Conservative tailspin

Peterborough Politics: The Conservatives Have Knives Too

the thing that the Conservatives really, truly need after being pegged as hyper-partisan, mean spirited and impossible to work with is a guy who is probably the most hyper-partisan, the most mean spirited and the most difficult to work with east of Calgary [John Baird].

James Laxer on "If Harper Prorogues the Short Parliament"

James Laxer: If Harper Prorogues the Short Parliament

They have delayed the vote on a Liberal motion of non-confidence, in the hope that over the next seven days the nascent coalition will self-destruct. In the background lurks the suggestion that the Conservatives might attempt to prorogue Parliament until late January. This would allow the Harperites to return with a budget as the first order of business.

If Stephen Harper goes to the Governor General to ask her to prorogue the current session, he will be hijacking our democracy. For the next seven or eight weeks we will have an illegitimate government that is clinging to office by refusing to allow the people’s representatives to deliberate and to vote.

The National Post (The Regional Boast) - "is now less respectable than say The Weekly World News"

Troy's Scribbles: As for The National Post, I wouldn't even wrap a fish in it

I've been avoiding CTV News and The National Post (and derivatives) for a couple days now, especially any article that contains the names John or Ivison. This past weekend, the Asper media empire has come undone, losing any and all pretence of being about news. It is truly now trying to create the news, rather than report it. It is now less respectable than say The Weekly World News, because at least they knowingly hire comedy writers. Asper has truly followed Harper's lead down a path of irrelevance.

The NP's coverage of the on-going events of the past few days, dealing with the coalition government's formation, have been way off and/or very misleading - less news stories and more of a propaganda outlet for the Harper Tories.

New Planet of the Apes prequel

Here Comes That Planet Of The Apes Prequel You Never Asked For | Hecklerspray



To be set on Earth, year 2009.

NDP's Conversations For Change

NDP plans “Conversations for Change” in support of a progressive coalition | Jerad Gallinger

As the opposition parties firm up details of a coalition, Conservative activists are organizing to turn Canadians against the nascent partnership. So what are progressives doing in response?

The NDP just sent out an email to supporters asking them to take
part in nationwide “Conversations for Change” on Thursday, December 4.
Full details are forthcoming, but you can read the call to action
below. In addition, the Public Service Alliance of Canada is organizing a rally on Parliament Hill
in favour of coalition government on Thursday, December 4. Nothing yet
from the Liberal Party, but that isn’t exactly a surprise—their weak
ground organization is part of why they have been floundering in recent
years.

Ensuring the success of pro-coalition
rallies is a big part of swaying public opinion to the side of
progressives. I will post more details about the Conversations for
Change as they arrive, and I encourage readers to send a message of
change from their neighbourhood to Parliament Hill by taking part in
this important effort.

Quebec supports the coalition

Accidental Deliberations: On supporters

70% of respondents and 86% of Bloc voters want to see the Bloc support a coalition government on confidence votes. Which should significantly rein any any reason for concern that a coalition would be unstable from the Bloc standpoint - or that Duceppe be in a position to make unreasonable demands as the price of his party's support.

Hey Conservatives - where's your real economic plan - do you know what you are doing?

Random Noise: The Coalition Already has Proposed More and More Anonymous Liberal Sources

For the Conservatives to do anything (e.g. ask for a prorogue, further delay confidence motions, etc.) but put out a real economic plan, that can take effect ASAP would be tantamount to admitting they either have not the willingness to do what's necessary and what Canadians have asked of them or they are devoid of any ideas of how to deal with the current situation.

Harper thinks politics is war, instead of working together for the good of the country

The Vanity Press: Enemy

In reality, of course, rival political parties are not "enemies." That's a war metaphor imported into politics -- but politics is the alternative to war. It's how you distribute and exercise power without the use of force. The idea of "killing" other parties in favour of single-party rule is abhorrent to politics and democracy, and especially reprehensible in a minority parliament. Yet, there's that sentiment, expressed by someone who seems to have been working within the Conservative Party for years. That can't be good, and suggests an impatience with the diversity of opinion and diffusion of power that is just a normal part of any democratic polity. It's an autocratic instinct, and frankly I don't want it anywhere near power.

And no, it doesn't matter that this enemy-talk is just metaphorical at this stage. This sort of thing sinks in, and doesn't lead anywhere good. Eliminationist rhetoric has been a problem in American political culture for a long while; David Neiwert has a useful sample of it here. It starts out with jokes and metaphors, and ends up poisoning the totality of political discourse. It's a real shame to see it beginning to crop up in Canada (and lest we think it's restricted to the Conservatives, just look here -- although I haven't seen that sort of thing from any other person affiliated with the opposition). If politics is the art of working to find a modus vivendi, then this is the opposite of politics; it chokes off reason and reduces everything to war. If the Conservatives really think this way, then they need to be removed from power until they learn some other way -- and it seems clear from his recent actions that Harper does think this way, and from this report that perhaps a number of others do too.

Toronto's Savage Garden nightclub is closing it's doors Jan 4, 2009

The Savage Garden

After fifteen years of being the heart of Toronto's underground scene, Savage
is finally closing its doors.

Energy Myths

The 10 big energy myths | Environment | The Guardian

Wind power is financially viable today in many countries, and it will
become cheaper as turbines continue to grow in size, and manufacturers
drive down costs. Some projections see more than 30% of the world's
electricity eventually coming from the wind. Turbine manufacture and
installation are also set to become major sources of employment, with
one trade body predicting that the sector will generate 2m jobs
worldwide by 2020.

Why I hate MySpace

Why I hate MySpace | Pixelated Geek

Okay. At first, while I watched this video, l thought "okay, this geek web designer guy is annoyed at the designs teens come up with for MySpace pages. He is surprised at these?". But, then as the video goes on, he shows us even more annoying and badly designed pages, and the music starts and I had a good laugh. MySpace pages can be some of the worst and most annoying pages on line. The final page he shows you is priceless.