By Jim Bronskill for The Canadian Press The government’s online surveillance bill — already hitting snags over privacy — is raising concerns among Internet providers about who’ll pick up the tab. The legislation would allow authorities access to Internet subscriber information — including name, address, telephone number and email address
Continue readingForget Nazi comparisons. MLK is the new go-to-guy for beleaguered Republicans. Darrell Issa edition.
What do you do when you’re a right winger and the blowback against a sexist and ‘autocratic regime’ brings a shitstorm to your door? If you’re disgraced Darrell Issa, you don’t try to accommodate the overwhelming opposition to your unequal actions or amend your operation, you double down by bringing in a
Continue readingImpolitical: Hilarious spin
Well now, he is the omniscient one: “Harper sensed cyber outrage was looming.” Prime Minister Stephen Harper had already made the decision to kick a controversial cyber crime bill to committee even before Opposition howled because he sensed a public backlash was rolling his way, QMI Agency has learned. Harper
Continue readingThe World Famous Dan Shields: 4231…Tape Delay On The Death Of Wheels
For those of us of a certain age the Degrassi series means something. Just the thought of Caitin Ryan makes some of us, um, weak in the knees. Another iconic character on the show was Wheels, played by Neil Hope. Check this, according to The National Post he has died.
Continue readingCanadian Progressive World: NCC fundraising letter exposes Stephen Harper’s hypocrisy
Way back in 2001, Elections Canada charged a certain Paul Bryan for violating section 329 of the Canada Elections Act. Stephen Harper, then President of the National Citizens Coalition, a conservative lobby group that has …Read More
Continue readingTrashy's World: Thanks Kid….
Trashy, Ottawa, Ontario
Continue readingQP: To build, not to buy
It was only after the first cursory question from Turmel on the usual subject of the OAS that she asked about the big story of the day – the new refugee reform bill that was tabled that morning. After all, it was only 20 months ago that a bill passed
Continue readingHalf an Hour: One of the Best
Gary Edmund Carter (April 8, 1954 – February 16, 2012) (nickname “The Kid”) was an American former Major League Baseball catcher. During a 19-year baseball career, mostly with the Montreal Expos and the New York Mets, Carter was a premier catcher in the National League, winning three Gold Glove awards
Continue readingCalgaryGrit: #TellVicEverything
The #TellVicEverything meme has exploded on Twitter today, in response to Vic Toews’ proposed legislation to force Internet service providers to monitor their customers’ online activities and turn the information over to the government (without a warrant). On Monday, Vic said “you’re with us or you’re with the pornographers“…and it
Continue readingBlunt Objects: Forum Alberta Poll & 2012 Election Projections
Forum Research has another poll out for the Alberta provincial scene, showing a closer race than last time, with 37% PC, 30% Wildrose, 14% ALP, and 13% NDP. Note, however, that it’s entirely within the margin of error of Forum’s last poll, not to mention the last Abingdon Research poll,
Continue readingMontreal Simon: If the Cons Want to Read Our E-Mails…
Why don’t we find out what they are doing online? I mean what’s good for the goose is good for the gander eh? You know all of this is so much fun. And it just keeps getting better. But let’s not forget why the Cons introduced this totalitarian legislation in
Continue readingThe Best Piece You Will Read In The Globe This Week…
. …Starts like this: “The police scanner squawked with bursts of excited voices. Shots fired. Man down. Bruce Smillie looked out on a deserted newsroom. The reportorial staff had vanished. His crew was chasing down untold stories in the naked city, or, more likely, sampling some of the sinful temptations
Continue readingPeace, order and good government, eh?: Transparency ‘R’nt Us
Here’s a pair of media reports about the federal government that suggest an ongoing problem is about to get even worse. Yesterday the Ottawa Citizen reported on comments from John McCallum, the Liberal finance critic, who drew attention to the lack of details the Conservatives have provided on previous “strategic
Continue readingPolitics and its Discontents: Confess Now, Before He Finds Out
Tell Vic Everything. You’ll feel better for it. Recommend this Post
Continue readingSyria and the reluctant alliance between al-Qaeda and the West
Al-Qaeda and Western nations agreeing on a policy of critical importance may seem strange, yet such is the case with Syria. Ayman al-Zawahiri, head of al-Qaeda, has publicly thrown his organization’s support behind the Syrian opposition. Al-Zawahiri called on Muslim fighters from Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon and Turkey to go to
Continue readingVancouver top cop: Occupy Vancouver like Stanley Cup riots
One of the biggest wastes of taxpayer money during the past year was the needless occupation of a heavy police force, supplemented by the RCMP, around the non-violent Occupy Vancouver gathering at the Art Gallery. So vexed was the police chief, he begged the province for funds to bolster the
Continue readingThe Common Sense Canadian home page: Cutting Enbridge Deal with Alberta is Bad Advice for Christy Clark
In a Vancouver Sun op-ed this week, former BC deputy minister Bob Plecas offers some advice to Premier Christy Clark on how to win the next election. Here is one of his suggestions, indeed his first choice: “The Enbridge Northern Gateway pipeline. Demand Alberta share in the revenue from the
Continue readingSlap Upside The Head: Rhode Island To Introduce Gay Marriage Bill
It looks like Rhode Island legislators are prepared to introduce three equal rights bills today, including one that proposes full marriage equality in the state. Well, there you go! Just because a state is small doesn’t mean its minds are too.
Continue readingCowboys for Social Responsibility: Thanks for reading
With the passage of Bill C-19 in the House of Commons and its inevitable passage through the Senate later this year, there seems to be little reason to maintain this project. The democratically elected representatives have spoken.
Continue readingROAR!: We thank you Shane Ross – for nothing
A big old ‘Thank you’ to Shane Ross who informed Islanders in an opinion piece for The Guardian on Feb. 15th – ‘Climate not right for Abortion Debate’. Thanks because here we were thinking anytime is the right time to discuss human rights. Thanks for thinking you know what a
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