944...Moose Troubles Out West

The Moose in Manitoba potentially have a big problem.

Crestwood's own Mia Rabson, who scribbles for the Winnipeg Free Press, writes in today's fish wrap that "The Manitoba Moose are among the professional sports teams who could find themselves grounded because a recent decision to solve a cross- border charter airline dispute only applies to Air Canada and teams in the National Hockey League."

The Moose are the defending whatever-division-they-play-in-champions and Calder Cup finalists in the American Hockey League and are, next to ice fishing on Lake Winnipeg of course, the place to be seen in the Winnipeg area during the winter months, September to June inclusive.

This Air Canada only rule could also affect other Canuckistanian sports teams, specifically the Toronto Raptors and the Blue Jays.

Joe Volpe, who is the Liberal transport critic was spot on when he said the government was deceptive when it flaunted the NHL/Air Canada agreement during Harper's meeting with President Barack Obama Sept. 16 because they made it seem like they had solved the whole problem not just part of the problem.

Imagine, the current government being deceptive.

As if.

WFDS

869...Sports Is The Opiate Of The People

I sincerely believe that if Karl Marx had have written Das Kapital in 2009 as opposed to 1848 he would have changed the line "Religion is the opiate of the people" to "Sports is the opiate of the people". And in much of The Great White North you could say that "Hockey is the opiate of the people".

In my town, Ottawa, the government could fall, the sky could fall with it but if the Ottawa Senators made a big trade, ala the Dany Heatley deal, in the same news cycle as the previous two stories they, the Sens, would be front page news in the Ottawa Sun and Le Droit and above the fold in the Ottawa Citizen.

Case in point. Prime Minister Harper is in Washington to meet with the President of the United States. The first story being fired out of the meeting is not about trade or war or jobs it is about hockey as referenced in Post 792 "Blame Obama If The Habs or Senators Lose".

In that post I wrote how the law would make travelling for the Canadian teams extra difficult by not allowing their charters to hop from one U. S. city to another. Here is the cut and paste from the Canadian Press about an hour ago addressing that topic:

Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper says the U.S. and Canada have reached a tentative deal to resolve a dispute over charter flights that threatens to disrupt the upcoming professional hockey season.

The U.S. prohibits carriage of passengers or cargo for compensation or hire by a foreign airline solely between points in the U.S.

Yet Canadian teams could have difficulty playing back-to-back games in the U.S. if they are forced to return to their home country between each game.

Harper said Wednesday: ``We think we're very close to resolving that ... I think we have some kind of a tentative agreement in principle and we're working to finalize that in the next few days.''

He spoke in an appearance with President Barack Obama.

The first story from this meeting between our guy and the most important guy on the planet and the topic is Go Leafs Go.

What a country.

WFDS

792...Blame Obama If The Habs or Senators Lose

Ditto the Flames and the Oilers and the Canucks and the Maple Leafs.

Well, not the Maple Leafs, they are going to lose no matter what.

The problem, as explicated by Don Martin in the CanWest News Service papers this morning is the U.S. Department of Transportation banned Air Canada's charter fleet, Jetz, from flying between U.S. cities. Simply put, Jetz can get the Senators from Ottawa to Boston but not from Boston to New York City.

This anti free trade b u l l s h ' t was pushed by the U.S. Air Line Pilots Association who want to keep the jobs as flyers for their pilots.

Jetz also is the charter for a number of American teams, specifically the Milwaukee Bucks and the Boston Bruins and will presumably lose that business.

You know, the radical left and right are all vexed about SPP, the Security and Prosperity Partnership which will allegedly make Canada, the United States and Mexico one big happy borderless state. What is happening visa vi the NHL charters, which also affected bands on tour and the U. S. NHL teams, flys in the face of the SPP.

WFDS

512...Barack Obama

"Obama fast becoming Canada's best friend; President's economic policies could put U.S. in tailspin" reads the headline in this morning's Vancouver Sun‏.

Barbara Jaffe writes that the man who we Canadians overwhelmingly wanted to be President of the United States may inadvertently be our very best friend. Just not for the reasons we thought he would be.

It is kind of ironic too, because what is happening is that Obamanomics equals big government and big government is not attractive to big business; in Canada the Conservatives and the latter stages of the Liberal regimes of Jean Chretien and Paul Martin, were parsing down our government footprint making the Great White North more attractive to investors.

Who'd have thunk it, eh?

WFDS

488...Air Canada: Where The Customer

Is always the customer.

Case in point is Dr. Henry Coopersmith of Montreal who kept getting woken up during his flight from Montreal to Paris. Like three times. Just because there was a panicky passenger and he is a doctor. The nerve.

CBC.ca reports that Small Claims Court in Montreal has awarded the Doc 1000 $ for his trouble, a tad less than the 3,058 $ he asked for but a lot more than the 10,000 points Air Canada offered.

WFDS