Petty Politics Indeed

MP Jim Karygiannis said the following in the house. The email I sent to him is also below. I suggest you all email him from his site here.

/EMAIL

Mr. Karygiannis,

I found the following of your comments in the house sadly misplaced and reprehensible - the deaths of our soldiers should be respected and not used for petty politics. I request you retract them as uncalled for and an insult to the grieving families.

Respectfully,

Lucas J Kenward

Hon. Jim Karygiannis (Scarborough—Agincourt, Lib.):
Mr. Speaker, I realize how difficult this must be for the minister. Just today we had two soldiers killed in Afghanistan and tomorrow or the next day their remains will be brought home, draped in a Canadian flag and a nation will be very thankful of the work that they were doing in that part of the world, not a nation of nations, but a nation. I am sure that the minister will join me in recognizing that we are paying respect to them as a nation for the work that they are doing in fighting for human rights, justice and peace around the world.
I am wondering what we tell the parents of the two soldiers who are coming back. Do we say that this is a nation which is grateful to your sons and daughters or is this a nation of nations which is respectful to your sons and daughters? I am wondering if the minister will share with us the exact expression that he is going to use when he meets those two families.


/END EMAIL

VMT to SDA for the addition as well. Don't forget to send those emails!

This is the link to the actual session of parliament... search for Karygiannis

Link fixed. You have to search beyond the first list of session attendees.

My BC Snowstorm Adventure

It was with somewhat misguided delight that I watched the first snowflakes fall. After all, any snow is bound to cause a "snow day" at work, and it was, of course, Sunday. I awoke to fully half a foot of snow covering my yard, patio and - much to my horror - street. Of course, this left my entire household - three cars - with no reasonable way to get around (we all have summer tires you see). Now, being stereotypical Victorians we never really saw a need for "all season" tires. This day would prove to be somehow different.
At around noon something happened. Or rather, something DIDN'T happen. The lights didn't stay on. Kevin and I were quickly faced with a full fledged power outage - something that hardcore consumers like us couldn't quite fathom. It took us three whole hours before we became stir crazy. No music, no television and - worst of all - no computer! We looked towards a future of stale wheat thins and Pilsner Beer (the latter wasn't so bad). The snow abated and the streets looked at least somewhat passable. We had to get out, we would have no doubt starved to death otherwise.
Into the 95 Golf (summer tires and all) we went. After spending what seemed an eternity wiping all the snow off the car, we were off. Where? Well that was just it, we didn't know how far flung the power outage was. We figured out that it was, quite literally, JUST OUR HALF OF THE STREET. Angered, we carried on to the main roads where the going was much better. I was surprised how well the summer tires garnered traction in the slushy muck. With the exception of one particularly interesting moment, we made it clear across town to a pub and some much needed food. Like naturally positive people, we figured a quick bite at the pub would result in the power having come back on.
The error of our ways was soon realized when we arrived home. No lights, no heat, no... well anything. To add insult to injury the temperature was continuing to drop. Perhaps worst of all, the temperature in my aquarium continued to plummet - the fish were now in mortal danger. Kevin braved the night at home... I decided to go out for a bit - this time smartly taking a taxi as the slush was becoming increasingly ice like.
So I thought. Fifteen minutes into quite a harrowing cab ride we approached a corner at a speed I judged - rightly - to be far too fast. The two tonne rear wheel drive taxi spun once, I saw where we had come from. I then saw a ditch and before I could really think about it - we were in it. The cab was, of course, quite well stuck in the ditch. The driver attempted to spin the wheels - hoping against hope that he might hit something solid. The only solid object he did get grip on was some poor lady's rose bush, which was now quite torn up (and in her front lawn). The driver informed me he would call me another cab, and a tow truck for himself.
Dejected, I continued on.
The following day, after calling into work early to say I couldn't possibly make it in, I returned home to a continued power outage. The temperature in the fish tank was miraculously still 14 degrees (down from 28) and my tropical fish looked very near death indeed. At this point we could see our breath in the house, the only option that remained (we had burnt just about everything in the fire place) was to curl up into our respective beds and wait out the outage. Things were looking grim. A call to BC Hydro assured us things would be back to normal by 6pm!
Fast asleep at 1715 something happened. Accompanied by a sudden cacophony, the lights came back on... the computer speakers popped. Was power really back? I bolted out of bed and looked around. The lights were on! We were saved!
One minute later we were plunged into darkness anew. We sat there, staring out the window, watching the BC Hydro trucks driving by. We knew they must be close to a fix. The lights came on again, the furnace fired up. Three minutes later we were huddled around the fireplace trying to burn anything that would keep us warm - the power had gone again.
Eventually services were restored, and we hoped beyond hope that finally we would be able to return to a state of normalcy. A knock at the door brought more bad news - a cable was badly burned and needed replacing - the power would be out for a final (we promise) 15 minutes.
Indeed the lights went out again. We counted down the time over cigarettes and more newspaper in the fireplace. The lights came on again, the furnace kicked in, the aquarium started gurgling and heating up again.
So far it's been almost 30 minutes with stable power... everything is going well. The fish might actually survive.
Lessons learned? Well, always have a flashlight handy for one. Secondly, a cell phone is a really great thing too.
Oh and BC Hydro - please stop forwarding emergency calls to a busy line, and please PLEASE take "Or Visit BChydro.com for outage details" - It's bad enough I didn't have power, you don't have to remind me I don't have the internet either.

Private Healthcare - NOT In Alberta?

Well well well. I wonder how many New LiberalDemocrats are backtracking now on less than favourable comments made about Alberta's so called "push for private healthcare"? Lo and behold, it is indeed British Columbia that has opened that nation's first private Emergency Room!

"It's clearly a violation of the Canada Health Act,"

Really? Boy, thats kind of a bummer. God forbid a province, the constitutionally mandated owner of health care services, should decide that perhaps the Act isn't effective?

Thankfully, the leftist British Columbian masses can go ahead and vote out the governing Liberals in the next election. Or maybe we've grown too accustomed to the low taxes and free market spirit?

Why... It's Almost Economical!

We're nearing the final figures for the Evacuation of "Canadian Citizens" from Lebanon.

94 million dollars....

At a shade over 6 grand a piece we could all only be so lucky.

Just one more reason to review the idea of dual citizenship. Oh, and CBC did manage to find ONE person who appreciated the effort by the Canadian government. One. I guess all the people that complained will refund the 6000+ dollar cost to the tax payer? Oh wait, they've used it to fly back home - To Lebanon.

Ridiculous.

Oh My! Morton Second? Who Could've Predicted That?

From the Calgary Herald:

Tory membership holders were asked:

Q: Of the eight candidates to replace Ralph Klein as PC leader, which one will you vote for?

Jim Dinning 21%

Ted Morton 18%

Lyle Oberg 11%

Ed Stelmach 10%

Mark Norris 7%

Dave Hancock 6%

Gary McPherson 2%

Victor Doerksen 1%

Don't know 25%

This most certainly spells a second ballot on 02 December! Stay tuned.

PM accused of 'secretiveness' and 'manipulating media'

Headline should read:

Media accused of "secretiveness" and "manipulating Canadians".

If I were the PM I wouldn't talk to the media much either. I think it's widely acknowledged that the media haven't exactly been kind to the Prime Minister. First of all, how the hell do you "manipulate" the media? Has anyone heard the term "Wag the Dog"? Sure, Stephen Harper isn't very candid with the media nor is he as camera happy as a certain number of his predecessors. Can you blame him?

Let's look at some key "good job media" times:

1) They hung on every word Paul Martin said, until there wasn't a poll left that said the Liberals were leading - then they dropped him like a hot potato
2) They lambasted Rona Ambrose for "blaming the Liberals" for Canada's inability to toe the Kyoto Accord line - Even though they once were VERY critical of Jean Chretien for signing on to it (I think they used terms like "Trying to create a legacy")
3) Three words: The Mulroney Tapes
4) Days the "two nations" idea from Ignatieff made headlines on CBC - 2. Days Stephen Harper's "Alberta Agenda" have made the headlines since elected PM - 12!
5) Headlines in the Globe and Mail regarding the broken GST promise by the Liberals since they made it in 1993 - 5. Headlines in the same rag calling the Conservative GST cut reckless, stupid, or an abandonment of income tax cuts - 20.
6) Times the "bring home the troops" mantra of Jack Layton made the headlines on CBC and CTV in the week preceeding and the week after the House voted to extend the mission in Afghanistan to 2009 - 14 (once per day, yes). Times the fact that most of the Liberal party failed to show for the same vote showed up - 14. Headlines that the mission was actually extended? Zero.



I'm surprised the media is even allowed to talk to the man.

How does this pass CBCs Editors?

Reprinted IAW the Fair Dealings Provision of the Copyright Act: (From CBC)

A 92-year-old Atlanta woman was shot to death Tuesday evening after she fired at three narcotics officers trying to serve a warrant at her house, officials said.

Neighbours and relatives said it must have been a case of mistaken identity, but police said they had the right address.

Police said the woman, identified as Catherine Johnson, was the only person home at the time, and had lived there for about 17 years.

As the plainclothes Atlanta police officers approached the house about 7 p.m., a woman inside started shooting, striking each of them, said Officer Joe Cobb, a police spokesman. One was hit in the arm, another in a thigh and the third in a shoulder.

The officers were taken to a hospital for treatment, and all three were conscious and alert, police said.

Sarah Dozier, identified as a niece of the woman, told WAGA-TV that there were never any drugs at the house.

"My aunt was in good health. I'm sure she panicked when they kicked that door down," Dozier said. "There was no reason they had to go in there and shoot her down like a dog."

EMPHASIS MINE

Now... who shot who down like a dog? Is the fact that the woman, armed mind you, is 92 that the police are at fault? I'm not aware of any law in Georgia that allows 92 year old women to shoot at plainly clothed individuals.

And at what point during the "approach" to a residence does kicking the door down come into play? Even if the police did kick down the door (a fact you can't prove from the article, short of the statement of a person who wasn't there) this 92 year old woman must have had that gun REAL close by.

Just another clear case of police brutality right?

"Whatever was taking place on the bridge at the time of the sinking was equivalent to an abandonment of the responsibilities of navigation"

It's just one of those statements that puts many comments from watchkeepers I've heard into a more colloquial context. This is, of course, from the former Master (Captain?) of the Queen Of The North - the ferry which "sank" "near" Gil Island. Of course, she hit Gil Island at full steam.

Many have questioned exactly what happened that night. Of course, the REAL question is - "Does it matter?". I think the former Captains comments echo my feelings quite well. Whatever the situation was, from engineering problem to alleged sexual activity it simply DOES NOT MATTER. It wasn't only an abandonment of responsibility... it was a flagrant disregard for the safety of the people on that vessel.

The media seems willing to cover this, albeit filling the vast world with talk of "lack of training", as best they can given the dearth of information coming out. I will say this - look out the window. I have sailed past, around and near Gil Island many times... it's not, contrary to popular belief, invisible.

If the rumours hold true that the watchkeeper at the time simply turned off the electronic navigation display rather than dim the monitor (lack of training be damned, it's a computer monitor) then sure, thats reckless. The fact that after so doing he still ran the ship into a LARGE, very visible island (nav aids anyone?) is completely - IRRESPONSIBLE.

Original CBC Article

A Quick Note (and some disturbing numbers)

Fear not readers - More posts will be coming up in the near future. I've been working on a few using good old Microsoft Word. A couple are nearing completion. Of course, with the Liberal Leadership Convention coming up, there will be a post or two about that too.

On an unrelated tangent, a question was recently posed at "Weekly Rib Nights" at Montana's. Is it possible for 15 people per night to celebrate their birthdays at one restaurant?

I did some number crunching and it basically means that fully 3% of the birthday celebrating public goes to Montana's. I'm not a statistical whiz or anything, but that seems quite high. Any input on this matter would be greatly appreciated.

Incidentally, did you know that Montana's is owned by the Cara Group? Yes, the same Cara that makes airline food (or did I daresay). They also own Kelsey's, Milestones, The Second Cup, Swiss Chalet and Harveys. Quite the array of places. Though admittedly, I always thought Swiss Chalet was an American company.

Cara is, of course, 100% Canadian owned (privately owned too). Look! More random stupid information I've picked up.

'Till next time!