Atlas Hugged

46 States to go!

2012-02-01T06:30:00.000-08:00

I am willing to take bets at this point that Romney will not have enough votes to win the nomination on the first ballot.

18 Million, in a state that is very expensive, and he didn't knock anyone out. Oy. Even for a mega-millionaire, he is going to have trouble sustaining his money.

Question Period Musing

2012-01-30T10:36:00.000-08:00

How many times have you heard that QP is too partisan?

Often, critics of the "hour of power" talk about how the participants have to show better restraint and rise above the debate.

Many would be reformers talk about how it could be changed, and why those changes would be for the best.

Few of them, however, talk about how the nature of QP itself contributes to the partisanship lamented to as a condition precedent.

Iron Lady

2012-01-30T05:47:00.000-08:00

While Mrs. Streep was excellent, this is not a wonderful film. Anyone who goes to see this film thinking that they will learn much about Mrs. Thatcher will be woefully disappointed. Basically, this is a work of fiction because the director/screenplay author fixated on what life is like today for Mrs. Thatcher, as opposed to what she did accomplish as the PM of England.

It basically focused on her current prison - being trapped in an allegedly demented mind with constant apparitions.

If there is one word of it which is not true, I would sue the bejessus out of the producers. A Lady of her standing deserves much much better.

Eerie Quiet

2012-01-29T10:32:00.000-08:00

There hasn't been anything from the Newtonians lately, except a Herman Cain endorsement. I would imagine that is about as helpful as my endorsement would be.

While I do honestly believe that Mitt will win Florida, I am actually quite intrigued by the next suite of contests. I think Mitt is going to have a tough time keeping up with Newt's intellect - and even though he may be a better candidate - I think there are a lot of conservatives who don't want a better candidate - they want a better intellectual leader.

Julius Newton

2012-01-23T06:18:00.000-08:00

That speech was WAY over the top.

But, to his credit, at least he is consistent.

Florida is going to be fun to watch.

The Most Important Endorsement in America

2012-01-20T13:50:00.001-08:00

Would would Norris do?

Vote Newt, apparently

http://www.wnd.com/2012/01/my-endorsement-for-president/

He is so tough that by voting for Newt, he kills a voter for every other candidate.

Newt's Attack on Mr. King

2012-01-20T12:49:00.000-08:00

In South Carolina, it might have been Dr. King, but in this case it was John King.

There is no doubt that Newt Gingrich is probably the best debater (soundbite or otherwise) that the US political scene has seen in a long time. He probably could - and did - go toe to toe with Clinton.

Last night was a little embarrassing because you KNOW that it was coming down the pipe (so to speak.) I am not sure I disagreed with John King (I?- CNN) raising it in the exact way he did, but he absolutely did Newt a favour. It was a fastball over the inside part of the plate and Newt hit it out of the park.

That said - is it relevant? I still don't care what someone did 12 years ago with his wife. Unlike Mr. Clinton, at least Newt asked about the open marriage. It probably matters to values voters -but I am more interested in knowing what they will do in the future as opposed to what they have done in the past. His hypocrisy aside, he didn't lie under oath like the President did. Many people think - after the fact - the perjury should stand alone as a reason for impeachment irrespective of what he was lying about.

So, back to the main point, Newt defended himself by denying the accusation, lambasted the media, the moderator's deliberate choice. And he did it without looking too angry, and he even got a few laughs.

Frankly, what kind of an idiot didn't expect that? Was the purpose to think Newt would go apoplectic and make himself (even more) unelectable? It didn't work dude.

Baseball, Baseball, Baseball!

2012-01-17T12:43:00.000-08:00

2012 Yankees fan is really excited about the changes to the rotation - two new SOLID arms to compliment a 6 man rotation. Move Joba back to the pen. Have Hughes do long relief. It is a great thing.

2015-22 Yankees fan thinks we just traded Babe Ruth, who is actually named Jesus.

Yanks certainly need at least 1 more "on base guy" whether it is a very old Johnny Damon or a mid-priced career player. My biased rankings of the team are

Pitching - A. A solid work-horse starter and

Relief Pitching A+. Adding Hughes and Joba to the pen full time, and arguably the best 3-2-1 combo to close (Robertson, Soriano, Rivera.)

Infield: A. I know Derek Jeter is old. Old Jeter is still better than most others. I know A-Roid is busted. A busted A-Roid is still better than most others. Robinson Cano is the best second basemen in the game - I don't care about the dork that plays for the Sox. Tex is either the best or second best to an over-rated Red Sox first baseman. The only reason we talk about first base is because of Pujols, who couldn't field a turnip, and this is about gloves - not bats.

Outfield: A - very deep defensively. Johnny Damon's Arm makes this a C if he is forced to play out there if he joins the team.

Front end bats - (on base) A. There is no better line-up for getting people on base and in scoring position.

Big Bats (SLG) A. When your fourth best power hitter is Alex Rodriguez, this are looking up for you. Cano and Granderson both deserved MVP votes last year. Tex is a SLGing machine.

Line of the Decade - Fidel Castro

2012-01-09T14:29:00.000-08:00

I just finished re-reading this book, a review of the Chretien Era in Canada by Lawrence Martin.

The line of the book - possibly the decade - is an encapsulation of a meeting that happened between Chretien and Fidel Castro, who was in town for Mr. Trudeau's funeral. What is funny about the line is that Fidel Castro has never stood for a "free" or "fair" election in his lifetime.

Mr. Castro - So, Jean, I just met the Leader of the Opposition Stockwell Day.

Mr. Chretien - Well, what did you think?

Mr. Castro - You should call the election as soon as possible.

Gold, Jerry. Gold.

The Ticket

2012-01-09T10:28:00.001-08:00

Apparently, my previous prediction about the Democratic Ticket was not totally insane.

The NYT Staff and Robert Reich agree.

390ish Electoral votes?

I am so mad I could spit

2012-01-06T06:54:00.000-08:00

I am not a fan of international files, but I am a fan of whining to ambassadors.

Your Bootstrapping has woken a slumbering giant.

Oh, Pablo

2012-01-05T13:31:00.000-08:00

Well, it was a good run Mr. Rodriguez - his bill, C-288 was a problem before, and it looks like it will be repealed. Thank God- it was a total waste of everyone's time. It started as a tool to humiliate the government. It worked- but, they don't care now, and they didn't care then.

Daniel Turp isn't finished

I like Daniel - always have. Smart Guy. Couldn't win a by-election in poor downtown Montreal riding against an unknown opponent, but a nice guy.

Good luck to him with his lawsuit - should be at first instance by the time KPIA is deleted.

Iowa is over and New Hampshire is MOSTLY irrelevant

2012-01-04T08:42:00.000-08:00

I have a lot of observations:

The first is that you could fit all of the Iowa caucus goers into the Michigan University football stadium. I honestly don't know why we place so much emphasis on this caucus. That said, Rick Perry (TPR- Texas) spent over $800 for every vote he got. Santorum (SCR- Pennsylvania) spent $1.65.

The second is that there are some important primaries left, but none of them are "traditional" primary states. New Hampshire is not one of them. Mitt should win by 3-1 margin because he LIVED IN BOSTON FOR 8 YEARS and has his gubernatorial team running his campaign in NH. If he gets less than 40 percent, it will only be seen as a loss. If he gets 60% it will only be seen as a "duh, of course he did.

After NH, South Carolina is next - also, not relevant to Mitt Romney. He has no chance of winning there unless the vote splits perfectly between five other candidates. I think this result will be the same tie in Iowa, except it will be between Newt and Santorum (if he is still viable in two weeks.)

Florida is a toss up. Latinos will love Newt's immigration reality. The older folks will love Santorum because he reminds them of their grandchildren. Romney will have trouble picking up many voters here.

Nevada is key for Romney. He can, and should, win that state. No one else except Ron Paul will do well there. Michigan should vote 60-70% for Romney.

Super Tuesday will be a total toss up - with each candidate having a state they can claim as their own. In April, New York can push Mitt well ahead of everyone else, but who cares - its New York! He can't hope to win that state in the general.

Conclusion - unless Mitt wins soon, we will have a brokered convention. If he shows up at the convention with 35-45% of the delegates, there is absolutely no guarantee that he will win the nomination. First of all, on the second ballot, his delegates will be the most nervous. Second of all, you might see a real galvanizing force pull them all together. Or, as Newt would say, a true Reagan Republican. The longer the nomination lingers, the more likely the forces opposed to Romney will win little snippets of votes - and they will all have their chip in the game come August. I don't by this malarkey that by staying in the race, all the others are helping Mitt. He has to win 50% of the delegates or he will not be the nominee. He isn't going to convince anyone to come to him.

There is a catch-22 in play. Absent a game-changing event/campaign, on paper, Mitt Romney (LD-Mass) is the only candidate who can give Obama a run for his money. Except that he can't, because his candidacy will create at least one third party candidate, if not two. The WAY-right e-conservatives (C) will find their Ross Perrot (D- Arkansas) and the Tea-vangelicals (C) will do the same. That will shave 2 points off on either side. Obama wins 36-8 states, maybe more.

Newt Gingrich (R- Reagan) can stop Romney with his serious full frontal attack on him. It is not likely that he can win the nomination, but he would make an excellent Dick Chaney (R - 43*) to whomever is the nominee - and ironically, would compliment Romney the best.

Santorum and Newt both guarantee Obama's re-election because they will motivate Obama supporters to come out and work again. This is Obama's biggest problem - motivate the 10% of non-voters who voted last time and the 100,000 or so volunteers to GOTV. Romney doesn't scare them the same way either of the others do. Right now, a lot of former Obama activists are not thrilled with their President. Motivating them is the last thing the republicans want to do.

Term Limits?

2011-12-29T09:47:00.000-08:00

I don't know why people at the Globe and Mail publish this pap. I bet it has something to do with advertizing space.

I like Paul Wells' response - here

My own view is that a constant overhaul of Parliament is not every going to help anyone except the new 308 people (for now) who get elected every two years. The idiocy of Belidiot's (L - Convenient) idea is that it assumes many things - like the prescribed length of a term, for starters.

Otherwise, someone elected in 2004 for the first time wouldn't have been able to seek re-election in 2008. Someone like Jim Prentice (C?- Calgary), for example. Who, coincidentally, chose not to run again in 2011. Neat how that works out on its own.

I think limiting the choices of voters in any way violates their Section Three Rights. I think that limiting the ability of a person to run in the election unreasonably impedes their section three rights.

I think that being an elected official and representing constituents isn't about "new ideas" it is about understanding what MPs do (from a transactions perspective) and that having confidence in that MP is very important. You get confidence in an MP from their record, and how they represent you. The one talent that existing MPs will have in spades is understanding what new ideas are bad, and why the system is constructed in such a way to prevent bad ideas from being taken up quickly.

Frankly, we have term limits on certain positions which ARE NOT elected for good reason. The Elections Act governs MPs and individual mandates. If the voters want to limit some one's term, they can do so if they damn well please.

Long time no post - I will do this more I swear

2011-12-06T10:27:00.000-08:00

Especially if idiots come up with ideas like this one -

Not attacks - just exploration

Well, excuse me if I think that this is just silly. We can call them "Shark Eruptions" if they hurt people - just like volcanoes.

"Shark Accidents" if they destroy boats

"Shark Dentistry" if they are just working their teeth.

Maniacs. Who gives these people funding?

2011-08-24T10:42:00.000-07:00

Don't worry about Sharks in Canadian waters?

I remember when they said "Sharks don't come to Canada, the water is too cold" - Lying liars and the lies they tell.

You should be worried if there are creatures where you swim whose senses are "so honed" that they might confuse you with a seal.

The only species at risk is YOU.

The time for Comedy is now!

2011-08-23T07:38:00.000-07:00

Comedy is what we use to heal ourselves -

Jack Layton to Canadians:

"...love is better than anger. Hope is better than fear. Optimism is better than despair."

Master Yoda to Anakin Skywalker:

"Fear is the path to the dark side. Fear leads to anger. Anger leads to hate. Hate leads to suffering."

Jack Layton - NDP Champion

2011-08-22T06:08:00.001-07:00

There has never been a more successful federal NDP Leader

There is no doubt that their most recent successes were 100% the result of his charisma, dedication and hard work.

What lies next for the NDP is important- and Mr. Layton's legacy is in their hands. In their transformation from the CCF they protected the historical position of Tommy Douglas. What is next for their party will be a rubicon for all Canadian politics.

For now, we can agree that he was an inspirational leader.

Greatest Cameo Ever?

2011-08-19T07:59:00.001-07:00

I can't wait to see it - I hope he plays Crom!

Brazil

2011-08-10T05:50:00.001-07:00

One liners I would use:

1) The PM was looking for Nazi's who fled Nuremberg

2) Speaking after lunch leads to embarrassing photos with leafy greens stuck in your teeth

3) Fascinated by how the water flushed the other way

4) Blame it on Rio

5) Hard then you think to re-adjust this thong

6) Was drugged and had and attempt to have his organs harvested - assailants noticed he had no heart and moved on

A-Rod, still an idiot - 600 home-runs or not

2011-08-05T13:22:00.000-07:00

Yes, he is an idiot.

Yes, he has ignored MLB.

Yes, he shouldn't hang out with degenerate gamblers.

You can't, can't, can't stop him from playing cards. That is going to far.

Crist, I would bet (hah!) that on the team bus they play cards all the time.

HST in BC

2011-08-05T13:18:00.000-07:00

I am not sure what I find funnier - the fact that the BC Referendum ballots have to be "received" by a certain date (as opposed to "date stamped" by the post office, in accordance with the common law "postal acceptance rule") or the fact that BC doesn't know how many ballots it mailed out.

Or, even worse, that you would have to request a ballot by mail to get one by mail.

Bets on the Ontario Election?

2011-08-05T10:30:00.000-07:00

Do you have any?

Personally, I find the level of debate excrutiatingly poor.

Everyone says Daltoid is going to lose, but I want you to tell me what 17 ridings (or more) he will lose. 'Cuz, I don't know which ones they are.

August is the Sunday of the Months

2011-08-04T12:10:00.000-07:00

I can't believe how slow it is. I can actually hear shadows creeping across the ground.

NDP Leader used to be a Separatist

2011-08-02T10:34:00.000-07:00

So what.

I kind of wish people focused on what political leaders believe in today - not what they used to believe in - or claimed to believe in for their own selfish professional reasons. What they believe in today.

Frankly, I would daresay that there are exactly ZERO political leaders who didn't at least sympathize privately with the views of their greatest opponents.

Now, I understand that there is a difference - but still - is there anyone who doesn't honestly believe that the person in question is in some way unable to do their job?

Shark Week

2011-08-02T08:34:00.000-07:00

They are coming to get you. You can get away.

Specicide is the only way to save ours.

Jack!

2011-07-25T14:07:00.001-07:00

Get well soon.

Monday Morning lunacy

2011-07-25T07:43:00.000-07:00

On the one hand, I want to make lots of Wolly Mammoth jokes. On the other hand, this is typical drive-by smear journalism with no basic attempt at discussing hazard/risk.

Some people just don't understand how long range transportation of substances works. That should be explained.

These same people don't know the difference between bio-accumulatio and bio-magnification. That should be explained.

These same people do not understand bio-availability. That should be explained.

They also don't know what is a desert.

Toxic chemicals freed in Canadian Arctic: Study ; Environment: Climate change to blame

The Welland Tribune Mon Jul 25 2011 Page: C6 Section: News Byline: KRISTY KIRKUP, PARLIAMENTARY BUREAU

OTTAWA -- Just weeks before Prime Minister Stephen Harper's annual trip to the Arctic, researchers have released a study stating climate change in Canada's North has unleashed toxic chemicals once frozen in the ice.

A team of scientists, including two Canadian researchers from Environment Canada, published the report Sunday in the scientific journal, Nature Climate Change.

The article says Arctic cooling could undermine global efforts to protect humans from chemicals known as persistent organic pollutants (POPs).

POPs, which are man-made substances emitted by industrial, agricultural and combustion activities, were banned under the Stockholm Convention.

The international environmental treaty was signed in 2001, took effect in 2004 and aimed to restrict the use of 12 POPs often used in insecticides and pesticides. Scientists say the toxins made their way to the Arctic by air and ocean currents, and were trapped in Arctic ice, soil and the ocean. Researchers now claim as the ice is melting and temperatures are cooling, chemicals are being freed.

POPs have also reached the food chain in the North and accumulated in wildlife.
"A wide range of POPs have been remobilized to the Arctic atmosphere over the past two decades as a result of climate change," the study states.

The new report, published by a team of four researchers including Environment Canada's Jianmin Ma and Hayley Hung, examined the chemical concentration of DDT, HCH and cis-chlordane. Scientists observed analyzed data from between 1993 and 2009 from Norway and Canada.

The team says the rate of chemical remobilization will depend on how fast climate change affects the Arctic. However, POPs are of "real concern" to humans, researchers say, because they can cause serious illnesses and cancers.

Harper is set to visit the North in August to assert Canadian sovereignty, which he has done every summer since becoming prime minister.

Drought in Africa

2011-07-20T14:53:00.000-07:00

People who don't have the same access to water we have

I must have missed a memo - I didn't realize that the last drought had ended.

As a Canadian (a country which "owns" 4% of the world's potable water) I find it absolutely abhorrent that we haven't devised a way to GIVE some of our water away.

Setting water aside, as a Canadian, I find it almost worse that we haven't found a way to enrich their soil with the SCADS of raw nutrient fertilizers we have.

Setting water and Potash aside, as a tax payer, I am disgusted that we haven't decided to focus on this as an issue. Teach a man to fish, blah blah blah - that skill is no good when there is no lake.

And people say that I am a dreamer- I wish I wasn't the only one.

What would happen if this happened in Canada?

2011-07-19T13:56:00.000-07:00

Well, I wouldn't care all that much.

I think that is horrible that a journalist would become part of the story- I got news for you- it happens all the time.

I find it annoying when journalists feel the need to excoriate the practices of their peers. If it happened in Canada, I would ignore it because frankly, I don't care.

I really wish that the people who deliver the news didn't feel the need to create it.

Perspective

2011-07-18T05:37:00.000-07:00

Last week I got a quite random by someone from my "waaaaaay" back days. It was pretty graphic and more than suggestive. I was shocked for sure, and that isn't easy.

I was on my blackberry. I read the message, and thought to myself "good lord, its been over forever, what is this crazy @#$%@# thinking?"

I started to type out a polite, but firm, reply only to then realize I was responding to a spam message sent out by a hacked hotmail account.

I am quite glad it was spam, because I was really worried that her writing skills had deteriorated.

crazy

2011-07-05T07:01:00.000-07:00

I think they are missing the point

So, a senior BC bureaucrat can immediately lobby the people who used to work for her for 16 years, but an Opposition MP who has never met a bureaucrat can’t lobby them for five years?

I know they are different political cultures, but c'mon.

Crazy. Times.

Hockey Hall of Fame Inductees

2011-06-28T13:15:00.000-07:00

I am happy about all four of them - but most happy about Mark Howe.

This is the PERFECT example of the anti-dauphin. This is a guy who succeeded DESPITE of who his Dad was. This is a guy who worked his ass off for 2o plus seasons and was one of the most solid stay-at-home defencemen ever.

So what if he never won a cup. So what if he never won the Norris Trophy. He was a rock in the defensive end.

I am also happy about Ed Belfour. Not because my Upper Deck Rookie card may now be worth .25 cents instead of .20. But because he had a really hard go of it after his time in Dallas - he was accused of a lot of crap (and maybe it was true, given the video evidence entitled "Belfour drunk at my house") but ultimately, he was a very solid career netminder who has flashes of brilliance.

Hot goalies are awesome when they are hot.

My new favourite song

2011-06-28T08:06:00.000-07:00

I really like her voice - but haven't quite figured out what this song is about

Set Fire to the Rain

Free Speech

2011-06-27T10:49:00.000-07:00

If you haven't seen this, protected speech is after all, protected speech.

Art imitating life?

The Best Evidence is, afterall, the truth

2011-06-27T10:28:00.000-07:00

For your information - do with it as you please

From David Frum, uber-conservative

Hindsight?

Great News!

2011-06-27T05:23:00.001-07:00

The House of Commons has risen for the summer!

I can go back to planning. I don't know what I am planning, but there is nothing left to annoy me here.

Its raining

2011-06-24T13:08:00.000-07:00

I don't like the rain.

Canada Post - Why the NDP is crazy

2011-06-23T11:23:00.000-07:00

A lesson in politics for Mr. Layton. If you have a Quebec base, missing St. Jean Baptiste day is like...well, I don't know, actually. It is really stupid.

I have many views on the Canada post issue, but the most important is this: You need to have reality in context when you try to take your fight public. Let me explain.

Cops and Firefighters have a lot of political power. When they strike, they are effective because of the invaluable services they provide.

Canada Post also provides an invaluable service. But it is one that is quickly becoming dated. More letter mail can be replaced by email - even secured documents (might even be more secure). Only packages have the same need for delivery and that is what delivery services are for.

Now, don't misunderstand this as support for the government. Their legislation is PERFECT for their own political goals. They can drive down costs, use their majority to do it, and allign it with their goals for public service renewal. In a perfect world, I would have introduced even more draconian legislation and used that to pressure the sides to settle. The Government has NOTHING to lose on this issue - and will ultimately take credit for the work startage (is that a word? It is now!)

The Union AND Management at CP are on another planet. Neither side has any public sympathy and both of them are helping the PM get a few booster points. The Opposition is doing itself a disservice by thinking they are standing up for the workers of Canada Post - they are just prolonging the inevitable and giving the government a way to whap them repeatedly.

Sadly, Whack-a-Jack doesn't get that he is being played. He doesn't (or refuses to) understand the larger picture. He will push against a piece of legislation that he doesn't think he can stop. He will do so on principle.

Principles are really only worth the practical applications to which they are applied. In principle, I can fight for the freedom of speech, but in practice it is stupid to argue for the free speech of an idiot. This time around, Jack's principles are hurting him. Badly.

And, you know that I will hear about it from a 10-percent-er.

NDP Convention Starts Today in Vancouver

2011-06-17T06:36:00.000-07:00

Expect Riots and Lootings to follow soon

Air Canada Customer service agents strike

2011-06-14T06:38:00.001-07:00

and no one notices.

Actually, that isn't true - many people were shocked at how efficient the system ran without them. Moreover, many people thought that customer service improved.

Today's Profound Truth

2011-06-13T09:03:00.001-07:00

I woke up with just as many NBA Championships as Chris Bosch.

Its very tough - NBA Finals

2011-06-13T05:30:00.001-07:00

As a Yankees fan, it is really tough for me to be sore at a team for pulling together as many great players as possible.

As a fan of humanity, however, it is really easy for me to castigate a jackass who made a ceremony about where he chose to take his next job. It was like the Game of Thrones, except the King didn't want the crown. Then, to play second banana to a proven winner because when the chips were down, he couldn't get the job done.

I cheered for the Heat three times in my life.

The first time was when they drafted UNLV centre George Ackles. He barely got off the bench, but it was the memory of his dominance in college that made me like them.

The second time was when Alonzo Mourning - one of the greatest grit distributors (no error) literally beat up everyone EXCEPT the Knicks, who finally topped them in a 4-3 Conference final that featured 'Zo and LJ going toe to toe.

The last time was when Shaq got Kobe'd out of Los Angeles, only to take Flash to the golden ring. Evidence that the Diesel knew how to win. And, he brought 'Zo along for the title too.

But this team was annoying. With the exception of Flash (D Wade) they were a bunch of selfish, ego-driven losers who thought they could just pick their way to the title. All this proved to me is that Phil Jackson probably deserves a lot more credit.

I also don't have many nice things to say about the Dallas Mavericks. I like Jason Kidd- glad he got a title. And, happy that Chancellor Bird-noviski got his too. I don't buy the "he is one of the greatest players ever" crap though.

Soapbox

2011-06-09T14:08:00.000-07:00

I don't normally talk about work on my blog, but I am really quite annoyed with Health Canada.

Personally, if you didn't already know that smoking was bad for you, I think you are an idiot, or so oblivious as to walk around in traffic and will die another way, on another day.

If you think that changing a warning label from 50% to 75% is going to make a difference in educating that very narrow class of people who don't already know that smoking is bad for them, I think your thought processes need re-evaluation.

If you think those same people, who would be affected by the moderately larger warnings, are actually going to quit smoking, as a result of the change (remembering that addiction is different than information) I think that the re-evaluated thought process needs another tinker. AND

I think that this is very similar to HC's policies on a litany of other issues which turn on the ability of a regulator to come up with inane rationales for their own self-existence. If they can't solve it, it can't be a problem. If they have a budget, they had better do SOMETHING to justify it.

Federal Budget

2011-06-06T12:38:00.003-07:00

I have asked the PMO to "Blue-line" the federal budget so we can more easily see what changes exist to the one introduced in March.

They said ok. I am holding them to it.

The more things change

2011-06-03T07:57:00.001-07:00

This is a reposting of the SECOND thing I ever put on my blog (from April 2006.) It was back when I tried to relate everything back to something that was in either the Fountainhead, or Atlas Shrugged, or one of the other lesser known Rand works. To this day, I still dont' know why (c)conservatives think she is a thought leader for them. But I digress...

For the record, I still believe almost every word of it. I have inserted some snide comments in red for my own amusement. It is fun to read stuff you wrote a long time ago.

The Virtue of Ceremony

Almost all of Rand's important characters hated ceremony. They either reflected this by their actions, or through their words. Waste, they would say, is the ultimate sin and is without virtue.

I gave a speech from the throne too. After I flushed it had about the same level of substance. (ew.)

The one delivered by her Excellency, however, had a lingering smell of cultural imperialism that just wouldn’t go away.The pomp and circumstance that goes into the speech from the throne is the only thing that gets ordinary Canadians, albeit temporarily, to even pay attention, which is a problem in and of itself. I don’t know if that is because they don’t care, or if it is because the speech is really boring.

This afternoon, there was about 45 minutes of very official knocking on doors and such. Did you know that the person who knocks on the door of the House of Commons (the usher of the black rod) makes well over a hundred grand a year? Pretty expensive trick-or-treater if you ask me.

In outlining the government’s five priorities, her Excellency did an adept job at reading the provisions drafted for her consideration by the Privy Council Office as ordered by the Prime Minister. It was also fun to watch the MPs herded behind the thin gold bar at the entrance to the Senate floor. That said, what a phenomenal waste of time and more importantly, money. (more than the per vote subsidy for the Liberals, I might add)

There were numerous government officials who probably don’t have to do anything except go to cocktail parties until the next throne speech. The entire process reeked of elitism and government largesse with which few Canadians could identify. It was nice that the Governor General invited Santa clause and eight of his stunt doubles to attend. (I solemnly respect the important role the Supreme Court of Canada plays as the new official opposition)

At least when the President delivers the State of the Union to Congress, he can actually do something about it. What is her Excellency going to do if the House of Commons ignores her? Go out and buy a new hat? (thank god for majority governments.)

Our system of government pretty clearly establishes that the de facto Head of State and the legislative branch are on the same page, and if it doesn't, let me assure you that separatists are not suddenly going to see the light because of the carefully chosen words of the Prime Minister, read by a woman who is the representative of her Majesty, the Queen of England, also known as the embodiment of English as an intergenerational cultural oppressor. Je me souviens, indeed. (added scorn that it is now David Johnston, and he is talking about reducing the leverage of Quebec in the House - At least Madame Jean used to be a separatist herself)

At least the State of Union helps frame the debate from the perspective of the single most important political figure in the states. This is not a call for a wholesale renewal of our parliamentary system or process. This is a call for the Prime Minister to look beyond the Senate when he goes after democratizing institutions that Canadians pay for. The Senate actually does something for the average Canadian from time to time- I don’t think the usher of the Black Rod can say the same thing. (oh, that is irony, part 1.)

But, what about tradition? Tradition is fine provided that it doesn’t impinge upon the present. Tell Canadians that there won’t be money for wheelchairs or for combating homelessness because they spent over a million dollars firing blanks into the air and making sure that the Senate understands the importance of their role. (the irony of that statement is not lost on me, part 2)

I am not going to suggest for one second that massive policy changes would occur if we had that extra million bucks, but if we added it to the millions "carefully expended" investigating the millions syphoned off to well placed members of the former government to help save federalism...It just smells. (something something about respecting democratic institutions)

Can't one of the more nubile Senators get up and knock on the door instead?

May is almost over

2011-05-31T04:40:00.000-07:00

and I am not sure how this is possible, but statistically, the Yankees are behind the Red Sox.

What? Didn't the sox start like 0-11 or something absurd like that?

Isn't that usually what the Yankees do?

Andy? C'mon back for June 15th.

I have learned more about cosmetics today...

2011-05-30T10:57:00.000-07:00

...then I ever expected I would need to know.

Sometimes they can be drugs, but sometimes they aren't cosmetics because of the low concentration of a medicinal ingredient, but it has to be a certain percentage in order to be a natural health product.

I think we need new rules: Tell me what the product does, and what proof you have of that claim. If the claim is "Lipstick makes your lips red" that should be good enough.

A long poem about Jack Layton (as promised)

2011-05-26T13:49:00.000-07:00

The Cat in the cradle spit out the silver spoon,
And now we have a man who is over the moon

100 more seats than I think they deserved
He musters and blusters, and is hardly reserved

The picked over the corpse of nationalistic pride
And have since adopted a position which is easy to deride

He is a clever man, of this there is no doubt
Too bad his success has reduced his actual clout

Government in waiting, what a horrible joke
If he gets any closer, our country will be broke

Despite this sad truth, his genius is clear
By the end of 2012, his entire caucus will be old enough to drink beer

Populist plans to save Canadians from themselves
Proving the key is to elect Santa, not his elves

Ask all you want, the response will be plain
You better pull yourself up, or feel electoral pain

If you blow this one chance, your party is screwed
Quebec as a mistress, can be of foul mood

Betray the trust that she gave to you my friend
May see the country we live in soon end.

Opponents of Canada are sitting in wait,
Hoping you flounder, listing at the gate

I hope you succeed, you speak to their issues
And do not succumb to a flurry of miscues

Four years from now, I hope I am wrong
And then, only then, will I rewrite this song

Atlas Hugged Movie

2011-05-24T08:16:00.001-07:00

An anonymous follower asked me if I was planning on seeing the Atlas Shrugged movie when it is released. I would have replied to them in person, but I couldn't as they didn't give me any information by which to contact them.

Yes, I will see the film. I am actually looking forward to seeing it.

Despite the fact that there are some pretty serious philosophical reservations I have with objectivism, there are a lot of aspects of the teachings of Dr. Rand that I share and admire. Her views on economic liberty are important, and I think the first thing I ask my friends as I walk down the street past a government building is "I wonder what they do in there" or more specifically "what does that person do" while pointing up a window.

I also think that I represent the people who make Riordan Metal, but that is another story entirely.

The poem is coming - I promise

2011-05-09T14:47:00.001-07:00

But I got busy doing something else.

Defending democracy one ballot at a time

Fucking Mulcair

2011-05-05T05:22:00.001-07:00

I would like to start a list of other things T Mulcair doesn't believe in:

1) a market based economy
2) the moon landing
3) Corporate social responsibility
4) Global cooling
5) Shakespeare in love
6) The Force

For me- this is just proof that ANYONE can be an idiot, not just a 22 year old bartender. I really do hope that we stop focusing on the newest MPs who haven't proven they are incompetent yet - and give them a chance to proove themselves!

After thinking about it -

2011-05-04T08:01:00.000-07:00

With the Harper government firmly nestled in with a majority - I can say that "The Official Opposition to the Harper Government isn't the NDP. Its the Supreme Cour of Canada."

The NDP have more seats and less power. They couldn't stop something if they tried. Press Releases don't stop bad laws in majority governments.

The SCC, however, can.

Sure, the composition of the court will change over time, but the law is the law is the law look a shiny pony. I don't think we will see the same "activist" judges who have predetermined views on issues of national importance ascend to our bench.

Being a judge is about thinking a certain way, and approaching legal issues to find a solution which is both acceptable to the litigants (or at least one of them) and is in line with societies expectations.

Well, that was something

2011-05-03T06:07:00.001-07:00

It would appear that I have to write a poem to Mr. Layton. Oy.

There are a lot of surprises, but the biggest surprise ISN'T how Jack did - its how Gilles didn't.

Trust the people of Quebec to know, better than anyone else, what is/not relevant. Bravo.

No party can ever say that they can't win in Quebec. None.

Tonight's Election

2011-05-02T11:53:00.000-07:00

I just don't believe any of it. I don't believe that voters will walk into a voting booth and say "oh, that Layton fellow seems lovely."

Of course, people do date strangers they meet on the internet...

There are four distinct thoughts, in descending order of likelihood – but all very possible – all have profound implications for our constitutional future.

1) Majority. Jack splits votes in 20-30 ridings he usually finishes fourth in. This helps the liberals in some ridings, but hugely benefits Tories North and East of Montreal, BC. They come in between 160-165 with 35% in most of those ridings. Harper majority introduces c-2 (the Attila the hun spending cuts) and c-3 (the crime and punishment) bills and they are law before June 13. This is how Jean Chretien won power three times. Get used to it.

Harper Majority changes the face of Canadian Politics as he Harris's his way to the government he wants - like 33 people with Apple I-tablets.

2) Minority with Michael Ignatieff (MI) as Leader of the Opposition. MI holds out and brings down government before December– no substantive issues are discussed because legitimacy is only issue on the table and the future of constitutional legitimacy at play. Tories win 260 seats in three years if they can sustain the message. I really and truly do not believe that many seats will sway to the NDP. They have 38 now - they MIGHT get to 60.

Changes the face of Canadian Politics as Harper will be forced to resign eventually. No doubt that the battle to replace him will be brutal.

3) Minority with JL as OLO. MI resigns and we have an excuse to allow PMSH stay around (knowing he will also be forced out within a year) as we select new leader. There is no way that Lib brand can allow PHJL picture in any building. Destroys Lbieral key argument for why it is better and why the NDP can't be trusted.

Same as above, but when Layton falters, Conservative Leader Maxime Bernier will win 60 seats in Quebec. And then I move to Georgia - and not the one in the US.

4) Majority of NDP/Lib or Lib/NDP WITHOUT the support of the BQ (ie – tories are down around 125 seats). Not unlikely if the NDP sneaks up to 75-80 seats. I can't imagine it really happening though.

The two parties would eventually have to engage in some kind of merger discussion. Entire government stand still until agreement sorted out. Will not happen overnight.

100 Seats?

2011-04-26T07:25:00.001-07:00

If Jack Layton wins 100 seats I will write a very long Poem about his genius.

Come. On.

Jesus.

And now, something different

2011-04-11T06:50:00.000-07:00

A-D-D musicians

Is it safe?

2011-04-04T11:28:00.000-07:00

The Lobbying Commissioner has noted (again) that lobbyists should be advised that their campaign activities may put the people they are campaigning for into a conflict of interest position in the future, and have the lobbying world to govern themselves accordingly.

For me, that means - going to St. Louis and Houston- therby ensuring I cannot exercise my democratic rights to involve myself in the political process.

My free speech, my right to an informed vote, to inform the vote of others and my right to freely assemble with others. I hope all the illegal lobbyists who don't follow the rules are equally vigilent. Wait. That isn't going to work, is it.

Leader's Debate

2011-03-30T06:00:00.000-07:00

Elizabeth May Not. I feel that while correct, this decision is evidence of how much power the media has in the country. I am not really comfortable with that.

Election about something?

2011-03-28T06:09:00.000-07:00

I am sad that all that anyone is talking about is the process by which the constitution can be invoked to establish a government. I wish someone would start talking about something. ANYTHING. I don't give a hoot about whether or not you are secretly plotting to take power- I am ASSUMING you are - I want to know what you are going to do when you get there. Though, it does remind me of Supreme Court of Canada holding from the first patriation reference - where the court wrote that unilateral patriation of the constitution was "legal, but odious" to the spirit of the laws and conventions of Canada. I wonder if any other things that are legal are not conventional? As I have said before, you can be correct and not right.

308 Seats

2011-03-24T06:33:00.000-07:00

But how many of them are really in play? 50? 100?

Without thinking too far outside the box, maybe we should have a new system where if you win 50% of the votes in your riding, you don't have to run again for five years.

Kind of a spin on the Senate in the US, which is staggered in when each race is held - imagine if all the tories in Alberta didn't have to run again?

Of course this is a crazy idea - but sometimes you have to ask "what is the point?"

And away we go

2011-03-23T07:18:00.000-07:00

What idiocy.

Crazy NDP

2011-03-21T08:57:00.001-07:00

Ok- so, NDP will support the government, giving Layton the cover he needs to...recover. It is about pensions and heating oil and whatever other irrelevant nugget they can find. Ironically, a cut in the taxes to heating oil (for seniors) would also be a boon to the Oil and Gas sector- but what do I know.

Furious, Tom Mulcair will leave the party, and cross the floor to join the party he wanted to join in 2008 but wouldn't because he hated S Dion. He was, after all, a right wing liberal under the Charest government.

The deal will vacate the riding of Outremont for him, forcing Cauchon to find another riding to win - which he can easily do. This will save Mr. Mulcair from an almost certain trouncing in the next election.

Alternatively, Mulcair will grin and bear it, knowing that Layton will resign halfway through May - and give the PM an extra six months of government. His increased stature after the end of the prolonged leadership battle will make him more...electable to the people of Outremont.

Either way, I think my spot on team 2012 - where I have been for a long time - is safer than it was last week. There is still no guarantee that logic and reason will carry the day.

What is with the Conservatives and Hookers?

2011-03-18T10:45:00.000-07:00

Is it a Julia Roberts thing?

You would think they need a Norm MacDonald type character to save their asses on a regular basis?

"That is a dead hooker. You don't think I know what a dead hooker looks like? That is a dead hooker in the trunk of a car."

Competency

2011-03-17T12:29:00.000-07:00

I have to stop measuring people by my standards.

Competency: you might think it is a certain thing, but it is probably far far below that thing

Gordon Campbell's Next Job

2011-03-15T11:39:00.000-07:00

Senator and Minister from British Columbia?

It is polite to offer outgoing Premier's a spot in the Senate. Given Mr. Campbell's support for the HST and the fact that he is hardly a left leaning liberal and the fact that Harper seems to like dealing with non-progressive conservative former Premiers (and some PC ones, too) - maybe this is the best fit?

It is not like there is ample room inside the current BC caucus to elevate someone else?

Mark Warawawawa? good lord.

I am still doing my best to stay on team 2012

2011-03-14T12:49:00.000-07:00

But it is getting harder and harder and harder and harder.

Wrong Side of the Issue

2011-03-09T12:03:00.000-08:00

Lobbying to have the Lobbying Act changed, as a Lobbyist is kind of like lobbying on behalf of seals to have the seal clubbing act changed.

At the end of the day, they are still going look at the intent of the act - which is to club seals. If they are required to use a softer bat - is that really better? It will just take longer and prolong the agony.

Its almost Baseball season

2011-03-04T10:08:00.000-08:00

There is no greater truth - I love satire

I can't wait for baseball to start

In and Out - Update

2011-03-02T11:17:00.001-08:00

There is another thing - it is a bad idea for the Liberals to focus on this issue because - to be fair - it is really hard to explain without confusing the hell out of anyone.

It is not tough to explain cash filled brown envelopes going to party workers. And everyone still remembers.

In, Out, In Out

2011-03-02T05:58:00.000-08:00

The Federal Court of Appeal has issued its reasons for overturning the Federal Court's decision to overturn the reasonableness of the Chief Electoral Officer's decision to investigate certain campaign spending and intra-party finance irregularities.

This is NOT the same as saying that the CEO was correct. I can't wait for the appeal.

My personal view is that this is not a matter that should be discussed in the Media because, frankly, they just get it wrong all the time.

I am more interested in knowing some additional details about the timing. Like, why would the DPP launch the charges in the past week - me thinks one of the parties knew what the result was before the other. Methinks this because the other party's speaking notes on the matter were so obviously...not aligned with the decision.

A new version of Risk

2011-02-28T07:15:00.000-08:00

You have to control the media, the streets, the cities and the outside influence of other countries.

And if you roll 6,6,6 you get to remain dictator for another turn

An interesting idea, despite the proponents

2011-02-24T07:41:00.001-08:00

I am confident that this will go exactly NO WHERE, but it is an interesting idea nevertheless

As proposed by Scott Reid (C- Manfredi) and Randy Hillier (R-Wyoming)

Of course, the underpinning argument made by Hillier is absolute lunacy. People have their land expropriated in the United States all the time. Sometimes to build football stadiums.

Things I don't care about

2011-02-16T10:10:00.000-08:00

1) I don't care that a Minister over-ruled her department. That is her job.

2) I don't care if she tried to pawn her decision off on her department - sucking it up is their job. And blaming the Ministers' office for a document change is kinda bizarre for a senior public servant - expect her to be shuffled soon.

3) I don't even care if a document was falsified internally. In my world, I call them drafts.

I care when they lie to Parliament. You know, that whole lying under oath thingy.

Freedom at the Barrel of a Gun

2011-02-11T10:23:00.000-08:00

The mob has spoken. What did they say?

Did they say "no more dictator." Or did they say "No more of THIS dictator."

Either way, I wouldn't assume it is going to sunshine and lollipops for anyone in the Middle East for some time.

I hate Parliamentarians- take two

2011-02-10T09:00:00.000-08:00

I have just watched poorly researched opposition MPs make all kinds of wild assumptions about what the law pertaining to lobbying is.

I was personally disappointed in both the poor quality of research that went into their questions, and more importantly, that no one has the forsight to see that this is going to come back and bite them on the ass when they form a government. What is good for the goose...

Just ONCE I wish the people asking the questions understood what lobbying is and how it applies to the case at bar.

101 on 101

2011-02-09T06:00:00.000-08:00

When it was originally conceived, Bill 101 was to protect the French language in Quebec. The language charter was designed to protect an island of French in a sea of North American English.

The debate has waxed and waned over its usefulness - and the carve outs - and ultimately whether or not the provisions of the charter violated another one. The Supreme Court of Canada has twice said "yes. Change it."

Last week, Mad Max Bernier (Beauce - Tea Party) made an off the cuff remark about the continued need for the language charter. Speaking to an English audience, he remarked that the language could survive despite it.

He was immediately castigated by the Quebec intelligentsia. "He can't mean we don't need 101," they cried. "Education! Signage! Tradition!"

Ironically - this week anyway - bill 101 does more to regulate the internet than the CRTC does.

As a unilingual who can speak French from time to time, it isn't my position to tell what is needed to preserve the French language. Personally, I think it is the giant "WALMART" signs that are a greater threat than "Schwartz's Bifteck," but what do I know.

What I do know is that it is kind of silly for the Quebec intelligentsia to say we need to rely on this regulatory approach to preserve the language when a charismatic French speaker stands up and says we don't. Their own arguments point to the fact that the traditions will carry forward because of the culture of the province. Sadly, they are also indicative of what is evolving into the culture of the province.

I hate Parliamentarians

2011-02-08T08:53:00.000-08:00

A friend of mine is getting grilled for no good reason at a committee hearing because she got an email from a guy she should not have gotten.

I don't give a fig about whether or not someone did anything wrong - I think that this is a ridiculous witch-hunt and a waste of Parliamentary committee time. They should be ashamed of themselves.

Aren't there real problems to solve?

See, AAAAR Tea Sea

2011-02-07T11:07:00.000-08:00

I don't download very much.

I believe in polluter pays. I believe in pay as you go. I believe in toll roads.

I don't care if people want to charge more for the internet. I can assure you, I won't pay more.

I do think that our current laws for "regulating" the internet are based on 1968 technology. This is dumb.

I also think that more competition is good.

USA Bulk Water Exports

2011-02-01T11:30:00.001-08:00

Well, it is nice to know that they do have some resources worth exporting.

There are a few things I don't understand about this (ie, why don't they ship it to Nevada, California, New Mexico and Arizona) and more importantly, why they wouldn't build a pipeline across the Bering Straight - but those minor annoyances aside I have one word to say.

Bravo.

The biggest threat to the mushrooming human civilization is the lack of water in the third world. While they are selling it (I would give it away, and use the CIDA money to pay for it) it is a remarkably important step to understanding the real problems in the third world.

I have always believed that access to clean drinking water is more than a human right - it is a planetary right. We should be doing this too. And Maude Barlow can kiss my can.

Contradictory Domestic Policy 101

2011-01-31T06:36:00.001-08:00

Let me get this straight:

If you are Lebanese and your are visiting Lebanon for the summer when the shit hits the fan, the government will evacuate you no questions asked.

But, if you are Egyptian, or a student visiting the Pyramids, you have to cover your own way home?

C'mon.

If only we had a military base in the region we could easily send people to quickly and easily.

Politics and Slip-ups

2011-01-28T11:42:00.000-08:00

Maybe Peter MacKay just likes to play RISK

Seriously, when people pounce on knuckle-head stuff like this, they just look silly. And, there are gaffs and there are mistatements - it isn't like he based a policy decision on a wrong-headed view of a map.

No, this government would never do that

Electors who are free to choose

2011-01-25T05:35:00.000-08:00

Are free to decide.

All Kneel before CRAHM

I would imagine Mr. Emanuel's prayer will sound different than this one , however.

Five Yeas Later

2011-01-24T06:42:00.001-08:00

The Conservatives have been in power for five years. The world hasn't ended.

If anything, we have learned how irrelevant the House of Commons really is.

Liberalism

2011-01-21T07:00:00.000-08:00

Someone asked me last night why I was a Liberal- I don't exactly fit into their demographic.

My response - "I wasn't really anything until I went to Western. I knew what I liked and didn't like. I had a class with Prof. Ian Brodie, and he said a lot of things I didn't agree with - and then self identified as a Conservative/Reformer. I knew I wasn't that.

Then I went to law school. Then I knew I was a Liberal."

The solution for Haiti

2011-01-18T06:43:00.000-08:00

Papa Doc was too hard

Mama Doc was too soft

Baby Doc will be juuuuuuust riiiiiight.

An ally in the war on sharks

2011-01-18T06:42:00.000-08:00

The Government of Canada made them an endangered species.

Finally, an ally I can trust

Pithy remakrs

2011-01-17T08:53:00.001-08:00

I think that due to time constraints, I am going to focus on making snide asides instead of having larger more substantive posts about stuff. Maybe that makes me a bad analyst, but it certainly is more likely to increase my post count knowing that I can pithily update my status in a line or two.

I mean, all the kids are doing it this way through the twitter, right?

So, my first pithy observation?

"I am a firm supporter of the ability of people to have registered weapons in their remote homes to shoot at bears who may attack in the middle of the night - and would also support releasing a movie about this staring Edward Norton. I am not a supporter of conceal/carry laws, or home invasion deterrent possession. I think you should have to justify your weapon, and defending your property is no longer good enough."

"PS - I wish a federal judge in the US would depart from 200 years or so of jurisprudence and say "oh, c'mon, the right to bear arms is about rising up against corrupt governments. Ironically, a strict constructionist like Robert Bork would have supported this position. Guess who liked him? The socially conservative right."

I hate the Baseball Writers of America

2011-01-05T11:38:00.001-08:00

Any universe where Robbie Alomar gets into the Hall of Fame, and Mark McGuire - one of the two men who SAVED baseball in the late 1990s - does not, is not a fair and just universe.

Chritmas Cheer, 2010

2010-12-02T06:43:00.000-08:00

An updated version of a story I wrote in 2006!

At a menorah lighting ceremony in Ottawa Monday, the Prime Minister noted that energy intensity is the solution to all of Canada's environmental woes. "If only Canada could get eight days of light out of single drop of oil - It is by improving our energy intensity that we will reduce our GHG emissions."Negotiations in Cancun continued without the participation of Canada's Part time Minister of the Environment.

ENGO critics of the Harper government said "it is a miracle that Harper is talking about the environment, but it will take more than divine intervention to make Canada reduce its anthropogenic releases 6 percent below its 1990 emission levels."

Liberal Leader Michael Ignatieff praised Santa Claus for his environmental policies - noting that only a true Liberal, Red outfit and all, could use so little energy to go all the way around the world. "This is a true Canadian," Ignatieff added, noting that while ordinarily a resident in Canada (at the North Pole), he has done a lot of work in other countries like the US and the UK.

Jack Layton, sitting around the festivus poll, noted that Santa Claus was just as bad as Harper and the Liberals. "In terms of the environment, Harper deserves coal in his stocking, but knowing him, he would just burn it." Commenting on the opulence of Parliament, Layton mused "Maybe if everyone in Canada cut its Christmas light decorations in half we wouldn't waste so much energy?"

Conservatives responded that the last thing anyone in Canada wants is a coalition government.

Elizabeth May, the Federal Green Party Leader, is also not a fan of the yuletide season. "Given the climate change phenomenon, this isn't the Green Christmas I was hoping for," she was heard saying at a recent rally of herself and her executive assistant. All she wants for Christmas is someone to remember who the hell she is.

Finally, Gilles Duceppe, speaking at a rally in St. Agathe, said that all Quebeckers/quois should believe in Santa. "Le Pere Noel," he said, "a apportez l'esprit du saison en 2010." He figures that as long as he has a job, no other party will get a majority - and that, he says, "is the greatest Christmas present of all to Quebeckers/quois."

Go Celtics?

2010-10-19T10:42:00.000-07:00

I would love to see Shaq get another title, especially if it comes by dunking on Lebron James' ugly head.

While definitely on the downward wave of their speed and success- the Celtics are a significantly better team than the Heat.

The Lakers are still, however, the team to beat.

Interesting fact, Shaq has played for each of these teams.

I love October

2010-10-07T14:17:00.000-07:00

The baseball playoffs have started:

"A dedicated union guy works his whole life in Ontario, and can't seem to get ahead. He moves to the US, and bang, he is making history. Typical. And is just like the story of the same guy working in a stell mill in Ontario or Penn!"

I honestly believe the Phillies are the best team. I want the Yankees to win. I hope the Rays continue to suck.

Summer Calm

2010-08-24T05:23:00.001-07:00

There is something particularly relaxing about sitting on a patio and drinking wine.

The end of summer, however, is upon us to quickly. And we aren't getting any younger.

I can see the shadows grow longer as the sun sets at a steeper angle. It isn't a euphemism, but the creeping shade reminds me of the coming cold as it covers the grass in a cloak of darkness. The difference in temperature is immediately measurable as the warming light disappears over the western front.

Winter is coming, and with it, an end to a glorious summer.

The Dream Team is going into the Hall of Fame

2010-08-13T07:06:00.000-07:00

Greatest. Team. Ever. Assembled.

Period.

From something I wrote a few years ago.

Redeem the Dream?

I have some young friends. They are very nice, but they don't know about anything that happened before the year 2000 in professional sports.

Usually I just let their mindless banter about how much greater person X from 2008 is than person y from before 2007.

Not this time. A very strong article about the "Redeem" team (USA Basketball 2008) was written on what team is better when comparing them to the Dream Team (USA basketball 1992). To my young friends, this meant (ipso facto) that the new team had to be better.

I attached the article below in text format to provide context. I concede every point made in the article about politics, careers, old men - and introduce some that aren't there about how USA basketball in 1992 had to have at least four white dudes on their team. Racism persists.

Bottom line - the Redeem team is very good - but it is also not the best team USA basketball could have fielded which is the only real criticism of DT1. There are at least five completely underwhelming players on this team - in that they are either a) just great players who could have been replaced by ME and there would have been no change to their chances or b) I don't know why they are on the team when there isn't a legitimate seven footer on the roster to deal with Yao and other behemoth's from around the world.

I will concede that at the bottom end of the roster, Redeem Team is better than dream team. Christian Laetner and Larry Bird (yes, Larry the legend) could have been replaced by better players. At the top end, however, is where the differences really shine through.

Point Guard - Magic/Stockton v. Jason Kidd, D. Williams and/or Chris Paul

The NBA's all time assist leader coming off the bench to sub in for the best natural play maker of all time against three dudes who have only barely cracked the NBA finals. No contest. The Newbies are nice.

Shooting Guard A - Jordan, Michael. Conversation Over.

Shooting Guard B - Drexler/Mullins v. Kobe/Wade. I will concede that if Michael Jordan got hit by a bus, Redeem would have an edge here.Small Forward Offence - I concede that Lebron James will be the best small forward of all time when he is done. So far he has done exactly nothing by "career" standards. He is awesome.Small Forward Defence - Pippen is a better defender.
Who needs offence when you are the FIFTH shot option.

Power Forward - Chris Bosch, Carmello Anthony v. Charles Barkley and Karl Malone.The best power forward in the history of the game (Malone) is the guy for whom the name "Power forward" was invented. I am sure that at age 45 he could still out muscle Bosch and Anthony.

And the back up is the Round Mound of Rebound? Good luck kids.

Center (and this is where the debate ends) David Robinson and Patrick Ewing v. Howard and whomever else is around...Sorry, but when Howard is going to be running over to play help defence against Malone, the Center position is going to have a fucking field day with both offensive boards and easy dunks. Howard, who can't legally rent a car in most states, will be outmaneuvered on defence. And that is the weakness of this team- they have no large goon.

And Ewing was a freak of nature, and Robinson was (at the time) the most perfect model of what a solid center was supposed to be. Howard is good, but hasn't proven himself.

Intangible of experience: No contest - Wade and Bryant both won titles on the back of a guy named Shaquille. Without him, neither has done jack. (2010 correction - well, Kobe has NOW)

There is exactly two players on the Dream team who didn't make it to the NBA finals. Yikes. That is clutch.It is true, the rest of the world got better. It is also true that the Dream Team never really had to try. It is also true, that in a 27 game series, the younger and faster Redeem team might finally draw even.They are not, in any way, a better team. They have one outstanding player who will stand next to Michael Jordan in history as the greatest. But he isn't Michael Jordan yet.

________________

BEIJING – With each successive blowout, each complete manhandling of competition exponentially greater than Magic, Michael and Larry could have fathomed, the question about the current USA men’s basketball team isn’t about redemption, it’s about greatness. As in, is this the greatest basketball team ever assembled? Could they even take the original Dream Team?

Immediate reactions of blasphemy aside, the debate is certain to heat up if Team USA continues its blitzkrieg of the Beijing Olympics and wins the gold. The team play has been extraordinary, the defense suffocating and even the outside shooting precise. On top of its game, the 2008 team is a tour de force to behold, its 119-82 annihilation of world champion Spain being the finest indication that this, at the very least, is the best Olympic team since 1992.

And that includes a rather dominant 1996 U.S. club.“They wanted to show everyone they are superior, and they did,” shell-shocked Spanish center Pau Gasol said.

Here’s why the argument, first broached by Mike Vaccaro of the New York Post, is at the very least a valid one. The 1992 team didn’t need to bring its “best” team to Barcelona to roll through the Olympics. USA Basketball selected it in part based on personality, marketing and even lifetime achievement. Magic Johnson had been retired for a year. The Larry Bird of ‘92 was long past his prime, six years removed from his final league most valuable player award. John Stockton was chosen over Isiah Thomas because Michael Jordan didn’t want Thomas around.

Twelfth-man Christian Laettner, the NCAA player of the year, was selected as a nod to the past days of collegians representing the country.

Those four players averaged the fewest points on the team. Not that any of it mattered. The U.S. outscored opponents by an average of 43.8 points per game and became a phenomenon in the process. In 2008 there is no such luxury, not with the improved play of the rest of the world. The final players on the current U.S. team are Tayshaun Prince and Michael Redd. Prince is a defensive stopper with his pterodactyl-like wing span.

Redd is a dead-on outside shooter.All 12 of the current American players are either in their prime or about to enter it. This team is younger, quicker and certainly more focused, mostly because it needs to be. Comparing results at these games is almost futile. The 1992 team could party the night away in Barcelona, roll out of bed and still win by 40. There have been no reports of such a thing here, where preparation is paramount. “We realize that we made a sacrifice to come out here, and part of it is our bodies need to sleep,” said Carlos Boozer. “This is what we signed up for. Let’s go do whatever it takes to get it. If it takes leaving the arena at one in the morning to get the gold medal, we’ll [do it to] get the gold medal.”

The thing is, had they needed to be, the 1992 team would’ve been just as focused. Jordan would have assured that. If anything tilts the balance forever in the original team’s advantage, it is MJ. In the summer of 1992, he was 29 years old and in the middle of winning six NBA championships and five NBA MVPs, numbers that could’ve been higher had he not chosen to play baseball for a season and a half. He is undeniably not only the greatest player in the history of the game, but arguably its greatest crunch-time player and, along with Bill Russell, the best at simply finding ways to win. If it came down to a final shot, who’s betting against him?

The current team, as talented as it is, would have no logical answer. Kobe Bryant, LeBron James and Dwyane Wade, considered the three best players and outrageously gifted in their own right, are all a step down from MJ. However, the idea of Kobe defending Jordan, his idol, would be intriguing. Conversely, the 1992 team has nothing quite like the physical freak that is the 6-foot-8, 240-pound LeBron. Scottie Pippen on him would be a hellacious matchup, though. As good as the perimeter talent on the 1992 team was – especially Jordan, Pippen, Clyde Drexler and knock-down shooter Chris Mullin – the current squad is deeper and certainly capable of its own fireworks.

It is inside where the 1992 team would hold a significant advantage and likely determine the game. The Dream Team’s post combinations were breathtaking – Patrick Ewing and David Robinson at center and Charles Barkley and Karl Malone at power forward, all in their prime.The current group of Dwight Howard, a tender 21 years old, Chris Bosh and Boozer would be overwhelmed and perhaps systematically fouled out. Carmelo Anthony, an uninterested defender, would have to be counted on here to help. The only way for the current team to win would be to push the ball, score in transition and find a way to prevent the 1992 club from dumping it down low. Could they do it?

The most difficult thing to determine is effort level. The 1992 team didn’t need it. This team is focused almost exclusively on it, especially on the defensive end. “For 40 minutes we (want) to be nonstop movement and chaos,” said Chris Paul. “That’s what we try to do. We wreck havoc. Every time down we’re all over the point guards. Our big men are up, we’re not relaxing.” In a single elimination game, that may or may not be enough.“You will see a team of professionals in the Olympics again,” 1992 U.S. coach Chuck Daly said at the time, “but I don’t think you’ll see another team quite like this.”

If anything, you could argue that while the 1992 version may remain the greatest team ever assembled and one that would be favored in a hypothetical matchup, no team has ever played the game at a higher level than the current U.S. team.

Oops - Canadian Election

2010-08-12T12:03:00.001-07:00

I haven't posted in a million years. Sorry.

It has come to my attention that I have a lot of people now betting with me on a Fall election - no problem, says I, and since most of you have wagered a "beer" or "drink" with me, what I propose is that assuming all of you are amenable, our bet is now not longer date specific (except for the practicalities provided for in the act).

The new terms for the bet is "Will there be an election CALLED in the fall session of Parliament" - meaning if the election is called in the fall, but doesn't happen until 2011, I still win.

I will then buy a keg of beer and you can all come and drink out of it. If YOU lose, that means that you will all buy me one drink at some point in time

Deal?

600!

2010-08-04T13:55:00.000-07:00

So, I was wrong about Lebron. I love how he has become the most hated man in sports in every city but Miami.

In other news, Arod hit 600 today. Even though he is the youngest to do so, it is worth wondering if he can get to 700 or even to 763. I am betting on yes - many are not.

In other other news- Shaq to sign in Boston. Wow. Miami isn't the best int he East with all their wicked moves. Wow. They have made a mistake by not signing Shaq, and when his large ass knocks Bosch around, it will be fun to watch.

Its the Bulls

2010-07-08T10:39:00.000-07:00

I don't know why, but I am sticking to my guns. Lebron will go to the Bulls.

And if I am wrong, I will admit it tomorrow. Or the next day.

I think I said it best when...

2010-06-28T07:08:00.000-07:00

In China, political protestors who seek the most basic democrative freedom's are met with tanks and are crushed by a despotic communist government.

In Iran, political protestors who seek the relaxation of religious rules and greater choice in their government are rounded up, and lord knows what happens to them behind closed doors.

Two groups who are seeking change that most of the democratic world can agree with are brutalized. We lament their tragic losses.

In Canada, a gang of luddites swarm hapless Starbuck's windows in the spirit of wanton destruction. They have no 'ask' so to speak, but they convey the message of "NOT THE STATUS QUO" without actually identifying what is wrong with democratically elected governments.

No one touches them.

I think they should try this in China and Iran and see what happens to them

Loves the view from here- or at least the sounds

2010-06-14T11:42:00.000-07:00

If you didn't think they would be blowing those infernal horns, what did you think they would do to make a ruckus?

To all avid sporting fans - good luck trying to make a local tradition go away.

But, if you are successful, can you please go to Fenway and make Red Sox fans less assholey?

A random list of things that piss me off

2010-06-08T11:09:00.000-07:00

1) People who bitch about Oil companies making profit - if you don't like it, stop fucking driving

2) People who think that oil comes from trees - if you don't like it, stop fucking driving

3) People who think that large corporations can just pay more taxes - if you think that tax policy doesn't directly affect employment, you are dreaming

4) People who think that the government is a trusted source of information - they have way more of a motive to lie than you do - or a company does - because they need you to keep their jobs. A company can always find another new investor

5) People who think that if you disagree with your political party of choice on a key issue, you should be banned from that party - by this logic, I would never be able to be in a political party except my own.

6) People who think that not defending a stupid policy by a political party is tantamount to treason - uh, fuck that noise - a stupid idea is a stupid idea, and me saying it is just means that you should come up with less dumb ideas.

7) People who think that they are right about something because they have the right to vote - by this logic, the crowd would eat the sow every time because 51 stupid people are just as right as 49 rocket scientists

8) People who crap on the CBC for their bias. Everything in the news is biased. Read two articles if you are worried about CBC-speak.

9) People who try to cover up their mistakes by blaming other people - the first FIRST thing you should do when you discover an error is try to rectify it - and come up with a solution to the problem as opposed to locating another person to blame for the problem

10) People who don't understand how important clear, concise communciation is - I stopped listening to the guy jabberring on a long time ago