When history delivers its final judgement on Stephen Harper and his porker Cons, its verdict will be harsh.They will be found guilty of so many foul things, from corrupting our democracy, and raping our Canadian values, to helping to torch the planet. But one of their biggest crimes could turn out to be not preparing the country for the Swine flu pandemic.Because they chose to spend FIVE times as much money selling their Porky Action Plan...than they did on ads educating the public. So even as the second wave hits us the result is mass confusion.Does the H1N1 vaccine give you the flu? Will it cause autism or Gulf War syndrome? Is it a cover for a sinister government plan to kill people? Is a plot by big pharma to sell drugs, make money and rule the world?Or madness.With people getting their information from old wives tales like this one.Rather than from doctors like this one.Why do people who would never use Google, or the opinions of friends and colleagues, to decide that they…

The problem with communication ... is the illusion that it has been accomplished.George Bernard ShawI like signs. I take pictures of signs. I find they really help one navigate the world...and not only that they help answer questions or give directions but not all signs are created the same and in many instances there there is never a sign when you need/want one? And more frustrating are the signs that are freakin huge blocking the view...and especially signs that are really really really inappropriateSome you could just plain do without like the one that says here's to the women who like men who like beer! Not only is this for a icky brand of beer but it is discriminating! Hows about the women who like men who drink scotch or the women who like men who like a fine merlot oh how about even the women who don't like men at all no matter what they drink? And I have to ask why put up a sign? society is continually taking women for granted, not…

To expand on earlier discussions of the value of theatrics, the main problem I have with the tactic is that all too often, the signal-to-noise ratio drowns out any point that may be made, and indeed, can often backfire. And nowhere can this be illustrated better than in the latest bit of theatrics engaged by [...]

Seantors Byrd and Kennedy were taken to hospital during todays inauguration luncheon. It appears that Kennedy suffered convulsions. That sound serious. Byrd, perhaps less serious, had a problem eating.. 

Obama declared the end of "Operation Iraqi Freedom," Tuesday night and the beginning of "Operation New Dawn." It is exactly the kind of Orwellian hooey that it reads like. There are as noted everywhere even the MSM 50,000 combat ready troops being left behind, but not being reported as often are the bases that still remain occupied by American forces in the desert and the 7,000 independent contractors ( re: modern-day mercenaries) they are hiring to leave behind at five different bases . Here's a report from Democracy Now on those bases: Seven years later there's still lots to say about this war of choice that devastated Iraq. The war killed untold numbers of civilians and made refugees out of millions and it's all being ignored except in small corners of the media and blogosphere. Some like Chris Mathews are trying to pretend they were against the war back in 2003 and that they weren't cheerleaders and enablers -- it's a bit nauseating. There are so many in the media that…

Illegal ones, too.Despite its refusal to consider abortion in its maternal-health plan, the Harper government has given financial support to an international agency that provides abortion illegally in some African countries.It's a very coy article and one wonders what the point of it is.In a related story, the Ottawa Citizen claims that Bev Oda has seen the light on family planning.Fresh from a fact-finding trip to Mali and Mozambique, Stephen Harper's minister in charge of delivering the federal government's $1.1-billion commitment to improving maternal and child health, is singing a different tune, and it is one that includes funding for family planning and even indirect support for abortion, if Canada is asked.International Co-operation Minister Bev Oda seems to have returned from Africa with a more nuanced vision of how Canada can help reduce hundreds of thousands of maternal deaths every year than the one originally offered by her government.Here we go with the nuancy shit…

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It isn't much surprise that the Wall government has decided to put a corporate front group in charge of advising it on a possible potash takeover. But it's remarkable just how brazen the Sask Party is being in declaring that as far as it's concerned, nothing matters but big business:The Saskatchewan government has commissioned the Conference Board of Canada to complete a report to understand the implications for Saskatchewan of a proposed takeover of PotashCorp. 1. The report will identify general risks to and opportunities for: - All aspects of potash industry employment in Saskatchewan; - Revenues of the Government of Saskatchewan including royalty revenue, corporate tax revenue, indirect revenue; - Saskatchewan's strategic position in the international potash industry; and - Saskatchewan's reputation for a positive investment climate. Now, some of us might think that a provincial government should have some interest in figuring out how a takeover would affect the scope of…

Imagine the following scenario.An ex-patient of an orthopedic specialist initiates a civil suit against her, her gynecological oncologist husband and a hospital. Several years ago the patient found herself in the untenable situation of receiving, while under the care of her specialist, raunchy nude photos of her physician's husband and numerous invitations to have sex with him. The patient deflected these overtures. After her medical treatment was complete, she complained to the hospital who settled with her, giving her shush money provided that she destroyed all compromising photos and documents in her possession.Now the former patient has gone public and the oncologist, currently the director of a teaching unit at a prestigious hospital, has taken administrative leave pending investigation and resolution of the litigation/complaint. His spouse, who suffered from PTSD at the time, acknowledged she'd posted private intimate photographs and offered his sexual services to this…

Sorry for the lack of posts this week, blog was offline for a bit. (For geeks out there, I now have a company managing my blog for me and we we're moving from a shared hosting service to a virtual private server - I should have less down time in the future - very excited). [...]

Michael Ignatieff and his Liberals, joined enthusiastically by the media, are all over Jack Layton these days because the NDP caucus is split on the future of the gun registry and some members may not vote with their colleagues. He is being told - in parliamentary jargon - to "whip" his caucus, an apt term indeed. If this tells us anything, it tells us why so many people are turned off by politics.The NDP MPs who oppose the registry are apparently acting in accordance with the wishes of their constituents (assuming they are listening to their women constituents as well as the men). So, here we have representatives who want to do not only what they were elected to do but quite probably what their consciences tell them to do, and their party leader is being told to punish them unless they betray both constituents and consciences. What kind of people would accept this? If refusing to be "whipped" violated their party's core philosophy or a major policy, that would be one thing,…

Researchers in California pitted industrial strawberry farming against organic strawberry farming and the winner was organic. Organic farms were better for the environment and produced noticeably better produce. Another reason to buy organic and something that the movie Fresh predicted. Among their findings: -The organic strawberries had significantly higher antioxidant activity and concentrations of ascorbic acid and [...]

It’s called ‘Learned Helplessness’ and applies to the Christian By Rote people here.  Feed them the bible with some condiments and perhaps a dab of chocolate on the Old Testament and , voila…instant  , helpless sheep. While the Silly Man Hotel has done good for people over many years and around the world,  they are [...]

In the latest EKOS poll which came out earlier today the Green Party of Canada is sitting at 13.0% nationally. In BC 18.1% of those polled choose the GPC. 13 is a great number for us. 18 is an even better one. But the number that should stick out the most is who voters under 25 will be supporting. In that category the GPC is out in front with 28.5%. Of course the margin of error is higher in BC and among those <25 than it is nationally but margins of error go both ways and regardless it tells us just how important young voters are to the Green Party. read more

The Tyee runs a fine takedown of the "Obama is a Muslim" meme.Not that it will make any difference to the 20% of Americans who are frankly stark, staring bonkers, their minds poisoned beyond recovery by virulent racism, still in shock that The Other, born in Africa, not America, has somehow become their President.It's good to chase these malicious stories to ground, and Steve Burgess has done so. Enjoy!

You can't see the fight with all those players in the way.

Corporate USA is doing their damnedest to mess with your Internet for the benefit of their profit structure. You now have another chance to express your displeasure at this prospect.Via PC World today:September 02, 2010 6:18 AM FCC Takes Net Neutrality to Court of Public Opinion (Again)By Tony Bradley, PC WorldThe FCC has opened the next chapter in the debate over net neutrality with a new Notice of Inquiry seeking public comments and feedback on specific aspects of the proposed rules. Net neutrality advocates, however, are becoming increasingly frustrated with the FCC dragging its feet rather than implementing change.The new FCC inquiry is in pursuit of specific feedback to clarify opinion on a couple of "under-developed issues" that came up during the negotiations with the ISPs and broadband industry, and as a result of the controversial Google-Verizon proposal. Specifically, the FCC wants input to get consensus on the concept of "specialized services" and application…

As many of our regular readers may have noticed, we haven't posted any new articles lately. This is a very busy time for Chad and I as we prepare to move to our new apartment/headquarter in North Bay, Ontario.Although posting has been light lately, and will likely be non-existent over the next few days, you may rest assured that Real Canadian Politics will resume after the long weekend.Follow The CBC's political coverage for political news until we return!Thanks for your understanding, have a great long weekend, and we'll be back in a few days!

Then starts making comments which make no sense.Furthermore, he and his band of hillbillies are lying about the ramifications of withdrawing from the future purchase of the F-35 Lightning II. We haven't signed a contract yet and we won't until 2013.Harper's yapping coincides, coincidentally, with a pressurized sales push by Lockheed Martin's F-35 programme general manager, Tom Burbage.Industrial participation by international partners in the Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) programme could be affected if firm commitments to buy the aircraft are delayed or amended, Tom Burbage, the general manager and executive vice president for the F-35 programme, warned on 17 August. Canada entered into the development stage without any commitment to buy and Burbage knows it. This is arm twisting on the part of LM.Burbage told Jane's that the eight international partner nations - Australia, Canada, Denmark, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Turkey and the UK -…

Corporate USA is doing their damnedest to mess with your Internet for the benefit of their profit structure. You now have another chance to express your displeasure at this prospect.Via PC World today:September 02, 2010 6:18 AM FCC Takes Net Neutrality to Court of Public Opinion (Again)By Tony Bradley, PC WorldThe FCC has opened the next chapter in the debate over net neutrality with a new Notice of Inquiry seeking public comments and feedback on specific aspects of the proposed rules. Net neutrality advocates, however, are becoming increasingly frustrated with the FCC dragging its feet rather than implementing change.The new FCC inquiry is in pursuit of specific feedback to clarify opinion on a couple of "under-developed issues" that came up during the negotiations with the ISPs and broadband industry, and as a result of the controversial Google-Verizon proposal. Specifically, the FCC wants input to get consensus on the concept of "specialized services" and application…