74 Replies to “Reader Tips”

  1. “And a few minutes ago, SDA recorded our 5 millionth visit. Again, thanks everyone – readers, tipsters, guest bloggers and advertisers – for your support!”
    Hey, I think it was me…what do I win!!! :^)))
    JCL

  4. *
    Those darned Persians just crack me up. Such kidders.
    “The Iranians may have been encouraged in this further bout
    of international mischief by the spokesman for, not as you
    might be tempted to guess, Miss Manners…
    but Prime Minister Tony Blair.”
    *

  5. Congatulaions, Kate!
    And thank you for providing such a good forum for educational and entertaining debate.
    I still owe you many beers… 😉

  7. The reports on daycare don’t reveal anything that is really new. Old school had mom staying at home and raising the younguns. Chances are that grandma & grandpa were also involved. A bonus having an extended family. Yes, things do change and you might have to get a sitter while you went to work but the sitter often came to your house or it was a neighbour who had a pile of kids that yours played with anyway. Fast forward to today where you take your child to the kiddy factory to be molded and shaped by strangers with the hundred other little minds.
    Now the question: Do you sink a whole bunch of money into daycare with it’s documented shortcomings or do you make it less of a financial burden to stay at home to raise your children during those formative years?

  8. Oops, forgot the congratulations on 5 mill. Now if you had a dollar for every hit…

  10. I do have a dollar for every hit. That’s what the Vast Right Wing Conspiracy pays me.
    It’s good to own Halliburton.

  11. Congratulations Kate
    If seats were divvied out at the same rate as Atlantic Canada, 5 million would entitle SDA to 69 MP’s and 64 Senators.

  12. way to go kate, you deserve all the aclaides big time, Now if we could only get you to run federal.
    OT: But i noticed on steve janke & stephen taylor that Liberal MP’s Mark Holland & Marlene Jennings have some explaining to do, It turns out that Speaker Milliken office is in charge of moving materials from office to office & the Boxes in question were clearly marked & labled to be moved. So why were they not? Did these 2MPs diliberately hold them back(steal them)?

  13. A dollar a hit:
    Hey, how about this story financial malfeasance at the highest levels of the RCMP.
    http://www.cbc.ca/canada/story/2007/03/28/rcmp-allegations.html
    A parliamentary committee has heard stunning allegations of fraud, abuse and a coverup at senior levels in the RCMP from those who wear the uniform.
    Appearing before MPs on the public accounts committee Wednesday, several serving and retired RCMP officers delivered a scathing indictment of their leadership over the handling of fraud and abuse allegations involving the Mounties’ pension and insurance plans in 2002.
    RCMP Chief Supt. Fraser Macaulay was among several officers who levelled accusations Wednesday during a parliamentary committee hearing. RCMP Chief Supt. Fraser Macaulay was among several officers who levelled accusations Wednesday during a parliamentary committee hearing.
    (CBC)
    “The RCMP has had a small group of managers who through their actions and inactions are responsible for serious breaches in our core values, the RCMP code of conduct and even the Criminal Code,” Chief Supt. Fraser Macaulay told the committee.
    …
    “Every core value and rule of ethical conduct that I held to be true and dear as a rank-and-file member of the RCMP has been decimated and defiled by employees at the highest levels of the RCMP,” Sgt. Steve Walker told the committee Wednesday.
    …
    The officers testified that they felt stonewalled by more than one senior executive when they tried to raise the issues with the leadership.
    Macaulay said he was told “I was on an island by myself.”
    Now-retired staff sergeant Ron Lewis alleged his own queries were being blocked by the man who held the top job.
    “I was met with inaction, delays, roadblocks, obstruction and lies,” Lewis told the committee, alleging that “the person who orchestrated most of this coverup was Commissioner Zaccardelli.”
    Members of the committee expressed their shock over the allegations.
    “I’m a lawyer and I think a lot of the stuff I’ve heard, you know, if it was anyone else, they’d be in criminal court.… Some of them may have been packing their toothbrushes for the crowbar hotel visit,” Conservative MP Brian Fitzpatrick said.
    “It’s like Watergate,” Liberal MP Shawn Murphy said. “The coverup is worse than the crime.”
    Barb George, the RCMP’s deputy commissioner in charge of human resources, has stepped down from the position, but remains a member of the force, CBC News has learned.
    The public accounts committee is holding an emergency meeting Thursday about Wednesday’s testimony, and is considering summoning senior RCMP executives —including Zaccardelli himself — to testify.
    This stuff writes itself. Adscam, HRDCscam, Gun RegistryScam, now PoliceScam! Welcome to the KLEPTOCRACY known as:
    Krazy Kanucklehead Kanada.
    Gee when the police start thieving, no wonder the Hell’s Angels wouldn’t vote for the LIEberals either!
    Hey we should start a new program on CPAC:
    “Thieves Gone Wild” featuring all your favorite Kleptocrats.

  14. Dion’s Newest Election Campaign Platform:
    Compliments of Garth Turner:
    Synopsis: The Conservative’s Budget is UNFAIR!!!!!
    http://www.garth.ca/weblog/
    Although I am loath to send traffic to Garth’s website the fact that he leaks Liberal strategy like he did for the Conservatives makes him just so yummy as a source for political fodder.
    Any leaks from anybody on the Conservative’s caucus meeting yesterday?

  15. Congrats on the 5 millionth hit Kate. It seems like just yesterday that we were all waiting to see who would take you to 4 million.
    Speaking of the risk of mental disease, does Danny Million$ fall in that category?

  16. May I add my congratulations on your excellent efforts, Kate. You do good stuff. Always interesting, informative and worth the time. My first first stop in the “blogsphere” each day.
    Thank you.
    Mike

  17. Good Job Kate,,,,,,,
    But, danggit, now I gotta explain to my Lunch Buddies why there are tears in my eyes over the Bomb-sniffing Dog that was killed.

  19. Whole-lotto shaking goin’ on in Ontario; it’s PM’s, the Albertan’s, fault. Garff….
    Liberal MPP Tim Peterson, brother of a former Ontario premier, is crossing the floor to the Progressive Conservative party, CBC News has learned…-
    jack’s newswatch

  20. Fellow Canadains from all provinces except Newfoundland. Hang on to your wallets. Danny Millions believe we OWE them our allegiance over that of our country. All bow to Newfoundland. Here is a quote from Danny: All heed:
    “John F. Kennedy said: “Ask not what your country can do for you but what you can do for your country.”
    I say to Newfoundlanders and Labradorians: “Ask not what we can do for our country, because we have done enough. Let’s ask our country what they can do for us.”
    Danny Williams, April 7, 2001

  21. Congratulations Kate–you deserve all the kudos–we may not always agree but I always read this blog to know what is going on in the world–a breath of fresh air after being subjected to msm spin all these years

  23. Five million VISITS (not just “hits”, mind y’all) since Feb. ’04. Pretty damn good for someone who’s got plenty of other stuff to do and manages to blog almost daily. Well-done. This deserves a toast. Cheers!
    Thanks for the link, btw!
    Oh, and speaking of milestones, this week I passed the one thousandth post mark myself.

  25. RE: “Thieves Gone Wild” featuring all your favorite Kleptocrats.
    Hahaha. IMHO, that is an excellent idea Hans Rupprecht.
    WooHoo Kate! Nailed it again. Five million confirms sda is the right place.

  26. Good stuff, Kate. Thank you for your perseverence and hard work.
    And Canadian Sentinel, I think there’s an ancient proverb about how a blog of five million starts with a single visit. Congrats to you, also.

  27. FIVE MILLION
    Not from a publicly known person with major backroom connections to a major political party.
    Not from a life long journalist with major exposure by way of major media outlets and our state run “news” organization.
    Not from one with the backing from centuries old media corporations.
    Nope. From someone in small town Canada in the ‘new media’ who just happens to have the following characteristics.
    Very intelligent.
    Ability to see the news as it is.
    Presents the topics without spin or bias.
    Allows comments.
    Allows dissenting comments.
    Works hard.
    Sees scams, hoaxes, flakes, hippies, political hacks, scandals, cults for exactaly what they are. Scams, hoaxes, flakes, hippies, political hacks, scandals and cults.
    An example of why sda is a lot more relevant to Canadians than other so-called ‘heavy weights’.
    The Quebec election was arguably one of the biggest slap-downs of the LPC/Media propaganda machine in recent history.
    Polls “missed” the ADQ strength.
    Quebecers no longer buy into the centrist idea of Big Ottawa any longer.
    Adscam is still fresh in the minds of Quebecers (and all Canadians) and are not buying the story that the Chretienites didn’t know what was going on.
    The Green Party failed miserably despite wall to wall propaganda by the media on the Kyoto(ad)scam.
    From the get-go Kate was on top of the ‘relavancy’ of what happened at the polls in Quebec. Check the sda archives.
    With respect, Andrew Coyne’s blog commenters were mostly against him. Cannot check his archives though. Mysteriously disappeared.
    With respect, Warren Kinsella (who does not allow comments by the way) had a mushy post about good and bads for leaders. And ?? But nothing on the PMO, as friendly dictator, power slap-down. Also rambles about how HE should be allowed into the Rideau Club without proper dress because HE was giving the speech. HE also could not tell the difference in scruples between helping McGuinty cover-up the lottery scandal and helping John Tory in a Toronto Mayor bid.
    A success story (#1 blog in Canada) like sda could have happened somewhere, sometime, anytime after the printing press was invented. The Media has had control over our lives, especially political lives, ever since. No longer, not with the Kates of the world pointing out, and allowing others to point out, the Pravda-ness of it all.

  28. Thanks, Slick. I’ve just over 62,000 visits since Sept. ’05.
    Could have more, but my occupation saps too much out of me to allow for motivation to do the other stuff to build my visibility. At the moment, I simply keep it going and watch the readership slowly climb…
    But it’s Kate who deserves the lioness’s share of any blog-related kudos. I wouldn’t even be a blogger if I hadn’t been inspired by her!

  29. Congrats,and many thanks to you Kate,from Manitoba!You,as well as the regulars here,have certainly widened my knowledge,piqued my curiosity,made me question,and finally ‘talk back’.SDA is my very first stop of my day..I share my first coffee of the day,with you all,and for that I say thanks to all of you!Needless to say,the housework has suffered,but I’ve replaced the ‘guilt’with knowledge.
    Interesting to note,the quality,diversity of topics here,as opposed to the grade-school,tattletale crap,on the majority of Lib.blogs..I only visit them for levity now.
    Thanks again…you all make me a better person!

  30. Well done. You deserve all the accolades you have received. Always interesting and informative comments and links.

  32. Curious to know Kate how many people from the main stream media and other political parties visit your site on a regular basis?
    I am convinced that Dave Rutherford here in Alberta radio talk circles does as his insight into various topics mirror some of the comments on your blog.
    I salute you for your dedication and as a great Canadian. Knowledge IS power. Power OVER attempts to manipulate us.
    Thank you from Alberta.

  33. From Wpg.Sun today..15 yr old charged with murder..shot man just sitting in vehicle
    Judge gives 6 yr sentence to man convicted of repeated rape of physically/mentally disabled girl.(he worked in Center for disabled where she resided)
    Knifepoint sex-attacker gets credit for time spent at home under house arrest..no jail!Also had robberry charges with this.
    Hmmmm,Wpg,the Kiddie Kar Theft capital of the universe,the asinine sentencing award winner now also!Tough on crime?? My a**!!!

  34. RE: With respect, Andrew Coyne’s blog commenters were mostly against him. Cannot check his archives though. Mysteriously disappeared.
    Thanks for that info, ron in kelowna. Andrew Coyne banned me with my very first post so I have rarely bothered reading him since.
    And thanks again for sda Kate.

  35. Lorrie Goldstein’s rebutle to John Ibbitson’s typical ‘media-will-tell-ya-how-you-all-should-conduct-our-lives’ is BANG-ON !!
    “..John, why do you and so many of your colleagues have your heads stuck up your butts about the real stresses immigration puts on a society? Why are you so quick to shout “intolerance!” when Canadians anywhere express understandable frustrations about half-baked policies they don’t understand, developed by insulated mandarins and opportunistic politicians who, rather than rationally defend them, scream “intolerance!” at anyone who voices unease? Maybe they don’t always say it well. Maybe they’re not as worldly as you. Tough. Are there some racists in the ADQ? Duh. There’s racists in every party. What’s your point?
    I started by saying if Dumont wants to know what the ADQ is in for from the national media, to read Ibbitson’s columm. It suggests a wider, sneering attitude about the ADQ, similar to what they used to think about the Alberta-based Reform party. Mr. Dumont, tell your backbenchers in the Quebec National Assembly not to answer any “hypothetical” media questions about immigration. Because there’s nothing as scary as a scrum of parliamentary journalists who imagine themselves to be on a crusade exposing the bigotry of others.” Lorrie Goldstein, Toronto Sun.
    //www.torontosun.com/News/Columnists/Goldstein_Lorrie/2007/03/29/3861230.html

  36. Intelligence ‘czar’ needed, former CSIS director says – Privy Council Office ‘too close To Political Process’
    ….But the PCO “remains too close to the political process,” said Reid Morden, who headed CSIS from 1988-1992….
    http://tinyurl.com/3x3avl
    Some people might consider this as being “too close”:
    http://tinyurl.com/2kx4ax

  37. Congrats on the 5 million mark. This and similar forums give us the strength to speak out, knowing we of similar view are not alone, and are not the oddball outliers the MSM would like us to think we are.
    Sniffles regarding the dog. They are such precious little creatures. I’ll hug my own dog extra hard today when I get home.

  39. More congrats Kate. Your blog is a must read. For years the hair on the back of my head would stand on end when I heard leftwing politicians proclaim Canadians want this and Canadians want that. I can’t count the times I felt like throwing something at the TV because the crap spewing out wasn’t anything I wanted. I was so tired of those self serving sycophants claiming to speak for me. On the other hand Kate, you can speak for me anytime.

  40. soccernet.espn.go.com/news/story?id=417390&cc=5901
    Journalist, prostitute, what’s the diff?
    This is a semi-weird one. Five members of the men’s Czech national soccer team were found in their hotel room with an equal number of prostitutes. The teammates say they snuck the girls into their room by telling team officials the girls were “autograph hunters.”
    A female journalist broke the story. She said she herself got a peek into the room by posing as an “autograph hunter.” What a coincidence!
    But here’s the kicker: the Czechs lost the Euro 2008 qualifier to Germany. But the Czech federation called what the players were doing a “celebration:”
    ‘Because the celebration was conducted in an inappropriate way, which does not fall in line with the behaviour of Czech Republic national team members, the whole team was punished by a one-million-crown fine,’ the Czech FA said in a statement.
    Imagine if they had won the game!

  41. Congratulations, Kate, on the big Five-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh. Do people still put plastic flamingos on people’s lawns when they reach a milestone like that? I know for a fact there are no wild flamingos in Saskatchewan, but maybe we could catch and paint a few sandhill cranes.

  42. Congratulations Kate! Well done! The big 5! This is the #1 site in Canada! Love it. Please keep digging…..

  43. Conservative member Scott Reid put a question of privilege before the House this afternoon re the boxes stolen by Holland and Jennings. Those boxes were labeled and dated and certainly did not have anything to do with Liberal business.
    MR. SPEAKER will look into the matter and get back to the House in due course.
    Due course will give Holland and Jennings ample time to make up a good reason for their serious breach of ethics and trust.
    The real kicker here is the Speaker’s staff could have been negligent in not delivering the boxes, it’s their job!
    This is a real test for Millikan.

  44. Worth every minute I’ve spent here over the years, and it just keeps getting better.

  48. The latest, latest, really latest poll(Angus Reid), has Tories at 39%, with Grits at 22%. Who cares where NDP (essentially sitting out this one because HofC debate too rough) and Green are.
    Libs at 22%. While we can’t be sure where Tories and Libs actually are (essentially it doesn’t matter, because election soon), this number may represent the bottom end of their support. How could it go lower?
    On the other hand, Dion in an election campaign is shaping up as disaster for Grits, especially during debate. Hard to see how they can grow their vote, save some gaffe or very bad day in Afghanistan. I know this, Harper cannot get majority until he calls election. Since Grits unlikely to go lower in support (unless Dion disaster I think he will be), Tories might as well go now, and I think they will.
    What about the negatives of engineering their own defeat? I offer two points – first, who cares, it didn’t hurt them last election, like the MSM said it would. Second, the Tories have an issue to go to the people – the Clean Air Act. The opposition has amended it into a Kyoto love-in, complete with carbon taxes and credits. Canadians will love this one, you know, the ones who aren’t willing to shorten their showers to combat global warming.
    It’s hard to believe the Tories not calling election after Easter Break. The stars are aligning, so the temptation will probably be too great.

  50. Kate: Do you ever think about what the 5 million visits have done to the national debt?
    If 50% of those were made during working hours and each visit lasts 30 minutes – then 1.25 million working hours have been lost due to you.
    If each of these hours is worth $40.00 in lost productivity and/or profit to the employers’ bottom line then you are personally responsible for $43,750,000 in lost profits. The income tax due on this amount at 30% would be $13,125,000 to the federal and provincial governments.
    Congradulations Kate on costing the taxpayers of this country over 13 million dollars.

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