appointed civilians, you "stand with the child pornographers?" The bill that was a sure thing to pass, given the Conservative majority in Parliament and its total commitment to the bill?

It's dead.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Mongrel on May 17, 2012, 11:00:32 AM
It died because there was no real segment of society in favour of it. Even the Conservative base hated it.

Which goes to show that our Libertarian/Conservative yahoos may be yahoos, but are at least capable of understanding a basic sentence like "This would allow the government to spy on everything you do on the internet if they want".
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Büge on May 17, 2012, 11:02:29 AM
It will surely be back.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Mongrel on May 17, 2012, 11:05:37 AM
Well that depends.

What we don't know is if this was a Vic Toews Pet Project that Harper simply got behind, in which case it really is dead, or if Harper was actually a driving force behind it, which may mean it could be reintroduced in a different form in future.

In the latter case, it may still be dead, because while Harper has overreached in the past, he's been pretty adept at cannily pulling back when he knows the idea would kill him with the electorate. Pushing his Conservative agenda may be his dearest dream, but his own survival has always taken precedence.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Büge on May 17, 2012, 02:15:20 PM
Pushing his Conservative agenda may be his dearest dream, but his own survival has always taken precedence.

Can this be exploited?
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Mongrel on May 17, 2012, 02:36:42 PM
Only if the electorate can be persuaded to dislike the Conservatives.

The main problem there is that their biggest threat so far has been self-defeat.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Mongrel on May 24, 2012, 05:12:43 PM
Quote
Canada has had three major riots in two years, almost daily riots since February and the United Nations has two different investigations monitoring Canada's treatment of its poor, aboriginals, and blacks. Your manufacturing sector is a basket case, none of your universities rank in the world's top 20, your largest technology company is on the verge of collapse and you are unable to protect yourselves, relying on the U.S. to do it.

You've convinced yourselves you're the most virtuous people on earth but you're no prize. Everything you are you owe to things you find in the ground or growing on it and the fact that you are a short walk from the largest economy in the world.


From a rather salty American commentator. Sorry, don't have the source.

I can think of contradictions and reasonable counterpoints, but you gotta admit... Things are kind of going the way this sentiment says, aren't they?
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Brentai on May 24, 2012, 05:55:08 PM
Oh hey I walked into this thread accidentally.

It's amusing that that comment can just as easily apply to the U.S., including all the parts about over-reliance on the U.S.  Well, except the part about universities, which is fairly nonspecific and McGill is #17 on the U.S. News ranking.  And the U.N. investigation of our treatment of Native Americans hasn't actually started yet.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: François on May 24, 2012, 05:56:26 PM
Quote from: Pot
Kettle has had three major riots in two years, almost daily riots since February and the United Utensils has two different investigations monitoring Kettle's treatment of its poor, aboriginals, and blacks. Your manufacturing sector is a basket case, none of your universities rank in the world's top 20, your largest technology company is on the verge of collapse and you are unable to protect yourselves, relying on the Pot to do it.

You've convinced yourselves you're the most virtuous people on earth but you're no prize. Everything you are you owe to things you find in the ground or growing on it and the fact that you are a short walk from the largest economy in the world.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: James Edward Smith on May 24, 2012, 06:20:20 PM
What are the daily riots?
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Büge on May 24, 2012, 06:38:56 PM
What are the daily riots?

A comedy newspaper, I presume.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Mongrel on May 24, 2012, 07:15:42 PM
@ Brent and Zed: Yeah, but "Ha ha, the US is even WORSE OFF!" is not what I'd call much of a consolation.

I mean the post is mostly just a bunch of overblown claptrap, but it sure does feel like we've decided to race for the bottom. It's not even something you can entirely lay at Harper's feet - there's entirely too much acceptance for most of his plan. This is reinforced by the few times things a public outcry DID kill something stupid, like the surveillance bill, or the abortion issue as an undead bogeyman rather than a live issue, which show it CAN be done. That's just the way things are going.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Mongrel on May 24, 2012, 07:19:53 PM
What are the daily riots?

A comedy newspaper, I presume.

I gather the writer meant the Quebec protests.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: François on May 24, 2012, 08:01:54 PM
Yeah, the student protests here for sure. Charest's a shitbag but what else is new. I'm simultaneously surprised and not surprised at how they don't seem to be common knowledge outside of Québec.

I mean the post is mostly just a bunch of overblown claptrap, but it sure does feel like we've decided to race for the bottom.

I'm not going to pretend everything is rosy in La Belle Province and that separation would solve everything, but given my usual political inclinations I'm not going to be difficult to convince that Canada is heading to a horrible place.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Mongrel on May 24, 2012, 08:31:42 PM
[Calgarian asshole]See how you like it with no Equalization payments![/Calgarian asshole]

Hmmmm, I could probably remove the word "asshole", actually.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: François on May 24, 2012, 08:43:36 PM
Eh, we'd manage eventually. Though it may be even harder than I expect with the way Charest is hell-bent on basically giving away every last natural resource we have to foreign interests. I'm almost convinced the man is intentionally crippling us so we'll never split.

EDIT: Also, all the equalization payments in the world aren't worth having the words "fetus rights" uttered in Parliament ever again.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Mongrel on May 24, 2012, 10:00:43 PM
Well, that wasn't an actual argument (hence the tags).

Also, if the rumbling is to be believed, one current suspicion is that Harper's about to argue for blowing up equalization. Not just because he wants revenge on Quebec, but also to give Ontario a big fuck-you.

Because if there's one thing you can always count on, it's an Ontarian's apathy in the face of government abuse.

Harper can't completely eliminate the program since it's constitutional, but the formula's subject to such jiggery-pokery he could functionally gut it (boy is he ever on a roll for pissing off Atlantic Canada... for EI then - maybe - equalization).
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Mongrel on May 29, 2012, 06:23:53 PM
For those of you who have not seen this afternoon's breaking news: Someone is leaving packages with actual human body parts at the Conservative headquarters in Ottawa (http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/ottawa-notebook/second-package-containing-body-part-found-near-tory-headquarters/article2446647/)

What the fuck.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Mongrel on May 31, 2012, 02:15:40 PM
(http://i.imgur.com/6iihX.jpg)
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Mongrel on June 11, 2012, 01:22:47 PM
So there's some noise about the budget omnibus bill because it's basically the Harpo clowns ramming through a giant pile of legislation with no scrutiny at all.

This in and of itself is not that crazy. In fact a series of jokes is based on just quoting Harper's complaints about the Liberals doing the same thing verbatim. But it's certainly a much more egregious example of such a bill.

I've been reading about it pretty frequently and though I had something of a handle on all the little "surprises" they were trying to bury in it. Boy was I wrong.

Today, in another article on the Bill (http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/ottawa-notebook/ndp-accuses-tories-of-contempt-over-refusal-to-detail-budget-cuts/article4248058/), the Globe mentions that the bill "would allow American enforcement agents to arrest Canadian citizens on Canadian soil.".

Not only is this the first I've seen of this anywhere, they mention this totally in passing, with no elaboration whatsoever.

A quick search shows additional information in just one article (http://ca.news.yahoo.com/blogs/canada-politics/rcmp-ease-canadians-idea-u-agents-canada-201905380.html). That article is vague enough (well, it IS Yahoo) that it is not particularly reassuring.

Man, I don't know that this kind of bullshit will matter in the end, since Canadians seem like they'll stand for just about anything. But Jesus Tittyfucking Christ, at this rate it wouldn't surprise me if we woke up next week to hear press-gangs were legal again. And the press seems to have ENTIRELY missed/ignored what would be a big paper seller/ratings booster.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Büge on June 11, 2012, 01:43:32 PM
Maybe there's a legislative cause allowing the proscription of journalists that report negatively on matters of the state.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Mongrel on June 11, 2012, 01:44:49 PM
If there is, it's probably buried in that omnibus bill.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Thad on June 12, 2012, 09:15:38 AM
Doctorow (http://boingboing.net/2012/06/08/canadas-warrantless-surveill-2.html) mentioned giving jurisdiction to US law enforcement in the context of the not-dead-yet warrantless surveillance bill, but I hadn't heard of it being added to the budget.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Büge on June 19, 2012, 08:13:00 AM
If you work for Parks Canada you can't criticize the federal government (http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-scotia/story/2012/06/14/ns-parks-canada-letter-warning.html).
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: François on June 19, 2012, 09:00:00 AM
Wonder how long it'll be before the CBC gets that letter.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Büge on June 19, 2012, 10:13:55 AM
Omnibus Bill passes (http://www.canada.com/health/primer+Harper+government+omnibus+budget+bill/6765412/story.html)

 :tldr: Harper just handed the care of the environment over to Big Business.

Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Mongrel on June 19, 2012, 12:41:59 PM
We haven't truly given a shit about the environment for over fifteen years, if not longer.

In fact the most environmentally forward-thinking Prime Minister we ever has was Brian Mulroney.

Why start now?
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Mongrel on June 21, 2012, 03:35:44 PM
If this doesn't render the robocalls investigation totally ineffectual, I will be very surprised (http://www.theprovince.com/news/Elections+Canada+commissioner+William+Corbett+quits+surprise+move/6819655/story.html)

FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCKITTY FUCK.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Mongrel on July 01, 2012, 04:28:22 PM
It's pretty amusing to me that it's Canada Day, but everywhere I look the flags are Spanish.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: François on July 01, 2012, 05:14:45 PM
Meh, even if they had lost they still would have more reasons to celebrate than we do.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: James Edward Smith on July 01, 2012, 11:30:23 PM
Well, I still like Canada.

I saw the fireworks and the people leaving capital hill today while helping my buddy Rich move to an appartment two blocks closer to capital hill than the one he used to live in. He lives on this street Metcalfe that runs north into parliment hill.

Jets flew around all day.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: NexAdruin on July 09, 2012, 07:36:50 PM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A4AHuy8eybY&feature=player_embedded (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A4AHuy8eybY&feature=player_embedded)

Not sure if this belongs here or in WTF
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Mongrel on July 09, 2012, 08:25:16 PM
I love how the cop is putting everything he has into not losing it.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Büge on August 16, 2012, 10:16:01 AM
http://ca.news.yahoo.com/blogs/dailybrew/severed-head-foot-discovered-near-credit-river-west-165921583.html (http://ca.news.yahoo.com/blogs/dailybrew/severed-head-foot-discovered-near-credit-river-west-165921583.html)

Quote
"We're definitely leaning towards that, that this is foul play," said Cowan.
"There's definitely something amiss."

Quote of the day right here.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Mongrel on August 16, 2012, 10:32:17 AM
At this point, the international perception of Canada must be like some kind of out of control lunatic asylum with daily dismemberment and beheadings.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Classic on August 16, 2012, 11:20:44 AM
We also believe that Mike Sera lives there.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BitByGeWGxU (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BitByGeWGxU)
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Mongrel on August 27, 2012, 12:13:04 PM
Rob Ford possibly to be turfed from office for conflict of interest. (http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/toronto/documents-hint-at-mayor-rob-fords-defence-in-conflict-of-interest-case/article4500451/)

I doubt it'll happen, but oh man, the quotes.

Quote
Clayton Ruby, the high-profile lawyer who will grill the mayor, will be arguing that Mr. Ford, a 12-year veteran of city council, knew he should have recused himself from the debate and vote. The rules are right there in the council handbook, Mr. Ruby suggests at the start of the June 28 cross-examination. Mr. Ford says repeatedly he cannot recall ever receiving or reading a handbook.

“Do you have any memory of the handbook?” Mr. Ruby asks.

“I just answered that question,” Mr. Ford replies.

“You said, ‘I have a memory in my mind.’ What is it you have in your mind?”

“I can remember what I ate for breakfast this morning.”

LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, OUR MAYOR.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Mongrel on August 30, 2012, 03:38:42 PM
Folks, it doesn't really get any more Canadian than this: $30 Million Maple Syrup heist (http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/police-probing-quebec-maple-syrup-heist-worth-up-to-30-million/article4510740/)

Yes, there really is global strategic maple syrup reserve.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Mongrel on August 30, 2012, 03:54:56 PM
At this point, the international perception of Canada must be like some kind of out of control lunatic asylum with daily dismemberments and beheadings.
Okay, this is getting out of hand. (http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/womans-torso-found-in-niagara-river-near-rainbow-bridge/article4510814/)

So is there going to be like one gruesome dismemberment killilng per month now? What the hell are they putting in the water?
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: François on August 30, 2012, 04:57:22 PM
Women's torsos, duh.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: François on September 04, 2012, 05:52:18 PM
omg charest is getting trounced by a thousand votes in his own district

is this what an election boner is like

1300 now

:glee: :glee: :glee:

We're probably looking at a Parti Québécois minority government. I voted Québec Solidaire myself (they're still for independance but are much more to the left than the PQ), but the big two I didn't want to see end up first probably won't, so I'm alright with it.

1400  :kowhyee:

EDIT: 1600!
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Mongrel on September 04, 2012, 07:14:27 PM
Yeah, I figured the PQ was in for sure. Minority government should prevent any of the most absurd shenanigans (I have respected several previous PQ leaders... Marois not in the least).

Charest was done like dinner. Anybody paying even the slightest attention knew that people were just fed to the back teeth with the LPQ's nigh-ridiculous corruption levels.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: François on September 04, 2012, 07:40:12 PM
Marois is a big part of why I didn't go PQ this time, I didn't like a lot of what she had a hand in back when they were in power. Legault was kind of the opposite. I liked him back then, but in this campaign he took a giant crap on youth and the student movement and that turned me right the hell off.

I hope Charest ends up stepping down; he didn't really mention anything in that regard in his speech tonight. But it's mostly because I'd like to see the PLQ as an adversary I can respect and understand, rather than the almost cartoonishly rotten organization it had become under his rule. ("I know this government contractor gave me tickets to Céline Dion, but how could I refuse? It was Céline Dion!") I know it's not sensible to put all the blame on him, but he so bumbled through the creation of the Charbonneau commission that by all appearance if he's not dirty himself he's protecting someone who is.

As for Québec Solidaire, they had one elect, and now they have two. Welp, good enough for now I suppose.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Mongrel on September 04, 2012, 08:03:08 PM
How did your riding go? PQ? I know you're somewhere in la rive-sûd, but damned if I can remember the manure-scented town... I keep thinking it was Saint-Rémi, but I don't think that's right.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: François on September 04, 2012, 08:15:36 PM
Saint-Hyacinthe. We're pretty much owned by the PQ at this point. Of course we did pick the NDP gal last federal election so I dared hope we were getting ready to shift to the left a bit, but QS ended fourth, just behind the Liberal.

...holy crap, Marois' speech was interrupted by a crazy fucker (http://www.radio-canada.ca/sujet/elections-quebec-2012/2012/09/05/001-pauline-discours-interrompu.shtml). There's a photo of a man with what appears to be an assault rifle, something was set on fire, the room was evacuated momentarily, and two people were hurt. Christ almighty.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Mongrel on September 04, 2012, 09:33:38 PM
I dunno, looks like your riding almost went for the Cock-Flavoured Soup Mix.

Annnnd of course it's a crazy-ass anglo behind the shooting. Well, I'm sure that'll end well.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Mongrel on September 05, 2012, 09:44:00 AM
Rob Ford, on trial, live text feed (http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/toronto/toronto-mayor-rob-fords-day-in-court/article4519998/)

I don't think I can ever recall seeing a politician seem so utterly, hopelessly out of his league. You know how people say things like "It almost makes me feel sorry for him.". Well, this actually does make me feel sorry for him.

Usually, shitty politicos in this type of situation are more like cornered rats, even if their excuses aren't much better than Ford's. But this is a very special case: The man is quite literally too stupid to understand what is happening to him.

And he's our Mayor. Ladies and gentlemen, I give you the citizens of Toronto.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Mongrel on September 05, 2012, 04:12:33 PM
Suitcase full of body parts found in lake Ontario. (http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/toronto/human-remains-found-in-lake-ontario-off-toronto-shore/article4521641/)

Oh come on! What the hell is going ON here?!?
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: François on September 05, 2012, 04:21:04 PM
Quote
'This is just my personal interest, it does not benefit the city in any way' -- Mayor Ford on why he was not in conflict.
Quote
Ford's stated reasons for ignoring warnings include: Being sure he was right; being political enemies with the people doing the warning.
Quote
Ruby: "Did you understand the words as you were speaking them?" Ford: "No."

Wow.

Oh wow.

I... uh.

Huh.

Suitcase full of body parts found in lake Ontario. (http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/toronto/human-remains-found-in-lake-ontario-off-toronto-shore/article4521641/)

Oh come on! What the hell is going ON here?!?

Dang, with any luck this is the same killer as the last one.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Mongrel on September 05, 2012, 04:34:51 PM
Quote
'This is just my personal interest, it does not benefit the city in any way' -- Mayor Ford on why he was not in conflict.
Quote
Ford's stated reasons for ignoring warnings include: Being sure he was right; being political enemies with the people doing the warning.
Quote
Ruby: "Did you understand the words as you were speaking them?" Ford: "No."

Wow.

Oh wow.

I... uh.

Huh.


Yeah, that whole transcript is just amazing. I was just coming to post the bit about "Did you understand the words as you were speaking them?" Ford: "No."

Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Brentai on September 05, 2012, 05:50:54 PM
Do you understand the words that are coming out of your mouth???
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Mongrel on September 06, 2012, 08:27:38 AM
Today's Ford feed (http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/toronto/live-now-updates-from-rob-ford-conflict-of-interest-case/article4523067/)

Nothing especially amazing yet, other than "Mayor Ford: A man too stupid to play dumb".
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Büge on September 07, 2012, 06:24:22 AM
Welp, Canada closed its embassy in Iran (http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/story/2012/09/07/pol-baird-canada-iran-embassy.html).
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Büge on September 26, 2012, 07:03:46 AM
http://ca.news.yahoo.com/justin-trudeau-announce-run-liberal-leadership-montreals-la-120642180.html (http://ca.news.yahoo.com/justin-trudeau-announce-run-liberal-leadership-montreals-la-120642180.html)

So, they finally wore him down.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Mongrel on September 26, 2012, 07:37:18 AM
He's got some big strengths and he's got big weaknesses. But who else have they got, really?
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Mongrel on October 15, 2012, 03:45:58 PM
Wow... Dalton McGuinty just resigned with no warning.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Büge on October 15, 2012, 04:20:06 PM
what
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Büge on October 24, 2012, 11:49:25 AM
http://ca.news.yahoo.com/blogs/dailybrew/stephen-harper-crashes-ottawa-wedding-photo-session-164604502.html (http://ca.news.yahoo.com/blogs/dailybrew/stephen-harper-crashes-ottawa-wedding-photo-session-164604502.html)

No, see, what Obama did was classy. This stinks of opportunism.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Friday on October 24, 2012, 12:21:30 PM
Soon, a new class of politician emerged: The Wedding Chaser.

Slinking through shadows, chasing "just married" cars. These hungry, opportunistic men began to stalk unsuspecting newlyweds, not just to their weddings, but to the honeymoon after. Emerging from hot tubs, private beaches, from under heart shaped beds. The photo ops were brief and vicious. A blinding flash of camera. A swift and brutal pat on the back. A wolfish smile. A few quick murmured words, more noise than language. And then they were gone, off to seek new prey.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: François on October 24, 2012, 12:35:40 PM
I'd chase him off. I'd literally run after him to put my shoe up his ass until he made it all the way back to his limo. Let's see his goons stop me. "Bodyguards beat up groom after bizarre PM attempt to ruin wedding photo", how's that for PR, Steve.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Büge on November 05, 2012, 06:15:39 PM
http://news.nationalpost.com/2012/11/04/ttcs-reputation-damaged-after-buses-rerouted-for-high-school-football-team-ceo/ (http://news.nationalpost.com/2012/11/04/ttcs-reputation-damaged-after-buses-rerouted-for-high-school-football-team-ceo/)

So you remember Rob Ford's football team? Apparently they got into a fight and then the police made a TTC bus leave its passengers behind so it could pick them up.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Büge on November 12, 2012, 04:07:42 PM
To the surprise of no one, Stephen Harper is one of the least-trusted leaders in this hemisphere. (http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/harper-among-least-trusted-leaders-poll-shows/article5187774/)
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Büge on November 19, 2012, 02:38:37 PM
http://ca.news.yahoo.com/blogs/dailybrew/walmart-quebec-court-over-bilingual-signs-184246273.html (http://ca.news.yahoo.com/blogs/dailybrew/walmart-quebec-court-over-bilingual-signs-184246273.html)

Sacré bleu!
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: François on November 19, 2012, 08:10:39 PM
I don't have a very strong opinion regarding that law either way, but I must admit a positive bias towards anything that pisses off Wal-Mart.

From the comments:
Quote
If I was the owner of Walmart, Costco or the Gap, I would close down every single store in that province.

Could you? Please please please please please avec une cerise dessus! :cake:
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Mongrel on November 19, 2012, 09:31:08 PM
An amusing tid-bit from a sideshow to the ongoing construction/government corruption inquiries in Quebec:

(http://beta.images.theglobeandmail.com/357/globe-drive/new-cars/auto-news/article5439606.ece/ALTERNATES/w620/SBK101-BRITE+Middle+of+the.JPG)
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Büge on November 19, 2012, 09:41:32 PM
how does that even
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: François on November 19, 2012, 09:41:44 PM
"But we nailed a stripy sign to it! If they run into it anyway it's their own damn fault!"
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Mongrel on November 19, 2012, 09:45:16 PM
The best part (other than the picture itself) was this one guy in the comments who's all like "This is an obvious photoshop! Another example of horribly biased journalism!"
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: François on November 20, 2012, 05:28:28 AM
I'm listening to the radio right now, and the crew of the morning news program at 98,5fm is trying to find out what the hell happened on that road. Apparently, it's the handiwork of a private company called DJL Constructions. They blame Hydro-Québec for not showing up on time. And HQ are blaming DJL for not waiting for them. Or vice versa, even that much is not clear.

In other words, situation normal, all fucked up. We can't even blame that one on the mafia. It's just idiots being idiots.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: François on November 20, 2012, 06:59:34 AM
Oh my God.

Same radio show as last post.

A man calls in. He works for a pavement company. Last year they were redoing a stretch of road in the Lanaudière region. The day they were to start, just before they could strip off the old pavement, a crew from the Ministère des Transports arrived on the scene. They were there to paint the lines.

They painted the lines on seven kilometers of old pavement. The next day they allowed the pavement crew back, who then proceeded to remove the old pavement and replace it. When that was done, the MdT people came back to paint the lines again.

:isweird:
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Mongrel on November 26, 2012, 07:21:51 AM
The court ruling on Rob Ford's incredibly stupid conflict-of-interest case is coming down this morning (not to be confused with the various other lawsuits and court cases he is currently embroiled in!).

While waiting for the ruling, I have just discovered the greatest thing: http://twitter.com/HULKMAYOR (http://twitter.com/HULKMAYOR)
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Mongrel on November 26, 2012, 07:34:04 AM
Holy shit, he's out on his ass!

THINGS ARE ABOUT TO GET INTERESTING.

Various links:
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/toronto/coverage-of-toronto-mayor-rob-fords-conflict-of-interest-ruling/article5661264/ (http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/toronto/coverage-of-toronto-mayor-rob-fords-conflict-of-interest-ruling/article5661264/)
http://www.thestar.com/news/gta/article/1293190--mayor-rob-ford-guilty-kicked-from-office-but-can-run-again (http://www.thestar.com/news/gta/article/1293190--mayor-rob-ford-guilty-kicked-from-office-but-can-run-again)
http://news.nationalpost.com/2012/11/26/rob-ford-out-as-toronto-mayor-over-conflict-of-interest-case/ (http://news.nationalpost.com/2012/11/26/rob-ford-out-as-toronto-mayor-over-conflict-of-interest-case/)
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Büge on November 26, 2012, 09:10:14 AM
Quote
Ford himself went into the trial saying he did nothing wrong. During the grilling by Ruby, he allowed that, if he had been advised that voting on the matter could land him in court, he wouldn’t have voted.

That's the kind of schoolyard bullcrap excuse I'd expect from a ten-year-old getting caught stealing. How'd this bunghole get to be mayor, again?
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Mongrel on November 26, 2012, 10:13:30 AM
We voted for him. ::(:

(Well I didn't vote for Kang Ford, but as a voter and citizen I feel responsible)
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Mongrel on November 26, 2012, 10:15:51 AM
BWAHAHAHAHA

http://toronto.en.craigslist.ca/tor/cto/3435527958.html (http://toronto.en.craigslist.ca/tor/cto/3435527958.html)
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Thad on November 26, 2012, 11:06:49 AM
BWAHAHAHAHA

http://toronto.en.craigslist.ca/tor/cto/3435527958.html (http://toronto.en.craigslist.ca/tor/cto/3435527958.html)

Quote
This posting has been flagged for removal. [?]
(The title on the listings page will be removed in just a few minutes.)

I think it's time for another round of everyone telling me how stupid I am for suggesting it would be beneficial for people to describe the thing they are linking.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Classic on November 26, 2012, 11:11:24 AM
If you want to make clicking on the link a surprise, use spoiler tags.

EDIT:
Removed "fucking" from the above. I am just in a fucking sweary mood today and I am so fucking sorry for swearing randomly. Shit.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Mongrel on November 26, 2012, 12:42:42 PM
BWAHAHAHAHA

http://toronto.en.craigslist.ca/tor/cto/3435527958.html (http://toronto.en.craigslist.ca/tor/cto/3435527958.html)

Quote
This posting has been flagged for removal. [?]
(The title on the listings page will be removed in just a few minutes.)

I think it's time for another round of everyone telling me how stupid I am for suggesting it would be beneficial for people to describe the thing they are linking.

Dammit, that was fast. Fortunately the text is still available thanks to INTERNETS:

Quote
“USED FORD FOR SALE — $1“:

One slightly used Ford for sale.
White with red trim.
Purchased for the demolition of the City of Toronto.
Low mileage.
Ideal for hauling football equipment or towing your gravy train.

Note: Air conditioning is broken, only blows hot air.

It also appears the news has even made its way to Iceland: http://www.mbl.is/frettir/erlent/2012/11/26/gert_ad_haetta_sem_borgarstjori/ (http://www.mbl.is/frettir/erlent/2012/11/26/gert_ad_haetta_sem_borgarstjori/)

@ Classic:  :fuckyou:
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: François on December 02, 2012, 06:06:03 PM
I've said before I was not a fan of Justin Trudeau. But somewhere, I was thinking, maybe I'm being unfair to the guy, maybe I shouldn't think the sins of the father would have rubbed off, I should be more intellectually honest and wait to see what he has to say.

Trudeau calls long-gun registry 'a failure'
Having a firearm is an 'important facet of Canadian identity,' Liberal leadership hopeful says (http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/story/2012/12/01/pol-the-house-justin-trudeau-long-gun-registry.html)

nopenopenopenopeNOPE

immediately file under GOD DAMNED JACKASS forever

:done:
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Mongrel on December 02, 2012, 06:16:16 PM
Eh. That just seems like a minor vote-gambit. Which particular aspect of that statement bugs you the most?
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: François on December 02, 2012, 06:20:06 PM
Having a firearm being an important facet of Canadian indentity. We do not need that bullshit north of the border. I know a growing amount of people seem to think that way, but to encourage them like that? He doesn't even have the excuse of being a Conservative. He can just go choke on a rubber dick.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Mongrel on December 03, 2012, 12:13:40 AM
Well, the difference here is that it's not being advocated as some kind of god-given right sent on down from the mountaintop on graven tablets (THAT would be American). He's just pointing out that yeah plenty of Canadians do in fact use guns regularly "Yeah, I need to use a gun, I like using guns, and my family has used guns for a long time." and that Canada, being a rural country for the bulk of its existence has a higher proportion of such people than say, The Netherlands. Or Monaco.

I have too many prairie-province relatives to dismiss gun ownership as "Un-Canadian". Nor did I ever really think the registry was that great of a thing in the first place. The only reason I even thought it was OKAY, was because the cops said it was useful (but then, cops will ALWAYS say that about stuff like this) and because the unwillingness to register just seemed more like rifle-owners being really whiny (awwww I don't WANNA). It's not like there was any actual restriction placed on gun owners aside from the registration being recorded somewhere.

I don't think you're going to like Justin regardless, so this is hardly an attempt on my part to defend him.

Maybe it's because I live in Ontario, where the only thing that ever happens is someone gets elected to destroy whatever it was the last guy did and then one day you wake up and nobody has done anything for you at any level of government in thirty years. So maybe gun control is a good point or a bad point, but damned if I'm not okay with someone not wanting to waste their time trying to re-fight the battles over relatively minor stuff which have already been lost.

And I'll be double-damned if I'm not happy to see someone who actually has a ghost of a chance of unseating Stephen Harper.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: François on December 03, 2012, 02:10:48 AM
I wouldn't dismiss gun ownership as un-Canadian either, that's almost as bad. I don't have anything against hunters and farmers and such who do what they gotta do and do it safely. But tying firearms to national identity in any way just makes the bile rise in the back of my throat. He may not entirely believe it in that way himself, but a lot of the people who hear these words are going to think "beavers, lumberjack, maple syrup, good old Prairie wheat, oil and guns, yeehaw!", and he'll have to answer to them if they give him his vote.

And I'll be double-damned if I'm not happy to see someone who actually has a ghost of a chance of unseating Stephen Harper.

That reminds me of that time oh so long ago when I wanted anyone to beat Paul Martin. Of course the circumstances were different, at that time anyone could beat Paul Martin. But still. Chat échaudé craint l'eau froide!
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Mongrel on December 03, 2012, 10:29:00 AM
he'll have to answer to them if they give him his vote.


I think you may have forgotten where we live.

Quote
That reminds me of that time oh so long ago when I wanted anyone to beat Paul Martin. Of course the circumstances were different, at that time anyone could beat Paul Martin. But still. Chat échaudé craint l'eau froide!

I actually quite like Paul Martin and really didn't want Harper near anything breakable even back then (I'd have actually MUCH rather have had Preston Manning than Harper!). Eh...

Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: François on December 03, 2012, 01:20:33 PM
The idea that he's probably lying to them to get their support is almost immaterial. We are at a point where a guy whose next career move is trying to become the leader of the Liberal party feels like one of the required steps on the way there is to get to know what the butt of the gun lobby tastes like. (Surprise! It tastes like Steven Harper's tongue!) Maybe that's shrewd of him and it'll work, I don't care. I may have filed him under "gd jackass", but it's not like he doesn't have company in there. I didn't make a new folder specially for him, he's just going to fit right in with all the other gd jackasses.

I may want my province to leave this country, but even I will admit there are pretty rad things about Canadian identity, which softens the blow of being forced to stick around. It just... feels like these rad things are getting chipped away faster and faster. And that's actively horrifying.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Mongrel on December 12, 2012, 07:43:34 PM
Ottawa actually scraps F-35 purchase (http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/ottawa-officially-scraps-f-35-purchase-as-audit-pegs-f-35-costs-at-45-billion/article6260601/)

Haha... hoh wow! When they made the $40 billion announcement, that was a pretty strong indicator, but still, it's really neat to see this actually come to pass.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Mongrel on December 14, 2012, 01:45:43 PM
Man, this Charbonneau Commission stuff... I just want to know if there is a mayor anywhere in Quebec who isn't going to be arrested within the next year.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: François on December 14, 2012, 03:16:59 PM
Hilariously enough, the Commission really doesn't have a whole lot to do with it, the timing is coincidental. That judge barely has the power to compel witnesses to show up, much less actually have anyone arrested. In fact, anything anyone says in there can't be used against them in court, though they may be prosecuted if other evidence comes up.

The couple mayors who got arrested, in Mascouche* and today in Saint-Rémi, and the one in Laval who had a bunch of his properties raided, that's the work of the Unité Permanente Anti-Corruption and the Sûreté du Québec's Opération Gravier; as far as I can tell these are the people who are getting stuff done. I wouldn't be surprised to see them here in Saint-Hyacinthe, I hear a lot of land has been changing hands for not a lot of money lately.

*: My brother's girlfriend lives in Mascouche. Just behind her apartment building there used to be a large, beautiful park. Mayor had it sold for peanuts and now it's just a bunch of condominiums.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Mongrel on December 14, 2012, 06:49:03 PM
Yeah, I sort-of gathered that the anti-corruption campaign is more a parallel thing than actually linked, but I really couldn't think of anything better to call it. Other than maybe TdCMQ (Tabernac de Corruption Municipale Québecois). Though Tabernak isn't really the best word there. Hmmm, what word's a good French stand-in for "Clusterfuck".

Wait, never mind, I've got a better name: Public-Private "Partnerships". :whoops:
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Mongrel on December 28, 2012, 07:29:37 PM
If you've ever thought of going into the witness protection program in Canada... don't. (http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/horror-stories-of-canadas-witness-protection-program-show-reform-cant-come-soon-enough/article6795257/?page=1)
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Mongrel on January 01, 2013, 05:58:33 PM
EDIT: Wrong thread.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: on January 01, 2013, 06:23:20 PM
Okay, fair warning, I'm posting a link on the internets and oh god how do you do this oh god what do I press MARTHA COME IN I BROKE THE THING

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/12/28/potential-prostitutes-site_n_2376329.html (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/12/28/potential-prostitutes-site_n_2376329.html)
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Büge on January 01, 2013, 06:45:33 PM
That's the third such site I've heard of in the last few months with a similar M.O. only this one seems to be a protection racket rather than straight extortion.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Mongrel on January 01, 2013, 06:50:29 PM
Also I posted it in completely the wrong thread! I meant to put this in WTF!

Stand by...
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Mazian on January 19, 2013, 06:05:12 PM
The new Canadian $20/50/100 bills: secretly Norwegian??? (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-21093230)
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Mongrel on January 19, 2013, 06:56:36 PM
Yeah, that's been good for some laughs.

My favourite thing about the new $20 is how angry the Queen looks on it. WE ARE NOT AMUSED!
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Mongrel on January 21, 2013, 12:57:08 PM
The RCMP did a dog-training exercise with real explosives (albeit ones with no trigger attached) and accidentally left them on the plane. (http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/british-columbia/explosive-was-forgotten-on-air-canada-plane-in-2011-training-exercise/article7587216/)

Best part was the disposal. Holy fuck, good thing they weren't heat-sensitive.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Mongrel on February 11, 2013, 07:11:02 PM
Bill C-30 (that warrantless internet surveillance bill) will not be reintroduced (http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/harper-government-kills-controversial-internet-surveillance-bill/article8456096/)
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: François on February 11, 2013, 10:12:41 PM
Huh, so this is my "pleasantly surprised at the process of government" face. Man I didn't even remember I had one of those.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Mongrel on February 28, 2013, 12:33:01 PM
The man behind our Prime Minister's rise to power is okay with this whole "child porn" thing and also admits he's on the NAMBLA mailing list. (http://www.thestar.com/news/canada/2013/02/28/former_adviser_to_harper_tom_flanagan_ok_with_viewing_child_porn.html)

OKAY BUDDY.

I know that "So and so is involved in child porn" is the ultimate smear and I also know that sometimes people can reference stuff in ways that gets taken out of context, but this seems like it's actually as described on the label.

Not that the Harpercon team wasn't already creep city. 
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Büge on February 28, 2013, 01:53:26 PM
Wow, that beats out the story I was going to post: Rob Ford is still mailing out solicitations to lobbyists for his football foundation. (http://www.thestar.com/news/city_hall/2013/02/28/mayor_rob_ford_soliciting_football_foundation_donations_from_lobbyists_likely_to_spur_complaint.html)
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Mongrel on February 28, 2013, 02:47:03 PM
Man, I just realized something. Tom Flanagan's NAMBLA fuckup means we are never going to hear from Vic Toews again.

Ahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahah!~
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Büge on May 14, 2013, 07:44:42 AM
(http://www.thestar.com/content/dam/thestar/sports/leafs/2013/05/14/toronto_maple_leafs_collapse_against_boston_bruins_joins_list_of_city_sporting_heartbreaks/toronto_maple_leafs_fans.jpg.size.xxlarge.promo.jpg)

The Toronto Maple Leafs lost a decisive match against the Boston Bruins last night (http://www.thestar.com/sports/leafs/2013/05/13/toronto_maple_leafs_season_choked_away_in_game_7_cox.html). It was best of seven, the game went into overtime, and the Leafs choked at the last minute. It was one of those games that go down in history.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Mongrel on May 14, 2013, 07:58:39 AM
Why yes, I have been watching the entire series.

It's a bit historical, but it's not really as dramatic as it would seem on the surface. The Bruins won 3 game 7's on their way to the cup two years ago. And the Leafs were eventually caught by the one mistake they couldn't shake all series: The total inability to clear the goddamned puck out of their end when it mattered.

Boston spent most of the series simply expecting things to go their way (on paper they were by far the better team). The Leafs just wound up making the same mistake at the worst possible time.

Other than that, they learned a hell of a lot for a bunch of young guys that no one was expecting much of. Maybe if they were an older gang, that'd be harder loss to take, but the Leafs are the youngest team in the NHL and they've really shown that they're all willing to learn and work together. So I think better things are on the way.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Mongrel on May 16, 2013, 03:45:45 PM
So Gawker is claiming they supposedly have a video of Rob Ford smoking crack.

A little while ago, I read an editorial which raised the spectre of Ford being reelected against all odds by successfully playing the populist card in much the same way as marion Barry had done.

Welp.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Mongrel on May 17, 2013, 10:34:56 AM
Oh hey, what does NMA think of this?

Crack smoking Toronto mayor Rob Ford caught on tape! (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8oqrUPkW77k#ws)
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Mongrel on May 17, 2013, 02:24:42 PM
(http://pixel.nymag.com/imgs/daily/intelligencer/2013/05/17/17-toronto-mayor-bob-ford-shrug.o.jpg/a_560x375.jpg)

Courtesy of NY Maagzine: Tenty Things worth knowing about Rob Ford (http://nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/2013/05/rob-ford-crack-video-toronto-mayor.html)

It's a good summary for those souls fortunate enough not to live in this city.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Mazian on May 21, 2013, 01:06:05 PM
Is this the right thread for ignorant Canada-related questions?  No?  Oh well.

I'll be in scenic Toronto from Friday through Monday.  I already know to avoid fat, angry white men claiming to be the mayor as extremely dangerous and possibly delusional.  Anything particularly nifty at Doors Open (http://www.toronto.ca/doorsopen/2013/) I should check out?
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Mongrel on May 22, 2013, 01:57:36 AM
I didn't even know that was on!

Also, Toronto has a great habit of destroying what classic architecture it did once have (intentionally or otherwise), so I'm not sure I have too many great suggestions for buildings that aren't normally open and accessible anyway.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Smiler on May 22, 2013, 02:17:30 AM
Milwaukee started doing this 2 years ago, and it's actually really neat. My suggestion would be to just look at what just sounds cool and then start there, and then just hit every building that's open. Of course that doesn't really help you with your Toronto problem, but honestly you never know what's going to be really cool and what's going to be meh. The big spots to see in Toronto are probably just open all of the time like Mongrel said. The cool thing about this event (at least in Milwaukee) is to see the cool bits of buildings that you never get to see otherwise.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Mongrel on May 25, 2013, 07:16:32 AM
Holy christ this story is becoming AMAZING.

First off, Gawker stated that the drug dealer disappared sometime after last weekend, leading to Ford finally calling a press conference on Friday to smugly deny everything, making it pretty obvious to even the dumbest idiots that a: the dealer's been paid off (I'd give that a 90% chance), or been "taken care of" (I don't think the Ford's are competent enough to hire someone who can take care of things quietly, but I'll give them a 10% chance there). But whatever happened, don't tell me Mayor McCheese didn't have the phone # for his own freaking dealer. He knew exactly how to get ahold of the guy.

Then the Globe and Mail broke a story this morning (http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/toronto/globe-investigation-the-ford-familys-history-with-drug-dealing/article12153014/), which they say they've been working on for 2 years, that claims Rob's brother (and close political ally) Doug was a hash dealer for ten years during his teens and twenties. And his sister was in the KKK and was once shot in the face. The brothers called another press conference (http://www.thestar.com/news/gta/2013/05/25/rob_ford_video_scandal_ford_family_faces_fresh_drugrelated_allegations_in_published_report.html) today and most of the replies are flat-out AWESOME:

Quote
"they're talking 30 years ago, when I was 16, 17, 18 years old."
Quote
I didn't do it. Also was a long time ago.
Quote
Doug Ford on the Globe's editor in chief: "John Stackhouse: You're a disgusting human being, in my opinion."

When asked if he would sue the Globe for defamation:

Quote
“Can you afford.. after all these cases… there has to be a point… enough is enough… I’ll never rule out anything.”
Quote
“Can I go up, little David and Goliath, try to sue a media organization that drags it out for five years?”
Quote
"You're up against the big money,"
Quote
"I'm not even going to be in politics five years from now"

Soooo... no.

(Dougie has repeatedly said he's running for the provincial conservatives in the next election, and the provicial con leader had been saying they'd welcome him.)

Quote
Doug Ford: "I have no agenda." LeDrew: "Well, you have a political agenda." Doug: Well, yes, sticking up for the taxpayers.

Quote
Doug: "You'll never see us involved in any MONEY scandal, I'll guarantee that."

Quote
“Our family has hosted 100,000 people in our backyard.”
Quote
"These journalists in Toronto are scums!"

Yes, he actually used the plural.

They also went on and on repeatedly about how this story - now being broken by THREE separate papers, a dozen journalists, and several years work - has been entirely fabricated as a plot to bring them down.

I talk to criminals on a daily basis, no word of a lie, this interview sounded exactly like those conversations.

Even better, noted filthy Liberal Andrew Coyne was calling this "the best interview ever".
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Brentai on May 25, 2013, 08:36:03 AM
Quote
I didn't do it. Also was a long time ago.

al-Sahhaf, is that you?
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Mongrel on May 28, 2013, 02:33:31 AM
So now Ford's entire press team has resigned (http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/toronto/mayor-rob-ford-soldiering-on-after-his-press-team-resigns/article12184735/)

But wait, there's more! The story takes a not-entirely-unexpected darker twist: Several Ford staffers spoke to police recently, concerned that we've gone from blackmail to homicide (http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/toronto/police-called-after-ford-staffer-david-price-tipped-videos-whereabouts/article12186406/)

Appropriate YouTube link (http://youtu.be/Jb-JZPmiEOI?t=2m43s)

Also, the blame-the-media spin is getting pretty funny, given that even The Sun is now hounding the mayor.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Mongrel on June 01, 2013, 05:13:17 PM
The notion that Canada is losing money because our oil is landlocked is at least partially bullshit and may in fact be totally bullshit (http://www.montrealgazette.com/business/Claims+that+Canada+loses+billions+revenue+bogus+economists/8463463/story.html)
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Mongrel on June 13, 2013, 01:46:30 AM
Huge wave of busts across Toronto, by the Toronto Police Service, the Ontario Provincial Police and other regional police agencies.

Addresses targeted include (but are not limited to) the infamous apartments where Ford is supposed to have said the video was present, as well as the house in the photo of him with the two kids (and which in recent weeks was revealed as a longstanding den of a drug-dealer family).

Chief Bill Blair has a press conference at noon. In the past he's been able to take wonderful advantage of the Mayor's idiocy to the advatage of the Toronto Police, but he doesn't seem to suffer fools or people who abuse their authority either, so this really could go any which way. Could also be nothing more than some drug dealers who thought their association with the mayor would shield them got sloppy and got caught.

Stay tuned...
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Mongrel on June 13, 2013, 04:11:44 AM
Lots of things said, but these are the biggest ones and pretty well sum up the non-information we got:

Quote
Police Chief Bill Blair: We are not able to disclose methods or evidence obtained.
Police Chief Bill Blair: All the evidence has been secured and all the evidence will come out in court where it belongs. Not Now.
Police Chief Bill Blair: He won't comment on whether there is a criminal investigation involving the mayor's office.
Police Chief Bill Blair continues to be prodded by media, but he refuses to comment on whether there is any link between this investigation and Mayor Rob Ford.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Mongrel on July 08, 2013, 02:32:28 AM
Oh wow, Vic Toews resigned. Good fucking riddance, let's hope his replacement isn't any worse.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Mongrel on July 18, 2013, 02:29:19 PM
I'm sort of half-sticking this here as a bookmark to myself, but someone else here might be interested: In-depth and detailed study tries to wrestle the question of just how overpriced and at-risk the Canadian home market really is (http://www.cansofunds.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/Canso-Px-The-Canadian-Housing-Market-July-2013-Revised-2.pdf)
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Mongrel on July 30, 2013, 06:34:44 AM
Lawyers for the Conservative Harper government argue in court that "[the government] has no social obligation to soldiers". (http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/vets-outraged-as-federal-lawyers-argue-ottawa-has-no-social-obligation-to-soldiers/article13498389/)

No matter how shitty a government treats its soldiers in practice (and this recent gang has been pretty fucking terrible already), I don't think I've EVER heard of ANY government ANYWHERE EVER actually say something like that out loud.

Forget selling their own mothers into slavery for a ten-spot. At this point, I'm not even sure if cannibalism is off the table.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Brentai on July 30, 2013, 06:53:18 AM
Wow.  Uh, wow.

Have fun becoming a US protectorate I guess.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: François on July 30, 2013, 06:59:15 AM
The difference between soldiers and mercenaries is that soldiers accept that a significant portion of their total recompense will be paid in honor and respect. If Harper only wants mercenaries then he should come out and say so.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Friday on July 30, 2013, 07:56:31 AM
Honestly, a group of highly paid and highly trained mercs working for a country/city/government has historically been very effective. Generally more effective than conscripted warriors, in fact.

I'm not sure you could actually get it to fly in today's climate, though.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Classic on July 30, 2013, 08:08:55 AM
Isn't the purpose of an all volunteer armed force that they don't have the disadvantages of conscripts. Even though they're not... career fighters? Is that the term?
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Brentai on July 30, 2013, 09:26:58 AM
I get the feeling "highly paid experts" is exactly what Harper DOESN'T want.  Or at least the first part.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Büge on July 30, 2013, 10:11:58 AM
Honestly, a group of highly paid and highly trained mercs working for a country/city/government has historically been very effective. Generally more effective than conscripted warriors, in fact.

Only if that country/city/government can keep paying them the best.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Friday on July 30, 2013, 10:28:30 AM
Actually, despite what every action movie ever has told you, mercs tend to at least fulfill their contracts with their current employers, because switching sides in the middle of a fight because they paid you more literally only works once in your career as a merc, because afterwards nobody will fucking hire you, including the people who paid you to switch sides.

It is true that mercs tend to be less loyal and won't fight in what they view as a hopeless cause. But, well, being professional warriors, they tend to be right about the cause being hopeless so you'd have lost whether they stayed or not.

Or I guess you can just go MERCS ARE THE SCUM OF THE EARTH WHO WILL SWITCH SIDES AT THE DROP OF A DOLLAR BILL AND EVERYONE HATES THEM DESPITE HISTORY SHOWING THEY'RE ACTUALLY PRETTY VIABLE TO HIRE.

That's certainly how feudal Japan viewed them, despite literally constantly hiring them to great effect and most sideswapping being done by non-merc conscripted armies in exchange for better treatment at the hands of the invading warlord.

Don't get me wrong. I don't have my lips firmly wrapped around a Soldier of Fortune magazine. It's just that mercs get a bad rep they don't really deserve. Sure, mercs have switched sides before. But you'll find that it's a lot easier to bribe guards who are NOT being paid than it is to bribe a guy whose entire career and reputation revolves around the fact that he gets paid to not do that.

Quote
Isn't the purpose of an all volunteer armed force that they don't have the disadvantages of conscripts.

Yep. Volunteers make the absolute best soldiers, because they have the loyalty and patriotism you're looking for that mercs don't have AND the training and professional edge that conscripts lack. My point is that mercs are better than conscripts, generally, since conscripts tend to not be much more loyal or patriotic than mercs anyway.

I wasn't really responding to the issue here (which is treating your volunteer soldiers like shit) at all. I was just saying something offhand about mercs.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Mongrel on July 30, 2013, 01:02:48 PM
There have been some times when mid-campaign side-switching was done, like during Italy of the Borgias. But I think the perception of guys constantly switching sides comes more from having dudes who finish one campaign and do sign up with a rival for the next one. Technically they did fulfill their contract, and a government would have few qualms about rehiring such men, but the militia - be they conscripts or volunteers - may not take it in as businesslike a manner as that. To use an American example, just think of how reviled (and vilified) the Hessians were.

That's where the trouble comes in. If you're using mercs, it's better to use them alone. If professional volunteer soldiers get pissed about working with untrained fodder, just think how mercs feel working with them. But the last 200-odd years of warfare have been on a massive scale - total wars that marshals a nations total resources. Mercenaries have been pretty marginalized ever since the first Levée en Masse.

Of course, more recently, we're seeing SOME smaller actions and situations where mercenaries may theoretically be more attractive, but elite modern warfare requires such expensive equipment and such vast support for each individual soldier that even though army sizes have greatly shrunken the resources they consume has only grown. I'm not sure it's possible for a stateless gang of sellswords to offer services at the highest levels of warfare. Imagine a group of modern mercenaries trying to bankroll their own medivac. Even if you argue that the merc is just a highly-trained body and the government in question would supply the heavy equipment, most of that equipment is considered sensitive government property ineligible for "sharing". And all armed forces have different enough setups that the merc would have to retrain using the particular host nation's choppers, or tanks, or whatever (or train alongside them, if they're to be used as infantry and not given access to heavy weapons). That's why the main job for modern mercenaries is to be hired by corporations to do dead boring crap like guard duty, or trolling unarmed/untrained locals.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: François on July 30, 2013, 01:14:26 PM
For the record, when I mentioned mercenaries, I wasn't disparaging them. (Heck, I'm writing a novel featuring a company of Renaissance-type mercenaries in a positive light, I'm aware the word doesn't have to be synonymous with scum.) I'm just pointing out how the Harper government wants to have its cake and to eat it too, to have military personnel they can cut loose once they are no longer useful, without paying the higher premiums demanded by skilled professionals who are aware before going in that they will be forgotten once the contract is up.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Brentai on July 30, 2013, 01:18:09 PM
I'm not sure if I have to point this out or not, but hiring mercenaries is kind of unsanctioned now.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Mongrel on July 30, 2013, 01:49:35 PM
I'm not sure if I have to point this out or not, but hiring mercenaries is kind of unsanctioned now.

As I understand it, some countries forbid their citizens from hiring themselves out as mercenaries, but many others have no legislation against it or against the hiring of same. There are also weird exceptions, such as the British Gurkhas and the French Foreign Legion, which on the surface look like mercenaries, but who are actually not fighting for purely financial reasons and so are not considered mercenaries under international law. 

In the US, employment of mercenaries is supposedly forbidden by the Pinkerton Act, but are numerous grey areas and a case that was raised by a captain in the US army against the employment of private security contractors in the Iraq war is currently before the courts.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Mongrel on August 09, 2013, 02:58:33 PM
Montreal student protester has been ticketed several hundred times over, in what's probably the most blatant case of targeting I've ever seen, short of someone being straight-up shot in the head by "accident". (http://www.montrealgazette.com/news/Video+Joke+over+ticket+magnet+student/8765700/story.html)
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Büge on August 11, 2013, 10:19:40 PM
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/toronto/rob-ford-sought-meeting-with-inmate-in-after-hours-jail-visit/article13707729/ (http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/toronto/rob-ford-sought-meeting-with-inmate-in-after-hours-jail-visit/article13707729/)

Hoo boy
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Mongrel on August 17, 2013, 03:35:13 PM
Saw this headline in the Montreal papers this evening: "Mayoral candidates agree city needs change"

Ahahahahahahahahahahaha. What? You mean nobody said the city should stay the course?
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Mongrel on August 20, 2013, 11:08:22 AM
STEALTH SNOWMOBILES (http://www.thestar.com/news/canada/2013/08/18/canadian_forces_test_stealth_snowmobile_for_arctic.html)
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Büge on August 20, 2013, 11:17:51 AM
clandestine operations in the Arctic

Who are we defending against up there, exactly?
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Mongrel on August 20, 2013, 12:00:27 PM
Abominable snowmen.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Büge on August 20, 2013, 12:26:15 PM
If they were going for a defense against a possible Elder Thing uprising, they've got the wrong arctic.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Mongrel on August 20, 2013, 12:38:35 PM
Well, we don't own the other one.

Yet.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Mongrel on September 08, 2013, 12:27:42 PM
Naheed Nenshi and Ezra Levant were having a twitter slapfight (http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/calgary-mayor-nenshi-ezra-levant-get-into-twitter-war-of-words/article14182632/) this afternoon that was mildly entertaining.

Hee hee~
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Mongrel on September 18, 2013, 10:47:39 AM
Netflix CEO describes Canadians internet service as being "almost as bad as the third world" (http://gigaom.com/2012/09/13/netflix-canada-caps-human-rights-violation/)

I've got news for him. The third world actually makes us look pretty damn bad when it comes to ISP access costs.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Mongrel on September 18, 2013, 07:40:22 PM
The fastest internet speed in Canada is only available in one small town. In Alberta, just north of Calgary. (http://blogs.montrealgazette.com/2013/07/29/canada-can-learn-from-olds-ab-the-city-with-the-fastest-internet-speed/)

How fast? How about South Korea fast.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Büge on September 19, 2013, 09:19:43 AM
http://news.nationalpost.com/2013/09/19/after-woman-finds-offensive-phrase-inside-bottle-cap-coca-cola-cancels-canadian-promotion/ (http://news.nationalpost.com/2013/09/19/after-woman-finds-offensive-phrase-inside-bottle-cap-coca-cola-cancels-canadian-promotion/)
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Mongrel on October 14, 2013, 02:33:10 AM
It is extremely distressing to find out that your government has signed major international trade treaties with so little comment that you have to learn about them from a fucking Vice link a year later (http://www.vice.com/en_ca/read/canada-secret-treaty-with-china-is-setting-us-up-for-some-big-problems?utm_source=outbrain&utm_medium=cpc&utm_content=rss&utm_campaign=outbraincanada1) (The Vice article does link to the requisite government press releases).
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Mazian on October 23, 2013, 02:30:55 PM
Senate expense scandal now starts in with direct accusations against Harper (http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/senate-expense-scandal-the-mike-duffy-stephen-harper-credibility-war-1.2159732).  Is this a thing that matters?  A fight over legislative travel expenses seems unlikely for easily-digested opposition campaign slogans, but then again, the U.K. had its own such scandal (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Kingdom_parliamentary_expenses_scandal) grow until it killed the careers of several MPs, all the way up to their equivalent of the Minster of Justice.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Mongrel on October 23, 2013, 02:47:18 PM
It's all up in the air, I think.

Duffy seems now determined to drag Harper down with him, but Duff is now pretty much classed in that layer of scum just above pedophiles in the public mind, so his word may not be taken for much. The people who already have a dim view of Harper have already assumed that he knew all about it (and to be fair, given his character, the alternative seems pretty hard to imagine), so that won't change their attitude. It'll take something far more explosive than what Duff and Wallin went on about today to really start to crack that shell. Though it's not impossible that Duff could hammer away at this in an attempt to convince people that Harper is "as bad as he is", but he doesn't seem smart enough to play that angle.

There are of course the unknown unknowns, to quote Rumsfeld. The biggest one being the rumbling chance of a caucus revolt amongst the Conservatives, but I think dear leader's iron control is still more or less intact for now, in spite of the dings he's gotten. "The man who brings victory in battle is prized above all others" and all that (Apologies to Anthony Quinn).

If anything, every day of this spectacle reinforces the broad desire for the Senate to be completely abolished.


EDIT: Also in regards to a potential caucus revolt: While it's becoming ever-more inescapable that Harper will cut anyone at any time, that is actually old news. The Harper caucus is still dumb enough to let each other hang separately, still rationalizing "It won't happen to me. I'm loyal!" That's the real fallacy Duff needs to target if he really wants to hurt Harper.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Mongrel on October 28, 2013, 02:05:01 PM
Check the news: Duffy must've been sitting on this bombshell just WAITING for the right moment.

This afternoon, Duffy produced the stub of a second cheque, this one for $13,560, to cover his legal fees, signed for by Conservative party lawyer Arthur Hamilton.

Ohhhhh holleeee sheeeeet.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Mongrel on October 31, 2013, 01:44:29 AM
What does the Duff say? (http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2013/10/30/what-does-the-duffy-say_n_4178827.html?utm_hp_ref=tw)
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Mongrel on October 31, 2013, 03:46:29 AM
Remember everyone's favourite morbidly obese mayor?

Well, there's been a hell of a pile of news this morning.

Background: One Alex Lisi, a man with a dubious past who was known as an "occasional driver" for the mayor was arrested several weeks ago on drug-related charges. Since that time, various news agencies have pressed and pressed for the release of all information relating to the probe that led to Lisi's arrest. Yesterday, the courts ruled that the information would have to be released, and so this morning it has.

Key points so far:

- The probe was not actually originally into Lisi's activities. It was into the mayor's activities.
- The mayor has been flipping his shit this morning, screaming and shoving guys off his property who were too slow to back up (they couldn't back up faster because of the MASSIVE CROWD at Ford's house).
- The mayor was under surveilliance for several months.
- Every couple of days the Mayor and Lisi would meet at a gas station down the block from Ford's house. Ford would go into the gas station bathroom and Lisi would leave little baggies in Ford's Escalade, along with two cans of orange juice (must have been his lunch! What a nice guy!).
- Many of the former members of Ford's staff were straight up concerned that Lisi was supplying Ford with drugs and making the mayor's position worse or otherwise harming him.
- Ford knew he was under surveilliance; the police discussed moving to airplane surveilliance due to unspecified "counter-surveilliance measures" by the mayor.
- Ford tried to use members of his staff to probe the Toronto police service. Police investigators concluded that the efforts to retrieve such information was evidence of Mayor Ford “utilizing his position and the powers of the Office of the Mayor, to obtain information not available to regular citizens.”
- The police have the infamous crack video; police state that there is nothing in the video itself which would lead to criminal charges against the mayor.
- The day the high school kid who was associated with the video was shot, the mayor and Lisi spoke on the phone seven times
- The day after the shooting, Lisi spoke on the phone with the owner of the sketchy drug house (where the video was taken) five times
- Lisi called Mohamed Siyad, (who the Star reported is the person who attempted to sell the video) the day after the Gawker report
- Lisi was stuck with additional charges of extortion yesterday
- Comedy note: There were also calls between Lisi and something called the "Anger Management Center" during those same days


Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Büge on October 31, 2013, 05:09:42 AM
I wonder how King Steve's going to react.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Mongrel on October 31, 2013, 05:12:00 AM
King Steve's got problems of his own.

Last thing he'll ever do is remind anyone he ever had anything to do with Ford.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Healy on October 31, 2013, 05:14:06 AM
Hahahaha, oh man.

So what happens to Ford now, if anything?
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Mongrel on October 31, 2013, 05:42:01 AM
He could wind up being charged with a number of things. My guess is that the most likely would be criminal conspiracy or something like that - the big questions are how much he knew about a murder without talking to police. He could also be tossed out of office for abuse of power based on the requests he made to his staff to try and find out about the investigation from the police.

Best angle he could play would be to say he only smoked weed and that he was the victim of blackmail (as indeed he probably was). Regardless, this probably fucks him for good. This is way worse in scope than Marion Barry smoking crack. There's murder, abuse of power, links to semi-organized crime or gangs, all kinds of shit here that has the potential to be fatal.

Mayors have been re-elected in spite of worse, but his campaign team and almost all his staff have abandoned him. THAT'S huge.

I tell you one thing though: I want to see him fight the next election.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Büge on October 31, 2013, 07:08:56 AM
I tell you one thing though: I want to see him fight the next election.

I believe he said it was gonna be a "bloodbath."  :whoops:
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Mongrel on October 31, 2013, 10:54:15 AM
Man, it actually feels really weird to walk down the street and have every conversation I overhear be about the mayor.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Büge on November 01, 2013, 06:36:18 AM
So we've gone from "the video doesn't exist!" to "okay, the video exists, but it might not have been crack in that pipe! (http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/rob-ford-wasn-t-smoking-crack-on-video-lawyer-says-1.2325017)"
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Friday on November 01, 2013, 09:17:43 AM
Shortly: "Ok, it was crack, but I didn't inhale!"

"Ok, I inhaled, but there was a guy with gun off-camera forcing me to!"

"Ok, there wasn't a guy off-camera with a gun, but I'm actually an alien from planet Xeabloret who needs crack to survive in this hostile environment!"

"Ok, I'm not actually an alien, but a time traveler from the future, here to warn you good people of the impending doom come to visit us all!"

"Ok, I'm not a time traveler, I'm a complete fucking joke and how the living fuck am I a mayor? Like seriously is there some sort of impeachment protocol for Canadian mayors how the fuck am I still a mayor"
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Mongrel on November 01, 2013, 11:13:05 AM
Honestly, smoking crack is the least of that guy's problems.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Mongrel on November 02, 2013, 07:56:36 AM
Rob Ford's staff have been known to call in to radio stations critical of him and defend the mayor, claiming to be "Bob from Toronto" or whatever.

This is however, the first time he's done it himself. (http://o.canada.com/news/rob-ford-bill-carroll-ian-from-etobicoke/)

What cartoon land do I live in?
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Friday on November 02, 2013, 09:39:02 AM
The Great Ford Nation

Geoland

Mongrel's Homobortion and Jizzporium

Kaneda
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: François on November 02, 2013, 11:10:23 AM
Montréal's last two mayors were basically kicked on their asses due to corruption business, and they're poised to elect mfing Denis Coderre of all people to succeed them, but every time I think they have it pretty bad up there, I remember Toronto, and I think, "it could be worse".
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Mongrel on November 02, 2013, 12:22:48 PM
Well, I think people are still laughing about how Laval's replacement mayor was forced to resign.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Mongrel on November 02, 2013, 12:27:14 PM
To be honest, I think Montreal still has it worse. Ford's a buffoon, but he doesn't have half as much actual power as he might elsewhere. The actual track record isn't THAT bad. Montreal's entire municipal political system has turned out to be so rotten it makes New Orleans or Baltimore look clean.

Ironically, his staggering stupidity may just have saved Toronto. A slightly smarter version of Ford (i.e. one still not smart enough to stay out of the pocket of criminals in the first damned place) could easily have been the man who led Toronto to copy Montreal in terms of pervasive municipal corruption.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: François on November 02, 2013, 07:14:41 PM
Eh, I'm cautiously and uncharacteristically optimistic about the next few years in Montréal, even if they do put Coderre up there. (Which I believe is fundamentally idiotic because, given the circumstances, it seems to me that the last thing you want to do is elect a guy who was on the HMS Liberal when it ran into the sponsorship iceberg, even if he didn't have anything to do with it. Plus the guy is a douche (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wY2hx0s8yes#).) The finances are under a hell of a lot of scrutiny, both from the media and from the new watchdog/transparency organs going up and being promised by basically all candidates, and the criminal element is pretty clearly gonna have to tone it down for at least a bit.

I don't think things are going to be all rainbows and unicorns, but the way I see it, Montréal's sure not the only city on the continent with corruption problems, and given that its pustule has burst in such a gruesome way, it might get at least part of the clean-up it needs where others would keep business going as usual.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Mongrel on November 03, 2013, 03:18:42 AM
I don't disagree with any of that. Once the new watchdogs are actually in place, things will probably be better, so impressive was the implosion. I probably should have said "had" rather than "has" but we're still in the limbo of transition period so I like to hold off on "had" until legislation actually passes.

Near-total government transparency is a move that I think is overdue for all levels of government in the internet age. Ontario's current premier is making rumblings about that, but we'll see.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Büge on November 05, 2013, 03:48:57 AM
Here's something for all of you south of the border:

http://talkingpointsmemo.com/livewire/toronto-mayor-rob-ford-gets-the-jon-stewart-treatment-video (http://talkingpointsmemo.com/livewire/toronto-mayor-rob-ford-gets-the-jon-stewart-treatment-video)
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: TA on November 05, 2013, 05:06:53 AM
The official line has changed again, and I love the way it's gone.  From "there's no video", to "okay, there's a video, but it's not him in the video", to "okay, that's him, but there's no crack in the pipe".  And now, Rob Ford has come forward to set the record straight: "Yes I have smoked crack cocaine. But I am not an addict!" (http://www.ctvnews.ca/canada/toronto-mayor-rob-ford-admits-to-smoking-crack-cocaine-1.1528841)

additional hilarity: ""Have I tried it? Probably in one of my drunken stupors"
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Mongrel on November 05, 2013, 05:15:04 AM
Yeah, that line is way more amazing than the bit about having smoked crack.

Ford's supporters have already already baked in an assumption that he'd tried crack and smokes pot (when asked if he'd ever smoked pot, Ford's reply was "Yeah! Lots!") and hey so what. I'm not sure they've fully admitted that the mayor is pretty much pickled half the time though.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: TA on November 05, 2013, 05:28:01 AM
It's like ... "One night when I was really drunk" is kind of entirely acceptable?  Sometimes folks like to drink until sloppy, that's fine.  But "one of my drunken stupors" implies a habitual nature, such that he's known for having them all the time.  Pulling a Homer, or such.  Which, yes, is obviously the case, but why are you saying that?
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: François on November 05, 2013, 05:35:41 AM
"Hey, I've beaten my wife once or twice. I have to take her word for it because I was drunk at the time. But that doesn't mean you can call me a wife beater!"
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Büge on November 05, 2013, 05:48:30 AM
Doug Ford to Police Chief Bill Blair: "Hey, why don't YOU step down?" (http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/doug-ford-calls-on-toronto-police-chief-to-step-down-1.2415154)

 :wakka:
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Mongrel on November 05, 2013, 05:52:45 AM
Oh yeah, they're in attack dog mode now.

Attacking Blair is pretty dangerous though. There's a fair number of people who hate him (because omg fuckin' cops omfg G20), but he's mostly well-liked and respected. He also had nothing to gain from Ford losing office, since Ford was very pro-police and the chief had easily manipulated him several times previously.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Royal☭ on November 06, 2013, 07:39:59 AM
In the midst of all this, let's take a moment to appreciate one of Rob Ford's greatest hits.

Toronto Mayor Rob Ford Slips, Falls Down playing Football (SLOW MOTION and Magnification) (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EzM8b2vJsMY#ws)
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Mongrel on November 06, 2013, 10:39:05 AM
Of all the hilarious meme pics, so far this is my favourite:

(https://pbs.twimg.com/media/BYU6ZziCIAEDF89.jpg:large)
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Mongrel on November 06, 2013, 12:26:27 PM
So apparently Ford is now straight-up just telling members of the media to kiss his ass.

(http://beta.images.theglobeandmail.com/432/incoming/article15295455.ece/ALTERNATES/w620/Morales37-061113.jpg)

Hee hee, yes, this ought to be good.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Friday on November 06, 2013, 12:45:40 PM
Was Ford always like this? When he was running for election was he using mind control or something to make people vote for him? How the fuck did someone like him get elected?

Not that America doesn't have a list as long as Roger's dick of politicians/elected officials (past and present) who belong in a circus, of course.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Mongrel on November 06, 2013, 01:57:55 PM
Oh yeah. Before he was elected he said tons of dumb shit.

- When cyclists get over it's their fault. For being on bicycles.
- He got into a drunken fistfight with an out-of-town couple at a Leafs game. Then denied it. Then they had video or a police report or whatever it was and he was all "Yeah okay whatever it was me."
- Busted for a pot + booze DUI in Florida
- Promised to score OxyContin for some dude who kept annoying him
- Kept getting into slander suits for opening his big mouth to various city businessmen
- A bunch of other hilarious dumb shit he said in City Council sessions (seriously, there's a ton of videos on YouTube of him saying just the most ridiculous shit or making he he was going to fight someone right there, all before he was mayor).

He was voted because the 2010 election was an utter disaster, something of a perfect political storm. This will take a little explaining:

Background: The city had just had 2 terms of David Miller a vague, well-meaning leftist who spent quite literally almost all of his two terms begging other levels of government for money to no avail. He only ever got the kissoff (no surprise), while the city continued to crumble under our massive infrastructure deficit. So people were not in the mood for another leftist (even though Miller was more like a Uselessist, but whatever).

Toronto also has a fairly sharp right/left division between downtown and the inner suburbs (the outer suburbs are other towns). So the suburbs especially wanted a low-tax right-wing dude.

The candidates who ran were awful. There were the usual raft of "No name dude and/or minor city councillor with no chance of winning", plus the following list:

- Ford
- John Tory a well-respected and generally liked moderate softly right-wing dude, but with a bad habit of getting stuck on an occasional bad idea and waffling too much (he had a disastrous tenure as the leader of the provincial conservatives)
- Sara Thompson, a semi-effective city councillor and the one with the best shot of all the no name candidates
- Rocco Rossi, a backroom operator and fundraiser for the federal Liberals, with no experience actually running for office
- George Smitherman, former a provincial Liberal minister who had held many portfolios and was deputy premier at the time of his resignation

Tory had been burned before and was hesitant about running. Then Ford's office boys pretending to be members of the public (you'll note that this is a frequent thing with Ford) left mean voicemails on Tory's answering machine, the meanies! So Tory slinked away. I mean I like the guy, but he just has no fucking spine at all, holy Christ.

Thompson never got anywhere, despite having probably the best platform and being the only candidate who did any research or bothered with facts in any way.

Rossi turned into a bizarre self-parody who tried to make jokes that he was a cartoon mafioso because he had an Italian name. The guy had quite literally no idea how to campaign. It was weird.

That left no respected candidates. Smitherman had cred, but he was a filthy fuck who (as it turned out) was responsible for every corrupt and fucked up dog-shit-mess the provincial government created for themselves (our air provincial ambulance system was turned into a ponzi scheme, we spent untold billions on a company who was supposed to create a unified electronic health records database. Only they... didn't. Plus many other things that came out later). More importantly Smitherman was and is just a complete sociopathic prick. His campaign was pretty much just "Vote for me because I deserve it". In spite of this, he became the main opposition to Ford.

Meanwhile Ford sold a very very simple mantra: Promise whatever it takes to get elected. ANYTHING.

See, most politicians lie, but they lie in that halfway lie that they can wiggle out of later. And people can see that! That's part of why politicians are so hated. But Ford promised people that a billion dollars would just fly out of his ass like so many magic farts. Only he believed it.

When people saw that he really believed it, they wanted to believe too. And so here we are.

EDIT: To be fair, Ford actually had a good rep with his constituents as a city councillor. He made a point of spending way less than his budget than anyone else on council. He always took calls and always followed up on those calls. He was a good "retail" politician - being the guy on the outside, fighting for the denizens of his little hood (this rep also came up in the election). The real problem was putting Ford in charge of anything. I mean he's dumb as a bag of hammers, but people who knew him liked him. As opposed to Smitherman, who dripped a trail of black, oily, asshole sauce everywhere he went. Even I was like "Maybe, just maybe, there's a chance that Ford'll be that rare case of the dumb idiot leader who actually happens to work out well" (uh, that doesn't mean I voted for him. God no.).
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Mongrel on November 06, 2013, 02:30:37 PM
Okay the Toronto papers are now all running features in some form or other on "What it's like to be addicted to crack".

Also the Iron Sheik just challenged Ford to a fight.

Abbadobabbidaboopittabippabappitaewjiotwe8596yu4896uy68r9ur68@^%*^@&*

EDIT: Oh and there's a bunch of polls making fun of the fact that Ford was wearing an NFL novelty tie from at least 18 years ago during his apology press conference.

I really don't know what's going on any more.

EDIT2: The next election isn't until October. Hoooo boy. 2014 is gonna be some kinda year.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Mongrel on November 07, 2013, 05:20:41 AM
Wow, just wow (http://www.thestar.com/news/gta/2013/11/07/mayor_rob_ford_caught_in_video_rant.html)
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: TA on November 07, 2013, 05:26:16 AM
He's basically a Chris Farley character.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Mongrel on November 07, 2013, 06:47:35 AM
Trust me, you would not be the first person to ever hear Ford and then blurt out "Tommy Boy!"
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: TA on November 07, 2013, 07:03:43 AM
- Every couple of days the Mayor and Lisi would meet at a gas station down the block from Ford's house. Ford would go into the gas station bathroom and Lisi would leave little baggies in Ford's Escalade, along with two cans of orange juice (must have been his lunch! What a nice guy!).

Sidenote: I have been informed that orange juice in particular relates to crack consumption, either as a method to smooth things out when you're coming down, or as a method to accentuate the high - sources differ on the specifics, but it is not a coincidence that this was included in the package.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Mongrel on November 07, 2013, 07:27:12 AM
I don't actually think he regularly uses crack. Regular cocaine, maybe.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Mongrel on November 07, 2013, 09:36:30 AM
So this afternoon's episode (they are no longer just daily!) featured a local sub shop bringing in Brutus Beefcake to city hall to advertise subs in light of the ongoing crack gong show. I'm not even sure what the ad itself entailed.

Ther best quote was "I'm not sure that "wrestlers cannot use a mayoral crack scandal to advertise sandwiches" is city policy, but anyway."
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Brentai on November 07, 2013, 10:46:21 AM
Generally you have to pay for the rights to advertise during a sitcom.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Friday on November 07, 2013, 12:30:56 PM
Quote
2014 is gonna be some kinda year.

Can't you guys have some sort of emergency election instead of putting up with a crack user for another 10 months

I mean

When an elected official is caught doing crack, (ignoring every other lulzy thing about Ford) I think it might be time to elect someone else? Right away?
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Friday on November 07, 2013, 12:43:17 PM
I'm starting to realize how you guys must have felt during the Bush Jr years.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Mongrel on November 07, 2013, 12:44:58 PM
Toronto has no mechanism to remove a mayor from office unless he is actually charged (or maybe even convicted?) with a crime. No impeachment, no recall, etc. for anything short of criminal charges.

He is not going to to be charged for smoking crack even though he's admitted it, because video or even admission of of drug use does not constitute posession (which is the actual offence).

Some members of City Council are currently putting together some sort of effort to ask the provincial government for some kind of emergency banhammer, but the provincial government's position so far has been "This is your mess. The mayor was democratically elected. We will not get involved unless it's in a way proscribed by the existing rules." so I don't think that's going to change unless Ford starts running around town naked, drunk, and screaming WOOOOOOOO SPRING BREAK! (this is not outside the realm of possibility).

Other criminal charges are a possibility though. There was a lot of that police report that was blacked out.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Büge on November 07, 2013, 01:27:03 PM
The council could also force an election by not showing up for 60 days, which would mean they can't hold a quorum. It would also mean that municipal affairs would be suspended for that time. It would also mean that it would force an election for everybody in the council.

I believe it's referred to as the "scorched earth" option.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Mongrel on November 07, 2013, 07:51:55 PM
(http://iphotos-a.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-frc/1169171_444094342361112_1490885409_n.jpg)
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Mongrel on November 08, 2013, 08:15:01 AM
Someone made a Rob Ford "Incident spreadsheet" going back to 1987. (https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/lv?key=0AhpNgYjOr8FzdGhZNVFocUhERUxzRGJBMFBtVDZHaUE&toomany=true)
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Healy on November 08, 2013, 04:02:24 PM
The March 17th 2012 entry stuck out at me:
Quote
A St. Patrick's Day reveller reports seeing Ford “stumbling down the street … inebriated and sweaty but in a jovial way” and tells him "You're the worst mayor ever." Ford allegedly walks over, kisses her on the forehead, and responds, “I know, but I try.” Ford then heads into a private room in the Bier Markt on the Esplanade, where a staffer describes him as “incoherent” and “hammered.” The DJ working that night reports Ford is fighting and carrying on "like an idiot.” After “storming the dance floor,” Ford is asked to leave and escorted out by his own staff and members of the restaurant's security team.

edit: bwahahahahaha
Quote
Documents obtained by the Toronto Star through a freedom of information request suggest Ford is doing less than half the official work than he was doing a year prior; In January 2012, Ford averaged 11 meetings a week compared with 33 in January 2011, his first full month as mayor. In February 2012, he had 15 meetings scheduled each week, compared with an average of 34 a year earlier. According to sources that include former and current staff, Ford often does not leave his home until noon. Some days he never appears in his office. Councillor Adam Vaughan calls Ford "a part-time mayor.”
(May 26th, if you want to look it up for yourself.)
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Healy on November 08, 2013, 04:16:45 PM
Any of you Canucks wanna give some more deets on this one?
Quote from: March 8th 2013
Ford's claims that former Don Bosco football players would be dead or in jail without his coaching are disputed by former Don Bosco football players.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Mongrel on November 08, 2013, 05:53:09 PM
He was trying to play up the value of his football coaching and the football program, saying basically the kids in the team were one step away from being gangbangers. The kids (and their parents) were saying that "Hey, we're from a crappier neighbourhood, but most of us are regular working class folks and not a bunch of intervention cases."
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Mongrel on November 12, 2013, 01:45:43 PM
(http://i.imgur.com/wM0Px6G.jpg)
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Ocksi on November 12, 2013, 02:45:14 PM
"only crack smoking mayor" my ass. Our capital's mayor beat him by 24 years!
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Mongrel on November 13, 2013, 08:31:33 AM
Holy christ this shitshow is turning into sheer lunacy. Ford supporters are trolling everywhere they go, like a bad case of municipal crabs. Meanwhile today's council session was like something out of a ... well, a Toronto city council session.

Highlight reel:

- Council voted to ask Ford to take a leave of absence
- When asked if he had ever physically beaten or assaulted a member of his own staff, Ford replied "Probably not."
- When asked what other skeletons would be pulled from his closet, Ford said "I don't know what else people have filmed."
- Ford inadvertantly admitted to outright purchase of illegal drugs, where previously he had only admitted to consumption of them
- We had the classic bullshit high school scene of "I'm holding him back, bro!" When Rob moved to 'fight' another councillor and Doug 'held him back'
- More information from the police report was released this afternoon, suggesting there were hookers in the mayor's office and that Ford has smoked dope with young girls, promising them jobs in his office. There were also suggested lines about "other mind-altering substances". More on this should come out soon as the various news sources digest the new police release
- Rob offered to pay for drug testing for all of city council, appearing quite familiar with different types of drug tests, specifiying he wanted hair tests. Brother Doug flat out accused other councillors of also doing drugs (oh boy)

Also some dude was shot dead down the street from work after waving a gun at the cops. Today has not been short of interesting things.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Büge on November 13, 2013, 08:48:41 AM
- When asked if he had ever physically beaten or assaulted a member of his own staff, Ford replied "Probably not."

But didn't he actually do that once?
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Mongrel on November 13, 2013, 08:52:37 AM
That we know of.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Mongrel on November 14, 2013, 03:12:17 AM
Ford threatens to sue his former staffers... for making statements to the police (http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/rob-ford-threatens-legal-action-over-court-documents-1.2426060)

This is not public slander. This is a private report made to the police, which was then released by judicial order. Good luck with that lawsuit, Robbie!

Also, this quote:

Quote
Ford then shocked reporters when he went on to refute the allegation that he had made an inappropriate sexual advance to a woman who was on his staff at the time.

The woman "said I wanted to eat her p—y," Ford said before cameras.

"I’ve never said that in my life to her. I would never do that. I'm happily married. I've got more than enough to eat at home."

(for the record, Ford's wife is actually reputed to be an alcoholic who's so severely non-functional that she rarely leaves their home :/  ).
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Mongrel on November 14, 2013, 12:39:46 PM
This is an ace parody, from what I presume is some sort of French Onion soup website.

http://www.journaldemourreal.com/rob-ford-une-troisieme-vi%C2%ADdeo-compromettante/ (http://www.journaldemourreal.com/rob-ford-une-troisieme-vi%C2%ADdeo-compromettante/)

Roughly translated text:

Quote
Rob Ford - Third compromising video

[pic]

TORONTO | A third video showing the mayor of Toronto, Rob Ford, in a drunken and out-of-control state, surfaced yesterday.

"I'm too fucking hot! I need ten fucking minutes to cool off!", shouted the mayor of Toronto in the video clip. The images appear to have been obtained with a cell phone. We see mayor Ford, wearing only a "thong", leaving a filthy basement, climbing the stairs and then staggering over to speak to some people in the street.

"Where's the Dairy Queen here?" demanded mayor Ford to passersby in this approximately two-minute video. "I'm too fucking hot. I need to go throw a banana split on my fucking body" adds Ford.

The mayor excused himself for this newest gaffe yesterday morning. "I was really, really drunk" he said by way of justification. The mayor said he was "extremely humiliated" by these images, but added that he did not have a problem with the whole world seeing them.

Ever heard of this site, Zed? What do we want to bet that someone picks this "story" up and repeats it as real?
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: François on November 14, 2013, 12:56:16 PM
Never heard of it myself but that really doesn't mean much nowadays; I'm okay with seeing English mangled online, but witnessing the same thing done to French makes me want to punch things so I tend to stay away from anything with a comments section.

As for it being picked up... I would say Rob Ford himself  is more likely to look at this and think "yeah that sounds like something I'd do", than it being taken for truth by any legit media, but that doesn't mean much either. :whoops:
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Mongrel on November 14, 2013, 01:26:03 PM
Say, I have to ask: Why is "Thong" in quotation marks?
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Royal☭ on November 14, 2013, 02:09:16 PM
We heard it was a thong. We never got verification that it actually was a thong. The intern can't stop vomiting long enough to tell us.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: François on November 14, 2013, 02:47:22 PM
"Thong" isn't technically a word in French, the correct term for the underwear is "string". (At first glance this doesn't make a lot of sense but you gotta remember that your "th" sounds really weird to us and takes practice to get right.) But people still say thong occasionally (or, err, try to), though with the way the article writer spelled it with a u, I suspect he's never seen it written down, or that he didn't pay attention when he did. He knows he's not using a French word and/or he admits to not knowing how it is spelled, hence the quotation marks.

EDIT: Looking quickly through some other articles... Their French is far from putrid, but it lacks polish, enough that it would be extremely difficult to take seriously even without the subject matter.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Mongrel on November 15, 2013, 05:40:57 PM
(http://www.montrealgazette.com/opinion/editorial-cartoons/cms/binary/9170606.jpg?size=620x400)

Thanks, Terry.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Royal☭ on November 18, 2013, 02:09:08 AM
Ford wants to be your Prime Minister (http://talkingpointsmemo.com/livewire/rob-ford-wants-to-run-for-prime-minister-of-canada)
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Friday on November 18, 2013, 02:56:46 AM
Tidus Laugh 10 HOURS (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-lfiTebewnc#)
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Mongrel on November 18, 2013, 04:37:08 AM
So City Council stripped him of some of his key powers last week. Today they'll be voting to strip him of just about all of his remaining powers. He'll still be the "The Mayor" but the title will actually be completely empty. That's unprecedented and he will almost certainly challenge it, but any legal challenge will take some time. 

The issue here is that the guy is now famous in the Paris Hilton famous-just-for-being-famous sense. He already fucked off all day, showing up late, usually drunk, and really didn't do much actual work at all. But now he doesn't even have to pretend at all; he's going to be able to just straight-up campaign 24 hours a day until next October.

I really hope this move by council doesn't wind up biting us all on the ass.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Zaratustra on November 18, 2013, 04:46:34 AM
Quote
The embattled mayor also gave an interview to CNN over the weekend, saying that he would have admitted to smoking crack cocaine earlier had he been asked the right question.

Yeah, see, this is why we need a standardized interview form for politicians. Because they'll honestly try to pass I HAVE USED LARGE AMOUNTS OF DRUGS RECREATIONALLY as something the public is not really interested in.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Mongrel on November 18, 2013, 02:10:17 PM
(http://gamereax.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/fordcouncilmeeting.gif)

EDIT:

Also, an excellent Rick Mercer rant as another cautionary tale:

RMR: Rick's Rant - Rob Ford (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sfdoLedAWWg#ws)
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Büge on November 18, 2013, 11:49:08 PM
http://ca.news.yahoo.com/blogs/dailybrew/another-motion-set-hamstring-mayor-rob-ford-power-143157485.html (http://ca.news.yahoo.com/blogs/dailybrew/another-motion-set-hamstring-mayor-rob-ford-power-143157485.html)

Quote
“This, folks, reminds me of when ... Saddam (Hussein) attacked Kuwait. And President (George) Bush said, 'I warn you, I warn you, I warn you do not attack.' Well, folks. If you think American-style politics is nasty, you guys have just attacked Kuwait,” Ford said in a bizarre, extended diatribe that came at the end of a frenetic day at Toronto City Hall.

Lord, what a drama llama.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Brentai on November 19, 2013, 03:13:32 AM
Does he not remember how that conflict ended for us, or?
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Royal☭ on November 19, 2013, 09:34:07 AM
And yet nothing can stop this man.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Mongrel on November 19, 2013, 12:45:15 PM
Yeah, like I will be legit afraid of this man winning reelection unless a) he dies (including the non-zero possibility of him spontaneously combusting), b) he is actually arrested, or c) the election finally gets here and he loses.

There will be a large number of candidates this election and we're not implementing ranked voting (where you vote for a first second third choice and the numbers are re-run until somone gets 50% + 1) until the 2018 city elections. With the liklihood of dozens of candidates, a 20-30% voting bloc is a scary and massive advantage (true numbers of diehard supporters are unknown due to wild and inconsistent polling, but they're definitely out there and you meet them everywhere). The one blessing will be that Ford's campaign staff will be non-existant or a total disaster and his get-out-the-vote machine will basically be non-existant. Ford Nation are by definfition people you wouldn't call the volunteering type. 

B is still possible, apparently. A little birdie told me that the police are still holding about as much material as they've released and that the investigation is still ongoing.

While I'm sure I could find a few Ford supporters among the Toronto Police Service, Ford's continuinal refusal to speak with the cops under any circumstances and his newfound enemity with the chief can't be winning him any friends with them either.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Thad on November 19, 2013, 02:28:47 PM
Does he not remember how that conflict ended for us, or?

Oh fuck.

If he's Bush Senior, I don't even want to know how big a fuckup his son is.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Brentai on November 19, 2013, 02:30:14 PM
Are Ford's people your guys' equivalent of the "no government is better than any government" people we have here?  If so I can see them thinking a totally crippled bottleneck of a mayor is the perfect candidate.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Mongrel on November 19, 2013, 02:41:31 PM
Pretty much, yeah. Like the Rick Mercer rant goes, these are the people who would vote for a gerbil so long as they thought they were a dollar on the transaction.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Mongrel on November 19, 2013, 02:48:08 PM
LOL, SUN TV just announced they're cancelling his show after only one episode, on account of it being "Too expensive and too difficult to produce".
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Brentai on November 19, 2013, 06:30:18 PM
Well, the top video on YouTube right now is the guy bowling over an old woman, so... I have no idea so what.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Mongrel on November 20, 2013, 05:24:54 PM
(http://d3819ii77zvwic.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/robfordwreckingball.gif)
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Mongrel on November 20, 2013, 06:29:59 PM
By the way, the latest news is that the personal trainer Ford hired to help him "get in shape" is a convicted steroid trafficker and athlete doper. Don't know how Ford could have made that mistake, given that he appears to be a reputable and classy guy who will be sure to keep the mayor out of trouble (http://imgur.com/a/9qDXm).
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Büge on November 21, 2013, 01:38:23 AM
(http://i.imgur.com/J6LdUIJ.gif)
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Mongrel on November 21, 2013, 07:49:33 AM
Oh shit, that .gif's actually a website:

http://enoughtoeat.com/ (http://enoughtoeat.com/)
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Mongrel on November 21, 2013, 01:24:50 PM
This was inevitable.

Rob Ford the Movie (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RUY6lDja-DE#ws)
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Mongrel on November 25, 2013, 04:09:50 PM
Fuck sports, I'm watching by-election results.

ARGH OH GOD BRANDON--SOURIS COME ON (190/210 polls reporting as of this post).
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Mongrel on November 25, 2013, 05:30:36 PM
Dammit.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Mongrel on December 12, 2013, 08:32:53 AM
So Doug Ford was out this afternoon straight-up giving people $20 bills.

Like, I am not making that up or exaggerating. He pulled out a wad of bills and was peeling of twenties to just give to anyone going by.

EDIT: Link (http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/toronto/doug-ford-defends-himself-after-handing-out-20-bills-to-constituents/article15920479/)

"Didn't have time to buy gift cards". Nice.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Sharkey on December 13, 2013, 06:16:50 AM
I can't believe how well Tommy Boy aligns with this shit. Right down to tackling a woman, walking face first into a camera, the way he falls over backwards, etc. Just... wow. It's goddamn supernatural.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Ziiro on December 13, 2013, 06:21:09 AM
I'm really sad Chris Farley isn't alive to do a skit about it so we can complete the circle.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Sharkey on December 13, 2013, 07:39:02 AM
He wouldn't even need to. He already did most of the key moments over a decade before. The possibility exists that he was/will be a time traveler.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Mongrel on December 13, 2013, 07:54:13 AM
Well, in this case it was Robbie's brother and not Robbie himself, but still, Tweedledee and Tweedledum.
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: TA on December 13, 2013, 07:56:03 AM
Chris Farley "died" in 1997.  Rob Ford first ran for office in 1997.  THINK ABOUT IT!
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Ziiro on December 13, 2013, 08:16:36 AM
Chris Farley - OH MY GOD (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i6se4_rHyBc#)
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Mongrel on December 14, 2013, 04:26:40 AM
McCleans' usually sucks, but this was pretty funny, I thought:

http://www2.macleans.ca/2013/12/13/assemble-ingredients-pause-dramatically/ (http://www2.macleans.ca/2013/12/13/assemble-ingredients-pause-dramatically/)
Title: Re: News from the North
Post by: Mongrel on December 20, 2013, 04:16:02 AM
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/globe-debate/why-rob-ford-is-mad-as-hell/article16032659/ (http://www.theglobeandmail.com/globe-debate/why-rob-ford-is-mad-as-hell/article16032659/)

Goddamn, Ken Dryden is so fucking good.