Climate change intimidation...

It could be coming to Canada. It appears that Bush administration has been harassing scientists in the US government to get them to deny that humans are playing a role in global warming. They were outright interfering with scientists and their work on global warming. Democracy now has all the details about how scientists were treated. NASA scientists had their press releases censored and suppressed by Bush Administration appointees. They even changed the results of reports done by some of the best climate scientists in the US. They actually tampered with the results, only in Bush America says I! The interference in the civil service is really pathetic, and shows how lobbying is so insidious inside the current American administration.

This is so typical for the American administration with their holier than thou attitude towards just about everything they can't understand or agree with. The real question is when are we going to see this type of behavior from the Harper Government. They have tried in so many ways to import the neo-con attitude and agenda. I hope we get rid of them before they have the chance. Will John Baird personally edit all climate related press releases from Environment Canada? Lets hope not!

A Fair and Balanced Comparison, Stephen Harper and Bill Lumberg

Warning: This post contains inside information from the Movie Office space!

I'm gonna have to go ahead and have you come in on saturday. or Hi Peter, whats happening? It hit me today, the robotic figure that Stephen Harper is reminds me of Bill Lumberg from Office Space.

His lack of charity for those below him, his smug arrogant attitude. Who am I describing? Harper or Lumberg? I'm going to have to say both.

A general lackadasical attitude to those around you... (the press or Peter and Milton)? So, why can't he just give press conferences? Why doesn't he listen people when they say something to him?

A total lack of charisma? (I haven't seen someone look so bored at a Stanley cup final)

A general fear of change, and or conflict with colleagues? ok, the firing of Milton was handled badly I know, but I can compare that to say Harper's total flip flop on the accountability act, and its absolute lack of any real transparancy!

Im beginning to think, that Stephen Harper has been doing too many TPS reports! That is what is keeping him from making a definitive statement on global warming.

Oh my god, I figured it out, Stephen Harper and Bill Lumberg came from the same Robot factory! Stephen came without suspenders though.

i called it.........Colbert style er, African style?

So, I predicted like 2 months ago, that Ethiopia was going to invade Somalia, and 2 months later they are already leaving after throughly whipping the rag tag Islamic court's armed forces. Ethiopia, is following the Powell doctrine (exit strategy in war). Looks like the influence of the American occupation of Iraq is playing a role in the swift removal of Ethiopian troops.

The European Union has pledged something in the line of $15 million Euros to pay for the deployment of an African Union Peacekeeping mission. But of course, those Islamists have to make things stupid. The 100 or so rebels left have actually decided that they are going to fight the African Union peacekeepers, and try and kill them. Looks like we are in for more trouble in the horn of Africa. Not good . Lets hope this part of the world is fixed and European and Africa influence can bring peace unlike the Islamists, and the American war lords have.

its a 3 ring circus, no wait a sec its question period....

Well, once again our new government has manage to underwhelm me with their contradictory approach to government. Spending most of question period trying to continue their lame attempts to try and hit at Stephane Dion's record for the environment, was totally idiotic. What about your plan for the environment? Do you have anything better? Oh yeah, we won't meet your targets till I am in my 60s.

Despite its attempt to actually brand itself as different from any previous Government, Stephen and his white boys continue to forget they are in government and are acting like they are in opposition. My theory is that they are really incompetent, and are afraid of what they will do as a government, and instead have chosen to cover their ears and go lalalalalalalalala, were not in power lalalalalalalallala. This theory is based in my own Centre-left biases though, based upon the incompetence of the Republican Administration down south in its handling of various things. You know because this governemnt admires George, and his cronies, so I guess Stephen can try and be as inept and lame duck as dubya.


And John Baird, and his holier than thou attitude about the environment. Where does he get off on that? I remember John Baird being the biggest climate change denier in the old Harris government. It only took him a tour around Stanley Park to realize that its real? Does that make angry man Baird a visual learner? Did he get angry, when he saw all the trees on the ground in Stanley Park? Did he start yelling at the trees like he yells at Liberals?

I don't know, but we are in for more of this garbage in the H of C. I'd expect this type of behaviour in a school yard, but please keep the house to proper debating of real issues. If you want to dwell on the past, we can talk about all those balanced budgets, and discuss Tory follies like the Airbus scandal, with a Brian Mulroney action figure that "Kicks back".

Back to Parliament, I've seen more maturity in a grade 9 math class. Who are you going to blame when you lose the election? The voters maybe?

sometimes Canadian politics sucks....

I'm really disappointed in the Conservatives new ads. They are stupid, as well as misleading. But with the Americanization of Canadian politics, this is to be expected. Another smokescreen put through attack ads to hide the lack of vision this new government has. We are just as guilty as they are in the past for doing these ads, and they are always misleading and negative. Politics is about ideas and policy, not about who is evil and who does what? Political hacks can be the most hateful malicious people, and they have no idea how moronic they sound to the general public.

This reminds me really, why I totally find Canadian politics boring sometimes. It's when we start to think like American politicos that makes me want to hurl. The attack ads, the permanent campaigning and mudslinging.

It really made me realize why as an undergrad I really enjoyed branching out and learning about politics in other countries and avoiding the Canadian Political courses as I thought they would bring in too many of my personal biases and cause me to be bored and fall asleep in lecture. North American politics is starting to look more homogeneous, thats not good. We don't have a congress, we shouldn't have elections every other year, and our senate is unelected for a reason. Because it is a powerless stamp of approval based in British tradition to be sober second thought on government.

I really wish that this session of Parliament could start with a serious debate about climate change, and a solution to our nation's problems. Yes, there will be an election soon, but its the Conservatives own fault if they bring in a neo-con budget that punishes women, and hurts those who are voiceless, an helps further destroy the Environment. I'd happily campaign against that record.

New and Improved blog!

I finally changed my template! its my new and improved blog! I even updated my profile! As you can tell, I wasn't too busy tonight! Plus everyone loves Brannigan!
cheers
-Jamie

The Riot Be The Rhyme Of The Unheard

Its official, the greatest left wing political band ever is reuniting! Rage against the Machine is back, and it took long enough. They are reuniting for the Coachella Music festival on April 29, and just the idea of them playing live together makes me fired up for no particular reason. I really want to hear Zack de la Rocha spout his venomous lyricism in anger against the worst Presidential administration in the History of the United States.

They fought against globalization before it was the in thing to do. They fought for illegal immigrants rights years before it was an issue that was in the mainstream media. This band was so ahead of its time, in terms of its political message, that their songs from the 1991 self titled album sound as fresh lyrically, as well as musically today that they did when they first burst onto the scene and blew everyone away.

Just reading about this made me listen to People of the Sun, a song about the plight of the (Zapatista Rebels) indigenous peoples of Mexico, and then Calm like a bomb a song talking about riot and protesting, demanding the government to look after those who don't have a voice. Its song like this that make a person think about the world, and to not just worry about consuming. It makes people think, and get angry, but also reminds us to look out for those of us who have no voice.

Rugby World Cup 2007, Biggest Sports event of the year.

Ah, looks like my favorite sporting event of the year is only 9 months away, i am already debating whether or not to try and make my way to France to watch Canada battle in the world cup.

Canada qualified this past summer by hammering the Americans, by about 50 points in what was the finest display of rugby ever seen in Newfoundland and Labrador. Canada's team played with passion and fire, and also totally displayed that they can run with the ball and play with finesse.

Canadian Rugby is known for its big hits, big hits, and its ability to overpower its opposition, and beat them into submission with hard tackling. Canada has had a reputation at this event for playing with passion, and power, even reaching the quarter-finals in 1991. The Canadians were inspired by visiting Vimy Ridge before their quarter final. Where they lost to then world champion New Zealand All blacks 24-10, and were given a standing ovation by the crowd in France.

What I love about the Rugby world cup, is that it always lives up to the hype. Unlike the soccer world cup (fake injured Italians, acting like they get shot if an opponent comes withing a foot of them) or the superbowl (half-time show better than game, players on weekend pass from jail). The sport is actually front and centre. The blood is real, the scrums are real, and tackles are spot on. The players are characters too, especially the hookers.

Appeal to redress, American troops want to go home now.

Looks like over 1000 American Soldiers signed a petition to come home immediately. They are presenting this appeal to redess on Martin Luther King day, to capital Hill. Democracy now! even interviewed a soldier in Iraq, who talked about how the Americans have no strategy in Baghdad, and they drive around like sitting ducks, waiting to be attacked.

This is so pathetic, thats all i have to say about this sorry war. 3000 dead Americans, a virtual genocide in Iraq, and half a billion dollars later extremist have taken control of Iraq. This president is living in a dream world.

here is a copy of the interview with the soldier in Iraq

Childcare, or lack thereof

Looks like the lame-o Conservative Childcare plan is not going to work. Tax credits to companies that create childcare places have not worked at all. Neither has their cheque printing program.

Here is what the Child Care Advocacy Association of Canada had to say about our great new government's plan.

"There has not been one new space created," said Monica Lysack, the association's executive director told CBC News.

"Somewhere around 80 per cent of children don't have access to licensed early learning child care programs. So there's a huge need."

Harper also said a Conservative government would create 125,000 spaces over five years with the help of the private sector and non-profit organizations which would get a $10,000 tax credit for every space created.

"We figure we'll reasonably create about 25,000 spaces a year," Harper said then.

A year later, no spaces have been created and the plan for more spaces hasn't been completed yet.

7,000 on waiting list in Ottawa alone

This is terrible news, especially for the working poor. Their children have no chance at all to get into a proper childcare facility, and all they have to show for it is a cheque that is for the most part useless when it comes to helping them find a place for their children. I for one am appalled at the lack of action the Tories have made in this. There has to be some accountability, they can't just arbitrarily send out cheques, we need more places for childcare. Come on Stephen, why is the plan failing?

The idea itself of business' having in house childcare is especially silly in downtown areas, where office leases are expensive. Let's just say it this, another Conservative (republican) plan that fails. The sooner we get back to funding actual child care places that we know exist, the better!

lawyers and politics why?

So, I've noticed a couple of bloggers bragging about their early acceptances into law school. It made me think, why are lawyers so into politics, and why do half of them have some ambition to run for office! I don't know, My interest in the law ended after spending 2 summers working in the mail room at big bay street firm during my undergrad years. And why are the teachers colleges making me wait till April 1st to find out if I get in or not? No fair!
But.......
What are the 2 most distrusted professions around?
Lawyers and politicians.......

So this leads into my next point, we need more people running for office from other professions..
Here is a list of professions, with reasons why they would make good Members of Parliament..

1) Doctors - Lets be honest, anyone who takes the Hippocratic oath, cannot be that bad a person, and all that education should make them well spoken hopefully...
2) teachers- who else could handle the childlike behaviour in Question period? And don't feed me any lines about some teacher you didn't like..... or Joe Volpe
3) Journalist - They seem to have all the good ideas, reporting on politics, lets see how they handle the scrums....
4) Farmer - well, let me put it this way, if we had more rural farmer MP's, maybe then we could find out what they really think about subsidies, and the wheat board, too much spin in agriculture industry and policy right now....
5) Blue collar worker- when was the last time, you voted for a true hard working honest blue collar joe who connected with people.
6) mechanic- I have never seen anyone handle so many angry people, than the owner of my local garage, boy, he would look good in a constituency office, People aren't happy lots when their car breaks down, remember that.
7) Firefighter - well, who else could run on a platform of having rescued constituents by running into burning buildings, now I would enjoy reading that in my candidates bio!

if you have any other ideas, let me know....

Little Johnny is very predictable

I would like to thank my alarm clock for going off at 8:30 this morning. It allowed me to catch about half of the interview with John Baird, the new Environment Minister. Instead of making any bold initiatives about climate change, he spouted out the same old anti-Liberal rhetoric from his provincial politics days. When asked about any big spending, he refused to even mention of Jim Flaherty would consider giving him money.

This smacked of the same old Conservative spin, of blaming Liberals for all the problems and not having any dramatic initiatives of their own. One thing that did actually surprise me is that Baird acutally admitted that climate change is a reality, and that even he noticed it this year. He proceeded to wander into the provincial debate on goal, and blaming the Ont Libs for not doing their part. But, I wonder if Stephen is pulling his glued in place hair out for going off the neo-con denial of climate change.

But, there is a positive in this, its more of the same old spin, no good ideas, just blame and hearsay. I like the sounds of that, the Cons' have no good plans for the environment, which is the biggest issue in the country right now. Lets hope it stays that way.

That is a pic from my cottage last April, of the ice receeding, I doubt we will have any ice this year at the current rate of temperature change.

ah, Mr Khan, what to say?

So, I was looking for a picture of Wajid Khan selling used cars, but there wasn't anything I could come up with. For those of you not from Toronto, Mr Khan used to do regular advertisements for his car dealership on the Fan 590. Wajid would talk with Gord Stellick about how great the Miata's and Mazda 6's were, and how they had great used cars. His ads were very hokey to say the least, and he was lampooned on a regular basis by the fan's morning show (Marsden and Landrey at the time). This has to be the first time, that I have heard about Khan since then, with that mention on middle eastern affairs which i gave a glancing look in the paper while sitting at the dock.
PM's Middle Eastern rep....
The last time I checked, Wajid was from Pakistan, and I learned in Geography class that Pakistan is not part of the middle east. Its probably more in South Asia ( a region that has its own unique Political issues and problems), so I do not understand what type of expertise Mr. Khan would bring to that area. He is not arab, but he is a muslim, those are both groups which Conservatives struggle to represent when it comes to finding candidates for their ridings. Though Khan is a back bencher for the Conservative now, there is no doubt he will be appointed to that strange position that Stephen offered him this past summer. Though I hope he can convince Musharraf to close the border with Afghanistan, so the terrorist's can no longer go back and forth like cross border shoppers in Niagara falls.

This whole business of crossing the floor is ugly, it has a real bad smell to it. But to be honest, when the 2 former Liberals (Khan, Emerson) go over to the Conservatives, they do so in their own self interest's and have done so in what are urban, Liberal ridings where the Conservatives have had no chance of winning. I would be willing to make a wager that both these ridings are back in Liberal hands before the end of the year. I expect Mr. Khan to be soundly defeated next election, and go back to his job of entertaining us with his goofy commercials on the sports radio station.

2006., My trial by fire

SO its now 2007, and 2006 really was the first year in which I got involved with the Liberal part of Canada. Yes, far from being the typical leadership follower, I joined up as a University graduate looking for something to do in December of 2005, to try and help Dan McTeague win the riding of Pickering Scarborough-east.

Well, needless to say, we won by a fairly large number but we lost the election as a whole. Considering my background as a poly sci major, I really had no idea how an election worked or how campaigning happened. It was an interesting introduction for me to riding association politics.

From here, I was able to join the OYL, and become a youth executive at the riding level. I found that OYL is a pretty cool group of people, and though we don't agree on everything, we tend to have a good time talking politics at our various events.

By far the highlight of my year, was the leadership convention, which I had the chance to attend as a member of the Laurier club. I enjoyed meeting Canadians from everywhere, it was refreshing, as being from Toronto, we do get that Toronto centric bubble about the world. Though, my first choice didn't win overall I was happy with the result. I am hoping that our 2 elections this year in Ontario come up red!