I don’t mean a wussy go-to-Halifax-to-wave-them-off visit, I mean get your ass on a plane & go to a base that requires you put on a flack jacket? (I bet his son is real pissed he didn’t get to go.)
Does anybody know? I’m too busy to look it up right now, but I just have to say that THIS is whyI voted for Harper.
And this is also why I will never, ever vote for Jack. What a complete a$$hole. Just as the military get excited because for the first time in far too long they have a Prime Minister & gov’t (minority or otherwise) not just willing, but proud to support them, and there’s Jack back in Canada, being the prick that wants to burst that bubble.
As soon as I think I can type an email that will be both coherent & civil enough, I will tell that little weasel what I think of him. I might even post it.
But for now, back to YAY HARPER!!!!
I haven’t felt this proud to be Canadian in a long time.
crossposted at Waking Up On Planet X
Iranian Bloggers
Winston, the blogger behind The Spirit of Man, always has some interesting links.
He’s got pictures up from the rally in support of Denmark that was held yesterday (you’ll have to click to view as I have yet to figure out how to post pictures in WordPress and don’t have time to tackle that tonight), and a later post linking the G&M’s take on it (I dunno, doesn’t that look like more than 100-150 people?) My favorite sign of the bunch? “All we are saying is give speech a chance.”
He’s also got posts regarding the International Womens Day demonstration in Iran, complete with video links. They’re kind of grainy, but they go from a peaceful demonstration to people running away after some military-types show up.
Cross-posted at Waking Up On Planet X
Open Thread on Christian Peacemaker Teams
Richard took offense at my “stern warning against dissenting opinion” – I just thought it was common decency I was asking for, but apparently that’s left-libbish. Whoda thunk it?
So, here’s a forum for venting on the wisdom (or lack thereof) of Christian Peacemaker Teams policies, beliefs, actions, whatever your heart desires.
I’ll start you off with an excerpt of Richard’s post (which turns out to be an excerpt of an earlier post):
“Are the … terrorists going to be true to their demands and give us some new beheading videos?(edited per requests in comments)
If this happens, what does it do to the morale of the MoonBat population? Surely having some of their own slaughtered like animals will give them a different perspective no? Will they ignore it and carry on with their anti-war efforts anyway? It would seem to me personally that having the terrorist sand-monkeys follow through on their promise would go a long way in uniting the resolve of North Americans to seeing this adventure through. But I’m not a moonbat who’s willing to ignore facts so I can’t say for sure.”
Have at ‘er
UPDATE: Link to CPT site provided.
UPDATE #2: Arabian Dissent has his say.
American Christian Peacemaker found dead in Iraq
The body of Tom Fox was found in Baghdad today. There is no mention of time of death, but perhaps we now know why he was missing from the video. Forensics will be done in the US as to time & cause of death.
I certainly admire him for having the courage to stand up for his convictions, and extend my condolences to his family & friends.
And here’s hoping that the remaining hostages will be found alive soon.
crossposted at Waking Up On Planet X
UPDATE: As a guest blogger but frequent commenter, I admit to questioning the wisdom of posting this on SDA. If people are going to go on the attack on a post intended to bring to light the distressing news of a dead hostage, and what that may or may not mean for the fate of other hostages, and without regard to just WHO might google & find this site (like family) that would be hurt beyond belief by said attacks, I will either turn the comments off for this post so that the information is available, or delete it.
Conservative bloggers like to believe that they would never stoop to the levels that can be seen on progressive-blogs-that-shall-not-be-named. Here is an opportunity to prove it.
Freedom of Screech
Parliamentary Press Gang
As a guest blogger I shouldn�t go over ground already covered by Kate, but like most bloggers, I tend to be a loud mouth schnook� so here goes. A while back, HERE and HERE for that matter, it was pointed out that the Parliamentary Press in Canada were more or less whining cry babies who needed their wings trimmed a notch or two. What seems to have been missed are the subtle details of how the Parliamentary Press Corp. gather news; their sophisticated nuances, their intellectual prowess; and their shrewd capabilities of sharing with us, the simpleminded masses, what actually goes on in the corridors of power.
To better understand just how the system works� or rather used to work, we�ve taken the liberty at Celestial Junk to educate our readers on the finer details of the art of being a Parliamentary Press Journalist in the �traditional� sense. Sadly, a �tradition� that the PMO just may have destroyed forever. CLICK
In all seriousness though, here’s the rub:
The PMO wants journalists to submit questions in writing. The PMO and ministers then answer questions in an orderly fashion, BUT, the PMO gets to choose which questions are answered and which are ignored.
In the old format, the press either mobbed the PM or the minister; or, chose who got to ask the questions. For example, somebody, somewhere, decided that “Sir, do you love the country?” was a fair question.
Here’s how Paul Martin used to deal with unwanted questions in the old “scrum” format.
“That’s a very good questions, but what Canadians should be asking themselves is..”
He’d then go on to reframe the question, and answer his own question. The dopes in the media let him get away with it, and even printed his answers as if they had asked the question in the first place.
And finally, the last time I checked the Parliamentary press were very good at “creating” their own issues from thin air. Who needs to ask questions of the PMO? Give the gumshoes an obscure phrase or two and and they’ll turn it into a national crisis by morning.
At least the Harper way of doing business may add some order, decorum, and respect, to the house.
THE SHEAF BJ JESUS CARTOONIST SPEAKS
The Saskatoon Star Phoenix printed on Saturday the formal response of the Capitalist Piglet cartoonist, Jeff MacDonald, to the outrage his brilliant little piece of art caused.
He said that people should get off their “Inquisition-esque high horses… After all, people, I’m sure Jesus had a sense of humour… Capitalist Piglet… is not just shock comic. It is an important message.” He claimed that the cartoon was supposed to “expose” the double standard of Christians who were not offended by the printing of the Mohammad cartoons. CLICK
Right Jeff! We’ll be looking for your name on the New York Times editorial board some day. You’re just the kind of unapologetic glory-monger they like. At least he doesn’t have to worry that riots, head-hacking, flag-burnings, and all around general Jihad will be carried out because of him.
For Kate’s coverage of the issue: CLICK
Help counter The Mother That Roars
I guess she’s not getting enough attention in the US anymore, so she’s doing a roadshow. Or is she? Shame? Her? I find that hard to believe, but apparently she won’t be showing up, although her friends say they will.
Or will they?
“The snow started early Friday morning. Road conditions on post went from Amber, to Red, and finally to Black. Luckily I had arrived in Kaiserslautern the night before.
When conditions are Black, all non-essential personnel are sent home and the buses from Kleber to the hospital and the PXs stop running.”
I have no idea of the layout, so don’t know if it will affect the demonstrations. So what can we do? We can put a comment in encouraging them, that’s what we can do. Don’t know what to say? A simple “ignore the moonbats” would probably suffice, but feel free to pontificate.
UPDATE: It’s the middle of the night there, so although I’ve sent an email about the “Spam Blocker” (?), you can still get to the links by clicking on the highlighted “bypass this message”
Life in Afghanistan
If you’re like me, you’ve been wondering what our soldiers have to say about any number of things, but particularly about the mission itself – it’s purpose(s), it’s challenges, it’s rewards & it’s heartbreaks.
I stumbled across Dave’s blog a few weeks ago while surfing (I’d hat tip someone, but I forget how I clicked through to him), and bookmarked it for that very reason. The comments are moderated (good call!) so won’t show up until they’ve been checked for stupidity, but I highly recommend you stop by regularly for updates.
His current post is brilliant (he’s apparently working on a rebuttal to the buttheads that think we should bail, I’m looking forward to that) and explains the intricacies of the Afghan culture. It’s a response to an email asking whether sending him pencils for schoolchildren was a good idea. Here’s a sample:
“…But let me tell you about other factors that you�re probably not aware of.
Afghanistan is peopled by many different cultures. In the north live Tajiks, Uzbeks, and Turkmen. In the middle of the country, there are the Hazara, possibly the descendants of Ghengiz Khan�s Mongol Horde, Nuristanis, and Baloch. And in the south, there are the Pashtuns. Ethnic divisions are not clear-cut – nothing is in Afghanistan – and sizable populations of Tajiks live in the south and Pashtuns in the centre and so on. But each province has its ethnic makeup, and in Kandahar, like in Waziristan across the Pakistani border, the Pashtuns predominate.
Pashtuns form the largest tribal society in the Islamic world. They view themselves as the natural leaders of Afghanistan, and despise peoples like the Hazara as a sort of underclass. Their relations with one another are dominated by a tribal code called pashtunwali, which values above all honour, hospitality, loyalty, bravery, revenge, and fierce individualism. This code has some pretty inexplicable facets – it is perfectly acceptable under pashtunwali, for example, to change sides in the middle of a battle for a bribe. You don�t have to understand it, but if you are doing business here you have to deal with it.
Pashtuns are hardly monolithic either. One is not simply a Pashtun, one is a Durrani or a Ghilzai; and one is not simply a Ghilzai or a Durrani, one is a Popolzai or a Barakzai or an Alikozai or an Ishaqzai Durrani Pashtun, or a member of one of dozens of other tribes. It doesn�t end there; families come next. And it is a vast understatement to call the interrelationships complex. Don�t try building a road through a Barakzai area using Alikozai labour, unless the Barakzai of that area have just concluded an agreement with the Alikozai families. And be prepared for it all to go pear-shaped in a heartbeat, for reasons you will never fully understand…”
Go read the whole thing. It’s fascinating.
Why we are in Afghanistan
The Galloping Beaver has a great post that explains, in detail, the timelines and FACTS around how we ended up in Afghanistan, and more to the point, why we have to STAY.
“…If Canada were to suddenly withdraw because Canadians at home are getting squeamish, those who would have us do that should be aware that Canada would be forever viewed as an unreliable ally; not by the US, but by NATO. Canada relies on collective defence treaties to keep defence affordable. Withdrawl would result in no treaties, no collective defence and a huge price to pay in going it alone…”
It’s also cross-posted at The Torch.
UPDATE: Ooops, I forgot to h/t Cerebrus. Sorry about that.
Mini Roundup
I have WAY too much going on in my life this week, including planning for a second night of torture. So, here’s a mini-roundup:
For amusement purposes, I have to ask, wtf are the other provinces doing? Is this pandemic targetted at Quebec-only? Only bilinguals need worry? That’s a pretty discriminating bug! The Bloc will not be pleased.
YAY for everyone who chipped in and BOO to those who think we should bail.
GG Jean: Well, preferring a donation to a shelter instead of a gift, she seems to be a bit less of a spendthrift than our last one. However, her budget to date hasn’t been published, so I’ll reserve judgement for now.
And as Dad used to say, Good night, & don’t let the bedbugs bite.
cross-posted at Waking Up on Planet X
What’s Your Limit?
The headline reads, “Canadians Head out to Hunt Down Taliban!” It all begs the question, just how much will Canadians tolerate as far as casualties? How much will you tolerate? And, if you have family in the forces, or are in the forces yourself, how many KIA and WIA are you willing to put up with before the cost of keeping Afghanistan free of the Islamist threat becomes too high?
My personal feeling is that no place in the world today is “too far” away. 911 was hatched in Afghanistan, and any region of the world ruled by fanatics can become the incubator for tragedy right here in Canada. I view the issue in terms of winning and losing. You go in to win; period. I view each injury and death as a sacrifice for the freedom of Afghan children and my children. But then, that’s just me.
Another thought you may want to consider is this. Canada only has 33 million or so people. Every soldier we lose to injury or death, is equivalent to 11 or so in the United States as a percentage of population. When you look at it like that, our cost in Afghanistan has already been high.
For those of you unfamiliar with Canadian Armed Forces readiness, you may want to try this LINK. Cjunk did a series a while back on the equipment readiness of our forces. (warning, it’s a long read) Keep in mind that even the best equiped, best trained, best armed force in the world has lost over one thousand men and women in Iraq.
So, what’s your limit?
UPDATE:
In related news: click
Some are suggesting that by even being “over there” we create more terrorists. For an interesting read on the topic, you may want to try THIS.
Doing It on the Carpet
It’s that time of year again. The Golden Globes, The Oscars, The Grammys; you name it. Cjunk takes you to the biggest show of them all…
Good evening everyone, I�m Ben Mulroney, with co-hosts Joan Rivers and Mary Hart, and THIS is the Red Carpet pre-show for the 10th annual Bin-Cademy Film Awards. Welcome to beautiful sunny Tehran, and welcome to THE LADENS!
Weblog Awards: 3 Days Left
Voting continues on the 2005 Weblog Awards – now that I’m back, I’ve moved the link to the sidebar.
Ironically, I have no idea where SDA stands in the polling for Best Canadian Blog, as the Micromedia flash required is incompatable with my linux os. In the meantime, this belated endorsement of other blogs who are up for consideration in a few other categories!
Best Blog: This is a toughie, as I can make a case for so many. But on the basis of his breaking the Brault testimony publication ban, I’m endorsing Captain’s Quarters this year.
Best Humor: This one is easy for me, though Jeff could easily compete in a number of other categories equally – Protein Wisdom!
Best Conservative: Leaning towards The Jawa Report this year.
Best Journalist: No question – Michael Yon.
Culture/Gossip: Going Canadian with this one with Ghost of A Flea
Best UK: Normblog
Best European: I have a split decision with this one. Davids Medienkritik (Germany) and Publius
Best of the top 250 – My “blogfather”, Outside The Beltway, of course!
I may add a few others as I get time to peruse the categories more closely. In the meantime, remember, one vote per day, and keep SDA in your thoughts for Best Canadian.
(Updated by Kate)
CBC doing its part
Is the CBC putting out subliminal messages to its readership during the election? You be the judge.
Gun Control Stats
DazzlinDino over at the Blogging Party of Canada has done a lot of research on gun control (existing) in Canada, and digs deeper into the number of murders committed using guns. It’s an interesting read, with some eye-opening numbers.
Liberals continue to insult Canadian parents
First, we had Paul Martin suggest that parents weren’t knowledgeable about raising their children.
Now we have Scott Reid, king of the pitbulls, suggesting that parents will “blow the 1200 on beer and popcorn” rather than on their children or childcare (what is it with Reid & the word “blow“?). And if you view this Question Period clip, you’ll see that the Liberal Party intends to stand behind his remarks, at least for the moment.
Will the arrogance ever end? I’ll be curious to see if Reid’s comments get as much airtime as the CPC mailer that went out regarding “homosexual sex marriage” (honestly, you’d think the guy could proofread the thing).
crossposted
UPDATE: Reid has apologized, and CTV has killed the original link. Damn. I hope someone took a screen shot.
UPDATE #2: Sign the kidsnotbeer petition.
UPDATED yet again: Stephen Taylor has more links on this, including one to Proud to be Canadian, who has a clip of BOTH gaffes.
Twisted, IMHO
This article is interesting in that it asks where & when a second spouse becomes fiscally responsible for a child brought into a relationship from a previous one. And where & when does that responsibility end. We are not given a number of significant details, like the financial situations of the original parents (biological) and the legal one(s) (my guess, call me cynical, is “better” if not “significantly better”).
People bring children into the world for a variety of reasons – by accident (the only birth control that is 100% effective is abstinence – somebody has to make up the 4% that make condoms 96% effective, after all), by sort-of accident (lack of birth control, or control in general if you’re in the abstinence camp), by choice (either natural birth or adoption), and then poop happens and it (the original family’s existence) becomes a bit of a crap shoot.
So… I’m curious. What are your thoughts?
I have my own thoughts on that, but am curious what others think, so won’t bother with a link. If you’re interested, you’ll find it; if you’re not, you won’t.
This, I have just discovered, is the beauty of guest-blogging.
Richard Pryor, RIP at 65
Whether you loved him or hated him, you sure couldn’t ignore him.
Reading his obituary at ctv, I learned more about his troubled life. That he could rise above horrendous abuse in childhood to reach for the stars is a tribute to his determination. While he had some serious problems with drugs and alcohol, he overcame them and continued doing what he loved best.
Rest well, Richard.
crossposted
Nice to know it ain’t just me
Update: Mark Steyn writes:
Kathy Shaidle on the annual December 6th massacre mawkishness. She makes a point that should be repeated again and again: Canadian women died that day not because Canadian men are too macho but because, au contraire, the ones in that room were quite the opposite — too socially conditioned to act as men. Radical feminist triumphalism — of which the December 6th observances are a particularly grotesque example — is part of a civilizational suicide cult. But at least when everyone stampedes for the lifeboats there won’t be any of this “women and children first” nonsense, eh?
Blogger TJIC writes:
“Relapsed Catholic goes on about how a mass murderer picked off a bunch of women [re: the Montreal Massacre] and absolutely no one tried to rush him and disarm him.
“She�s right; that is indeed pathetic. Long before 9/11, I was arguing that whenever anyone starts shooting into a crowd, or trying to take hostages, the only proper reaction is an immediate human wave attack…”
In my original post, I’d quoted James Fulford as saying there were over 200 students in the lecture hall. It looks like he misread a CrimeLibrary article, so I have added a correction to my original post and emailed Fulford.
Does anyone know how many people were in the lecture hall that evening?
More importantly, can anyone explain why Canadians insist on treating the Montreal Massacre like it was Dieppe? Boston doesn’t hold memorials for the Strangler’s victims every year. L.A. doesn’t fly flags at half-staff to remember Sharon Tate.
What is with us? Is this like the results of the CBC’s Greatest Canadian or the Post’s Public Intellectual contest? Canada is so pathetic that we have to scrape the bottom of the barrel to come up with something to either feel proud or ashamed of?
Discuss.
Do the CPoC Ads Suck as Bad as I Think?
When I first saw them, I thought I could live with them. I mean, slick they were not, but the Liberal ads WERE slick, so “not slick” seemed like a good thing. A week later, well, I dunno.
There are differing opinions on the NDP ad, but I kinda like it. On the one hand, it’s a negative ad, which is not so good just before Christmas. On the other, it’s pretty funny & to the point without being downright nasty, so I can live with it. It’s also, when you think about it, pretty sneaky. Although it’s clearly against the Liberals, the “corporate tax cuts – BAD” message could flip pretty quick to the CPoC (although they haven’t announced major corporate breaks yet).
But I digress. Here’s a roundup of opinions that I could find before I realized they were all pretty much the same.
CalgaryGrit – He hates them.
So does MKBraaten. With a passion. Although someone argues in the comments that the CPoC is currently going for “champion of the little guy” so thinks that’s why they went with “folksy.” And hopes the slick, negative ones are for January.
Paul Wells thinks they’re okay, but likes the Liberal ones better.
Hmmm… I’m sensing a trend here.
I guess the big question here is, YO! Stephen of the “we’ve received more donations than anyone else” CPoC!!! SPEND THE MONEY! PAY SOMEONE REAL MONEY TO WRITE REAL ADS!!! WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR, CHRISTMAS IS ALMOST HERE!
Jeez. I guess I don’t like them that much after all.
cross-posted
On the hustings
Liberal candidate Don Bell got more than an earful from a resident of North Vancouver when he was campaigning recently.