A story that asks for more looking into? Costco employee claims he was fired over KofC lesbian hall rental.
China E-Lobby: The decision by Canada’s ruling Liberal Party to give the pro-Communist National Congress of Chinese Canadians $12.5 million in compensation dedicated for victims of Canada’s 19th Century Chinese head tax
.
I’m sure they’ll spend it wisely.
Adam Yoshida: fixing bayonets!
Bush’s approval rating is rising fairly signficantly. Which is why you haven’t heard about it. And why the successful Iraq election story was about the 8th item in on the CTV National last night – just behind a polar bear story.
Meanwhile, Canada’s approval rating is dropping in the US. Well, we finally got them to notice us, eh?
Hong Kong is baffled. Free trade protests? Who can conceive of such a thing?
*Guess Who’s Coming to Iftar* – A meal to remember with Hezbollah. MIchael Totten in the LA Weekly.
You know the drill!
.
It loosk like the Liberals are giving up on Quebec: from Mike De Souza of the Hill Times:
“The federal Liberals insist they haven’t thrown in the towel in Eastern Quebec ridings where the Bloc Qu�b�cois dominated in the last election.
But in the early going, the party’s organization in Qu�bec City is only a shell of what it was in the 2004 and 2000 elections.
Candidates from the seven ridings in the city are sharing a single office with a few dozen volunteers in total.
…
When The Hill Times called the Qu�bec City campaign office on Thursday, no one answered the phone, and there was no voicemail message, but on Friday Ms. Goodwin said they were just installing the lines, and would have them up shortly.
The televised report on Radio-Canada also revealed poor organization even in ridings on the Montreal island where some candidates refused to give interviews.
…
In the Roberval riding, Luc Chiasson, 22, a university student with no campaign office, no cell phone and no car is challenging Bloc House Leader Michel Gauthier. To make matters worse, Mr. Chiasson admitted he’s not going to campaign until he finishes his exams this month.”
Not wanting to complain but ya gotta take the period off of the link in the Liberal Party donations link
http://china-e-lobby.blogspot.com/2005/12/news-of-day-december-15.html.
Otherwise it’s 404 city.
Re China and the Lib’s (PMPM) vision of an Asian Canada. On Canada Free Press today:
“A business cooperation agreement was signed here today between CITIC (China International Trust and Investment Corporation and CSL (Canada Steamship Lines Inc.). Under the agreement, CITIC will provide various support and assistance services for CSL in connection with its developing business interests in China, particularly in the area of dry bulk commodities transportation.” (The Xinhua General Overseas News Service, May 8, 1986).
“The agreement was signed by CITIC President Xu Zhaolong and CSL Chairman Paul. E. Martin.
“After the signing, Martin told Xinhua that CSL is interested in transferring technology connected with self-unloading bulk vessels. The transfer would include technical assistance to Chinese shipyards related to the design and construction of self-unloading carriers CSL is also interested to invest in joint ventures in China in the area of water transportation of dry bulk commodities.”
As a businessman set up by the Montreal-based, Desmarais family run Power Corporation, Paul Martin sold out to communist China some 20 years before he ever became Canada�s prime minister.
The vessels of his former company, held in trust since he became prime minister and still operated by his three sons, would be more honestly run as sailing under the Red Star.
Everybody should read the Costco story about firing the guy who *happened* to be in charge of the K of C Hall that refused to rent out for a SSM.
The aggrieved lesbians *happen* to have worked at the same Costco with the K of C rep and the workplace *happens* to be full of SSM supporters.
It reeks of a set-up and a vendetta.
Meanwhile with an unfounded accusation of workplace violence on his record this fellow stands to lose his house and was denied EI until HRC reversed their ruling.
Human Resources Canada said: “[Costco’s] statement ( about the reasons for the firing) contradicts the letter of dismissal” and they then had to uphold his claim for benefits.
I called Costco about this matter and was told “we have no comment”, to which I said, I’m not asking for a comment, I as a patron want assurance that people aren’t being fired under false pretences and that your company as an employer has some integrity.
After a few minutes wait I was told I would get a call back from someone in management in Ottawa.
The toll free number is 1-800-463-3783
Holy shit. Just read the Costco/lesbo story, and if it’s true then I’m not entirely surprised. This is the type of stuff self-righteous extremists resort to and are proud of it, thinking themselves as defenders of their own version of justice. Ruin a guy’s life because he doesn’t share their views. Classy bitches.
Zimbabwe Army ‘Moves Onto The Land’
BBC ^ | 12-16-2005 | Sue Llpyd Roberts
Posted on 12/16/2005 7:38:48 AM PST by blam
Zimbabwe army ‘moves onto the land’
By Sue Lloyd Roberts
BBC News
Many Zimbabweans are now scavenging for food
In an attempt to rescue his failing programme of land redistribution, Zimbabwe’s President Robert Mugabe is trying to involve the army in a “command agriculture” programme.
“Instructions have already been passed onto battalion commanders,” a Zimbabwean army major told the BBC.
Five years after Mr Mugabe ordered the seizure of the white-owned commercial farms, agricultural production has halved.
Mr Mugabe has admitted that the people to whom he gave some 4,000 farms have some responsibility for the country’s current problems.
“Mugabe is now saying that the people who are on the farms are opposition supporters and that they are sabotaging the country. He says the army must take over,” the major said.
“This is an idea which Mugabe got from China, where the army is used in agriculture and industry”. >>>
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1541734/posts
Mugabe’s methods come straight out of the script of Communism/Socialism of Lenin/Stalin, Castro, et al.
Down with National Socialism/Communism. >>>
Stakhanovite
In Soviet history and iconography, a Stakhanovite (стахановец) (or shock-worker) follows the example of Aleksei Grigorievich Stakhanov, employing hard work or Taylorist efficiencies to over-achieve on the job.
The Stakhanovite movement began during the second 5-year plan in 1935 as a new stage of the socialist competition. Most of the Stakhanovites came from the ranks of the Udarniks. The Stakhanovite movement was named after Aleksei Stakhanov, who had mined 102 tons of coal in less than 6 hours (14 times his quota). However, his record would soon be “broken” by his followers. On February 1, 1936 it was reported that Nikita Izotov had mined 607 tons of coal in a single shift.
The Stakhanovite movement, supported and led by the CPSU, soon spread over other industries of the Soviet Union. The initiators of the movement were Alexander Busygin (automobile industry), Nikolai Smetanin (shoe industry), Yevdokiya and Maria Vinogradov (textile industry), I.I.Gudov (machine tool industry), V.S.Musinsky (timber industry), Pyotr Krivonos (railroad), Pasha Angelina (glorified as the first Soviet woman to operate tractor), Konstantin Borin and Maria Demchenko (agriculture) and many others.
On November 14-17, 1935, the 1st All-Union Stakhanovite Conference took place at the Kremlin, which emphasized the outstanding role of the Stakhanovite movement in socialist re-construction of national economy. In December of 1935, the plenum of the Central Committee of the All-Union Communist Party (Bolsheviks) specifically discussed the aspects of developing industry and transport system in light of the Stakhanovite movement. The resolution of the plenum said: “The Stakhanovite movement means organizing labor in a new fashion, rationalizing technologic processes, correct division of labor, liberating qualified workers from secondary spadework, improving work place, providing rapid growth for labor productivity and securing significant increase of workers’ salaries”.
In accordance with the decisions of the plenum, the Soviets organized a wide network of industrial trainings and created special courses for foremen of socialist labor. >>>
http://www.answers.com/topic/stakhanovite
Martin uses the ‘R’ word
Paul Martin last night raised the spectre of another referendum as he fought back a bruising from the man crusading to carve Quebec out of Canada. Full Story
Free vote favoured on gay marriage
OTTAWA – More than half of Canadian voters back Conservative Leader Stephen Harper’s call for a free Commons vote on same-sex marriage, according to a new Leger Marketing/Sun Media poll. >>>
via cnews >>>
BTW, problem at WS? Can’t find current date pages?
UPDATE FOR KATE.
Since you said earlier that you can’t vote or see results on the ’05 Blog Awards, I’ll fill you in on the final results:
BEST CANADIAN BLOG: SDA with 36.5% of the vote!
Next closest was AngryGWN with 15.16% and then NA Patriot with 9.55%. Congrats Kate!
BEST BLOG went to: Daily Kos w/21.04%, Eschaton w/15.01% and then Michelle Malkin w/12.76%
BEST MEDIA/JOURNO BLOG: 44.14% for Michael Yon! Next closest was The Raw Story with 17.47%, James Wolcott with 14.72%, The Bleat 7.25% and SteynOnline at 4.36%.
There’s plenty of other results there, but no need to go too in-depth. If there’s any other results you want Kate, then just let us loyal readers know about it and we’ll get’em for you!
Kate,
What happened with the CBC guest blogger thingie. Now there’s only two people listed, it’s all in Latin, and your earlier posts are gone. Wazzup?
Alan
Rachel Marsden in The Toronto Sun:
“If you want proof that no one knows what Harper is really saying (try, proof that the average Toronto Star reader is completely %$@%@#@% mental – Anon.), check out this week’s online Toronto Star poll. Nearly half of respondents said Harper’s TV ads vowing tougher sentences for violent criminals would make them “less likely to support the party.”
We’re at the point now where Harper is basically saying, “I’ll lock up for life the thug who would show up at your doorstep and blow away your family,” and the reaction of voters is, “Hmmm, I don’t like that idea.”
Bloc MP has office vandalized
“Police are investigating after a Bloc Quebecois MP’s office was vandalized over the weekend.
…
Drawers and files were also emptied and six computers were stolen, including Bonsant’s and that of her political attache.”
1. Why is this CP story – referring to what is clearly a burglary – claiming that vandalism took place? If someone breaks into your home or office and steals 6 computers among other things would you call the police to report “vandalism”?
2. Why is the burglary of a sitting MPs office not getting more exposure in the media, and in fact is being downplayed and mischaracterized?
3. Who benefits from the break in?
Bystanders ignore plight of burning homeless man
VANCOUVER — St. Paul’s emergency nurse Christine Wellstead has seen some pretty rough things on the job, but nothing has shaken her as much as the callous indifference she witnessed Monday night as bystanders ignored an unconscious homeless man wrapped in a burning comforter.
U.S. teacher sexpidemic spreading across planet
“The seeming U.S. epidemic of cases involving female teachers raping or molesting their students has been “sexported” Down Under, as Australia is experiencing a similar rash of cases.”
100 minus 36.5 equals 63.5 of the blogosphere that does not wear a tin foil hat. That’s the real news!
Must not feed the trolls, must not feed the trolls. Ooops! Can’t help it!
Actually Don, SDA got 36.5%, AGWN got 15.16%, NA Patriot got 9.55% and all those are right-of-centre blogs – that’s over 61% right there! In fourth was Samantha Burns at 9.1% and although she isn’t a politcal blog, her latest post is about “Saddam the moron”, so do a little more research next time Don! And make sure you aren’t looking in a mirror when you talk about people with tinfoil hats!
Thanks guys – the results aren’t final until Monday, so I’ll wait till then to do any official celebrating.
Oh, and the CBC blog is down because of problems at Typepad. Hopefully the old posts are restored.
Shotgun is down for the same reason.
Bacardi: I bow to your superior research and concede that over 61% of the blogosphere is as stuck on stupid as Kate. Thank you for the assisstance.
>>>>>>>> “…could have severe national-security consequences for the United States.”
A nation’s first interest is its own self-interest. AdScam Chretien/Martin have been warned. Take heed. >>>>
Oh, No, Canada (“Can Canada really be considered our “friend” anymore?”)
The Washington Times ^ | December 16, 2005 | Douglas MacKinnon
Posted on 12/16/2005 12:50:01 PM PST by quidnunc
For a growing number of people in our country, “O, Canada” is now less about a national anthem and more about frustration, confusion, disappointment and anger. As in, “Oh, Canada! Why are you once again stabbing the United States in the back?” A recent public spat between liberal Canadian Prime Minister Paul Martin, and David Wilkins, U.S. ambassador to Canada, is shining a much-needed light on a problem that runs much deeper than mere name calling. It is a problem that if not properly addressed and fixed, could have severe national-security consequences for the United States. >>> more
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1541935/posts
Now don’t recognize the place. Jon Stewert is correct. Can’t remember the last time anyone here (US) said anything complimentary or otherwise about Canada. The relentless anti-americanism in Canada has already had a detrimental effect on Canada. For one thing there is no public support in the US for any of the issues that Canada complains about. We really don’t want your lumber and the cow thing? Ho Hum. And the next time some idiot talks about cutting off energy well guess what. Go build a pipeline to oh I guess CHINA!!! Because of the last years of virulent anti-americanism and out right Bush bashing, there is no public support and therefore no pressure for any politician to do anything to mend fences. In fact it is going to get worse for Canada when the northern border gets treated the same way as the southern border. Nice going Libranos.
Yeppers, what Once a Canadian said is true. Canadians, while claiming to be so modest as to not fly the flag lest someone mistakes them for an American, has somehow gotten the idea that America really cares about them. Reality check: Not true!!!
If Canada wants to take their ball and bat and go play elsewhere then they (America) will not stop you. Most of the good will, Peace Garden, hands across the border stuff died about 10-12 years ago. You can only complain about what’s cooking so long before your neighbour quits inviting you to the barbeque.
The most truly scary part is that the loudest Canadian voices are those who have either never been to work or live in the US or have just been to border/tourist towns. It is kind of like thinking Mexico is nothing but more of Tijauana. They spit out America and/or Bush with such venom that I get embarassed about being a Canuck down here. How far have we come from NORAD and NATO buddies? Not every change I have witnessed in over a half century on this earth has been for the better and Canada-US relations is one.
Oh yes, about the K of C thing… sad but not unexpected these days. Kind of like the gay Calgary professor who took the writer of a letter to a Red Deer paper to the PC police. Typical moonie sh*t.
Go here to hear the soundtrack of the election…
http://nomoresocialism.blogspot.com
Great Media Fraud >>>>>>>>
saturday, december 17, 2005
Second Draft Exposes Al-Durah Fraud
The Second Draft has a new web site up, to draw attention to one of the great media frauds of recent years: the Muhamed al-Dura case.
Who can forget the image of Muhamed al Durah, gunned down in a hail of Israeli bullets� at the very beginning of the Al Aqsa Intifada? The impact of this dramatic footage on global culture is close to incalculable. It is one of �the most powerful images of the past 50 years,� one of the shaping images of this young 21st century.
Partisans of the Palestinian cause claim it reveals Israeli malevolence and wanton violence, murdering a defenseless child in cold blood, as telling today as when it happened. For Osama bin Laden, �in killing this boy the Israelis killed every child in the world.� For some in the West, it cancelled out the photo of the boy in the Warsaw Ghetto, releasing them from residual Holocaust guilt and unleashing a flood of comparisons between the Israelis and the Nazis.
To most Israelis and supporters it was a devastating humiliation, a source of guilt and remorse. Some, however, claim the footage was staged and al Durah was either unharmed, or killed by Palestinians. To them the footage reveals the ruthless propaganda and paranoid nature of PA media culture� the first blood libel of the 21st century.
Faced with such awful alternatives, many retreat to neutrality: �Who knows who did it?� �It illustrates the tragic devaluing of life in this conflict.�
But no case better illustrates the inadequacy of such even-handedness. There are genuine consequences to misjudging a case that provided major inspiration to the suicide terrorism that now plagues the entire planet and, if this is a Pallywood fake, it constitutes one of the greatest media manipulations in modern media history: a lie that has killed many and a shameful MSM cover-up. And therefore, correcting it offers a critrical starting point for both media reform and a reformulation of how we think about the Arab-Israeli conflict.
Not surprisingly, the public has yet to see any of the footage in order to make up our own minds. It is now more than five years since the explosive storyline of Israeli child-murder first spread around the globe. Second Draft, which has already posted raw footage from that day, now offers citizens of cyberspace a look at the available evidence specifically about Al Durah, and, as with Pallywood, analyses of the media�s �first draft� of this story.
Come to the site, see the evidence, make up your own mind, and figure out what you want to do about it. via LGF
http://www.seconddraft.org/home.php
Didn’t know where else to post this!
Terror group cloned cellphones of Rogers execs
CTV.ca News Staff
A group linked to terrorist organization Hezbollah has cloned the cellphones of Rogers Communications executives, including that of CEO Ted Rogers, The Globe and Mail reported Saturday.
Cloning involves duplicating a cellphone’s number and encrypted security code.
The story came to light after law professor Susan Drummond returned from a month-long trip abroad, only to find her Rogers cellphone bill was more than $12,000, The Globe reported.
The Rogers Wireless bill listed more than 300 calls made in the month of August, some to foreign countries, including Pakistan, Libya, Syria, India and Russia.
When Drummond called about the bill, she was told she would have to pay it — and that prompted her and her partner, Harry Gefen, to begin researching the cellphone giant.
In September, Gefen attended the Toronto Fraud Forum — an annual conference for security experts — where he spoke to Cindy Hopper, a manager in Rogers security department.
She told him that terror groups had repeatedly cloned cellphones of Rogers executives to make thousands of calls overseas, The Globe reported.
Hopper also terror groups had identified Rogers executives as perfect targets because the company would be reluctant to shut off their phones due to inconvenience to busy executives.
Gefen, who is a technology journalist, tape recorded his conversation with Hopper, who did not know he was an aggrieved customer, according to The Globe.
Based on that interview, Drummond is considering legal action against Rogers. She claims that Rogers can spot a fraud-in-progress, and yet do not shut down the phones.
Rogers has automated security systems alerting them to radical changes in calling patterns, Hopper reportedly told Geffen.
D-G, Pascal Lamy, of WTO has a weblog. He is a moonbat socialist, of course; but, with a touch of class & fine albeit rare cigars. Ahhh, the life of a socialist. (BTW, does Maurice Strong have a weblog?) This will make you want morrreerrr >>>>
“Friday
16th December
The difficult part begins but all options are open.
It’s dark when I wake up and day when I go to bed. It has been almost a week that I am here in Hong Kong and I have not seen much of the city, besides the convention centre and sporadically the hotel. But occasionally during the day, as I puff one of my rare cigars, I catch a glimpse of the harbour and of that boat I mentioned earlier with the blue sails. It strikes me now that it’s a bit like our conscience. The message painted on the sails today in big white letters reads: �when will the poor start getting richer?� Pretty direct message for us all, as we continue on the treadmill of meetings. True, trade can contribute to alleviate poverty, but � and this is a big BUT � it is only one of the pieces of the puzzle.
My poor staff are looking at me more and more with eyes that ask: when will we get some sleep?” >>> more
http://www.wto.org/english/thewto_e/dg_e/pl_visitors_e/min05_blog_e.htm
H/T William Watson, FP Comment. His column today is entitled, “Canada, your hypocrisy is showing again.” Watson is an economist with excellent prose.
TINKERING AND SPREADING
THE BLAME: HOW THE FIRST
GOMERY REPORT LET
QUEBECERS DOWN
Alain-G. Gagnon and Raffaele Iacovino
To most Canadians, the sponsorship scandal was about greed and abuse of power.
To Quebecers, the impact of the scandal and the commission that showcased it was
much more nuanced. As Alain-G.Gagnon and Raffaele Iacovino of the Universit� du
Qu�bec � Montr�al write, �The Gomery Commission has done little to reconcile the
fundamental flaws in Ottawa�s approach to its relations with Quebec.� If the
sponsorship scandal was a window on the belief �that the discontents of Quebecers
were so superficial as to be treatable through the infantile blandishments of
commercial advertising�s flashy colours and creative slogans,� they write, then
it will take more than Gomery to repair the damage. >>> more
http://www.irpp.org/po/index.htm
PDF download
There is a huge hoo-hah in the US over the NSA’s intercepting, without a judicial warrant, communications with one end in the US and the other abroad.
I wonder when the Canadian media will report that exactly the same thing is done by Canada’s CSE, with authorization by the Minister of National Defence not a judge.
From a statement by the CSE Commissioner to the Special Senate Committee on the Three Year Review of the Anti-Terrorism Act, June 13, 2005:
http://csec-ccst.gc.ca/new-neuf/…005-06- 13_e.php
“Under the Criminal Code, any communication that touches Canada is defined as a private communication, including those where the foreign end is the target of the interception. A Ministerial authorization is a unique solution to an equally unique set of circumstances. This could occur when the communications of a foreign entity being targeted by CSE lead into, or flow out of, Canada. With a Ministerial authorization in place, CSE may retain and use such communications, but only if they meet the criteria established in the Act.
The Ministerial authorization provision of the legislation also provides for an exclusion to Part VI of the Criminal Code. This means that Part VI of the Criminal Code does not apply in relation to CSE’s interception of a communication under a Ministerial authorization, or to the communication itself, and therefore CSE’s interception and retention of that private communication is not a criminal offence. My duty, in this regard, is to examine those private communications intercepted and retained by CSE, to ensure that they were authorized by the Minister, and are therefore lawful, and that they were essential to the international affairs, defence and security of Canada.”
CSE has this power as as a result of an amendment to the National Defence Act through the 2001 Anti-Terrorism Act (Bill C-36). Judicial warrants are required for interceptions by the police or CSIS.
Mark
Ottawa
RE: Bush’s poll numbers.
Wow. It’s kind of amazing that a site devoted to demystifying the science of political polling wouldn’t bother to note the margin of error.
Yeah, it looks like gains have occurred, but usually there is about a 2-3% margin of error. So, his actually gains would be between 2% and 8%. Nothing wrong with his post, like I said, just odd that he doesn’t make mention of it.