lay odds

Interesting that the Province of Saskatchewan is commemorating the Ukrainian Famine genocide is not on the agenda (yet) for President Yushchenko's May State visit to Canada.

I wonder how long it will take PM Steve's brain trust to put partisanship aside and do the same thing and pass Borys Wrzesnewskyj's Bill in Parliament. I bet that they will try to do something, and that sadly, it will be partisan.

Paschal Pumpernickel

(Makes one loaf)

Ingredients
1 1/2 cups lukewarm water
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
2 tablespoons molasses
1 square unsweetened chocolate chopped
1 tablespoon caraway seeds
1 tsp instant coffee
1 tablespoon active dry yeast
1 tsp sugar
1 and 3/4 cup dark rye flour
1/2 cup bran
1.5 tsps salt
1.5 cups unbleached white flour

cornmeal for sprinkling on pan
1 egg beaten with 2 tbsps water for egg wash

Instructions
Warm 1/2 cup of water. When it is lukewarm add the yeast and sugar. Stir and set aside for five minutes. It should get foamy.

Heat the remaining cup of water, chocolate pieces, molasses, coffee, caraway seeds and vinegar in saucepan over medium heat approximately 5 minutes until the coffee dissolves and the chocolate is melted. Remove from heat.

Let cool until the mixture is lukewarm, then add the yeast mixture and mix in the sugar, dark rye flour, bran, salt and unbleached white flour.

Knead for 6-8 minutes until you get a smooth, elastic ball of dough.

Shape the dough into a ball and place it in a large greased bowl or pot and cover with a tea towel to allow it to rise (approximately 2 hours in a warm, not hot, place.

Oil a large round oven safe container, a 1 kg coffee can, or similar size oven safe pot will do and sprinkle bottom with cornmeal.

Punch the dough down, and knead it back into a ball shape and place it into the can.

Preheat oven to 350 F .

Paint the egg wash onto the loaf with a brush, and cut a seam across the top of the loaf to vent steam. Bake for 45 minutes.

Remove from oven and let cool on a wire rack.

If you want this to be more Eastery, add rolled dough decorations of rosettes and birds on the top of the loaf.

XPUCTOC BOCKPEC!

Now we know why they are called Cons

BREAKING STORY: RCMP RAID CONSERVATIVE PARTY OFFICES OVER ILLEGAL IN-OUT FUNDING SCANDAL

The RCMP have raided the offices of the Conservative Party of Canada as part of its investigation into the Conservatives in-ouit financing scheme which Elections Canada has ruled is illegal.

This advertising scheme, which occurred during the 2006 election, was used to enable the Cons to violate legislated election spending caps during the election campaign.

I don't know which is worse...

I am not sure which is worse. The fact that the neo-nazi heritage front was infiltrating the Conservative party or the comments by the junior Minister of Multiculturalism that ethnic groups will "be using the race card" to get nominations.

See David Akins article here.

Appeasing the base...

Every so often, PM Steve has to throw a bone to the neanderthal wing of the party, like what they are doing with C-10 - the Censorship of Film legislation.

It is therefore interesting to see what former PC Canada fund chairman and Mulroney chequewriter Senator David Angus had to say at committee today, "Even the Minister of Heritage hates the bill". Watch the video.


Shocking Conservative Harpocrysy

How bout dem Habs?

Well there were no butterflies tonight as the Habs continued their outright domination of the Bruins from the regular season into the playoffs, winning tonight 4-1. They are playing the type of exciting hockey that saw them go deep into the playoffs in their 70s and 80s glory days...Go Habs Go!

Johnston's strange proposal may be illegal

I too was struck by professor Johnston's suggestion that parts of a public inquiry into the Mulroney-Schreiber Affair could be held in secret. Warren Kinsella has an excellent post on the possible illegalities of such an approach here.

The public has a right to know about all the sordid and sleazy details of the relations between Mulroney and Schreiber, and deserves nothing less.

Amazing political thriller

This is an amazing political thriller that reminds me why we kept watching the West Wing all those years. Four Days in Denver is an amazing imaginary script of how the Democratic convention plays out from the pen of one of the writers from the West Wing.

Riveting.

Ukraine seeks early associate EU member status

Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko told a forum called the "Fifth Meeting Of The World Movement For Democracy In Kyiv" today that Ukraine could become an associate member of the European Union by the end of this year. "It is possible that we could sign the political part of the new Ukraine-EU agreement this September and anchor Ukraine's associate membership in the European Union for the first time ever.
France made the suggestion to the European Commission, and the latter conveyed it to EU member countries," he said. "In that case, we will have prospects for EU membership, just as we acquired NATO-membership prospects several days ago."
I am a huge Ukraine backer, but I think Yushchenko's timetable is overly ambitious and un-realistic. But I would love to be wrong...

Clinton campaign lacks sincerity on Free Trade

Hilary Clinton's chief campaign advisor has been speaking out of both sides of his mouth lately. Publicly opposing NAFTA and privately (and lucratively) being paid to support such deals. Can't see how this will help the Clinton campaign in Penn state.

I'll take that gun now. RIP Charlton Heston

Noted gun wacko and actor Charlton Heston is dead. As I have previously mentioned here, I strongly disagree with his and the NRA's incredulous tactics in the face of tragedy.

I expect that in a biting piece of irony, that a large pro-gun control rally will be organized to coincide wuth his burial. Oh, and if it isn't too much trouble, I'll take that gun from your "cold, dead hands" now.

Some pics from Ukraine Trip

From top to bottom in this post are pictures of a Bandura ensmble playing at the Canada-Ukraine Business Summit in Dnipropetrovsk, Ukraine. Below is a cow barn at the Agro-Soyuz facility also in Dnipropetrovsk.

St. Michael's in Kyiv
The pysanka museum in Kolomaya, in Ivano-Frankivsk Oblast where really beautiful hand-written pysanky can be had for 18 Hryvnyas (about $3.60).
And what would a trip to Ukraine be without a bowl of Ukrainian Borshch, pampushky z chasnykom, and a good slice of pumpernickel?

Conservative MP's Racist, Sexist, Homophobic comments

Saskatchewan Tory MP Tom Lukiwski is in trouble after the provincial NDP released a video-tape. NDP M-L-A Pat Atkinson released the tape which contains sexist, racist, and homophobic comments. Those on the tape are current Premier Brad Wall who makes fun of Ukrainians and Regina MP Tom Lukiwski.
Lukiwski was a Tory organizer at the time, while Wall was a ministerial aide.
While Lukiwski said this about gays, ‘Let me put it to you this way. There's A's and B's. The A's are guys like me. The B's are homosexual faggots with dirt in their fingernails that transmit diseases.' ” Wall was only marginally less offensive in mocking Ukrainian Canadians.

The Conservative-Sask Party veil has fallen. Lukiwski should be turfed from the Conservative Caucus and Wall needs to make a full public apology to the Ukrainian Canadian community.

UPDATE: A partial transcript is available here.

Kudos to Harper

In a bold move, PM Steve has indicated that he will support Ukraine's bid for NATO ascension. Here is the text of his release:

PRIME MINISTER HARPER BACKS UKRAINE’S PROGRESS TOWARD NATO MEMBERSHIP
April 2, 2008BucharestPrime Minister Stephen Harper today expressed Canada’s strong support for Ukraine to move towards membership in the NATO alliance. Prime Minister Harper urged other leaders to support Ukraine’s request to join NATO’s Membership Action Plan, saying that bringing Ukraine into the alliance would accelerate the pace of democratic reform and economic development.“Ukraine has made great progress on democratization and in opening up its economy in recent years,” the Prime Minister said. “The country is on a path to a better future for its people, and I call upon our NATO partners to agree that we should keep Ukraine moving forward toward full membership in the alliance.”“Through its actions at home and abroad, Ukraine has demonstrated that it shares the values of Canada and our NATO allies,” Prime Minister Harper said.
“The Ukrainian people naturally yearn for greater freedom, democracy and prosperity. Canada will do everything in its power to help Ukraine realize these aspirations, including backing its bid for NATO membership, as long as the country keeps making progress on democratic reform and opening up its economy.”