One would think so. Not at the Goodwill store in Washington, Iowa.
That is where Dustin Sieren, 30, works. Sorry. Usta work. For a decade. Sorting close for eleven bux an hour. Not a big deal to you or I but, the Lancaster Eagle Gazette reports, a huge deal for him. See Mr. Sieren has Down's Syndrome. Through his work for Goodwill "...he has found a routine, a purpose and an income through his work at Goodwill. He began in a job training program in high school and got hired after graduating."
No more.
His mom bought him a three dollar shirt while Mr. Sieren was in the store working. That is some sort of no no so he is gone gone.
Did I mention he has Down's Syndrome?
He's a f*cking window licker folks. As his mom, Rosemary Lane, says "Dustin has Down syndrome. If I don't understand the policy, how is he supposed to understand the policy?"
The ambulance chaser that Goodwill uses, Mark Zaiger, "...said, 'The policy is clear. The employer has the authority to terminate.' But so swiftly for an 'offense' so ambiguous at best? Lane said a Goodwill official even acknowledged an employee had authorized her purchase. Goodwill spokeswoman Dana Engelbert said the shopping policy is strict because of a public perception 'that Goodwill employees get all the good stuff.' But Goodwill Industries of Central Iowa is more flexible than its Heartland counterpart. Employees can't buy things while on the clock, but they can before or after work. No one is fired on a first violation, said Marlyn McKeen, president."
Again, he has Down's Syndrome.
Give them a call; tell them you want Mr. Sieren rehired.
(319) 653-2548.
WFDS
Saturday, July 31, 2010
2701...Fanutz Flakes
Things really are different in Saskatchewan.
Different in a good way.
While the rest of the country is hockey mad our only rectangular province is football crazy.
So crazy that the paper of record for the Green Riders, The Regina Leader-Post, reports that "...the cereal bearing the name and smiling face of Saskatchewan Roughriders slotback Andy Fantuz was a big seller on its first day on the shelves of Co-op food stores in Saskatchewan."
Fanutz Flakes are outselling the leading national brands by more than three to one in fact. It is all for a great cause too becuz a portion of the proceeds of the cereal’s sales is to go to the Children’s Hospital Foundation of Saskatchewan.
WFDS
Different in a good way.
While the rest of the country is hockey mad our only rectangular province is football crazy.
So crazy that the paper of record for the Green Riders, The Regina Leader-Post, reports that "...the cereal bearing the name and smiling face of Saskatchewan Roughriders slotback Andy Fantuz was a big seller on its first day on the shelves of Co-op food stores in Saskatchewan."
Fanutz Flakes are outselling the leading national brands by more than three to one in fact. It is all for a great cause too becuz a portion of the proceeds of the cereal’s sales is to go to the Children’s Hospital Foundation of Saskatchewan.
WFDS
2700...Cenus Stuff
The Latest From Inside The CBC webletter has this clever bit from Metcalfe in Ottawa:
Brilliant.
WFDS
The Liberals have released a fake census questionnaire intended to mock the Conservative government.
The fake census, called the “Voluntary Conservative Census Form,” intends to paint Conservatives as narrow-minded louts for scrapping the mandatory census.
It asks such questions as “Are there any rooms in your house where you keep books? If so, why?”
It also includes a question specifically about the CBC: “How many CBC shows do you watch? Do you feel bad about this? How much money do you think the government should waste on the CBC?”
Brilliant.
WFDS
2699...No Fun Please: We Are Canadian
John Baird, he is the Minister In Charge Of Flying Objects, doesn't find the "...series of gag luggage decals that depict realistic images of suitcases stuffed with U.S. greenbacks, bags of cocaine, sex toys and even a bound and gagged flight attendant." even remotely funny.
The 40 by 30 cm decals are designed to make your bag easier to spot on the luggage spinny thingy at the aeroport. Not in the land of the beaver though. "'Joking around like this could possibly be a serious violation of the aeronautics act,' James Kusie said Friday in an email to the [Toronto] Star. 'Joking about potentially trafficking illegal substances, or worse, is not funny and the government will use the full force of the law to ensure Canadians who travel by air are safe.'"
The stickers "...which depict a suitcase with the side torn open to expose the bag's gag contents, were sold in Canada until Thursday for $15 each on thecheeky.com. The company's website warned Friday that the decals are now no longer available here."
"The cheeky website quotes a U.K. Border Agency official, who told the Daily Mail newspaper, 'Our officers see a lot of joke stickers on suitcases and it doesn't affect their professional approach to tackling smuggling of illegal goods.'"
Only not in Canada, eh?
Pity.
WFDS
The 40 by 30 cm decals are designed to make your bag easier to spot on the luggage spinny thingy at the aeroport. Not in the land of the beaver though. "'Joking around like this could possibly be a serious violation of the aeronautics act,' James Kusie said Friday in an email to the [Toronto] Star. 'Joking about potentially trafficking illegal substances, or worse, is not funny and the government will use the full force of the law to ensure Canadians who travel by air are safe.'"
The stickers "...which depict a suitcase with the side torn open to expose the bag's gag contents, were sold in Canada until Thursday for $15 each on thecheeky.com. The company's website warned Friday that the decals are now no longer available here."
"The cheeky website quotes a U.K. Border Agency official, who told the Daily Mail newspaper, 'Our officers see a lot of joke stickers on suitcases and it doesn't affect their professional approach to tackling smuggling of illegal goods.'"
Only not in Canada, eh?
Pity.
WFDS
Friday, July 30, 2010
2698...I Am Eligible For A Refund
Look at the note I got from the Canada Revenue Agency:
Then read it again.
The scammers spelled the word "receive" incorrectly; the asked for my Social Security number, that's American and; they forgot to edit out the reference to the IRS.
Ooooops.
Guess I am not getting my refund.
WFDS
NOTICE:
This e-mail has been sent to you in accordance with all applicable laws and regulations. Its content and any file transmitted along with it is confidential and intended solely for the use of the individual or entity to whom they are addressed.
This message contains confidential information and is intended only for the individual named.
"You are eligible to recieve a tax refund for $386.00" and instructs the recipient to access the link provided in the email. Canada Revenue Agency "12 days left to apply for your refund. You may not receive your refund as quickly as you expected. A refund can be delayed for a variety of reasons. For example, a name and Social Security number listed on the tax return may not match the Canada Revenue Agency. You may have failed to electronically sign the return or applied after the deadline. "This email has been sent by the Internal Revenue Service, a bureau of the Department of the Treasury.
A refund can be delayed for a variety of reasons. For example submitting invalid records or applying after the deadline. To access the form for your tax refund, please click here>>
Note: For security reasons, we recommend that you close your browser after you have finished to complete the online form.
Copyright Canada Revenue Agency. All rights reserved.
Then read it again.
The scammers spelled the word "receive" incorrectly; the asked for my Social Security number, that's American and; they forgot to edit out the reference to the IRS.
Ooooops.
Guess I am not getting my refund.
WFDS
2697...Who Do You Love?
Prime Minister Stephen Harper?
The next Prime Minister Michael Ignatieff?
According the the Leger Marketing Poll that the Ottawa Sun et. al. ran yesterday, most of us love neither. With the exception of confidence and determination, categories where Mr. Harper scored in the mid fifties, neither of the leaders scored above forty five percent.
Categories were things like In Tune With Canadians [Mr. Ignatieff 12 per cent; the PM 28]; Hypocritical [Mr. I 39; Mr. H 42] and; Condescending [Mike 41; Stephen 40].
Salad days for leadership these are not.
WFDS
The next Prime Minister Michael Ignatieff?
According the the Leger Marketing Poll that the Ottawa Sun et. al. ran yesterday, most of us love neither. With the exception of confidence and determination, categories where Mr. Harper scored in the mid fifties, neither of the leaders scored above forty five percent.
Categories were things like In Tune With Canadians [Mr. Ignatieff 12 per cent; the PM 28]; Hypocritical [Mr. I 39; Mr. H 42] and; Condescending [Mike 41; Stephen 40].
Salad days for leadership these are not.
WFDS
Thursday, July 29, 2010
2696...You Know You Have Had A Bad Day
When you make the AFP News Wire for getting eaten to death.
In your own bed.
By maggots.
With your girlfriend sleeping next to you.
A nice case of the crazies in Adolf Hitler's old stomping grounds.
WFDS
In your own bed.
By maggots.
With your girlfriend sleeping next to you.
A paralyzed Austrian man was eaten to death by maggots in his bed while his partner slept beside him, police said Wednesday.
The 61-year-old retiree died in an ambulance on his way to hospital in Vienna on Tuesday with the maggots having partly devoured his back.
Paramedics notified police after discovering the shocking state of hygiene in the man's home, and his 34-year-old partner was questioned over his condition.
"The man had not wanted to be washed for a long time," a police spokesman said.
According to police, the couple had been together for around a decade, and the victim's partner had slept in the same bed right up until his death.
The dead man had been paralyzed for several years following a stroke.
A nice case of the crazies in Adolf Hitler's old stomping grounds.
WFDS
2695...Helena, Helena, Helena
And I don't mean the capital of Montana.
Ms. Guergis in the news again:
At least when the Hell's Angels fire one of their managers they do it with speed, panache and finality.
Not the Stephen Harpers.
WFDS
Ms. Guergis in the news again:
Even Guergis doesn't deserve this
Toronto Star
Wed Jul 28 2010
Page: A19
Section: Opinion
Byline: Carol Goar Toronto Star
As a proponent of women's equality, I find it hard to defend Helena Guergis. She set the cause back.
As a citizen, I don't respect cabinet ministers who throw tantrums, berate innocent people and demand special treatment. She did all that.
As a Canadian, I wince when a political lightweight with a limited understanding of world affairs speaks for my country. She stumbled badly on the global stage.
But no one deserves to be treated the way Prime Minister Stephen Harper has treated Guergis.
He may consider the 41-year-old MP a political liability. He may want her out of the Conservative party. He may want to cut every perceived link with her husband (defeated MP Rahim Jaffer) and his dodgy associates. But none of that justifies expelling her from caucus on grounds that now appear flimsy and refusing to lift the ban when police find no evidence of illegal activity.
It is beyond me why Guergis would want back into a party that clearly doesn't want her. But she is owed the courtesy of a face-to-face meeting with her former boss and an explanation of what she did wrong.
Harper set her up for a crash. He promoted Guergis far beyond her level of competence, shrugging off her repeated missteps. Then he turned on her with a vengeance; slandering her, shunning her and turning her into a political leper.
If no one speaks out, the Prime Minister will assume he can treat people this way with impunity.
Making sense of the Geurgis saga is difficult because so much of it falls into the realm of rumour, innuendo and conjecture.
Harper has made only one public statement. On April 9, when he fired her from cabinet, he said: "Last night, my office became aware of serious allegations regarding the conduct of the Honourable Helena Guergis. I've referred the allegations to the conflict of interest and ethics commissioner and to the RCMP."
That seemed reasonable. Ministers under investigation are expected to step aside until they are cleared. Her banishment from the Conservative caucus suggested this was no routine matter.
But the story quickly turned murky. Geurgis said she didn't know why she'd been fired. Private investigator (www.thestar.com») SnowdyEND, who'd conveyed his concerns about her husband's business dealings to the Conservatives, told a parliamentary committee he had no proof she'd done anything improper. And Ethics (ciec-ccie.gc.ca») Mary DawsonEND was unable to launch an inquiry for lack of information.
Dawson did initiate a conflict-of-interest probe last month, but it had nothing to do with April's allegations. It concerned a 2009 letter Geurgis had sent to officials in Simcoe County, promoting a waste technology venture in which her husband was involved.
Last week, Guergis received a letter from the RCMP informing her that it had completed its investigation and no charges would be laid. But the Prime Minister's Office insisted nothing had changed. "The RCMP's decision will not affect Ms. Geurgis's removal from cabinet or caucus," spokesperson Sara MacIntyre told reporters.
Does Guergis belong in the cabinet? Not in my estimation. She was the weakest status of women minister in 30 years and a national embarrassment as secretary of state for foreign affairs.
Should she be readmitted to caucus? Yes, according to the Prime Minister's own criteria. He said in April she would sit outside the Conservative caucus until the allegations against her were resolved.
Should she be barred from seeking the Conservative nomination in Simcoe-Grey? That's just vindictive.
It is a sorry tale. The heroine is flawed, the lead character is an autocratic bully and the witnesses are mute.
At least when the Hell's Angels fire one of their managers they do it with speed, panache and finality.
Not the Stephen Harpers.
WFDS
2694...Not An Astronaut But I Am Fat
Anne Milton would like that.
Fat, not obese.
The Daily Telegraph tells that Ms. Milton, the British Health Minister, feels that "Doctors should call people 'fat' rather than 'obese' to make it clear they need to lose weight..."
Tam Fry, the head of Britain's National Obesity Forum, took a break from his nachos [with extra guacamole], to accuse the minister of being ignorant.
He would have continued explaining but his pizza arrived.
WFDS
Fat, not obese.
The Daily Telegraph tells that Ms. Milton, the British Health Minister, feels that "Doctors should call people 'fat' rather than 'obese' to make it clear they need to lose weight..."
Tam Fry, the head of Britain's National Obesity Forum, took a break from his nachos [with extra guacamole], to accuse the minister of being ignorant.
He would have continued explaining but his pizza arrived.
WFDS
2693...I Am Not An Astronaut
Nor have I ever played in the NHL.
NFL.
CFL.
Been an MP, MPP or a professional speed skater.
But, and I am not admitting anything to the court, I may have said I did the above things in the hope of seducing a PYT [pretty young thing] at some point in my dubious past.
It may have even worked.
Saber Qashor, a thirty year old married [read: dog] in Jerusalem has been ordered jailed for 18 months. His crime was that thirty minutes after being approached on a downtown J-town street by woman he was hitting that hard in an office building stairwell.
His crime, according to what I am reading in this Associated Press release, was he introduced himself as Dudu, which is a common Israeli Jewish nickname. More to the point, his crime was having sex with an Israeli woman after giving her the impression he too was Jewish.
Next time, Mr. Qashor, feel free to cherry pick from the list above.
WFDS
NFL.
CFL.
Been an MP, MPP or a professional speed skater.
But, and I am not admitting anything to the court, I may have said I did the above things in the hope of seducing a PYT [pretty young thing] at some point in my dubious past.
It may have even worked.
Saber Qashor, a thirty year old married [read: dog] in Jerusalem has been ordered jailed for 18 months. His crime was that thirty minutes after being approached on a downtown J-town street by woman he was hitting that hard in an office building stairwell.
His crime, according to what I am reading in this Associated Press release, was he introduced himself as Dudu, which is a common Israeli Jewish nickname. More to the point, his crime was having sex with an Israeli woman after giving her the impression he too was Jewish.
Next time, Mr. Qashor, feel free to cherry pick from the list above.
WFDS
2692...In Quebec They Would Call This
Early childhood career training.
In Scotland they get all upset.
What this is is pole dancing classes. Up Yer Pole is advertising pole dancing classes on its website, http://upyerpole.com/, for 9 to 16 year old girls. A reporter from The Sun, a London, United Kingdom rag, was told that her 6 year old could enroll.
Let the hand wringing ensue.
"Children's charity Kidscape deputy director Peter Bradley told the newspaper the classes are 'degrading' and it will 'sexualize youngsters.'"
6 year olds learning to pole dance = bad.
9 year olds learning to pole dance = good.
I don't get it either.
WFDS
In Scotland they get all upset.
What this is is pole dancing classes. Up Yer Pole is advertising pole dancing classes on its website, http://upyerpole.com/, for 9 to 16 year old girls. A reporter from The Sun, a London, United Kingdom rag, was told that her 6 year old could enroll.
Let the hand wringing ensue.
"Children's charity Kidscape deputy director Peter Bradley told the newspaper the classes are 'degrading' and it will 'sexualize youngsters.'"
6 year olds learning to pole dance = bad.
9 year olds learning to pole dance = good.
I don't get it either.
WFDS
2691...We're All Gonna Die
You first, 'k?
And you are going to die sooner than I am.
That is if you are an elite athlete.
Bill Lankof has some interesting info in his Around The NFL column in this morning's Ottawa Sun. Writing about the death of NFL defensive back Jack "The Assasin" Tatum at 61 this week, the man who paralyzed, literally, Darryl Stingley [who passed away, wheelchair bound, three years ago], Mr. Lankof brings some interesting info to light.
Such as: "The average elite athlete will die by age 67, considerably lower than the 76-year life expectancy of the average American, and according the NFL Players' Association, the average life expectancy of an NFL player is 58 years."
Think about that when you are watching the Alouettes play the Argonauts tonight on TSN.
WFDS
And you are going to die sooner than I am.
That is if you are an elite athlete.
Bill Lankof has some interesting info in his Around The NFL column in this morning's Ottawa Sun. Writing about the death of NFL defensive back Jack "The Assasin" Tatum at 61 this week, the man who paralyzed, literally, Darryl Stingley [who passed away, wheelchair bound, three years ago], Mr. Lankof brings some interesting info to light.
Such as: "The average elite athlete will die by age 67, considerably lower than the 76-year life expectancy of the average American, and according the NFL Players' Association, the average life expectancy of an NFL player is 58 years."
Think about that when you are watching the Alouettes play the Argonauts tonight on TSN.
WFDS
2690...New Term
Listen, don't blame me, we have only one talk radio station in english in your capital so CFRA it is.
Lowell Green came up with a new one, at least new to me.
Multi-ghetto. Replacing multi-ethnic.
To think that he ran for the Liberals back in the day.
WFDS
Lowell Green came up with a new one, at least new to me.
Multi-ghetto. Replacing multi-ethnic.
To think that he ran for the Liberals back in the day.
WFDS
Wednesday, July 28, 2010
2689...Bad Day At Work
London's Daily Mail runs with the story of Father Valentin, a Roman Catholic priest in Eastern European garden spot Moldova, who allegedly drowned a six week old last week.
"The baby's relatives said he died Friday after the priest, who is referred to only as Father Valentin, did not cover the tot's mouth and nose when he immersed the child in water three times."
That baptism worked out even worse than the baptism in the Godfather did.
WFDS
"The baby's relatives said he died Friday after the priest, who is referred to only as Father Valentin, did not cover the tot's mouth and nose when he immersed the child in water three times."
That baptism worked out even worse than the baptism in the Godfather did.
WFDS
2688...Reject Sues American Idol For Beaucoup
The New York Daily News has the story. So does every other fish wrap on the continent.
Ian Benardo, rejected in 2007 from both American Idol and So You Think You Can Dance, is "...seeking $300 million in a complaint filed with the New York State Human Rights Division that alleges the 'Idol' set 'was permeated with discriminatory intimidation, ridicule, insults and hostile and offensive comments.'"
Flash forward to this season's finale and recall that Mr. Benardo "...infamously rushed the stage during the talent search's 2010 finale..." and grabbed the mike from comic Dane Cook.
This will be interesting.
WFDS
Ian Benardo, rejected in 2007 from both American Idol and So You Think You Can Dance, is "...seeking $300 million in a complaint filed with the New York State Human Rights Division that alleges the 'Idol' set 'was permeated with discriminatory intimidation, ridicule, insults and hostile and offensive comments.'"
Flash forward to this season's finale and recall that Mr. Benardo "...infamously rushed the stage during the talent search's 2010 finale..." and grabbed the mike from comic Dane Cook.
This will be interesting.
WFDS
2687...But How Do You Really Feel?
In this morning's Montreal Gazette an editorial referred to the Bloc Quebecois, which is celebrating its twentieth anniversary this ete, as a "a strongly rooted weed."
The editorial then went onwards and asked whether Quebec's citizens "...are best represented by this absurdity, a sovereignist party in the federal Parliament."
I am guessing that they, the editorial staff at The Gazette, didn't get invited to any of the twentieth anniversary cocktails, eh?
WFDS
The editorial then went onwards and asked whether Quebec's citizens "...are best represented by this absurdity, a sovereignist party in the federal Parliament."
I am guessing that they, the editorial staff at The Gazette, didn't get invited to any of the twentieth anniversary cocktails, eh?
WFDS
2686...This Week's Sign Of The Apocalypse
From the current issue of Sports Illustrated, the Sign Of The Apocalypse for this week is "A Dutch priest was suspended by his bishop last week for dedicating a Mass---at which he wore an orange frock---to his country's national soccer team on July 11, the day of the World Cup final."
Funny the things one can be censured for in the Catholic church.
BTW, God picked Spain.
WFDS
Funny the things one can be censured for in the Catholic church.
BTW, God picked Spain.
WFDS
Tuesday, July 27, 2010
2685...Shades Of Red And Ronald And Arnold
An unnamed Haitian government official told the Ottawa bird cage linerLe Droit that Wyclef Jean, the hip-hop star, has handed in his nomination papers re the Haitian Presidental elections and is waiting for the paperwork to be finalized by next week's deadline.
If Red Kelly, Ronald Reagan and Arnold Schwarzenegger can use their star power to allow them to serve their people, good on Mr. Jean.
The election is the November 28, 2010.
WFDS
If Red Kelly, Ronald Reagan and Arnold Schwarzenegger can use their star power to allow them to serve their people, good on Mr. Jean.
The election is the November 28, 2010.
WFDS
2684...Error Error Error
WFDS Post 2669...Greatest Invention Ever: Spanx told the story of a woman who robbed a McDick's in Oklahoma that she used to manage wearing Spanx on her head.
Error.
My sources now tell me that she was wearing a girdle on her head.
Sorry for any confusion this may have caused.
WFDS
Error.
My sources now tell me that she was wearing a girdle on her head.
Sorry for any confusion this may have caused.
WFDS
Monday, July 26, 2010
2683...More TV Stuff
So that guy who used to post his Social Security number, that's the Yankee version of our Social Insurance Number, on TV ads, reason being to advertise his identity theft prevention service, dya remember him?
And iffen you did, didja ever wonder how'd that worked out for him?
Well pcworld.com reports that Todd Davis, the bossman at LifeLock, had his identity stolen 13 times, and the FTC hit him with about $12 mil in fines for false advertising.
Besides that, all is well.
WFDS
And iffen you did, didja ever wonder how'd that worked out for him?
Well pcworld.com reports that Todd Davis, the bossman at LifeLock, had his identity stolen 13 times, and the FTC hit him with about $12 mil in fines for false advertising.
Besides that, all is well.
WFDS
2682...Today's Excuse To Drink
I mean reason to drink.
The Bloc Quebecois turns 20 this summer.
Be sure to get your brown pops in La Belle; less than a buck a bottle for the good stuff.
WFDS
The Bloc Quebecois turns 20 this summer.
Be sure to get your brown pops in La Belle; less than a buck a bottle for the good stuff.
WFDS
2681...Michael Geist On TV
Another cut and paste number; we are not, as he indicates, following the American lead on this.
I realize that we have a pretty serious hardon/animus versus the United States but when they do something right, like they did on this file, it would be instructive to follow it, no?
Sometimes, this time, the solution is easy.
This is a file that shows, in the same way that Preston Manning's thoughts on Ottawa and the census crisis do, the disconnect between the chattering classes cocktailing and the hoi polloi.
WFDS
I realize that we have a pretty serious hardon/animus versus the United States but when they do something right, like they did on this file, it would be instructive to follow it, no?
Digital TV transition could lead to an analog divide
Toronto Star
Mon Jul 26 2010
Page: B2
Section: Business
Byline: Michael Geist
In just over one year, Canada is scheduled to complete the digital television transition as stations switch from analog to digital broadcasts. While cable and satellite subscribers will not notice the change, over a million Canadians who rely on over-the-air signals will be affected.
Despite the experience in other countries that left consumers without digital converter boxes staring at blank screens, the Canadian government seems content to leave the switch to the private sector, implausibly claiming "industry-led solutions will ensure a smooth transition for consumers."
The basic notion of the transition is fairly straightforward. For decades, Canadian broadcasters have used spectrum to transmit over-the-air analog broadcast signals.
Before the widespread use of cable and satellite, many Canadians used antennae - "rabbit ears"- to access those broadcast signals.
On Aug. 31, 2011, Canadian broadcasters will switch from analog to digital broadcasts. The shift to digital brings several advantages including better image and sound quality as well as more efficient use of spectrum that will open the door to new telecom services. It also requires those relying on over-the-air signals to obtain a digital converter box to convert the digital signal back to analog.
Contrary to popular belief, many Canadians still rely on over-the-air signals. In its latest update on the transition, the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission estimated that up to 857,000 households in larger markets do not subscribe to either cable or satellite.
Tens of thousands of rural households also depend upon over-the-air signals.
The CRTC has opened the door to a satellite alternative for rural communities, but households that rely on over-the-air signals in larger markets will need a digital converter box in order to continue to watch programs on their existing televisions.
In the United States, the government subsidized the cost of the transition, establishing a coupon program that ultimately cost more than $1 billion and forced a six-month delay of the transition when politicians feared too many consumers were not ready.
Unlike the U.S., Canada will not have a subsidy program. While the additional costs could affect lower- income Canadians, who are also more likely to rely on the over-the-air signals rather than cable or satellite services, Canadian Heritage Minister James Moore has firmly rejected a similar approach.
A successful transition also depends upon educating Canadians about the changes. For example, the United Kingdom has established Digital UK, an independent, not-for-profit organization, to lead its process. The organization is funded by the country's private broadcasters and was established at the request of the government. It maintains a comprehensive website and has launched a nationwide advertising campaign.
In Canada, by contrast, the issue has attracted virtually no public attention other than the occasional CRTC release (chair Konrad von Finckenstein has been sounding the alarm bells on the digital transition for months). Moore has told Canada's broadcasters that Canadians had "fair notice" about the transition and that the broadcasters should be prepared to complete the switch on schedule, emphasizing the transition "must remain on track."
But most Canadian broadcasters see little value in investing in a public education campaign without government support, particularly since they are already spending millions on digital transmitters. In fact, the mandatory deadlines for the transition were established only after it became apparent the broadcasters would not make the switch voluntarily.
The CRTC has tried to push the issue onto the public agenda but has thus far faced government opposition and broadcaster indifference. As a result, when Canada's broadcasters flip the switch next summer, hundreds of thousands of Canadians may find themselves on the wrong side of a new digital divide.
Michael Geist holds the Canada research chair in Internet and e-commerce law at the University of Ottawa faculty of law. He can reached by email at www.michaelgeist.ca.
Sometimes, this time, the solution is easy.
This is a file that shows, in the same way that Preston Manning's thoughts on Ottawa and the census crisis do, the disconnect between the chattering classes cocktailing and the hoi polloi.
WFDS
2680...Preston Manning On My Hometown
Preston Manning, Stephen Harper's father, on your national capital:
And not a word about hockey.
WFDS
Preston Manning
From Monday's Globe and Mail
This summer, thousands of visitors, many of them from abroad, will visit Canada’s national capital. But will their visit give them an accurate impression of our country? Is there more that can and should be done to make Ottawa a truly “national” capital?
A number of years ago, when I spent time in Ottawa as an MP, a Nigerian colleague and I undertook a thought experiment. We envisioned inviting my colleague’s cousin, who lived in a village in Nigeria and knew nothing about Canada, to come with us on a trip – the one condition being that he allow us to blindfold him before leaving Nigeria so he would have no idea where we were taking him. We would then transport him to Ottawa, remove the blindfold, show him the city, and conclude our experiment by asking him to describe the country of which this city was the capital. His replies would tell us what someone might infer about Canada solely on the basis of exposure to its capital.
Presumably, our Nigerian friend would soon guess, from the languages spoken and Gatineau just across the river, that the country had a French-English heritage. But would he also get a clear picture, from simply visiting Ottawa, of Canada’s aboriginal heritage or its multicultural character – the kind of picture he would get if he were to visit a first nations reserve, an Inuit village or the ethnic neighbourhoods of Montreal, Vancouver or Toronto?
Presumably, our Nigerian friend would also conclude, from observing the Ottawa River, that Canada was a land of large waterways. But would he also conclude, from simply visiting Ottawa, that Canada is the world’s second-largest country by land mass; that it’s bounded by immense Atlantic, Arctic and Pacific seacoasts and is home to the diverse maritime cultures that such seacoasts support; that one-third of the country consists of a vast plain; that Canada stretches to the North Pole; or that Canada is home to mountain ranges that dwarf in size any structure or hill in the Ottawa Valley?
And presumably, our Nigerian friend would conclude something about the Canadian economy from observing Ottawa’s abundance of government offices supported by tax revenues, the high-tech companies of Kanata, and the historical references to Bytown as a lumber centre. But would he also conclude, from simply visiting Ottawa, that most Canadians don’t work for government and that Canada’s economy includes the extensive financial and manufacturing facilities of Toronto, Montreal, Vancouver, and Calgary; the Atlantic and Pacific fisheries; the high-tech multinational companies of Waterloo Region; the vast hydro-generating capacity of Churchill Falls, Hydro-Québec, Manitoba Hydro, and B.C. Hydro; the grain and potash production of Saskatchewan; the oil and gas industries of Alberta, including the Athabasca oil sands; the forestry, mining and tourism industries of British Columbia; the diamond mines of the Northwest Territories; and the various public and private centres throughout the country committed to the development of science, technology and innovation?
The point is, that beautiful as Ottawa is and distinctive as it is politically as a seat of government, a lot more can and should be done to make it a truly “national” capital – as representative as possible of all the regions and dimensions of the country.
One suggestion that the federal government, the National Capital Commission and the City of Ottawa could work on in time for Canada’s 150th anniversary in 2017 is the establishment of a truly representative Canadian Confederation Theme Park somewhere in the National Capital Region. The idea would be to allocate several hectares of space to each province and territory and invite them to build a pavilion that would convey to any visitor the distinguishing characteristics – physical, demographic, economic, political, cultural, religious and scientific – of that province or territory.
The federal government might reserve a location at the centre of such a park on which to build its own pavilion, something that would link Canada’s past to its present and future. Perhaps “Canada, the Innovation Nation” would be an appropriate focus for such a pavilion since Confederation itself was one of the great political innovations of the 19th century, since Canada’s subsequent record of innovation has been largely unrecognized, and since innovation promises to be one of the great preoccupations of the 21st century.
More needs to be done to make Ottawa a genuine national capital where visitors get a more complete picture of Canada’s immensity, diversity and promise. A Canadian Confederation Theme Park would be a step in this direction.
Preston Manning is president and CEO of the Manning Centre for Building Democracy.
And not a word about hockey.
WFDS
2679...Martin Canning On Leadership
The esteemed thinker on the topic du annum:
I think we get what he means.
WFDS
All Politics is Local
For complete article visit: www.canningsguess.blogspot.com
It is interesting to listen to the punditry’s theory about “leadership” in Canadian federal politics. It would seem to the casual observer that if your goal is to build a winning political party you need only to find the “right” leader and the puzzle will be solved. Of course, it is possible to stumble upon the “wrong” leader and that will inevitably send you and your party back to the drawing board in search, once again, for a new leader.
I guess – in theory – this hit or miss process could continue indefinitely. If this was my political party I would be pretty concerned because – in theory – this could mean that my party would perpetually loose, assuming that the right leader could not be found. In such a complex world, there is something so intuitively simple about this assumption. …
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Canning’s Guess A political blog where news and commentary meets the rest.
To be removed from this group please reply with “remove” in subject line. I’ll try not to take it personally.
I think we get what he means.
WFDS
Saturday, July 24, 2010
2678...Happy National Tequila Day
July 24th, as if you didn't know.
FoxNews.com, the only news channel you can trust in the United States, Fair And Balanced, is where this story comes from by the way.
I would suspect that for those who will be whole heartedly celebrating National Tequila Day tommorrow will be National WTF Did I Do That For I Am Staying In Bed Til Tuesday Day.
WFDS
FoxNews.com, the only news channel you can trust in the United States, Fair And Balanced, is where this story comes from by the way.
I would suspect that for those who will be whole heartedly celebrating National Tequila Day tommorrow will be National WTF Did I Do That For I Am Staying In Bed Til Tuesday Day.
WFDS
2677...I Need A Job
And these are the jobs I need.
Chief Administrative Officer, Assistant City Manager or Police Chief of Bell, California. The Los Angeles Times broke the story in the last week about three city officials in that impoverished suburb of L. A. who loop holed their way to millions:
All three resigned Tuesday.
Apparently a lot of others, elected and appointed, make six figure sals in a town where one in six lives below the poverty line.
This could never happen in Canada; wait, wait, it does happen here!
OMG.
WFDS
Chief Administrative Officer, Assistant City Manager or Police Chief of Bell, California. The Los Angeles Times broke the story in the last week about three city officials in that impoverished suburb of L. A. who loop holed their way to millions:
Chief Administrative Officer Robert Rizzo made $787,637 a year, getting a series of raises since being hired in 1993 at $72,000. President Obama makes $400,000.
Assistant City Manager Angela Spaccia made $376,288 a year.
Police Chief Randy Adams earned $457,000. Hired just last year to oversee a force of fewer than 50 people, he was making 50 percent more than Los Angeles Police Chief Charlie Beck's $307,000.
All three resigned Tuesday.
Apparently a lot of others, elected and appointed, make six figure sals in a town where one in six lives below the poverty line.
This could never happen in Canada; wait, wait, it does happen here!
OMG.
WFDS
2676...No More France
Not the country but the soccer team. The Associated Press reports that French coach Laurent Blanc will drop all 23 World Cup players for his first match, a friendly against Norway on August 11 in Oslo.
Rumours have it that the French will do what they did in 1917 and the early 1940's: bring in capable Canadians, Americans and Brits to do the heavy lifting and then have a big parade.
Rumours.
WFDS
Rumours have it that the French will do what they did in 1917 and the early 1940's: bring in capable Canadians, Americans and Brits to do the heavy lifting and then have a big parade.
Rumours.
WFDS
2675...Worst Food In Europe
Is not even in Europe.
TripAdvisor.com polled 2,963 European users on a bunch of stuff.
No surprise that the three cities with the worst cuisine on the continent are just off the continent: London, Birmingham and Liverpool.
Birmingham also finished second in the Unattractive Locals category and first in the most boring place to visit.
Brilliant, eh?
WFDS
TripAdvisor.com polled 2,963 European users on a bunch of stuff.
No surprise that the three cities with the worst cuisine on the continent are just off the continent: London, Birmingham and Liverpool.
Birmingham also finished second in the Unattractive Locals category and first in the most boring place to visit.
Brilliant, eh?
WFDS
Friday, July 23, 2010
2674...I Blame It On Gay Marriage
It is a slippery slope for sure.
First you have gay marriage, then gay ministers and then you are giving dogs communion.
Those crazy, radical, progressive Anglicans. The Toronto Star tells the story of St. Peter’s Anglican Church which has long been known as an open and inclusive place. So open that it offers communion to puppies. A dog was seen receiving communion from interim priest Rev. Marguerite Rea during a morning service the last Sunday in June.
"According to those in attendance at the historical church at 188 Carlton St. in downtown Toronto, it was a spontaneous gesture, one intended to make both the dog and its owner – a first timer at the church — feel welcomed. But at least one parishioner saw the act as an affront to the rules and regulations of the Anglican Church. He filed a complaint with the reverend and with the Anglican Diocese of Toronto about the incident – and has since left the church."
So, if the complainer has left the church why give a rat's ass? And what would Jesus Christ do? The complainer says Mr. Christ would not approve; Peggy Needham, the deputy people’s warden at St. Peter's says "...in my opinion, Christ would have thought it was neat. It was just being human. And it made everyone smile."
I think Mr. Christ would also be online re gay ministers and gay marriage too.
WFDS
First you have gay marriage, then gay ministers and then you are giving dogs communion.
Those crazy, radical, progressive Anglicans. The Toronto Star tells the story of St. Peter’s Anglican Church which has long been known as an open and inclusive place. So open that it offers communion to puppies. A dog was seen receiving communion from interim priest Rev. Marguerite Rea during a morning service the last Sunday in June.
"According to those in attendance at the historical church at 188 Carlton St. in downtown Toronto, it was a spontaneous gesture, one intended to make both the dog and its owner – a first timer at the church — feel welcomed. But at least one parishioner saw the act as an affront to the rules and regulations of the Anglican Church. He filed a complaint with the reverend and with the Anglican Diocese of Toronto about the incident – and has since left the church."
So, if the complainer has left the church why give a rat's ass? And what would Jesus Christ do? The complainer says Mr. Christ would not approve; Peggy Needham, the deputy people’s warden at St. Peter's says "...in my opinion, Christ would have thought it was neat. It was just being human. And it made everyone smile."
I think Mr. Christ would also be online re gay ministers and gay marriage too.
WFDS
2673...Beer Here Beer There Beer Everywhere
CTV is running with the sad story from Canada's third largest brewery, Okanagan Springs Brewery in Vernon, B.C.. The brewery let off a creamy beer bomb that blew more than 32-thousand litres of fermented foam across a downtown street.
That is more than 64,000 bottles of beer; more than 2,600 24s. Wasted.
Apparently there was a crack in a fermentation vat that led to this horrible accident.
WFDS
That is more than 64,000 bottles of beer; more than 2,600 24s. Wasted.
Apparently there was a crack in a fermentation vat that led to this horrible accident.
WFDS
2672...Lorne Gunter Lays It Down
Some sage advice for our next Prime Minister from the editorial pages of the two main papers in Alberta:
Whadyathink?
WFDS
Ignatieff bus tour off to bad start
Calgary Herald
Fri Jul 23 2010
Page: A12
Section: The Editorial Page
Byline: Lorne Gunter
Column: Lorne Gunter
Source: The Edmonton Journal
Last week, a talk-show host asked me a question that caught me off guard: What does Michael Ignatieff need to do to get Canadians to like him?
Ignatieff, of course, is off on a seven-week, 10-province bus tour of barbecues, rodeos, country fairs, farmers markets, fish fests, sports days, heritage celebrations and other summer events. The goal of Liberal party strategists is to portray their leader as a man in touch with ordinary Canadians.
Do I think the effort will be successful? No, because, as I told my television host, Ignatieff is not being himself. He's not a Main Street kind of guy.
One of the slags against Stephen Harper in the four years between him becoming Tory leader and being elected prime minister was that he was lousy at retail politics -- shaking hands and kissing babies. He's better at it now, but he's still no Bill Clinton or Brian Mulroney or Ralph Klein. He will never be good at schmoozing and small-talking.
Recall the awful cowboy outfit Harper wore to his first Calgary Stampede breakfast as leader -- collar buttoned up tight, bolo tie pulled taut, bad leather vest, Smithbilt tugged on too firmly. It was clear that Harper, although a longtime Calgarian, had never taken much interest in or paid attention to the social whirlwind surrounding the Stampede. So he was trying to look like what he thought Stampeding Calgarians wanted to see, rather than just being himself.
Or remember Robert Stanfield wearing cowboy boots with his jeans tucked inside. Rather than being seen as a John Wayne, he ended up looking like Woody in Toy Story. Instead of proving he was a man of the people, Stanfield's boot faux pas succeeded instead in pointing out how far removed he was from ordinary voters.
They would have known what he did not: jeans legs go on the outside, over the boots.
In the National Post last Saturday, Parliamentary columnist John Ivison described a scene from Day 2 of Ignatieff's backyard-burger tour. The Liberal leader and his wife Zsuzsanna Zsohar, writes Ivison, were "sitting on the back deck of the Holiday Inn" in Peterborough, Ont. Back deck!? Holiday Inn!? Peterborough!?
Four years ago, when he was director of the Carr Center for Human Rights at Harvard University, the Ignatieffs were likely frequent guests at trendy cocktail parties in Boston's Beacon Hill and Back Bay neighbourhoods.
They would have been invited to weekend soirees at Martha's Vineyard and Cape Cod.
Ignatieff was well known in the foreign policy salons of Washington, D.C., London and New York, too. He often addressed conferences in national capitals and at five-star seaside resorts.
Now, in an effort to connect with voters in Smithers and Steinbach, Bracebridge and Sheet Harbour, Ignatieff and Zsohar are hangin' on the back deck of the Peterborough Holiday Inn.
That's no slight on the Holiday Inn or the city of Peterborough. Both are fine places, but neither is Paris or Madrid or Tokyo.
Moreover, in his previous professional life, Ignatieff was invited to all those exotic locations because his work had already impressed academics, diplomats, journalists, bureaucrats and political leaders. Now he is hanging at budget hotels in small cities and towns, just so he can plead with ordinary voters to give him a chance.
Rumours used to swirl around each summer that Ignatieff would disappear for two months because he was vacationing in the south of France. No such rumours will be possible this year. Canadians will know precisely where Ignatieff is at all times because if he is not in their hometown today, he will be tomorrow or next week.
But the most important fact is that Ignatieff is trying to win support by being someone other than he is. He has to be himself.
And I don't just mean in his choice of summer activities.
It isn't just Ignatieff's barbecue tour that is out of character, many of his policy recommendations are, too.
For instance, he's not opposed to aggressive interrogation of terror suspects bordering on torture. Many times before returning to Canada and entering politics, he praised techniques such as water boarding. Yet now, in an effort to appeal to liberal voters, Ignatieff vociferously attacks the Tories over their position on Afghan detainees.
Also, on China, Ignatieff is very critical now of Harper's decision to link trade and human rights. Ignatieff has frequently complained that the prime minister's insistence on standing firm against China's mistreatment of minorities and its denial of basic democratic rights was counterproductive to Canada's trade with China.
But as recently as 2005, Ignatieff told an Amnesty International conference that China had become an "outlier" on human rights and cautioned it should not build its prosperity on forced labour and suppression of dissent.
The two go hand-in-hand -- the willingness to subordinate one's real policy views for a few centrists' votes and the decision to summer in Flin Flon rather than Provence. More importantly, voters sense insincerity.
If Ignatieff wants to raise his party's poll numbers, he has to stop pandering on the road and in his policy stances.
Lorne Gunter is a columnist with the Edmonton Journal.
Whadyathink?
WFDS
2671...Brian Lilley Writes About Important Stuff
Page two of the Ottawa Sun today has a story by Mr. Lilley about BrewDog, a small brewery based in the metro Aberdeen, Scotland area, that is offering a beer that has 55 per cent alcohol [Molson's Export has 5 per cent] and comes in a bottle made with stuffed road kill animals.
Bit expensive though.
There are four bottles left, all packaged in forest squirrel bottles. 1,108 dollars please.
WFDS
Bit expensive though.
There are four bottles left, all packaged in forest squirrel bottles. 1,108 dollars please.
WFDS
2670...Is Your BMI Over 30?
BMI is your Body Mass Index; mine is 30.7. Over 30 makes one obese.
And if Marco Wanderwitz has his way, he is a conservative member of parliament, fatties are going to have to pay more for health insurance in his Germany.
Reuters quotes the Christian Democrat as saying "It's legitimate to ask the question if the immense costs that are caused by the excessive consumption of food should continue to paid for by everyone else."
As long as the number is 31, I am all for it.
WFDS
And if Marco Wanderwitz has his way, he is a conservative member of parliament, fatties are going to have to pay more for health insurance in his Germany.
Reuters quotes the Christian Democrat as saying "It's legitimate to ask the question if the immense costs that are caused by the excessive consumption of food should continue to paid for by everyone else."
As long as the number is 31, I am all for it.
WFDS
2669...Greatest Invention Ever: Spanx
That's what Oprah sez.
And they are not just slimming, they also make a great/not great disguise when pulling an armed robbery. Just ask Sharon Lain of Midwest City, Oklahoma. The former manager of a Mickey D's in that sleepy town decide to return to her former place of work, with a Spanx [think girdle, 2010] on her head as a disguise.
Fooled no one.
She became a local TV news sensation and was captured in the first 48. Reuters reprots that Ms. Lain is now Spanx less and in jail in OK.
WFDS
And they are not just slimming, they also make a great/not great disguise when pulling an armed robbery. Just ask Sharon Lain of Midwest City, Oklahoma. The former manager of a Mickey D's in that sleepy town decide to return to her former place of work, with a Spanx [think girdle, 2010] on her head as a disguise.
Fooled no one.
She became a local TV news sensation and was captured in the first 48. Reuters reprots that Ms. Lain is now Spanx less and in jail in OK.
WFDS
Thursday, July 22, 2010
2668...Not A Canuck In Sight
Or even a hockey player.
What I am talking about is Sports Illustrated's Fortunate 50 List, a list of the top 50 athletes in terms of d'argent in the country, a list topped by two golfers, Tiger and Lefty. And, since the Blue Jay's Vernon Wells checks in at number 30 one would presume and assume that their country includes our country.
Sidney, where for art thou?
WFDS
What I am talking about is Sports Illustrated's Fortunate 50 List, a list of the top 50 athletes in terms of d'argent in the country, a list topped by two golfers, Tiger and Lefty. And, since the Blue Jay's Vernon Wells checks in at number 30 one would presume and assume that their country includes our country.
Sidney, where for art thou?
WFDS
2367...This Is What Cut Backs Will Do
Allow criminals to run free.
The Buenos Aires Herald has the story of a prison in Argentina's Neuquen province that was using mannequins as prison guards.
Yes they do work cheaply and yes they don't work at all.
Yesterday officials at the prison admitted that two armed robbers escaped by climbing over a wall at Penal Unit Number 11 in Neuquen.
Still on the loose, they are.
WFDS
The Buenos Aires Herald has the story of a prison in Argentina's Neuquen province that was using mannequins as prison guards.
Yes they do work cheaply and yes they don't work at all.
Yesterday officials at the prison admitted that two armed robbers escaped by climbing over a wall at Penal Unit Number 11 in Neuquen.
Still on the loose, they are.
WFDS
2366...RCMP De Hooks Mr. Jaffer And Mrs. Jaffer
Postmedia News has the story and the story is that former Tory MPs Rahim Jaffer and Helena Guergis have been cleared of whatever.
I say "whatever" coz, for example regarding the Honourable Helena Guergis, the Mounties Sgt. Stephane Turgeon said "We can't discuss the allegations. It's been dealt with privately with the complainant and the subject."
So that takes care of that.
WFDS
I say "whatever" coz, for example regarding the Honourable Helena Guergis, the Mounties Sgt. Stephane Turgeon said "We can't discuss the allegations. It's been dealt with privately with the complainant and the subject."
So that takes care of that.
WFDS
2365...Amish News Update
From Joe Peacock of AOL News:
WFDS
Kids these days. Give them the keys to the horse and carriage, and they go wild.
Levi Detweiler, a 17-year-old Amish kid from Leon, N.Y., allegedly ran a stop sign in his horse and buggy, leading authorities on a mile-long low-speed chase.
Detweiler took a sharp turn too fast and turned the buggy over, rolling it into a ditch, police said. He then got out and fled on foot.
It took the Cattaraugus County Sheriff's Office a week to investigate the incident, which ended with Levi being charged with underage possession of alcohol, reckless endangerment, over-driving an animal, failure to stop at a stop sign and failure to yield to an emergency vehicle.
And, yes, "over-driving an animal" is an actual crime.
WFDS
Wednesday, July 21, 2010
2364...The Old Poutine In The Head Trick
Cut and paste number from Canoe:
I suspect that alcohol may have been involved.
WFDS
A Timmins man has been sentence to four months in jail for theft after dumping poutine on a woman's head and running off with her purse.
David Birch, 25, was sentenced Tuesday in Timmins provincial court.
The woman was an ex-spouse.
Court heard Birch entered a business in Timmins on May 20 at 3:30 a.m. where he encountered his former spouse.
Due to previous convictions, Birch was prohibited from having contact with her at the time.
The two argued but after the argument, the victim asked Birch to hold on to two poutines. Birch subsequently dumped one poutine over the woman’s head.
He then snatched the victim’s purse and fled the establishment. The purse contained valuable items, including bank cards and house keys.
Birch was apprehended by police several days later and ordered to return the items to their owner.
Duty counsellor Calvin Ferrier, who represented Birch during the proceeding, advised the court that the couple would like to reconcile.
“I’ve spoken to the victim, who would be happy to have the accused back in her life providing he pays her the money he owes her,” Ferrier said.
Assistant Crown attorney Dale Cox pointed out that the accused is still prohibited from contacting his former girlfriend.
“He’s been in court with alarming regularity,” said Cox.
I suspect that alcohol may have been involved.
WFDS
2363...This Would Never Happen In Ottawa
Some state employees not working full 10-hour days
That's the headline in today's Salt Lake Tribune.
Apparently many government workers in the Utah capital slack off and do things like cruise the 'net, read magazines and smoke while they should be working.
OMG.
This would never happen in Ottawa.
WFDS
2362...Life Advice From The WFDS
Rule one: When pretending to have cerebral palsy to fraudulently claim benefits do not enter any table tennis contests.
The Local, Sweden's english newspapers, tells the sad tale of an Iraqi immigrant to Sweden who, with a team, defrauded the Försäkringskassan of millions of kronor. That is a lot of money by the way, like a lot. He was found out in April after secret police cameras recorded him living an active life, making phone calls and participating in a table tennis tournament, despite claiming to be confined to a wheelchair.
The man was found guilty of aggravated fraud and aggravated subsidy crime by Halmstad district court in southwestern Sweden.
After serving his sentence, the man, an Iraqi citizen, will be deported to his homeland. He must also pay 4.7 million kronor ($640,000) in compensation to the agency, The Local reported.
Word of advice to Sweden: get the money and then deport him.
WFDS
The Local, Sweden's english newspapers, tells the sad tale of an Iraqi immigrant to Sweden who, with a team, defrauded the Försäkringskassan of millions of kronor. That is a lot of money by the way, like a lot. He was found out in April after secret police cameras recorded him living an active life, making phone calls and participating in a table tennis tournament, despite claiming to be confined to a wheelchair.
The man was found guilty of aggravated fraud and aggravated subsidy crime by Halmstad district court in southwestern Sweden.
After serving his sentence, the man, an Iraqi citizen, will be deported to his homeland. He must also pay 4.7 million kronor ($640,000) in compensation to the agency, The Local reported.
Word of advice to Sweden: get the money and then deport him.
WFDS
2361...He Is Back
He is the only man in Major League Baseball history to hit .203 for his career.
He is the star of the forgetable TV show from the last century by the name of Mr. Belvedere.
He is Bob Uecker.
620WTMJ, Milwaukee, reports that Mr. Uecker, all better after heart surgery in April of this year, will be back behind the mike for his fortieth year with the Brewers, beginning with Friday's Brewers game with the Washington Nationals at 6:35 p.m. on Newsradio 620 WTMJ.
Wild Thing.
WFDS
He is the star of the forgetable TV show from the last century by the name of Mr. Belvedere.
He is Bob Uecker.
620WTMJ, Milwaukee, reports that Mr. Uecker, all better after heart surgery in April of this year, will be back behind the mike for his fortieth year with the Brewers, beginning with Friday's Brewers game with the Washington Nationals at 6:35 p.m. on Newsradio 620 WTMJ.
Wild Thing.
WFDS
2360...The Talk Of The Talkers Today Is
Sara Landriault of Kemptville, a town about an hour due south of Parliament Hill.
Brian Lilley writes in the Sun newspapers that she is "A stay-at-home mother trying to re-enter the workforce after nine years away [and she] says she can't understand why the federal government would stop her from applying for a job simply because she is white."
"While surfing on the federal government job website, Landriault says she found a position at Citizenship and Immigration Canada she felt she was qualified for but was blocked from submitting her resume because she was not an aboriginal or visible minority. 'I was flabbergasted,' Landriault said in a telephone interview from her home in Kemptville, Ont., just south of Ottawa. 'It was insane. I'm white, so I can't do it?'"
This, of course, is bullsh*t. Back in 2005, then public works minister and Liberal Scott Brison called his department to task for issuing a memo stating that only certain groups would be hired. The minister was quoted at that point as saying "I support the whole policy of inclusion, but I do not support discriminating against any group in hiring practice."
Then the country voted in the wrong party.
Thanks.
WFDS
Brian Lilley writes in the Sun newspapers that she is "A stay-at-home mother trying to re-enter the workforce after nine years away [and she] says she can't understand why the federal government would stop her from applying for a job simply because she is white."
"While surfing on the federal government job website, Landriault says she found a position at Citizenship and Immigration Canada she felt she was qualified for but was blocked from submitting her resume because she was not an aboriginal or visible minority. 'I was flabbergasted,' Landriault said in a telephone interview from her home in Kemptville, Ont., just south of Ottawa. 'It was insane. I'm white, so I can't do it?'"
This, of course, is bullsh*t. Back in 2005, then public works minister and Liberal Scott Brison called his department to task for issuing a memo stating that only certain groups would be hired. The minister was quoted at that point as saying "I support the whole policy of inclusion, but I do not support discriminating against any group in hiring practice."
Then the country voted in the wrong party.
Thanks.
WFDS
2359...Oh No, There Goes Tokyo
No, wait, not Tokyo, it is Ottawa that may go down the drain.
In this morning's Ottawa Sun, Sue Sherring writes on page two about the imminent entry into the Bay Ward, that is in the north west end of Ottawa, race this year by former mayoralty candidate, councillor candidate and long time window licker Terry Kilrea.
Mr. Kilrea, who in the previous two elections has had his head handed to him by Mayor Bob Chiarelli and then by the sitting councillor and current Ottawa mayoralty candidate Alex Cullen, says he is going to run again in Bay Ward.
Scary thing is that a/ there are 7 candidates in the race that are not named Kilrea, eight with Mr. K and b/ Mr. Kilrea got almost 40 per cent of the vote in '06. In an eight team race twenty five per cent could be the magic number and, on name recognition alone, Mr. Kilrea could pull it off.
Then there will be four years of him sitting on council with a confused look on his face trying to figure out how to turn on his lap top.
WFDS
In this morning's Ottawa Sun, Sue Sherring writes on page two about the imminent entry into the Bay Ward, that is in the north west end of Ottawa, race this year by former mayoralty candidate, councillor candidate and long time window licker Terry Kilrea.
Mr. Kilrea, who in the previous two elections has had his head handed to him by Mayor Bob Chiarelli and then by the sitting councillor and current Ottawa mayoralty candidate Alex Cullen, says he is going to run again in Bay Ward.
Scary thing is that a/ there are 7 candidates in the race that are not named Kilrea, eight with Mr. K and b/ Mr. Kilrea got almost 40 per cent of the vote in '06. In an eight team race twenty five per cent could be the magic number and, on name recognition alone, Mr. Kilrea could pull it off.
Then there will be four years of him sitting on council with a confused look on his face trying to figure out how to turn on his lap top.
WFDS
Tuesday, July 20, 2010
2358...Is It A Sport Or Not?
The age old question.
Bowling? Sport or not?
Golf? Sport or not?
Baseball? Sport or not?
Although one could make a sound case for the above three activities to be classified as just that, activities, the folks at your local newspaper stick them in the sports section of their bird cage liners and that is that.
Not so much with Ultimate.
Ultimate, for those of you out of the loop, is basically frisbee football. It is played on a big field, involves a ton of running and a lot a sportish strategy. The 26th annual No Borders Ultimate Frisbee Tournament was held last Sunday in Manotick Station, suburban Ottawa.
According to the Ottawa Citizen nearly 1,000 athletes participated yet not a word in their sports section. Instead the OC moved the story to the City Section.
Not sport.
Not true.
WFDS
Bowling? Sport or not?
Golf? Sport or not?
Baseball? Sport or not?
Although one could make a sound case for the above three activities to be classified as just that, activities, the folks at your local newspaper stick them in the sports section of their bird cage liners and that is that.
Not so much with Ultimate.
Ultimate, for those of you out of the loop, is basically frisbee football. It is played on a big field, involves a ton of running and a lot a sportish strategy. The 26th annual No Borders Ultimate Frisbee Tournament was held last Sunday in Manotick Station, suburban Ottawa.
According to the Ottawa Citizen nearly 1,000 athletes participated yet not a word in their sports section. Instead the OC moved the story to the City Section.
Not sport.
Not true.
WFDS
2357...Paying Tribute To Lindsay Lohan
The Associated Press reports that "Border agents say a New Yrok man tried to explain away the ankle monitor he was wearing while returning from Canada by claiming it was a show of support for Lindsay Lohan."
Represent.
Eugene Todie, on probation for criminal contempt, was trying to re enter The Land of The Free and The Home of the Brave using someone else's passport. The Buffalo man was caught and is now in even more trouble than before.
WFDS
Represent.
Eugene Todie, on probation for criminal contempt, was trying to re enter The Land of The Free and The Home of the Brave using someone else's passport. The Buffalo man was caught and is now in even more trouble than before.
WFDS
2356...Merry Christmas To You
BBC News offers that "Selfridges in Oxford Street will launch its Christmas season on August 2."
That's 145 shopping days before the big day.
"The store said previous sales had shown some customers...started thinking about Christmas during August."
Hey, I have my Xmas 2011 stuff done so I am on that team!
WFDS
That's 145 shopping days before the big day.
"The store said previous sales had shown some customers...started thinking about Christmas during August."
Hey, I have my Xmas 2011 stuff done so I am on that team!
WFDS
2355...July 20, 1944
From Wikipedia:
Heroic measures nonetheless and well worth remembering.
WFDS
The 20 July plot of 1944 was the closest but failed attempt to assassinate Adolf Hitler, the leader of Nazi Germany, inside his Wolf's Lair field headquarters near Rastenburg, East Prussia. The plot was the culmination of the efforts of the German Resistance to overthrow the Nazi regime. The failure of both the assassination and the military coup d'état which was planned to follow it led to the arrest of at least 7,000 people by the Gestapo. According to records of the Führer Conferences on Naval Affairs, 4,980 people were executed, resulting in the destruction of the resistance movement in Germany.
Heroic measures nonetheless and well worth remembering.
WFDS
2354...The Knives Are Out In Greenland
Not the country, the party.
David Akin writes in this morning's Ottawa Sun about a certain Sylvie Lemieux, a former candidate for the Green Party in the last election here in your capital, who wants Elizabeth May's job.
The summer will tell.
WFDS
David Akin writes in this morning's Ottawa Sun about a certain Sylvie Lemieux, a former candidate for the Green Party in the last election here in your capital, who wants Elizabeth May's job.
The summer will tell.
WFDS
Monday, July 19, 2010
2353...You Think It Is Hot In Ottawa
Tronna.
Montreal.
Fergetaboutit.
Nobody be burning their feets walking down the road that is for sure.
Perhaps it is coz it ain't that hot; perhaps it is coz we are collectively smarter than 78 year old Jonathan Jacobs of Phoenix, Arizona. KPHO.com, CBS 5 in Phoenix, tells the story of Mr. Jacobs who went for a walk in his neighborhood to talk to his mail carrier.
Barefooting he was.
Mr. Jacobs, a keen observer of his person, noticed his feet had become hot and jumped into a grassy area before continuing to walk home. By the time he reached his home his feet were badly blistered and burned. Phoenix Fire transported the man to the Arizona Burn Center at Maricopa Medical Center for treatment.
The day Mr. Jacobs burned himself it was a balmy 97 degrees F in Phoenix; but a dry 97 degrees F.
WFDS
Montreal.
Fergetaboutit.
Nobody be burning their feets walking down the road that is for sure.
Perhaps it is coz it ain't that hot; perhaps it is coz we are collectively smarter than 78 year old Jonathan Jacobs of Phoenix, Arizona. KPHO.com, CBS 5 in Phoenix, tells the story of Mr. Jacobs who went for a walk in his neighborhood to talk to his mail carrier.
Barefooting he was.
Mr. Jacobs, a keen observer of his person, noticed his feet had become hot and jumped into a grassy area before continuing to walk home. By the time he reached his home his feet were badly blistered and burned. Phoenix Fire transported the man to the Arizona Burn Center at Maricopa Medical Center for treatment.
The day Mr. Jacobs burned himself it was a balmy 97 degrees F in Phoenix; but a dry 97 degrees F.
WFDS
2352...Common Sense From Cali
Cut and paste to warm the hearts of anyone who is not insane in the membrane.
WFDS
California dreaming not likely to become a reality here; A poll indicates that half of the Sunshine State will vote to tax and regulate marijuana like alcohol in November ballot
Vancouver Sun
Mon Jul 19 2010
Page: A5
Section: Westcoast News
Byline: Ian Mulgrew
Column: Ian Mulgrew
Source: Vancouver Sun
While Prime Minister Stephen Harper's government vows to jail marijuana-growers, support grows for California's proposition 19 to legalize, regulate and tax cannabis.
A poll last week indicated 50 per cent of the state is ready to vote to transform the demon weed from a black hole in the state's balance sheet -- a drain of police, prosecution and prison expenses -- into a lucrative revenue stream.
There also are a couple of other legalize-the-plant laws under consideration by state legislators.
Legal pot might remain a Cheechand-Chong joke in Ottawa, but it's no giggling matter south of the 49th parallel.
California is pioneering cannabis legalization, but across America many states are following the path California began blazing in 1996 when it established the first U.S. medical marijuana program.
More than a dozen have such programs today.
The medicinal market already has sparked Colorado, New Jersey, New Mexico, Rhode Island, and Washington, D.C., to enact regulations overseeing the production and distribution of cannabis products.
Proposition 19, which is on the November ballot, will control marijuana just like alcohol: adults 21 and older will be allowed to possess up to one ounce. It also gives the state and local governments the ability to tax sales.
Check out www.taxcannabis.org.
The state's current subterranean cannabis market is estimated at $14 billion and initiative backers think legalization will produce $1.4 billion in tax revenue.
(Those figures, by the way, probably mirror the Canadian underground market.)
At the same time, depending on the study, savings in policing, prosecution and prison costs range anywhere from $200 million to $1.9 billion.
A report by the main U.S. marijuana legalization lobby group (NORML. org) suggested the regulated pot industry in California predicts between 60,000 and 110,000 jobs paying between $2.5 and $3.5 billion in wages.
The new above-ground market potentially could create $12-18 billion in spinoff industries.
(The suggestion that the price will drop I think is a canard exposed by Amsterdam, where pot is legally dispensed for prices rivalling Vancouver's. And California's medical dispensaries often charge as much as the black market, as do some of Canada's compassion clubs.)
All that said, there is a great irony here: California is considering legalization in part because of the implosion of America's great get-tough-on-crime experiment.
The mandatory prison, spare-the-rod-spoil-the-child approach helped push California into financial crisis because the state, along with its other fiscal troubles, couldn't afford the cost of housing the crowds these laws jailed. Conditions were so bad courts were compelled to order the release of thousands upon thousands.
Other states, too, awoke to the same fiscal nightmare triggered by the failed War on Drugs.
It is unbelievable that the federal Conservatives are intent on repeating this costly and futile mistake in the face of such hard evidence and common sense.
Just as we have done a good job controlling tobacco and alcohol through public education, advertising curbs and other mechanisms instead of the criminal law, so too can we regulate pot.
A more open and honest environment about drugs, smart doctors on both sides of the border say, gives us a better chance of reaching young people about the true concerns surrounding marijuana use, particularly when smoked in a joint or pipe.
When crime rates have plummeted, why should Canadian taxpayers pay for more cops, jail guards and prisons to lock up more guerrilla gardeners and pot consumers?
As those pushing Proposition 19 say: It's better to tax and control marijuana.
In California they are having a very adult debate about the issue without an overlay of the sophomoric humour that has for too long clouded discussion on this side of the border. We should be listening.
Oh, I forgot, there are still some people who think we can't talk about legalization in Canada because Uncle Sam might take offence and retaliate against us.
(What are they smoking?)
imulgrew@vancouversun.com
WFDS
2351...I Love Christie Brinkley; I Love Great Danes
And if I had a Great Dane named Christie Brinkley I would love it too.
But not the way Armand Pacher, 64, of Miami FLA does. Mr. Pacher was busted Friday after telling a staff member about how he loved his dog.
The Miami Herald quotes him as saying "She doesn't seem to enjoy it as much when we have sex. Maybe it's because I haven't been as energetic lately and that's why she's not enjoying it."
WFDS
But not the way Armand Pacher, 64, of Miami FLA does. Mr. Pacher was busted Friday after telling a staff member about how he loved his dog.
The Miami Herald quotes him as saying "She doesn't seem to enjoy it as much when we have sex. Maybe it's because I haven't been as energetic lately and that's why she's not enjoying it."
WFDS
2350...Even Don Cherry Wouldn't Go This Far
Tim McCarver, a long time baseball player and a longer time commentator on the sport, now with FOX, was talking about former New York Yankee and current Los Angeles Dodger manager Joe Torre and in his rant he compared George Steinbrenner and his boys to both the Nazis and the Communists:
Uh, just a tad over the top lad. A tad.
WFDS
You remember some of those despotic leaders in World War II, primarily in Russia and Germany, where they used to take those pictures that they had ... taken of former generals who were no longer alive, they had shot 'em. They would airbrush the pictures, and airbrushed the generals out of the pictures. In a sense, that's what the Yankees have done with Joe Torre. They have airbrushed his legacy. I mean, there's no sign of Joe Torre at the stadium. And, that's ridiculous. I don't understand it.
Uh, just a tad over the top lad. A tad.
WFDS
2349...Iconic Advice For Our Prime Minister
From Tommy Chong and Cheech Marin who want the big man to know that pot laws suck and he should smarten up.
The Canadian Press tells us that the power duo were in Montreal for Just For Laughs and that "They say the prime minister should wise up to the public will, and pull his head out of George Bush's butt. The celebrity tokers are miffed that Canadian authorities, after nearly decriminalizing pot a few years ago, have made a 180-degree policy shift that's led to a lot of recent pot busts."
George Bush's butt, eh? And they probably mean George I; no matter what Russell Barth says, pot does tend to make you a bit slow. I am told that is part of the appeal.
"A spokesman for the Prime Minister's Office wasn't immediately available to comment."
WFDS
The Canadian Press tells us that the power duo were in Montreal for Just For Laughs and that "They say the prime minister should wise up to the public will, and pull his head out of George Bush's butt. The celebrity tokers are miffed that Canadian authorities, after nearly decriminalizing pot a few years ago, have made a 180-degree policy shift that's led to a lot of recent pot busts."
George Bush's butt, eh? And they probably mean George I; no matter what Russell Barth says, pot does tend to make you a bit slow. I am told that is part of the appeal.
"A spokesman for the Prime Minister's Office wasn't immediately available to comment."
WFDS
2348...New, New Degrassi Tonite
This time it is a nightly soap opera.
On Much Music ce soir at 9 I do believe.
Canuckistanian cultural icons at their best.
Do let me know what you think.
Presuming 'tis your tax credits in action.
WFDS
On Much Music ce soir at 9 I do believe.
Canuckistanian cultural icons at their best.
Do let me know what you think.
Presuming 'tis your tax credits in action.
WFDS
Sunday, July 18, 2010
2347...May Be Dalton Is Right
Re the liquor stores in Ontario as in we should sell them.
Coming soon to Virginia, courtesy of the Free Market taking over State monopoly: better liquour stores, lower alcohol prices, and better selection.
The Guv of that state, Robert F. McDonnell, made that promise during his election run and he plans to fufil it. This will give Virginia a nice influx of cash and will bring competition to the booze biz.
While Dalton is at it, it being privatizing the LCBO, perhaps he could bust the Brewer's Retail monopoly too, eh? A case of beer that is advertised on the radio for 36 dollars [Corona] can be had all over La Belle for about 25 per cent less a 24.
WFDS
Coming soon to Virginia, courtesy of the Free Market taking over State monopoly: better liquour stores, lower alcohol prices, and better selection.
The Guv of that state, Robert F. McDonnell, made that promise during his election run and he plans to fufil it. This will give Virginia a nice influx of cash and will bring competition to the booze biz.
While Dalton is at it, it being privatizing the LCBO, perhaps he could bust the Brewer's Retail monopoly too, eh? A case of beer that is advertised on the radio for 36 dollars [Corona] can be had all over La Belle for about 25 per cent less a 24.
WFDS
2346...Stanley Cup Coming To Ottawa
This Thursday.
Ben Eager, late of the Chicago Blackhawks, currently with the Atlanta Thrashers, will be coming home with Lord Stanley's Cup.
It will be on display for you and you and you at Brentwood Park, Clegg Street near Main Street, in Ottawa East. Show time is one in the afternoon.
WFDS
Ben Eager, late of the Chicago Blackhawks, currently with the Atlanta Thrashers, will be coming home with Lord Stanley's Cup.
It will be on display for you and you and you at Brentwood Park, Clegg Street near Main Street, in Ottawa East. Show time is one in the afternoon.
WFDS
2345...How About This For Some Serious BullSh*t
The headline proffered by QMI is
How many candidates are derailing the tour? Uh, may be one or two. The derailers are Steve Pickard of Chatham who faces criminal charges. Charges, not a conviction, charges. The next Prime Minister commented properly by say that "I have no comment. This is before the courts and we'll let that process play out."
The other candidate that is alleged to be throwing a wrench in the works is Caledon's Bill Prout who earlier this year said "I abhor the fact that Canadians have been involved with torture to get information from prisoners."
This quote was clarified by our next PM Saturday On Saturday when he said "No member of the Liberal Party believes that Canadian soldiers have been directly involved in torture. That's not the issue. No one has ever said or will ever say in this party that Canadian soldiers were involved in torture."
That issue has been worked threw.
Stop hating QMI.
WFDS
MP candidates derailing Liberal Express bus tour
How many candidates are derailing the tour? Uh, may be one or two. The derailers are Steve Pickard of Chatham who faces criminal charges. Charges, not a conviction, charges. The next Prime Minister commented properly by say that "I have no comment. This is before the courts and we'll let that process play out."
The other candidate that is alleged to be throwing a wrench in the works is Caledon's Bill Prout who earlier this year said "I abhor the fact that Canadians have been involved with torture to get information from prisoners."
This quote was clarified by our next PM Saturday On Saturday when he said "No member of the Liberal Party believes that Canadian soldiers have been directly involved in torture. That's not the issue. No one has ever said or will ever say in this party that Canadian soldiers were involved in torture."
That issue has been worked threw.
Stop hating QMI.
WFDS
2344...What We Need In This Country
I think is a series of national radio talk show hosts, you know, like they have in America and England and other places.
Charles Adler, sure, but he is not even on in the most important political market in the country, Ottawa.
And we have a few regional guys like the great Roy Green and Alberta's Dave Rutherford but no one pan Canadian.
WFDS
Charles Adler, sure, but he is not even on in the most important political market in the country, Ottawa.
And we have a few regional guys like the great Roy Green and Alberta's Dave Rutherford but no one pan Canadian.
WFDS
2343...This Was Inevitable
It is reported by ANSA, an Italian news agency, that if one Googled the Vatican Saturday one was directed to www.pedofilo.com.
Pedofilo is the Italian word for pedophile btw.
My only question is what took the hacker/jokers of the world so long to pull this prank.
WFDS
Pedofilo is the Italian word for pedophile btw.
My only question is what took the hacker/jokers of the world so long to pull this prank.
WFDS
Saturday, July 17, 2010
2342...Don't Forget
If you are in Ottawa and you want to see really good basketball, all day today and tomorrow at Algonquin College, Woodroffe, it is Dwight James' Basketball Weekend In The City.
For true, Denham Brown, Oz, Dove, Ash, Angel, all the local, regional and national ballers of reknown.
Five bux for the weekend.
See you there.
WFDS
For true, Denham Brown, Oz, Dove, Ash, Angel, all the local, regional and national ballers of reknown.
Five bux for the weekend.
See you there.
WFDS
2341...How About Them Liberals
Yes sir, week one is not even over and you, me, we can feel the buzz all across our home and native land [uh, that should be Our Home And Native Land].
Master stroke, meeting the masses.
He will be the greatest Prime Minister ever.
WFDS
Master stroke, meeting the masses.
He will be the greatest Prime Minister ever.
WFDS
2340...DC Is Like Ottawa
At least in this way. A recently released study by the Brookings Institute reported in the Washington Post says the Washington DC region is the country's smartest. I seem to recall reading many studies like that about Ottawa and environs. Most university graduates and so on.
Taking that at face value one would think that by now a few of those people would have at least found their way into Parliament and Congress.
Or, perhaps, degrees and such are over rated?
WFDS
Taking that at face value one would think that by now a few of those people would have at least found their way into Parliament and Congress.
Or, perhaps, degrees and such are over rated?
WFDS
2339...The End Of An Era
Yahoo! News runs the story that Baskin-Robbins is making a few changes. The ice cream retailer, famous for its 31 flavors, has announced that five of the flavors are going into what it calls "deep freeze."
Think of it as the ice cream equivalent of forced retirement.
The five flavors on the cusp of retirement include Campfire S'mores, Apple Pie a La Mode, Caramel Praline Cheesecake, Superfudge Truffle, and, in a sign that no flavor is safe, French Vanilla. French Vanilla!
No word yet on the new flavors.
I presume that Vanilla, just normal everyday Vanilla, which is the most popular ice cream flavour in the world according to Yahoo!, made the cut.
WFDS
Think of it as the ice cream equivalent of forced retirement.
The five flavors on the cusp of retirement include Campfire S'mores, Apple Pie a La Mode, Caramel Praline Cheesecake, Superfudge Truffle, and, in a sign that no flavor is safe, French Vanilla. French Vanilla!
No word yet on the new flavors.
I presume that Vanilla, just normal everyday Vanilla, which is the most popular ice cream flavour in the world according to Yahoo!, made the cut.
WFDS
Friday, July 16, 2010
2338...On This Day In History
According to History.com, the people who bring you the Hitler Channel.
On this day in history, 1945: The atom bomb was successfully tested.The original budget was $6,000. Its eventual cost was $2 billion; a slight government over run.
The financial manager of the plan moved to Montreal after the war where he developed the Olympic Stadium.
WFDS
On this day in history, 1945: The atom bomb was successfully tested.The original budget was $6,000. Its eventual cost was $2 billion; a slight government over run.
The financial manager of the plan moved to Montreal after the war where he developed the Olympic Stadium.
WFDS
2337...What Am I Going To Read In The WC?
Sunday's are ruined!
Here is why:
In all seriousness this could be the beginning of the beginning of the end for print. I was talking to an informed political lad, Lisgar High School student in Ottawa and he made the valid point that printed newspapers are messy, difficult to manage and the news is old.
So there you are.
WFDS
Here is why:
Gazette to go Web only on Sundays
July 14, 2010 •Story•Photos ( 1 )
The Sunday Edition of The Montreal GazettePhotograph by: John Kenney, The
Gazette MONTREAL - After long and serious consideration, we have decided that The
Gazette will cease publishing a print version of the paper on Sundays as of Aug.
8.
However, The Gazette will continue to provide full coverage of news,
entertainment and sports throughout the weekend on montrealgazette.com, as well
as on habsinsideout.com and alsinsideout.com.
In its 22-year existence, the Sunday Gazette has struggled to find significant
advertising support to cover the costs of printing and distribution.
Subscription rates and single-copy sales cover only a small percentage of total
costs; therefore, The Gazette has decided to focus its resources on the six
remaining print editions and on the Web.
La Presse made a similar decision last year and other newspapers, both in Canada
and the U.S., have reduced their print editions in recent times.
The Gazette will be adding its most popular Sunday features to an expanded
Saturday newspaper, making it - once again - the Weekend Gazette. Among features
to be moved are Social Notes, the Puzzles and comics pages, the Sports Opinion
page and some elements of the Insight pages.
The expanded Weekend Gazette will hit your doorsteps on Saturday, August 7.
In all seriousness this could be the beginning of the beginning of the end for print. I was talking to an informed political lad, Lisgar High School student in Ottawa and he made the valid point that printed newspapers are messy, difficult to manage and the news is old.
So there you are.
WFDS
2336...Women Are Taking Over
As national anchors on TV news anyhow.
Lisa Laflamme on CTV, Dawna Friesen from the plains via NBC on Global and then, as reported in yesterday's Toronto Star, there is veteran journalist Céline Galipeau who acts as the face of the nightly Le Téléjournal on Radio-Canada, CBC’s French-language net. Sophie Thibault anchors the flagship 10 p.m. newscast on TVA, the main private, francophone network.
Finally and at last.
WFDS
Lisa Laflamme on CTV, Dawna Friesen from the plains via NBC on Global and then, as reported in yesterday's Toronto Star, there is veteran journalist Céline Galipeau who acts as the face of the nightly Le Téléjournal on Radio-Canada, CBC’s French-language net. Sophie Thibault anchors the flagship 10 p.m. newscast on TVA, the main private, francophone network.
Finally and at last.
WFDS
2635...We May Suck At Soccer
And our, for want of another word, indigenous English TV may suck, but we are happy.
FinancialJesus.com lists the happiest countries on the planet.
We be number 8 with a score of 7.6; Denmark is number 1 with a score of 8.2. The Yankees are 17th, 7.4 and the Brits are 22, 7.1.
Denmark also has a lot of taxes, "...according to Wikipedia Denmark has the worlds highest taxes! When buying a car in Denmark one has to pay 25% VAT to the import price of the vehicle and then a 180% registration tax on top. That means when a car sells for $20 000, you have to pay an additional $45 000 as taxes for the government (total of $65 000)."
Bike, please.
WFDS
FinancialJesus.com lists the happiest countries on the planet.
We be number 8 with a score of 7.6; Denmark is number 1 with a score of 8.2. The Yankees are 17th, 7.4 and the Brits are 22, 7.1.
Denmark also has a lot of taxes, "...according to Wikipedia Denmark has the worlds highest taxes! When buying a car in Denmark one has to pay 25% VAT to the import price of the vehicle and then a 180% registration tax on top. That means when a car sells for $20 000, you have to pay an additional $45 000 as taxes for the government (total of $65 000)."
Bike, please.
WFDS
2634...You Have Your Troubles And He Has His
He is Conrad Black, the former Lord of Running Water in the House of Lords, and current prisoner in FLA.
Mr. Black, it says so right here in my morning Globe and Mail, allegedly owes the taxman in the states 70 mill.
These are the same folks who got Al Capone by the way.
WFDS
Mr. Black, it says so right here in my morning Globe and Mail, allegedly owes the taxman in the states 70 mill.
These are the same folks who got Al Capone by the way.
WFDS
2633...Icons And Tanks And Electricity
Barney Danson Theatre is part of the War Museum and the Cisco Ottawa Bluesfest is using the venue for special shows during the festival.
This was news to me, I am not exactly ahead of the curve, when I was at the 'fest last night.
I lucked into a show, a brilliant show, by Rosanne Cash but what was even cooler about the whole deal was the setting. The stage and the seating area were surrounded by Panzer, T-34 and Sherman tanks. There were anti aircraft guns, Nazi weather stations and lots of other weapons of destruction.
The surrealness made the show that much cooler.
Well done.
WFDS
This was news to me, I am not exactly ahead of the curve, when I was at the 'fest last night.
I lucked into a show, a brilliant show, by Rosanne Cash but what was even cooler about the whole deal was the setting. The stage and the seating area were surrounded by Panzer, T-34 and Sherman tanks. There were anti aircraft guns, Nazi weather stations and lots of other weapons of destruction.
The surrealness made the show that much cooler.
Well done.
WFDS
Thursday, July 15, 2010
2632...If
Mikey I is so bad.
And if he is so out of touch.
And if he is preparing a soft landing at the University of Toronto as reported this morning.
Why isn't Stephen Harper a zillion points ahead of him in the polls?
WFDS
And if he is so out of touch.
And if he is preparing a soft landing at the University of Toronto as reported this morning.
Why isn't Stephen Harper a zillion points ahead of him in the polls?
WFDS
2631...Basketball Weekend In The Capital
My buddy Dwight Edwards, late of the University of Ottawa and Carleton basketball teams, has a swwwwwweeeeet little tournament.
Five bones for the weekend. Here is the sked:
Lotsa ex college players and a smattering of ex pros to boot.
Look for me in my Ravens sombrero sitting on the floor.
WFDS
Five bones for the weekend. Here is the sked:
All Games at Algonquin College, Woodroffe, Ottawa
Fri July 16
...7:15 Paperchasers vs Durham United
8:30 Africa vs Team Nobody ( Mon)
Sat July 17
11:15 The Academy vs Mo-Stars
12:30 Halifax Vs Team Nobody
1:45 Asassins (Mon) vs Durham United
3:00 Mo-Stars vs Diamond Ballers (Mon)
4:15 Halifax vs Africa
5:30 Paperchasers vs Assassins
6:45 The Academy vs Diamond Ballers
8:00 8th vs 9th
Sun July 18
11:00 1 seed vs winner 8th/9th
12:15 4 seed vs 5 seed
1:30 2 seed vs 7 seed
2:45 3 seed vs 6 seed
4:00 Semi Final #1
5:15 Semi Final #2
7:00 Finals
Lotsa ex college players and a smattering of ex pros to boot.
Look for me in my Ravens sombrero sitting on the floor.
WFDS
2630...Only In America
From KVAL news in Idaho:
That's not weird.
WFDS
Police have arrested a 74-year-old woman who is accused of repeatedly dumping maple syrup, corn syrup, ketchup and mayonnaise into a library book drop in Idaho's capital city. Authorities had previously issued a pair of warrants for Joy Cassidy's arrest earlier this month after she failed to appear in court.
But she turned herself in at the Ada County jail on Monday. Cassidy was originally arrested on June 13.
That's after police say she poured mayonnaise in the library's book drop box that day — and was a person of interest in at least 10 other condiment-related incidents at the Ada Community Library in Boise since May 2009.
In addition to malicious injury to property, Cassidy has also been charged with carrying a concealed weapon without a license.
That's not weird.
WFDS
2629...Halifax Rocks Like A Hurricane
And here is why: "For the third time in five years, Halifax Mayor Peter Kelly has warned city councillors to curb levels of alcohol consumption that have made a few elected officials stand out even in a town known for its hard-partying ways." That was in today's Globe and Mail.
You know you are on to something when the mayor has to remind councilors that they are required "...to obey the law...".
Beauty, eh?
WFDS
You know you are on to something when the mayor has to remind councilors that they are required "...to obey the law...".
Beauty, eh?
WFDS
2628...Canada Is Number One!
Hundred.
On the list of soccer playing countries ranked by FIFA. Spain, who won the World cup Sunday, are number one. The Yanks are number thirteen.
We are 100.
WFDS
On the list of soccer playing countries ranked by FIFA. Spain, who won the World cup Sunday, are number one. The Yanks are number thirteen.
We are 100.
WFDS
Wednesday, July 14, 2010
2627...Ottawa: Coolest City In North America
That is what my friend and popular culture maven MOW told me over cocktails and Herbal Essence the other day.
[Yes, I am very, very Metrosexual.]
She says that some magazine or TV show [we were on our second or fifth bottle of wine] says that Ottawa, Ontario not Illinois, is the now the coolest city.
Good restaurants, lotsa trendies, tons of local music.
No wonder Rahim Jaffer won't leave.
WFDS
[Yes, I am very, very Metrosexual.]
She says that some magazine or TV show [we were on our second or fifth bottle of wine] says that Ottawa, Ontario not Illinois, is the now the coolest city.
Good restaurants, lotsa trendies, tons of local music.
No wonder Rahim Jaffer won't leave.
WFDS
2626...Michael Scott Is A Real Person
Well, parenthetically.
Michael Scott of course is the boss at Dunder-Miflin's Scranton branch. A few years ago he sent an email of his lover/boss topless to Packaging as opposed to Packer and Packaging was kind enough to send the pic to the whole world.
Mr. Scott is not alone.
Reuters reports that "Twenty percent of Britons have managed to send racy texts to the wrong person, and nearly one in 10 has been caught red-handed "sexting," according to a poll on Tuesday. Under-25s are the most careless, with 43 percent admitting to sending fruity texts to the wrong contact. Men and women were equally guilty."
Be careful out there.
WFDS
Michael Scott of course is the boss at Dunder-Miflin's Scranton branch. A few years ago he sent an email of his lover/boss topless to Packaging as opposed to Packer and Packaging was kind enough to send the pic to the whole world.
Mr. Scott is not alone.
Reuters reports that "Twenty percent of Britons have managed to send racy texts to the wrong person, and nearly one in 10 has been caught red-handed "sexting," according to a poll on Tuesday. Under-25s are the most careless, with 43 percent admitting to sending fruity texts to the wrong contact. Men and women were equally guilty."
Be careful out there.
WFDS
2625...The End Of The World As We Know It
Is it mass human sacrifice?
No.
Is it dogs and cats living together in perfect harmony?
No.
It is the Red Sox honoring Yankee owner George Steinbrenner with a moment of silence.
Has the world gone completely mad?
The New York Daily News reports that "...the Red Sox announced that they will observe a moment of silence in George Steinbrenner's memory before their game against the Rangers Thursday night at Fenway Park."
Insane in the membrane.
WFDS
No.
Is it dogs and cats living together in perfect harmony?
No.
It is the Red Sox honoring Yankee owner George Steinbrenner with a moment of silence.
Has the world gone completely mad?
The New York Daily News reports that "...the Red Sox announced that they will observe a moment of silence in George Steinbrenner's memory before their game against the Rangers Thursday night at Fenway Park."
Insane in the membrane.
WFDS
2623...More Poll Work
This time on a federal level. CBC News drops this piece:
Margin of error.
WFDS
The Environics poll released exclusively to CBC News follows the trend of other polls, which, regardless of their methodology and questions, put the Tories in the lead, followed by the Liberals, the NDP and the Bloc Québécois. The new poll shows the Conservatives with the support of 35 per cent of decided voters, while the Liberals trail with 32 per cent of the decided vote. The NDP holds 15 per cent of decided voters and the Green Party stands at six per cent, according to the Environics poll. Nine per cent would vote for the Bloc Québecois nationally, which translates into 37 per cent support in Quebec. Thirty-one per cent of respondents said they did not know who they would vote for...
Margin of error.
WFDS
2622...Poll Work
According to a widely reported poll in your capital the mayoralty race between the former mayor, Jim Watson and the current mayor, Larry O'Brien, is within the margin of error.
This poll, done exclusively for The Canadian Press by Harris-Decima has Mr. Watson at 29 and Hizzoner at 22. The poll of 501 Ottawans was conducted July 2/4 which was after Mayor O'Brien declared but before long time Ottawa councillor Clive Doucet jumped into the race.
This race is not just important for Ottawa it is also important for you coz Ottawa is your capital.
Capeche, bella?
WFDS
This poll, done exclusively for The Canadian Press by Harris-Decima has Mr. Watson at 29 and Hizzoner at 22. The poll of 501 Ottawans was conducted July 2/4 which was after Mayor O'Brien declared but before long time Ottawa councillor Clive Doucet jumped into the race.
This race is not just important for Ottawa it is also important for you coz Ottawa is your capital.
Capeche, bella?
WFDS
2621...Then Again Lindsay Lohan
Is, according to this morning's Metro, Ottawa edition, hot.
So the next PM of Canada could do worse.
For example, he could be channeling Joe Pao Pao.
WFDS
So the next PM of Canada could do worse.
For example, he could be channeling Joe Pao Pao.
WFDS
Tuesday, July 13, 2010
2619...Nonetheless
Stephen Harper is still Stephen Harper.
The Toronto Star reports that our beloved leader "...is an unpopular prime minister. An Angus Reid poll released Monday shows that 48 per cent of Canadians disapprove of Harper's performance while just 31 per cent approve. The same poll reveals that large numbers of Canadians see Harper as secretive (45 per cent), arrogant (43 per cent), out of touch (34 per cent), uncaring (32 per cent), and dishonest (29 per cent), while just 9 per cent think he is compassionate. Only 16 per cent of us would like to have a beer with him at the local bar."
What is especially crazy is "...the Conservatives are nine percentage points ahead of the Liberals in voting preferences across the country."
Like, WTF?
WFDS
The Toronto Star reports that our beloved leader "...is an unpopular prime minister. An Angus Reid poll released Monday shows that 48 per cent of Canadians disapprove of Harper's performance while just 31 per cent approve. The same poll reveals that large numbers of Canadians see Harper as secretive (45 per cent), arrogant (43 per cent), out of touch (34 per cent), uncaring (32 per cent), and dishonest (29 per cent), while just 9 per cent think he is compassionate. Only 16 per cent of us would like to have a beer with him at the local bar."
What is especially crazy is "...the Conservatives are nine percentage points ahead of the Liberals in voting preferences across the country."
Like, WTF?
WFDS
2618...The Greatest
Owner.
Ever.
Of a sports team, has passed.
George Steinbrenner, the man who took a f'cked up New York Yankee's team [can you say "Horace Clarke"?] and made them into the preeminent franchise in North America and an icon world wide, has passed.
Wonder if Billy Martin is waiting for him at the Pearly Gates?
WFDS
Ever.
Of a sports team, has passed.
George Steinbrenner, the man who took a f'cked up New York Yankee's team [can you say "Horace Clarke"?] and made them into the preeminent franchise in North America and an icon world wide, has passed.
Wonder if Billy Martin is waiting for him at the Pearly Gates?
WFDS
2617...The Knives Are Out
For Michael Ignatieff.
That is not the surprise.
The surprise is that they are out at CFRA, Ottawa's [conservative] News Leader.
Wait, that is also not the surprise.
What is the surprise is that they were out on Michael Harris Live this afternoon from 1 to 3.
Michael Harris has the least red neck of anyone on 580CFRA.
This is not a positive development.
WFDS
That is not the surprise.
The surprise is that they are out at CFRA, Ottawa's [conservative] News Leader.
Wait, that is also not the surprise.
What is the surprise is that they were out on Michael Harris Live this afternoon from 1 to 3.
Michael Harris has the least red neck of anyone on 580CFRA.
This is not a positive development.
WFDS
2616...Joe Pao Pao's Fan Writes
If there is anything more aggravating than ignorant individuals posting opinionated blogs about subjects they know nothing about, it must be those same idiots' refusal to properly research the facts they present in their blogs. Paopao won the 2000 Grey Cup as the offensive coordinator of the B.C. Lions, and reached the championship game in the same capacity with the XFL San Francisco Demons the following season. A piece of friendly advice--basic research skills are good tools to take into any writing venture.
Publish Reject
By Anonymous, of course.
Uh, this research you mention, did you research the fact that Mr. Pao Pao's XFL team, San Fran, went 5/6 and scored a masterful 6 [s-i-x] points in the championship?
Or the fact that he has been part of four franchises that died? [Demons, Ottawa Rough Riders, Ottawa Renegades, University of Waterloo].
I did miss the 1 [o-n-e] championship he has won, my bad. But you have to think that after spending close to 30 [t-h-i-r-t-y] years in an 8/9 team league, it was bound to happen.
He may suck but presumably he does work cheaply.
WFDS
Monday, July 12, 2010
2615...Billy Mays Won't Go Away
Dude died like last year.
June 28th to be exact.
Dead.
Still the bearded pitchman with the blue shirt and the khakis is yelling his way through late night TV.
Some of us [not pointing fingers] don't work while alive; homeboy has been dead for a year and more and is still working his butt off.
WFDS
June 28th to be exact.
Dead.
Still the bearded pitchman with the blue shirt and the khakis is yelling his way through late night TV.
Some of us [not pointing fingers] don't work while alive; homeboy has been dead for a year and more and is still working his butt off.
WFDS
2614...Tricking Americans
Going through my old emails I came across this piece from Inside The CBC:
You say tomato I say refrigerator.
WFDS
Ever wonder how Rick Mercer’s crew puts together those ‘Talking to Americans’ videos?
If you don’t know the segment, let me fill you in. Rick Mercer travels to the States and asks Americans to comment on about absolutely absurd topics, like the fight to save Canada’s capitol building, which is supposedly an igloo, from global warming.
In one of the most famous bits, Mercer put that question to former Arkansas governor and presidential candidate, Mike Huckabee. Hilarity ensues.Today, Steve Brawner, a freelance journalist, revealed what happened behind the scenes that day and offered a glimpse into how the bits were produced.Of course, whether it’s dishonest or comedic is in the eye of the beholder.
One day, a Canadian film crew arrived at the door and made a vague request for a quote from the governor congratulating their country about some igloo that had been found there. I assumed it was an important archaeological discovery and, trying to be accommodating, notified the governor, who agreed to make a quick comment on his way out the door. And that’s what happened.
Only it’s not all that happened. It turned out that the nice reporter actually was Rick Mercer, host of “This Hour Has 22 Minutes,” which fills up part of that 22 minutes by ridiculing Americans for their lack of knowledge about Canada, much to the delight of Canadians.
During the bit, Mercer duped one Arkansan at the Capitol into believing that Canada’s capitol building is an igloo that Canadians were trying to rescue from global warming by covering it with a dome. Huckabee later briefly appears on the video to say exactly what he was asked to say: “Hi, I’m Governor Mike Huckabee of Arkansas wanting to say, ‘Congratulations, Canada, on preserving your national igloo.’” The video implies that Huckabee also fell for the joke even though he said nothing about Parliament or global warming. But audiences then and now believed Mercer’s version of the truth.
The video was a topic of conversation when Huckabee ran for president in 2008 and no doubt will return if he runs again. And why wouldn’t it? A leading presidential candidate looks thoroughly uniformed and gullible, when in reality he mostly has been the victim of dishonest editing.
You say tomato I say refrigerator.
WFDS
2613...Yasir Naqvi Live
Yer MPP, if you live in Ottawa Centre that is, will be on CFRA tomorrow afternoon from 3 to 4 with Rob Snow. For an entire hour he will be taking calls and answering questions from listeners.
You may listen online at www.cfra.com or at 580AM on your radio. The studio call in 613-521-TALK (8255).
Say hi.
WFDS
You may listen online at www.cfra.com or at 580AM on your radio. The studio call in 613-521-TALK (8255).
Say hi.
WFDS
2612...Belly Dancing On The Radio
You gotta hear it to believe it.
Direct from the CHCR website, CHCR being a community FM station in the deepest part of the Ottawa Valley comes the information that "Sabrina hosts a bellydancing show every Thursday from 3 pm to 5 pm called 'Sabrina and the Devine Circle'.
This has to be a first.
WFDS
Direct from the CHCR website, CHCR being a community FM station in the deepest part of the Ottawa Valley comes the information that "Sabrina hosts a bellydancing show every Thursday from 3 pm to 5 pm called 'Sabrina and the Devine Circle'.
This has to be a first.
WFDS
2611...Gangsters Wear Track Suits
At least in pop culture the expensive track suit seems to be in vogue for the successful gangster.
Now it has gone political.
The Globe and Mail reported yesterday that "New photographs of a smiling, tracksuit-clad Fidel Castro greeting workers at a scientific think-tank were posted on the websites of two Cuban journalists Saturday, offering a rare glimpse of the reclusive revolutionary leader in a public forum."
Gangster chic.
WFDS
Now it has gone political.
The Globe and Mail reported yesterday that "New photographs of a smiling, tracksuit-clad Fidel Castro greeting workers at a scientific think-tank were posted on the websites of two Cuban journalists Saturday, offering a rare glimpse of the reclusive revolutionary leader in a public forum."
Gangster chic.
WFDS
2610...Back In The Game
Is the next Prime Minister of Canada, Mikey I.
Mr. Ignatieff was all over the Sun papers [and other papers that QMI Agency supports] Saturday being quoted as saying to 150 faithful at the Calgary Stampede that “We have to earn the confidence of Canadians — door by door, handshake by handshake, baby by baby...Starting today we’re going to get on a bus and go to every province and territory between July and September, if it doesn’t kill me first. We’re going to stop at every legion hall, every barbecue, every Tim Hortons and shake every hand in the house.”
Bye, bye Stephen Harper, don't let the door hit you on the way out.
WFDS
Mr. Ignatieff was all over the Sun papers [and other papers that QMI Agency supports] Saturday being quoted as saying to 150 faithful at the Calgary Stampede that “We have to earn the confidence of Canadians — door by door, handshake by handshake, baby by baby...Starting today we’re going to get on a bus and go to every province and territory between July and September, if it doesn’t kill me first. We’re going to stop at every legion hall, every barbecue, every Tim Hortons and shake every hand in the house.”
Bye, bye Stephen Harper, don't let the door hit you on the way out.
WFDS
Friday, July 9, 2010
2609...Never Fashionable
At least not with the smart set is the swastika tattoo.
That is why the racist from West Tennessee who plotted killing 88 blacks, Daniel Cowart, ending with Barack Obama, wants the racist tattoos on his person altered before entering prison.
The Jackson Sun, which first reported the sealed request Friday, said pictures of Mr. Cowart show a swastika on his right shoulder and an iron cross on the left side of his chest.
A nice target Mr. Cowart will be for the more liberal members of his new fraternity at State Pen.
The 21 year old is set to be sentenced on August 13th; expect him to get a number of years, like ten or so, a number that will warm both Stephen Harper and Rob Nicholson's cold, cold hearts. His partner 19-year-old Paul Schlesselman, of Helena-West Helena, Ark., got ten for charges dating to October 2008 which included plotting a robbery and killing spree across several states, ending with the assassination of then- candidate Obama.
By the way Mr. Cowart and his partner are uber failures: out of their 88 targets they killed 0. As in none. Nada. Rien. Which was as much money as they stole.
WFDS
That is why the racist from West Tennessee who plotted killing 88 blacks, Daniel Cowart, ending with Barack Obama, wants the racist tattoos on his person altered before entering prison.
The Jackson Sun, which first reported the sealed request Friday, said pictures of Mr. Cowart show a swastika on his right shoulder and an iron cross on the left side of his chest.
A nice target Mr. Cowart will be for the more liberal members of his new fraternity at State Pen.
The 21 year old is set to be sentenced on August 13th; expect him to get a number of years, like ten or so, a number that will warm both Stephen Harper and Rob Nicholson's cold, cold hearts. His partner 19-year-old Paul Schlesselman, of Helena-West Helena, Ark., got ten for charges dating to October 2008 which included plotting a robbery and killing spree across several states, ending with the assassination of then- candidate Obama.
By the way Mr. Cowart and his partner are uber failures: out of their 88 targets they killed 0. As in none. Nada. Rien. Which was as much money as they stole.
WFDS
2607...More On Pensions
Mr. Rat makes a thoughtful and welcome comment on WFDS Post 2606...Clifford Olson Is Pissed:
You are right Mr. Rat and you are wrong. I think if you want to keep offenders from reoffending and you want to keep them off the dole you want to give them every opportunity to succeed.
To that end giving them fifty dollars, a hair cut and a bus ticket won't do it.
A nest egg is important not just for the felon but for society as a whole.
Or we could do it the way our friends in the NSDAP usta do; once you in, you in.
WFDS
1 comments:
The Rat said...
"If they get out they have a nice nestegg to start their new lives of liberty."
Why should prison result in a "nice nest egg"? An honest person who has to pay for their own upkeep doesn't get a nice nest egg in old age. Prison should not be a savings plan for criminals. What next? Welfare?
You are right Mr. Rat and you are wrong. I think if you want to keep offenders from reoffending and you want to keep them off the dole you want to give them every opportunity to succeed.
To that end giving them fifty dollars, a hair cut and a bus ticket won't do it.
A nest egg is important not just for the felon but for society as a whole.
Or we could do it the way our friends in the NSDAP usta do; once you in, you in.
WFDS
2606...Clifford Olson Is Pissed
Reported widely in Our Home And Native Land including in the Canwest Newspapers:
Again, Stephen Harpers, don't throw out the baby with the bath water. In trust, make all these payments in trust and if, like Mr. Olson will, they die in custody, money reverts to Oh Canada. If they get out they have a nice nestegg to start their new lives of liberty.
Problem solved; you are welcome.
WFDS
Serial killer Clifford Olson is threatening to sue the federal government if proposed legislation to revoke Old Age Security and Guaranteed Income Supple ment payments for convicts is passed.
The government was prompted to introduce Bill C-31 after it came to light a few months ago that Olson, 70, is receiving $1,100 every month in federal income supplements. The cheques are deposited in a trust account while Olson serves his 11 consecutive life sentences in a Quebec penitentiary for the murder of 11 children in British Columbia in the early 1980s.
The bill, introduced by Human Resources Minister Diane Finley in early June, seeks to repeal the seniors' benefits for 400 federal prisoners serving sentences of two years or more, and the government is also negotiating with the provinces to cut off benefits for inmates in provincial jails, which house offenders serving less than two years.
Again, Stephen Harpers, don't throw out the baby with the bath water. In trust, make all these payments in trust and if, like Mr. Olson will, they die in custody, money reverts to Oh Canada. If they get out they have a nice nestegg to start their new lives of liberty.
Problem solved; you are welcome.
WFDS
2605...Bill Mooney Was And Is Right
It's Miami for our hero.
LeBron James.
They may as well close Cleveland for good.
WFDS
LeBron James.
They may as well close Cleveland for good.
WFDS
2604...The Next Next Governor-General
Could be me.
Seriously.
I was listening to the Voice of Reason, Lowell Green on 580 CFRA this morning and he pointed out that the last bunch of GGs have had direct ties to the CBC including Guy New.
Hey, you know, I was on CBC for a bit, the late lamented Living In Ottawa.
And I can cut ribbons with the best of them; I practice on the weekend.
WFDS
Seriously.
I was listening to the Voice of Reason, Lowell Green on 580 CFRA this morning and he pointed out that the last bunch of GGs have had direct ties to the CBC including Guy New.
Hey, you know, I was on CBC for a bit, the late lamented Living In Ottawa.
And I can cut ribbons with the best of them; I practice on the weekend.
WFDS
Thursday, July 8, 2010
2603...What Is Going On?
This from CBC News. After reading it I felt the urge to either move to Minnesota or purge. Minnesota is far away.
Geez, Louise.
WFDS
Support for the federal Liberal party has sunk to its lowest level in more than a year with the Conservatives taking a 10-point lead over their political rivals, a new EKOS opinion poll suggests.
The poll, released exclusively to CBC, suggests that 34.4 per cent of respondents would vote for the Tories if an election were held today, compared with 23.9 per cent for the Liberals.
In recent weeks, the Liberals had narrowed the Tory lead to three to four percentage points. But over the past week, the Liberals have taken a nearly seven-point drop in support.
According to the poll, the Conservative Party is leading in every region except for Quebec and in Atlantic Canada, where they are tied with the Liberals, who are losing ground in some key areas and not leading in any region.
Geez, Louise.
WFDS
2602...One Last Word On LeBron James
You know, if he wanted to, 23 could decide he wanted to play for Honolulu or Tampa Bay or Vancouver next year in the NBA and it would happen.
I know that none of the three markets above have a team but if King James willed it, it would happen.
Still think it would be righteously cool if he put on a Toronto Raptors hat tonight.
WFDS
I know that none of the three markets above have a team but if King James willed it, it would happen.
Still think it would be righteously cool if he put on a Toronto Raptors hat tonight.
WFDS
2601...More G20 Fun
While the hijinks ever end?
From the desk of my friend MO:
A hip hop Zorro is what the po po were afraid of.
WFDS
From the desk of my friend MO:
Amputee G20 protester says police told him to hop while being detained
TORONTO — A 57-year-old amputee says he was told to “hop” after his prosthetic leg was ripped off by a police officer during a G20 protest. John Pruyn of Thorold, Ont., was protesting near the Ontario legislature on June 26 when police in riot gear tried to clear the area.
The above-the-knee amputee says he was “kicked and punched” by officers and detained for more than a day while sitting in a wheelchair with his hands bound. When he asked for his leg, Pruyn says he was told it was a weapon. Around 900 people were arrested over the G20 weekend after vandals ran wild through the streets of Toronto. More than 700 people were released without charge.
A hip hop Zorro is what the po po were afraid of.
WFDS
2600...Jacksonville In The News
WOKV, Jacksonville Florida's News Leader's Rich Jones tells the heart tugging story of the hooker with the bad teeth:
That's why I always get them to smile first.
WFDS
Gainesville police say the man was negotiating a price for Jennifer Elder's services, when she smiled and showed him her nasty teeth.
When he tried to back out she grabbed his checkbook, which had $78 inside, and ran off.
He called police and Elder was arrested a short time later.
Investigators say he likely will not be charged for soliciting prostitution, since he was the victim of a felony.
That's why I always get them to smile first.
WFDS
2599...Tonight LeBron Tells All
Where will LeBron decide to play the middle of his career?
Miami with Messrs. Bosh and Wade?
Stay in Cleveland?
Or will he opt to live in the most cosmopolitan city in the league, Toronto?
Find out tonight, live on/with Mr. James' newest teammate, ESPN.
Adage.com comments that
Please, fool the world and say T O R O N T O.
WFDS
Miami with Messrs. Bosh and Wade?
Stay in Cleveland?
Or will he opt to live in the most cosmopolitan city in the league, Toronto?
Find out tonight, live on/with Mr. James' newest teammate, ESPN.
Adage.com comments that
Commercial revenue from the special program -- which is being called "The Decision" -- will be donated to Boys & Girls Club of America, a charity that ESPN and Disney also support. The ESPN show will be 'co-presented' by the University of Phoenix and Microsoft's Bing search engine, with Coca-Cola's VitaminWater and McDonald's also lending a sponsorship hand. Nike and Coca-Cola's Sprite are also making contributions, a fact one might theorize could come to light during the airing of Mr. James' special.
The only commercial time in the hour-long special not featuring Mr. James's sponsors is the local time designated to cable and satellite operators, said Norby Williamson, ESPN's exec VP-production. Mr. James' representatives approached the network with the idea, he said.
Please, fool the world and say T O R O N T O.
WFDS
2598...World Cup History
Mike Zeisberger of QMI points out the for the first time ever, ever being 80 years of World Cup football, neither Germany, Italy, Argentina or Brazil is in the final.
A new world dawns.
Particularly sweet in your capital cause it gives two different groups that were encouraged to come to our great country by successive Liberal regimes the chance to fly the flag and feel the pride as ~~~-Canadians.
WFDS
A new world dawns.
Particularly sweet in your capital cause it gives two different groups that were encouraged to come to our great country by successive Liberal regimes the chance to fly the flag and feel the pride as ~~~-Canadians.
WFDS
2597...Paid By The Same School That Pays Pao
Pao, Waterloo University, comes our next Governor-General. David Johnston is the President of Waterloo University.
Went to Harvard, played hockey, married a lawyer, is a bilingual anglo from Sudbury.
All in all he looks perfect.
Just don't hirer fellow Waterloo Warrior Coach Joe Pao Pao to do anything or you will be our last G-G Mr. Johnston.
WFDS
Went to Harvard, played hockey, married a lawyer, is a bilingual anglo from Sudbury.
All in all he looks perfect.
Just don't hirer fellow Waterloo Warrior Coach Joe Pao Pao to do anything or you will be our last G-G Mr. Johnston.
WFDS
Wednesday, July 7, 2010
2596...More Stadium Woes
This time in Montreal. As you may know the Olympic Stadium, built about 35 years ago, has been a disaster from day one.
The Globe and Mail's lead editorial today advises against the City of Montreal and La Belle Province from doing what needs to be done to make the white elephant less gross. To wit it needs another new roof, 300 million bucks give or take. Me bets more.
As stupid as putting another penny into the Big Owe, a stadium without a tenant; it has only four events scheduled for the second half of this annum, one can be sure that since The Globe and Mail, the paper of the other, says not to do it, it will be done.
WFDS
The Globe and Mail's lead editorial today advises against the City of Montreal and La Belle Province from doing what needs to be done to make the white elephant less gross. To wit it needs another new roof, 300 million bucks give or take. Me bets more.
As stupid as putting another penny into the Big Owe, a stadium without a tenant; it has only four events scheduled for the second half of this annum, one can be sure that since The Globe and Mail, the paper of the other, says not to do it, it will be done.
WFDS
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