Spoiled Pets

Unfortunately, my baby tore his cruciate ligament at the dog park this summer. Rather than putting him through $4500 surgery, I am trying alternative therapy.

Here is the "spaz" enjoying his swimming therapy with one of his favorite people, Brenda - the pet physiotherapist. For those of you with injured pets, I would highly recommend this low impact method of getting them exercised. My dog's muscles have atrophied and has started to get a little muscle back since starting a few weeks ago. Brenda and staff are great at http://www.pawsitivelypooched.com 

Some quick thoughts....

I haven't posted in a while because I've been busy with my new venture. I've started contracting and the transition from "extended holiday and get rid of burnout" mode to "working for a living" mode has taken much of my emotional energy.

However, I do want to comment on a couple of things that I feel should be addressed.

First of all, I believe I should follow up on Oprah's second town hall meeting with Bill O'Reilly as the guest. Again, I must acknowledge Oprah for being fair and balanced despite, in my personal opinion, her tendency to lean "left". She does a much better job as a talk show host of giving balanced coverage than 99 percent of our news media. I don't alway agree with Bill O'Reilly but he is refreshing compared to other commentators on TV. I didn't understand the whole "culture warrior" thing but I realized, as I was watching, that it is a brilliant move. Although people accuse him of being divisive, and did so on Oprah as well, I think he is making an effort to rephrase the whole left versus right debate in order to move away from the "left" and "right" ingrained beliefs and get people thinking again above the labels. It is an interesting idea and anything but divisive.

On the topic of Oprah, I watched the Al Gore and global warming show. I watched it knowing Al Gore has an agenda and knowing it would not be particularly factual. The whole show was Al and his "documentary" however, I was happy to see that Oprah once again had a dissenting opinion for another expert. When Al Gore "pooh-poohed" the expert's opinion, Oprah did point out that the opinion was from an expert as well and was a valid opinion. Hats off to Oprah even though, in my personal opinion, she believes the hype as well. She is a better woman than I for standing up for an opinion that varies from hers. It was also interesting that the global warming critics are accusing corporations of funding the experts with dissenting opinion on global warming. How does this differ from the agenda of the experts who agree with global warming being funded significantly by governments and environmental organizations. I would state that no matter what the experts on both sides say, money is a significant factor on BOTH sides.

Finally, my comments on Harper and his record as prime minister. Let me preface this by saying that I am heartened by his leadership and it is a pleasure to have a prime minister who actually gets things done and stands by his promises. I tend to put people up on a pedestal and therefore am extremely disillusioned when they fall. I am trying to keep that in mind as I judge his performance but let me say I have been extremely disappointed in a couple of his decisions of late.

The Income Trust decision was made in a much fairer way than that under the liberals. Insiders did not get a "heads up" in order to make massive amounts of money before the public got wind of it, allegedly. However, the conservative government made a promise not to tax income trust. Therefore, people who trusted conservatives (particularly conservatives), heavily invested in income trusts. I know of a retired couple who lost many thousands of dollars in their retirement fund because of this decision and severely impacted their "golden years". For a government that has made good on promises, this was very disheartening. This broken promise had a major negative impact on people I love.

The nation within a nation thing has me bothered as well. I am hoping it is a brilliant political move with aspects that I am not aware of that make it positive. It is not a normally conservative thing to do. I am totally against the idea of any special status given to any segment of a population. I rally against any rights that give any group "special" rights that are not afforded to anyone. I will write one day about how I feel on "special" statuses and the whole SOW thing and how I feel "special" status is divisive, bigoted, inequal, and counter productive. Harper and the conservatives have long been the champions of freedom and recognition for all people and all provinces. I worry about the ramifications of this recognition of "nationhood" and whether we are travelling down the "distinct" (read special" road again.

Okay... so, I have done my duty and blogged and have to go back to motivating myself to make a living again. Personally, let it be noted that being a true conservative, my extended holiday was not taken at the taxpayer's expense. That allotment should be for the needy, not the vacationer.

Have a great weekend!

Remember...

Take a few minutes to remember the courage of those who fought for ours and others' freedoms and for those who still do.

A Pittance in Time

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The Best Defense is a Good Offense...Oprah and Frank

I watched Oprah Winfrey's townhall show today. She had just read Frank Rich's book "The Greatest Story Ever Sold" and had him on as a guest for a townhall show. Frank works for the New York Times... one of the largest left biased papers in the US. Frank however states he is not "left" but has some "liberal views"... yeah, whatever Frank.

So, here is my take on the show. When I first started watching and saw the Frank was the main guest and the title of the book, I thought: "Oh no, another propaganda show by the media to push their left agenda". I just about turned it off because I get enough of this in the media. To my surprise, there was intelligent conversation going on. Bear with me here. It was a relief to my blood pressure levels when Oprah ran a very fair and balanced show. To balance the left spin from the guest, as a townhall, the audience participated. Although Oprah asked Americans to question whether there is critical thinking and why people aren't informed, it was apparent that many in the audience were well informed and critical thinkers. Chalk one up against Frank Rich because I guess the idea was, if they agree with the government instead of the MSM, people must not be informed or critical thinkers. The audience proved them wrong.

Frank began his spiel with the whole idea that the government "sold" America on the Iraq war by misinforming them about WMD's and misinforming America that Iraq needed to be attacked as they were responsible for 9/11. Lo and behold, thanks again to the audience and Oprah's questions, when Oprah asked the audience if they believed at the time they went to war with Iraq that Saddam and Iraq were responsible for 9/11, a huge majority of the audience did not believe Sadam and Iraq were responsible. Then Oprah asked if people had heard that Saddam was involved with Al Qaeda in the media. Again, an overwhelming majority agreed they had heard in the media that this was true. To top it off, it was agreed that the Bush administration had not said that Iraq had caused 9/11, but Frank stated that he "suggested" this by mentioning them in the same sentence sometimes, by innuendo etc. So, lets recap: Frank Rich states that Bush "sold" America by "mindmelding" (as one audience member said) and innuendo, the audience all agreed they heard from the media that Iraq was involved in 9/11, yet overwhelmingly the audience did not BELIEVE at the time that Saddam and Iraq had anything to do with 9/11. Hmmmm... sounds to me like critical thinking and being informed regardless of the media, innuendos, etc. Kind of blows the theory and his book to smithereens.

He also says that Bush scared people about WMDs and threats of a "mushroom" cloud. This is another issue and I, personally, still believe there were and they were hidden or moved to Syria. He states that Hans Blix said that Saddam was "starting to cooperate" when Bush started the war. I say, this is after 19 UN sanctions were still being thwarted by Saddam. As one audience member pointed out "what is a country to do". I agreed with this audience member. The funny thing is that Oprah just showed a program about the danger of North Korea yesterday and the scary fact that they now have nuclear capabilities. The rest of the world are in a quandary and NK is threatening the US now that it has them. Much of the US is calling for some sort of action and lamenting previous inaction. I believe Iraq could have been NK if left to their devices. Anyway, I will continue with the show...

Frank Rich proceeded to say that the media misleads and focuses on the "fireworks" of bombs going off but do not show the horror of bombs being dropped on families, etc. He talked about how they instead show a small group of Iraqis bringing down Saddam's statue for hours and that Iraqis had not truly welcomed the invasion. Again, thank heavens for the audience. Immediately, two different audience members (one a soldier who had been in Iraq and one whose cousin had served in Iraq) agreed with Frank that the media definitely misinforms. They talked about how the media focuses on the blood and the bad but never tells the stories of how over and over again, Iraqis thank the American soldiers in Iraq. They state that the media never shows all the gratefulness of many Iraqis and the positive and rebuilding going on and kids going back to school. Hmmmm.... blows Frank's theory again. On the other hand, another soldier did stand up and say some soldiers were confused.

I could go on but suffice it to say, it was illuminating. The audience was asked if they believed the media. Again, an overwhelming majority do not believe the media. Here is my opinion: the media have been overwhelmingly biased in their reporting and have been getting "bad press", particularly papers like the New York Times for pushing their agenda into stories instead of reporting the facts and a balanced approach to let readers and viewers make up their mind. Frank proceeds to write a book with the basic premise that people are believing misinformation on:

1. "suggestions" and "innuendos" from the government.
   
2. the positive slant on Iraq from media
3. are not critical thinkers and not informing themselves

Well, according to the Oprah audience at least, in an overwhelming majority, they:

1. did not believe the "suggestions" from the government
2. believe there is a much more negative slant from the media on Iraq than the reality and don't believe the media in general
   
3. are critical thinkers and trying to inform themselves
   

If the Oprah audience is any indication, Frank Rich is an idiot. Again, Kudos to Oprah for letting the audience speak. She congratulated Frank for being courageous. Yeah right.... perhaps if he was in Iraq or North Korea. In the US and Canada, it is just business as usual for the leftist main stream media.

The Left Denounces Their Extremists

I have often been totally confused by the left's stand on terror and international affairs. For a group that says they champion human rights and are pro-choice on everything, I can never understand their propensity to champion the worst offenders and oppressors of human rights. As we ask Muslims to denounce terror and their extremists, it is nice to see the Left denounce terror and their extremists. This video asks the questions I keep asking...

No Excuses for Terror

h/t a commenter at SDA

Steve Irwin - A Life Well Lived

Okay, I have to admit, Barbara Walters made me cry on 20/20 last night. Steve Irwin's widow, Terry, was interviewed.

I have meant to comment for a while on his death because I found the man fascinating. He had such an enthusiasm and passion for life that I couldn't help but smile when I watched him. Terry said, during her interview, that even knowing how it all ends, she would do it all over again.

It is this kind of life that I think all of us yearn for. Steve was an inspiration to all of us to find our passion. I do wish I had known him and by crikey, we'll miss him. Terry is also an inspiration in that we (and especially me!) could all learn that fear of loss should never override living life.

As an aside, it is incredibly strange the way he died. I am a chicken (see last paragraph) through and through but have snorkelled with stingrays a couple of times in the Caymans and the Cook Islands. They are basically beautiful graceful docile creatures. The fact that he wrestled crocs and snakes and then died from a stingray makes me think that there is a plan and when you're time is up, it's up.

A Mother Honours her Son - a True Canadian Hero

My sympathies, my respect, and my heartfelt thanks go to Shane Keating and his mother Judith Budd for their sacrifice. It is very sad and it breaks my heart. This mother honours his life in a way I have not seen in the press.

Corporal Shane Keating's Mother speaks

This is why it makes me even angrier when a member of our country's parliament dishonours them. It is a cheap political ploy at the expense of people who have given their lives for our freedom and the freedom of others.

However, I am truly proud when our prime minister speaks to the world and in Canada thousands of people rally for a noble cause.

ASSISTED SUICIDE FOR DEPRESSED - Slippery Slope now a Waterslide

One of the many reasons I am against Assisted Suicide is that the person requesting it may be depressed and not diagnosed. If a person is depressed, they will make decisions they otherwise would not. Depression makes it very hard to cope with the simplest of issues. There is medication today that can correct the chemical imbalance in the brain and bring you back to normal. (aside: tom cruise is an idiot)

So, for this reason, patients may want assisted suicide without being of right mind due to an illness. (Another reason is that our government pays for healthcare and it is cost effective so the slope is even slipperier but that is an issue for another day. Unless, of course, this is part of the issue in Britain).

There are now arguments in Europe for allowing assisted suicide for the depressed. Unbelievable! The slippery slope is now giving them a toboggan.


ASSISTED SUICIDE FOR DEPRESSED: "ASSISTED SUICIDE FOR DEPRESSED Britons suffering from severe depression may soon be able to opt for assisted suicide in a Swiss clinic, its founder claimed yesterday."

It Would be Funny if it wasn't so Spot On

... and if they weren't out shooting old nuns and blowing up children.

Current Rage Level of Islamic Extremists: Normal
(oops... link now fixed)

And, like this is any surprise - Al Qaeda vows to destroy the west over pope's remarks. Ummm, hasn't this been their goal all along? The interesting thing is how they bring up victories in Iraq and Afghanistan. Their PR guy must have been off that day. PR to western journalists states that Iraq and Afghanistan have nothing to do with Al Qaeda. Proving the Pope's Point, Episode 173.

Oriana Fallaci - on Iraq and war

I first heard about Oriana Fallaci on Small Dead Animals when she died recently. Even at that time, although Kate seemed to revere her, I still was not aware.

She is apparently an atheist and on the left - not my favorite combination. But, as I have learned, today's Canadian left nor the Democrats in the US necessarily represent the true left. I will have to read more about her to determine this. However, today I was directed to this piece she wrote in 2003. She doesn't pit left versus right but idealism against reality. Her insights give me shivers and I pay my respect to her today.

I don't think anybody has expressed this dilemma in Iraq better and like Oriana, although we will never know the answer, I agree with this statement:

As a proud defender of the West's civilization, without reservations I should join Mr. Bush and Mr. Blair in the new Alamo. Without reluctance I should fight and die with them. And this is the only thing about which I have no doubts at all.

Take some time, read, and think about her column: The Rage, The Pride, and the Doubt

Never Forget

Never forget that we saw true evil on September 11th, 2001. The terrorists attacked us on our continent. They did not stand and fight; they did not battle us on a war front; they did not attack military bases. They deliberately murdered fathers, mothers, sisters, brothers, daughters, and sons. They deliberately targeted seniors and children. On a day that should have been like any other, they took innocent lives going about their day. Remember this.

Thank you to our Canadian soldiers who are risking their lives to protect us and the people of Afghanistan from these murderers. The true good martyrs are those risking their lives to save the innocent, not destroy the innocent.

Socialized Medicine

Many Canadians continue to believe we have the best healthcare system in the world. The only other countries that share our universal socialized government funded only healthcare system is Cuba and North Korea. Unbelievably, many Canadians also tout Cuba's healthcare system because they believe the propaganda.

This link gives you an all too clear picture of where socialized medicine can go if left completely to the responsibility of the government. As you look at these pictures of hospitals in Cuba, remember the words "cost effective" and consider the implications when these words replace good medical care.

For extensive reading about the issues with Canada's healthcare system, read What's Wrong with Healthcare? Consider the road we are travelling when the NDP, friends of Medicare, the media etc promote socialist style medicine and systems only and the NDP praises Cuba. Reality check anyone?

Meltdown...

First I link to a left wing/liberal post and now, Hollywood stars are taking a principled stand????? What is happening, people? Has hell frozen over? Is the world ending? Next thing you know, the CBC will call Al Qaeda terrorists. I'd better set up a counselling appointment....

Kidman condemns Hamas, Hezbollah

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Words of Wisdom from, ummmm, gulp,.... the Left.

Cerberus: Alexandre Trudeau on Fidel "Superman" Castro

Okay, so the one bias I have is being sorely tested here. I can't believe I am linking to a blog post by someone on the left!!! Yes, okay, I have to admit... there are some lefties with sense out there. I said it. I probably won't say it again and I'll deny it in the future. Here is a left-winger with some common sense. (Note: I have not read his other posts to verify whether this is an aberration)

Cerberus argues with the extreme left and stays true to his left of center ideologies. I have often been beyond frustrated by the left's anti-americanism, pro-terrorist/dictator stance. If dictators/societies murder gays, free speech practitioners, and religious factions, you would think the left would stand against them. From what I have seen, if those same dictators/societies are against the US, the left glorifies them. Cerberus is the one "leftie" I have read that honors his ideology by being consistent in this villification. Egads, he even questions those people who were fine with going into Afghanistan when the liberals were in power but have changed their stance with the conservatives in power. A leftie who stays consistent with their ideology? Whoda thunkit? As far as the Trudeaus go, PET had a socialist/communist ideology and obviously, the apple doesn't fall far from the tree.

Aside: I am not an activist by any stretch but there are two things I stand behind. I don't eat veal because, as a child, I saw a program about young calves standing in wooden boxes to keep veal tender. Poor things. I also, although having plenty of opportunity, have not vacationed in Cuba. I don't judge others that do but I could not bring myself to spend money that may support that regime.

h/t SDA: Sometimes We Agree

Some Americans are Anti-Canadian too!

Caught a re-run of the Daily Show a while back and ended up laughing so hard! This is truly a classic. To you anti-american Canadians, this is what you look like and, just like you, he likes to dance and find mushrooms in the forest. Just goes to show that every country has it's anti-crowd.

Since some people have problems seeing embedded video, click here to link to the video on You Tube. I guarantee, it's worth it!

Only 1 out of 5 Canadians are Nuts

It is with great relief that a new poll shows only 1 out of 5 Canadians (or 18%) are nuts. 4 out of 5 Canadians agree with Prime Minister Harper's stance on the Israeli/Hezbollah conflict. This poll must have been taken outside the prison walls. I believe some of those 18% have been misled by the media and have been too busy to truly investigate and understand what has happened.

Further on in the poll, there seemed to be misunderstandings about who started the war. Again, I blame this on the mainstream media. Hezbollah, a terrorist organization, was bombing Israel and crossed the Israeli borders and killed Israeli soldiers. Israel is merely defending itself.

82% agree with Prime Minister Stephen Harper's stand and I am extremely relieved that my fellow countrymen are not Nuts. That is, if I can believe the polls anymore.

Suffice it to say, I am extremely proud of our prime minister! It is so heartening to have a voice of reason in our government for a change!

Majority back Harper's support of Israel, poll shows

If this poll is correct, it also makes me happy that Canadians aren't falling for the media bs!!!

Right and Left

I was talking to my sister and she asked what the whole right/left thing on blogs is all about. I will attempt to discuss my view of these ideologies in a childrearing analogy (keeping in mind I am not a parent so have no expertise -LOL).

Lets discuss two parenting styles or ideologies. Let me preface this by saying that both parents love their children very much. Let me also say that there are extremes of each kind but we each know the mainstream general common version of each kind. Keep in mind that I am not saying adults are children however there are basic ideologies backing the child-raising strategies of each set. I believe one, although just as loving, is far more harmful to society.

One set of parents, Mr. and Mrs. Right, are consistent. They have set boundaries, set consequences for crossing them, and are firm with their children. They regularly say no to their children and chores are expected. There are curfews, bed times, and lying of any kind is not tolerated. The children in this family do not consider their parents as friends. At some point in their rearing, the children have claimed to "hate" their parents. There are clear lines between right and wrong and the children know it. The question "why" sometimes does not matter as the behaviour is inherently wrong. If one of their children fails a grade, they should fail and redo that grade to learn that there are consequences and to learn the material to prepare them for the future.

The other set of parents, Mr. and Mrs. Left, are somewhat inconsistent. There are no boundaries or set consequences. They do not say no to their children. There are no curfews and no chores. The children have no responsibility to the household because they have the right to be children. The question "why" always matters and the parent is not aware of lying behaviour. There is no need to do anything in order to receive their allowance. In fact, they are given money when they want it. If the children are going to misbehave (ie: drink or smoke) then they would prefer it be done in their house as it is safer. There are no curfews and no set bedtimes. The parents want to be their children's friend. If the child fails a grade, the child should be moved to the next grade so that the child does not feel different or badly.

Now, this is a somewhat simplistic analogy but it is my view of the difference between right and left. As I said, both parents love their children very much. Both parents are raising their children in a way they believe to be right. Mr. and Mrs. Right believe that children should learn responsibility, right and wrong, and consequences even though feelings may be hurt. Mr. and Mrs. Left believe that children should be children and that responsibility will come later.

I feel that Mr. and Mrs. Left are actually doing the children and society a disservice. The children grow up to feel entitled regardless of behaviour. They do not understand responsibility and boundaries. They are "special", entitled, and spoiled. They do not understand consequences and have a rough time acclimating to society. Mr. and Mrs. Right's children, however, do not feel entitled regardless of behaviour. It may appear that Mr. and Mrs. Right do not love their children sometimes however it is because they love them that they raise them this way. They understand that hard work is rewarded, laws must be followed as there are consequences, there is right and wrong, there is acceptable and unacceptable behaviour, and that they have responsibility for themselves and their loved ones.

It is true that there are Mr. and Mrs. Rights who are too authoritarian and Mr. and Mrs. Lefts that are way too lax. However, there is a basic mindset of each childrearing ideology. Personally, I would rather share society with Mr. and Mrs. Right's children than Mr. and Mrs. Left's children.

Update: LOL... I guess to be inclusive I should state that it could be Mr. and Mr. Right and Mrs. and Mrs. Left however this is a sidetrack and not particularly relevant to the point I am trying to make. Unless, of course, you want to include Mr. and Mrs. and Mrs. and Mrs. Left but I digress

4 out of 5 Canadians are Nuts

I heard on the radio the other day that 4 out of 5 Canadians felt that Canada should remain neutral in our position between Israel and Hezbollah and not take a stand like Harper, our prime minister. Now, I admit, I only caught pieces of it as I was racing around doing errands however I could not believe my ears. I would definitely like to know what exact questions were asked and who was polled. Did they only poll prisoners?

The discussions I hear, media reports I read, and our government opposition parties seem to think there is debate over who is wrong in the Israel/Hezbollah conflict. The argument seems to be that if Canada is not neutral, they cannot be peace keepers and cannot be in a bargaining/negotiating position for peace. Recently, the police "negotiated" with a pedophile to get him to release a kidnapped child. Should society and our prime minister say that pedophilia is not wrong so that negotiations can be made? Are you kidding? Do you think that there was really negotiation going on? Do you think that the guns police were holding and their threat was not conducive to these "negotiations"?

Here is my take on the situation (bear in mind that I quit smoking a couple of weeks ago so I have no restraint on my rant):

Has the world gone CRAZY? What the heck are they THINKING? 4 out of 5 Canadians must be idiots. Our government opposition parties are completely WACKO!

Okay, so now I will attempt to clarify my position calmly however if you are reading this with an alternate position, don't bother - you are one of the 4 idiots.

I try to be a reasonable person. I don't like people that are too judgemental. I believe that there are two sides and many grey areas. However, there is right and wrong that cannot be argued. Rape is wrong. Serial Killers are wrong. Pedophilia is wrong. Need I go on? There may be all sorts of warped reasons that people do wrong things but there is not doubt that it is WRONG and cannot be tolerated in society. These examples of WRONG are evil because they abuse the innocent. They take away basic rights of security and survival from other people. In my unfocussed, cranky nonsmoking internal fight against addiction, I can clearly see this.

Terrorism is wrong. Hezbollah is not a country; it is a terrorist organization. Hezbollah targets innocent civilians and uses them as human shields. Hezbollah has stated that it is not looking for negotiations or settlements. They are looking for the removal and destruction of a country. They are attacking this country with that in mind and we villainize Israel for protecting itself. Should we villainize the police for protecting society from the pedophile? Actually, a better analogy would be if the police had not gotten involved at all to recover the children of the pedophile and just let the family negotiate on their own. What if the police actually villainized the family for taking up guns, etc? What kind of negotiation would there have been with the pedophile if society was saying that the family was wrong for protecting itself in this situation? Unbelievable. The world has gone crazy.

Thankfully, there are at least 1 out of 5 Canadians who agree with me and others out there. Read Victor Davis Hanson on The Brink of Madness.

The Pendulum of Multi-Culturalism and Socialism

Raskolnikov writes about how far the pendulum has swung in our country. He discusses the native perspective in general however this can apply to many of the socialistic ideas in our country. When I mentioned hope in my Canada Day blog, it was with this insight in mind. Is it possible that the pendulum may come swinging back?

Read this piece of genius titled "You Say You Want a Revolution" at Dust My Broom.

"the Democracy Fairy"

The Caledonia Wake up Call website voices some of my concerns. I really think that there are quite a few Canadians who have no idea what went on in Caledonia. Here is my perspective on the situation:

The natives are upset over a deal made by one of their forefathers who sold/traded the tracts of land many years ago. Because the natives do not like the deal, they decided to take over a piece of land being developed and blockade the highway in Caledonia. They broke many laws, trashed and damaged public and private property, burned bridges and cars, and threatened violence to Caledonia citizens. The Ontario Provincial Police were instructed not to interfere with the native crimes as it was politically sensitive. Crimes were rampant by the natives and Caledonia residents were often left without security and defense. I truly feel for the Caledonia residents as Canada and the media have not stood up for them or told the story. At the current time, the provincial liberal government has purchased the land from the developers and is buying out some of the homes from Caledonia residents.

In effect, violence has worked for the natives and they have successfully blackmailed the provincial government. This, my friends, has been a prime example of racism in action against non-native people. I really feel that Canadian citizens have been bullied and terrorized while the rest of Canada just watched. I don't know about you but this scared and angered me. Nothing like a bully to get me heated.

Try to inform yourselves on this situation.

• Democracy - No Cost to Canadians (the Democracy Fairy - too true to be funny)
  
• Citizens of Caledonia website
• Dust My Broom - various opinion posts on Caledonia
• Small Dead Animals - opinions and links on Caledonia
  

Happy Canada Day!

I have some hope that Canada is heading in the right direction. We need to focus on fixing our healthcare system and multiple other areas. With a good leader, I have some hope that common sense will prevail. It is an uphill battle but at least its a start and we are not going backwards all the time.

Happy Canada Day!

Firm Hand Needed with Bullies

I was just reading Dr. James Dobson's article titled "Firm hand needed with violent teens" in the Calgary Sun. Quoting from his answer to a parent wondering when to get tough with a teenager:

"But there comes a time to draw a line in the dirt and say enough is enough! For youngsters who have tyrannized their families, their parents' willingness to forgive and forget repeatedly is interpreted as weakness. Appeasement, as we know, is never successful in pacifying a bully. It only makes him or her more angry and disrespectful. Behavioural research has now validated that statement.
Dr Henry Harbin and Dr. Denis Madden, working at the University of Maryland's Medical School, found "parent battering" usually occurs when "one or both parents have abdicated the executive position" and left no one in charge - no one, that is except the violent child. Rebellious, mean-spirited teenagers respect strength and disdain weakness. Harbin and Madden also observed "an almost universal element" in the parent-battering cases was the parents' unwillingness to admit the seriousness of the situation" Dr. James Dobson, Focus on Family, Calgary Sun, June 18th edition

As I was reading, I kept thinking Saddam, Caledonia, our homegrown terrorists, etc. The far left want to find the root cause for abusive behaviour of criminals and bullies but they are missing the point - the root cause is THEM.

Hollywood Causes Cancer - but don't diagnose it in Canada!

I just finished reading Tom Green's book: Hollywood Causes Cancer. Yeah, I know - I'm an ecclectic reader - Tom Green's book and the Sifaoui book on Al Qaeda. I thoroughly enjoyed the book.

An excerpt from Tom's book hit the nail right on the head about our healthcare system:

"First of all, there was the problem of the Canadian health-care system. Ostensibly a universal plan that covers everyone and any medical contingency, in reality it is full of holes. A lot of Canadian doctors move to the United States to earn more, and the hospitals are often backed up, understaffed, and overstressed. In my dad's case, once his cancer had been diagnosed, his first surgicl appointment was set three and a half months in the future. When I had testicular cancer, my first operation to get my testicle removed was two days later. To me, that was a frightening difference." - Tom Green, Hollywood Causes Cancer

Tom gets it. He flew his dad to the states. His dad was treated in 3 weeks. For all of you that worship the Canadian healthcare system as a Canadian value, it is no wonder you have an inferiority complex!

Do not think this is an exception. A friend of mine has an ovarian tumour that was discovered in early May and her appointment is in October. How comfortable would you be waiting 5 months to find out whether it is malignant? And, if it is, the 5 months would be a death sentence. It is time to stop the fearmongering and reform the system - Canadians are dying for it.

Treasonous Opposition

My father and I were discussing my previous post on the way to the football game on the weekend. We were discussing how the opposition parties are saying anything and taking any position to gain a foothold in public opinion. These positions are not put forward to "save the country" or make a "better Canada". These positions from the left are used entirely for political posturing and votes. To take political positions for political power rather than the good of the country is, in my father's words, treason.

It is for these reasons that the Liberal party and New Democratic Party have scared me so much in the last decade. Their politics are not simply "misguided" in my mind (as I often think of the left), they are intentional ruses to gain votes. How is this not treason when it is not for the good of our country? I was once asked by a liberal friend if I would prefer the country's fate or direction to be in the hands of some backwoods fisherman in Newfoundland as a voter or by a university educated politician in Toronto? I told him that I will take the backwoods voter, as scary as that might be, over the Toronto politician because he doesn't have the power agenda.

In my discussion with my father, we also agreed that the main stream media also contributes to the treasonous left and harming the country. Any talk of healthcare reform etc is bashed by the media as "American" style immediately and makes any discussion of improvements in our system political suicide. Again, politics over the good of the country for headlines and agendas.

I ran across this article on NealeNews today and it shows the US is facing the same issues. The left is so focussed on opposition and political power, they will say anything to try and make the "sound bite" with total disregard for the good of the country. Think about this when reading this article Leaving the Left. Also think about how the left and the media aids the terrorist agenda, as mentioned in previous posts, to try and make political points rather than standing behind their country.

What Canadians do they talk to?

So, I tuned in to the House of Commons today and right into a discussion on a bill put forward by the Liberals (I think... it was one of the left wing parties) on Kyoto.

According to them, Canadians support the Kyoto protocol. They have submitted a bill that demands that Canada commit to Kyoto and report regularly on progress. I have to say, aside from the FAR left, anyone I talk to knows the Kyoto Protocol is not the way to go. It is merely a charity issue, not an environmental issue. Even those who support the global warming theory and believe the end is nigh, realize that Kyoto will not work and will have no effect on it. The NDP, the Bloc, and the Liberals are hanging their hats on Kyoto as an issue to challenge the Conservative government. It has been very difficult for the opposition parties because they could not fight the common sense the government has been practising. It is also difficult for them to point fingers at the government when so much has been accomplished in the first 6 months under Harper after years of inaction by the liberals.

So, the flopposition parties are hoping that this issue can be their big challenge. It is their political stand at the expense of Canada and millions of dollars - same old, same old.

www.tomgreen.com

There is an interesting development coming to the web this week. The Canadian Tom Green is hosting a live call in show worldwide over the internet this week. Recently, Bill Maher has set up a taped program that can be seen over the internet. However, Tom Green is going live right from his living room with a 1-800 number on June 15th at 8 PM Los Angeles time.

I have to say that I was not a fan of Tom Green before. He was far too gross and sometimes too slapstick. After perusing his site, however, I have laughed wholeheartedly at some of his humour and been surprised by his serious side. He did go to Iraq on a USO tour and talks candidly about his testicular cancer in his twenties - advising young men to do a check regularly. On the other hand, I will never be a fan of Bill Maher - typical Hollywood "enlightenment" propaganda.

Tom's show is broadcast in cooperation with ManiaTV which boasts various "channels" and videos by amateurs and professionals. Tom states that this new technology allows him creative freedom as there is no network control. This starts a very interesting problem for the CRTC, CBC, etc. As the internet opens up and technology and bandwidth become less expensive, content cannot be controlled. As newspapers are slowly being pushed out by blogs and online news, we may see the same sort of thing with television. It is a global marketplace out there and control over media is not going to work - thank heavens.

It is an interesting development. I will be tuning in to www.tomgreen.com to see if he is, indeed, funny and watching Canadian content because I want to, not because I'm forced to. The other thought I just had is: if CBC is the only way for Canadians to get Canadian culture, how are they going to force people to watch their channel? If nobody watches it, what is the point. I'll find my culture on my own, thank you very much.

Reality Check

Kate at SDA mentioned this article in a comment. It is an essay on what the world is facing and the reality check needed by many. It made some points I hadn't even thought of but brings a realistic face to what our soldiers are facing in this war. It is a long essay but definitely something people should take the time to read.

Further in the essay, he talks about the attitudes of Hollywood and the far left and how out of touch with reality they are. As you can see from my blog description, I fully agree. He has some interesting viewpoints on society as well. Read through and decide for yourself.

Sanctuary

War on Terrorism must continue

After reading the book by Mohamed Sifaoui in the previous post, it made a few things very clear.

First of all, the Islamists ( a word he uses for extremist Muslims) will not stop. It is their goal to take over the world and rid the infidels... period.

Secondly, they know how to use the system. They engage in "double-speak". They know the politically correct thing to say to infidels and they will say it hiding their true intentions and beliefs. They know the value of propaganda and will use it. They will deny wrongdoing loudly and often as they are at war. They will use other Muslims and "useful idiots" to further their cause without qualms. They will use the media to further their agenda from portraying themselves as victims who do good to victims who are being persecuted for no reason. They actually have a word for it called "Takiya".

Thirdly, there is a very wide network. The Chechen, Saudi, Afghanistan, Canadian, France, Britain Islamists, for example, are in contact with each other and are not merely isolated cells of Muslim youths. They are constantly recruiting and in contact with each other. They have no allegiance to any specific country but will use various countries to further their war.

Fourthly, when reading about the court hearings and public reaction etc to the Canadian arrests, it became very clear that the same sort of issues were happening in other arrests throughout history. The author talks about court hearings and public opinion in previous arrests in Algeria and France going back for a decade. Often, elements of the public believed these arrests were the governments attempt to instill fear rather than understand this war. The terrorists propaganda has been working for years and continues to work. The public misconceptions and delusions have been consistent regardless of the country where terrorists were apprehended - Algeria, France, or Canada. This surprised me the most and scared me as well. It was truly fascinating how elements of the public consistently through history will further the terrorists agenda and deny the danger.

It is time to wake up to the dangers of terrorism. It is even deadlier because life has no meaning to them. The Muslims and the left, in general, must denounce these acts and realize there is a war going on. They must realize they are being used in this war. The Islamists know that public opinion will help their cause... why doesn't the public realize this. Muslims and the left must denounce them and realize they are being used as well.

The following post in the Toronto Star states a similar point.

Update: I would like to ask a few questions to the moderate Muslims out there. With the Islamist's use of Takiya, how are we to know when we are hearing double-speak or Takiya versus the truth. Also, are you not angry that they use you to fight their wars? They imply and promote that it is racist etc and that they are merely Muslims being persecuted. Is this not tarnishing your faith?

Inside Al Qaeda: How I infiltrated the World's Deadliest Terrorist Organization

I bought this book for my dad for Father's Day. However, I started reading the foreword, then right into the introduction. I guess I will have to buy him another gift as I really want to read it. An interesting excerpt from the Introduction:

"I had an interest dating back as far as 1995, when the attacks took place, and it was all the keener on account of a certain element in France which stubbornly tries to excuse Islamist terrorists and argues without any evidence that their terrible acts are the work of the Algerian secret service."

Sound familiar? I guess every country has their "useful idiots" throughout history. I will keep you posted on my thoughts on this book but you can also purchase it here. Dad, sorry about that. I'll lend you the book when I'm done! LOL

Did you know....

According to a recent article in the Western Standard, the combined population of British Columbia and Alberta is 7.5 million which is equal to Quebec's. Quebec has 75 seats in the House of Commons and Alberta and BC combined have 49. Quebec has 24 senate seats and Alberta and BC combined have 12.

There is something wrong with this picture! Hopefully, part of Prime Minister Harper's "scary hidden" agenda is looking at this democratic imbalance eventually. I am proud of our new government's moves to govern by common sense and fairness.... hopefully it continues and addresses this.

Commercialism and Religion

I attended a great production at Stage West the other night with my parents. The name of the production? According to my mother - "Jesus Christ Superstore"

Terrorism. In Canada.

We're not making this up.
Also of interest, Nevermind foreign terrorists, why is Canada growing its own Extremists?

I recall a certain ad during the election that warned Canadians of soldiers in our street.. with guns ... as a scare tactic against the Conservatives. The PM who supposedly authorized this ad also attended a fund raiser as a minister with the Tamil Tigers. Human Rights Watch sent a letter to Martin as prime minister.


Aren't we thankful we now have a PM with the right priorities!!!!

US-Style Two Tier Daycare System

This comment from Gimbol on this SDA post cracked me up. It is a little scary considering how spot on it is.

I'd just like to provide a possible future if the liberal style child care advocates have there way:I see a future where:

• Conservatives will be vilified for trying to implement a US-style two tier daycare system.
• Accusations will abound about horror stories of parents being refused daycare because of inability to pay.
• The talking point "in Canada we use the daycare card, not a credit card" will be default by the lib-left kook fringe
• CUPE will force a nationwide shutdown of the "liberal national daycare system*" when a dispute over being assigned the late shift by maintenance workers occurs.
• The SCOC rules that its a violation of security of person to deny private daycare, still anyone that advocates for private daycare will be labeled anti-Canadian.

Just a preview of coming attractions if a LNDS* ever gets created.

Posted by: gimbol at May 31, 2006 11:16 AM

Interesting Public Broadcasting information

Wikipedia has some interesting points on Public Broadcasting including various countries involved and various types of public broadcasting. Ensure you read the discussion section as well and decide for yourself.

For more interesting reading, I have found one of my new favorite sites - www.cbcwatch.ca

.

I don't care who you are, THAT's funny

My sis and I were laughing over this little gem. Gas is a universal comedy act.

... and more angry....

h/t SDA

I know where we can find more healthcare funding.

.

Apparently without the CBC, our nation has no face and no culture. What a load of Crap!

The following are excerpts from the House of Commons debates yesterday. Apparently I and Canadians have no national culture or identity as I do not watch the CBC. We need Pravda and controls in order to have heritage. I ask you, who is trying to control us... really.....

Mr. Paul Szabo (Liberal Party): Mr. Speaker, there is no one culture. The best way to define Canadian culture is that it cannot be defined. It is so diverse. We are a model to the world because of our multicultural policy and the way we have opened up our doors to people around the world.

[...]

Maria Minnia (Liberal Party): There are fantastic regions within this country with a tremendous amount of capability to produce a tremendous amount of music, arts, dance, song, theatre and authors. It is absolutely phenomenal, but they need to be nurtured. If we do not nurture our own artists and our own cultural entities, and then expose them to Canadians across the country so that we can share and support them, then we have lost. We actually have no way of giving ourselves some identity and really express who we are to each other and to the world around us. Quite frankly, without that, we do not really have a face to our nation.

I thank the hon. member for the question because I believe that Canadians do support public broadcasting and, in particular, the CBC, and this is why I continue to fight for it and continue to support it.

[...]

Ms. Libby Davies (Vancouver East, NDP): [...] I reference a briefing paper from the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives. It states:

Culture is in need of protection in the trade negotiations because unrestricted competition in this arena would replace local and national cultural expression with powerful international media conglomerates....Culture and telecom are being treated very differently, as if they were distinct...This approach needs to be revisited, because in Canada these two sectors are rapidly merging and becoming inseparable. As a result, trade negotiations to promote more foreign involvement in the provision of telecom services, including foreign ownership, threaten our cultural expression.

[...]

I want to see long term stable funding for the CBC. Just a couple of days ago, a news advisory came out about the CBC's television design department being under threat of closure. Why is this happening when we are debating the UNESCO treaty and supposedly the idea that we support protecting and promoting the diversity of culture in Canada? Why would we close that department? It has had a long history of protecting and enhancing original programming in our country? This measly cost saving measure of $1 million will have a significant impact on original productions in Canada.

The debate today is important. If we are serious, we need to pass the motion. We also need to ensure that the amendment put forward by the NDP is adopted. We need to give clear direction to the trade negotiators, who are acting on behalf of Canada, to ensure that they do not negotiate away our cultural sovereignty as part of so-called competitiveness.

I am glad to support the motion today, but it is just a first step. We need to do much more to ensure that we support our artists, our cultural institutions and bilingualism in public broadcasting. We need to support organizations like the CBC to ensure they are not threatened each and every year by what the government plans on doing. Otherwise we will find ourselves in a void. We will find ourselves in a country which has lost its identity, its cultural expression and its voice. These issues are important in protecting our identity.

[...]

Ms. Libby Davies (NDP Party): Mr. Speaker, it is precisely because of the reality of how technology is overtaking at a very rapid pace. The Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives' document talks about what the future looks like. It talks about the average house having one unit that has a radio, television, music, films, news, Internet access, e-mail and maybe things we do not even envision yet.

This is broadband and its capacity to send huge amounts of digitized material over a single network should tell us of the urgency of this issue of how the protection and enhancement of Canadian culture is related to these trade negotiations that are going on that are based on telecom services and broadcasting services. These things now are very integral to each other.

It is a warning to us that unless we recognize that reality we will have given up our cultural sovereignty in the race to advance technology and so-called competitiveness that will leave behind cultural expression. I appreciate the member's question because it is precisely because of that point that we are urging our amendment today, which I hope the member will support.

Mr. Rod Bruinooge (Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Indian Affairs and Northern Development and Federal Interlocutor for Métis and Non-Status Indians, CPC): Mr. Speaker, I find myself in an interesting moment wanting to continue with the member's discussion point.

What direction will my hon. colleague's ideas in relation to technology eventually go? We know it is important for us as Canadians to continue developing our culture and to ensure it is competitive on the international stage. However, I am afraid that what she just suggested is the very slippery slope to approaching what we see in China, which is the complete control of the Internet and the suppression of all ideas that are against the state. That is what we would eventually have to do in order to achieve what she is talking about. How would she do what she is trying to do without going down that slippery slope?

Emphasis mine.

The opinion I agree with here is the CPC MP. The liberals and NDP would have you believe that obviously, without the CBC, Canada has no culture, no face, no voice. You've got to be kidding. I am going to check.... I know alot about, for example, Australian culture and I wonder if I learned this from the Australian government funded broadcasting corporation. I will check to see if they have one.

UPDATE: Thanks to an anonymous commenter, there is, in fact, an Australian Broadcasting Corporation. In reading through the site, it appears that, for example, ABC Radio International had an international audience of 50 million in the 1990's. Here is an excerpt from their site:

Radio Australia

In the early 90s the ABC's international network, Radio Australia increased the duration and reach of its broadcast services to Asia, the Pacific and beyond. In 1991-2 the network was broadcasting in eight languages to an estimated audience of more than 50 million people. By 1994 when Radio Australia celebrated 55 years of short wave broadcasts, the network was delivering programs throughout the Asia-Pacific region in nine languages via an expanded network of short wave, satellite and cable transmissions. In response to changing technology across its core region of operation the network negotiated agreements with several stations in the region to deliver radio Australia programs direct to their local audiences.

In 1997-98 Radio Australia's budget was reduced by more than half, resulting in severe staff cuts and curtailment of services. The network set about delivering its programs to the region using alternate delivery methods, building an extensive network of more than 100 partner stations and providing content content live via satellite and the internet.

It also states that ABC increased it's annual revenue from $688,000 to $11,300,000 in ten years. I wonder how our CBC compares? Of course, the auditor general isn't allowed to audit, is it? Regardless, I do not know about Australian culture from their programming.

Okay, now I'm angry....

I have been peeved at the Canadian media's arrogance and self-importance. They have come to believe they ARE the news instead of reporting it.

It started in earnest with the whining and petulance of the Parliamentary Press Gallery. ( I believe it started years before that but they have just made their bias public now). Then, last weekend I read an article on the death of one of our soldiers, Nichola Goddard. As I was reading the article in the Calgary Sun, I thought "What an excellent article"! It talked about her pride in being a soldier and I would have liked to know her. She seemed like an honorable person. However, then the editorialist went on to say that because she was a Canadian hero, the journalists should have been allowed to be inside the fence when the family greeted her homecoming. Of all the nerve!!! They used this proud hero's death to push their agenda.

Now, I am listening to the Opposition's motion in the House of Parliament regarding the cultural heritage of Canada and the CBC. The liberals are stating that without the CBC, we would have no cultural heritage in Canada. Again, this whole attitude that the media "IS" the heritage rather than the idea that they should "reflect" the heritage. In my opinion, the CBC is merely an arm of the left and is pure propaganda. They, like the PPG, seem to believe they ARE Canada. I can tell you, as one Canadian among many, that the CBC neither IS nor does it REFLECT my Canadian heritage. The liberals are putting this forward because they are scared of losing their "propoganda" machine. The liberals and the left, in my opinion, do not believe in Canadian heritage. They believe the Canadian culture should bow to "multiculturalism" and that our identity is that we are not American. Give me a break! Get rid of the CBC and the propaganda.

We can promote cultural heritage in many ways by giving grants etc to various events, media, programs, and projects put forward by Canadians. By disbanding a GOVERNMENT FUNDED MEDIA OUTLET, there can be a more diverse and broadbased reflection of CANADA rather than being preached to. Okay... I'm ranting now but I am furious. Prime Minister Harper... keep up the good fight and PLEASE kick the PPG, the CBC, and any other self-righteous entitled diverse cultural propagandists to the curb!!!!

Terrorist Connections in Cowtown

Calgary just ain't what it used to be. For those of you who think we are sitting in our own little world in Canada, think again. It's a global community, for good or bad....

Calgary Crime Funding Terror Cells

I love Spring!

My trees always bloom this time of year!













The brat surveys his kingdom.

Gun Registry..... Full of Holes

I haven't posted lately because I have been enjoying our beautiful weather. Love this global warming!

I am prompted to come in from the heat over the gun registry fiasco. This whole initiative has liberal greasy fingers all over it. Not only is the registry ill-conceived and useless, there has been apparent fraud in the costs incurred, contracts, etc. Here are my thoughts:

1. First of all, the data stated by commenters on blogs and supporters of the registry is false. According to police commenters on other sites, the 5000 hits a day that the registry is reported to receive is completely misleading. Apparently, when a police officer hits the database for a car license plate, for example, the database is checked in extension automatically. That means that any request into any system hits the registry as well whether it is gun related or not. I could go on and on regarding this misinformation but suffice it to say, the Auditor General stated that the registry data could not be trusted as accurate. The system is not working yet.
   
2. I heard someone quote that the last 6 or 7 police officers in Canada that were murdered were by long guns. Now, keep in mind, 4 of those police officers were in Mayerthorpe. Apparently, (I am using third hand information on this) the perpetrator of this crime had not registered his gun but he was also prohibited by the courts to use firearms. Surprise surprise. If this is true, it is not in the least bit surprising. Who really believes that criminals (the word implies that they are lawbreakers) will register their guns? Even if the criminal stole the gun from someone who had registered it, how would this information track down the criminal in the unlikely event that the criminal left it at the scene of the crime?
   
3. The original quote for implementing the registry was 2 million dollars. Now, in Information Systems, when considering a project, you usually multiply the time and cost expected by 2.5. How the heck did this end up at a billion dollars? The On-Time-On-Budget project management concept was blown out the window here. Canada is apparently seriously short on police. How many police could we have hired with this money? Wouldn't there be a more serious impact on crime with that investment?
4. Aside from all this, the cost overruns were hidden from parliament. Check out the auditor general report on the mismanagement and, I believe, serious fraud involved in this boondoggle. It is just another in the long line of liberal "How can I screw thee? Let me count the ways"

Speaking of screwing us, notice how we haven't seen much on the Adscam trials going on in our mainstream media? Guess they're too busy checking out Harper's fashion faux pas. One of the Group-action people testifying stated he feared for his life and was worried about a hunting accident in his living room. Wonder if liberal thugs register their hunting rifles.

Canadian Scientists Promote Common Sense

Sixty scientists have written a letter and petition to Prime Minister Stephen Harper to re-examine Kyoto and climate change. They state that activists, alarmists, etc should be ignored and that true debate and "balanced, comprehensive public-consultation sessions be held so as to examine the scientific foundation of the federal government's climate-change plans." In an email from my father regarding this article, he states: "Now that scientists and rational people see that our federal government may actually act in the best interests of the people of Canada, Harper may be inundated with requests for action on many issues"

The petition can be found here: Open Kyoto To Debate

In regards to Kyoto, the letter states this:

While the confident pronouncements of scientifically unqualified environmental groups may provide for sensational headlines, they are no basis for mature policy formulation. The study of global climate change is, as you have said, an "emerging science," one that is perhaps the most complex ever tackled. It may be many years yet before we properly understand the Earth's climate system. Nevertheless, significant advances have been made since the protocol was created, many of which are taking us away from a concern about increasing greenhouse gases. If, back in the mid-1990s, we knew what we know today about climate, Kyoto would almost certainly not exist, because we would have concluded it was not necessary.

In regards to climate change, the letter states this:

"Climate change is real" is a meaningless phrase used repeatedly by activists to convince the public that a climate catastrophe is looming and humanity is the cause. Neither of these fears is justified. Global climate changes all the time due to natural causes and the human impact still remains impossible to distinguish from this natural "noise." The new Canadian government's commitment to reducing air, land and water pollution is commendable, but allocating funds to "stopping climate change" would be irrational. We need to continue intensive research into the real causes of climate change and help our most vulnerable citizens adapt to whatever nature throws at us next.

We believe the Canadian public and government decision-makers need and deserve to hear the whole story concerning this very complex issue. It was only 30 years ago that many of today's global-warming alarmists were telling us that the world was in the midst of a global-cooling catastrophe. But the science continued to evolve, and still does, even though so many choose to ignore it when it does not fit with predetermined political agendas.

Hear, Hear! Let's explore this rationally, constructively, and productively. Read the letter... common sense rules!

International Attacks on Websites and Blogs

I couldn't access Small Dead Animals this morning. I was wondering what was going on and was reading other blogs. On Michelle Malkin's site, I found the answer.

Blogs Down: Hack Attack

Apparently there are DoS (Denial of Service) attacks hitting blogs and websites that posted the Mohammed cartoons. The attacks today originated from Saudi Arabia. I wasn't aware but apparently this has been happening on and off for a few months.

You Know You're a Moonbat if...

I enjoy reading Kate's blog at Small Dead Animals. There are often controversial and intelligent posts and discussions. I find it informative and also reassuring to find that there are many other people not swayed by the MSM of today and the propaganda over the last few years of what Canadian values are. I don't always agree with everything but excellent points are made and it gets me thinking. I don't visit blogs on the left as I hear enough of the left's opinions constantly in the media and from the opposition parties during parliament.

One discussion was regarding the issues with healthcare in Saskatchewan. A commenter who is an NDP supporter recently posted the following on SDA (partial post)

Tories are not great thinkers. Far from from it. They're Facist , racist,sexist homophobic WASP party always have been. Now they try the "Trust Me" card. We're really not dangerous. What does that tell me? They are used car salesmen/women. They cannot be trusted. The cess pool could use some bleach. You'll never convince me otherwise.

And the point is? This quote is another reason I won't visit leftist blogs. There is no discussion and the bias and viciousness is unbelievable. Am I missing something? What does WASP refer to? I am sure this commenter feels he/she is a "critical thinker". Brilliant arguments. You are now witness to the religion of the left.

The Political Flag Issue

When I first heard the issue of the flag not being lowered for soldier's deaths, I too wondered why. It seemed that if we had lowered the flag for our fallen in the past, why did our new government decide not to if they respect our troops.

After reading up on this on military sites and blogs and watching parliament (no info on MSM on this), I discovered the following reasons:

1. The tradition has never been to lower the flag at Parliament Hill for the fallen soldiers. The liberal government/Chretien decided to break tradition and do this during the "friendly fire" incident and was inconsistent about it. They did not lower the flag for every soldier.
2. The government now is actually maintaining the tradition that has been in place for 80 years, not breaking tradition
3. During times of war, the flag is supposed to fly high to show our solidarity as a country. In times of heavy casualties during previous wars, if the flag was lowered it would have been lowered all the time. This is not good for morale or for the country. It should fly high.
4. On November 11th, the flag is lowered in memory of all our fallen soldiers. Remember that this November 11th and make an effort this year to honor them.
   

It is sad that the main stream media and the liberals are using these soldiers' deaths for political purposes. For shame. To read an email from a woman who has personally lost a Canadian hero, read From A Canadian Forces Widow.

As an aside, there is a movement going on to show our support for the military. Everyone should wear red on Fridays to show our support. I think this is a great idea. So, remember, wear red on Fridays.

Shortage of doctors? No one wants the job.

I just listened to Dave Rutherford about some of the issues we are facing in healthcare. There is a crisis as we are critically short of family practitioners and the trend is continuing. Amongst other issues, they are saying that we should try and get some sort of testing in place in order to quickly certify foreign doctors and ensure they are up to speed.

I had this conversation with a doctor yesterday. We were talking about how little doctors make now in comparison to plumbers, veterinarians, dentists, etc. I know that in Information Technology, with only two years of education, my income was at par with many family doctors. Nobody seems to get that most people would not find much incentive to spend 8 years in University and come out and make $29.00 per visit and have the overhead of nurses, clinic, utilities, etc and end up with no pension, health benefits, etc. The government has enslaved doctors. Why enter this field when you can do less schooling and come out far ahead financially without the debt incurred? Those people that do incur the expense become specialists because that is the only way they can truly get ahead. Read the following blog post on this:

What's Wrong with Healthcare?: Don't Let Them Escape!

So, it got me to thinking. In the United States, there is a call for immigrants to do the jobs that Americans won't do. Here in Canada, there is the same call, however the jobs Canadians won't do is family medicine. There is something wrong with the system and when there is a hue and cry about how family doctor's shouldn't be able to work in a private situation as well, this will continue. Do you know that in Germany, the doctors marched recently because the private system was the only way they could afford to maintain their practices in the public system? Then ask yourself why Cuba is the only other country in the entire world who doesn't allow a private system. The public system is conscripting our doctors so that our only hope is immigration. Some Canadian value! Shame on Canada.

"I might be anti-war, but I am much more anti-terrorist." - Michael Yon

This is one of the most unbiased, non-political reports on Iraq I have ever read. You can make your own judgement. As the reporter states:

True, I am anti-war, but I recognize that at this juncture in human history that refusing to fight in many parts of the world means that we agree to be beaten to death, or we agree to allow airliners to ram into our buildings. War is a pitiful human reality that we must face, and we are far from finished with facing this demon. We live in a rough world where strength is rewarded, weakness is penalized.

This is something we should all think about. Nobody likes war but is it necessary? There are some hard questions we must face as a society. If you want to know what is going on in Iraq, I would suggest you sit down with a cup of coffee and read this piece: Of Words
h/t Celestial Junk

Another human piece from an Iraqi: Kill us, but you won't enslave us
h/t Michelle Malkin

Note to Parliamentary Press Gallery:

No one cares.

War is hell, say Parliament Hill Reporters

Nanny State - no thanks

Where exactly did the idea of national day care come from? Whose bright idea was this? We have huge problems with healthcare, the environment, the native situation, etc and now the government is going to branch into day care? Give me a break. Aside from the idiocy of the government getting involved in this, the government should fix the broken programs they are running before getting into something else.

If there was truly a need for more daycare spaces, then the free market would start creating more daycare spaces. I heard a liberal MP in parliament discuss how people would not need to set up spycams in order to ensure their children are not being abused if national day care was in place. Explain that logic? They couldn't even monitor their own when it came to Adscam. How on earth are they planning to monitor daycare workers in the system?

The government should stay out of this and concentrate on fixing what they are already responsible for.

The Extreme Left are Programmed by the Illuminati

One of my favorite and oddest pastimes is listening to a radio program called Coast to Coast. They talk about a variety of strange subjects such as the paranormal, shapeshifters, UFOs, global warming, etc etc. Although purely entertaining, they do have some interesting subjects and were the first to announce the PortsWorld issue. They also have some interesting subjects like the experiment in my previous post. The program is definitely left leaning and often left extremist so it is even stranger that I find it entertaining. Many guests use their discussions to forward their anti-conservative perspectives.

The program I listened to the other night was called the Illuminati Agenda. I am not sure of the guest's political leanings as it wasn't obvious. Interestingly enough, he often used examples from CBC news articles in Canada so I tend to think he's left. He also is against free trade agreements so that solidifies it. Now, I don't believe in the Illuminati necessarily or that the Illuminati has any kind of power however it hit a few interesting points that got me thinking.

He believes the Illuminati has been programming society for many years to bring about a new world one-world order and government. Some of the statements he made during the interview on Coast to Coast included ( I am paraphrasing from memory):

1. The illuminati is programming people in the guise of noble intent and organizations that promote what is good for the world to brainwash people.
   
2. They are using the gay agenda to forward their cause and removing people's views of "normal" in society. In the end, gay people will be persecuted as any other once in power.
   
3. Henry Kissinger and Maurice Strong (I found this particularly interesting) may be part of the Illuminati. (I'm not sure but I think he mentioned David Suzuki)
   
4. They are pushing hatred of religion by pitting religion against religion. In this way, after the Islam vs other religions, people will tend to discount religion and promote scientific thinking instead.
5. They hate women.
6. They infiltrate news organizations and recruit journalists to promote their agenda.
   
7. Once in power, they will decimate the population to half a million people to promote the earth's sustainability etc.
8. They promote the idea of reducing population by disposable members of society. (IE: assisted suicide etc) to get people used to the idea.
   
9. Europe is much farther along in the Illuminati agenda.
   

I could go on as it gets really strange when he talks about the Illuminati wanting to create a hermaphrodite type of creature that don't require different sexes in the world. The whole point of this post, though, is that I found it hilarious that the blame appears to be put on the right or the conservatives for promoting the agenda of the illuminati. In fact a caller called in with her vehement hatred of Cheney.

Now, if there was, in fact, an Illuminati organization with this agenda, it is obvious, in my opinion, that the left are promoting it and brainwashed hook, line, and sinker. The media, in general, is definitely left. The environmentalists are preaching the evils of human impact on the earth. Christianity is taking a bad wrap and religion is thought to be a "conservative" inclination. Europe seems to be far more socialist in general and more anti-American. The extreme left promotes assisted suicide and abortion. Maurice Strong in his bid to create programs like Oil-for-Food and Kyoto programs is definitely left as he was an adviser to Ex Pm Paul Martin, etc. The left are swallowing this propaganda up. If there was an Illuminati, people, the conservative population are the people fighting it. It is funny to me that the left thinks they are the open minded, enlightened people of our world.

Now this is funny. For the left who are in need of help, I have found the answer for you. According to the guest speaker, if you want to De-Program yourself, you can go his site - Cutting through the Matrix

Zap him!

There was an interesting experiment done many years ago. The experiment included a subject called the teacher, a learner, and a scientist. The teacher was put in front of a long row of electrical shock switches. The learner was put behind the wall and could be heard, not seen. If the learner answered a question wrong, the teacher was instructed to give the learner the next electrical shock. Now, keep in mind that the electrical shock was not actually given and the learner was an actor however the teacher (subject) did not know this.

Throughout the process, the learner (actor) would beg for it to stop. The scientist would merely tell the teacher (subject) to continue. Astoundingly, 62.5% of the subjects/teachers continued to the final largest shock despite the pleas of the learner to stop and at some point, despite the silence.

Now keep in mind, there wasn't punishment for stopping the process. The scientist would merely instruct the "teacher" to continue. Basically, this was an experiment to see how far people will go when instructed by someone of imagined authority or knowledge. Whose judgement would triumph?

This experiment explains alot about human nature and is truly frightening.. Although the subjects could hear that someone was in pain and was pleading for release, the scientist's judgement would trump the subject. I am still thinking through my feelings about the results of this experiment. I think about the influence of media, marketers, our educational institutes, governments, etc. It also explains some of the reasons in my last post on why the public doesn't question our healthcare system even though there are many people suffering out there.

I can only take hope in the 30 some % who discontinued the experiment and used their own judgement. Although the researcher was discussing obedience, I believe it also includes the influence of someone who appears knowledgeable or takes responsibility off of the subject.

For more on this experiment, you can read an essay by the researcher Stanley Milgram.
To read more about Stanley Milgram, click here.

Media Harper Friendly - has hell frozen over?

I watched with shock and awe as CTV's Question Period pundits praised Harper's performance in parliament this week. I have to give credit where it's due... no comments about his fashion style nor his waistline... purely praise about his performance as Prime Minister in parliament. Wow!

Friends of Medicare are NO friends of mine

The NDP, the media, special interest groups etc are killing our healthcare. As A Wilke pointed out in some of his posts, friends of the system are not friends of the patient. In the past, any talk of examining the system and making any changes has been political suicide. Our healthcare system is not only unsustainable but also responsible for many unnecessary deaths and suffering, in my opinion. "Cost Effectiveness" is the mantra of the "system" and morality be damned. People are not getting the tests they require, doctors get their hands slapped for ordering too many tests, people are being counselled on choices that are cost effective, not quality of life effective etc all in the name of sustaining our "system". By making the healthcare system a Canadian value and a religion, questioning it becomes "traitorous", un-Canadian, unfeeling, and pro-American. Is it any wonder I get so upset with the media?

We have been slowly brainwashed by the government, media, system advocators, etc that our system is the "only" way . It has become a political maelstrom to suggest that it is not working and why it is not working. Instead of questioning the system, the propagandists (is that a word?) throw out the immorality of private systems as a reason not to fix it. In my mind, the immorality of the existing system far outweighs any alternatives. In the worst case scenario, I would rather know that I would have to pay and cannot afford a treatment that not be told that there is an option or worse yet, not be tested for something because there is no treatment so it is cost effective not to bother testing for it. Ask yourself why Cuba and Canada are the only countries left with a totally public system. Do you think Fidel is compassionate?

It is broken, people and not correctable in its current state. Unfortunately, you will not get the truth on this and people will continue to die. For a glimpse into the misinformation and what is happening in healthcare, visit What's Wrong with Healthcare. I think he pulls some punches sometimes but it will give you insight into the truth.

Write our Troops

Considering the sacrifices of Private Costall, his family, and the rest of our troops, take a moment to post or write to show our support.

Canada and the United States...

... have much in common... primarily the main stream media bias.

Read Ann Coulter's latest column: N.Y Times, Broken Clock: Both Occasionally Correct

Global Warming Cause Discovered

I have figured out what the cause of Global Warming is. Yes, that's right... I know what has happened.

In 1975, the earth had been on a cooling trend for decades. Scientists declared massive evidence supporting Global Cooling as shown in this Newsweek Article in 1975. As global cooling was obviously a fact, everyone must have jumped in with solutions to stop this. I remember doing my part and stopped purchasing aerosol cans of hairspray. Although, they weren't certain what exactly was causing it, we had to do something.

Now look what they've done! They've caused Global Warming. Sheesh... you can stop now. We're warm enough! But don't start us cooling again! I enjoyed this winter.

I see I'm not the only one with some hesitation to embrace this fact:

1. Global Warming or global cooling: Which is it?
2. Global Hot Air
3. Hot and Cold Running Alarmism
4. Exposing the villains of environmental hysterics
5. Junk Science
6. Let Cooler Heads Prevail
7. Review of "State of Fear" by Michael Crichton (***looks like I'll have to read that book**)
   
8. There's no Global Warming, because there's no Global Climate
9. Too few global skeptics
   

Albertans have all the luck....

I was reading comments on the small dead animals blog from the liberal trolls about Alberta. They seem to believe that Alberta is the only province that has oil and that this oil stops exactly at the Alberta borders. Alberta Girl (one of the commenters on the site) pointed to an article that upset her that also seems to have this opinion: Albertans have all the luck and lots of money

I commented on the fact that Alberta has consistently voted in a conservative government provincially unlike other provinces and this has made Alberta successful. It is not just the conservative government but the attitude of the voters that voted in the government. That means, in general, Albertans are not looking to the government to take care of us unless we are in great need. Also, those people in other provinces that had some accountability, responsibility, and a hard working attitude that could not find work at home would move to Alberta. This has shaped a very entreprenurial hardworking attitude in Alberta.

Until the conservatives were voted in federally, Albertans were losing hope. As my parents mentioned, other provinces were bankrupting themselves and then looking to Alberta and wanting us to share. That's like a sibling who has spent all his allowance on videogames and then felt his sister should give him some of her part-time job earnings because he was broke and she made more than an allowance.

Now, Canada has voted in what looks to be a responsible government. Separatism has deflated as, although we didn't make a difference, the type of government we feel is right for Canada is in power. This also gave us hope that other Canadians weren't wrapped up in the "sense of entitlement" attitude.

However, we still fear the prevailing socialist attitude of many Canadians and another NEP grab. There are two large socialistic parties out there who are hungry for power and will do whatever they can to get it back. Alberta is still thinking that we better set ourselves up (the oft mentioned firewall) so that if need be, we can separate if socialism prevails. It is good sense considering the past and some of the comments we are hearing.

I could continue but Alberta Girl said it best in the following comment:

Denis - you bring up a very good point that once people move to Alberta their whole view of this province changes - they begin to understand what makes us"tick" so to speak and why separatism still simmers just below the surface. Without a doubt - if the Liberals had been re-elected - separatism would have become a fact. For now - it is off the radar, but any hint that another NEP or any other ideas to take over Alberta's resource revenue will be the deciding factor.

BCL, Zuma and several of the other posters here do not get it - they do not realize that Alberta already "shares" their oil revenue with the rest of the country. They still like to believe that Alberta is the only province in Canada sitting on pools of oil and this is the reason for the wealth of Alberta. They for some reason, fail to grasp the connection that how Alberta has been governed for the past 30 years and especially in the last 13, has a correlation to the success of the province. They fail to grasp that by voting Liberal or NDP governments who believe that governments should be in charge of everything and to allow the citizens to have any responsibility is somehow a bad thing.

So the left consistently looks down their noses at Alberta as some kind of "country cousin" - a cousin who really has no idea about the "real world". But the laugh is on them because the "real world" is happening in Alberta.

Now I don't expect that people like BCL or Zuma or any of the other lefties who like to play with our minds will change because of Kate's site, but it sure is fun to give them the other side of the story.

Thanks to Denis for adding the fact that if Alberta didn't support taking the oil out of the ground we wouldn't be where we are. Hopefully other provinces, under the Conservative government's support for provincial autonomy, will grasp the concept, start supporting enteprenurial endeavours in their own provinces and encouraging developement of their own resources. I won't hold my breath on that though because voters like BCL and Zuma will most likely not see what their provinces could be and will continue to vote in governments that see abdicating responsibilities as reducing their power.

If you continually decade after decade vote in socialist governments, soon the voters in that province do not know any other way and the expectation is that the government will take care of you. The socialist agenda becomes a culture of entitlement that permeates our universities and because our universities turn our our teachers, has begun to permeate our schools and each generation is "taught" that premise.

That is why people who move to Alberta from other parts of the country are surprised to find themselves with a whole new belief pattern after living here. They truly do see things in a new light and begin to realize that what they believed, heard and have been taught about Alberta and Conservatism was not totally the truth.

Posted by Alberta Girl at March 31, 2006 07:05 AM

Celestial Junk Blog: Cartoons, Duplicity, and the Unhinged Left

Celestial Junk Blog: Cartoons, Duplicity, and the Unhinged Left

A clear vision of the confusion we face. Instead of socialist politics, it is an anti-conservative religion.

Why Elected Senate is a must.

Can an appointed senator to the age of 75 be fired? I doubt it but this one deserves it.

I remember the news media (I use that term loosely) and liberals in Canada were all up in arms because during the election, Stephen Harper said that the Canadian senate and courts were filled with liberals. The nerve of the man to suggest that there was bias in the senate and courts.

Recently, however, the nerve and bias of these senators was displayed by appointed for life Liberal senator Celine Hervieux-Payette. Read the following article by the CBC and note the headline. The headline really doesn't tell you what the story is really about, does it? Senator fires back at US family upset with seal hunt. Did she fire back with the reasons the seal hunt is important? No, she mentioned it but she mainly fired back insults. She fired back with a bunch of leftist, anti-American, anti-Iraq war, anti- diatribe about the US. Her personal opinion surely did not taint her response to this US family when responding as a Canadian senator? No bias there. Harper has his work cut out for him with years of liberal senate and court appointments stacking the deck. I hope the liberals did a better job appointing their judges.....

Senator fires back at US family upset with Seal Hunt

I am ashamed that this woman spoke for our country. Can we at least muzzle these people in international affairs?