Stephen Maher sums it up nicely. …
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Good morning, darlings – I’m up to my ears reviewing/rewriting a software solution integration bid (345 pages and counting) so I’m a touch late.Coffee? …
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CMAW only now wishes it could have gotten jobs to build the Olympics in BC. CEP's Construction Arm Wants Olympic WorkWhere is the Union Movement in the Olympic Resistance?By Gene McGuckinIt’s time for someone to mention the elephant that’s not in the room.The room would be today’s British Columbia, where local and imported rich folks are enjoying an 8-billion-dollar, taxpayer-funded party, while a few thousand protesters challenge its moral legitimacy after years of corporate/government attacks on the poor, unions, public education, healthcare, seniors, children, etc.And the no-show …
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That's the solution to the right-wing concealer of a druggie. Tell her to take a fucking walk.... because she's a goddamned security risk to everyone else on a plane.Remember, these pukes are telling you the reason for the pat-downs, the swabs of your laptop, the unreasonable search of documents and the burn through your clothing right down to your skin is to protect the travelling public.Helena Guergis is unstable and dangerous. Eminent domain applies here. Why should we take the risk?Apology not accepted. Not from the "Law and Order" mob. Do as I say; not as I do is an American philosophy …
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Dear Transport Canada: I'd feel safer if deranged, hysterical wingnuts with obvious anger management issues and who consort with known drug abusers were not allowed to be on the same plane with me.It's just a thought.P.S. I'm pretty sure I could use the same logic with Maxime Bernier. Give me a minute or three to make the connection. …
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Shorter Blogging Tory Walker Morrow: "It's all right to be a lying weasel as long as it's for a good cause. And I'll be the judge of what constitutes a good cause."AFTERSNARK: Poor Walker -- even his wanker colleagues are dropping by his comments section and giving him a spanking for his public celebration of dishonesty. Apparently, they don't appreciate him being so open and candid about their general philosophy towards, you know, accuracy. …
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INTERNATIONAL LABOUR-IRELAND:HUNGER STRIKE IN COUNTY KILDARE:Workers at Green Isle Foods, County Kildare Ireland, have been on strike for six months, and some workers are now resorting to a hunger strike to try and make the company see reason. They are asking for your support. Here's the story and appeal from the online labour solidarity site Labour Start. The strikers also have a strike website that you can access here. ILILILILILILILILILILIreland: Trade unionists on hunger strike at Green Isle Foods: Two trade unionists are on hunger strike outside the Green Isle Foods plant in Naas, Co …
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A …
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I thought I would do a little themed video type posting here. Y’all know that evul soshalism? Dang! Shouldn’t a said that! Oh well. Because of the paranoia of that evil S word,  as well as the unfounded fear of  Black Kenyan Commie Muslim boogie-men hiding in the closets and under the furniture…McCarthyism has made a come-back! I wonder if American school children in the U.S. of A., particularly in the Bible Belt are practising these drills? My bet is yes, since Pres Obama decided to indoctrinate these kids’ minds with dat evul soshalism. Ever since then, well, life …
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Cowboy Steve today appointed Helena Guergis Minister of Tourism. PMO spokesman Dimitri Soudas confirmed that the junior cabinet minister has been named to the position, replacing former minister Rob Moore. Soudas cited the ex-beauty queen's mastery of public relations skills, and the experience gained from traveling the nation in her role as Minister of State. Cowboy Steve noted that the former Miss Huronia "has been working her ass off for her constituents". The promotion is considered the latest jewel in the crowns of Ottawa's premier power couple, Ms. Guergis and her husband, respected …
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From Wikipedia: The Brazos River extends through Central Texas to the Gulf of Mexico near Freeport, Texas. It features in many prison songs because it runs past virtually all of the old prisons in Texas. "Old Hannah" is the name given to the sun. "Captain" is one of the ranks in the hierarchy of prison guards, the man in charge of half the workers in a field. The term was also used outside the prisons to mean the white boss. In some of the old slave songs the singers call Jesus their captain. A "bully" is an inmate working in the line. The word can also be used as a verb, in which case it …
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Ah what is there to add to the airport rage incident involving our friend Helena Guergis, Minister of State for the Status of Women? That, had it been you or me throwing our footwear around we probably would have been tased? And so, I'll leave it to my sister and brother bloggers. Here's a brief round-up: Best with the dirty details: Kady Best headline kudos go to Dammit Janet! Best musical score: Green Assassin Brigade.... …
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I don't like to give politicians free reign rein but I have to say that I endorse every word of this Liberal party of Canada news release, posted here without any edits. I did add some links.Today, Liberal MPs Carolyn Bennett, Maria Minna and Anita Neville released the following open letter to International Cooperation Minister Bev Oda: Dear Minister Oda: We are writing today to urge you to reconsider your ill-advised decision to not include... …
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I wonder what would the reaction have been to Minister Guergis’ antics in the Charlottetown Airport, had she been wearing a Burka? For those living in an igloo on Melville Island, Ms. Guergis remonstrated rather pithily with staff at the Charlottetown Airport when she was denied immediate and unrestricted access to her flight, describing the “Garden of the Gulf” in terms more befitting fertilizer for that garden. After banging on security glass, flinging her shoes, and otherwise behaving badly, she was allowed on the plane, the take-off being delayed for her boarding. Suppose a woman …
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A …
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By now most of us have probably read accounts of Helena Guergis' birthday tirade* at the security gates at Charlottetown airport. Helena clearly inhabits a hell-hole but it is certainly not at YYG. If she perhaps spent 10 seconds reflecting on her life, she might consider that working under a sociopath, being married to an apparent coke using drink driver, caught up climbing the career ladder in a political party that makes a point of dismantling the kinder and more compassionate instruments of state, and so forth, constitutes imposing a particular kind of hell on oneself. Guergis, politics …
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He simply likes to go by the name…The Left Hand.  And that’s all I will tell you.  I will leave him to tell you more about himself  later should he see fit.  He will be making his debut sometime this afternoon or this evening here at Sister Sage’s Musings.  For the time being, let’s welcome  The Left Hand. …
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I was one of the few who actually didn’t make a big stink over the guy going off to the U.S. for his heart surgery, due to the fact many of Canada’s rich and famous go to the U.S. and Europe for treatment when they have the money to just pay for that extra something special, like a maid at their beck and call, mini bar, leather furniture, etc. They have always gone even before an axe was taken to our health care system in the 90s.  Even if governments hadn’t made the cuts they had and all was still well, they would still go.  As long as they paid out of their own pocket, …
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Helena Guergis - airport tantrum: According to the account, Guergis and aide Emily Goucher arrived a few minutes before the scheduled takeoff of an Air Canada flight from Charlottetown to Montreal. In the pre-boarding area, Guergis refused to remove her boots despite being informed that they might set off the security alarm in the metal detector, according to the letter received by Easter. When the alarm sounded, she was asked to sit down and remove her footwear. Guergis "slammed her boots into the bin" provided by security personnel and then, according to the account, said to one of the …
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To follow up on yesterday's post in reaction to a motion passed by the Ontario legislature, Alison in comments was kind enough to supply the text of the United Nations International Convention on the Suppression and Punishment of the Crime of Apartheid. Here's a part of the definition of apartheid with my emphasis added: Any legislative measures and other measures calculated to prevent a racial group or groups from participation in the political, social, economic and cultural life of the country and the deliberate creation of conditions preventing the full development of such a group or …
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I am not one of those who has a Pavlovian hate for corporations. Throughout my 40-year working career, virtually all my jobs were in the   private sector … the only exception,  as a university student, I worked  as a ticket taker at Montreal’s Expo 67 … a government job of sorts. So although I have been dismayed and highly critical on my blog of how [...] …
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VANITY FAIR has a delightful article by A.A. Gill, "Roll Over, Charles Darwin!", which is his account of a visit to the Creation Museum, which he says, has been battling science and reason since 2007.Just off a motorway, in a barren and uninspiring piece of scrub, the museum is impressively incongruous, a righteously modernist building resting in landscaped gardens filled with dinosaur topiaries. It cost $27 million and was completed in 2007. It answers the famous question about what God could have done if he had had money. This is it. Oddly, it is a conspicuously and emphatically secular …
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Helena Guergis - airport tantrum: According to the account, Guergis and aide Emily Goucher arrived a few minutes before the scheduled takeoff of an Air Canada flight from Charlottetown to Montreal. In the pre-boarding area, Guergis refused to remove her boots despite being informed that they might set off the security alarm in the metal detector, according to the letter received by Easter. When the alarm sounded, she was asked to sit down and remove her footwear. Guergis "slammed her boots into the bin" provided by security personnel and then, according to the account, said to one of the …
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Starts on Monday. By this time next year, it could be illegal.On the core issue, I can't really add much more to what I said last year. Is Israel an apartheid regime? Or is this simply a kind of moral analogy?In South Africa, a Black majority was super-exploited by a white minority. In Israel plus the occupied territory of the West Bank, the Palestinians are the minority. They are oppressed, and many are exploited to the point that they may even have been forced to pay the costs of their own colonization. But, on the basis of economics, one might want to make a distinction.Nevertheless, that …
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A …
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Want proof that deniers are not making scientific (or even coherent) arguments? Well take a look at their reaction to a study by Mark Siddall et al. that was recently retracted. Actually we need to go back a bit further to when this particular study was first published. At the time deniers were ecstatic, because the study, Constraints on future sea-level rise from past sea-level change, predicted an estimate of sea level rise of between 7 and 82 cm for 2100, lower than the estimates of several other studies and even a report by the Bush administration. And while this estimate is similar the …
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Unfortunately, conspiracy theories are easy to disseminate. Many are willing to accept these theories at face value. The distribution of facts on complex scientific issues is a slower, more difficult process. -Ben Santer Read his whole essay, it is well worth it. Related Posts (auto generated and almost random):Quote of the day, with comic! Conspiracy theories Quote of the day Quote of the Day Quote of the Day …
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The Liberals have gone on the offensive against the Bloc Québécois after a fire-storm has erupted in Québec over independence, sparked off by its founder's comments on the impossibility of sovereignty for Québec in the short to medium term. The Liberal leader Michael Ignatieff has called on the Québécois to take part in the governance of the federation, to make their influence felt in the country, by voting Liberal. These comments have been echoed by the Liberal chief for Québec, Jean-Marc Fournier.According to the Liberals, the Québécois share their views over various issues such as …
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The Liberals have gone on the offensive against the Bloc Québécois after a fire-storm has erupted in Québec over independence, sparked off by its founder's comments on the impossibility of sovereignty for Québec in the short to medium term. The Liberal leader Michael Ignatieff has called on the Québécois to take part in the governance of the federation, to make their influence felt in the country, by voting Liberal. These comments have been echoed by the Liberal chief for Québec, Jean-Marc Fournier.According to the Liberals, the Québécois share their views over various issues such as …
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There's nothing like getting your hands dirty and doing some hard work to give you a sense of purpose and make your body feel good. It's especially lovely when the work you're doing is creative and filled with love. I arrived back in Guadalajara en-route to Zecatacas... I knew I´d get sucked in again by Frank´s charismatic charm and I wasn't wrong. Knowing I love to build from my last visit a week ago, it took no time for him to make me an offer. Free room and board here in downtown Guadalajara in exchange for a little creative labor and letting guests into the hostel at night. Living free …
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Bei der Debatte über eine Aufstockung der BundeswehrsoldatInnen in Afghanistan auf bis zu 5.350  wurde die Fraktion DIE LINKE im Bundestag vom Sitzungspräsidenten Norbert Lammert (CDU) des Saales verwiesen, weil sie der Opfer der vom deutschen Oberst Klein befohlenen verheerenden Bombardements vom 4.9.2009 gedachte. Die Abgeordneten erhoben sich von den Plätzen und hielten Schilder mit den Namen der Getöteten in die Höhe. Sie durften an der weiteren Debatte nicht mehr teilnehmen und erst in der Abstimmung der Bevölkerungsmehrheit gegen den Krieg in Afghanistan  Ausdruck …
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If anyone is surprised over this, you haven't been paying attention.If you thought the ridiculous security imposed for the Olympics was only for... protection of athletes and dignitaries, think again.And get out your wallet. …
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I think Taber must be bored since Question Period took time off and even then, I have noticed Taber can get petty in her writing. I caught this over at BC er in Toronto. Her latest fluff is some very strange obsession with bugging Iggy about which olympic hockey team he’d root for. Oh yeah, Really serious stuff. Is this what she thinks is a crafty method to catch Iggy being disloyal to Canada? Good grief, Iggy has Russian roots that he may find important. Don’t we all have roots outside of Canada that may be important to us? Remember folks, with the exception of our First People, …
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“It is a continuing scandal that this vicious demagogue is kowtowed to by Republican politicians and enabled by nominally respectable media corporations and advertisers.” Hendrik Hertzberg in Decoding Limbaugh [via The Daily Dish] Then again … Source …
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After an exhaustive search requiring the suspension of Parliament, the PMO has announced that they have found a new personal assistant for Prime Minister Big Steve. Qualifications were stringent as I am sure you will be able to gather. Evidently, the unfuckable Jason Kenney is somewhat put out by this new hire as he was quite sure there was nobody else as uniquely suited to the necessary duties. …
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Fuck you Steve & Iggy, my vote goes here!Image swiperized from the Bloggess. …
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I thought NATO occupied Kandahar Province?...But the long-expected assault on Kandahar province, and in particular Kandahar city, is expected to be a more ambitious and difficult fight and could see more Afghan civilians on the move. As with the offensive on Helmand province, no precise timetable has been given for the offensive in Kandahar province, but a senior administration official with U.S. President Barack Obama's administration told Reuters Friday the aim will be to seize Kandahar city by the end of this year...And Kandahar City? Jesus, isn't there a big effing NATO base there? …
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 " Published evaluations of children in Sweden, Denmark and Canada have also shown that autism diagnoses continued to increase after the discontinuation of vaccinations with thimerosal. U.S. cases keep rising as well." - National Post, February 17, 2010: Michael Fumento: The damage done on vaccinations The above comment by Michael Fumento,  a featured commentator on the National Post,  is part of an opinion piece condemning critics of vaccine safety and particularly those who assert a connection between some vaccines and autism disorders.   Fumento and the National …
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There are a number of things that you can do to should your displeasure over Bill 80. Getting on the MENU should not be the reason why CEP supports Bill 80 and CLAC. Visit the website:Say No To Bill 80 Join Facebook cause: Stop Bill 80's Amendments to the — Construction Industry Labour Relations ActCLAC overtly partisan By Robert J. Lee, The StarPhoenix February 1, 2010Twice now, I have seen Brad Bent of the Christian Labour Association of Canada state in The StarPhoenix that CLAC's union dues are lower because "we don't spend our members' money on partisan politics."If this is really the …
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