Back in town and catching up

So you go away for a week in the dog days of July and Whammo all kinds of things are happening:

• Viktor Yushchenko's bloc in Ukraine launches a great anti-corruption wedge campaign.
• Another tragic and senseless gun murder of a child in Toronto.
• A huge correction in the North American stock markets.
• Brian Mulroney loses in court and has to re-pay fraudster Karlheinz Schreiber. See Mark's post here.
• Cheers to Tail for his take on the Tory protection racket.
• Brian Mulroney got busted. You heard it here and here first. Hat tip to Andrew Coyne.
• PM Steve proves that he is a political chicken.

Personally, was in Vermont and visted Ben and Jerry's factory in Waterbury, went to Lake Carmi SatePark Beach, visited Barre/Montpelier, took out lots of books from Franklin's Haston Library (where you can get a Library card for life and there are no late fees), Montgomery Centre (only to find out that Kilgour's General Store and Zak's on the rocks are no more) and had to cancel golf in Alburg with friends - sorry guys. I am amazed at how well I can sleep at night in a blue state...

On holidays stateside, oh yeah, and Dick Cheney is President today

Well, I will be on blogging hiatus for the next week as we go to visit Baba's dacha in Vermont.

While I snicker that Dubya is having cameras inserted in awkward places, I am not reassured that Dick Cheney is President today. Here's hoping he doesn't pardon scooter, invade Iran or go hunting.

Pumpernickel Recipe Number 18 - Salmon and smoked salmon pinwheels

Here folks is quick recipe that I discovered quite by accident and is quite tasty and presentable:

Salmon and smoked salmon pinwheels

Ingredients
1 Loaf pumpernickel sliced lengthwise (some bakeries do it, otherwise watch your fingers)
300 grams (about half lb) cooked salmon (remove skin) (I used leftover BBQ Wild Pacific Sockeye that had marinated in olive oil and dill)
150 grams (about 5 oz) smoked salmon (I used hot smoked)
1 English cucumber sliced thinly (and if you are skillful lengthwise)
4 sprigs fresh dill (wash and remove big stem pieces)
2 oz low fat mayonnaise (or yogourt)
juice of half lemon

In a food processor add salmon, smoked salmon, lemon juice, mayonnaise. Pulse briefly (maybe 5-7 seconds) as you want to maintain some texture.

On each piece of bread spread a think layer of salmon mixture, sprinkle with dill and add cucumber. Carefully roll the bread so that you get a log shape. Cut into 3/4 inch pieces. This recipe should make about 30-35 pieces depending on the size of your bread loaf.

Enjoy.

I think we've located a cellmate for you Mr. Black

Judging from this article, looks like Michael Vick may be Lord Black's cell mate in the not too distant future.

NFL star Michael Vick was indicted by a federal grand jury Tuesday on charges of sponsoring a dogfighting operation so grisly the losers either died in the pit or sometimes were electrocuted, drowned, hanged or shot.

Looks like a match made in heaven.

Dangerous train spill in Ukraine

Hundreds of Ukrainians have been evacuated from their homes after a train carrying highly toxic phosphorous derailed and caught fire near the city of Lviv.

At least 20 people were taken to hospital with poisoning after the fire caused a massive toxic cloud. Remaining local residents were told to use gas masks and stay indoors.

Ukrainian authorities are trying to establish what caused the crash, but said there was no suggestion of sabotage or terrorism. The freight train, which was en route from Kazakhstan to Poland, derailed near Lviv, a city of approximately 1 million in Western Ukraine on Monday night.

The toxic yellow cloud caused by the blaze covered an area of 90sq km (56sq miles) above 14 villages near Lviv before dispersing on Tuesday.

Many Canadians trace their roots to that part of Ukraine and I am sure that they are worried about family and friends. Developing.

Obama leads all candidates in fundraising in Vermont

Today's online NY Times has an interesting gizmo that allows you to track all donations made to Democratic and Republican candidates seeking their party's respective nominations for the presidency. Interesting that Obama is way out in front in the key blue state of Vermont.

The call went something like this...

Monday morning call between Canadian PM and US President

"George, it's me Steve."

"Oh hi Steve. Have you seen my progress report on the Iraq War?"

"Yeah George. You really blew those spineless liberals outta the water with that one. I'll need to try that up here on Afghanistan. I was calling about commuting..."

"I always drive my pick-up down at the ranch in Crawford..."

"No George. Like the Scootter Libby sentence."

"Oh that. Cheney brought me some papers for the NFL pool and next thing I know hoopla about..."

"Well we have a disgraced neo-con convicted kleptocrat named Conrad Black, and I was wondering..."

"Is he in the draft? I'm not sure I follow all those Canadian football rules. Is that like a rouge?"

"Never mind."

I was tagged

Mark at nottawa tagged me, and this is the first opportunity that I have to respond, and here are the rules:

Tag Rules:1. All right, here are the rules. 2. We have to post these rules before we give you the facts. 3. Players start with eight random facts/habits about themselves. 4. People who are tagged need to write their own blog about their eight things and post these rules. 5. At the end of your blog, you need to choose people to get tagged and list their names. Don’t forget to leave them a comment telling them they’re tagged, and to read your blog.

So here are my 8 random facts:

1) I am a sissy when it comes to medical stuff - can't even watch TV doctors - and pass out when giving blood..
2) I have a 2 year old daughter who will soon be speaking more languages than me.
3) Rainier cherries are my favourite fruit in the world and the pumpernickel Reuben is my absolute fave sandwich..
4) My three favourite comics are no longer running original material: The Far Side, Calvin and Hobbes and Bloom County.
5) I have had several brushes with near greatness and near brushes with greatness including: Melissa Auf der Maur (she used to be the waitress at the bar we hung out at), sharing a ride with Salman Rushdie from the airport and seeing Bob Newhart at the Montreal Museum of Fine Art and him getting away before I could make a fool of myself with a Larry and my brother Darryl and my other brother Darryl joke.
6) My favorite Halloween costume ever was me wearing an orange shirt, dark brown shorts and a sheet with lots of holes in it and a bag full of rocks- you got it - "Charlie Brown dressed as a ghost after he had some trouble with the scissors."
7) I am a pack rat and have kept the newspapers with Canadian federal election day results for the last 17 years.
8) I once won a contest for speedreading "Green Eggs and Ham".

Not very insightful, but I will tag a few people.

i) DC Grit
ii) Prairie Fire
iii) Tail
iv) Mascot's galore
v) Pawlina
vi) Little Miss Moi
vii) Sheena

Gogol Bordello review

Gogol Bordello played what I thought was a rocking show at the Ottawa Blues Festival tonight. They played a rocking, high energy gypsy punk set with all of their hits (sally, think local f*%& global, start wearing purple). There is tremendous talent: accordions, fiddle, drum girls and Eugene Hutz's insane antics in yellow tights.

They really blew me away. However, my 2 year old's reaction when I put the Gogol Bordello CD on in the car on the way home - Tato put the Old MacDonald song on - this song is hurting my ears.

Black CONVICTED!

Conrad Black has been convicted of fraud and obstruction of justice. Just missing a chance to be Paris Hilton's cellmate/bitch, he shall be refered to as a convicted felon and fraudster for the rest of his days! Priceless. Poor Lady Black - I think she owes those "vermin" in the media an apology.

UPDATE:

British Conservatives have dumped Lord Black of Crossharbour from their Caucus. Black actually beat the racketeering charge.

Lyin Brian has got some splainin' to do

Andrew Coyne bitchslaps former Conservative Prime Minister Brian Mulroney where the mainstream media won't go in his column today on the whole, sordid Karlheinz Schreiber $300,000 bag of cash scheme. Just where are the cajones on the MSM, the Parliamentary Press Gallery or the opposition parties when it comes to Lord Vader?

Steve the shizzle

Interesting article on PM Steve and the Bling-Bling here.

Thanks to Little Miss Moi, here is the the CTV story traslated into shizzle by the Gizoogle translator:

Canadas New Government, as it likes ta ciznall itself, is doing wizzy every cracka government has traditionally dizzle wizzle it finds itself gett'n beat up politically doggystyle: Its messin' money . Nigga get shut up or get wet up.
Though Parliament has been in summa recess fo` J-to-tha-izzust 13 days, tha federal government has issued 78 press releazes in which it announced, re-annizzles or tizzy credit fo` mizzle tizzy $5-billion in spend'n . Bow wow wow yippee yo yipee yay.

Mizzle of tha announcements tizzy place in regions, S-to-tha-izzuch as Atlantic Canada, where tha Conservatizzles have bizzy seen they politizzle fortunes droop in tha last several weeks . Freak y'all, into the beat y'all.

Great article from the Economist

Today's Economist has a great article on the current situation in Ukraine. Of particular interest was this political map.

Summertime

I was in the Canadian Prairies (Saskatchewan) last week for work and have not been posting as frequently as usual. Was back in Ottawa for the Canada Day long weekend which was a gastronomical success and a bit of a blur, but I need to thank Sidorenko for the best alcohol induced thought of the weekend: "I've got to go talk to a man that pees like a racetrack."

Scootered

Well, I'm not the first person out of the gate to slam George W. Bush for his absolutely shameful interference in the Scooter Libby sentencing scandal, but I think that it's also safe to say that I won't be the last. Especially when you compare what others have received for similar convictions. I am glad that Congress will be looking into this whole unsavoury episode.