Were I a more compassionate and empathetic man, I suppose I could at times muster a modicum of sympathy for our dark lord, Stephen Harper. Why, you may ask – doesn’t he now enjoy a majority government that allows him to impose his will throughout our once fair land? Doesn’t
Continue readingNorthern Reflections: A Long Way To Go
After the last election, Peter C. Newman wrote an obituary for the Liberal Party. Some of us thought it was premature — if only because a week is a long time in politics. The coming Liberal convention will allow us to have a peek inside what Stephen Clarkson once called
Continue reading350 or bust: Saturday At The Movies
Impressionist Jim Meskimen performs Clarence’s speech from William Shakespeare’s Richard III as a number of different celebrities. Enjoy! *Thanks to my brother Jon for the video link*
Continue readingTrashy's World: In know I said that I would avoid posting things political…
… during my vacation. But I had to comment on this. Quebec nationalists want the Habs to be more “French”. Gimme a break. Why don’t you look at the standings and figure out a way to win a few more games! Look, I hate the Habs just as much as
Continue readingThe Happy Wanderer: No to Liberal Primaries
There is a proposition that we Liberals instate a primary system for electing our next leader. This was clearly iterated in the Board’s document, “A Roadmap to Renewal.” It suggests having a new category of people called “supporters” who would not be members, but would still have the right to vote in leadership
Continue readingExcited Delirium: A Brief History of Plutocracy
Plutocracy has always been around us. So what’s a reasonable substitute?
Continue readingBigCityLib Strikes Back: Manitoba Newspapers Reject Accountability
The Manitoba Press Council has ceased operating after the last few participating newspapers withdrew their financial support. […] …Bob Cox, publisher of the Free Press, said that today’s social media environment lends to different avenues for the public to complain about news media… If the papers lie, just bitch about
Continue readingThe Sir Robert Bond Papers: Separated at birth: little plumber version #nlpoli #cdnpoli
Nice to see former natural resources minister Shawn Skinner at an Ice Caps game Friday night. The place was rocking especially as the Caps sloughed off the holiday stupor after the first period and started playing some hockey. Ever notice that sometimes when you look at Shawn you can’t help
Continue readingVacation notice
Hey readers – a bit of bad news. I’m going on vacation for a week, and will be largely without Internet access for the duration. That means no daily roundups, and none of my sparkling banter over the Twitter Machine. But it can’t be helped, and hey – it’s been
Continue readingThe Sixth Estate: Religious Freedom and the 21st Century
This essay is cross-posted at Rev. Dave’s Bible Study, a side project where I’ve recently been expressing some frustrations on the subject of religion and politics. The Globe & Mail‘s plagiarism-happy columnist Margaret Wente has called us, this weekend, to reflect on the importance of religious freedom as the most
Continue readingBlunt Objects: Quickie BC projection
Teddy here. I’ve been working on an updated projection table for British Columbia, using data from past provincial elections where a party has existed to the right of the BCLiberals. I’d like some feedback on the projection that I have here, in map form. Note that I’m still trying to
Continue readingDavid Climenhaga's Alberta Diary: First impressions: No false steps that matter for NDP candidate Thomas Mulcair
Your blogger yesterday in a future vanity wall picture with NDP leadership candidate Thomas Mulcair. Thomas Mulcair turned in a virtually faultless performance in Edmonton last night, proving once again that the federal Opposition New Democratic Party is attracting top-quality candidates as it completes its sad duty to replace Jack
Continue readingNorthern Insights / Perceptivity: "Ethical Oil" – an argument that make no sense
The Devil in the Tar Sands, Jody Williams and Desmond Tutu, Project Syndicate, 2011 CAPE TOWN – …”Oil from the tar sands of Alberta is the dirtiest in the world, and its extraction is already causing problems… “Opposition to the [Keystone XL] pipeline throughout the US is growing in intensity…
Continue readingAmerican Green Dollars won’t stop Harper
Stephen Harper is warning us that big green bucks of the environmental kind may flow into Canada in an attempt to thwart the legitimate conservative, whoops, I mean corporate efforts of the Ethical Oil folks. Add caption Today the CBC reported that the Prime Minister of Alberta and the rest of Canada “…told
Continue readingCathiefromCanada: Great line of the day
From the commenters to Sarah’s Please don’t throw me into the santorum: Santorum could easily come from behind.
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Musical interlude
Melodia – Motion Theory (North Star Remix)
Continue readingwmtc: la belle province… la belle ville
Montreal bagels! Why oh why did I not know about Montreal bagels all the other times I was in this great city?? * * * * We had another easy drive from Duchesnay to Montreal. The first part of the trip was beautiful, through snowy woods and farm country, the
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Friday Evening Links
Assorted content to end your week. – No, we shouldn’t be surprised that the Harper Cons are allowing defence contractors to deliver nothing at all. But is it really so much to ask that they not actually provide an incentive for further delays by reducing the penalties applied as they
Continue readingThe Sir Robert Bond Papers: So much for senate reform #nlpoli #cdnpoli
Surely to mercy, if Prime Minister Stephen Harper was halfway serious about senate reform he could find someone else from Newfoundland and Labrador besides Norm Doyle to take up a senate seat. Maybe Harper could have found someone other than a guy who has been recycled more times than a
Continue readingSudbury Steve May: At a Crossroads: One Green’s Hopes for The Liberal Party of Canada (Part 2 of 2)
(continued from Part 1…) Candidate Appointments / Protections Liberals are also considering doing away with the Leader’s ability to appoint candidates to run in specific ridings, rather than leaving it to local members to nominate their own candidates (which is what usually happens). I once lived in a riding where
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