The White House has welcomed a new arrival.
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Two scotties, one cat?
Uh oh…
Embrace Hollywood
“Democrats need to embrace Hollywood because this is where they need to come to learn how to tell a story.” – Michael Moore*
‘Sexuality is a large issue in America right now, but it isn’t so much in other countries. There’s a raging fundamentalism in morality in the United States. From day one audiences didn’t show up. They didn’t even read the reviews in the south because the media was using the words: ‘Alex is Gay’.
“The script was just too ambiguous, too questioning about an action-hero who was masculine/feminine. These are tough qualities in Hollywood. It’s just too big a life. It doesn’t fit in into the Hollywood formula.” – Oliver Stone – director
Ignore The Stern Goatherds, Mr. Harper
Bob Tarantino called this the post of the day, yesterday, and I agree.
Mr. Harper, imagine for a moment that you are a goat. Now, please divert your attention briefly from that dead patch of dirt you are currently competing over with the Liberal, NDP, and BQ goats, as well as Joe Clark. Let your gaze drift a few yards to the right. Oooh, what a lovely patch of lush, green grass that is! The stern goatherds will yell at you if you venture over there, but that’s OK – the grass over there is much more nourishing, and it might even give you some extra energy to compete with the others over the dirt later!
Tsunami Donation Day in Saskatchewan
Today, there is a 12 hour long Saskatchewan pledge drive on Rawlco Radio for tsunami relief. The number to call is 866-363-4483.. At time of writing, they’ve already raised over $40,000, which will be matched by federal government tax dollars.
(update- final total for the 12 hours sets a “radio-thon” record for the province – $401,161 $442,000 for the Canadian Red Cross)
That is not the only way to support the afflicted countries – as I argued on the Murray Wood Show a couple of days ago, the criticism of tourists who continue to arrive in the area is misplaced. While relief is necessary to help people immediately affected by the crisis, it’s not going to solve their greater problem – long term employment, the devastating hit to the overall economy. The media isn’t helping either – the inbred urge to sensationalize paints a picture that may be worse than it is.
This item by way of Instapundit, from a diving/cruise company in the region;
Much to our dismay there are many unsubstantiated news stories about “total destruction” of Phuket’s coral reefs. Even our own effort to bring a CBS team to the Similans for a first hand look turned into a nightmare when they broke their promise and turned it into yet another “spectacular disaster” story. Our crew and passengers were quoted out of context and our underwater video footage used incorrectly. Never again!
The page goes on to list areas only slightly or unaffected by tsunami damage.
Those who call this callous fail to see that last thing Phuket needs right now is an economic meltdown caused by tourists staying away as a result of inaccurate news coverage. Thousands of ordinary Thais are employed in the resorts that are now damaged and closed. Mass cancellations would destroy what is left of the island’s fragile economy. If you are booked for a Thailand holiday, please do not cancel.
If you’re one of those individuals who planned to donate in the four figures, it may be more constructive to book a holiday.
Meanwhile, the UN does what it does best – add new levels of beaurocracy, fly to meetings in 5 star hotels and maneuver for power. Canada’s DART team is scheduled to leave CFB Trenton today (courtesy of rented Russian transport planes).
The US and Australians continue to do the heavy lifting. The Canadian media tallies up contributions from the various western countries now trying to outdo each other, while scrupulously avoiding mention of the costs to the respective militaries of those two countries, and the troops and equipment that have been arriving since the early hours of the disaster. Television coverage a couple of nights ago showed glimpses of soldiers in fatigues handing out supplies to surviviors over reports of “international giving”. That there was US military insignia on them went unmentioned.
As worthy as the fund raising drives of the Red Cross and other NGO’s are here, I’m starting to think that the best place to send donations may be to the United States Department of Defense.
UglyRipe Conspiracy
Beauty really is skin deep, according to the Florida Tomato Committee.
“These requirements serve to ensure customer satisfaction and improve grower returns. Not holding the UglyRipe tomato to these same standards defies orderly marketing and provides it unfair, undue marketing advantage…. The bottom line is that the Florida Tomato Committee is empowered to protect the standards of the Florida round tomato…”
Others smell a conspiracy. I don’t know… I’m kinda on the side of the Florida Tomato Committee on this one.
Cool View From Saskatchewan Drive
Broadway Bridge
The landmark Delta-Bessborough Hotel
Taken this morning at about 9:15 am, temperature -32C, plus windchill. Click on the photos for the full size versions.
2005: Year Of The Aboriginal Friend
If Raskolnikov isn’t on your blogroll, he should be. This takedown of Colleen Simard, of the Winnipeg Free Press, (who urges every Winnipeger to get “an aboriginal friend” for 2005, then trots through the steps with helpful instructions);
So please Ms Simard, don’t go around telling non- indians to approach the indian they see at a WAG show just like they would anyone else, or to join a support group or club to meet indians. Unless that club or support group is centred on something indian, or it allows indians to rage about racism or history, the odds are there won’t be any indians around. As for indians in an art gallery? See my post here to get a glimpse into an indian mindset I have encountered all too often.
On a personal level, I would encourage all non- indians to search high and low for indians. From what I have heard and what I can see with my own two eyes, most of the indians that are easy to find and accessible are the ones on Main Street. These are the ones non-indians use as a template, Ms Simard, whether you like it or not. And if that insults you, you may want to change your own template, the one where every culturally clueless white person needs an indian friend, as well as guidance from someone like yourself on how to get close to that strange exotic indian.
As for my fellow indians, try opening your mind to other cultures. You have spent the last 50 years or so forcing our culture down the throat of everyone else, maybe it’s time you started swallowing.
And he’s just warming up…
crossposted to the Shotgun
Reader Tips
B Raman, in the Asia Times;
It is not without significance that almost all countries – even those which were critical of the US-led intervention in Iraq – have been in favor of going ahead with the elections as planned, however unsatisfactory they may turn out to be. The holding of the elections will not turn out to be the end of – or even the beginning of the end – of jihadi activities, but it will demonstrate to the jihadis the determination of the international community not to let jihadi terrorism succeed.
Such a demonstration is necessary, whatever the cost of it. It needs to be recalled how India’s determination to hold periodic elections in Jammu & Kashmir in the face of an escalation of terrorist violence by Pakistan-supported jihadi terrorist organizations ultimately broke their morale and made Pakistan amenable to reason.
An open letter from The American Thinker to those campaigning for the enemy on this side of the Atlantic.
Also, in Iraq, Ali has moved from Iraq The Model, to set up his own blog titled “Free Iraq”.
More on failed European policy and the growth of radical Islam in the Netherlands.
Canada’s Paper Airplane , DART – a concept, not a capability.
Sound Politics Finds Unsound Math
Blogger Stephan Sheransky started to ask questions a little while ago about the extremely close vote, recount and resultant overturning of results in the Washington State governor’s race. Questions like…. “why are there more votes than voters?”
Others are starting to listen. The Seattle Times;
House Minority Leader Bruce Chandler, R- Granger, said yesterday that unless questions are answered about the election process — specifically about how several counties counted thousands more votes than there were voters recorded — Republicans plan to object.
Not bad work for a guy in pajamas.
Nanobot Wisdom
Not since Mickey Mouse, has a cartoon character so captured the imagination of America.
Introducing;
“Jeff Goldstein, Nanobot”
200K
It doesn’t seem that long ago that I was celebrating my 100,000 visit to small dead – October 2nd or thereabouts. At the rate of visits today (1700 so far), it looks like the 200K will click over on the sitemeter sometime this evening.
Thankyou, all.
Frost-Free Petunia
With today’s release of the Environment Canada’s Top Ten weather stories for 2004;
At Saskatoon, for example, the air temperature on January 28 dipped to -45�C, the coldest in 33 years. Add the wind and it felt more like -59. Exposed skin froze in less than 10 minutes. At times in January, even the planet Mars was warmer than Canada. The rover Spirit recorded a night-time minimum of -15�C on the Red Planet while in Key Lake, SK (some 570 km north of Saskatoon) it dipped to -52.6�C on January 29 making it the coldest place on Earth.
A team of researchers at the University of Toledo has created petunias that survive in temperatures so low that other flowers curl up and die in two hours.
Because, I’d really miss my garden these days.
Clinton Administration: Tsunami Free
“It’s not our job as reporters to ‘know,'” the reporter responded indignantly, “It’s our job to say stuff and things to the public.”
Heh.
Breaking: Al Zarqawi Caught?
Drudge is running a banner right now that reports Al Zarqawi may have been arrested. There is very little to go on right now, but it’s from the same paper that broke the news of Saddam Hussein’s capture:
Abu Mus’ab al-Zarqawi, whom the US occupation authorities declared to be the “target number one” in Iraq, has been arrested in the city of Baakuba, the Emirate newspaper al-Bayane reported on Tuesday referring to Kurdish sources. Al-Zarqawi, leader of the terrorist group Al-Tawhid Wa’al-Jihad, was recently appointed the director of the Al-Qaeda organisation in Iraq.
Let’s hope so. If true, it won’t end the violence in Iraq, (that won’t happen so long as Iran exists) but the psychological impact on both sides will be profound.
Powerline ties this report in with confirmed information of the capture of his high ranking Zarqawi operatives earlier this week.
Pee’er Pressure
If all your friends were having their penises pushed back into them, does that mean you’d do it, too?
“I’m not sure why they do it, unless it is to get the penis out of the way when they are running through the jungle or because it is more hygienic when they are sitting on the floor and there are thousands of ants about. Although that doesn’t make a lot of sense as their testes are still dangling. Anyway, I fainted when they tried to do it to me. It was a very odd sensation; I had to lie down with my feet in the air, which looked rather odd as I was naked.”
All that, plus: The proper way to eat a witch’s soul. Mustard, optional.
Embrace Hollywood
“Democrats need to embrace Hollywood because this is where they need to come to learn how to tell a story.” – Michael Moore*
“Hi, I’m Richard Gere and I’m speaking for the entire world.” –
Richard Gere
Four, Three, Two….
The countdown to the utter disintegration of the credibility of mainstream journalism approaches zero.
update – the countdown continues…(one…)
Jack Kelly says it’s a free fall
Jeff Foxworthy Racing
Court Rules Against First Nations Adoption Policy
A Saskatchewan Queen’s Bench judge has struck down the provincial government’s policy on the adoption of First Nations children. Under the policy, the Saskatchewan Community Resources Department would not put First Nations children up for adoption without the consent
of their band.
In a recent case, the Surgeon Lake band had refused consent for the adoption of five children on the grounds it didn’t want them adopted by non-aboriginal parents.
The band was concerned the children would lose their connections to their culture and community. However, Prince Albert Justice Jacelyn Ann Ryan-Froslie ruled the existing policy left some children in foster care “limbo”. It can result in children being shuffled through numerous foster homes with a “far-reaching and devastating” effect, she said.
“There is no reason why children cannot have a permanent, stable and loving home through adoption and still be guaranteed a connection with their family,” Ryan-Froslie wrote in her 50-page decision. The judge also said the current policy violates the children’s constitutional rights to equality, liberty and security of the person.
Debra Parker-Loewen, Saskatchewan’s Children’s Advocate, wouldn’t comment directly on the court decision, but said it’s time for a new approach on adoptions.
“I don’t think there’s one answer for every child,” she said. “I think there’s many answers just like there are many different kinds of family constellations and many different ways of sorting out what’s in the interests of children.”
Parker-Loewen said the current policy was a well-meaning attempt to help First Nations children keep their culture. However, she said, that can still be done even if they are adopted into non- native homes.
Good news.
update – Be sure to read what Raskolnikov has to say in the comments. And then, go read this first rate rant.
Who’s Afraid Of The Big Bad Wolf?
(updated)
Fred Dejarlais is, and I can’t say that I blame him.
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“He was taunting me, (walking) in a circle around me,” Desjarlais said. “I looked around real quick and thought, ‘I hope he’s alone.’ He was as far as I could see.”
Desjarlais hollered and tried to scare the animal off but then it lunged at his head. He jumped to the side and dodged it but the wolf came back.
“That’s when I knew he meant business,” said Desjarlais, who eluded a second lunge but the wolf quickly spun around and got to the man’s back, biting into his shoulder area.
Fortunately, Desjarlais was wearing several layers of clothing which prevented the bite from breaking the skin, but it did leave significant bruising. The wolf then turned its attention to Desjarlais’ lower body and ripped into his jeans, biting twice around the pelvic area.
“He knew he was in deep trouble so he jumped on the wolf’s back and tried to subdue it,” said Barker.
They both fell over and got back up. When his chance came again, Desjarlais made good. He locked onto the wolf’s back and threw his arms around the animal’s head, putting it into a headlock.
“I pulled him down the way you would take down cattle (for roping) and I dropped onto his head, pinning him there,” said Desjarlais, who held on 30-40 seconds before coworkers returning to camp on the bus spotted the pair.
“He was pretty much at the end of his string. His strength was draining,” said Barker.