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[Mongrel]

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.

[SCD]

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.

[Mongrel]

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.

[Mongrel]

Ah. Er... Fuck.

[SCD]

You call it the end of the world, I call it a real election issue.

[Mongrel]

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).

[SCD]

For what it's worth, The National Post editorial board does a good job weighing in

[Mongrel]

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.

[Mongrel]

Godamnit! Where'd our sports thread go because MONTREAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAALLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[SCD]

Take that, Kayma!

[François]

I don't even really care about hockey that much but I'm still all .

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.

[Mongrel]

My favourite quote so far (was posted this morning, prior to the win):

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.

 

[SCD]

An even bigger victory for Canada in the internal stage!  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 (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.

[François]

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.

[Mongrel]

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).

[Büge]

Strange. I don't have a big problem with RBC. My transactions mostly consist of "withdraw" and "pay visa" though.

[SCD]

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.  

[François]

Halak is basically a wizard;

his magic could not save him

[Mongrel]

Yeah... tonight was

[François]

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.