Beaver vs Polar Bear

So this year Nicole Eaton wants to replace our national animal, the industrious Beaver with the carnivorous (and endangered) Polar Bear because beavers chew up her dock every year.

Seems that Eaton’s passion on the subject shifts with the seasons.

The Conservative senator who this week called for the polar bear to replace the beaver as Canada's national animal emblem gave an equally impassioned speech last year in Parliament celebrating the flat-tailed rodent — which she now derides as a "dentally defective rat" — as the crucial player in "the founding of our country."

Senator Nicole Eaton, who on Thursday dismissed the "toothy tyrant" as a "19th-century has-been," used her speech last June to admiringly quote the famed fur-trade historian Harold Innis, saying: "The history of Canada has been profoundly influenced by the habits of an animal that fittingly occupies a prominent place on her coat of arms. The beaver . . . ."  Added Eaton, "As we dig deeper, we find that (Innis) reveals the truth about the founding of our country."

So what’s it to be next year?  Steve’s cat?

I say fight for the Beaver!  There’s more to it than meets the eye.

Manyof the magical creatures in Narnia seem quite innocent and child-like. Only Aslan and the Beavers seem to have an understanding of the world and its dangers. The Beavers are old and sensible and they become the children’s guides in Narnia.

Mrs. Beaver is a very practical animal who keeps her cool under pressure.

Mr. Beaver is also the only one to speak his mind openly in front of Aslan. He is frank about his distrust of the Witch, even when no else has the courage to speak up.

It is Mr. Beaver who provides an example of true generosity and courage.

How does the Polar Bear stack up in Narnia?

APolar Bear was one of the Beasts of Narnia. It is not known if they could talk. But if not, they were tamed by Jadis. (the very evil ice queen)

In the Disney adaption to The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, Polar Bears were pulling the White Witch's chariot. When Oreius the Centaur charged toward Jadis' chariot, the Polar Bears tried to claw Oreius only for him to jump out of the way.

Not very nice, not very bright, not very eloquent.

Want to make a bad situation worse? Add a bear!  Just as monkeys and penguins guaranteed to make something funnier or cuter, bears have a knack for scaring the crap out of everyone. Being the largest land-based predators in the world, with a penchant for aggressive behavior, might be a reason for that (polar bears, the largest of bear species, can weigh up to 1500 pounds and have been known to hunt walruses and beluga whales). Because of this, throwing a bear into a scene is the best way to let the audience know that our heroes have gone beyond rock bottom and are now totally screwed.

Seriously, will the damn harperites not be content until they establish a Ministry of Truth and re-write every piece of Canadian history, replace every Canadian icon and symbol, rename every Canadian street?

This begs for a caption.

I’m thinking – So it’s true.  Steve is gynophobic.  And a dork.

From: What Brazil knows that we don’t - Other countries are doing serious work to attract international students, but not us

How you (and any Canadian) can be a patriot and a hero

You don’t need to risk your life, or freeze outside protesting for hours, or spill blood, or spend so much as a penny.

All you need to do is fight this:

Public Safety Minister Vic Toews says he won't budge on the government's online surveillance laws despite the "deep concerns" of Canada's privacy watchdog.

The lawful access package would:

- require Internet Service Providers (ISP) to hand over basic personal information of customers to police without a warrant;

- ISPs would also be required to revamp their networks to allow for real-time surveillance of online activities of customers

- companies would also be required to assist police in the testing of online surveillance capabilities

- new powers envisaged are not limited to specific, serious offences or urgent or exceptional situations

Of particular concern to the privacy commissioner are provisions that would allow authorities access to internet subscriber information without first getting a court's go-ahead...Stoddart (said) "In the case of access to subscriber data, there is not even a requirement for the commission of a crime to justify access to personal information - real names, home address, unlisted numbers, email addresses, IP addresses and much more - without a warrant.

Despite repeated calls, the federal government has not shown a need for the new investigative capabilities outlined in the previous Conservative bills, adds Stoddart. 

"Canadian authorities have yet to provide the public with evidence to suggest that CSIS or Canadian police cannot perform their duties under the current regime."

For those who say you have nothing to worry about if you don’t break the law, consider what is being done to citizens of other countries like China, North Korea, or Iran where such invasion of privacy is committed by their governments.

For any right-wingers out there:  

-you wanted the gun registry scrapped because you believe it treats innocent farmers and hunters like criminals.  These spy Bills treat us all like criminals.

-you wanted the long form census cancelled because it was intrusive and asked for too much personal information.  These spy Bills have no limit on the type of information they would give the government power to collect.  Furthermore, unlike the long form census, you wouldn’t even know the information is being gathered, nor what that information is, who will use it, or why.

-you want smaller government, less government involvement with your life.  With these Bills, the government would be able to intrude into personal aspects of your life and accumulate files on you containing a vast range of information, all without a warrant or without you even being aware that it's being done.

- you might be one of those who buys into Toews claim that the laws are needed to fight internet crime :

(In March, 2011) Canada’s privacy commissioner, Jennifer Stoddart, along with every provincial privacy commissioner in the country, sent Public Safety Canada a letter expressing their concerns about the lawful access bill. Namely, they didn’t see any need for it—ISPs already hand over whatever information police ask for, without a warrant, when the cops claim there is immediate danger or child endangerment. They called the bill “problematic”  and wrote that there was “insufficient justification” for the new powers, suggesting “less intrusive” ways for law enforcement to fight crime.

You can be a patriot-hero by signing a petition, or writing your MP and The Privacy Commissioner, or blogging about it, or writing a letter to the Editor.  The important thing is to spread the word and to be heard.

This is the single, most important issue facing Canadians right now.  If the government is allowed to put such policies through, we will not be able to express our concerns, protest, criticize any government actions or policies, and even in some cases do our jobs properly without fear of serious retribution.  You can’t fight poverty if you are muzzled, you can’t work for equal rights if you have no voice, you can’t protect your own personal rights and freedoms if you live in fear of what you say, what you research, who you associate with.

September 20, 2011 – Under the intense pressure of a 70,000+ signature petition, the government has omitted “Lawful Access” (Online Spying) bills from the larger omnibus crime legislation announced today.

You can still sign this petition to stop the bills from being re-introduced.

Jennifer Stoddart's Letter to Vic Toews

In keeping with this post, here are a few videos: Hero of the Day – Metallica, and The Partisan Song, Joan Baez version because of the lovely style, and Leonard Cohen version because I love the French bit.

A new stained glass window on the Hill

Cynic that I am, I thought maybe this:

 

But no, it's something else that's to be enshrined in stained glass on a Parliament window, and proof that 900 doesn't hate everything, I like this plan.

Aboriginal Affairs Minister John Duncan announced Thursday the legacy of Canada's Indian residential schools program will be permanently etched on Parliament Hill in stained glass...Duncan said he's consulted with aboriginal leaders about the window as an "important gesture of reconciliation" and "they get it."

Now if the government actually does something to deal with the current problems First Nations still face, I'll be really impressed. 

 

I’m Rob f--king Ford, the mayor of this city!

Well yes you are, and don’t we know it.  But you are looking more and more like this, according to polls –

Toronto’s911 dispatchers are accusing the city’s mayor, Rob Ford, of calling them "bitches" and hurling a string of profanity at them during an emergency call early Monday...Ford ... called 911 — not once, but twice.  Sources say Ford turned on the dispatcher, yelling: “You … bitches! Don’t you f--king know? I’m Rob f--king Ford, the mayor of this city!”

...Dispatchers sent a crew on high priority, arriving at his Etobicoke home 10 minutes after the call. (emphasis mine)

Let’s see...

1.     Potty mouth while speaking as mayor

2.     Sense of entitlement

3.     Unprofessional

4.     Verbal abuse

5.     Misogynistic display

6.     Lying

7.     Moronic

8.     Abuse of public resources

It's  It's the abuse (regardless of whether or not he cursed, as the very astute  ACR points out) of people doing their job and the sense of entitlement that he should take precedence over other, likely more distressed and needy 911 callers that bothers me most.  Ford got elected by passing himself off as just a regular guy who was angry - angry, let me tell you - at waste and privilege.

But then, he does have friends in high places, don’t-cha-know.

  “fishing partners”

(just can't play that effer often enough!)

Bloodless coup

Some outcry over Senate stacking, but not a whole lot of outrage over the takeover of our public service.  Scary, that, since an independent public service is supposed to make sure our tax dollars are well spent on our behalf and not to forward the goals of any particular political group, and to protect us from people and groups with self-serving agendas, among other things.

BACK in Canada’s 2006 election campaign, Stephen Harper said that even if his Conservative party won a majority in the House of Commons, he would not have “absolute power”, because the senators, civil servants and judges appointed by the Liberals would hold him in check. During the two Conservative minority governments that followed, he dealt with the Senate and the bureaucracy, using his powers to appoint, hire, fire and sideline to create a Conservative majority in the Senate and slot amenable bureaucrats into senior posts. After winning his long-sought-after Conservative majority in May, he is now turning to the judiciary.  (emphasis mine)

When senior bureaucrats serve political masters rather than the public, we no longer have an impartial, independent public service working for us.  Forget about transparency and accountability.  It becomes a branch of the ruling political party paid for by us, and will bow to their new masters as their main goal is to forward that party's agenda and save that political power from embarrassment, even if it means lying to the public.

Oh, come on!

Children wanting to wear scary, violent or blooddrenched costumes will have to trade them in for more caring and communityfriendly outfits at two public elementary schools this Halloween.  The principal of Colonel Walker and Ramsay schools said her staff has chosen to use the day normally known for scares and frights as an opportunity to teach community values...outfits cannot include masks, weapons or any violent imagery.

"You can still be creative, in fact we encourage that, think of all the things you can be in a non-violent way," said Speight. "Ones that exemplify caring for other people and be respectful of other people."

Sure. Yeah.  ‘Cause Hallowe'en – stolen by the Christians from the Druids’ Samhain -  is all about caring.

OK.  Even if you think the Christians can be any more successful at selling that myth than they were at completely obliterating or redesigning Samhain, do you really want to look like this on October 31^st, whatever you choose to call  that night?

That’s just not cool.  Not cool at all.  All the kids will laugh at you and where’s the caring in that?

Why look like this

When you can go for the bad-ass look

Or the kick ass look

Or the creep-out-your-mother look

Or the scary as hell (but still ultra cool) look born in the very Samhainish mind of Clive Barker?

 

Because Hallowe'en is about scaring, not caring.

Stupid, dishonest argument on long gun registry

I own three long guns.  I think of registering them in the same way I feel about registering my vehicle.  If someone steals my jeep, I have a better chance of getting it back if it is registered.  If my stolen jeep is used in a crime, the cops may have a better chance of finding the guy if they can link him to the initial theft.  If someone commits a crime against me while using their registered vehicle, it will help the cops nab the guy.  Serious offenders can lose their truck and/or license to drive it to prevent further harm coming to others.

I’m one of those salt-of-the-earth people Hoeppner talks about – farm owner, occasional hunter.  

I  don’t feel that I’m being treated as a criminal by having to register my vehicle.  I understand, as most intelligent people do, that while most vehicle owners in Canada drive responsibly and don’t commit crimes with their trucks or cars, a small percentage do, and registration laws are in place to protect all of us from that small percentage.  I also understand that while most people can get a grip on their emotions, some people do give in to road-rage and harm others with their vehicle.

I don’t kick up a fuss when I go through airport security even though I am searched and scanned for illegal or dangerous items because I understand, as do most intelligent people, that while most Canadians travelling by air aren’t terrorists or smugglers, a small percentage can be, and the laws are there to protect the rest of us.

When asked to present ID at a government building, I, like most intelligent people, understand that I am not being personally targeted as a terrorist or spy, but appreciate that such security is in place to stop that small percentage of people who may wish us harm.

So when the CONs bash the gun registry by saying it targets honest citizens and treats them like criminals, they are showing themselves to be a bunch of lying, opportunistic, patronizing CONmen/women.  

Ms. Hoeppner said the long-gun registry failed to work because it’s “not the weapon of choice for criminals in Canada.” 

Riiiight.

 No one is even trying to suggest that long gun owners are irresponsible folks bent on committing crimes any more than anyone is saying that truck owners are all a bunch of criminals waiting for the perfect opportunity to use their vehicle in the commission of some crime.  But as any intelligent person knows, a small percentage of long gun owners are criminals.  

The government cited a recent Statistics Canada report that said of 253 firearms used to commit murder between 2005 and 2009, nearly 70 per cent had never been registered.

OK, but that means over 30% were registered.  Bet that helped with investigations.

The same Statscan report said that of 179 homicides using firearms in 2009, 24 per cent were committed using long guns: rifles and shotguns.

And as any intelligent person knows, a small percentage of gun owners – as with non-gun owners – can occasionally fail to control their rage.  I haven’t heard any of the opposition say no one should own long guns because of this.  They are saying that because a small percentage of people can use the long gun for the wrong reasons – in the same way a small percentage of air travelers will put others at risk, or drivers will act criminally or irresponsibly – it helps to have such weapons registered for everyone’s safety and to help catch those who commit crimes while using them.  A register can also let cops know if someone who is developing a pattern of violence has a long gun, and they could remove it.  Leaving such a weapon in the hands of someone who has been making serious threats is ludicrous.

So really.  Long gun owners (and I can say this since I’m an owner) who resist the registry should quit their whining.  No one is targeting them, no one is treating them like criminals, and if they are too damn stupid to understand that while most long gun owners are responsible and law abiding but a small percentage aren’t, then maybe they shouldn’t have access to weapons of any kind themselves.

Whatever happened to Colleen Swords?

You remember?

 

Colleen Swords, a former assistant deputy minister at Foreign Affairs, also denied Colvin's allegations she had told him to stop writing things down.  But Colvin writes that embassy staffers were told "they should not report information, however accurate, that conflicted with the government's public messaging."...As for Swords, Colvin disputes her testimony that those with concerns were told to use the phone first, and then write things down later.  "This is incorrect. Her message to me was that I should use the phone instead of writing," Colvin writes.

The diplomat said the Canadian government responded to his frequent warnings by telling him to stop writing these concerns into reports. He said those asking him to censor himself included David Mulroney, then the senior point man on Afghanistan, as well as Colleen Swords, a senior official at the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade (DFAIT). 

So where do you send a public servant - and I use the term loosely here - who has a history of doing what she can to cover political ass by lying to the public, muzzling public servants, and doing what she can to make sure there's no paper trail?

Make her interim Deputy Head of another very troubled agency known to be under political pressure.  I was looking through the Hill Times and came across this:

Deputy Ministers’ Breakfasts: Who’s in the room?

45. Colleen Swords, Interim President, Canadian Northern Economic Development Agency

That would be this agency: 

Political pressure and bureaucratic haste are behind a litany of financial management problems at the Canadian Northern Economic Development Agency, CBC News has learned.  A draft internal audit found that CanNor violated almost every financial management rule since it was set up in 2009. It has had five different financial officers in that time and currently has an interim president.

I'm sure she'll do a fine job for the harper government.  Too bad she's a public servant.