62 Replies to “Reader Tips”

  1. Soooooooooooo smoooooooooooth, Vitroooooooovius.
    Toots a lot for dat man.
    I wuz always a sucka for smooooth.
    In lesser hands that could be muzak what?
    When my musician daughter lived in Brussels in the early 90s she saw Toots with Grappelli (sp?) in a small club.

  3. Apparently some kind of agreement has been reached between the Province of B.C. and the West Coast natives for the installation of the (soon to be ubiquitous) wind turbines between the north coast and the Queen Charlotte Islands. Premier Campbell in the fading days of his premiership has decided, without consulting with, well … me, that these islands shall be henceforth known as the Haida Gwaii, or however they spell it. I, however will continue to know them as the Queen Charlotte Islands, as I shall continue to call Chinaman Creek and Chinaman Mtn. by its first given name at least until such time that the name of the vehicle that picks up drunks is changed from “Paddy Wagon”, to something more appropriate,

  4. Canadian Delegation to Copenhagen includes Mike Holmes, TV Handyman and General Contractor. I suppose chosen for his support of SOS Children Villages, but really….If I want an addition put on the house I will Call Mike Holmes, I want some representation in Copenhagen I will call somebody with some prestige like Bob and Doug.
    They will tell those hoseheads where they can trap their carbon, eh in an empty two-four just breathe into the bottles, eh and put it back upside down, eh. Oh wait beer has them tiny CO2 bubbles, eh oh no, they are coming for or brewskis next , take off copen-hosers eh.
    I Love Canada.

  5. I’ve been in engineering for 30 years and I’ve never heard anyone say “beat the crap out of him”.
    Sure, it was just said in a heated moment. But this is threat of physical violence.
    Sniggerring arrogance and the political class’s hubris is what threatens us.
    We’ve seen economic indicators, why don’t we have a similar indicator graph showing the sponge-to-producer ratio?
    Nexttime I see Pat Michaels at a scientific meeting, I’ll be tempted to beat the crap out of him. Very tempted.

  6. Brief excerpt from Wazhma Frogh’s and Lauryn Oates’ Calgary Herald piece on the women’s antiwar organization Code Pink:
    “Code Pink’s modus operandi is symptomatic of a western feminism that is not rooted in values of global solidarity, but is self-interested, insular and shamefully relativist. It is based on tribalism and rejects internationalist values. In this feminism, emancipation is only for western women — not for women in places like Afghanistan.”
    (…)
    “If western feminists who have staked out a ‘troops out’ position remembered to ask Afghan women their views, they would find that rather than bristling at ‘masculine militarization,’ ‘cultural imperialism,’ or any other in-vogue sin found on the placards waved at rallies, many Afghan women are haunted by the memory of the Taliban’s public stoning to death of women. They recall what life was like when you couldn’t leave your home alone, when you could not speak aloud in the streets because your voice was deemed inhuman, subservient, inherently impure. It was not the West’s interference that led to their collective misery, but the lack of it.”
    via Terry Glavin (Transmontanus)

  7. Tried to start a thread a while back about favourite Christmas carols, but I guess it was too late in the day or too soon before Christmas. So I’ll try again.
    I love the Huron Carol, the original Canadian Christmas carol. Written by Jean De Brébeuf, the Jesuit missionary in Ste-Marie-Among-the-Hurons in Ontario. It was originally in Huron, then French, then English:
    ‘Twas in the moon of winter-time
    When all the birds had fled,
    That mighty Gitchi Manitou
    Sent angel choirs instead;
    Before their light the stars grew dim,
    And wandering hunters heard the hymn:
    Refrain:
    Jesus your King is born, Jesus is born,
    In excelsis gloria.
    Within a lodge of broken bark
    The tender Babe was found,
    A ragged robe of rabbit skin
    Enwrapp’d His beauty round;
    But as the hunter braves drew nigh,
    The angel song rang loud and high.
    Refrain
    O children of the forest free,
    O sons of Manitou,
    The Holy Child of earth and heaven
    Is born today for you.
    Come kneel before the radiant Boy
    Who brings you beauty, peace and joy,
    Refrain
    Gitchi Manitou is the Algonquin word for God. Brébeuf was of course later martyred.

  9. Nicole – It is a beautiful piece and typical of the way the Church blends traditional ways into something recognizable to the Amerindian mind and soul. They have not always been that successful; pulling down the totems is of questionable wisdom when looked at from this remove. Brebuef and his comrades were of course martyrs, killed I believe by the Iroquois after horrible torture. A bit gruesome, but I saw relics (his skull) in a silver casket during the Vatican Splendour display at the Vancouver Art Galley, some years back.

  10. This evening I checked in on my Facebook account and saw that a friend in the Eastern U.S. was being lambasted by some other friend of his for being skeptical of what’s going on in Copenhagen.
    This other fellow went on & on about some sort of CO2 levels going sky-high. I noticed two other things:
    1. He’s a high-school student, graduating next year.
    2. He originally called my friend a “denialist”.
    So I pointed out to him how incredible it was that he appeared to be repeating verbatim some science he had read somewhere on the Internet, never once questioning where the data came from. I also asked him why he trust scientists who refuse to share their data with all to examine.
    Finally, I asked him why he was calling his friend a “denier” – ie. someone on the same level as one who denies that the Nazi Holocaust occurred.
    I was polite but did not back away from pointing out the error of this kid’s ways. Do you think he will take the time to question his own assumptions? I don’t. 🙁

  12. Nicola, the words to that carol are beautiful. My favourite is Silent Night, Holy Night in both the English and German.

  13. Bennett is my name which I took from my adoptive parents after my mother died. She was a Lee from Belfast who emigrated with her family to Calgary many, many years ago, and yes I have seen the insides of these transporters on various occasions.
    I presume from your name you are from the steppes of eurasia somewhere, and that your parents may have been wealthy or at least, successful farmers?

  17. Government overturns CRTC ruling on GlobaLive entrance into the wireless marketplace! Network service imminent in TOR and CAL with other major centres to follow. YeeHaw.
    What ever happens from now on, the Conservatives have done enough to shape Canada for years to come: a renewed commitment to the military, calling out terrorist organizations, and now increased competition in wireless.
    I don’t think we’re in Kansas anymore…

  18. The Globe and Mail reported on Thursday that many Norwegians are not too pleased with president Obama’s cancellation of a number of traditional events held for the Nobel Peace Prize winner. They include a dinner with the Nobel committee, a press conference, a TV interview and a visit to an exhibition in his honour at the Nobel peace centre. He has even turned down a lunch invitation from King Harald. Apparently the committee itself is trying to downplay the issue but the people on the street are put off.
    The bow to the Japanese emperor was overblown, a minor protocol mistake at the very worst. But I’d say the attitude shown here demonstrates the president’s narcissism and boorishness.

  19. I just watched ultra-Lefty Sid Ryan espousing his stupidity on Michael Coren’s show. It suddenly occurred to me that the simplest way to provide Ryan & his Eastern ilk with the money they want for their socialist causes (aka the Copenhagen mantra) is to add a fuel tax only for Ontarians.
    Doing a little research revealed that apparently about 15 Billion litres of fuel were sold last year in Ontario. So here’s a handy guide to the EXTRA amount each Ontario driver can gleefully be looking to pay per litre:
    $10,000,000,000 $0.67
    $20,000,000,000 $1.33
    $30,000,000,000 $2.00
    $40,000,000,000 $2.67
    $50,000,000,000 $3.33
    $60,000,000,000 $4.00
    $70,000,000,000 $4.67
    $80,000,000,000 $5.33
    $90,000,000,000 $6.00
    $100,000,000,000 $6.67

  20. Toronto Star, Thursday, Haroon Siddiqui. Title: “Why it is essential to stand up to bigots”.
    He says, “While Europeans and North Americans have learned not to invoke free speech to peddle anti-Semitism, they routinely cite it to rationalize anti-Islamism (the Danish cartoons, and the tirades of Maclean’s magazine, the National Post, etc.)”
    “Islamism” is a word generally used to refer to the mentality among radical Muslims such as those who were behind the 9/11 attacks. What the hell is wrong with being anti- that??
    If he merely means “anti-Muslim”, then I agree that all believers should not be lumped together and considered to have the same views. But there seems to be enough of the troublesome contingent that criticism (not to mention war) is fully justified, including the examples he cites. Free speech is a defense to any and all of them. The cartoons and articles are examples of western nations standing up to bigots.
    The impetus for his column was the Swiss ban on minarets. I do agree with him that the ban is unjustified and worthless.
    But if you really want to stand up to bigots, Siddiqui, how about trying to persuade the Saudis to allow Jews to enter their country?

  21. Globe and Mail, Friday, Rick Salutin. Title: Climategate’s not evil, it’s just unhinged.
    The column doesn’t make a clear point, but it does say this: “Those university climate scientists have been accused of betraying science for politics. But they’re also human, and human beings are political. They weren’t betraying science, they were pursuing politics, and politics can make you crazy.”
    That’s a very weak defense, if it’s a defense at all. You can’t exonerate people because they were acting “politically” – otherwise Hitler, Stalin and Mao would be off the hook. I know he doesn’t think the scientists were literally crazy. I think fraud might be a better word to describe their actions, but he doesn’t come up with it. He repeats the claims that the ice caps are still melting and polar bears retreating inland, but these too have been disputed, in part because of the fraud.
    Compare last week’s column about the leak of the Afghan torture allegations, in which Salutin commented “long live the whisteblowers”.

  25. Bank of Canada governor Mark Carney: People shouldn’t go crazy based on the low interest rates today, because they might not be able to afford payments under higher rates down the road, which in turn might upset the economy and the delicate recovery.
    Terence Corcoran in the National Post: It’s not our responsibiilty to worry about whether the financial system will go to hell because of low interest rates and consumer response to them. That’s the Bank’s job, so do it properly.
    Also in the National Post, UK PM Gordon Brown and French counterpart Nicholas Sarkozy: “We have found that a huge and opaque global trading network involving complex products, short-termism and too-often excessive rewards created risks that few people understood. We have also learned that when crises happen, taxpayers have to cover the costs.”
    Taxpayers actually don’t have to cover the costs, if governments don’t spend their money on bailouts. But what we have really found is that government intervention to encourage people who can’t afford to buy houses to obtain them anyway is devastating to the economy. We also know that there is no “short-termism” like that found among politicians attempting to ensure their own re-election.
    And why is it that when high government salaries are criticized, the defenders say they’re there to attract qualified people, but when high corporate salaries or benefits are at stake, they’re merely a manifestation of greed?

  27. I generally like the Law & Order franchise but this week producer Dick Wolf is on a crusade to attack conservatives. He did it first with SVU and then Friday night did it again with the original Law & Order show.
    The general message is clear:
    – Community organizers (like ACORN perhaps) are all angels
    – Anyone who doesn’t agree with Obama is a right wing violent nutcase (and white by the way)

  28. Robert W./Lev: Here’s the link to Charles Krauthammer’s article, The New Socialism:
    http://townhall.com/columnists/CharlesKrauthammer/2009/12/11/the_new_socialism
    nv53, re ” … president Obama’s cancellation of a number of traditional events held for the Nobel Peace Prize winner …”:
    Aside from not wanting to appear subservient in the eyes of his socialist puppet masters, I sincerely think he cancels these events because left to their own devices, neither Barak nor Michelle can hold their own in the company they would have to keep. Without his speech writers and teleprompter, he’s an empty suit who would embarrass himself if he had to carry on an intelligent conversation.
    His handlers know this, so they’ve put a tight rein on him and told him to say no to one-on-one encounters. He’s only allowed to bask in the limelight flashing his million-dollar smile — which is million$ of dollar$ for them as his agenda drains million$ of dollar$ from us.
    What a scam.

  29. nv53, re Rick Salutin:
    I’ve seen him roaming the streets of my neighbourhood looking like a remnant from the Night of the Living Dead and, like him, his opinions are holdovers from a bygone era. But, of course, the Probe and Fail keeps him on as a columnist because that’s what “we” do in Canada: Our media is full of cadavers: Rick, Lloyd, Peter, Craig, you get the picture…

  30. Harvard’s Red-Green Commissars: The Moonies.
    O’narcissist, LiberalGonzoIffyIgnatieff, and BanMoonbat.
    “Back in his student days at Harvard University, Ban’s standard joke was that he was “JFK” — “just from Korea.” Now he likes to quip, “My name is Ban, not James Ban.” But it will take more than jokes to reverse the sentiment against him.”
    …-
    “Mr. Moon
    A Master of Missteps at the Head of the UN
    United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki Moon is under fire from all sides. Even the Norweigan Ambassador to the UN complained he lacked in charisma. Now all eyes are on the climate change summit in Copenhagen, a crucial test for the international leader who calls himself “a slippery eel.”
    Ban Ki-moon had been planning his trip to Norway for a long time, which made it all the more galling that just before the United Nations secretary-general arrived, newspapers published a leaked document in which none other than the Norwegian ambassador to the UN deemed Ban as weak, ineffective and lacking in charisma.
    A diplomatic visit to Norway is usually one of the more pleasant outings for the UN leader. The country is one of the international organization’s founding members and a big supporter as well, revering the secretary-general almost like a king.”
    http://www.spiegel.de/international/world/0,1518,666138,00.html

  31. “THE HEART AND SOUL OF ENVIRONMENTALISM
    PRODOS SPEAKS WITH PETER SCHWARTZ, Founder of The Intellectual Activist,
    Chairman of the Board of the Ayn Rand Institute,
    Editor of
    Return of The Primitive – an update of The New Left:
    The Anti-Industrial Revolution.
    (not reviewed by Peter Schwartz)
    PRODOS: (INTRO) I was in the supermarket the other day in one of those
    12 items or less express lanes and a lady just ahead of me had a
    few items she’d bought that were going through the checkout.
    But she refused a plastic bag to put them in. She was going to
    struggle along. She carried some in her handbag and some under
    her arm and anyway it was grueling to watch.
    Amazed and appalled – shaking my head – I watched the farce.
    My turn now. The checkout guy looked at me with my long hair and
    unusual way of dressing – probably thinking I’m a hippie and a
    greenie too. But before he could say a word I blurted out
    “I wanna plastic bag! I’m not an Environmentalist! I don’t
    support rubbish and nonsense like that!”
    He looked at me with great approval.
    Today I want to look at Environmentalism – it’s heart and soul.
    What is it really about? Regular listeners know that I’m TOTALLY
    opposed to the Environmental movement and we’ve often on this
    program shown up many of the silly contradictions and outright
    LIES put forward by Environmentalists. God they really are a
    bunch of whackers!
    Most recently I spoke to [the late] John Daly – the author of
    Still Waiting For Greenhouse and we talked about the
    ‘Global Warming’ scam. Also to Tom Brabin – all about the
    Forestry Industry and some of the things happening there.
    But today let’s go a few levels deeper into the issues.
    Let’s get philosophical! Let’s look at the ideas, the motivations,
    the PRINCIPLES underlying the Green movement.
    Now I warn you, you may be in for a shock. If you ever thought
    the planet was in trouble because of what’s happening to its
    environment then get ready to find out what trouble really is.
    Because what the Environmentalists are doing to your life, your
    liberty, your property, your future is unbelievable. It’s stranger
    than fiction.
    It’s a nightmare.”
    http://www.prodos.com/transcript/peterschwartz1.html

  32. Whoaaa, ‘Rasmssen Reports’ Lowest Presidential Level Yet! Mmmm i wonder if it has anything to do with the fact That Obama Recieved a Nobel Peace Prize after not even 1yr in office & The fact he just Increased the troops in Afghanistan?
    Presidential Approval Index
    -16
    thats 25% Strongly Approve & 41% Strongly Disaprove
    Dec.12/2009

  34. “Leave the oil in the soil, leave the coal in the hole.” says Nigerian Nnimmo Bassey, chair of Friends of the Earth International. Question, how did this leftist turd get to the conference, walk, with his candles and firewood?

  35. Nicola Timmerman, one of the most beautiful renditions of A Huron Carol is by the Elora Festival Singers on a NAXOS disc called “The Mystery of Christmas.” ‘Best ten bucks I ever spent.
    Unfortunately, I can’t locate it on youtube.

  37. So, I’m in a lineup at the grocery store this morning and I wish the Jewish woman behind me, who I know, a “Happy Hanukkah!” She proceeds to wish me “Happy Holidays!”
    I hesitated for a nano-second and then said, with a smile of course, “It’s Merry Christmas for me.” She demurred with, “Well, you never know when you’re going to offend somebody, so I’ve just started saying ‘Happy Holidays,'” to which I rejoindered, “Too bad if it offends people. ‘Merry Christmas’ is my culture and putting someone’s culture in the basement in order to raise others’ up isn’t such a great idea.”
    I’m getting extremely tired of having to protect others’ sensibilities when mine are being assaulted and offended all the time.
    “Merry Christmas!” to all — and to all a good day!!

  38. bryanr – Yes, that’s the lowest Rasmussen. They point out his loss is in the Democratic sector.
    What I think this is about, is that the BackRoom Gang (BRG) who run the puppet Obama, are worried about the increasing loss among the Independents. These are crucial in the 2010 elections. The BRG are worried about, not the 2012 election, but the 2010 election. They are worried about losing Congress. They need Congress, vitally, to push through their radical socialist infrastructure.
    So, they figure that at election time, the disenchanted Democrats will STILL vote Democrat and they want the Independent vote. THAT’S WHY Obama, the puppet, gave the Afghan and Nobel ‘war speeches’. It’s for the Independent vote. Oh, it has zilch to do with Afghanistan; Obama himself doesn’t give a hoot about the Afghan people. He’s a narcissist; his focus is always and only on himself.
    The BRG need Obama, their puppet, as their Salesman for their domestic socialist structures. Obama himself gets a vicarious thrill out of making people do what they don’t want to do; it shows he’s in power..and his pathological narcissism requires such a thrill of power over other people.
    BUT, I’m still going to predict that Obama won’t go for a second term.
    IF the Democrats retain Congress in 2010 then they don’t need Obama for a second term of their socialist agenda. Their plan is to get it done in the first term.
    And Obama himself is bored and indifferent to policies and programs for Americans. After all, such are not about Him. Just as he’s indifferent to foreign affairs ..to the democratic desires of Iranian people, to stopping Iran’s nuclear bomb, to democracy in Honduras..etc.
    So Obama will want to go on to head a World Govt, the UN.
    IF, IF, the Democrats don’t retain Congresss, then, they’ll drop Obama anyway.
    I’ll bet that we are going to see a lot of BRG attention now focused on appeasing the Independents, in order to retain control of Congress. The BRG will have the puppet Obama campaigning all across America with that agenda.

  39. ET, Obama will of course not seek a second term, and interestingly will leave with fairly high public regard. By that time, the economic crisis will have abated somewhat, or at least ameliorated. He can make unimaginable money though a public speaking career and writing (not matter what he produces). He will want to spend more time with his family, although there will be a little less transparent wording (in other words – I’ve had it with this schtick – too hard)
    Despite leaving with accolades, history will not judge him favourably.

  40. Eric Larsen,
    I read a thread (can’t recall where) that suggested the same: (“O’Bama won’t run again”) but the ending was a little different.
    That writer suggested we’ll see O’Bama, eventually, in the running for whatever form of ‘global govmt’ gets revealed.
    Now, I for one, wonder how a noboby goes from Zero to become the POTUS in 6 short years. I know there is BIG $’s behind him and I think ‘they’ve’ got him sequenced for something other than just speaking/book tours, although that is a component.
    Your thoughts?
    Cheers.

  42. Hey Garry, sorry, I was over at your house looking in your fridge and making a sandwich, and posting 🙂
    I think the whole global government thing is a bit of a stretch.
    What does concern me is the long term solvency of the US. To me, the US reminds me of the sad cases of those guys who get laid off, don’t tell their spouse, pretend to go to work, and borrow money hoping to land a job sometime.
    There are some very fine people in that country, but when you (according to stats) have one in eight on food stamps, and one in four children is on food stamps, something is very very wrong.
    So, I’m not worried about the one world government thing as a secretive goal, but I’m worried in which direction the troubled US will take the world – will the US, or will others fill the void?
    Anti-Americanism is all too commonplace – after all – what major power would pepple like to see as the predominant hyperpower?

  44. Eric,
    Please make your self at home. But quit using that ‘funny lettuce’ on your sandwich…can cause spelling problems!
    I can’t disagree with your points. But I can see a consortium formimg that “prdominant hyperpower” you speak of.
    Just my thoughts. Thanks.

  46. Garry, Eric – hmm. Interesting comments. But I don’t see Obama having a public speaking career. What will he talk about? He has only one focus: Himself.
    And the agenda of Himself is to secure the adulation, the continuous adulation, of those around him. This interaction has to put him, oops, Him, in control of you.
    So, a public speech about..oh, world peace..won’t achieve this goal. That’s why I suggest that he’ll go for heading the UN, with the agenda of setting it up as a world governance.
    Now, that’s the kind of control Obama likes.
    And just think..there’s no congress in the UN, no FOX news, no blogs. Just corruption, corruption and …
    He won’t succeed of course. The world is actually too diverse in economic viability for that. China and India won’t go for such restrictions..heh..can you imagine, capitalism will be saved by China. Now, that’s a thought for Christmas.

  47. ET and Garry, he will have a fabulous public speaking career, and people will flock to see him. Please remember the depth of our current culture, where the women on “The View” are revered as insightful Socratic debaters.
    He will probably ascend into some UN position after “resting and earning” for a few years after his first term: after all, the UN is as superficial and full of artifice as . . . well . . . . you know who I was going to say!

  48. I must disagree. It would be very unusual for Obama to not run again. Also, imho, President of the USA is the biggest job in the world. Pres. Obama would have to really mess up for the Dems to drop him or convince him to step aside. Again, highly unlikely.

  49. concrete – my argument is that Obama is not interested in the ‘job’.
    He’s interested in the feedback of adulation and in the thrill of controlling people and making them do what they don’t want to do.
    He’s not interested in domestic policies or programs for the well-being of America. All his ‘policies’ so far, have been creations of others, from the Pelosi-Reid Stimulus, to the Health Care, to Cap-And-Trade..to Afghanistan. Obama is intellectually shallow, ignorant of and indifferent to world history..and his only focus is on that adulation and subservience of others.
    In foreign affairs, Obama is shockingly ignorant and actually does more harm than good (eg, Iran, Honduras, Eastern Europe). He’s also indifferent to the needs of other people, since he can’t control them and since their focus is not on Him but on such things as democracy, freedom, food. His need for adulation is ignored by these people. His need to be ‘supreme’ leads him to constant insults, put downs, and ignorant statements.
    Once he’s achieved the agenda of his masters (I assert he’s a puppet of a BackRoom Gang of radical socialists)…then, there’s nothing for him to do. Again, he’s not interested in policies or programs. He’ll be not only bored but restless, because he requires constant ‘feeding’ of adoration and subservience.
    I’m saying that HE will quit and go on ‘to greater things’…
    It’s only IF the BRG don’t get that infrastructure through, that they’ll drop him.
    In either case, my prediction is that he’ll be gone…out of sheer indifference to the job.

  50. ET,
    Along my lines of thought, as well.
    Eric,
    I don’t mean he won’t hit the speaking trail; I just don’t see it as a career as he is headed elsewhere, when the time is deemed right. Why that Nobel thing with what, 3 months of Presidential history? Nominations were finalized well before he became President. This was in the bag, STS! I’m trying to follow the $’s and the bouncing ball.
    concrete,
    At this time, it’s the biggest job in the world. Who knows what tomorrow brings? I believe the question is “If he runs, does he have a chance to win?” His handlers have to make that call. If a victory is in doubt (‘they’ can’t risk defeat) he won’t run (whether the plan was to have him run or not). All depends who the GOP fields as a Presidential candidate and what the “ear-to-the-ground” reports indicate.
    I think the reality may be a combination of all the points made, adjusted by political circumstance, of course.
    Cheers.

Proudly powered by WordPress & Skyrocket Themes

MENU

Navigation