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The Screecher’s new gig

Insufferable Twits 24 Comments

If you haven’t seen the news, Anne McLellan, the strident-to-the-point-of-earsplitting-pain Deputy Prime Minister who I long ago dubbed the Screech (sometimes its the Screecher, it’s not like consistency is important to my dear MP’s party, after all), had a hard time finding office space.
TABaker has more. Check it out.

Canadian Teen Omar Khadr Closer to Guant�namo Trial

Terrorism 25 Comments

I posted this earlier this morning at OTB and it has generated some interest. Given the Canadian angle and Kate’s absence, I hereby submit it to sda readers.
The trial of Omar Khadr, the 19-year-old Canadian accused of murdering SFC Christopher Speer, is finally moving forward at Guant�namo Bay.
Pentagon Moves To Try 19-Year-Old (Miami Herald)

The Bush administration moved closer Thursday to putting a Canadian teenager on trial at Guant�namo Bay, Cuba, assigning a Marine colonel to run his war-crimes court even as civilian judges have mostly stalled the process. The Pentagon named Col. Robert Chester, 51, a Marine since 1976, as presiding officer of the military commission for Omar Khadr, 19, who was captured in Afghanistan.
The Toronto-born teen is accused of multiple war crimes, including taking part in a July 27, 2002, firefight near Khost, Afghanistan, in which five Americans were wounded while attacking an alleged al Qaeda compound.
U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class Christopher Speer, a Special Forces medic from New Mexico, died of his wounds 11 days later, in Germany. Another American lost an eye in the attack, and could be called as a witness.

The irony is that this case is controversial because the United States military is providing less due process than would be the case in an ordinary murder trial, yet far more due process than normally accorded unprivileged belligerents in a combat zone. Khadr should have been given a summary trial in Afghanistan and, if judged guilty, executed there. Taking him to Cuba and allowing this to drag on for years has made him a sympathetic figure.
Elsewhere:

There’s substantial discussion in the comments at OTB about the nature of unprivileged belligerents and the moral issues surrounding this case.

A few news bits while Kate’s away

stuff 43 Comments

Scott Brison tried to get away with a smear and wound up apologizing for it.
Both SDA and its commenters get mentioned in the Ottawa Citizen (no permalink — see Kinsella’s Nov 5 posting)
Liberals sinking like a rock in the polls. Meanwhile, Jack Layton is busy bending Martin over a sawhorse. The folks at Canada Free Press aren’t expecting an election any time soon.
The riots are spreading in France as Islamist wingnuts are still on the tear.
Cuts in community mental health programs and the reduction of available beds in psychiatric facilities has pushed more mentally ill people into our prisons.
CAW failed to unionize United Church clergy. I’m actually a bit disappointed over this as I would have had a lot of fun watching the uproar if they had succeeded.
Feel free to add your own news tips in the comments.

2005 Small Dead Blog Awards Winners

Blogging 21 Comments

Well, that’s it for the 2005 Small Dead Blog Awards. Thanks to everyone who participated by putting in nominations and voting. The winners are as follows:
Best Canadian Blog

Best New Canadian Blog

Best American Blog

Best New American Blog

Best Blogging Tories Blog

Most Outrageous Canadian Moonbat Blog

Most Humorous Blog

Best Blog Run by a Member of the MSM

Best Hard News Blog

Best Whistleblower Blog

Best Photoblog

Best Canadian Political Blog

Best American Political Blog

Best Coverage of Iraq War by a Blog

Weirdest Canadian Blog

Best Blog Post

There were only two anomalies during the voting. Andrew at BBG tipped me off when his votes shot up suddenly, but I couldn’t find any evidence of tampering. The other was that a supporter of The Black Rod couldn’t vote for him. I have taken the liberty of adding 14 votes — one for each day of voting allowed — to even things up. Kate was made aware of the problem right after the awards were announced, but we couldn’t fix the bug to allow this person to vote. The extra votes have not changed the outcome, however.
I will have some graphic buttons up for the winners to use by tomorrow. Apologies for lagging on this, but I’m buried in work right now and still half dead from my annual ‘birthday flu’ (it’s a couple of weeks early this year).
Thx everyone.
Sean M.
Addendum: First, let me thank Sean again for filling in while I was away, and taking on this project. There has been some chatter about possible “vote rigging” in the comments. Just so we’re clear on this – the poll isn’t about what blog is the “best” at this or that. There are no cash prizes (except for the Best Moonbat category, where information about the $10,000 in prize money has been reported to Canada Revenue Agency) – nor will there be any nifty dead gopher logos handed out.
Take this little competition in the spirit in which it was offered – a bit of fun and an opportunity to introduce each other to a few new blogs you may not have been aware of. – Kate

Small Dead Blog Awards Recap

Blogging 14 Comments

We’ve just passed the halfway point on the voting for the Small Dead Blog Awards. You can vote here and view all of the results here. Here’s where things stand now:
Best Cdn Blog:

  1. Angry in the Great White North
  2. Bound by Gravity
  3. Project Alberta

Best New Cdn Blog:

  1. Waking Up On Planet X
  2. mkbraaten.com
  3. Cdn Taxpayers Federation Blog

Best Amercian Blog:

  1. Captain’s Quarters
  2. Little Green Footballs
  3. Instapundit

Best New Amercian Blog:

  1. Either Orr
  2. Western Resistance / Barone Blog (tied for 2nd)
  3. Wild Duck Diary

Best Blogging Tories Blog:

  1. Bound by Gravity
  2. Monte Solberg
  3. Political Staples

Most Outrageous Cdn Moonbat Blog:

  1. My Blahg
  2. Small Dead Animals 2.0
  3. Carol Jamieson

Most Humorous Blog:

  1. The Wingnuterer
  2. Relapsed Catholic
  3. I am (also) Canadian

Best Blog Run by a Member of the MSM:

  1. Antonia Zerbisias
  2. Michelle Malkin
  3. Paul Wells

Best Hard News Blog:

  1. Angry in the Great White North
  2. The Belmont Club / PrimeMinister.ca (tied for 2nd)
  3. Winds of Change

Best Whistleblower Blog:

  1. Captain’s Quarters
  2. Angry in the Great White North
  3. Black Rod

Best Photo Blog:

  1. Photojunkie
  2. Jackson’s Junction
  3. Making Happy

Best Cdn Political Blog:

  1. Sinister Thoughts
  2. Monte Solberg
  3. Stephen Taylor

Best Amercian Political Blog:

  1. Captain’s Quarters
  2. Instapundit
  3. Michelle Malkin

Best Coverage of Iraq War by a Blog:

  1. Michael Yon
  2. Arthur Chrenkoff
  3. Iraq the Model

Weirdest Cdn Blog:

  1. Buckets of Grewal
  2. Robot Guy
  3. Plato’s Stepchild

Best Blog Post:

  1. Canada’s Corruption Scandal Breaks Wide Open (Cptn’s Quarters)
  2. Tipping Point (The Monarchist)
  3. Tribes (Eject! Eject! Eject!)

It’s actually cool to see some of the leftie nominations putting up a fight and coming out on top — good show guys. Voting ends at midnight this coming Friday so you still have a chance to help your favourite blogs move up in the numbers.
Sorry for not posting this last night as intended — I’ve been preoccupied with a wedding I was the photographer for.

Reader tips, turkey, and a few links…

Reader Tips 29 Comments

Happy Thanksgiving to Kate’s Canadian readers! Here’s hoping that you eat too much and spend some time with the people you care about.
Here are some links I ran across this morning…

Feel free to add your own tips and trackbacks. Also, don’t forget to vote for your favorite blog (results available here).
Happy Turkey Day, people. 🙂

In which I shamelessly plug my wares…

stuff 10 Comments

Ray of PolSpy fame came out to visit us at the new homestead for the last couple of days. I took a break from the Web comic and my personal blog so we could spend some quality time with our cameras (Ray is an accomplished photographer as well).
In two days I manged to produce just over thirty portfolio worthy images. Those who are interested in that sort of thing can find them here. (Top six rows plus the leftmost image on the seventh row.) Of particular interest are some pictures of the largest neo-gothic church in Alberta, a picture of the Monitor Mud Buttes (most people have never heard of them), and a capture of Ray happily destroying his brother’s old tax records.
Whew! That’s probably enough link-whoring for one day.

Running behind…

stuff 19 Comments

Apologies for not getting the Small Dead Blog Award voting up yet — I’ve been bogged down with a few personal items last night and this morning. I’m working on the voting post now and should have it done soonish (sometime today).

I’ll take it

Uncategorized 71 Comments

The Canadian Taxpayers Federation calls it a an ‘election herring‘. I call it a week’s worth of groceries for my family, or two and a half weeks worth of fuel for our vehicles. And I will spend it happily.
Note to the Conservatives: This is why the Liberals win elections and you don’t. They’re just better at connecting with Joe Canadian than you are. Run that around your noodle a few times.
In other news, you’re running out of time to put up your nominations for the Small Dead Blog Awards — I’ll be starting the voting early Saturday morning (probably).

Fraternizing with the enemy?

Media 5 Comments

This may be a violation of site policy (I didn’t get a manual), but I just have to recommend Calgary Grit’s fall TV lineup.
My favourites:
“Lost: A plane with all 307 members of parliament crashes over the Pacific Ocean…and no one looks for them.”; “Everybody Hates Steve: A look inside the Globe & Mail newsroom.”; and “The Biggest Loser: Joe Clark makes his return to the Canadian airwaves”

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