First Liberal: (strumming guitar)
Second Liberal: Do you know any Blue Rodeo, sir?*
First Liberal: Just shut up and mark ballots.
(A shameless ripoff of a classic PW * series)

First Liberal: Conservatives starboard! Shields!
Second Liberal: Sir?
First Liberal:
Second Liberal: Excuse me – Mr. Prime Minister?
First Liberal:
Third Liberal: Shhh.. We’re not supposed to talk when he’s cloaked.
(A shameless ripoff of a classic PW * series)

First Liberal: Scott?
Second Liberal: Yes, Sir?
First Liberal: Do you hear the horses?
Second Liberal: Go back to sleep, sir.
First Liberal: Their eyes are so blue…. *
(A shameless ripoff of a classic PW * series)

School kids marking official EC ballots?

Ahem
Update – “Harper New Democrat” Ian of Marturia writes in the comments;

As one of the teachers who participated in this “mock election”, I can tell you what happened to the ballots. In my school, all the ballots are totalled and the numbers (not the ballots themselves) are sent to the organisation running this. For the record, they are official-looking ballots, on card stock and whatnot, with the names of the candidates for the riding the school is in on them. We instruct the students to treat them as a real ballot (i.e. only an X next to the name you’re choosing is acceptable). From what I know, the organisation in charge (whose name escapes me at the moment) just wants to use the student numbers to compare against real polling numbers on the 23rd. Hope that helps.

When I first saw this story, I assumed that the schools were conducting mock ballots in the manner Elections Canada proposes. Perhaps it’s still completely innocent, but hat they’re using real candidates names does open up legitimate questions as to what the organization in charge is up to. One hopes the teachers ensured that all were destroyed.

What a difference a “d” makes (MP3 file)
via David Akin

First Liberal: What’s this?
Second Liberal: We’re chipping in, sir.
First Liberal: Oh. Clearly.
Second Liberal: For jet fuel, sir.
First Liberal: I suppose the cowboy hat is Herle’s idea of a joke.
(A shameless ripoff of a classic PW * series)

Angry has a rumour that Dear Leader has sent out a call for help.
I say call Team America!
Update – got word from a second source that there may be something to Angry’s rumour that there may be issues involving Paul Martin’s plane. Breakdown? Or – and this is pure speculation on my part – with stories of the Liberal party’s massive debt and possible bankruptcy, maybe it’s cash only at the PetroJetFuel pump… heh.
Send in the Sea Kings!
Update #2 – Paul Martin’s plane did a touch and go in Saskatoon, arriving about three hours late. They blamed freezing rain in Vancouver for delaying their departure.
So, was there freezing rain in Vancouver? It’s 46F there at the moment.
Update #3 I’ve been stuck in Vancouver airport when they’re hit by freezing weather – it’s a mess. Or maybe not. I just placed a call to an agent at Air Canada cargo (located in Vancouver) who couldn’t remember any freezing rain or commercial flight delays. Well, there should have been lots of media on the plane. Perhaps we’ll hear from them.

A reader comments that the latest Liberal attack ad has her “shaking in anger”.

How Stick People Became Extinct.

has obviously done a good job indoctrinating their Quebec star candidate. Watch the clip attached to this story, and pay close attention to the last 20-30 seconds. Particularly his response to Craig’s last question. “I want to work effectively for the Liberal Party of Canada.”
Shouldn’t he want to work effectively for his constituents?
cross-posted at Waking Up on Planet X

It turns out that Brian Diesbourg is really, really lucky he wasn’t a 55 year old grandfather when he kicked that 50 yard field goal…

The fast-food giant found itself in the middle of a minor boycott yesterday after a halftime contest during Thursday night’s Toronto-Hamilton CFL game made 25-year- old Brian Diesbourg a millionaire.
The Belle River mechanical engineer made a 50-yard kick and secured the grand prize – – but he’ll be 65 by the time he’s done collecting it.
Wendy’s insurance structure is set up as such that the $1 million will be paid out in yearly $25,000 instalments for 40 years.
[…]
“I can’t believe that they’re giving it out that way. What if you were 50, 55 years old and you won it? You’ll be dead in 40 years,” said Steve Goodman, 50, who was at the game with his nephew and heard promoters say Diesbourg would get $1 million, tax-free, if he made the 50-yard kick.

But just think, Steve! If he were a 7 year old girl with a good tax advisor, he might never have to work a day in his life!

John Hawkins polled a number of bloggers and asked them to choose a team to run every country in the world except their own home country The results are in. Three of my choices (of four submitted) ended up in the top four rankings – see if you can guess who they were.

There is a new ad campaign trying to warn tourists away from Florida. They figure that Canadians are apt to get ventilated by angry Floridians under the state’s new Shoot First law. My personal feeling is that it will probably be safer to vacation in Florida than the rest of the U.S. now that criminals are on notice they can be taken down with fewer consequences. And if this law has the side-effect of encouraging everyone to improve their manners when dealing with other members of the general public, so much the better.

Apparently, Quebecers are really getting on board with the notion of an English monarch, titular head of the Anglican Church, as Canada’s head of state. Vive l’Angleterre!

Overheard on a CNN “Ask the Doctor” segment just now;

“I am 48 years old and have recently been diagnosed with prostate cancer. I am devastated. My doctor says it’s “localized” – a medical term that I can’t understand. What are the odds that I’ll recover and go back to my life as a teacher?”

For Public Release.

The SFDS, officially known as Infight*, is a clean, safe environment where the illegal handgun users can discharge their weapons under the supervision of fully accredited firearms instructors. National Firearms Association representatives will provide on-site access to small-bore rifles, high-power rifles, pistols, and revolvers. Infight also provides nurses and counselors to tend to first aid and wound care.
To operate legally, the Department Of Justice has granted SFDS an exemption from Bill C-68, otherwise known as the Canadian Firearms Act.
The Department, in association with Citizenship and Immigration Canada has committed funds of up to $2 million to fund the program costs of Infight until April 2006, as well as $1.2 million to renovate a former convenience store into a Canada Standards Council approved firing range. (A proposal for funding for ammunition for underprivilaged gun users is presently under Cabinet review.)
Infight has been established in partnership with the City of Toronto, the Toronto Police Service, and the Lawrence Park Community Services Society.
The Canadian Firearms Center is conducting the scientific research project, with the goal of assessing whether a discharge site will reduce the harm associated with firearms to individuals and the community.
Over the course of the next three years, researchers will examine if it reduces gang-related executions, drive-by shootings, improves the health of illegal handgun owners, increases their appropriate use of health and social services, and reduces the health, social, legal and incarceration costs associated with illegal firearms discharges.

Good news.

Someone reminded me of this* today.

Cruel bastard.

I see the hand of Maurice Strong….
h/t

Maybe I’m a little punchy because I just finished doing my taxes, but I nearly fell out of my seat laughing when I saw the juxtapostion of these two headlines on Google News.

I’m thinking that the problem in the second headline goes a long way towards explaining the problem in the first headline. In which case none of us should expect action from Ottawa on the second problem any time soon.

Ah, whatever. I’m getting $8640.48 back. Me so happy. 🙂