Thursday, December 31, 2009

Husband suing Thai ex-wife, government and agencies in a $30-million lawsuit for contracting HIV

Lawyers for an HIV-infected Thai stripper are going to court Monday in a bid to get dismissed a $30-million lawsuit filed by her ex-husband.

Percy Whiteman, 34, of Toronto, is suing his ex, Suwalee Iamkhong, the Canada Border Services Agency, Immigration Canada and the Zanzibar Tavern, alleging their negligence led to him contracting HIV.

Whiteman claims Iamkhong, 40, a former go-go dancer and prostitute in Hong Kong, was allowed into Canada with HIV and that led to his life being placed in jeopardy.

Iamkhong arrived in Canada in 1995 and worked as a stripper at the Zanzibar Tavern on Yonge St. until 2004. The pair were married from 1997 to 2004, when she told him that she had HIV.

[Percy Whiteman, left, with lawyer Sal Grillo outside Osgoode Hall in Toronto, Tuesday, March 24, 2009. Whiteman's ex-wife, a Thai-born stripper, is fighting Whiteman's $30-million lawsuit. (QMI/Tom Godfrey, file)]

Iamkhong was sentenced in August 2007 to two years in jail after being convicted of criminal negligence causing bodily harm for infecting Whiteman.

She appealed her sentence and it was reduced to two years less a day, allowing her to appeal a deportation order.

FAILED TO CONDUCT TEST

“The government failed to conduct an HIV test,” Whiteman’s lawyer, Maurice Benzaquen, said yesterday.

“Percy is suffering from this illness because the government failed to protect him.”

The tests are now mandatory for immigrants over the age of 15. It will cost Whiteman a fortune in medical bills to control his illness, he said.

“If he is successful in this action, he will have some money to help himself,” Benzaquen said. “It costs thousands of dollars a month for medical cocktails.”

The case now being heard in court is the first involving a lawsuit against federal immigration authorities over a lack of HIV tests, he said. “I am trying to secure my future,” Whiteman said. “I will have to look after my medical needs.”

Whiteman said he’s not going to rest until Iamkhong is deported. “I can’t wait until she’s deported because of what she has done to me,” he said. “I want to see justice done.”

Iamkhong is being detained on an immigration hold. Her Toronto lawyer couldn’t be reached for comment yesterday.

bron: cnews.canoe.ca [30-12-2009]

[Via http://wocview.wordpress.com]

Eight US 'CIA agents' killed in Afghanistan bomb attack

BBC News report

Eight Americans reportedly working for the CIA have died in a bomb attack in Afghanistan, the worst against US intelligence officials since 2001.

A bomber wearing an explosive vest entered Forward Operating Base Chapman in Khost Province, near Pakistan.

A Taliban spokesman has said one of its members carried out the attack.

In a separate incident, four Canadian soldiers and a journalist died when their vehicle was blown up in the south-eastern province of Kandahar.

It is the worst fatal incident affecting Canadians in Afghanistan for more than two years.

‘Award-winning reporter’

The journalist has been identified as Michelle Lang, 34, from the Calgary Herald, who had just arrived on her first assignment in the country.

The armoured vehicle the group were travelling in was touring local reconstruction projects.

An award-winning health reporter, her colleagues at the newspaper were said to have been devastated by the news of the death of Ms Lang, who was recently engaged to be married and described as bright, quick-witted and kind.

“We are all very saddened to hear this tragic news,” Alberta Health Minister Ron Liepert said in a statement. “Michelle covered health issues with professionalism, accuracy and thoroughness.”

The BBC’s Lee Carter, in Toronto, says the deaths will add to the conviction felt by many Canadians that the country has carried a disproportionate number of casualties – the total has now reached 138 – especially in comparison to some European Nato allies.

Remote areas

A Taliban spokesman has said the group was responsible for the suicide bomb attack at Chapman Base.

Speaking to the BBC, Zabiullah Mujahid claimed that the bomber was also an Afghan soldier and was wearing uniform when he managed to breach security at the base.

Initially, the dead Americans in Khost were described simply as civilians, but they were later reported to be affiliated to the CIA.

The BBC’s Kim Ghattas in Washington says the exact nature of their role is not year clear but some of those killed may have been contractors to the agency.

Reports suggested the attacker struck inside the gym at the base. It is not clear how many people were injured.

“We mourn the loss of life in this attack, and are withholding further details pending notification of next of kin,” US State Department spokesman Ian Kelly said.

A spokesman for Isaf, the international Nato force in Afghanistan, said that “no US and no Isaf military personnel were killed or injured” in the incident.

Khost province – which is one of the Taliban’s strongholds – has been targeted by militants over the past year.

The number of foreign civilians deployed in Afghanistan has been rising as international efforts there focus increasingly on development and aid.

Civilians work alongside military reconstruction teams at provincial bases around the country.

A “civilian surge” was one of the three core elements of the new US strategy for Afghanistan announced by US President Barack Obama at the beginning of the month.

This has been the deadliest year for foreign troops since the 2001 invasion.

[Via http://theislamicstandard.wordpress.com]

Tuesday, December 29, 2009

Generations

A few days before Christmas, my brother and I drove into Ottawa to pick up Doug at the airport (I came to Canada a couple of days ahead of him to spend extra time with my family). Because we had my four-year-old niece along with us, a good portion of the drive was spent playing imaginary games – she is horse-crazy, so Pegasus figured heavily into flying games, as did reindeer, of course, it being the Christmas season. But my brother is a musician, and so it wasn’t long before music became part of our drive as well – mostly recent music, and though not kid’s per se, definitely kid-friendly. At one point, however, David pulled out a classic from our youth, “America” by Yes, and we spent a fun quarter-hour belting out the song at the top of our lungs.

Lucky girl - she'll know music from every generation, every genre... though from her expression, I don't think "Yes" is to to liking just yet.... On the way to the airport to pick up Uncle Doug.

We were so enthusiastic, in fact, that other drivers were smiling in our direction when we stopped for a red light. And I had one of those moments. You know the kind. It is as if you are glimpsing a snapshot of your life, viewing it from someone else’s perspective – and here is what I saw: two fifty-somethings, accompanied by a four-year-old, on the way to pick up another fifty-something from the airport. From that perspective, it would only be normal to surmise that that this group was a grandfather and a great-aunt with young Elizabeth, on the way to meet her great-uncle…. It made me smile. Because here we are, old enough to be the grands and greats all around – but we’re not. We are only one generation apart.

Lynda and Elizabeth

There are, of course, disadvantages to the age difference – when E. graduates from university, we will all be in our seventies… and sometimes, the energy of a four-year-old is a little overwhelming to her aunt. But that would probably have been true even when I was in my thirties, as I don’t have children of my own. Physically, we fifty-somethings are in very good shape – and the odd arthritic knee is of no more consequence when playing on the floor than when running on a trail. On the whole, I think that we are all very lucky. Elizabeth, Axel and Nick are growing up surrounded by mature, stable adults (well, more mature and stable than at 25, anyway…), all of whom have a wonderful sense of humour, an appreciation for the magic of childhood and an infinite amount of love to give.  They will be learning the lessons of so many generations, exposed as they are to the music, art, literature, opinions – the entire culture, in fact – of a vastly multi-generational family. They have received the gift of a widely diverse, very extended family – a family that, despite the age differences, also includes grandparents and cousins, great-aunts and great-uncles.

And the gifts they give in return? Unconditional love, with the whole-body-thrown-at-you hugs of four-year-olds; the thrill of  recognizing a quirky sense of humour, a family trait… and the shy glances of 12-year-olds, looking to see if you get their jokes; the punch-to-the-gut sweetness of  10-year-old boys, unselfconsciously showing off their talents; the ability to remember, once again, what it was like to think that anything is possible; in short, the chance to see the world through the eyes of youth, still fresh and not yet jaded.

It is a satisfyingly reciprocal relationship that this oddly-spanned, multi-generational family has been blessed to receive.  Even though, living in Texas,  I don’t get to participate in it as often as I would like, I am enriched by it nonetheless. And I go home warmed by the knowledge that, in one little town in the Great White North, in a family as unconventional as you could ever find, the old-fashioned notions of home and love, the values of  FAMILY, are strong and alive, and being passed on.

Generation after generation.

[Via http://paythepiper.wordpress.com]

Willard - the hermit of Gully Lake (1)

In the 1940’s American-born Willard (Kitchener) MacDonald jumped his troop train heading to WWII. Fearing authorities he lived as a Hermit deep in the northern wilderness of Nova Scotia, Canada, for more than 60 years. This is the true story of The Hermit of Gully Lake, a man who lived a life that the rest of us could never endure. He was a soul in exile and yet you will discover that he touched the lives of so many, in ways that no one can really explain — Willard became a Legend.

[Via http://hermitblog.wordpress.com]

Sunday, December 27, 2009

Prediction For The Coming Decade: A Real Estate Bear Market Will Be Vancouver's Defining Social And Economic Event.

vreaa is taking liberties with this ‘end-of-the-decade’ note by departing from archiving anecdotes and instead posting a prediction:

A remarkable decade comes to a close. The dot.com bust, 9/11, the US sub-prime housing mess, extreme loonie volatility, failing forestry, commodity roller-coaster rides, the stock market crash of 2008, global recession. Each of these events affected Vancouver’s economy in an exceedingly limited fashion. The strength of the Real Estate market saw us through, and RE was without doubt the social and economic story of the decade. Now, factors threatening market health have steadily accumulated, and in our opinion they are approximating a critical mass. A virtuous cycle is about to turn vicious. All evidence suggests that Vancouver Real Estate is heading for a very significant bear market. Unfortunately, conditions have become so distorted that a simple return to normal will have profound and prolonged consequences for our city.  The coming housing bust will effect all Vancouverites, and the fallout will not be good. For our city, this RE crash will quite likely be the defining social and economic event of the next decade. The factors in the drama are distilled below. Comments welcome. – vreaa

.

‘The Vancouver RE Bubble And Bust’

.

Act One – Background Stories:

“Best Place On Earth”.

“Running Out Of Land”.

Chinese Economic Growth.

Wealthy Foreign Buyers.

2010 Winter Olympics.

Grow-Ops; “Multi-Billion Dollar Underground Economy”.

“Real Estate Always Goes Up In The Long Run”.

Free Money; Government Distortion Of Lending Risk.

‘Affordability’ Based Solely On Monthly Carrying Cost.

“Prices Are Going Up”; Bidding Wars.

RE Dominates Social Dialogue; “My Neighbour Made 10 Years’ Salary Flipping.”

“Buy Now Or Be Priced Out Forever”, Buying Panic.

.

The Major Players:

Overextended Local RE Owners.

Local Investors; Households That Own Two or More Properties.

Housing-ATM-Syndrome Sufferers.

Developers, With Lots Of Product.

Speculators, Waiting To Run For The Exit.

Boomers, Waiting To Cash Out For Retirement.

Equity So Life Changing, I’ll Cash Out Soon

Foreign Investors, Who Have As Yet Seen Nothing But Vancouver Gains.

.

Act Two – The Stage Is Set; Current Conditions:

‘Rent to Price’ and ‘Income to Price’ Ratios At Historic Extremes; Both Suggest Housing > 2x Overvalued.

Ownership Levels At Record Highs.

Slow Economy, Strong Loonie, Moribund Industries.

Rising Unemployment, Negative Savings Rate, Dropping Disposable Income, Household Debt.

Misallocation of Capital.

Demand From The Future All Used Up; Depleted Pool Of FTBs.

Adequate Supply.

Olympic Rental Market Underwhelming.

Double Top On Technical Analysis (For What That Is Worth).

Irrational Local Confidence; “We’re Different”; Complacency; Bull Hubris; Bear Capitulation.

.

Act Three – Coming Action:

Dropping Rents, Increasing Vacancy Rates, Worsening Fundamentals.

Mortgage Terms Tighten; At Least 10% Down, 30 Years Maximum Amortization.

Post-Olympic Blues; Olympic Nomad Exodus; Post-Olympic Supply.

Spring 2010 Supply.

Rising Interest Rates.

Price Falls Commence.

Speculator Supply.

Rising Taxes, HST.

Prices Drop Below Jan-Mar 2009 Trough Lows (15% Off).

“Prices Are Going Down”; Dearth Of Bids.

Boomer Supply.

Seller Urgency; Irrational Fear.

Stagnation; Multi-Year Bear Market; BC Economy Struggles.

RE Vacates Social Dialogue; “My Neighbour Lost Everything .”

Prediction 2010-2019: A Real Estate Bear Market Will Be Vancouver’s Defining Social And Economic Event.

VREAA will continue to collect stories from the Vancouver RE Bubble ‘n Bust. Please post or e-mail stories from the trenches. The majority will be headlined. The blog posts read like a chronological series of stories. The category and tag sidebars allow you to access specific types of stories. -vreaa

[Via http://vreaa.wordpress.com]

ไม่ Canadian Health Care System Cover ผู้เยี่ยม Canada?

Canadian Health Care System จะขึ้นอยู่กับการประกันสุขภาพหลาย socialized แผนการให้ความคุ้มครองเต็มเพื่อประชาชนแคนาดาและแบบตามที่ American Health Care System ได้รับการวิเคราะห์ในขณะ.

ใน แคนาดา รัฐบาลสหรัฐกำหนดหลักเกณฑ์ที่ใช้กับจังหวัดอื่นๆและพื้นที่ของประเทศในเรื่องสุขภาพแต่ระบบมาจากเงินของรัฐในดินแดนหรือตามจังหวัด.

เพราะทุกพื้นที่ของประเทศแคนาดาจัดการระบบการดูแลสุขภาพของตนเองมีข้อพิพาทมากเกินไปและการอภิปรายเกี่ยวกับความคุ้มครองการดูแลสุขภาพสำหรับท้องถิ่นและผู้เยี่ยมชมประเทศ.

ผู้ที่ต้องการเข้าถึงแคนาดาระบบสุขภาพต้องใช้บัตรสุขภาพจังหวัดและรอไม่, เกินสามเดือนเพื่อขอรับบัตรสุขภาพของพวกเขาในกรณีของผู้อพยพใหม่.

ในขณะที่ ประเทศแคนาดา พระราชบัญญัติหลักประกันสุขภาพที่ชาวทุกพื้นที่หรือจังหวัดจะยอมรับสุขภาพคุ้มครองผู้เข้าชมชั่วคราวสามารถเข้าถึงระบบการซื้อประกันภัยนี้ด้วยตนเอง.

แต่ยังมีการดูแลให้บริการสาธารณสุขที่ปกครองตามพระราชบัญญัติเดียวกันให้บริการเช่นโรงพยาบาลผ่าตัดทันตกรรมบริการเคลื่อนที่แพทย์ดูแลหลักและผู้เชี่ยวชาญให้ครอบคลุมถึงนโยบายประกันจังหวัด.

เป็นผู้เข้าชมใน แคนาดา คุณสามารถซื้อสุขภาพประกันและได้รับประโยชน์จากบริการสาธารณะเหล่านี้ในระหว่างอยู่ในแคนาดาพื้นที่.

แคนาดา มีจำนวนถึง 30,000 แพทย์ดูแลหลักที่บัญชีสำหรับครึ่งเหนือของแพทย์ชาวแคนาดาทั้งหมดดังนั้นคุณจะไม่ได้มีปัญหาการหาแพทย์ที่สามารถให้คุณดูแล preventative หรือการรักษาพยาบาลเบื้องต้น.

แพทย์ผู้เชี่ยวชาญบัญชี 28,000 ทั่วประเทศและมีคลินิกเอกชนอนันต์ปฏิบัติการในประเทศที่เสนอบริการทางการแพทย์เฉพาะแต่ตามกฎหมายรัฐบาลกลางที่พวกเขาไม่ควรให้บริการที่ครอบคลุมถึงAct Canada Health.

แม้ว่า, คลินิกให้บริการมากที่สุดเช่นข้อจำกัดทางกฎหมายไม่ว่าพวกเขาจะครอบคลุมถึงนโยบายประกันเอกชนให้ความช่วยเหลือดูแลสุขภาพคนที่อื่นจะเหลือไม่มีการป้องกันรักษา.

ประกันเอกชนใน แคนาดา อาจครอบคลุมถึง 80% ของค่ารักษาพยาบาลและมีให้สำหรับนักท่องเที่ยวและชาวท้องถิ่นไม่พอใจกับจังหวัดหรืออาณาเขตระบบการดูแลสุขภาพ. ของพวกเขา

ในด้านการแพทย์ว่างเป็นปี 2007 มีแพทย์ดูแลหนึ่งหลักทุกแคนาดา 1,000 ผู้ใช้เกือบ 3,300 $ ต่อคนที่สนใจดูแลสุขภาพทุกปี.

ทราบว่า Canadian Health Care System ไม่ได้ให้บริการขั้นพื้นฐานที่ชาวและบางส่วนของพวกเขาที่นักท่องเที่ยวมักจะต้องการเช่น optometrists, บริการทันตกรรมและยาใบสั่งยาที่ประชาชนต้องจ่าย.

[Via http://sltravelcanada.wordpress.com]

Saturday, December 26, 2009

Canada's Supreme Court establishes new libel defence

Journalists, bloggers can rely on new “responsible communication” defence on issues of public importance

 

by Glen McGregor The Supreme Court of Canada has dramatically widened the legal protections for journalists and even bloggers who report on issues in the public interest.   PHOTO: The Supreme Court of Canada has dramatically widened the legal protections for journalists and even bloggers who report on issues in the public interest.

Photograph by: Pat McGrath, The Ottawa Citizen

OTTAWA — In a ruling hailed by media organizations as important extension of the right to free expression, the Supreme Court has widened the legal protections for journalists who report on issues in the public interest.

The court ruled in favour of the Ottawa Citizen and other media organizations by creating a new defence from defamation lawsuits based on “responsible communication” of issues of public importance.

Journalists or Internet bloggers who are sued for libel or slander will no longer have to prove in court the absolute truth of every allegation. Instead, they can rely on the new defence if the issue is of public importance and they took proper steps to verify the information.

The court said that defamation law must balance freedom of expression on these issues against the need to protect a person’s reputation and privacy.

“I conclude that the current law with respect to statements that are reliable and important to the public debate does not give adequate weight to the constitutional value of free expression,” wrote Chief Justice Beverley McLachlin in a unanimous decision.

The court decision was based on two cases, one involving the Toronto Star and another on Ottawa Citizen reports about a former OPP officer Danno Cusson.

The Citizen stories reported allegations Cusson had misrepresented himself and his dog as a trained RCMP sniffer-dog team when they went to World Trade Center in the weeks after the 2001 terror strikes.

Cusson won a libel case against the Citizen in 2006 and was awarded $100,000. The newspaper appealed to the Ontario Court of Appeal. The court said there should be a defence of responsible journalism, but said because the Citizen hadn’t presented it, the award to Cusson stood. The Citizen challenged the award to the Supreme Court.

The decision handed down Tuesday upheld the new defence and, contrary to the Court of Appeal, said it should have been available to the Citizen. The court ordered a new trial in the Cusson case and the Toronto Star case.

Citizen lawyer Richard Dearden said the decision marked a major advance in defamation law.

“Had this new defence not been established, we’d be in the Dark Ages,” he said.

“We’re now in the 21st century in terms of freedom of expression in the country. The SC has brought Canada in line with other Commonwealth countries.”

He also noted that the court found the Cusson case clearly involved issues in the public interest.

The case will be heard again with the Citizen free to claim the new defence, should Cusson decide to proceed. Ronald Caza, the lawyer representing Cusson, said his client would consider the ruling before saying how he would proceed.

The court said it was striking the “middle road” between the much looser defamation laws in the United States and the existing law, which required media organizations to prove the truth of every allegation.

Dearden said he believes the decision could effectively raise the standards of journalism in Canada because of the requirement to act responsibly.

The new defence will not give free license for journalists to make mistakes. They will still have to show they acted responsibly in their reporting on public interest issues.

The court said the definition of public interest to which the defence applies does not necessarily mean something of interest to the public. The private lives of public figures are not necessarily covered by the defence.

Once a judge establishes public interest, the responsibility of the reporting must be tested based on eight factors set out by the court, including the seriousness of the allegation, the trustworthiness of the source, the urgency of the issue and the attempts taken to obtain a response from the subject of story.

The Ontario court had called the defence “responsible journalism,” but the Supreme Court said that the title was too narrow and should also encompass communications made by Internet bloggers and others who are not journalists.

In defamation cases heard before a jury, the judge will decide whether the issue is in the public interest and juries will decided whether the reporter acted responsibly.

Media lawyers hailed the decision as groundbreaking.

“This is a great step forward in democratic and open discussion,” said Paul Schabas, who represented the Toronto Star.

“This means there will be more information put out to the public to scrutinize what public officials do and debate matters of public interest.”

Peter Jacobsen, lawyer for the Globe and Mail, an intervener in the two cases, said the decision will encourage freer debate on public issues by journalists and others without the fear of expensive litigation.

“They don’t have be afraid of being sued just because they got it wrong,” he said. “Now, if they’ve done everything they can reasonably do to get it right, they can publish without fear of horrendous libel damages against them.”

internet site reference: LINK

[Via http://exopoliticsnews.wordpress.com]

News Round-Up: American Imperialism Around the World

US Military Actions Overseas: 1798 – 2008  - compiled by Congressional Research Service for Congress, 2009 With the infrequent exception of year off now and again, we have been at war continuously since 1798. Timelines 2000-2010: US, Europe, Latin America, Africa & Asia A History of CIA Atrocities   World’s Sole Military Superpower’s 2 Million-Troop, $1 Trillion Wars  In his Nobel Peace Prize acceptance speech on December 10 the president of the United States appropriated for his country the title of “the world’s sole military superpower” and for himself “the Commander-in-Chief of the military of a nation in the midst of two wars.” This may well have been the first time that an American – and of course any – head of state in history boasted of his nation being the only uncontested military power on the planet and unquestionably the only time a Nobel Peace Prize recipient identified himself as presiding over not only a war but two wars simultaneously. Congress Approves $636.3 Billion for Defense in Fiscal 2010 Mercenaries and Assassins: The Real Face of Obama’s “Good War” Stunning Statistics About the War Every American Should Know Contrary to popular belief, the US actually has 189,000 personnel on the ground in Afghanistan right now—and that number is quickly rising. A hearing in Sen. Claire McCaskill’s Contract Oversight subcommittee on contracting in Afghanistan has highlighted some important statistics that provide a window into the extent to which the Obama administration has picked up the Bush-era war privatization baton and sprinted with it. Overall, contractors now comprise a whopping 69% of the Department of Defense’s total workforce, “the highest ratio of contractors to military personnel in US history.” That’s not in one war zone—that’s the Pentagon in its entirety. Blowback From America’s Mercenary Army–Ret. Generals Make More Than Gates America’s Faltering Military/Mercenary Army Kucinich: The War Is a Threat to Our National Security “The war is a threat to our national security. We’ll spend over one $100 billion next year to bomb a nation of poor people while we reenergize the Taliban, destabilize Pakistan, deplete our army and put more of our soldiers’ lives on the line. Meanwhile, back here in the USA, 15 million people are out of work. People are losing their jobs, their health care, their savings, their investments, and their retirement security. $13 trillion in bailouts for Wall Street, trillions for war; when are we going to start taking care of things here at home?” Ron Paul: Obama Is Preparing for Perpetual War Demoralization, Destabilization, Insurgency, Normalization   23 CIA Agents Convicted in Rendition Case   Short Video About UAV Combat Operations Fake Al Qaeda “The truth is, there is no Islamic army or terrorist group called Al Qaida. And any informed intelligence officer knows this. But there is a propaganda campaign to make the public believe in the presence of an identified entity representing the ‘devil’ only in order to drive the TV watcher to accept a unified international leadership for a war against terrorism. The country behind this propaganda is the US . . .” — Former British Foreign Secretary Robin Cook AFRICOM and America’s Global Military Agenda: Taking The Helm Of The Entire World US “sinister” plans in Latin America Obama Is Preparing for War in South America “Nobel Peace Prize Winner Barack Obama, is Preparing for War in South America”; Interview with Eva Golinger  ”The first and foremost important achievement during the Chávez administration is the 1999 Constitution, which, although not written nor decreed by Chávez himself, was created through his vision of change for Venezuela. The 1999 Constitution was, in fact, drafted – written – by the people of Venezuela in one of the most participatory examples of nation building, and then was ratified through popular national referendum by 75% of Venezuelans. CIA ran at least two secret prisons in Lithuania, inquiry confirms CIA Secret ‘Torture’ Prison Found at Fancy Horseback Riding Academy The CIA built one of its secret European prisons inside an exclusive riding academy outside Vilnius, Lithuania, a current Lithuanian government official and a former U.S. intelligence official told ABC News this week. Where affluent Lithuanians once rode show horses and sipped coffee at a café, the CIA installed a concrete structure where it could use harsh tactics to interrogate up to eight suspected al-Qaeda terrorists at a time. A full report on the can be seen on ABC’s World News with Charles Gibson tonight. India: Was Mumbai suspect a double agent for US?  The Indian press is abuzz with news that Indian Home Ministry officials are investigating whether a terror suspect in the Mumbai attacks, David Headley from Chicago, was working as a ‘double agent’ with the US. If “Al Qaida” Existed Would They Waste American Sleeper Cells Attacking India? ‘Headley was no low-level operative’  The extensive use of terrorist tradecraft by Pakistani American terror suspect David Headley makes it evident that he “was not merely a low-level cannon fodder-type operative”, according to US strategic think tank Stratfor. Mumbai Attackers Await Identification in J.J.Hospital Morgue A long article about the Mumbai terrorist attacks of November 26th, 2008 Officials: Mysterious ‘Country A’ In Nozette Spy Case Is India   Nozette Intrigue Grows: Spy Suspect Recently Cooperated With Feds In Separate Criminal Probe Agent Orange Continues to Poison New Generations in Vietnam Obama’s Bioweapons Program RELATED: News Round-up: American Imperialism in AfPak Region News Round-Up: American Imperialism in the Middle East

[Via http://hope2012.wordpress.com]

Thursday, December 24, 2009

65. Worst Ever Salsa

The image pictured here is a kinder simulacrum of the real offense. The actual salsa was so wan and gummy that its face could not actually be shown. Worse was its taste: it was nothing more than old canned tomatoes dumped into a ramekin and seasoned with tepid, unfiltered water. As one person from Edmonton aptly put it:

“It’s like an economy-sized can of smashed assholes.”

Now the reader is probably wondering where this salsa was discovered, and the answer is Vancouver, BC (Canada). The venue itself was hard to recall, although it *may* have been called something like:

  • Tight goat
  • Flabby elk
  • Relaxed caribou

Memory escapes one.

*simulated image care of this photostream

[Via http://culinaryabortions.wordpress.com]

Max's Deli

It has been a challenge finding the fashionable when the weather is chilly because I am more reluctant to go out. People are bundled up too, covering what they are wearing. Yesterday I finally found someone at a coffee shop/deli. I immediately noticed her nice bob haircut and deep plum sweater. It was a great look on her. Again the photo is not the greatest quality and it has been tweaked a little to enhance the colour and detailing of the sweater. I am working on getting a better camera, but in the meantime I need to be more conscious of the lighting! Anyway I’m very pleased to be able to update my blog. Click on the image for more details.

[Via http://vancityfabric.wordpress.com]

Tuesday, December 22, 2009

"Responsible communication" as a libel defence: Supreme Court of Canada

Toronto Star,

In a landmark ruling on freedom of expression, the Supreme Court of Canada has created a new legal defence to libel lawsuits that would shield journalists who fairly and responsibly report stories of public interest.

The new defence, dubbed “responsible communication” by the country’s top court, gives greater protection to broadcasters, writers and bloggers who do a form of reporting due diligence.

It is a huge legal victory for the Toronto Star, which along with a broad coalition of Canadian media outlets, and the Canadian Civil Liberties Association, had called for just such a defence.

The decision breaks new ground for Canadian common law, bringing it in line with decisions in Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and the United Kingdom.

CBC News (with video),

Two Ontario newspapers will get new libel trials, the Supreme Court of Canada has ruled, opening the door for journalists to defend themselves against libel using the defence of “responsible journalism.”

The Ottawa Citizen and the Toronto Star launched appeals under rules for the possible new defence that were outlined by the Ontario Court of Appeal two years ago.

Read the full SCoC decision here.

[Via http://kempton.wordpress.com]

Me Time??

Do you get any ‘me’ time?

Ha.  ‘Me’ time?  Um, no.  I’ve got two children, a husband and a dog.  There are 24-hours in the day, and I like to spend at least six of those catching as many zzz’s as I can.

Okay, I suppose I do have ‘me’ time – those six broken hours of slumber are all to me, myself and I; however, the reality is, even in my sleep, one ear is on alert.

From the moment Miss S was born, I wanted ‘me’ time, but it was a struggle to figure out when it worked.  I wasn’t about to give up one second of slumber, so it came after my husband finished putting Miss Q to bed.

I always felt like my hour was under scrutiny, like I had to rush through my shower, internet use and forgo my TV shows to get back to Miss S, so my husband could finish the dishes and attempt his own ‘me’ time.

How true, the saying, “If Mama ain’t happy…”  But the reality was (is) I was (am) still the primary caregiver to the bundle of snuggles, Miss S.  Because of this, I couldn’t afford the luxury of ‘me’ – I was lucky to get an hour.

Now, those crazy-hazy first three months are behind us (sniff) and Miss S is sleeping in the early evening (beside me as I type, in fact).  ‘Me’ time is upon me, right?  Sort of.

This time with Miss S is too precious to pump and go.  First of all, I hate pumping.  Second of all, where would I go?

In my delicious dreams, I go to Mexico… with my girls – hey, I’m on mat-leave, who says you have to stay in the same city the whole year?  When I mentioned this to my husband, he was all too quick to say, “Go.”  Talk about a ‘me’ time present for him.

The fact is, I dream of traveling with them; three girls conquering the world.  The reality of even shopping with them is I end up breastfeeding Miss S in the car, while Miss Q has a snack.  That would make for a slow drive across Canada.

My simple dream for ‘me’ time is an hour of cardio – something a little more sweaty than walking with a toddler, a baby and dog around a muddy trail.

Yesterday, I loaded the girls into the double Chariot with the explicit directions to Miss Q that Mummy was going for a walk, and she was going to get to sit with her friends in the stroller.  It took moderate convincing, but Miss Q was game once her four stuffies were snuggled beside her and her dozing sister.

My ‘me’ time: pushing a double stroller around the neighbourhood.

We were 10 minutes out when I realized an hour was too ambitious.  Miss S woke with a vengeance and I was forced to turn the ship around.

‘Me’ time, when you’re not willing to compromise face-time with your daughters, is a gradual experience.  Sure, I miss being able to walk out the door without the kitchen sink, but what I’m privy to day-in and day-out is worth the ‘me’ time wait.

[Via http://cautiousmum.wordpress.com]

Sunday, December 20, 2009

CANADIAN GOVERNMENT CUTS FUNDING TO HUMAN RIGHTS WORKERS

$7 million muzzling shocker- Canadian government cuts off funds for church group it calls anti-Semitic by Cecilie Surasky Despite a 35-year collaboration, the Canadian church group KAIROS: Canadian Ecumenical Justice Initiatives, “one of Canada’s most respected and important charitable organizations,” was stunned when their likely routine 7 million dollar request for the human rights program was denied by the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA). But they were even more surprised when they discovered why: although the group’s board had made public their opposition to sanctions and boycotts against Israel 2 years earlier, Citizenship and Immigration Minister Jason Kenney in a speech he gave this week in Israel charged the group with being anti-Semitic for “taking a leadership role in the boycott.” Kenney, speaking at the Global Forum for Combating Anti-Semitism, said they were “defunding” groups as part of their new “zero-tolerance” approach to anti-Semitism.  (Read the full text of his speech here. )

In his speech, Kenney included in a list of acts of anti-Semitism, like the spray-painting of swastikas on a Canadian Holocaust memorial, the spray-painting of the phrase “Stop the Israeli genocide in Gaza”.

Anti-human rights/Israel lobby group NGO Monitor built an extensive dossier on KAIROS– which represents Canada’s Mennonites, the Anglican, United and Catholic Churches and does work in some of the poorest regions of the world.

Kairos came under fire for co-sponsoring, along with 50 other groups, an international Sabeel conference in 2005 on morally responsible investment. (Sabeel is “an ecumenical grassroots liberation theology movement among Palestinian Christians,” and Jewish Voice for Peace frequently co-sponsors Sabeel conferences here in the United States.)

In this comprehensive and thoughtful 2008 strategy paper on using “economic advocacy measures… to advance peace between Palestinians and Israelis, ” KAIROS said:

KAIROS affirms the desire of the Israeli people for a secure homeland, recognizing the long, terrible and continuing history of anti-Semitism, and the vital role of Israel to Jewish people around the world. KAIROS also recognizes the great suffering of the Palestinian people, many of whom live as refugees in surrounding countries, and others who have lived under Occupation for 40 years, and affirms their right to a secure and viable homeland. KAIROS calls for an end to the Israeli Occupation of Palestinian Territories and for two secure states based on the June 4, 1967 borders.

They also explicitly rejected “sanctions against Israel” and “a boycott of products from Israel.” But in line with the universal recognition of the illegality of settlements, they did also advocate for things like:

limiting the geographical applicability of Canada-Israel Free Trade Agreement to within the 1967 borders of the State of Israel; and

enforcing a certification of origin for goods coming from settlements in the Occupied Palestinians Territories;

and, almost identical to the Presbyterian Church USA’s strategy:

That where KAIROS members opt to pursue shareholder action respecting Canadian companies doing business in Israel or the Occupied Palestinian Territories (that are contributing directly or indirectly to violence, occupation or other human rights abuses in the region), shareholder action shall move through several stages, from dialogue with senior company management to filing shareholder proposals and, as a last resort, divestment.

So, after so much thoughtful and sensitive delving into ways to responsibly use economic pressure and investment, what did they get for their troubles? Charges of anti-Semitism. (At Jewish Voice for Peace, where we have devised a similarly nuanced approach to economic pressure that works for us, choosing to focus on companies that profit from the occupation, or groups that fund settlements, we’ve seen from day one how pro-occupation groups purposefully and immediately ignore the facts, and raise the urgent flag of anti-Semitism as a strategy to kill virtually any resistance activity that goes beyond nicely asking the Israeli government to stop violating international law. Ironically, as they deny more and more people the right to boycott settlement goods only, they leave them with no choice but to boycott all Israeli products. )

A KAIROS official responded in The Star:

“It’s a horrible charge to make, and to do it with so little thought cheapens the reality of anti-Semitism in the world and diminishes the very careful attention that it deserves,” said United Church spokesperson Bruce Gregersen. “We’re quite disappointed in the government on this.

“The policies of KAIROS have all been approved by the collective board of KAIROS, so in a sense what Mr. Kenney is doing is accusing Canadian churches of being anti-Semitic and I think that’s really unfortunate,”

KAIROS director Mary Corkery told the Anglican Journal

“We do criticize actions of the Israeli government and we do support an independent, viable Palestinian state, so we have criticized the settlements, the barrier wall, the occupation of the West Bank, yes, but that can not be associated with anti-Semitism.”

Corkery said that Kairos had also heard from a number of Jewish people who objected to Kenney’s association of anti-Semitism with criticism of Israel. “They may not agree with us, but they don’t want that. That doesn’t honour anybody,” said Corkery.

KAIROS claims they were confused with a document that was recently released by Christian Palestinian leaders called Kairos Palestine, 2009: A Moment of Truth, which states “We see boycott and disinvestment as tools of justice, peace and security,” endorsing BDS as a form of solidarity for international faith-based organizations. Canada’s KAIROS has nothing to do with this statement.

The Liberal party believes KAIROS “was censured for joining seven religious denominations in speaking out against Conservative policies on climate change, overseas mining operations, aboriginal rights, immigration and international trade.”

We’ll give KAIROS the last word from their December 18 press statement:

Minister Kenney’s charge against KAIROS is false. KAIROS did not lead this campaign. In 2007, KAIROS took a public position opposing sanctions and a boycott of Israel.

A recently released document, Kairos Palestine, 2009: A Moment of Truth, is not a document of KAIROS: Canadian Ecumenical Justice Initiatives. Kairos is a Greek word meaning “God’s time” and is commonly used by Christian groups.

A Minister of the Crown says that his government decided, for what is a highly political reason, to cut funds for a proposal developed in consultation with and approved by CIDA.

Canadians need the truth.

Two points must be made: criticism of Israel does not constitute anti-Semitism; and CIDA was developed to fund international aid and not to serve political agendas.

Minister Kenney’s statement, in a highly charged environment, raises very disturbing questions about the integrity of Canadian development aid decisions. If aid decisions are based on political rumour rather than on due diligence, development criteria and CIDA’s own evaluation process then this is a matter of grave concern for the entire international development sector — and for the Canadian people who pay for this aid.

Many non-governmental organizations have proposals before CIDA that have been on Minister Oda’s desk for months. Others are about to apply for funding. How can they possibly trust this decision-making process in the future?

In the past two weeks, Canadians from across the country have called for the restoration of CIDA funding to KAIROS.

People working for human rights are the true victims of the funding cut to KAIROS. This decision cuts funding for a new legal clinic in the Congo to help women who have been raped in the brutal conflict there. The 5,000 members of the Women’s Popular Organization in Colombia will lose funding for life-saving protection against rampant human rights abuses in their country.

To label KAIROS criticism of Israeli government actions as “anti-Semitic” silences dissent and honours no one. KAIROS has a clear position of support for the legitimate right of the Israeli people to a safe and secure state.

Actually, KAIROS, a third point needs to be made. It is true that there will always be some who harbor anti-Jewish hatred, like the vicious anti-Semite David Duke, who opportunistically join the Palestinian liberation movement and who should be opposed at every turn. (I’d argue that the entire Christian Zionist right is built on an anti-Semitic doctrine which wants to see Jews either incinerated or converted.)

But the fact remains that there is absolutely nothing inherently anti-Semitic about BDS ( boycotts, divestment and sanctions.) As Israeli professor Neve Gordon said, he supports it as a way to save Israel from itself. Further, it follows in a long and extraordinary tradition of nonviolent resistance to injustice, no matter where it occurs.

KAIROS has posted this list of seven ways you can help. Read it and act.

Source

[Via http://desertpeace.wordpress.com]

When I Grow Up I Wanna Be a Nardwuar

WHAT DO YOU WANT TO BE WHEN YOU GROW UP? is way better than a career personality test. It’s our way of celebrating those person, places, and things that are pretty good at life.

When I grow up I want to be John Ruskin, better known as Nardwuar the Human Serviette. Nardwuar the Human Serviette is guerrilla journalism at its finest. He got his start at the University of British Columbia’s radio station CITR 101.9 FM with a show that runs every Friday 3:30-5:00PM Pacific. His show is an enthusiastic mix of music and interviews.

He’s a relentless media personality better described by watching a video of his celebrity interviews. He opens with a “Who are you?” and continues to barrage his subject with questions through the entire interview. He does exhaustive research before his interviews, bringing up facts his interviewees have even forgotten.

He’s made GWAR chuckle. Snoop Dog has stolen from him. He brought out a grade school photo of Josh Homme (Queens of the Stone Age). He left Chris Fehn (Slip Knot) speechless in annoyance. Quiet Riot chased him down the street. And he asked Mikhail Gorbachev which world leader had the biggest pants.

For this, I want to be a Nardwuar when I grow up. Doot doota loot doo…

Doot doot!

[Via http://theawkwardoff.wordpress.com]

Saturday, December 19, 2009

The agony of Leafs Nation

NOTHING ENCAPSULATES how badly things have been going for the Toronto Maple Leafs – and their legion of masochistically loyal fans – quite like this awful goal from last night’s game against the Buffalo Sabres.

This is the same hapless (hopeless? useless?) goaltender, Vesa Toskala, who was responsible for this stinker last season:

Toskala is not solely responsible for the Maple Leafs’ struggles. He’s a big part of the problem, but the blame can be spread pretty evenly around the locker room.

If you’re not a fan of hockey – Canadians’ only reason for living in wintertime – the Leafs are hockey’s Boston Red Sox circa 2003. The team hasn’t won a Stanley Cup since 1967.

And with goaltending like that, Lord Stanley’s mug ain’t coming back to Toronto any time soon.

ryan@roadtostarrdom.com

[Via http://rystarr.wordpress.com]

Why Some People Love Climate Change

There were so many hopes centered on Copenhagen this week.  For some it seemed that an effective, positive deal might actually come to fruition.  However, for many others, it was an impossible dream that was doomed before it even started due in large part to the failing records of many large industrialized nations such as Canada and the United States.  Still, there is one factor that both sides have failed to factor into the equation which I think is a major contributor to the fundamental failure of the Copenhagen talks and most, if not all of those to come.  Some of the traditional holdouts and troublemakers want global warming to continue into the foreseeable future, feeling that there is a profit to made in it.

It is no coincidence that some of the more steadfast holdouts for effective change policies are from the Northern Hemisphere, as the economics of climate change are far more insidious than simply protecting existing dirty industries.  In fact, northern politicians and capitalists are looking forward to many of the offshoots that they feel will be economically beneficial from rising global temperatures.   For Canada, the United States and Russia, the rapidly deicing Northwest Passage is already a hot issue as these nations struggle to gain control of any future shipping that will begin moving through the region in coming years.  The possibility of utilizing a Northwestern Passage through the arctic has been tantalizing for hundreds of years, at least since explorers realized that North and South America stood between Asia and Europe.  An open passage here would dramatically reduce shipping times and operational costs in East-West trade and allow the total bypass for many nations of the Panama Canal, a possibility that many Western capitalists relish regardless of the cost paid by the rest of the world for climate change.

There is also an economic boon to be gained from global warming that includes future profits for the traditionally dirty industries such as mining and fossil fuels.  As the previously frozen tundra, ice covered waters, and glacial covered lands thaw, they will become accessible to the further exploitation not possible in the past.  This includes much of Canada’s north, Alaska, Russia’s north, Greenland and other regions that have long been thought rich in minerals and fossil fuels, but far to expensive to exploit at a profit.

But these industries are not the only ones that could benefit.  As increasing global temperatures will open the northern landscape, there is also the possibility to expand agricultural territory and lengthen the growing seasons in some of the more northern agricultural nations.  Tourism could also be impacted positively as the North becomes far more temperate and therefore accessible to a new breed of tourist, not just seasonal adventurers but a more traditional group of travellers interested in the greatest new destination.

With so many varying industries and interests seeing present and future profit in climate change, it is no wonder that nations such as Canada with northern territories are reluctant to produce any real substantive change in their emissions policies.  So in an effort to protect these profit interests, they concentrate their efforts on protecting their current destructive policies with one eye toward future profits.  With so many industries looking to gain from global warming,  it is not hard to understand the disruptive and destructive approach of many nations such as Canada and the United States to the Copenhagen process.

Related Links Richard Ingham, “Climate deal meets furious reception,” Agence France-Presse (AFP), http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5jmJETxZwV2JFB49zmEvTgHgfw4kA (December 19, 2009)

Suzanne Goldenberg, “Obama emerges from climate talks with slender pact and bruised stature,” guardian.co.uk, http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2009/dec/19/barack-obama-copenhagen-climate-change-us (December 19, 2009)

Christina Spencer, “Canada ‘very comfortable’ with climate-change deal,” Toronto Sun, http://www.torontosun.com/news/canada/2009/12/18/12207171-qmi.html (December 18, 2009)

Michael Szabo, “Canada says must go in tandem with U.S. on climate,” Reuters Canada, http://ca.reuters.com/article/domesticNews/idCATRE5BH54J20091219 (December 18, 2009)

The Canadian Press, “Tighten Arctic security and shipping, Senate urges” The Toronto Star, http://www.thestar.com/news/canada/article/738550–tighten-arctic-security-and-shipping-senate-urges (December 14, 2009)

Randy Boswell, “Arctic sea route to be renamed ‘Canadian Northwest Passage’” The Vancouver Sun, http://www.vancouversun.com/news/Arctic+route+renamed+Canadian+Northwest+Passage/2300092/story.html (December 3, 2009)

Karl Ritter, “In Greenland, warming fuels dream of hidden wealth,” The Associated Press, http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5imQS-V-ibjVp3bpZy0uHoKQmcUWQD9C7QTAG0 (November 27, 2009)

[Via http://vigilantmuse.wordpress.com]

Thursday, December 17, 2009

Let the snow rejoin its snow bank – Open letter to Bernie Sanders

Good morning Bernie -

 

Last night you said: “At the end of the day — not this year, not next year, but sometime in the future — this country will come to understand that if we are going to provide comprehensive quality care to all of our people, the only way we will do that is through a Medicare-for-all, single-payer system” -

 

How much longer must Vermont wait? How much longer must Vermonters wait? How many more bankruptcies and deaths? How can you sleep at night knowing that the solution is there, available, yet unattainable?

 

Do you really, honestly think that your fellow senators don’t already understand the advantages of a Single-Payer system yet? I don’t believe that. They know those advantages, but simply reject them because….?

 

Let’s assume for a second that the constituents of every Senator who’s against Single-Payer, simply does not understand the concept, that they are too uneducated to grasp the concept at all.

 

Now what exactly is preventing those Senators from “educating” their constituents, and “explaining” to them that the single-payer is truly the best system for them?

 

I hate to say this, but what other conclusion is possible? Your fellow Senators defend corporate interests strictly. Not the health of their human constituents. Nor the cost savings that would go back to those same constituents! They MUST know that, by their very action, they are FORCING their constituents’ money into more insurance corporate profits!! How can they live this way? That’s a crook, the Mafia – I don’t find any other word…

 

Time to support a Vermont referendum to join Canada Bernie – That would give all Vermonters immediate Universal Healthcare.

 

I respect your faith in the US – But your faith has become blind – Not enough proof yet? What more do you need to finally understand that reform is NEVER coming as long as corporations, rather than congress, control the good ‘ole US of A?

 

Leave the corporation that only supports the fat cats – Join a country that cares for its citizen.

 

Good day Bernie – Great job yesterday.

Not effective though…

[Via http://philippekeb.wordpress.com]

... like a layer of cocaine blanketing the Earth

Nostalgia creeps in, subtly at first, then snowballs to full-blown homesickness.

I miss looking outside at the 2 feet of snow left overnight and lamenting the length of my parents’ driveway.  I miss donning my Michelin Man down-filled jacket with its mildly effeminate fur trim and shoveling for an hour wit my dad burning half a tank of fuel to warm the car.  I miss the need for remote control car starters, which we were too cheap to actually purchase but which I thought were the coolest things ever.  I miss coming in out of the cold, rosy-cheeked and crusty-skinned, to a glass of hot, strong Russian tea.  I miss the half-shot of brandy my dad slipped into my hot, strong Russian tea while my tea-totaling mother’s gaze rested elsewhere.

I miss snow days and the delicious irony of the phrase “snowed in”.  I miss going to the park with my dog and watching him bounce around like a small lamb in the deep powder, having the word frolic drift through my mind.  I miss watching him shove his long black schnoz deep into the snow and calling his name to make him jerk his head up guiltily, clumps snow sticking to his nostrils – like a coke-head at a drug bust.

Who, me?

"I swear it's just snow," he says.

I miss waiting for the TTC bus in the middle of winter.  I miss spitting on the bus shelter glass and using the length of the frozen spittle trace as a temperature gauge.  I miss the disgusting road slush left behind by the buses, composed of a combination of salt, ice, snow, and something brown that I hope is coffee.  I miss splashing around in the road slush in my galoshes.  I miss using the word galoshes in a non-ironic fashion.

I miss sitting by the single-pane windows of our old apartment and chipping away at the frost, making obscene drawings to the chagrin of my parents.  I miss causing my parents to have chagrin.  They probably still have nagging suspicions that I may be a homosexual because of all the icy penises I left on the living room windows.

I miss that holiest of rites for all children of the frost: sticking my tongue onto a metal fence post and the shock of staring at my tongue flesh’s imprint on the indifferent steel after my friends roughly yank my face away.  I miss the pain and the pride I feel after having done this.

I miss the different types of snow.  I miss knowing the different types of snow and how to make perfect snowballs out of that moste coveted of varieties – packing snow.  I miss throwing snowballs at passing cars or, if no fresh snow had recently fallen, ice pellets.  I miss throwing wedges of ice onto the street to see if the approaching lime green Toyota Tercel could plow through them.  I miss cracked windshields and flat tires.  I miss pleading innocence at an angry bearded Iranian man as he  shakes his hairy fists at me.  I miss having no concept of body shops, car accidents, or repair costs.

I miss the sun reflecting off the white expanse of snow outside.  I miss squinting in the winter.  I miss the ninja-like sunburn on the exposed part of my skin between my eyebrows and the top of my nose.

I miss trudging through the snow to the local pub and ordering whiskey shots for the bar to warm up.  I miss the burning feeling as the whiskey permeates every extremity, making my mittened fingers tingle.  I miss wearing mittens, tying them to my wrist – proclaiming to the world that I have, possibly still do, ride in a shortened school bus designated by shapes and colours rather than numbers.  I miss trying to drunkenly piss the words “Isaac sucks balls” in the snow after a night at the bar, only to realize that my frightened and frigid penis will make this task exceedingly difficult – wondering if this is what it’s like to have an enlarged prostate and dreading this potential future.  I miss the feeling of the burning urine when if finally trickles out, and the hot pungent steam that wafts off the yellowing snow.

I miss the inevitable self-soiling that results from the thawing traces of frozen urine after zipping up.  I miss secretly not caring that I am walking around with soiled underpants.

I miss the frigid mess that is home in wintertime.

[Via http://knowsnothing.wordpress.com]

Tuesday, December 15, 2009

Source: Halladay Traded to Phillies

If sources are correct, today is a dark day for Toronto Blue Jays’ Baseball.

Reports suggest that Roy Halladay has been dealt to the Philadelphia Phillies in a three team trade that will see Toronto receive only prospects in return for their long-time ace.  The third team in the deal, the Seattle Mariners, will receive the rights to current Phillies ace, Cliff Lee.

Toronto is the only organization that Halladay has played for.

Given that the Blue Jays last reached the post season in 1993 (when they won the World Series), seeing Jays management throw in the white flag yet again can only be disappointing for a seemingly depleted Toronto fan base.  The only question that remains is how long fans will put up with continual rebuilding and ‘3-5 year plans’.  With the Raptors and Leafs also struggling, Toronto isn’t interested in empty promises.

Unfortunately, the hard truth is that the Jays probably need to spend upwards of $100 million annually if they hope to contend on a regular basis in the American League East.  Any owner that thinks otherwise probably shouldn’t be in baseball.  Rogers Communications has shown that they’re unwilling to commit the resources to produce a perennial contender and in the process have cost the fan base possibly the best player to have ever worn the Jays’ jersey.

Pending a miracle, my guess is the Jays will be looking for new ownership come 2011.  I wonder if Jim Balsille likes baseball?

[Via http://cheddarbomb.wordpress.com]

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[Via http://computravel.wordpress.com]

Sunday, December 13, 2009

New Study: Home-Educated Canadian Adults Excel

http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/printerfriendly.html?articleid=09120305

By Patrick B. Craine

LONDON, Ontario, December 3, 2009 (LifeSiteNews.com) – A new study released yesterday by the Canadian Centre for Home Education (CCHE) reveals that home-educated adults in Canada excel in all measured areas of adult life, including education level, religious observance, civic and community participation, life satisfaction, and income.

The study, entitled Fifteen Years Later: Home-Educated Canadian Adults, surveyed adults whose parents had responded to a 1994 study on home education.  In total, the researchers collected 226 questionnaires.  Ranging in age from 15 to 34, the respondents answered questions on a variety of topics for which Statistics Canada has comparable data from the wider population.

The results were astounding, says CCHE.

The study found that, when measured against the Canadian average, home-educated adults were more socially engaged and almost twice as likely to have voted in a federal election. Their average income was higher, with more self-reliant sources of income, such as investments and self-employment.  In fact, of all respondents, there were no cases of government support as the primary source of income.

The respondents were happier in their work and about their lives in general.  They also have more varied recreational pursuits.  The study notes, for example, that the respondents “were much more likely than the comparable population to have read books and attended concerts of classical music or theatrical performances.”  Overall, when reflecting on the value of being home-educated, most felt that it was an advantage in their adult life.

“In terms of income, education, entrepreneurial endeavours, involvement in their community, and all the other characteristics measured, home-educated adults not only excel, but also make meaningful contributions to their communities,” stated Paul Faris, president of CCHE.  “They are the type of neighbours we all want.”

The full study and a synopsis are available here.

URL: http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2009/dec/09120305.html

Copyright © LifeSiteNews.com. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-No Derivatives License. You may republish this article or portions of it without request provided the content is not altered and it is clearly attributed to “LifeSiteNews.com”. Any website publishing of complete or large portions of original LifeSiteNews articles MUST additionally include a live link to www.LifeSiteNews.com. The link is not required for excerpts. Republishing of articles on LifeSiteNews.com from other sources as noted is subject to the conditions of those sources.

[Via http://lovingword.wordpress.com]

Saturday, December 12, 2009

Calgary Zoo criticized for animal deaths

 

The Calgray Zoo has come under scrutiny for reportedly housing manourished animals that are recieving insufficient staff care. Two red pandas died from rodent killer, while a knife was discoverd in a gorilla enclosure.

A recent report from the Globe and Mail shows upset patrons, missing animals, and a biologist pushing for an investigation.

[Via http://sherisays.wordpress.com]

Bob Lucier Album Nerves of Steel

Click on pictures to enlarge them

Artist: Bob Lucier

Album: Nerves of Steel

Circa: 1976

Genre: Country

Instrument: Steel guitar

Home: Bob is from Chatham Ontario (Grande Pointe)

Note: Bobby Lucier has been a leader in steel guitar and is world renowned for his unique style and ability.  Bob was the resident Steel Player for “The Tommy Hunter Show” when it aired  on the CBC television network in Canada for many years.

This album contains original works and material by other artists.

1. HEY GOOD LOOKIN’ 

2. YOU AND ME B

3. CITY OF NEW ORLEANS

4. C’MON SON (Bob Lucier)

5. THE HOMECOMING

6. FLOWERS ON THE WALL

7. HAPPY WORLD (Bob Lucier)

8. THE WAY WE WERE

9. JAMAICAN STEEL

10. MY PLEASURE (Bob Lucier)

11. I CAN’T HELP IT

12. TOO HIGH Stevie Wonder

Credits

THE MUSICIANS

RHYTHM & STEEL GUITARS: Bob Lucier

GUITARS: Bob Mann, Jim Pirie, Brian Russell 

BASS: Tom Szczesniak

DRUMS: Bob McLaren 

PIANO: Doug Riley

VIBES -MARIMBA – PERCUSSION: Brian Leonard

OBOE – FLUTE – PICCOLO – MOUTH ORGAN – SPOONS: Jack Zaza

VIOLIN SOLOS BY CONCERT MASTER: Albert Pratz

VIOLINS: Bill Richards, Victoria Richards, Gerrard Kantarjian, 

Andrew Benac, Beauna Neilson

VIOLAS: Walter Babiak, Stanley Solomon  •  CELLO: Peter Schenkman

VOCAL BACK-UP: Stephanie, Diane Pirie, Judy Tate 

CD Graphics & Replication by: Ambassador Records

185 Oshawa Blvd. S., Oshawa, ON  L1H 5R6

905-579-7476 • www.ambrec.com 

Visit Bob, or buy his music online here.

http://www.ambrec.com/boblucier/

_______________________

[Via http://demokidblog.wordpress.com]

Thursday, December 10, 2009

The House Negro And The Field Negro

Speech by Malcolm X:

If the federal government does not find it within its power and ability to investigate a criminal organization such as the Klan, then you and I are within our rights to wire Secretary-General U Thank of the United Nations and charge the federal government in this country, behind Lyndon B. Johnson with being derelict in its duty to protect the human rights of twenty-two million Black people in this country.  And in their failure to protect our human rights, they are violating the United Nations Charter, and they are not qualified to continue to sit in that international body and talk about what human rights should be done in other countries on this earth.  [Applause]…

I have to say this, then I’ll sit down.  Back during slavery, when Black people like me talked to the slaves, they didn’t kill ‘em, they sent some old house Negro along behind him to undo what he said.  You have to read the history of slavery to understand this.

There were two kinds of Negroes.  There was that old house Negro and the field Negro.  And the house Negro always looked out for his master.  When the field Negro got too much out of line, he held them back in check.  He put ‘em back on the plantation.

The house Negro could afford to do that because he lived better than the field Negro.  He ate better, he dressed better, and he lived in a better house.  He lived right up next to his master-in the attic or the basement.  He ate the same food his master ate and wore his same clothes.  And he could talk just like his master-good diction.  And he loved his master more than his master loved himself.  That’s why he didn’t want his master hurt.

If the master got sick, he’d say, “What’s the matter, boss, we sick?” [Laughter]  When the master’s house caught afire, he’d try and put the fire out.  He didn’t want his master’s house burned.  He never wanted his master’s property threatened.  And he was more defensive of it than the master was.  That was the house Negro.

But then you had some field Negroes, who lived in huts, had nothing to lose.  They wore the worst kind of clothes.  They ate the worst food.  And they caught hell.  They felt the sting of the lash.  They hated their master.  Oh yes, they did.

If the master got sick, they’d pray that the master died.  [Laughter and Applause]  If the master’d house caught afire, they’d pray for a strong wind to come along.  [Laughter]  This was the difference between the two.

And today you still have house Negroes and field Negroes [Applause] I’m a field Negro.  If I can’t live in the house as a human being, I’m praying for a wind to come along.  If the master won’t treat me right and he’s sick, I’ll tell the doctor to go in the other direction. [Laughter] But if all of us are going to live as human beings, as brothers, then I’m for a society of human beings that can practice brotherhood. [Applause]

But before I sit down, I want to thank you for listening to me.  I hope I haven’t put anybody on the spot.  I’m not intending to try and stir you up and make you do something that you wouldn’t have done anyway. [Laughter and Applause]

I pray that God will bless you in everything that you do.  I pray that you will grow intellectually, so that you can understand the problems of the world and where you fit into, in that world picture.  And I pray that all the fear that has ever been in your heart will be taken out, and when you look at that man, if you know he’s nothing but a coward, you won’t fear him.  If he wasn’t a coward, he wouldn’t gang up on you.  He wouldn’t need to sneak around here [Applause].  This is how they function.  They function in mobs-that’s a coward.  They put on a sheet so you won’t know who they are-that’s a coward.

No!  The time will come when that sheet will be tipped off.  If the federal government doesn’t take it off, we’ll take it off.

Thank you.

Definition: House Negro is a pejorative term for a black person, used to compare someone to a house slave of a slave owner from the historic period of legal slavery in the US. The term comes from a speech, Message to the Grass Roots, given by African American activist Malcolm X, where he explains that during slavery, there were two kinds of slaves, “house Negroes” who worked in the master’s house and “field Negroes” who performed the manual labor outside. He characterizes the house Negro as having a better life than the field negro, and thus unwilling to leave the plantation, and potentially more likely to support existing power structures that favor whites over blacks. The term is used against individuals, in critiques of attitudes within the African American community, and as a borrowed term for critiquing parallel situations.

For purposes of this conversation, we only focused on the United States, so the time periods get fuzzy as we get more international. Now, the debate rages on about the role and perception of the house negroes. A Black servant who never had to work in the fields with other Blacks, given better clothing, and sometimes given a chance to learn a little more than the field negro. This created tensions between the field and house negros, as (some) field negros percieved house negroes as haughty and pretentious while (some) house negroes looked down on field work and found field negroes disengaging.  Story: Black lawmakers who have largely held their tongues during President Barack Obama’s first year in office are stepping up their demands that the nation’s first black president do more for minority communities hit hardest by the recession. Black lawmakers appear to be losing their patience after watching him dedicate more than $1 trillion to prop up banks and corporations and fight wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, while double-digit unemployment among blacks crept even higher. Democratic Rep. John Conyers, a founding member of the CBC and the longest-serving African American member of the House said, “I have been saying I don’t agree with him on Afghanistan. I think he screwed up on health care reform, on Guantanamo.” During Obama’s campaign, many black leaders pressed him to take more of a stand on the challenges facing minorities. Most voiced criticisms privately for fear of jeopardizing his candidacy or undercutting his popularity after his election. “Tensions between the field and house negros.” The Congressional Black Caucus say Obama isn’t considering race enough when he makes decisions on jobs, the economy, health care and other issues. The 42-member Congressional Black Caucus flexed its influence last week when 10 of its members held up a financial regulation bill backed by the administration until leaders agreed to add about $3 billion in foreclosure relief for struggling homeowners. The unemployment rate among African-Americans is nearly 16 percent, almost double the 9 percent rate for whites. Roughly one in four blacks lives in poverty, compared with about 11 percent of whites. Democratic Rep. Barbara Lee pointed to the fact that 24 percent of blacks currently live below the poverty line and that African Americans are 55 percent more likely to be unemployed than other Americans. Obama was a black caucus member in the Senate before winning the White House last year, but he has never had a close relationship with the group. In recent interviews, he has addressed their criticisms by saying he must represent the entire country, not any one population, and the best way to help low-income communities is to improve the overall economy. “The house Negro as having a better life than the field negro.”

If the house negro didn’t do what she or he did to stay in the house, they’d have a higher risk for mortality, and they often served as the conduits for change amongst White plantation owners to developing better relationships across the races. Others take the view that house negroes are nothing but Uncle Toms, negroes who would rather grovel at the knees for a White man’s mercy and gratitude, even at the cost of his own people.

Click On Links:

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[Via http://emptysuit.wordpress.com]

Meet Dr. Frank Dallan DC

Meet Dr. Frank Dallan DC

“As a child I suffered from intense migraines at least once every two weeks.” Dr Frank recalls. 

These migraines were so unbearable that my mother would put me to bed in a darkened room, where even the faintest light caused me great pain.  She decided to do some research, and came across some information suggesting that Chiropractic care could possibly relieve migraines. She was skeptical in the beginning but didn’t want to rely on Tylenol or Advil as a source of relief so she decided to give Chiropractic a try. 

 I started going to a Chiropractor and over the course of the next year the occurrence of my migraines diminished drastically. 

Since then, I have been fascinated with the field of Chiropractic.  However, it was not until my experience volunteering at my brother in-law (Dr. Brent Lipke’s) clinic, that my desire to become a Chiropractor was solidified. 

At this point in time I was impressed with a Chiropractor’s vast knowledge base in the health sciences, and the art and precision with which they assist the body to heal naturally, to truly help the sick become healthy.  It was this excitement about becoming a Chiropractor that motivated me to focus more time and energy on my studies.  I knew then that I was truly destined to become a Chiropractor, and that I had found my calling, and made a commitment to myself that I would do whatever it took to realize my dream.  Like Dr. Brent, I have found purpose and passion in helping people unleash their own ability to lead a vibrantly healthy, and fulfilling life.”

Dr. Frank began his pre-chiropractic education at the University of Guelph, where he attained his degree in the Honors Biological Science program.  There, he studied biology, physiology, organic chemistry, mammalian physiology, biochemistry, physics and human nutrition. 

After completing his study at the University of Guelph he was accepted into a variety of Chiropractic programs and chose to receive his Doctorate in Saint Louis Missouri, at Logan College of Chiropractic.  During his stay at Logan, courses included, biochemistry, microbiology, embryology, X-ray physics, with a major emphasis on human physiology, human anatomy, neuro-anatomy, human neurology, differential diagnosis, diagnostic imaging, human nutrition, chiropractic adjusting techniques, physical rehabilitation, and patient care in the Logan satellite clinics. 

After graduating in 2007, Dr. Frank returned to his hometown of Guelph to practice at the Family Chiropractic Centre. 

In his spare time you can find Dr. Frank golfing, working out, wakeboarding, waterskiing, downhill skiing, mountain biking, hiking, rock climbing, or walking his black lab “Rocky.”

Dr. Frank also maintains peak performance through weekly adjustments, a healthy diet, regular exercise, restful sleep, and stress coping techniques.

Dr. Frank feels a moral obligation to reach out to his community, and educate people about Chiropractic care and the ways in which it can literally transform their lives one adjustment at a time.  He is looking forward to becoming a mentor and leading by example to promote a healthy drug free lifestyle throughout his community.

I would like to leave you with one very powerful quote, used by one of the pioneers of Chiropractic, Dr. B.J. Palmer which he used in his book The Big Idea (1944) “So, the adjustment of the subluxation to release pressure upon nerves, to restore mental impulse flow, to restore health, is big enough to rebuild the thoughts and actions of the world.  The idea that knows the cause of dis-ease, is one of the biggest ideas known.  Without it, nations fall; with it, nations rise. ”

[Via http://familychiropracticcentre.wordpress.com]

Tuesday, December 8, 2009

More terrorism charges filed against David Headley

CHICAGO (Press Release) — New federal charges filed Monday  allege that a Chicago man, who was arrested in October for planning terrorist attacks against a Danish newspaper and two of its employees, also conducted extensive surveillance of targets in Mumbai for more than two years preceding the November 2008 terrorist attack on India’s largest city that killed approximately 170 people, including six Americans, and injured hundreds more. The defendant, David Coleman Headley, a U.S. citizen, earlier this decade allegedly attended terrorism training camps in Pakistan maintained by Lashkar e Tayyiba (Lashkar), and conspired with its members and others in planning and executing the attacks in both Denmark and India, federal law enforcement officials announced Monday.

Also Monday, a criminal complaint was unsealed in Federal Court in Chicago charging Abdur Rehman Hashim Syed (Abdur Rehman), a retired major in the Pakistani military, with conspiracy in planning to attack the Danish newspaper and its employees. Another Chicago man, Tahawwur Hussain Rana, a Canadian citizen and native of Pakistan, was arrested in October on federal charges filed in Chicago relating to the Danish terrorism plot.

Through his attorneys, Headley has authorized the Justice Department to disclose that he is cooperating in the ongoing investigation of both the Danish and Indian terror plots. He has remained in federal custody without bond since he was arrested in Chicago on Oct. 3, 2009. No date has been set yet for his arraignment in U.S. District Court in Chicago.

Headley, 49, was charged in a 12-count criminal information with six counts of conspiracy to bomb public places in India, to murder and maim persons in India and Denmark, to provide material support to foreign terrorist plots, and to provide material support to Lashkar, and six counts of aiding and abetting the murder of U.S. citizens in India.

The charges were announced by Patrick J. Fitzgerald, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, and Robert D. Grant, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California and the FBI’s offices in Los Angeles and Washington, D.C., are also participating in the case.

“This investigation remains active and ongoing. The team of prosecutors and agents will continue to seek charges against the other persons responsible for these attacks. I continue to express my deep appreciation to the FBI agents and other members of the Joint Terrorism Task Force for their extremely hard work on this matter,” said Mr. Fitzgerald.

“This case serves as a reminder that the terrorist threat is global in nature and requires constant vigilance at home and abroad,” said David Kris, Assistant Attorney General for National Security. “We continue to share leads developed in this investigation with our foreign and domestic law enforcement partners as we work together on this important matter.”

FBI Director Robert S. Mueller, III, said: “This case illustrates the importance of continued global cooperation to combat terrorism around the world. The FBI continues to strengthen relationships and to foster collaboration with our international partners to best ensure our collective ability to identify and disrupt international terror networks.”

According to the charges, after learning from members of Lashkar in late 2005 that he would be traveling to India to perform surveillance for Lashkar, Headley changed his name from Daood Gilani on Feb. 15, 2006, in Philadelphia, in order to present himself in India as an American who was neither Muslim nor Pakistani. He later made five extended trips to Mumbai — in September 2006, February and September 2007, and April and July 2008 — each time taking pictures and making videotapes of various targets, including those attacked in November 2008.

Starting Nov. 26, 2008, and continuing through Nov. 28, 2008, 10 attackers trained by Lashkar carried out multiple assaults with firearms, grenades and improvised explosive devices against multiple targets in Mumbai, including the Taj Mahal and Oberoi hotels, the Leopold Café, the Nariman House and the Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus train station, each of which Headley allegedly had scouted in advance, killing approximately 170 victims.

The six Americans killed during the three-day siege are identified in the charges as Ben Zion Chroman, Gavriel Holtzberg, Sandeep Jeswani, Alan Scherr, his daughter Naomi Scherr, and Aryeh Leibish Teitelbaum.

Lashkar (the “Army of the Good”) operated in Pakistan for the principal purpose of fighting to separate from India portions of the Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir. It was designated by the United States as a foreign terrorist organization on Dec. 26, 2001. Headley allegedly attended Lashkar training camps in Pakistan that began in February and August 2002 and August and December 2003.

After being tasked in late 2005 with gathering surveillance in Mumbai and changing his name in early 2006, the charges allege that Headley traveled to Chicago in June 2006 and advised a person identified in the charges as Individual A of his assignment. Headley obtained Individual A’s approval to open an office of First World Immigration Services in Mumbai in 2006 as cover for his surveillance activities, the charges allege. Headley allegedly misrepresented his birth name, father’s true name and the purpose of his travel in his visa application.

After each trip that Headley took to India between September 2006 and July 2008, he allegedly returned to Pakistan, met with other co-conspirators and provided them with photographs, videos and oral descriptions of various locations. In March 2008, Headley and his co-conspirators discussed potential landing sites for a team of attackers who would arrive by sea in Mumbai, and he was instructed to take boat trips in and around the Mumbai harbor and take surveillance video, which he did during his visit to India starting in April 2008, the charges allege.

At various times, Headley allegedly conducted surveillance of other locations in Mumbai and elsewhere in India of facilities and locations that were not attacked in November 2008, including the National Defense College in Delhi, India.

Denmark Terror Plot–Regarding the Denmark terror plot, Headley allegedly conspired between October 2008 and Oct. 3, 2009, with Ilyas Kashmiri, as well as a person identified as Individual A, members of Lashkar and others to plan and carry out terrorist attacks, including murder and maiming, against the facilities of the Morgenavisen Jyllands-Posten, a Danish newspaper, and two of its employees, Editor A and Cartoonist A. In 2005, the newspaper published cartoons depicting the Prophet Mohammed, to which many Muslims took great offense.

Mirroring the initial charges filed against Headley in October, Monday’s charges allege that he met with co-conspirators while he was in Pakistan in late 2008 and discussed planning for the attack, including extensive surveillance work that he would perform. In late December and early January 2008, after advising Individual A of the planned attack and his intended travel to Denmark to perform surveillance of the newspaper’s facilities, Headley obtained Individual A’s approval and assistance to identify himself as a representative of First World and gain access to the newspaper by falsely expressing interest in advertising the business in the newspaper. At the same time, while in Chicago,

Headley exchanged emails with co-conspirators to continue planning for the attack and coordinate his travel to Denmark to conduct surveillance. Before departing Chicago, Headley obtained business cards that identified him as a representative of First World, according to the charges.

Headley allegedly traveled in January 2009 from Chicago to Copenhagen, Denmark, to conduct surveillance of the Jyllands Posten newspaper offices in Copenhagen and Aarhus and videotaped the surrounding areas. From January through May 2009, Headley met with coconspirators, including Kashmiri, on multiple occasions in Pakistan to review his surveillance and discuss plans for the attack, the charges allege, adding that Headley traveled in August 2009 from Chicago to Copenhagen to conduct additional surveillance and made approximately 13 videos. On Oct. 3, 2009, Headley was arrested at O’Hare International Airport in Chicago, intending ultimately to travel to Pakistan to meet with, and deliver, the approximately 13 surveillance videos to coconspirators,

including Kashmiri.

The charges identify Kashmiri as an influential leader of Harakat-ul Jihad Islami (HUJI), an organization that trained terrorists and executed attacks in the state of Jammu and Kashmir under Indian control and other areas. Kashmiri based his operations from the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) of western Pakistan, and area which served as a haven for terrorist organizations, including al Qaeda and the Taliban. Headley allegedly was introduced to Kashmiri as early as February 2009, and understood that Kashmiri was in regular communication with the senior leadership of al Qaeda.

Abdur Rehman complaint–The two-count complaint unsealed against Abdur Rehman, which was filed on Oct. 20, 2009, charges him with conspiracy to murder and maim persons in a foreign country, and providing material support to that foreign terrorism conspiracy. Abdur Rehman allegedly participated in the planning of a terrorist attack in Denmark, coordinated surveillance of the intended targets, and facilitated communications regarding the surveillance and planning with a member of Lashkar and Kashmiri.

Abdur Rehman, who was not named previously but whose alleged participation was described in the initial charges against Headley and Rana, allegedly played the central role in communicating with Headley and facilitating contacts with other co-conspirators in Pakistan, including members of Lashkar. During Headley’s trip to Pakistan in January 2009, Abdur Rehman took him to the FATA region of Pakistan to meet with Kashmiri and solicit the participation of Kashmiri and his organization in the planned attack on the Danish newspaper, according to the complaint against Abdur Rehman. A search of Headley’s luggage when he was arrested revealed a list of phone numbers, including a Pakistani number that he allegedly had used to contact Abdur Rehman.

The count against Headley charging conspiracy to bomb public places in India that resulted in deaths carries a maximum statutory penalty of life imprisonment or death. All of the other counts against Headley carry a maximum of life imprisonment, except providing material support to the Denmark terror plot, which carries a maximum prison term of 15 years.

The conspiracy to murder or maim persons in a foreign country charge against Abdur Rehman carries a maximum penalty of life in prison, and the count of conspiracy to provide material support to terrorism carries a maximum sentence of 15 years in prison.

The prosecution of Headley and Abdur Rehman is being handled by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Daniel Collins and Victoria J. Peters from the Northern District of Illinois, with assistance from the Counterterrorism Section of the Justice Department’s National Security Division. The investigation into the Mumbai attacks is continuing with the active participation of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Los Angeles.

The public is reminded that criminal charging documents contain mere allegations that are not evidence of guilt. The defendants are presumed innocent and are entitled to a fair trial at which the government has the burden of proving guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.

*

Preceding provided by the U.S. Justice Department

[Via http://sdjewishworld.wordpress.com]

Search Engine Podcast episode 21: ACTA-tag!



Download MP3 here.

(Canadian) Industry Minister Tony Clement won’t talk about the secrets of ACTA. Instead, he’s pointed curious critics to Michael Geist’s website. This week, Michael explains why he’s the wrong man for that job.

It’s always a pleasure to hear the wise words of champion Canadian #copyfighter Michael Geist. This week on Search Engine you can hear him talk about our Government’s latest lame attempts to deny that they’re Hollywood’s bitch.

If you didn’t already know there’s some background info on the secret ACTA talks here. Trust me, this is important stuff…

via Search Engine – Search Engine Blog.

[Via http://acurrie.wordpress.com]

Sunday, December 6, 2009

Etiquette for Cinderalla Balls, 1888

Montreal Daily Star,

24 October 1888, page 2

Editor Etiquette Department:

Will you kindly describe a “Cinderella Ball,” the costumes worn, etc., and oblige.  A reader.

Ans—The “Cinderella” has been called pre-eminently “a young people’s dance.”  Parties of this kind are of a very informal nature, the guests are expected to come very early and to leave before twelve o’clock, or at that hour, on no account must the dancing be kept up after that time.  Invitations for these entertainments have “Cinderella” or “dancing from eight to twelve” (according to taste) written in the right hand corner of the card, the date being on the left hand.  Refreshments are given towards the close of the evening  these must be of a light and unpretentious description, as nothing is given which cannot be eaten with a fork.  No knives are laid.  The things to be “eaten” with a fork are sandwiches, jellies and sweets of various kinds; ices and fruit are also sometimes added.  The beverages consist of tea, coffee, lemonade, etc.  Very few square dances are given at a “Cinderella”.  The programme is almost entirely made up of fast dances, in which the waltz preponderates, as it always finds favor with young people.  We are sorry that we cannot give any particular or decided information with regard to the style of dress which is worn on these occasions.  We have been told that costumes are frequently arranged from descriptions of those in children’s story books of the same date as that in which the heroine figured from whom this dance is supposed to take its name, the chief number of costumes being taken from the fairy tale of the “Glass slipper.”

[Via http://gilliandr.wordpress.com]

Drake - "Seasonal Intuition" Mixtape

 

TRACKLISTING:

1. The Game’s Infiltrator (Intro)

2. I Do This (Ft. Belly)

3. Say Something (Remix) (Ft. Timbaland, Lupe Fiasco)

4. Fed Up (Ft. DJ Khaled, Usher, Young Jeezy, Rick Ross, Lil Wayne)

5. 4 My Town (Ft. Birdman, Lil Wayne) [Extended Version]

6. Money

7. When We Come Around (Ft. Nickelus F.)

8. Make It Go (Remix) (Ft. Belly)

9. Hurt (Ft. Dirty Money)

10. Mo Milly (Ft. Birdman, Bun B)

11. Believe It Or Not (Ft. Gucci Mane)

12. Runaway Girl (Ft. Colin Munroe)

13. Scriptures

14. Do What You Do

15. Slow It Down (Ft. Deonte)

DOWNLOAD LINK: Drake – “Seasonal Intuition” Mixtape

SOURCE: LegendBlog

[Via http://thegoodiebag.wordpress.com]

Saturday, December 5, 2009

Notes on 53d Text for Reading Field: Zaslow

Canadian History, Week 9

Thomas Mitchell, photograph, “Fast to the floe in Franklin Pierce Bay waiting for the ice to open a water channel. Latitude 79*25′ North,” dated 9 August 1875, Cape Prescott, N.W.T. Source: Thomas Mitchell / Library and Archives Canada / C-052514.



Morris Zaslow. The Opening of the Canadian North, 1870-1914. Toronto: McClelland and Stewart, 1971.

Morris Zaslow is recognized as having supplied the foundational work for historiography about northern Canada with this study. As the title suggests, the perspective he adopts is Central Canadian – the North was regarded as unknown and undiscovered until it was accessed by individuals who were non-native to the region. The history Zaslow presents is therefore a description of expansion and annexation of a hinterland by the Canadian state.

Zaslow argues that government interest in the North-West, North, and Arctic between 1870 and 1914 coincided with increased awareness or appreciation that these variations of ‘empty’ wilderness wastelands held more resources with remunerative rewards than the fur trade and sport hunting had yet tapped into. Success in the Yukon Gold Rush suggested that these resources were both available and extractible. Zaslow’s tone is celebratory. The explorers, traders, missionaries, police, civil servants, and scientists, who ‘opened’ territory unclaimed or ignored by other Imperial powers and who acted as harbingers of a new Southern way of life are seen as heroic. More especially so, perhaps, because the various Norths that were more northerly than westward proved disillusioning to many would-be developers when the promise those territories held, though open to contemplation, in many cases proved resistant to ready exploitation.

A major contribution of the book is the basic timeline it supplies. Along with establishing chronologies related to what might be regarded, from a Northern perspective, as ‘outsider’ incursions (good descriptions of the progress of the Geological Survey of Canada and the travels of Vilhjalmur Stefansson are furnished for instance), Zaslow charts the progress of Central Canadian politics and programs related to Northern development with an insider’s eye to what Southern historiographical sources have to reveal about past Canadian optimism and ambition.

A good part of Zaslow’s historiography is devoted to the ‘opening’ of the Western Provinces, which is entirely reasonable given his perspective. However, as a Westerner accustomed to thinking of these provinces as south of the ‘true North,’ I found the extended discussion disconcerting and disappointing – more material on higher latitudes about which less had already been written would have been welcome.

If there is little explicit interpretation or historiographical theorizing about indigenous Northern peoples and their perceptions of Canadian and other foreign behaviours on Zaslow’s part, his work nonetheless brings events to life, raises issues, and suggests avenues where further research would be desirable. How suitable are Western European ideas of development in Northern contexts? How determinant are the metropolitan centres of economic systems? If there is more than one metropolis involved, can an economic system be properly described as centred? Do ideas of hinterland and centre work in reverse if distance dictates virtual isolation and limited interaction between two very different regions?

Much has changed in Canada since 1971. Aboriginal lands are no longer perceived as having passed irrevocably out of their possession. Aboriginal peoples do not appear destined to remain mythic, romantic, or symbolic ‘losers’ in Canadian history. The questions I wonder about now, which would not have occurred to me thirty year ago include: if over the long run Southern expansion is limited to supplying technology, funding, and itinerant sojourners to another region – is this truly expansion? Or is this a matter of export? And, are Central Canada and Northern Canadians engaged in an ongoing process of negotiation over what exactly the North is open for? If so, will changes in climate and to the North’s ecosystem change their relation?

Additional Resources:

Video, “Exploration in the Canadian Arctic,” posted to You Tube by MuseeMcCordMuseum, 29 April 2008.

Video, “Off to the Klondike! The Search for Gold,” posted to You Tube by MuseeMcCordMuseum, 24 April 2008.

Video excerpt. “Victories Over Distance,” posted to You Tube by xblack13, 2 August 2008.

Tom Novosel, “Resources,”  Northern Research Portal, University of Saskatchewan website, http://bit.ly/6fnuRU.

Richard Hugh Pinnell, review of The Northward Expansion of Canada, 1914-1967, by Morris Zaslow, ACML Bulletin and Proceedings, http://bit.ly/905SOa, describes the context of producing The Opening of the Canadian North and other volumes in the Canadian Centenary Series.

Gordon O. Rothney, review of “The Frontier Hypothesis in Recent Historiography,” by Morris Zaslow, [in The Canadian Historical Review, XXIX, 2, (June, 1948) : 153-166], Revue d’histoire de l’Amérique française 2, no. 3 (1948): 454-456, available online from érudit, http://bit.ly/6uSwkN, describes theories of Canadian expansion into hinterlands.

Second City’s Bob and Doug McKenzie with “Great White North – Topic: Great White North,” posted to You Tube by takeoffhosehead, 23 October 2007.

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