Squeegee guy gets killed by irate driver

South Bay Man Really Doesn't Want His Windows Cleaned | NBC Bay Area

This was bound to happen, but didn't need to.

To all of you who say the guy was defending his property and that the transient deserved to die, here is an alternative solution to the same problem: Just ignore the guy, get back in your car and leave. There, no one dies. Stop cheering for stupid people who see more value in their car than in a human life.

Drinking Myths

5 Drinking Myths That Can Kill You | Cracked.com < read me!

What You Should Do Instead:

Lay them on their side and, between shots of tequila, try to check and make sure they haven't stopped breathing at some point. If their breathing becomes irregular or they start vomiting without waking up, they have alcohol poisoning. Call for help.

In the morning, they'll thank you for being responsible and taking care of them in their time of need. At least until they see the collage of swastikas and penises you drew on their face and arms.

...

What You Should Do Instead:

Let's put it this way: It's almost a statistical certainly that by
New Year's Eve of 2009, at least one of the people reading this will be
dead due to a drunk driving accident. About 15,000 people die every
year that way in the US alone. The rate doubles over the holidays, and
skyrockets among the young, drunken males of the type who tend to read
this site. So seriously, just don't get fucking hammered and drive. We
mean it.

Stay safe and have a happy new year.

Why Israel won't allow journalists into Gaza

Firedoglake » Why Israel Won’t Allow Journalists Into Gaza < read me and watch the video.

Harper's anti-woman rampage

An anti-woman rampage | rabble.ca < read me.

Harper apparently hates anything to do with equal rights for women. As
a result, women don’t vote for him. Maybe that’s why instead of wooing
us, he takes extreme measures to further punish us.
Just look what
he’s done in the past: he smacked down a national child care plan,
killed off the Court Challenges program, attacked women’s reproductive
freedom by supporting Bill C-484, axed jobs at Status of Women Canada
(SWC) and eliminated the word “equality” from its mandate, silenced
advocacy groups, shut down community-based women’s organizations and
stripped money from women’s agencies and programs.

And the list goes on.

Canadian and US media coverage of the war in Gaza is absurd

One war, two wars? The Israeli air war & the media — Mike Soron

Absolute absurdities are being published in Canada, that — if it didn’t concern a vicious attack on a captive and abused people — should be laughable.

The comments beneath the article are sickening. They demonstrate the tremendous and disastrous impact of media on North Americans.

Back in Israel, Zvi Barel, in Haaretz writes, “Six months ago Israel asked and received a cease-fire from Hamas. It unilaterally violated it when it blew up a tunnel, while still asking Egypt to get the Islamic group to hold its fire.”

Arab Anger Gives Hope To Gaza

RedBedHead: Arab Anger Gives Hope To Gaza < read me.

Egypt in particular has seen an explosion of militancy in recent years,
including a growing confidence to challenge America’s favourite
president-for-life, Hosni Mubarak. It was only severe repression
earlier this year that prevented a growing labour insurgency from turning into a general strike, rooted in the giant textile mills of Malhalla, Egypt.
That
anger still exists and the confidence remains unbroken. The present
slaughter in Gaza is creating a special crisis for Egypt because it has
locked down its Gaza border, preventing at gunpoint desperate
Palestinians trying to escape.
“The
largest protests against the Israeli bombardment of Gaza were in Egypt,
where 8,000 demonstrated in the southern city of Aysut, 4,000 protested
in the capital Cairo and 4,000 in Alexandria. In total, more than
50,000 demonstrated in Egyptian cities on Sunday, led by the Islamist
opposition, the Muslim Brotherhood, out of which Hamas first emerged.”
Within Iraq anger at the slaughter is acting as a catalyst to unite Sunni, Shia – and even Kurds in the north.
Israel is undermining all of America’s good work of divide. The war
against Gaza could make life difficult for America in Iraq.
In Jordan, which has long aided Israel, including a massacre of tens of thousands of Palestinians during Black September, 1970, protests continued across the country.
In
Lebanon, which has also suffered under the blows of Israel’s
American-made weapons, and which sent the Israeli’s scurrying back
across the border on more than one occasion, there was a mass demonstration of tens of thousands that pledged solidarity with the suffering Palestinians.
And,
of course, within Israel/Palestine itself the assault is pushing more
Palestinians towards support for Hamas and leading to greater unrest –
including riots and protests - in the areas controlled by the corrupt
satraps of Abbas’ Palestinian Authority.

Bacon girl

Flickr Photo Download:

Biggest Star

YouTube - The biggest star known to man

The biggest star known to man

The 19 Best Movies That You Didn't See in 2008

The 19 Best Movies That You Didn't See in 2008 « FirstShowing.net



I only saw one movie from Alex's list - Let The Right One In. It was great. A touching young romance/vampire story.

"Math is hard. I let Steve do all the thinking for me."

Canadian Idiots. 2008 the year of the stoopid. | A Creative Revolution < read me, see me.

Underworld: Rise of the Lycans - movie trailer

Underworld: Rise of the Lycans (2009): Trailer εξέγερσης

This comes to theatres Jan. 29, 2009.

From Rotten Tomatoes: Synopsis:
Michael
Sheen and Bill Nighy revisit their roles from UNDERWORLD in this
prequel to the horror-action hybrid. Sheen (THE QUEEN) stars as Lucian,
a werewolf who battles vampire Viktor (Nighy, the Pirates of the
Caribbean films), despite his love for Viktor's daughter Sonja. Kate
Beckinsale might have departed the series, but fellow dark-haired
beauty Rhona Mitra (DOOMSDAY) fills fans desires for a sexy heroine in
her role as Sonja.
Michael Sheen and Bill Nighy revisit their roles from UNDERWORLD in
this prequel to the horror-action hybrid. Sheen (THE QUEEN) stars as
Lucian, a werewolf who battles vampire Viktor (Nighy, the...

"Harper has fast become the kind of governing politician he once professed to abhor"

Same old patronage games in Harper's 'new' Senate < read me.

Like the prospect of devouring the leftover Christmas turkey, many Canadians might find it hard to digest Prime Minister Stephen Harper's decision to stack the Senate with party loyalists.

Conservative supporters point out that every prime minister before Harper has done exactly the same thing, and that the PM has encountered nothing but roadblocks in his attempts at genuine Senate reform.

But Harper sold himself to Canadians as a different kind of politician, one who'd refrain from using patronage appointments to the Senate. A man who could be trusted to keep that and other promises.

Instead, Harper has fast become the kind of governing politician he once professed to abhor -- one who routinely breaks his word.

Naming 18 Tory senators Monday -- the most ever in a single day -- is just the latest example of a promise made, a promise broken.

Geoducks

Dark Roasted Blend: Geoducks Are Strange

Playgrounds

Dark Roasted Blend: Nightmare Playgrounds

Machine Animals

Dark Roasted Blend: The Machine-Animals of Nantes

Steampunk art

Dark Roasted Blend: Steampunk Art Update

Socotra Island - yes, this is Earth

Dark Roasted Blend: The Most Alien-Looking Place on Earth

The mysterious Plain of Jars

Dark Roasted Blend: The Plain of Jars: Bombs & Mystery in Laos

Nothing proportionate in response

Let Freedom Rain: Israeli attacks "simply vengeance" <read me

Stephn Harper: Stock Market Tipster Par Excellence

James Laxer: Stephen Harper: Stock Market Tipster Par Excellence < read me.

October 8, the day after the ever-perceptive leader of the Conservative
Party was suggesting that Canadians buy stocks, the TSX closed at
10,056, down from the all time high of 15,073 reached on June 18. The
trouble with Harper’s advice is that since he gave it, the TSX has
continued its downward trend. On December 24, it closed at 8,311, down
17 per cent from the day he provided his stock tip.

Canadian's need to become truly informed or we are doomed

Canadian Spades: A chilling reality < read me

This holiday season has been rife with political controversy. As a
result, Canadians are now more engaged in politics than they have been
in recent memory. But there is a key problem; the newly engaged
Canadians lack the fundamental political knowledge to make an informed
decision regarding current events.

Mutant Chronicles to hit TV

The Mutant Chronicles: Bone Blades Ahead — Mutant Chronicles Gets Television Debut

If you haven't seen it already from downloading the torrent of the leaked DVD.

The Reform Party goals - gone

Bouquets of Gray: The Reform movement officially dead; Harper killed it <read me.

An important part of the Reform movement was its call for changes to
Canada's governance. Four planks were central to their program:

• recall
  
• referenda
• fixed election dates
  
• an elected and equal senate

Press continues to allow the lies

Dear Conservative Party of Canada « bastard.logic < read me.

When the press colludes with the PMO to spread disinformation, even unwittingly, is there any wonder why the people of Canada are so ignorant of the democratic process?

Look, I know that Goebbels is said to have once famously (and 
perceptively) quipped that if you “repeat a lie a thousand times it
becomes truth”; but one would hope that our nation’s elite would have
higher standards with regards to whom they are channeling their PR
strategy through.

Doom Doom Doom

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/pf/27959626.html

An unexpected, thick layer of solar particles inside Earth's magnetic field suggests there are huge breaches in our planet's solar defenses, scientists said.

These
breaches indicate that during the next period of high solar activity,
due to start in 2012, Earth will experience some of the worst solar
storms seen in decades.

Purple Squirrel!

Purple squirrel baffles experts - Telegraph




Don't let Ricky see this.

Nuke It at "Ground Zero"

Ground Zero: Google Maps and Nuclear Weapons
A Google map masshup where you can pick a city and nuke it and see the area of damage.

Mmm. Rotting flesh aromatherapy

Giant stinking flower reveals a hot secret - life - 22 December 2008 - New Scientist

Thundercats - Fake trailer for movie with Gigi Edgely (Chiana in Farscape) as Cheetah. Also starring: Brad Pitt, Hugh Jackman and Vin Diesel

Live Action ThunderCats: Brad Pitt As Lion-O, Hugh Jackman As Tygra? This Is A Live Action ThunderCats I Support

Check out the video.

New Seagal movie - maybe good for a laugh?

Against The Dark: Adorably Old And Pudgy Seagal Still Deciding Who Lives And Who Dies

Seagal plays Commander Tao — no, I did not make that up — a master
swordsman whose job it is to wave around objects and make blanketed
statements, and I'm assuming, say, philosophical things as well with
that name. As a fan of the man, I must say Seagal is brandishing a lot
of weaponry in this, perhaps due to his inability to do anything agile
anymore?

Man...he looks so awful they may as well use Will Sasso's impersonation as a stunt double.


didnt someone already do Blade? lol

4,300 year old tomb in Egypt

4,300-year-old tombs unearthed in Egypt - Science- msnbc.com

Pot more potent than ever

High Times in Ag Science: Marijuana More Potent Than Ever | Wired Science from Wired.com

Tombs!

10 Most Fascinating Tombs in the World - Neatorama

Beautiful Books

Dark Roasted Blend: Weird Books & Illuminated Manuscripts

Porn - the leading edge of the Internet

Thank You, Porn! 12 Ways the Sex Trade Has Changed the Web - PC World

For an industry that many people won't admit they've ever patronized, pornography has had an amazing impact on virtually every new medium, from cave painting to photography. Dirty pictures have been credited with ensuring the future of the VCR, boosting cable TV subscriptions, helping to kill off the Betamax and HD DVD formats, and (perhaps most important) driving the growth of the Internet.

In fact, the adult entertainment industry has been on top of many of the Net's most crucial tech innovations--but not because it invented any of them.

19 Disappointments

Senator Elaine McCoy Hullabaloos

All in all, regardless of the merits of some of the
individuals (Nancy Green, for instance), I think December 22, 2008
might well go down in history as the day of 19 Disappointments.

Bullshitting the Canadian public

The Galloping Beaver: Steve's CTV Christmas Special < read me!

Dear Steve :
Allow me to quote from the Coalition's Accord, signed by the three opposition party leaders including Gilles Duceppe on Dec 1:

"The [Coalition] Government will not request a dissolution of Parliament during the term of this agreement, except following defeat on an explicitly-framed motion of nonconfidence presented by the Opposition ...[that would be you, Steve]... or any vote pertaining to the speech from the throne; or on a budget vote at on any stage in the House; or on any bill to implement a budget at any stage in the House; or on any motion in the House to concur in, restore or reinstate any Estimates; or on any supply bill at any stage in the House.

The Bloc Québécois will neither move nor will it support any motions of nonconfidence in the Government during the term of its support for this agreement, and will vote in favour of the Government’s position with respect to all matters referred to in the immediately preceding paragraph."


Could that be any clearer? The agreement actually binds the Bloc to vote with the coalition on all matters of confidence and to support all budgets, throne speeches and money bills.

Steve knows this of course, but he went on Corporate Television Vehicle™ and bullshitted the Canadian public about it four distinct times in five minutes anyway. Fucking appalling. And neither of the two hosts, Lloyd Robertson nor Robert Fife, called him on it.

How is BQ veto fo a LIb-NDP coalition possible?

The Rational Number: How is BQ veto of a Lib-NDP coalition possible? < read me.

Only the partisan assumption that the Conservatives would vote against the Lib-NDP coalition consistently without regard to the matter of the vote holds up the argument of a BQ veto. Of course everything depends on the subject matter of the vote, but that nevers appears in those Conservative-minded talking points.

Baseball LSD Pitcher Dock Ellis passed away

ESPN - Former major league pitcher Dock Ellis dies at 63

In his autobiography, "Dock Ellis in the Country of Baseball,'' Ellis revealed that he threw a no-hitter against the San Diego Padres in June 1970 while under the influence of LSD.

Mayan Underworld

Portal to Maya Underworld Found in Mexico?

Maya builders would have had to hold their breath and dive underwater to build some of the shrines and pyramids.

Dig this

TOP TEN ARCHAEOLOGY FINDS: Most Read of 2008

 

Harper at the helm of our economy - "making up his course as he sails along"

Buckdog: Is Harper As Phony As He Seems?



Harper and his ministers would have
us believe that circumstances have changed over the three months,
morphing from a financial crisis to one affecting the real economy. But
most of that was predictable and was, indeed, predicted. No one really
believed the crisis could be contained to a few banks and insurance
companies.

On the other hand, the political circumstances have
changed, as Harper's government was almost toppled earlier this month
by a coalition of opposition parties demanding more stimulus in the
wake of the hold-the-line economic statement. That would account for
the shift by Harper since then. But how does it explain what he said in
Peru before the economic statement about the need for stimulus?

Some
have suggested that the answer lies in a split between Finance Minister
Jim Flaherty, who actually delivered the economic statement, and Harper
on how best to address the crisis. But that is hardly credible in a
government that is as centred on the PM as this one.

One is left
with the uncomfortable feeling that Harper, far from the steady hand at
the wheel portrayed in Conservative propaganda, is making up his course
as he sails along.

List of common misconceptions

List of common misconceptions - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

11.1 Billion year old water - across the universe

Space Porn: Water Vapor Discovered Near Black Hole 11.1 Billion Light Years Away

The discovery of water vapor in a distant quasar system has
overturned established ideas about the existence of water in the early
universe.

This is the farthest, and thus the oldest,
water ever seen in the Universe. (Because the light from this quasar
took 11.1 billion years to reach Earth, it is 11.1 billion years old.)

Majel Rodenberry Passes Away

Star Trek: The First Lady Of Star Trek Passes Away



Majel Barrett Roddenberry, the most ubiquitous actor in Star Trek, died today at age 76. The wife of Trek creator Gene Roddenberry, she also provided the computer voices on every version of Trek. And she played three pivotal characters: Number One in the pilot, Nurse Chapel in the original series, and Lwaxana Troi in TNG and DS9. She was providing the computer voices for the new Trek movie, and it's not clear if she had finished recording them.

Smell like meat!!!

Burger King Unveils Meat-Scented Cologne

The 8 phases of dating

The 8 Phases of Dating - by Mingle2, a Free Dating Site

Santa when you are asleep

What Santa REALLY Does While You're Asleep - BumblePigs.com

OSX upgrade crashes Mac

OSX upgrade crashes Macs- The Inquirer

readers have been finding their Macs hanging or suffering from
post-update reboot blues. The Airport and wired network connections
keeps dropping and there are audio bleeps when users try to restart.

The Mail application refuses to quit, fails to connect or crashes
while attempting to connect to the mail server. And it really hates
messages with attachments according to reports.

The upgrade is self-censoring too. Instead of warning the user that
there is a problem, the system goes mysteriously silent as if there was
no problem at all. Much like the Apple press office when it comes to
bad news.

One user reported that the upgrade made his Imac into a brick,
complete with a white screen which just bleeps at him, which is
probably a wrongly-reported RAM fault.

On the nationalization of the AbitibiBowater mill and hydro plant in Newfoundland

LA REVUE GAUCHE - Left Analysis And Comment: Danny Boy Nationalizes AbitibiBowater

Now lets do that to other industries demanding bail outs. Like Chrysler, which is threatening to shut down productive plants in Ontario, as well as in the U.S. and Mexico. Over to you Dalton McGuinty.

Ancient find could help decipher one of Africa's oldest languages

Ancient tongue inscribed on Sudan statues - Science- msnbc.com

Exercise is good for you - but you already knew that

People who exercise on work days are happier, suffer less stress and are more productive | Mail Online

People who exercise on work days are more productive, happier and
suffer less stress than on non-gym days, scientists revealed today.

University
of Bristol researchers found that employees who enjoyed a workout
before going to work - or exercised during lunchbreaks - were better
equipped to handle whatever the day threw at them.

It also found that people's general mood improved on days of exercise but they became less calm on non-exercise days.

Drawing on Drugs

Picture, J.W.E.: Drawing on Drugs

Read the link - very interesting.

More progress in electric cars, in China

Chinese build electric car while US automakers beg for money | DeSmogBlog

BDY's F3DM model can travel up to 100 kilometers (62 miles) on a single
battery charge and it contains a back-up independent gas-powered motor.
The big kicker is that its retail price is $22,000 US

Alternative energy study puts wind power on top

Good news for wind, bad for ethanol in major energy study



The results of his mathematical ranking are both rational and
unexpected. Wind power emerged as the overall victor. When teamed with
battery electric and hydrogen fuel cell vehicles, it claimed the top
two spots by winning seven of the eleven categories. Photovoltaics are
an unexpected also-ran, failing to make the top five. Politically
favored ethanol stands out as the big loser of the study, falling
behind "clean coal," a technology many consider a dead end. Ouch.

Ho Ho Ho

San Francisco - The Snitch - San Francisco Overrun With Drunken, Smoking, Half-Naked Santas Again

Sales of Mac declining

Apple suffers in economic downturn - The Inquirer

THE US PRESS seem deeply shocked that even Jobs' Mob is feeling the pinch in the economic downturn.

A recent article by the Wall Street Journal said that even
Apple is beginning to suffer in this year's dismal holiday season, as
if it expected the outfit to be immune to the woes of the economy.

With hushed breath it noted that sales of Macs had actually declined
a year ago while sales of other brands of PCs managed to increase by
two percent. 

How can that be? People always buy Apple don't they? Steve Jobs told them so.

NPD analyst Steve Baker pointed out that there had been a 35 per cent drop in sales of desktop Macs

Adults - get ready to rumble at Chuck E. Cheese

Chuck E. Cheese Arcade: A Place Where Moms Punch Dads In the Face



Chuck E. Cheese, the arcade with robot band, is a violent place. An
uninvited kid joined a birthday party. And when the cops showed up,
they found a rumble between 40 bloodthirsty parents.

Americans don't know where America is

Steven Shehori: Poll: 37% of Americans Unable to Locate America on Map of America

Poll: 37% of Americans Unable to Locate America on Map of America

TV the detroyer of lives

258mpz9.jpg (JPEG Image, 624x747 pixels)

Thin Japanese buildings

Bouncing Red Ball » 20+ really thin buildings and houses in Japan

Canada DOES have a subprime crisis

Just Another Willy Loman: Now we know what the 75 billion was for

The Harper conservatives deregulated our mortgage insurance, and created a Canadian subprime mortgage crisis that should start to hit our economy in about six months and they are lying about.

The economy is going to get worse than both Harper and Flaherty have forecasted and it would appear our government's finances could be in worse shape than they have reported hinted (since they have to date avoided and discussion or disclosure in parliament).

Regardless of the plan presented in January the Coalition needs to replace this government, we can no longer afford their ideological incompetence or believe a word they are saying.

Nice Christmas songs (not)

Twelve Songs For Christmas at Kontraband

Christmas got you down? These songs are for you. NSFW or for children or polite adults.

Shoes thrown at Bush

YouTube - Shoes Thrown at President Bush

More Bacon pictures

funny bacon photos | TheChive




(thanks Heather!)

Zombie Portraits

Concept Art: Cultural Icons Memorialized in Zombie Portraits

20 Movers and Shakers in Science Fiction

The Power List: 20 Movers And Shakers In Science Fiction

Internet becoming more popular than sex?

Almost half of women prefer Internet to sex- The Inquirer

First, the Internet has become more popular than TV. Now, it seems, it threatens to become more popular than sex. Oh my goodness!

Another good summary of what has happened to Canada's government

Macleans.ca - WELLS: Parliament in chaos–just how Harper likes it

Hypocracy on sepratists

Bouquets of Gray: Separatists on parade, 3: western separatists in the CPC


If Harper And The Conservatives HATE Separatists ... (the Quebecois
version) ... Why Don't They Also Condemn Western Separatists? A fair question, as I'm sure anyone would admit.

Another
question. Wouldn't it be best if the Conservative Party restricted its
membership to non-separatists? A case in point: David Crutcher is the
Executive Director of the new separatist Western Business and Taxpayers
Association. His profile on the WBTA's website happily identifies him as federal Conservative.

Women pleasuring themselves

92% of women like to go solo | The Sun |News

And two-thirds of women admit to pleasuring themselves three times a week,
with women in London finding the time for four sessions every seven days.

Water Vapor Confirmed on Alien Planet

Water Vapor Confirmed on Alien Planet | Wired Science from Wired.com

Snot news

ABC News: You Think It's Mucus, but It's Not

Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Mucus and Phlegm

Brain images to computer

Mad Science: Technology Puts Images from Your Brain onto a Computer

Japanese scientists have unveiled a device that can pluck images out of your brain and recreate them on a computer screen.

Using
an fMRI brain scanner, researchers read electrical signals coming from
people's brains while they thought about letters in the word "neuron."
The research team led by Yukiyaso Kamitani at ATR Computational
Neuroscience Labs has designed software that can process the output of
the fMRI and search for signals associated with vision. (Many of the
same parts of the brain that process images in the real world are also
used to create images in your mind's eye.)

Once they'd processed the signals they received, researchers were
able to recreate the word "neuron" from what they'd picked up in
subject's brains.

Who's afraid of the big bad Bloc?

Bill Longstaff: Who's afraid of the big bad Bloc?

There is little for progressives to fear from the Bloc Quebecois as supporters of the coalition on confidence votes. The Conservatives got their support in the last Parliament, and if there's no coalition, they may very well be seeking it in this one. Nothing new here.

Click the link, read the post.

Just the Facts Please

Peace, order and good government, eh?: Facts are stupid things

Let's support a government who covers up the facts so we won't find out how badly they are mishandling things until it is too late - not. This has been done before - remember the Mike Harris government saying they were running a surplus, when, meanwhile they were running a very large deficit?

If Steve Jobs ran one of the big three car companies - what would the car be like?

diggmakesmegigglelikealittlegirl.jpg (JPEG Image, 830x3118 pixels)

Scary shirt

Yikes « unrepentantoldhippie

Let's hope the coalition continues

Accidental Deliberations: On best-case scenarios

After all, the coalition also reflects the best chance in the near future to demonstrate the viability of cooperative politics.

The top 50 trips in movies

Drugged! The top 50 trips in movies - Den of Geek

Well, the left out Apocalypse Now, but at least they included The Trip.

Betty Page hospitalized

Bettie Page hospitalized after heart attack - Boing Boing

Kopbusters

Kopbusters -- reality show that busts cops for conducting illegal drug raids - Boing Boing

Lesbian Vampire Killers

Lesbian Vampire Killers: Lesbian Vampire Killers Know The Way To My Heart


How can you go wrong with a movie title like that? Well, yeah. Due to be out March 2009. Could be meat, could be pastry.

Fables tv series

Fables: Exiled Fables Could Find a New Home on Television




In Bill Willngham’s comic book epic Fables, Snow White, the
Big Bad Wolf, Prince Charming, and scores of other characters from
folklore are forced to live together in exile in Manhattan. Now ABC is
offering them all a chance at life on television. The network has
ordered a pilot based on the trials and tribulations of these legendary
characters living in our modern world.

Harper deconstructed

as we were saying: The man is sick: He must go

R.K. Finch: The truth behind the making of our great leader, our genius in office, our strategic master, is the story of a megalomaniac with malignant narcissism,
a grudge-bearing nerd... an immature and conscienceless man who is
using this country to prove a theory, allowing him to simultaneously
indulge his megalomania while holding fast to his grudges. There is no
story like this, history reminds us, that results in someone who wishes
to do good things for this world.

Kelly McParland, National Post:
It's this lack of trust he's generated that has really poisoned the
water on Parliament Hill. You can hear it in the voices of many MPs and
pundits -- they just can't stand the guy. They think he's dishonest,
that he's demeaning the art of politics, diminishing the stature of
Parliament. They take themselves seriously... understand the rules, and
know when he's crossing the line. They don't think he even knows where
the line is.

Photonics breakthrough

Intel claims photonics breakthrough - The INQUIRER

In the paper, Intel scientists report having fabricated a silicon APD with a
'gain bandwidth product' (GBP) of 340GHz, which they said is approximately three
times more powerful than conventional indium phosphide photodetectors. Presently
most other photodetectors have a GBP of only about 120GHz, they said.

The gain bandwidth product expresses a photodetector's amplification, or
gain, multiplied by its maximum signal transmission speed, that is, its
bandwidth. Intel said that its APD design can be tuned to trade off gain versus
bandwidth, allowing devices to be built either with higher gain and lower
bandwidth or, conversely, lower gain and higher bandwidth.

Intel said this means that an APD can be designed to either transmit high
data rates over short distances or send lower data rates over longer distances.

The Intel researchers said it looks possible to build low cost optical links
that will be able to run at data rates of 40Gbps or higher.

Ontario - Electric cars to be finally allowed on the streets

BigCityLib Strikes Back: Good News On Electric Vehicles



Low-speed vehicles such as the ZENN electric car are finally going to be allowed on Ontario roads.

Transportation
Minister Jim Bradley said yesterday such city commuter vehicles would
be roadworthy – once equipped with additional safety features.
Low-speed vehicles 'are a new kind of vehicle and it will take a new
set of standards to allow them to be safely driven on Ontario roads,'
he said."

Harper bullies his MPs

Buckdog: Former Member Of Conservative Caucus Verifies That Harper Is A Bully To His Own MP's

"I remember one specific time when Mr. Harper come into caucus one day and he said, 'We've
decided to make significant cuts to a lot of programs, some of these
cuts may hurt your ridings but anybody who criticizes the cuts will
suffer severe consequences to their political career as a Conservative
Member of Parliament,' and that's an exact quote, I wrote it down at the time and then he didn't tell us what the cuts were."

"He's really smart, he has a lot of capabilities, but he does not understand that if you keep pushing people, sooner or later, they'll push back. That's what's happening, this is why we're here. This is not just because of the economic statement, this is a culmination of two years of frustration, forced confidence votes and threats. The opposition MPs just met their limit and now they're pushing back."

Those who sow the wind shall reap the whirlwind

Queer Thoughts: Ben-Ami says Harper is Disingenuous

...Mr. Harper’s government was only able to survive for more than 2 ½ years during the previous Parliament because it too had worked out a responsible modus vivendi with the BQ, as any prudent minority government would do. Remember the declaration that Quebec is a nation within Canada? By characterizing the Liberal-NDP willingness to cooperate with the BQ as incitement to treason – which is what sedition is, after all – Mr. Harper and his supporters are not just being insincere; they are engaging in their own brand of incitement. It may serve them well in the short term, but politics has a funny way of exacting revenge on those who practice it with such calculated cynicism. As the Prophet Hosea warned, “Those who sow the wind shall reap the whirlwind.”...

Maude Barlow: Harper has to go

Canadian Dimension Blog / Maude Barlow: Harper has to go

“For the good of the people of Canada, for the dignity and good and
workings of the House of Commons, he must step down and allow the
coalition to come into power”

Coalition - grassroots organization

Creekside: Dear leaders of the coalition : Obama-size now

It's time you guys put together an official coalition website and Impolitical has your front page image right here.

What we need from you now is an official source for quotes, breaking news and coalition events to counteract the Corporate Television Vehicle™ which will reliably continue to pump out every rumour and screw-up in the coalition because that's what they do.

Yes,
you have your own party websites but Canadians need to be convinced
this is more than party politics as usual. Yes, there's lots of grassroots groups doing this already but we need to see you to stand behind it.

Build
it and the press will come. There's economists and constitutional
experts writing interesting articles about the coalition every day.
Publish them. We need pledge drives for when Steve goes for another
election do-over. We need dates for the coalition townhalls you better
be planning to have in your districts.

What Harper is really like

Impolitical: In which Harpie's friends speak to the media about what he's really like

Robert Benzie's piece in the Star today is an eye-opener for Conservatives and an interesting read for anyone seeking to understand why the nation has been brought to such a place as it has been this week. It's all about Harpie. While I agree there's not much "news" here in terms of how the PM governs, the report is a worthwhile reminder that the governing style itself is unsettling and has wrought this week's crises. There is another intriguing angle, below.

On why there was no swaying Harper from his disastrous ideological economic update:

In interviews with federal associates of Harper, past and present, a picture emerges of a bright and driven man who does not take dissenting counsel especially well and is prone to profane outbursts.

"The people around him, the stable, has generally been bred for obedience, so that's what you get," says a confrere.

Another insider agrees "there's no question the Prime Minister rules by fear," which is not always productive.

"At some point, you know, you get up every day and you get kicked in the balls and, you know what, you get tired of it. So when people stop fighting back, I'm telling you, that's a most dangerous, dangerous, dangerous day," he says.

It was Harper who insisted that the Nov. 27 economic statement be used as a political weapon to bludgeon the Conservatives' foes. (emphasis added)

Creating an atmosphere where he's unopposed by his staff and colleagues, it's no wonder he's unable to work with the opposition. It doesn't seem to be in the DNA.

Video upgrade on Facebook introduced

Facebook Introduces Embeddable Videos Only Your Friends Can See

The key change, though, is that the videos will now be embeddable on
other sites. This is also something that has been a standard for a long
time at YouTube, MySpace, and practically every other video site. But
Facebook is adding a privacy twist. Just as on Facebook, you can
determine exactly who can see any video you upload. Those privacy
settings will be maintained across the Web. Anyone will be able to see
public videos. But if you set it so that only your friends can see it,
the video won’t play unless those friends are currently logged into
Facebook.

Orbital carbon observatory satellite launched by NASA

NASA space probe to track CO2 on Earth - Discovery.com- msnbc.com

Conservatives Exposed

A BCer in Toronto: (Video) Don Newman schools John Baird

John Baird has been a member of parilament for years, provincially and federally, and he exposes the fact that he does not know how parliament or our democratic system works. He also contradicts himself in statements about the Bloc (if the Bloc supports the opposition, then the opposition stance is evil and anti-Canadian, but if the Bloc supports the Conservatives, they are Canadian).

"Coalition government better for environment" - Sierra Club

World Report: "Coalition government better for environment, says Sierra Club," Greenpages.ca, December 3, 2008.

December 3, 2008 - A Liberal-New Democratic Party coalition government would be better for Canada's natural environment, says Sierra Club Canada.

14 steps to fascism - How does the Harper government stack up?

Blogging if necessary but not necessarily blogging: Interactive project on the fourteen steps to fascism, eh?

In 2003, Political Scientist identified fourteen characteristics of fascism. The Old American Century website put together a compendium of ways in which the Bush regime matched these points. I thought it would be interesting to see how well Steven HarProrogue (TM) is doing.

The characteristics are listed below. I will add in a few links that I think demonstrate his adherence to the fascism two step. Feel free to add yours in the comments and I will update this post with them periodically.

Peterborough Politics on the Editorial from the Thunder Bay Chronicle-Journal

Peterborough Politics: I Couldn't Agree More

The fact is that Canadians are suffering, and the Conservatives are looking out for their own cushy cabinet posts. I'm not surprised by the Chronicle-Journal stating that they have received more letters of support for the coalition than against it because Canadians are the kind of people that usually look to work together. And that's precisely what this coalition is about, putting aside differences and working together. But instead of lauding that, the Conservatives tried to turn the good characteristics of cooperating and working together into some kind of deep seeded, anti-Canadian character flaw.

Canada awarded 4 Fossil of the Day awards

Another crisis that Harper is promoting « Verbena-19

OTTAWA—Today, during international climate talks in Poznan, Poland, Canada was given an unprecedented four “Fossil of the Day” awards by the international community.

The awards are given to governments taking positions that stall or block the progress of climate negotiations. At the climate talks, the Canadian delegation has failed to take a constructive approach to negotiations – at the same time as the Harper government prorogued Parliament, shutting down debate until next year.

Tim Burton to make a Dark Shadows movie with Johnny Depp

Dark Shadows: Can Tim Burton Convert Over 1000 Hours of TV into One "Dark Shadows" Movie?


One of the weirdest soaps ever to hit the airwaves is Dark Shadows,
a late-1960s daily story that spent 6 months as a typical gothic
melodrama and then surprised viewers by abruptly introducing ghosts,
ancient gods, a sexy vamp named Barnabas (pictured), time travel, and
parallel universes. Dan Curtis' iconic series aired for 5 years on ABC,
racking up almost 1100 hours of television packed with monstery
goodness. And now Tim Burton is set to make a movie version of it, with
Johnny Depp as Barnabas. Can it really be done?

Dollhouse - meat or cake? Get on with it so we can see for ourselves

Dollhouse: Dollhouse A Show Of Two Halves

Dungeons and Dragons dance music

Music: It's . . . Dungeons & Dragons Dance Music?

Okay, this is funny.

Could it get any cheesier? How about getting David Hasselhoff to cover it and star in the video.

:)

New Farscape news!!!!

Splash Page » EXCLUSIVE PREVIEW: ‘Farscape’ Creator Rockne O’Bannon Brings Series Back — As A Comic Book

 A four-part comic book, and a webisode mini-series will take up where the Peacekeeper Wars mini-series left off.

Test Tube Meat - more news

Checkout Line: Meet shmeat | Gristmill: The environmental news blog | Grist

Shmeat is grown from a cell culture (hence the in vitro or cultured
prefixes), not from a live animal. These harvested cells are taken from
an animal, such as a pig, and placed in a "nutrient-rich medium" that
mimics blood. Once the cells multiply they are attached to a spongy
scaffold or sheet (sheet + meat = shmeat) that has been soaked with
nutrients and stretched to increase cell size and protein content.

Repo Man sequel - Repo Chick

Repo Man Sequel Starts Filming Next Month | /Film

Alex Cox’s Repo Man sequel Repo Chick is finally going into production next month (January 2009). Production Weekly reports that David Lynch is producing the project.

Cox has previously said that the follow-up will “unfold against the
background of the credit crunch and the subprime mortgage crisis in the
US, where repossessions of homes, cars and other forms of property is
at a new high. ‘The repo business has expanded to everything from
boats, houses, aeroplanes, small nations…children”.

Is that job you found on-line too good to be true?

US National BBB.org: News Center

Look for Seven Red Flags when Searching for Jobs Online

Our democratic rights were taken away, and the corporate media approves

Getting it Right: WSWS: Canada’s “constitutional coup” and the corporate media

Whilst the editorial pages largely avoided commenting on the shutting down of parliament, the dailies did publish many copy-inches of reportage. The common refrain of this reportage was that the governor-general had called a "time out."

The "time out" metaphor has a very definite political significance. It is meant to lull the population to sleep, to foster the notion that little, if anything, of significance has taken place and everything will, in any event, soon go back to normal because parliament has merely been "suspended."

The truth is otherwise. The suspension of parliament and of MPs' right to defeat and replace the sitting government strikes at the most fundamental democratic principle—the right of the people to choose their own government.

If not overturned by a movement from below, Canada's constitution, through the power of precedent, will have been rewritten and the powers of the executive, of both the sitting government and of the governor-general, to ignore parliament and rule by decree will have been significantly increased.

As for the question of "suspension," this is precisely how democratic rights are taken away. Governments moving in an authoritarian direction don't generally outright abolish democratic rights; they "suspend" them, claiming that they need to be temporarily withdrawn so as to confront a purported crisis or emergency.

Working people must take heed: The corporate media's support for the constitutional coup engineered by the Conservatives and the governor-general attests to the fact there is no significant constituency within the ruling class committed to the defence of constitutional principles and democratic rights.

The business suits' love affair with Prime Minister Stephen Harper is beginning to wane

Is something actually sticking to the Teflon PM? « the regina mom

Since first being elected to the House of Commons in 1968, at a time of great national unity, I have never witnessed a Canadian prime minister consciously decide to disunite the nation. Until now.

Instead of following constitutional precedent and allowing a democratic
confidence vote to take place when it should, we have a power-hungry
man who will be recorded as the first prime minister in Canada’s
history to deliberately create a political crisis and set the fire of
national disunity. - Ed Broadbent

Marijuana could help our economy

Canadian Spades: Legalizing cannabis could end our recession

I could go into a long winded rant about the benefits of cannabis
regulation and how it could infuse billions of dollars into our sagging
economy, but I'm sick and tired of doing it, so I'll just point you here, and post a few key quotes from the article:

Bringing down the Harper government - for the good of Canada

Bringing down the Harper government… « Verbena-19

This poignant piece
written by Political Science professor James Laxer is in Straight
Goods, Saturday, Dec. 6th.  Laxer’s sage advice is intended for
Liberals and the NDP. But all Canadians, especially those who are
brainwashed by the Harper government into believing that the coalition
is bad for our country — and that Harper’s is the only ‘legitimate’
government — should also pay attention.

...

This is it guys.

If the opposition fails to defeat the government and install a new one, Harper will exercise complete control for the next couple of years. The opposition parties will be stuck with Flaherty’s budget at the end of January, which is virtually certain to fall short of what the country needs in terms of economic stimulus. Do they really want to place the fate of Canadians in the hands of a man whose first plan for coping with the economic crisis included selling the CN Tower?

...

Harper is a neo-conservative ideologue, obsessed with power and his own
sense of self importance. He is contemptuous of Canada and a stalwart member of neo-con right-wing groups, closely linked to their U.S. counterparts.
This group’s insidious agenda is not what most Canadians envision for
our country. Conservative Canadians who believe that Harper’s party
represents them and the country have been duped by his relentless
divisive propaganda aided and abetted by the cowed media and pundits.
If these Canadians remove their blinders, they will see the ‘real’
Stephen Harper and get a glimpse of what he has in store for us in the
coming year. They will see that Harper’s plans for the direction of our
country are far different from that of mainstream Canadians, regardless
of where we stand on the political spectrum.. It is imperative that
Canadians of all political persuasion unite for the good of our country.

Addictive Games

We Can't Stop Playing: Top 25 Addictive Games of All Time Gallery and Images - GameDaily

They forgot Diablo in its various incarnations.

Jack Layton Speaks on democracy and the coalition at the Ottawa rally.

The Z-Files: NDP must lead fight to restore democracy

Watch the video

Rick Mercer's Rant - video - If you're not outraged, you are not paying attention

1337hax0r.com » If you are not outraged, you aren’t paying attention

Democracy in Canada?

The View from Elsewhere: Canadians don't care for democracy

The idea that Canada is a democracy has finally been exposed as an illusion. This was done when Stephen Harper was granted a seven week holiday from accountability, which should give him enough time to grow a square mustache. That may seem harsh, but then again, the guy did shut down this country's government for no other reason than to cling to power, and so kindness is the last thing he deserves.

What amazes me is how many people, be they political experts or just ordinary citizens, are fully relieved that this assault has been committed against our supposed democracy. Their rationale ranges from a moronic idea that the government, like some horny teenager, needs time to cool off, to the blatantly wrong assertion that we must at all costs be delivered from the clutches of a coalition that is beholden to the evil separatists. In between is the equally wrong notion that Stephen Harper was elected Prime Minister, and so shall he remain, despite his lethal combination of arrogance and incompetence, not to mention the fact that we do not elect a Prime Minister; we elect Members of Parliament who then in turn choose a leader.

Stephen Harper's Dangerous War on Canada

Montreal Simon: Stephen Harper's Dangerous War on Canada

I have always believed that
Stephen Harper's crazy ideology will end up tearing this country apart.
And that's what he really wants so his Cons can RULE what is left of
Canada.

Canadians may find themselves nostalgic for what the Coalition wanted to do

Over the longer term, I wouldn't be surprised if the Canadian public found itself nostalgic for what the coalition wanted to do. They had some terrific ideas:

We'll protect good jobs by supporting key industry sectors. The auto sector will get credit guarantees and low-interest loans, tied to producing low-emission vehicles Canadians want. Forestry companies with good business plans and a viable future will qualify for credit guarantees.
We'll create jobs straight away. Ready-to-go infrastructure projects will be fast-tracked. Retrofitting homes and building affordable housing can begin right away. Then there are jobs in renewable energy and expanded public transit.
We'll invest in families through EI reform, skills training and help for older workers moving to retirement. And we'll help seniors through pension protection, reform to mandatory RRIF withdrawals and increased Old Age Security.
We'll work closely with the new Obama administration on fighting climate change with a cap-and-trade system. And we'll work for fairer trade to make sure there are healthy markets for Canadian goods.

Compare these to the Conservative brain trust, who wanted to abandon pay equity and break the civil service unions. What century are these guys living in? Even in Harper's speech last night, he seemed to think that indirect measures like "injecting liquidity into financial markets" and reducing taxes and "undertaking due diligence on any further requests for assistance from the auto industry" would be sufficient.
The sad fact is that the Conservatives just do not know what they are doing with the economy. Harper won't have the flexibility to just steal some of the coalition's ideas -- his usual ideological filter would label these ideas as just too "socialist" -- and he doesn't have any ideas of his own, just slogans and name-calling.
Sigh.

Bacon Mints!

Flickr Photo Download: bacon mints - wtf

Yay! More Bacon!

Harper and his Conservatives have lost the moral authority to govern

Danielle Takacs: Galloping Around the Golden Horseshoe: "When a government starts trying to cancel dissent or avoid dissent is when it's rapidly losing its moral authority to govern"

But we shouldn't give in to his strong arm tactics, the man has shown a complete lack of respect for the Parliament Canada elected and to let his get away with it all and come back stronger to laugh at the success of his gamesmanship later (which will happen if he passes a budget with very minimal concessions) is not in the best interests of this country and nor is it the best solution for this economic crisis that Canadians most want their Parliamentarians to deal with right now.

Canadians could have had a budget and response to the fiscal crisis before the end of this month. Harper instead wants them to wait two months when people need help NOW.

Canadians could have had a government that brought in common and economically sound policies 62% of Canadians voted for. It appears they won't get that before the New Year, but it is my hope they still will.

This is justice delayed, let it not be justice denied.

This is not how democracy works

1337hax0r.com » Harper does not have confidence of the house.

This is not how a democracy works; this is how a dictatorship works. This is how monarchs have historically enforced their will. In England, France, and throughout Europe, a common tactic to maintain power against a legislature which does not support the executive is to simply shut down said legislature. I had hoped the Canadian government would show its robustness and strength against this direct attack on our democracy. I had hoped that the office of the Governor General would perform the one check that it seems to have — Ensure the democratic will of the people and their duly elected representatives.

I hate to say this, but today, our democracy failed. A minority in our country, both parliamentary and democratic, has forcefully taken power from the democratically elected parliament and the will of 60%+ of the population.

Since Harper was opposed by a majority of the house, since Harper had lost the confidence of the house, he effectively locked the doors to the House of Commons, shutting down any parliamentary democratic dissent in order to maintain his power over the executive.

Think about that for a moment — Harper shut down the legislature of Canada so he can remain in power. He shut down our system because he lost the confidence of the house. Harper shut down our representative democracy in order to save his own ass. Harper has established the unitary executive in Canada. This time it’s official, since none of the opposing elected representatives will have any recourse against him due to the shut down of parliament.

I strongly encourage all non-Conservative MPs to continue meeting in a public parliament setting. If the House will not hear the will of the people, then the will of the people must meet somewhere else. We cannot have a majority of our elected representatives shut out simply because Harper wants to stay in power. It may sounds absurd, but it is vital that the legislature keeps on meeting regularly. It would be wise for the coalition and the Bloc (and any Conservative MPs who want to come) to set up a provisional parliament which will continue to meet regardless of the will of the PM who does not have the confidence of the house. This is especially important considering we are heading towards a recession and we need the legislature.

Canada's Coalition - The Guardian Gets It

Rolling Back the Tide of Extremism, One Post at a Time: Canada's Coalition - The Guardian Gets It

Canada is not turning into Italy, which tends to change governments as frequently as some people change underwear. And it is not a coup, as some of its critics are suggesting. Rather, it is a strategic parliamentary move, made by three parties who hold a majority of the seats in the lower house of parliament to unite for a common purpose in a time of crisis. Canada will survive it. And, it may be, however rare in our history, the best thing for the country.

The Conservatives may have won more seats this year, but
they still only won a minority. That's not much of a mandate, and
certainly not enough of a mandate to push through a radical agenda by
Canadian standards, which is what Harper was evidently looking to do.
Indeed, the Conservative's reality-denying economic plan does
not include a stimulus plan but does include such right-wing proposals
as revoking public sector workers' right to strike for one year and
banning pay equity complaints from going to the Canadian Human Rights
Commission.

Very cool animals!

Atom - ContentDetail

Rhetoric, mean-spirited words and jingoism a la Stephen Harper

Peterborough Politics: Parties Working Together Democratically A Threat To Democracy???

Parties Working Together Democratically A Threat To Democracy???

Yep, haven't we heard these talking points for the past week? Haven't we heard this same tripe being spewed from Stephen Harper's gab for all that time? Mr. Harper's speech tonight brought forth no new information, no offers to work with others and not even an admission of his own guilt in this situation. Nope, it's everyone else's fault, so say he. And abou

Harper hijacks our airwaves to fundraise for the Conservatives

Accidental Deliberations: So that's what it was for

Thirty-one minutes after a speech in which the prime minister had used
the word “separatists” more often than the word “economy”, people in
Halton on the Con list started getting urgent phone calls from Ottawa
asking for $500 donations, “to save Canada from the coalition.”

Harpo can't stop lying to Canadians

Impolitical: Everything you need to know about Stephen Harper...

In fact, every constitutional experts has said the coalition is legal and legitimate.
Yes, it is. There are the things he says and then there are the things
that experts say. He's flat out wrong. The coalition has the legitimacy
of every vote given on October 14th to the majority of members that
outnumber Conservative members.

In
a pre-taped rebuttal broadcast shortly after Harper's address, Dion
defended the notion of a proposed coalition government "as normal and
current practice in many parts of the world."

Moreover, the
Conservatives have lost the confidence of the majority of members of
the House of Commons, meaning "they have lost the right to govern,"
Dion said.

In our parliamentary democracy, that's the
way it works. Canadians need to suck it up and get used to coalitions
working together. We have had minority government since 2004 and what
we're seeing now is a progression out of the results Canadians have
consistently given in successive elections. Whining about the
government being defeated on a confidence vote is offensive to our
traditions. We haven't seen it in a while, but it certainly doesn't
mean it's "undemocratic."

Mr. Harper has sown the imminent
defeat of his government. He should act in the tradition of great
parliamentarians before him who have similarly faced the prospect of
defeat. Be a democrat and allow a vote. Be a leader and take your
result. Anything less and he's consigned to go down in history fighting
for his job by inflaming the nation and corrupting our democratic
traditions.

True Blood series booked for a 7 year run?!

True Blood: Now You Too Can Be A Self-Loathing, Vampire-Loving Waitress

Sookie Stackhouse herself (Ana Paquin) says she's signed on for seven years of True Blood madness

BSG Fans - Caprica gets the go-ahead!

Sci Fi Channel orders 'Battlestar' prequel 'Caprica' --The Live Feed



Sci Fi Channel has given the long-gestating "Battlestar Galactica" prequel "Caprica" a series order.

The network has made a significant commitment to the project,
ordering 20 hours, including a two-hour pilot. Cast members include
Eric Stoltz ("Milk," "Chicago Hope"), Esai Morales ("Jericho," "NYPD
Blue"),
Paula Malcomson ("Deadwood," "ER") and Polly Walker
("Cane," "Rome").

" 'Caprica' will build on 'Battlestar Galactica's' acclaimed legacy of
gripping drama and extraordinary characters," said Sci Fi president Dave Howe. "It's the beginning of a brand new epic saga that
will appeal to both new viewers, totally unfamiliar with the 'Battlestar'
franchise, as well as existing loyal and passionate 'Battlestar' fans."

Harper misleading Canadians

A View From The Left: Harper is Deliberately Misleading the Canadian People

By trying to claim that what the opposition is doing is "anti-democratic" and that he is the only one that Canadians have selected to be Prime Minister Harper is deliberately misleading the Canadian public. He is hoping that the public doesn't have enough understanding of the Constitution and will therefore not support a coalition government. While the average joe can be excused for thinking that this is anti-democratic because they don't fully understand how government works, Harper has no such excuse. He knows that in the British Parliamentary system we elect MPs, not leaders as they do in the States, and that who forms the government depends on which MPs choose to work together. While this is often one party, this can be done with many party's in a coalition, it's happened before in Canadian politics and there is no reason to think that it shouldn't happen again. Harper's choice to not only willfully ignore these facts but to suggest to the public that the opposite is true is nothing more than a disgusting attempt to cling to power using any means possible.

Are all Conservatives proud of what their party is doing?

Impolitical: Calling Conservative party elders

Conservatives are forgetting how the parliamentary system works, stirring up the national unity debate, creating a crisis (stretching out the non-confidence situation) that negatively effects Canada in the eyes of the world, which negatively effects our dollar and economy, and stooping to mudslinging like little kids (instead of members of parliament). Not all of their party members can be proud of what their leader is doing/saying regarding this situation.

To sum up, the PM is permitting irresponsible propaganda, inciting people to believe the coalition is undemocratic, attacking the patriotism of his political opponents, ducking a confidence vote and inflaming national unity. Are there any adults in the Conservative party who are uncomfortable with any of this? Now would be the time to make your move.

Prorogue? The next key step.

Blogging if necessary but not necessarily blogging: To prorogue or not to prorogue

Debunking the Tory nonsense

The Galloping Beaver: Fisking the Tory talking points

I was quite interested to see the Tory talking points that were mailed
out to their loyal supporters in order to have them not only phone up
talk radio, but also use identical arguments. I'm very grateful to the
Montréal Gazette [http://tinyurl.com/5qcgby] for getting a copy of this
document and running it for the rest of Canadians who don't happen to
be members of Steven Harper's Foot Soldiers TM.

Unfortunately,
Harper doesn't do his foot soldiers and any favors when it comes to
making them look smart. The "arguments" that he furnishes them with
are, by and large, either pointless, pure propaganda or dependent on a
logical fallacy. Let's have a look.

It's beginning to feel a lot like Democracy...

DTK: Dear Santa: I Want Democracy

It's beginning to feel a lot like Democracy. The Liberals, NDP and Bloc
have formed a coalition to prevent the destruction of democracy in
Canada.

You think I'm being melodramatic? Sorry, no. The Conservative desire to use their 37% of the popular vote to steamroll the other parties in to nonexistence has finally forced the rest of the political sphere to ally against them.

The coalition government accord

» The Opposition Accord Scott’s DiaTribes: My personal opinions on social and political issues from a progressive standpoint.

Preamble

The new Government is supported by parties that share a commitment to
fiscal responsibility, a progressive agenda and a belief in the role of
Government to act as a partner with Canadians and Quebecers. Where
appropriate, these goals should be pursued in full partnership and
consultation with the provincial and territorial governments.

Fiscal Principles

This policy accord is built on a foundation of fiscal responsibility.
All three parties agree that the Canadian economy and the fiscal
framework of the federal government have severely weakened since the
last federal budget.

As the Parliamentary Budget Officer concluded, due to the policy
choices of the Conservative government, the starting point of the
federal government is deficit. This new reality does not reduce the
necessity to stimulate the economy consistent with the understandings
arrived at by all nations in the G20. The following plan describes
common goals and sets out an outline to provide active stimulus for the
economy over the next two years, with a shared commitment to return to
surplus within four years.

Click the link above for the whole Accord.

Dictator Harper

Nobleton Clear: Harper "I am not a Dictator"

He had the nerve to stop parliament and prevent votes because he was not getting his own way. What right does he have to stop our elected representatives from fulfilling their constitutional rights??

This man has shown a total disregard for the majority of Canadian voters. He has shown disrespect toward the institution of parliament by continually being obstreperous, belligerent toward the majority our elected representatives.