What could be more Canadian?

What could be more Canadian than a home hockey rink building contest? I remember growing up and you would always here the greats like Wayne Gretzky telling stories about how they had learned to skate in their backyards that their parents had flooded, etc.

I always thought that it was neat that in some places this was the reality, but hadn't stopped to think that people still flood their yards to make hockey rinks to this day until I had heard about this contest on TV.

I must say that the kids in Sylvan Lake Alberta are very fortunate. Some of the other entries are equally spectacular.

PM Harper continues his purge of moderates

This Canadian Press story really surprised me. When combined with the other high profile purges in the Immigration Refugee Board, Elections Canada, Environment Commissioner's Office, I am left feeling more that a little nervous about what Steve's agenda would be if he had a majority...

OTTAWA -- Parliament's upper chamber has been swept up in a wave of acrimony and turmoil over a spate of forced Tory resignations from Senate committees.
The Conservatives say the musical chairs in committees is their prerogative and simply administrative. The Liberals say it's a case of a crackdown on independent-minded senators by Prime Minister Stephen Harper's office.
The latest to announce his resignation is Senator Michael Meighen, who told his colleagues on the security and defence committee late Monday that he has been told to resign as vice-chair. Meighen had served on the high-profile and prolific committee since its inception in 2001.
"I had a conversation with the leader of the government in the Senate, who asked me if I would tender my resignation," Meighen told the committee.
"I have always been a loyalist to my party. I expressed my amazement to her. I am obviously not going to recount the nature of our conversation, but I indicated I was extremely disappointed."
Meighen had contradicted the government last fall when he defended a committee trip to the Middle East. The senators ran up a hefty tab in Dubai when they were unable to get into Afghanistan, spurring the Tories to accuse the committee of wasting taxpayers' money on a junket and demanding an internal investigation.
The senator said in an interview he doubts that was a reason for the requested resignation, which was explained to him as "administrative." But Meighen says he remains perplexed.
"I think for some reason they seem to be quite cross at me," Meighen said. "I was not given any example of some heinous crime that I had committed, or that my work was not of the best quality. I have no idea."
Meighen's departure follows that of Tory luminary Hugh Segal, who announced he had been instructed to resign as chairman of the foreign affairs committee. Senator Donald Oliver was asked to resign his chairmanship of the legal and constitutional affairs committee to replace Segal, but was blocked by angry Liberal senators.

I see a very clear not-too-Canadian pattern developing here.

Republican Leadership race heats up with Giuliani in Drag video

The US Republican Party stands for a lot of things, but I am not sure whether Rudy Giuliani in drag with Donald trump will help or hurt his chances of winning the Republican Party nomination for president. And the other question, with a McCain-Giuliani Presidential ticket, who would be on top (of the ticket!!!)? Or maybe this was Rudy's audition for the remake of Hairspray.

Most people use garlic to enhance the flavour of food

A new study published by California researcher in this morning's Toronto Star indicates that garlic is not a significant factor in lowering cholesterol. The study went on to say that researchers did not test for its impact on heart attacks or cancer.

For its part the pumpernickel Research Institute has found conclusive evidence that garlic is effective at warding off vampires, sauteeing shrimp and making dill pickles.

For a list of other "proven benefits" and recipes, check out Garlicster. H/t to Sheena from Sheenavision.

Habs Deal Rivet for Jorge, 1st round pick

The attached article from the Montreal Gazette illustrates just what a class act Craig Rivet was as a Habs Defenseman.

Rivet was a solid guy on the blueline who you didn't need to worry about. I wish him well in San Jose. Waiting to see what other action there may be before the trade deadline...

Pumpernickel Recipe 14 - Roasted Garlic and Pepper soup with Pumpernickel croutons

This delicious soup will give you a hit of roasted chili flavor that's perfect for the tail end of winter. Makes 4-6 servings
Ingredients:

Soup
4 fresh Hungarian or poblano peppers
2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
3 tablespoons butter
1 small white onion, peeled and coarsely chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
1 carrot, peeled and chopped
2 heads of garlic, peeled
1 bunch shallots chopped
2 teaspoons cumin seeds, toasted and ground
2 cups water
2 cups chicken stock
1 cup heavy cream
salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
2 teaspoons chopped parsley leaves
Sour Cream (optional)

Pumpernickel croutons:
4 slices pumpernickel bread, cut into cubes
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon hungarian paprika
2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced

Preparation:
Turn on broiler to 450 degrees. Baste peppers with 1 tbsp of the ovile oil and place on a cookie sheet. Broil for 12 minutes, turning, until the peppers start to blister. Transfer the peppers to a large bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Let cool, and change the oven setting to bake, remaining at 450°F. In a 4 quart saucepan, heat the remaining tablespoon olive oil and butter over medium-high heat. Add the onion, celery, carrot, garlic, and shallots. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring regularly, until the vegetables begin to brown. Add the cumin and cook for 1 minute more. Add the water and chicken stock, and cream. Bring just to boil and reduce heat to low. Simmer for 45 minutes.

At the same time, once the peppers are cool enough to handle, use your hands to remove the skins, pull off the stem and remove the core and seeds. Chop the peppers coarsely and add them to the soup while it simmers.

Toss the crouton ingredients in a mixing bowl. Mix well. Place on a baking sheet. Bake for 7 minutes or until browned. Be careful to avoid burning them. Remove immediately and let cool.

Purée the soup using a blender or a food processor. Season with salt and pepper, garnish with pumpernickel croutons and parsley, and serve with a dollop of sour cream.

Suzuki turning into self-parody

There is an interesting article in today's Calgary Herald about the spat between Ed Stelmach and David Suzuki. These are the most interesting parts:

Suzuki says Premier Ed Stelmach doesn't deserve to lead, and adds that Prime Minister Stephen Harper hasn't a green bone in his body.
Finally the Great Green Guru flings himself right over the top, proclaiming that Alberta has "always had the highest standard of living of any province in the country." Suzuki might know biology, but he's weak on history. There was a time in the 1930s when Alberta was so dirt poor that the government couldn't pay its civil servants.

Suzuki with his off-the-cuff, speak-before-you-think comments fuels the belly of Alberta separatists by ignoring the country's history. When Alberta went bust, the government of Canada stepped in to ensure that it could continue. Canada is built on what is often called, shared risks, and in this example, it was Alberta that benefitted from a very early form of this sharing of vulnerability. I am sure that a well-read federalist and environmentalist like Stephane Dion would want to distance himself from Suzuki's comments.

The premier fired back Saturday afternoon, noting that "greenhouse gas reduction will require more than hot air and grandstanding." This spring, Alberta will almost certainly announce a Kyoto-like emission credits system to function within Alberta. Companies will also be made to contribute to a fund for creating new green technologies. Greenhouse gas could be shipped by pipeline for sequestration or producing energy. Over time, Stelmach says, the province will move from reducing emissions intensity (CO2 per barrel) to cutting overall emission levels.

With his increasingly wild attacks, his conviction of rectitude, his foundation named after himself, and his website laden with photos of himself, it really does seem to be mostly about David Suzuki.

To be honest, I am not a fan of David Suzuki. Ever since some of his baseless rants about aquaculture, I find it hard to take him seriously. We need to move away from the extreme rhetoric from all sides to arrive at real, workable solutions.

UPDATE: I shared a bus with Diane Ablonczy this week where she welcomed a few degrees of global warming. Nice to know that Steve isn't the only climate change denier in the Tory caucus.

Emerson Shocker - Turncoat remorse!!!

Today's MacLeans (Mar 5th edition) Capital Diary, p 10. (At the Canadian Arab Business Council annual dinner)
"When (Emerson) took the podium, he said that when he told Bill Graham he was going to leave the Liberals and cross the floor, the interim leader told him that he might regret it and to think twice. Emerson shocked the crowd when he said he wished he had listened to Graham."

Harvest of Despair 1933

The attached video is a graphic and very sad depiction of the brutality of Stalin's regime and the damage inflicted on the Ukrainian people. It is interesting that both Yulia Tymoshenko and Viktor Yushchenko come from famine ravaged regions. For all those that perished, we must not forget.

Canada must recognize this tragedy.

Thanks to pawlina at Nash Holos for the link.

Harper's becoming his old Angry, stubborn self

Steve, a piece of advice, even the Fonz was able to admit he was wrong and say he was sorry.

Do I expect the Conservative Leader and Prime Minister to admit that he was wrong and pull his French language ads that besmirch the reputation of Ralph Goodale as explained by Susan Riley today? Do I expect my Prime Minister, the PM of all Canadians to apologize for smearing the reputation of MP Navdeep Bains as suggested by today's Globe editorial which states

Mr. Harper essentially accused them of sabotaging the fight against terrorism for the benefit of an MP's relative. Yesterday, instead of apologizing for this personal attack, he taunted the Liberals to prove that any fact in the article was wrong.

This is not the first time Mr. Harper has exhibited this nasty, stubborn streak. In 2004, he may have cost himself the election when his party issued a release charging that prime minister Paul Martin supported child pornography. Although the Conservatives later withdrew the release, Mr. Harper refused to apologize. He has also refused to apologize for Tory ads that smeared the stellar reputation of former finance minister Ralph Goodale.

His scurrilous suggestion this week marked a new low in this Parliament's civility. Mr. Harper should express regret to the Opposition, and to the House of Commons as a whole, for his remarks.?

No I do not expect Steve to apologize for his base, false and cowardly attacks. I do hope that he keeps it up though, because the real Steve Harper is standing up against civility and Canadian values of fairness and decency. Canadians, already worried about his real agenda, can only feel sorry for any chairs that get in his way during his next temper tantrum.

Hillary Clinton's thin skin

The Clinton campaign is incredibly thin skinned. Hillary's mouthpiece is a whiner. Her problem is that she cannot believe that the stars in Hollywood, not to mention pundits and ordinary people find Obama more intelligent,interesting and intellectual. Hillary's whining is not inspiring me.

Just who's having the bad week?

So let me get this straight, PM Steve in the past week has:

1) Picked a fight with judges over the independence of the judiciary and gets smacked down by Beverly McLoughlin;
2) He makes potentially libellous comments about a possible interview of an in-law of a Liberal MP as part of an ongoing police investigation;
3) His government is caught up in a second tainted tuna scandal/coverup;
4) He boots MP John Cummins off the Fisheries Committee for being too extreme and Senator Hugh Segal off the Senate Foreign Affairs Committee for being too moderate;
5) An investigation is launched into unregistered lobbying practises;
6) Makes a disabled Canadian hero use the rear freight entrance to attend a meeting with him;
7) Sees his Environment Minister called a liar by Al Gore and his Foreign Minister called "an arse licker of Satan" by Mary Walsh at the ECMAs;
8) three quarters of Canadians believe that Steve is lying on his commitment to the environment.

Stephane Dion needs to heed the advice of one of his predecessors and not worry about the "Nervous Nellies".

Tory MP Rajotte, Don Cherry investigated in illegal lobbying scandal

The Nov. 7 activities of Jacqueline Shan, president of CV Technologies, Inc., and loud mouth Don Cherry, spokesman for COLD-fX, are now under the microscope of Karen Shepherd, director of investigations for the federal Registrar of Lobbyists.

The Registrar of Lobbyists is reviewing the activities and assembling evidence in order to determine whether to launch a formal investigation.

If the office finds "reasonable grounds" to believe federal lobbying rules were breached, the registrar can turn the matter over to the RCMP for a full investigation.

The Lobbyists Registration Act says individuals who work for corporations and communicate with public office holders on behalf of the employer should be registered as lobbyists.

During the election campaign Steve said he was gonna crackdown on illegal lobbying activities by:

• Give the Registrar of Lobbyists the mandate and resources to investigate violations.
• Extend to ten years the period during which violations can be investigated and prosecuted.

Well, I wonder if this investigation will be enough to make John Reynolds...

Canada must formally recognize the 1932-33 Famine Genocide in Ukraine

This year marks the 75th anniversary of the Holodomyr, Ukraine's Famine Genocide. I am attaching the first person account of Russian journalist Vassily Grossman.

Vasily Grossman, Forever Flowing, New York: Harper & Row, 1972 (Chapter 14).
I don't want to remember it. It is terrible. But I can't forget it. It just keeps on living within me; whether or not it slumbers, it is still there. A piece of iron in my heart, like a shell fragment. Something one cannot escape. I was fully adult when it all happened...
No, there was no famine during the campaign to liquidate the kulaks. Only the horses died. The famine came in 1932, the second year after the campaign to liquidate the kulaks...
And so, at the beginning of 1930, they began to liquidate the kulak families. The height of the fever was in February and March. They expelled them from their home districts so that when it was time for sowing there would be no kulaks left, so that a new life could begin. That is what we all said it would be: "the first collective farm spring."...
Our new life began without the co-called "kulaks". They started to force people to join the collective farms. Meetings were underway from morning on. There were shouts and curses. Some of them shouted: "We will not join!"...
And we thought, fools that we were, that there could be no fate worse than that of the kulaks. How wrong we were! The axe fell upon the peasants right where they stood, on large and small alike. The execution by famine had arrived. By this time I no longer washed floors but was a book-keeper instead. And, as a Party activist, I was sent to Ukraine in order to strengthen a collective farm. In Ukraine, we were told, they had an instinct for private property that was stronger than in the Russian Republic. And truly, truly, the whole business was much worse in Ukraine...
Moscow assigned grain production and delivery quotas to the provinces, and the provinces then assigned them to the districts. And our village was given a quota that it couldn't have fulfilled in ten years! In the village rada (council) even those who weren't drinkers took to drink out of terror...
Of course, the grain deliveries could not be fulfilled. Smaller areas had been sown, and the crop yield on those smaller areas had shrunk. So where could it come from, that promised ocean of grain from the collective farms? The conclusion reached up top was that the grain had all been concealed, hidden away. By kulaks who had not yet been liquidated, by loafers! The "kulaks" had been removed, but the "kulak" spirit remained. Private property was master over the minds of the Ukrainian peasant.
Who was it who then signed the act which imposed mass murder? ... For the decree required that the peasants of Ukraine, the Don, and the Kuban be put to death by starvation, put to death along with their tiny children. The instructions were to take away the entire seed fund. Grain was searched for as if it were not grain but bombs and machine guns. The whole earth was stabbed with bayonets and ramrods. Cellars were dug up, floors were broken through, and vegetable gardens were turned over. From some they confiscated grain, and dust hung over the earth. And there were no grain elevators to accommodate it, and they simply dumped it out on the earth and set guards around it. By winter the grain had been soaked by the rains and began to ferment -- the Soviet government didn't even have enough canvases to cover it up!...
Fathers and mothers wanted to save their children and hid a tiny bit of grain, and they were told: "You hate the country of socialism. You are trying to make the plan fail, you parasites, you pro-kulaks, you rats." ... The entire seed fund had been confiscated...
Everyone was in terror. Mothers looked at their children and began to scream in fear. They screamed as if a snake had crept into their house. And this snake was famine, starvation, death...
And here, under the government of workers and peasants, not even one kernel of grain was given them. There were blockades along all the highways, where militia, NKVD men, troops were stationed; the starving people were not to be allowed into the cities. Guards surrounded all the railroad stations. There were guards at even the tiniest of whistle stops. No bread for you, breadwinners! ... And the peasant children in the villages got not one gram. That is exactly how the Nazis put the Jewish children into the Nazi gas chambers: "You are not allowed to live, you are all Jews!" And it was impossible to understand, grasp, comprehend. For these children were Soviet children, and those who were putting them to death were Soviet people...
Death from starvation mowed down the village. First the children, then the old people, then those of middle age. At first they dug graves and buried them, and then as things got worse they stopped. Dead people lay there in the yards, and in the end they remained in their huts. Things fell silent. The whole village died. Who died last I do not know. Those of us who worked in the collective farm administration were taken off to the city...
Before they had completely lost their strength, the peasants went on foot across country to the railroad. Not to the stations where the guards kept them away, but to the tracks. And when the Kyiv-Odesa express came past, they would just kneel there and cry: "Bread, bread!" They would lift up their horrible starving children for people to see. And sometimes people would throw them pieces of bread and other scraps. The train would thunder on past, and the dust would settle down, and the whole village would be there crawling along the tracks, looking for crusts. But an order was issued that whenever trains were travelling through the famine provinces the guards were to shut the windows and pull down the curtains. Passengers were not allowed at the windows...
And the peasants kept crawling from village into the city. All the stations were surrounded by guards. All the trains were searched. Everywhere along the roads were roadblocks -- troops, NKVD. Yet despite all this the peasants made their way into Kyiv. They would crawl through the fields, through empty lots, through the swamps, through the woods -- anywhere to bypass the roadblocks set up for them. They were unable to walk; all they could do was crawl...
What I found out later was that everything fell silent in our village... I found out that troops were sent in to harvest the winter wheat. The army men were not allowed to enter the village, however. They were quartered in their tents. They were told there had been an epidemic. But they kept complaining that a horrible stink was coming from the village. The troops stayed to plant the spring wheat too. And the next year new settlers were brought in from Orel Province (Russia). This was the rich Ukrainian land, the black earth, whereas the Orel peasants were accustomed to frequent harvest failures.

And like Grossman, Canada mustn't forget this terrible tragedy.

Pumpernickel Recipe 13 - Boar's Head Turkey Jerky

This sandwich is a favorite of a buddy of mine and originates, I believe in Peoria.

Ingredients:
2 slices pumpernickel bread
4 slices roasted turkey breast
4 slices corned beef
2 slices Swiss cheese
Cole slaw
Thousand Island Dressing

Stack all ingredients on pumpernickel bread. Serve with ripple potato chips and Smithwicks or your favorite similar brew.

Has the CBC broken a 2nd Tunagate Scandal 22 years later?

Tunagate was a 1985 Canadian political scandal involving large quantities of possibly tainted tuna that were sold to the public under order of the Minister of Fisheries and Oceans, John Fraser.

The story broke on September 17 in the CBC program the fifth estate. Fisheries inspectors had found that StarKist tuna, made by a New Brunswick plant, had spoiled and declared that it was “not fit for human consumption,” or even fit for cat food.

A St. Andrews, New Brunswick plant had processed the tuna, and the forced destruction of a million cans of tuna would likely cause the plant to close down. The owners of the plant thus lobbied fisheries minister Fraser who decided the tuna should be allowed on store shelves. He later defended himself saying he felt the business owners were right that the inspectors were too severe, or that the inspectors could have made a mistake. He also stated that he had two other independent groups test the tuna, but the lab that did these tests later revealed that their testing was not complete when Fraser made his decision.

The day after the story broke, both opposition parties attacked Fraser, and on Thursday, a recall of the tuna was announced. The following Monday Fraser resigned, mostly settling the affair.

Fast forward to 2007, once again CBC News breaks a story that a CBC investigation that found mercury levels were above the allowed limit. Health Canada issued new consumption guidelines on Monday for canned albacore tuna for women and children.

Having seen the story, something seems, pardon the pun, fishy. Why did Health Canada rush out the advisory? Is this another case of Tory meddling at the expense of the health and safety of Canadians?

The Mess in NS

It used to be said that Liberals go to political conventions to get laid, Toried to get drunk and the NDP to collect pamphlets.

Well, it seems that Nova Scotia's Tories are going to have some splainin' to do about former Cabmin Ernie Fage's alleged drinking and driving situation. How does a law 'n order party square their support for MADD with Fage's hit and run charges?

Halifax police say investigators arrived at the charge of failing to remain at the scene of an accident after a thorough investigation. "With that charge, it is alleged that the individual fled the scene with the intent to escape civil or criminal liability," said Const. Jeff Carr. It's up to the Crown to decide whether to proceed with the case as a summary offence, which carries a maximum penalty of six months in jail or a $2,000 fine, or as an indictable offence, which carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison.

Fage was overheard trying to explain the hit and run using the Peter MacKay, "I forgot where I was defense." Maybe Ernie should start collecting pamphlets at the Pogey office.

This just in from the grassy Knoll...

New film footage shows JFK moments before assassination

An 82-year-old man who filmed President John F. Kennedy moments before his assassination released the decades-old film this week after finding them in storage.

Let the muzzling begin

Stephen Harper took the unusual step of removing Conservative MP for Delta-Richmond East, John Cummins from the House of Commons Standing Committee on Fisheries and Oceans. Do you think it has anything to do with Cummins position on Aboriginal fisheries?

Cummins, a former Alliance MP from B.C., took part in a 2002 protest against a natives-only salmon fishery on the Fraser River. Last year, Steve recanted after initially promising to end the Aboriginal fishery.

Perhaps this is one of those issues that he only wants to "deal with" if he gets a majority. In any event, Cummins is an embarrassment and hopefully won't cause too much trouble with his backbench buddy on the Veterans Affairs Committee.

MacKay and Jack Layton: Separated at birth

A little screw up at the East Coast Music Awards tonight.

Not to be outdone by Jack Layton, Peter MacKay forgets where he is at the East Coast Music Awards tonight.

It was on CBC around 9:25, from Halifax.

Peter MacKay says, "I'm really glad to be here in Toronto, uhh Ottawa, I mean uhh... Halifax"
>>-crowd reacts->>

Then Opera singer Measha Brueggergosman came out and said "someone should tell THAT MAN to read a teleprompter."

If that weren't succinct enough, Mary Walsh came out and called the government "Conservative arse-lickers in Ottawa".

The camera pans to MacKay and stays there for an uncomfortable amount of time.

H/T gmac.

UPDATE: CP is reporting that Comedian Mary Walsh wasn't bleeped, however, when she called the federal Conservatives "the arse-lickers of Satan," as an uncomfortable-looking Foreign Affairs Minister Peter MacKay smiled in the front row.

Poor Betty

Conservative MP Betty Hinton (Kamloops-Thompson-Cariboo) finds her competence questioned. Speaking recently to a newspaper in Kamloops, Hinton was criticizing NDP leader Jack Layton when she added her own particular insight into how government works. "I am a member of the governing party," she said. "I'm part of the Cabinet."

Unfortunately for Betty, this is not true. While she is a member of the governing party, she is not a member of PM Steve's Cabinet. Her official-sounding title is Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Veterans Affairs.

NDP MP Jean Crowder tried to get to the bottom of this during QP, asking: "Mr. Speaker, for the second time in four weeks, the MP for Kamloops-Thompson-Cariboo told her local papers that she is a member of Cabinet. This is somewhat confusing as Parliamentary Secretaries do not sit in cabinet. Ask any child studying Grade 8 social sciences. Could the Prime Minister explain when his cabinet grew to include the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Veterans Affairs?"

Conservative House Leader Peter Van Loan shrugged off the question. The Kamloops Daily News asked Hinton for clarification. "I don't believe I ever said I was part of Cabinet," Hinton told the Daily News. "I do go into meetings on a daily basis with members of cabinet."

Ahh, the meetings with Members of Cabinet defense. I wonder what that logic would make Peter MacKay vis a vis Karlheinz Schreiber? Dumb and convenient as it would be to seize upon this statement, meeting with Ministers does not make someone a Cabinet Minister. But Hinton insisted she was more than just an MP - that, in her words, "I'm not a backbencher."

Neither the Conservative party's website nor the official site of the House of Commons list Hinton among the government's current ministry. Being a Member of Parliament is a noble vocation and Ms. Hinton should be honoured to represent the citizens of her riding, even if it is as an ordinary, if ill-informed, backbencher.

Al Franken for US Senate

Well Minnesotans have elected Jesse "the body" Ventura, Walter Mondale and Paul Wellstone...could it be Al Franken's turn? Check out the video here.

Trouble with poll

I recently removed a poll that I had posted this morning asking who made the dumbest statement yesterday because it wasn't working properly. Was it:

a) Stephen Harper - "Stephane Dion is soft on terrorists"?
b) Tim Hardaway - "You know, I hate gay people, so I let it be known. I don't like gay people and I don't like to be around gay people. I am homophobic. I don't like it. It shouldn't be in the world or in the United States." or
c) Rep. Virgil Goode (R-VA) - "Islamic jihadists want the crescent and star to wave over the Capitol of the United States and over the White House of this country. I fear that radical Muslims who want to control the Middle East and ultimately the world would love to see ‘In God We Trust’ stricken from our money and replaced with ‘In Muhammad We Trust."

Too bad I can't get the polling thing to work.

Just a coincidence

I was interested to read today that the RCMP concluded its investigation of the income trust affair and had exonerated the previous Liberal government from any wrongdoing in the investigation of last year's income trust announcements. In fact, the only person charged after "an exhaustive investigation" by the RCMP was a senior Department of Finance bureaucrat. (RCMP Release).

In a *completely unrelated* announcement, PM Steve's government announced today that they will be increasing the number of Mounties they are sendng to Afghanistan tenfold (from 6 to 66), by sending an additional 60 to be part of the Afghan mission.

Like the Chief Electoral officer before them, the RCMP will have to learn that there are consequences for not going along with Steve's politically motivated schemes. I can only assume that next week, Public Safety Minister Day will be opening up a Gulag in Inuvialuit as part of Canada's New Government's crackdown on crime.

The world's oldest living man

The world's oldest living man at 115, Hryhory Nestor from Stariy Yarychiv, Ukraine, was born during the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Check out the Reuters story and video.

Bush Declares Iran’s Arms Role in Iraq Is Certain

From Today's NY Times, after the weapons of mass destruction debacle hasn't Bush ever heard of the fable of the boy who cried wolf?

Classy move by Sharapova

Belorus-native and tennis star Maria Sharapova has donated $100k to the UNDP to help families affected by the 1986 Chernobyl Nuclear disaster. Bravo.

So Dion shuffled George Young and Jamie Carroll...

I am on the distribution list for the Liberal Leader's press releases, but I am not sure that this one was circulated. Mr. Dion announced on February 1, 2007, that George Young, the interim National Director of the Party was being replaced by 28 yr old Jamie Carroll, Dion's former Director of Parliamentary Affairs and Deputy Director of his Leadership campaign.

Rumour has it that Young will be enterring the OLO in an as yet undisclosed senior Communications advisory role. I wish both George and Jamie well in their new duties.

They're here, they're here

The new Conservative French language ads. I believe that the domino one is the most effective. The other 2 make me think that the Cons are Westerners who don't understand Quebec...I guess we'll need to wait and see, but I am not sure that they will have much impact whatsoever.

It's like Battlestar Gallactica vs Buck Rogers

So the real Democratic battle heats up between Hilary Clinton and Barack Obama, the race for Hollywood cash and endorsements (hat/tip to Huffington Post) .

Vermont Senate delegation proposes Cyber Security Breach legislation

Having had my credit card replaced recently over security breaches, this is a welcome piece of legislation from Bernie Sanders and Patrick Leahy:

Can the Democrat-controlled Congress achieve more progress on protecting privacy and in dictating how companies respond to data breaches than the last Republican-led one was?

Legislation introduced last week by Vermont Senators Patrick Leahy(D) and Bernie Sanders(I) would, if passed, require companies to notify law enforcement authorities and the individuals affected when data breaches involve personal information. It also would require companies and the government to establish controls to protect people's privacy.

For data brokers, it would force them to let individuals access their personal information and correct inaccuracies. For the government, it would require audits of agency contracts with data brokers and impose penalties on contractors that fail to meet privacy and security standards.

Senator Leahy said that data privacy is a priority because Americans' "most sensitive personal information can be accessed and sold to the highest bidder, with just a few keystrokes on a computer".

Hopefully this legislation will receive speedy passage.

I'm not saying John Baird's a liar...

I'm not saying John Baird's a liar...but Al Gore has a picture of him with his pants on fire.

OBAMA - Believe the hype

Obama is the real deal. Check out his launch speech at www.BarackObama.com.

Bourque's Headlines for sale scheme illegal advertising- Elections Canada

CP reports that the cons will not be able to get a free ride from Bourque in the upcoming election campaign. Said one saddened neo-Con, "I only read him for his Car racing updates." He added, "The Conservative party only pays indirectly for space by buying his coffee."

Monday Conservative sleaze update

A year ago, Canadians were promised in the Conservative platform an end to patronage appointments. They said:

The Liberals have repeatedly appointed insiders, in some cases completely unqualified, to important public offices. Liberal candidates and MPs have received appointments as heads of Crown corporations, board members, and ambassadors. Liberal staffers, including some of those responsible for the sponsorship program, have worked their way into key positions in the public service.

A Conservative government will:
• Establish a Public Appointments Commission
to set merit-based requirements for appointments to government boards,
commissions, and agencies, to ensure that competitions for posts are widely
publicized and fairly conducted.

It was with this in mind that I was shocked to learn that Canada's lily white New Government has been appointing hacks, slacks and bagmen to the committee that nominates and reviews judicial appointments. I guess Steve has no problem with politicizing the judiciary after all.

As John Ibbitson says in this morning's Globe and Mail,"There isn't any other way to put it: The Harper government, by perverting the rules and by appointing party loyalists to key positions, intends to stack Canada's courts with conservatives."

Ironic bordering on bizarre

I find it passing strange that on the same day that Anna Nicole Smith passed away leaving an orphan baby daughter, that Myriam Bedard was awarded custody of her child and Karla Homolka had a baby boy...discuss.

Rick, please meet Bob Ringma

So, to much fanfare last week PM Steve announced that Ottawa will fund $30 million over five years for spinal cord injury research and rehabilitation. That is a noble investment, but seriously short of what the government should be doing on income support and accessibility programs for persons with disabilities.

The Conservative government still smacks of the Bob Ringma mentality "if I hired blacks or gays, and my clients found it offensive, I would make them work in the back of the shop," Harper's former Caucus colleague was memorably quoted as saying.

For the Conservatives there are deserving and undeserving poor. They will provide incentives for rich parents with disabled kids, but not supports for persons with disabilities who want to work. They fund mosquito bednets but not AIDS research and health care in Africa.

Which brings me to the irony of the Rick Hansen announcement. In meeting with the Prime Minister, Hansen couldn't get his wheelchair into the Langevin Building and was forced to go through the back alley through a freight entrance. Hopefully, with egg on his face, Steve will commit more money to improving accessibility for persons with disabilities in next month's budget.

More on Yanukovych's grain bungling

As I mentioned in this space last week, the Yanukovych regime is really bungling grain exports. More updates on this in Foreign Notes. It seems that corruption hasn't quite been rooted out yet when it comes to Yanukovych and his buddies.

Hey Tubby, your negative ads aren't working

According to Canadian Press a Decima research poll finds that most Canadians find the anti-Dion Tory ads unfair.

Feb. 7 2007 --(Canadian Press) -- OTTAWA -- A new poll suggests Canadians are not impressed by Conservative party TV ads that attempt to discredit new Liberal Leader Stephane Dion.

The survey by Decima Research found that 38 per cent of respondents -- out of a sample of more than 1,000 -- recalled seeing the attack ads.

But among the 388 Canadians who remember watching the unusual, non-election-period political advertising, 59 per cent said the ads were not fair in how they described Dion. Only 22 per cent felt the ads were fair.

Fully two thirds of the respondents said the information in the ads was not relevant to their choice in the next federal election, compared with 26 per cent who said it was relevant.

Follow ups: Shevchenko and Park Avenue

Shevchenko Update number 1

I am pleased to report that Andriy Shevchanko scored twice in a game last week - hopefully shaking the slump that he has been in with Chelsea all year.

Shevchenko Update Number 2

In a follow-up to this story, a man has been charged after a bronze statue of famed Ukrainian poet Taras Shevchenko was chopped off at the feet from its pedestal and carted away from a park in Oakville, Ont.

Curtis Raae, 36, of Oakville faces charges of possessing stolen property over $5,000. He was released from custody and was scheduled to appear in court on Jan. 30.

The massive two-tonne bronze figure was a likeness of 19th-century Ukrainian poet and artist Taras Shevchenko, who is credited with establishing the modern Ukrainian literary language. The head of the statue was recovered at a Burlington metal recycler.

If only investigations of beheadings of journalists in Ukraine during the Kuchma regime could be brought to justice this quickly.

Park Avenue Update

Park Avenue is saved, and Park Extention does not have an existential crisis. The Globe reports this morning that Park Avenue will not be renamed after Robert Bourassa. Mayor Tremblay credited the about face to a
public uproar and a grassroots campaign.

Steve reneges on Wait times promise

Leaving aside for the moment that making a federal electoral promise about reducing patient wait times (an area squarely in provincial jurisdiction) is passing strange, I found it interesting that Steve is clearing the decks of all of his broken promises.

Last week Finance Minister Flaherty confirmed that he and Steve were going to forever screw over the seniors who bought income trusts by believing the Conservatives' electoral promise made by Canada's new government's exalted leader available widely on Youtube.

Today, Steve (like Bush on an Aircraft carrier before him) declares mission accomplished on his 5 priorities from the last campaign in announcing today his next 5 priorities. I hope we are not in another minority situation next year or all the Conservative MPs will need to take their shoes off to count the next set of priorities.

What was stunning to me today was the fact that without any apology or shame the Conservatives have walked away from their wait times promise and for the first time in a generation, we will have a federal political party going to the electorate and publicly saying that health care is NOT a priority for them. This is a very big risk and may well be the tipping point.

Khan for Turner and a second round draft choice

Today, Garth Turner, announced his decision to sit in the Liberal Caucus. If we're keeping score, this brings the number of former Conservatives sitting in the Liberal Caucus to 4 (Bill Matthews, Belinda Stronach and Scott Brison being the other 3). If we were to add to these Diane St-Jacques, David Price, Keith Martin, Andre Harvey, Rick Laliberte, from the previous 2 Parliaments and juxtapose that against david Emerson's selfish move or Steve's recruitment of Wajid Khan, I would say that the long term trend definitely favours Canada's natural governing party.

Having said this, I am sure that there are a number of Liberal Bloggers who wish they could take back their words about Khan's defection to the Tories last month, like someone trying to put toothpaste back into the tube.

What would be really interesting here would be if there were a secret deal whereby the Liberals traded Khan for Turner and acquired the rights for a future star candidate Carole Taylor. Hmmn, but Vancouver Quadra is already a Liberal seat federally...

In case people think I am being hypocritical or self-congratulatory,
here is what I said about the Khan defection. Floor crossing is a part of politics and it really sucks to be on the losing side of a defection.

It's only a matter of time before Steve craters as well

Today, James Carville's Democracy Corps group released new polling data showing that President Bush's pig-headedness has him continuing to crater in US public opinion despite a State of the Union address last month. It remains to be seen whether failed neo-conservative policies in Iraq will lead to similar public opinion outcomes in Canada on Afghanistan for Steve.

Here is what Carville's poll says on Bush's failed policies:

The new year has brought nothing but more bad news for President Bush and his increasingly tenuous political standing. There was some hope in Republican circles that Bush would be able to use the bully pulpit to shift the political environment onto more friendly terrain in January, but after both a prime-time address to the country on Iraq and the State of the Union address, attitudes toward Bush and the war in Iraq are more negative than at any previous point.
President Bush’s overall job approval continues to drop, with disapproval rising for the fourth straight month in January. This month’s approval mark was the lowest of his presidency – 34 percent approve, 61 percent disapprove – and his personal favorability, measured differently across many polling outlets, is at or near its lowest point in virtually every national poll conducted in January.

The war in Iraq continues to dominate the broader political environment, as well as
attitudes toward President Bush. Americans oppose Bush’s troop surge proposal by a margin of approximately 2-to-1 across several polls conducted after his address to the nation on the issue, and disapproval of Bush’s handling of the situation in Iraq recently reached 70 percent in a Newsweek poll and 65 percent in a Los Angeles Times/Bloomberg survey – both completed just before the State of the Union. The 2-to-1 margin opposing Bush is reflected in many measures of the war in Iraq across national polls, including whether it has been worth the cost and whether the war has made us safer. By an even larger margin (67 to 24 percent in the aforementioned Newsweek poll), Americans say we are losing ground rather than making progress in Iraq – a figure that has been remarkably stable for nearly four months now.

For the complete poll, click
here.

Canadians are being shot and killed

In the past year the increase in violence against Canadians travelling to Mexico including 3 murders and 2 additional shootings over the weekend is really troublesome.

I checked out the Foreign Affairs Canada website under "Protecting Canadians" on their splash page and found a bunch of stuff on the Afghan mission.

It appears that Pete MacKay and Canada's New Government have a lot of time for the propaganda war on the Afghan Mission - but can't be bothered to intercede with a friendly ally with which we have close ties and have signed many international agreements to ensure the travelling safety of Canadians abroad.

According to the victim's familiy:

"Peter MacKay's talking about that he's contacted me or the family and he's going to have a meeting with the Mexicans... What for? There's no investigation. There's no paperwork. There's nothing."

CTV News January 15, 2007

How many Canadians have to die or get shot before Steve and Petey start taking this seriously?

Colts win Super Bowl XLI!!!

Two weeks ago I asked what happens when an unstoppable force meets an immovable object...well as it turns out determination and teamwork combined with the mental discipline of Peyton Manning to outclass the offensively hapless Chicago Bears.

Manning and Dungy are both class acts and are to be congratulated!

Pumpernickel Superbowl recipes

Well, just in time for the big game between the Colts and Da Bears and I wanted to make sure that everyone is having a sufficient Pumpernickel fix for the game.

Clearly on the snack side I would recommend Snyder's of Hanover Pumpernickel stick pretzels and this old favorite Pumpernickel Spinach dip.

Now this is the most important football game in quite a while, so I thought that it would be an appropriate time to publish Pumpernickel's wife's Slow Cooker Pulled Pork recipe.

Ingredients
3 1/2 lb pork shoulder blade roast
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
2 tablespoons canola oil
2 medium onions (diced)
4 cloves garlic (minced)
3 tablespoons chili powder
2 Bay leaves
1 small can tomato paste
1 can (14 oz.) tomato sauce
2 tablespoons brown sugar (packed)
2 tablespoons vinegar
2 tablespoons Worcestershire Sauce
2 shallots thinly sliced

Old Cheddar cheese slices
Pumpernickel Rolls

Salt and pepper the pork roast. In a Dutch Oven, heat oil over medium-high heat and brown roast all over. Transfer roast to the slow cooker.

Add onions, garlic, chili powder, Bay Leaves to Dutch oven - fry stirring occasionally until onions are translucent.

Add tomato paste to the onions and garlic mixture while stirring constantly. Add tomato sauce, brown sugar, vinegar and Worcestershire sauce, scraping any brown bits from the bottom of the Dutch oven. cook about 2 minutes. Pour sauce mixture into the slow cooker. Cover and cook on low setting until pork is tender for 8 to 10 hours.

Transfer pork to cutting board and let stand 10 minutes. With 2 forks, shred or "pull" thepork.

At the same time, transfer the sauce from the slow cooker into a large saucepan (3 quart). Skim off any excess fat. Bring to a boil over high heat. Discard Bay leaves. Add pork as you are "pulling it to the sauce and simmer the pork in the sauce 5-10 minutes.

Split pumpernickel rolls and pile high with shredded pork and add cheese slice and shallots. Enjoy with a nice cold one.

Supreme Court gives Karlheinz Schreiber the Boot!!!

The Supreme Court of Canada today dismissed the Karlheinz Schreiber's appeal to avoid extradition to Germany. Despite the Supreme Court Ruling, Schreiber, has indicated that he will seek different avenues to appeal and fend off extradition to his native Germany where he faces charges of bribery, tax evasion, fraud and breach of trust, will not be deported immediately.

On Dec. 14, 2006, Schreiber filed another application for a judicial review to the federal Conservative Justice Minister. A decision on that application has yet to be made.

Schreiber was first arrested by the Mounties in Toronto in September of 1999, at the request of the German police and government.

He was released on bail several days later after former Tory cabinet minister Elmer MacKay - potato patch Pete's Dad sprung for a $100,000 surety bond, along with Marc Lalonde.

Since then, Schreiber has lost every bid to remain in Canada.

Last year, Schreiber told The Fifth Estate that he gave Lord Vader some $300,000 cash from a secret Swiss bank account controlled by Schreiber.

Mulroney was strapped for cash at the time, Schreiber told The Fifth Estate's Linden MacIntyre. In 1999, a spokesman for Mulroney denied any money was exchanged. But in 2003, Mulroney acknowledged he had receive money from Schreiber as payment for "promoting Schreiber's pasta business".

Schreiber was also linked with the Airbus affair, over allegations of secret commissions paid to members of the Mulroney government in exchange for Air Canada's purchase of a large order of Airbus jets.

Mulroney sued for libel and testified, under oath, that he "never had any dealings" with Schreiber. Mulroney received an apology and a $2-million settlement. "$300,000 cash", Never had any dealings...it will be interesting to see Steve's government react to this.

This case isn't new. Andrew Coyne, and others, including yours truly, have been writing about it for months, year. Will the Mainstream media have the testicular fortitude to cleave the head off this rotting Conservative fish?

We're not making this up...

A word of advice to the new Liberal Leader. If anyone in your entourage used to work for Paul Martin suggests a campaign commercial on this Citizen story, there is only one solution: Atomic wedgie and immediate dismissal.

Military wants more troops in cities: Plan calls for emergency units, shifting desk staff to front lines

The Ottawa Citizen
Thursday, February 1, 2007
By David Pugliese

The Harper government plans to increase the Canadian Forces presence across the country with new units in 14 cities as well as shifting 5,000 regular force personnel from support and desk jobs to training and front-line missions.

Between now and 2016, the army will establish "territorial response battalions" in Victoria, Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton, Regina, Winnipeg, Niagara-Windsor, Toronto, Ottawa, Montreal, Quebec City, Saint John, Halifax and St. John's. The units would be designed to react to domestic emergencies such as natural disasters or a terrorist attack.

The details are outlined in the Conservative government's "Canada First" defence strategy, which has been leaked to the Citizen. No date has been set for the strategy to be released publicly. The report outlines the direction the military will follow over the next 15 years.

During the election campaign, the Conservatives promised their government would create territorial battalions. At the time, Stephen Harper said each unit would be composed of 100 regular troops and 400 or more reservists. The strategy paper, however, does not contain details on how big the units will actually be.