43 Replies to “Reader Tips”

  1. Copied from the previous thread, as per Vitruvius’ request
    ——————————–
    A different bob,
    Sharia’s got nothing to do with it – we had the same law in effect here in Canada, right up until 1983. Afghanistan’s fledgling democracy is going to do things we don’t like, and they’re going to make mistakes, like we did. It would be a foolish mistake to insist and impose on the people of Afghanistan an adherence to Western ideals and standards of a pluralistic secular democracy, when they’ve had no history of such.

  2. (For the record, ladies and gentlemen, Bob and RL are now apparently discussing some matter of some various reports that have been on the wires about some sort of problem with some proposed legislation in Afghanistan, which had previously been started in an entry in which it was off topic, and so which is now being carried on here, in Reader Tips, where it belongs. Perhaps they would even care to explain just what it is that they are talking about, for the benefit of the listeners of SDA Late Nite Radio, but that’s not up to me to decide.)

  3. To introduce a different topic since there will be a lot of talk about the deal between Newfoundland and Quebec for the former to export electricity directly to the U.S. There will be the usual Newfoundland side of the story about the raw deal it got with the Churchill Falls hydro development and the long-term contract at low prices it got stuck with.
    First of all former premier Lucien Bouchard did give a few billion dollars of extra compensation to Newfoundland in the ’90’s over the long term. Secondly this project at the start (1970) had a number of risk factors associated with it: super long transmission distances with a technology that was not certain to work; no market for such a huge block of electricity (this was before the oil price shocks); the difficult terrain; the remoteness of the area and finally the credit history of Newfoundland which was shaky at best (one of its premiers had been an outright crook).
    The Americans were not interested in investing in this colossal project and it was a consortium of British, Newfoundland, Canadian banks and South Africa (BRINCO) that put together the project. Quebec bet on this project when nobody else was willing to do so. Of course with inflation and the two oil crises, Newfoundland found itself on the short end of the stick for reaping the profits. But British Columbia also suffered from deals made for development before the oil shock.
    The details of the new deal will be known soon, but for sure it will involve development of the Lower Churchill. I’m sure Quebec will not give money away just for “les beaux yeux” of Danny Williams.

  4. Vit – maybe you would understand it better if it was in poetry. Don’t be an idiot with your sarcasm. If you haven’t heard anything about the new women oppressing laws in Afghanistan in the last few days perhaps you should crawl out of your hole and turn on a radio.

  5. I think not, sir. Rather, it was simply my intention to not put words in your mouth. You brought the thread from there to here, and thank you for that, yet it remains for you to introduce it to the listeners properly. The fact that I know everything is not relelvent to them. Ouch, ouch, hey, stop hitting me 😉

  6. OK, this is a bit lengthy and a bit arcane, so anyone looking for current events is encouraged to move on.
    At around 10:30 tonight, my 15-yr old daughter called me (I’m separated; it’s my fault; don’t ask) to discuss the poem “13 ways of looking at a blackbird” by Wallace Stevens. It consists of 13 different verses, none of which mimic the other in lines, meter, or rhyme scheme. The poem is public domain, so I’m going to post the last three verses here:
    XI
    He rode over Connecticut
    In a glass coach.
    Once, a fear pierced him,
    In that he mistook
    The shadow of his equipage
    For blackbirds.
    XII
    The river is moving.
    The blackbird must be flying.

    XIII
    It was evening all afternoon.
    It was snowing
    And it was going to snow.
    The blackbird sat
    In the cedar-limbs.
    In the 11th verse, Nicky and I agreed that the mistaken vision was a metaphor for his sudden realization of his own mortality. How could, after all, a glass carriage cast a shadow? And yet don’t we all carry within us the knowledge, fear, certainty, and acceptance of our eventual death? But there comes to all of us who are spared violent death a moment of stark and chilling knowledge that the death we have so long denied is in fact imminent, and apt to be sprung without warning. This is the piercing fear.
    When Stevens’ wrote “The river is flowing” (emphasis mine), he says with certainty the river moves, but also implies there was a time when the river wasn’t moving (i.e. winter). Thus, for the river to be moving, it must be spring. And, if it must be spring, then the blackbird must be flying.
    I see this as XI saying that we glimpse our mortality, but XII saying that we see in every spring a rebirth. But Stevens says “The blackbird must be flying”. Since poets choose each word carefully, you have to ask yourself why didn’t he say the blackbird “is”, or “might” or “could” or “should” be flying? What does “must” mean in this context?
    When we say “he must be there”, don’t we mean “in the normal course of events, he would be there”, or “he’s had enough time to get there”, or “I can’t think of any reason he wouldn’t be there”? But don’t all of these introduce the smallest element of doubt? Maybe he isn’t there; maybe something happened.
    And that element of doubt is to me the essence of what being a modern Christian entails. Except for taking the Lord’s name in vain (goddammit!), I live pretty much in harmony with the 10 commandments. But don’t we all feel a little bit of Thomas within us from time to time? And that’s why I feel Stevens chose the word “must”; the blackbird must be flying, it must be spring, the resurrection must be coming. Unless it isn’t.
    And that’s where I felt the impact of the last verse. For in his darkest hour (“It is evening all afternoon; it was snowing and it was going to snow”), he sees the blackbird in the tree, much as Noah saw the dove after the flood. In the end, the blackbird which has been seen as a harbinger of death and doom is seen as a symbol of hope.
    I hung up the phone with my daughter and wept. Can I keep my faith? Will I be strong enough? Will my doubts overwhelm me? I don’t know the answers to any of these questions; I only know I won’t sleep easily tonight.

  7. VITRUVIUS – SELF APPOINTED GATE KEEPER OF SDA!
    Impressive! I’ll talk about you so as to impress my friends at coffee row tomorrow.

  8. Now don’t be silly, we’re just tryin’ to keep the flow streaming, with a chuckle along the way, y’know. Besides, we have this blackbird thing to deal with, and we’re still waiting for you to explain to us exactly what it is you want us to talk about, to consider, to (generally speaking) agree with, disagree with, or ignore. I know the hour is late, still, perhaps, you could find it in yourself to provide us, hanging on the edges of our seats, with the key to this melodrama?

  9. Vit, I think you interpreted “different bob’s” message as an attack on Kate, hence your desire to be the knight in shining armour.
    I didn’t think his post was such.

  11. More Manitoba stupidity:
    http://www.gov.mb.ca/stem/climate/pdf/vsab_report.pdf
    “Limit the salvage auction of pre-1995 vehicles undertaken by Manitoba Public Insurance to vehicles for parts only.”
    “From 1991 to 2007, automobile manufacturers made steady improvements in the efficiency of drive trains. Considerable improvements in fuel efficiency were easily available. However, North American fuel efficiency remained static, as the improvements were directed to producing higher horsepower to enhance performance and power larger vehicles.”
    No shit sherlock, it’s called supply and demand. And actually, the early-mid 90’s were the “golden years” for fuel mileage. Many car models hit their peak then, the civic, TDI equipped cars, etc…

  12. Vitruvius, with all due respect I don’t believe I misinterpreted you.
    I think it’s time for all of us to hit the hay.
    A good night to all.

  13. No, you completely misinterpreted me, TJ. In practice, Bob started an off-topic thread here, and it’s a fine topic in its own right but it was off-topic there, so I pointed (op cit) folks to this place, which is for that, and Bob, well, you know, he just had to wiggle his tail on the way out the door. You might want to ask Jeff about it. Attacking, defending, knights, and armor had nothing to do with it (except for the blackbirds, of course). And so we’ve all had a jolly good laugh over it ~ nice tail wiggle Bob ~ and now I’m going to bed, good night everyone, sleep well, get rhythm, and as always, thanks, Kate.

  14. Oops. Didn’t mean to start that up, folks. What Bob and I were discussing was this: http://tinyurl.com/ctbuye
    And while Vit has probably had quite enough of people putting words in his mouth, I think all he wanted was for us to put the ‘discussion’ (such as it was) in context.

  15. Obama Bows Submissively Before Saudi King (Video- YouTube)
    http://thecanadiansentinel.blogspot.com/2009/04/obama-bows-before-saudi-king.html
    A major no-no, breach of protocol.
    He didn’t bow before the Queen of England, but he bowed before the corrupt, fundamentalist, Sharia-imposing Islamic monarch.
    I’m advised that he later said of the Queen that she’s “Like my grandmother, with a bigger house”. Clearly he’s attempting to diminish the Queen, while he’ll bow sumbissively before a latter-day Xerxes!
    What message is he sending in his bizarre behavior?

  16. Obama’s really turning out to be an odd bird, isn’t he? Do you get the sense that he just views the Constitution of the United States as a suggestion?
    On a brighter note, I’ve put together a video of Dennis Miller interviewing Mark Levin. You can watch/listen to it here.

  17. “Effects Of Climate Change On Infectious Diseases Questioned By Ecologists
    Recent research has predicted that climate change may expand the scope of human infectious diseases. A new review, however, argues that climate change may have a negligible effect on pathogens or even reduce their ranges. The paper has sparked debate in the ecological community.”
    “Lafferty agrees that climate isn’t the only issue that affects disease ecology, and maintains that climate may play only a small part in determining disease ranges.
    “If we over-emphasize the role of climate, which we have little control over, at the expense of other factors that drive disease dynamics, we may be missing the forest for the trees,” he says.”
    http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/144822.php

  19. “Bruni backs off from Obama kiss (did Bammy reek of cigarettes?)
    The Sun UK ^ | 4/3/2009 | LEON WATSON
    FRANCE’S first lady broke with protocol today as she held out a frosty hand to welcome Barack Obama.
    Stunning Carla Bruni was business-like in her greeting — while her hubby treated Michelle Obama to a hug and Continental double kiss.
    The former model gave pecks on both cheeks to Mrs Obama and other dignatories when the couple arrived in France.
    But when it came to the dashing US President the beauty kept a noticeable distance.
    (Excerpt) Read more at thesun.co.uk ..”
    http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2221399/posts

  23. “Canadian stranded in Sudan breaks Silence”
    ctv.ca apr.02/09
    a canadian man trapped in Sudan since 2003 is speaking publicly about his ordeal…….
    Rosemary Thompson reports in her vid report on this that opposition politicians are trying to get him back.
    Lets backup he was detained in 2003! In 2003 who was the Govt? well of course we all know that answer, and who is in thompsons report?
    Irwin Cottler, Liberal one of the most powerfull men in the Cabinet of 2003. So why now are the Opposition So concerned when they had 3yrs+ to take action? Well again we know the multiple answers to that.

  24. MSM/G-M doesn’t mention this*. TORedStar did.
    “A former federal cabinet minister and mayor of Scarborough, Ont., Judge Cosgrove was appointed to the bench in 1984.”
    “Embattled Ontario judge resigns” (G-M)
    …-
    PET judge shuffles off to the PET Cemetery.
    *”The Phantom Observer » Blog Archive » Downfall of a Trudeau Liberal
    One thing that the Toronto Star does report, to its credit: Mr. Justice Cosgrove was a Trudeau-era cabinet minister, in charge of Public Works: …
    phantomobserver.com/blog/?p=1911″

  25. Since ‘a different bob’ wanted to open this topic for discussion, and we also have RL’s comment, I’ll add to it.
    First, to RL, nations don’t go through pre-set linear paths of development. The fact that in our past, we had some laws similar to that proposed by the Afghan government with respect to women, does not mean that we can consider Afghanistan at that ‘same stage’ as we were in our past. And that they will, naturally, ‘move on’ to a future similar to ours. Again, there is no normative historical path of development.
    The fact is, that the mode of governance we are fighting and financing and enabling in Afghanistan is not a pre-industrial mode but an industrial mode. In the old agricultural style, women were ‘in the home’ and not in the work place and legally and financially under the control of men. In an industrial world, this societal framework doesn’t work.
    Therefore, Afghanistan can’t consider that it can be part of the global industrial world if it, socially, defines half its population (women) as unequal to men.
    Second, ‘a different bobs’ outrage is justified. Our involvement in assisting Afghanistan to move out of a feudal pre-industrial socieconomic mode into a modern industrial and democratic mode does indeed give us the right to ensure that what we are fighting for, does actually occur.
    We are not fighting for, our military are not dying for, and our taxpayers are not supporting, a repressive regime that treats half its citizens as unequal and reduces their power and role in society to that of a chattel.
    Note that this decision to disempower women is not a democratic decision in Afghanistan; such a decision ought to be by vote and referendum, not by an authoritarian edict put forth for politicla purposes. Karzai is up for election and he is concerned about the tribal leaders who operate in the old agricultural feudal mode.
    Again, a democratic nation has to fully represent its population; such a decision has to be made by referendum not by the male half of the population. And, since we are financially and militarily involved, then, we are part of the decision-making process. If that decision is the opposite of what we are fighting for – then, there is no need for our involvement.

  27. “103 guns in one home”
    Forget about the fact that most of them were registered and part of a collection including several rare specimins, big brother finds some obscure reason to jump in and take them all. Obscure reason in this case was having a weapon with no serial number.
    The justification “if it saves one…” is also duly paraded out. Never mind that is for some miracle he gets his collection back, all the bad guys have his address (kind of like Canada).

  29. “VITRUVIUS – SELF APPOINTED GATE KEEPER OF SDA!”
    Vitruvius wasn’t “self appointed”. He was invited. If he reminds folks to respect the rules of the blog, I expect you to comply. Thanks.

  30. “GATE KEEPER OF SDA”
    Now is that to keep the trolls and rifraff out or the patients of this asylum in?
    The true tradegy of the written word for most mere mortals is that human elements like nuance, sarcasm or humour are not easily passed on to the reader. Where one finds something amusing, there is someone who reads it as a personal affront.
    Perhaps Vitruvius could design himself a crest or shield depicting a noble warrior protecting the gates on the Kingdom of SDA. With the usual bunch of lions, griffons, eagles and other rigalia that typically adorn such things.
    (that was humour, btw)

  31. I don’t like Karzai’s new law. Having said that we can’t impose our values on their system. I would like to see it get there but put the shoe on the other foot. He does not control the country and is not trusted outside the capital. Now SDA’rs put yourself in the position that your beliefs are challenged and the response is to put the HRC in as the government. Pretty radical when you think of it. Karzai needs some support and he has to do what he can to get it. We build the schools and help make it safe. We show them there is another way. It is a slow process over generations that will take the populous seeing there is a benefit to them.

  33. maz2,
    “Our Enemy, the State.
    The State is your enemy not mine. If you think about it, it’s only a state of mind (no pun intended). Personally I do whatever I want and own whatever I want, guns included. I take the position that laws don’t apply to me as I was never consulted when they were made up. The idea of being caught and prosecuted doesn’t faze me whatsoever. If more people took my position the State would fold.

  34. The implications of Obama’s financial plan.
    (And it is actually worse than the partial quote indicates.)
    His promised ‘no-tax’ zone….ha!
    ——————————————–
    “Families well below the president’s ‘no-tax’ threshold will get a six-figure bill.
    Later…. “What does $6.5 trillion of additional debt imply …every income-tax paying family would get a tax bill for $163,000. (In 10 years, interest would bring the total to well over a quarter million dollars, if paid all at once. If paid annually over the succeeding 10 years, the tax hike every year would average almost $34,000.”
    Later…”But what is not just worrisome but dangerous are the growing trillion dollar deficits in the latter years of the Obama budget. These deficits are so large for a prosperous nation in peacetime — three times safe levels — that they would cause the debt burden to soar toward banana republic levels. That’s a recipe for a permanent drag on growth and serious pressure on the Federal Reserve to inflate, not the new era of rising prosperity that Mr. Obama and his advisers foresee.”
    From-
    http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123871911466984927.html

  35. Islam: the Enemy.
    Abdelrazik: the Enemy.
    …-
    “Canada denies passport to blacklisted citizen
    WASHINGTON — The Conservative government reversed itself today and denied an emergency passport to Abousfian Abdelrazik, preventing the Canadian citizen – blacklisted as a terrorist – from flying home to Montreal.
    In a terse explanation, it said Foreign Minister Lawrence Cannon considers Mr. Abdelrazik a national security threat.” (G-M-

  36. I still can’t believe that the Merrill Lynch bonus payment story isn’t getting a bigger play in the US news.
    Merrill took $10 billion under the Troubled Asset Relief Program.
    Merrill then paid its executives bonuses totalling $3.62 BILLION (Dec 08), or 36.2% of the total payout that they were supposed to use to cover their toxic assets.
    These executives obviously did not earn this money and their toxic asses should be fried in court.
    To review.
    AIG bonuses $165 million – massive outrage
    Merrill bonuses $3.62 BILLION – shrug?
    More at http://www.truthout.org/0331093

  37. Uncle Nuke advises: Keep your fuel rods warm; your atoms in motion; your nuclear waste close.
    Do not let your heavy water freeze.
    It’s all needed to stay warm, Goreacle advises.
    …-
    “Spring voting chooses Blue States/Red States
    Weather is not climate, but 49 out of 50 states agree – spring is getting off to a cold start.”
    urlm.in/cary
    Snowfall through Sunday:
    http://sirocco.accuweather.com/iwxpage/adc/popup/iws4_430.jpg

  38. speedy – ‘impose our values on their system’? Our values are hardly specific or personal whim to us; they are a basic component of industrial democracy.
    Therefore, if Afghanistan wants our assistance, in the form of our military and our financial and our engineering, teaching etc – then, this means that it wants us to assist them in moving into an industrial democracy. That means that we do not assist them into a regressive non-industrial, undemocratic mode.
    I find this notion of ‘our values’ disturbing. It sets up ‘values’ as idiosyncratic, personal, created by whim and fashionable taste. That is not the case with societal structures.
    The values of a societal structure have nothing to do with personal choice. They are directly embedded in the economic and political mode of organization. If the economy is industrial – it must move into democracy. Repression of democracy is possible only by totalitarian force.
    If Afghanistan wishes to remain non-industrial and non-democratic, then, it does not need, and should not be repeatedly asking for, our assistance. We do not assist states to repress democracy. Ever.
    Again, democratic values are not a choice, not a matter of whim or taste; they are a direct part of the construction of an industrial economy. Take it or leave it.
    not stirred – your argument is juvenile. You are basing your rejection of laws on your opinion that a law is valid for you if and only if you were personally consulted when it was made law. I see that you use grammatical construction and spellling reasonably well; those laws were developed long ago and I’m sure you weren’t consulted. Do you stop at red lights? Do you pay your taxes? Do you pay GST and PST? Were you consulted about any of this?
    And if the state folds, then we revert to anarchy and the rule of the thug, the bully, the thief. We are, as a species, both individuals AND members of a collective. Don’t ignore the function of the state/collective.

  40. STOPIGGY is in the toilet.
    “Kathleen Ruff, senior adviser on human rights for the Ottawa-based think-tank Rideau Institute”,
    put Iggy in the toilet?
    Iggy said firstly that he didn’t like asbestos; then, Iggy said he kinda likes asbestos.
    Here are Ruff’s words*; a liar tells “an out-and-out lie”.
    Ruff put Iggy in the toilet.
    “*I knew he would be under pressure to retract what he said but that’s an out-and-out lie,” said Ruff.”
    …-
    “Michael Ignatieff is a liar? Thems fightin’ words!
    Thursday, April 02, 2009 at 10:22 PM
    Comments: 31
    Is there any well-educated Canadian who doesn’t know that Quebec continues to host an asbestos industry, and though asbestos cannot be used in Canada, that the product is exported to the third world?
    Oh right, Michael Ignatieff might be well-educated, but his credentials as a Canadian have always been suspect. The mess he has made does nothing to alleviate doubts people might have.
    Michael Ignatieff came out clearly against the export of asbestos:”
    http://stevejanke.com/archives/285372.php

  41. TLOTOO Iggy.
    TeleprOmpterLeaderOfTheOfficiaOppOsitiOn.
    But, no stump.
    …-
    TheStar.com | Columnist | On policy, Ignatieff’s the invisible man
    3 Apr 2009 … Ignatieff used his Wednesday speech to try out a teleprompter, but he still very much lacks a defining stump speech. …
    http://www.thestar.com/news/canada/article/612931

  42. TCS: “What message is [Obama] sending in his bizarre behavior?
    IMO, the message is:
    * he doesn’t like the British very much, never mind that it was an Englishman, William Wilberforce who spearheaded the movement to end slavery in the West (Blacks still enslave blacks in Africa.);
    * he doesn’t respect the British Monarchy;
    * he seems to be enthralled by Muslim high mucky mucks;
    * he is embarrassingly gauche and has no class; under his smooth exterior he’s just an empty suit, a cypher in fact for …
    … others who wish him to diminish long-standing U.S. allies and to thumb his nose at established traditions and “authority” (witness Michelle’s very disingenuous hugging of the Queen).
    In short, Obama is WAY above his pay grade, and is occupying the Oval Office only because his very checkered and questionable past, added to his political inexperience, were given a pass by the fawning MSM, because colour seemed to be the #1-issue and because the Obamessiah is a Dem.
    Shocking.

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