One goose step leads to another

I know I feature Rick Mercer's Rants a lot on this board. That is in part due to the fact he is a Newfoundlander I admire and find amusing, but also because sometimes he just nails a point.
This is one of those times.

Vic Toews' big brother quest for online surveillance of Canadians has generated a lot of media attention- but not enough public outcry. Few seem to understand the implications this kind of unfettered access into our private lives Bill C-30 would provide.

Bill C-30, or as the Tories would gift wrap it: "Protecting Children from Internet Predators Act". As much as I would like to see child molesters flayed, and then burned slowly over an open fire, I cannot support an act that would:

--> allow authorities to demand access to subscriber information from both ISPs and telephone providers without needing to present a warrant

--> require telecommunications providers to ensure that there was a back door entrance to allow all communications to be intercepted when desired. Guess who is paying for that.

--> these powers would be granted to police agencies, the Canadian Security Intelligence Service, Competition Bureau officials, as well as anybody "appointed" by the Minister of Public Safety to carry out such actions.

--> allows any of these persons to make copies of the data taken from citizens' digital devices, without oversight or a right of appeal.

--> prohibit ISPs from answering affirmatively if a customer asked them whether authorities had been searching their data.

Think about that.

News Junkie No More

I try to stay informed.

Everyday I read the important bits from a variety of online newspapers. I listen to the radio news casts, and I also watch a variety of news stations and every night, it was our habit, my husband and I, to watch the National together before bed.

Not so much these days.

I have had to cut back on the television news in recent weeks. The disaster porn was just getting to be too much. Some stations are worse than others to be sure, but they all gleefully wallow in the misery. The misery that hasn’t really changed much since their last “BREAKING NEWS” update on the topic…an update on the update they pronounced ten short minutes ago.

So I gave it up for a bit.

My husband has kept to his news watching habits though, especially the National at 10:00 pm. While he is glued to the set I am puttering around getting things ready for the next day, or working on the computer.

I think he might be missing me a little because he seems somehow compelled to fill me in a variety of details while I am most doggedly doing something, anything, else. I could be cleaning out the fridge and hear him call out some random headline from the living room:

“They said the radiation not be as bad as they thought it was. Looks like a mistake”

“Some house exploded in Woodbridge!”

“Looks like the radiation is worse than they thought it was. It is in the groundwater”

And last night:

“Apparently there seems to be a trend in Nursing Homes now where seniors are beating each other up”

To which I replied. “Now there is something to look forward to”

I guess I should head back to the gym.

Tonight when the National comes on, I am going to bed.

Kiss it bye-bye

Imagine having the winning ticket to a multimillion dollar lottery- and voiding it. That is what happened to a customer at the Corner Store, in the Goulds (St. John's, NL).

The customer ordered 12 bucks in tickets, but the clerk printed up 27 bucks worth, the customer was either unwilling, or unable to pay for the 27 dollar ticket and thus the clerk had to void it.

It turns out that voided ticket was worth 30 million big ones.

Can you imagine? What kind of luck it that?

Mary Walsh for Rideau Hall!

A lot of names have been bandied about for the PM's choice as the next governor general, including Captain Kirk (this is where inter-species diplomacy pays its dividends) Leonard Cohen (Hallelujah!), Mike Myers (the Goldmember of Parliament) and the man in motion himself: Rick Hansen. Today, I read about a new nominee, Newfoundlander Mary Walsh.

Yes, Marg Delahunty: warrior princess for governor general.

I could get behind that.

But somehow I don't think Stevie will go for it- he is afraid of strong women. Especially women who carry a bigger sword than he does.




photo take from http://bgalrstate.blogspot.com/2009/11/sarah-palin-wants-to-dismantle-canadian.html

This Olympic Closing Ceremonies are brought to you by, Mel Brooks?

Was it just me, or were the Closing Ceremonies just a tad....oh man...so many ways I can go here....Let's just say over the top, with a hint of stale.

I don't really want to be too mean here. I understand that much of what we saw last night was meant to show the world that we have a unique sense of humor, a wide variety of talent, and an endearing ability to laugh at ourselves. All things I applaud. So I did expect the Mounties to be on display, the Hockey glorification, I could even smile at the dancing canoes, and red-clad lumberjacks but when the giant inflatable beavers lumbered their way onto center stage followed closely by giant boobs with maple leaves on their backs my smile cracked a little.

The Facebook feeds were funny to read...at first people were very pleased with what they saw. There almost universal consensus that Neil Young's "Long May You Run," was a beautiful way to extinguish the Olympic flame. Bill Shatner got a lot of good-natured laughs, and Micheal J Fox just heightened the level of pride people expressed. But as the night progressed I started to see updates like:

"Are there any stereotypes left? All they need is an igloo and a totem pole?"

"I have never done acid, but I am pretty sure this is what an acid trip in Canada looks like"

"Is it me or is this a little too much with the canned jokes"

At one point I mused what the over/under would be on Celine coming out of her crypt to perform. She didn't.

All that aside, it was a good night. We should celebrate all the athetic achievements, and all the hard work that went into this year's games. I saw some of the best hockey I have ever seen, and it is kind of depressing to me now that I have to go back to the Leaf's version of our sacred game.

Sigh, I guess you can't win them all.

Something Positive

Canada has been taking a lot of crap in the press these last few weeks. The Olympic games is the focus of much of the ire, with headlines from the UK like: 'Vancouver Games continue downhill slide from disaster to calamity"; Canadian organizers are responding to complaints about everything from the weather, protesters, ice surfacing and to the fence around the Olympic Flame, and the horrific death of Georgian luger Nodar Kumaritashvili on the opening day. Add to that the scandal Premier's Danny William's decision to get surgery outside his own province, and worse, outside Canada. He ignited the debate about the quality of health care in Canada versus the United States on both sides of the border. And today, we have the hullabaloo over the gold winning Canadian Women's Hockey team daring to celebrate their win in such a "rowdy" way- drinking and carousing! How dare they? Had this been the gold medal win for the men's team such celebrations would not likely have made the papers; even if it did the finger wagging the girls received would be pats on the back for the men.

Yeah, our collective Canadian image is taking a bit of a pounding.

So it made me feel good to see this video circulating on Facebook. It is Canada, as seen through the eyes of American news anchor Tom Brokaw which was aired just as the games were about to begin. It is a very positive piece about Canada and our relationship with the U.S. I found myself sitting up a little straighter as I watched it- and I was very pleased to see so many shots of Newfoundland.

Thanks Mr. Brokaw, we needed this:

I'll take ‘Huge Blunders' for $200, Alex

I saw this article/podcast in the Globe and Mail this morning and it really got me thinking about a few incidents in my life where describing myself as a Newfoundander did not exactly put me at an advantage. I often wondered about how the situation would have played out had I kept my place of origin out of the picture. The best example I can think of is a decorating show my husband and I appeared on. That story will have to wait for another day, because it is one that requires booze to tell. Lots of it.

The writer of the globe story, Trevor Janes, appeared on Jeopardy awhile back. He has lived and worked in Ottawa for the past 20 years but is originally from the Rock. However, while filling out the contestant information sheet for the show he wrote down that he was from Ottawa. He explains: "Besides being a mild-mannered software developer, I'm also a giant, gushing Jeopardy! fanboy, and I knew that Alex Trebek had once lived in Ottawa. Hoping to share a brief connection with a famous person I admired, I wrote Ottawa as my place of origin. I figured that back in Newfoundland, my parents and relatives wouldn't mind, and nobody else who was watching would even know. We taped the show and I began the two-month wait for the broadcast."

Not surprisingly, months later as people from home watched the show, expecting to see the home boy represent, some were surprised and perhaps hurt to learn he did not say he was from the Rock. Mr. Janes takes great pains in his story to apologize for that error in judgement, and I have to admire him for that. It is an interesting read, and some of the reader comments are quite telling. They range from the usual "Just another Dumb Newf" rants from some knuckle dragging dingbats, to the reassuring "Don't sweat it" comments. I thought about weighing in and then decided to do that here instead.

I wonder, has being from Newfoundland ever held you back in anyway? Affected people's perceptions of you?

Oink Oink

If this H1N1 flu pandemic is a test case for the way the Canadian government and health agencies will respond to a super bug pandemic then it looks like we are totally screwed.

It is not like this “second wave” of Swine flu just crept up on us. It cannot be said that we did not know it was coming, and yet, it seems officials are running around in a blue ass panic.

The roll out of the vaccine is too little, and far too late. Small makeshift clinics set up in old fitness sites (as is the case with Whitby anyway), 5 to 8 hour long line ups in the cold and wet (that sounds smart) and inconvenient clinic times for most working people, make this whole vaccination plan seem like someone hastily drew it up with red crayon in a tree house over recess time.

Today’s news did little to make the situation any better. I can only imagine what this will do to the current line-ups.

According to the Globe and Mail, Ontario will no longer give out H1N1 flu shots to the general public because of a shortage of the vaccine- high risk candidates only. The CBC is reporting that Provinces get less H1N1 vaccine next week because the producers can’t make it fast enough.

“The problem is the maker has a single production line but had to stop producing adjuvanted vaccines to make the unadjuvanted type. Adjuvants are used to boost effectiveness, but can have unwanted side-effects in some cases.”

Mmm. really? So I should hold out for the side effect free Non-Adjuvant version?

The hope now is to get the vaccines all in for everyone who wants one before Christmas.

Merry Christmas Canada, here is a vaccine you needed in September! Oh, you don’t need it now? You are immune? You already had the flu?

I am sure there is some country we can regift it to.

Tom Brokaw researching Gander 9/11

Tom Brokaw has been in Gander interviewing residents of Gander and nearby communities about their profound display of generosity and trust during the Sept. 11 attacks. It is funny, but during a time when people were the most afraid, the most paranoid and uncertain, Brokaw says Newfoundander's were telling strangers: "That's my house, it's open and there's lots of towels in the bathroom, you can go take a shower, I won't be home, but it's fine. And by the way, the fridge is full."

We are a fine crew I tell ya. A fine crew.

***

Edited to add:

I notice this particular post is getting a lot of hits. I am not sure why exactly. Just wanted to say:
A) Thanks for the visit!
B) There is a little bit of an update to this post here:

Williams willing to risk Gros Morne's UNESCO status

Williams willing to risk Gros Morne's UNESCO status.

No, no need to read that a second time. Trust me, your read it correctly the first time around.

Dan has another grand plan.

He wants to build 40-meter high transmission towers through Gros Morne to bring power from the Lower Churchill hydroelectric project to the island. A move that could cost Gros Morne its designation as a World Heritage Site, and more importantly, forever alter its face. Adding a scar of progress and power strewn across the stunning landscape that is Gros Morne.

Going around the park adds, according to the Premier, $100 million to the cost of the project.

So, we bull doze our way through the park with the Transmission lines, or we take the long way around it with a higher price tag. Well open your wallet Danny, because defacing that beautiful landmark is not going to happen.

If we must look at this in terms of dollars and cents we need to ask: How much money does Gros Morne bring to the province? How will this kind of development affect that? And let us look long term here while we are at it please. Because this kind of mistake will cost us way more than $100 million; it will cost us more than just money.

New Flash: Premier Williams is Three Years Old.

Jezus does this man ever have the ability to miss the point? This childish outburst is embarrassing. What is next Danny, you going to stamp your feet and hold your breath until your lips turn blue? If only. I have had about all I can take from this bloated windbag.

I know the reviews are good, but...

I am a little worried about this Star Trek reboot.

I loved the original series. Those characters are very dear to me. I worry this is going to be a Fast and Furious in Space. And if it turns out that is what it is, I will be quite sad about that. Roddenberry wanted to create a show that was more than just special effects, and funny looking aliens. He created a show that had a social conscience which looked at the issues of the day, within the context of the future. I hope that intent is not lost with this film.

Having said all that, I did laugh my ass off at this Onion offering:


Trekkies Bash New Star Trek Film As 'Fun, Watchable'

Way to go Mark Critch!

This Hour has 22 Minutes had a great response to the nutbars hosting Fox News: "Red Eye with Greg Gutfeld," who took turns trashing Canada and its military on March 17. These drooling morons took it upon themselves to insult our entire country; to offend soldiers fighting alongside their own countrymen; and to disgust families who lost loved ones in Afghanistan, all this on the very day we lost four more Canadian soldiers in a war we didn't start.

You know the b'yes on 22 Minutes just couldn't let that go without a few fighting words of their own. Well done Mark. Well done.

Jon Stewart- My Hero

Jim Cramer - skewered.

It is so good to see someone really asking the tough questions, and trying to make people accountable. I wish I could embed the video, but I can't find one that stays up for long. I can only link to the Comedy network site:

http://watch.thecomedynetwork.ca/#clip149637

There are three parts, and each will be separated by commercials.

My Town

It is hard to be away from home. Sometimes I find myself moping about it, and when I do I seem to do things to make the melancholy worse. Kind of like picking at the hangnail you have on your finger until it bleeds.

Yesterday was one of those days.

The last run of paper at the GrandFalls-Windsor Mill was completed yesterday. All that is left to do is dismantle the old gal. I found myself in a bit of a funk. To make myself feel better I decided to podcast the Here and Now, I had heard a family friend had been interviewed about the shut down.

As you can imagine the report did little to improve my spirits.

The first shot is a wide one on the mill, a lone worker heads towards the doors, the smoke stacks sending plumes into the air. Across the bottom of the screen scrolled the text “The end of an Era”. Yes, CBC, that and much more. It could be the end of a town.

I was already a little weepy when the shot changed to the men carrying their lunch baskets, perhaps the very ones their father or brother carried years before them carried. I thought of the times my Grandma had packed a lunch in a basket very much like those from my uncles and Grandfather. Filled it with strong tea, cooked dinners, tea biscuits and cookies, filled it with love. Sometimes one of the many siblings was dispatched to bring down a forgotten lunch or maybe a snack to someone who had taken an extra shift. I guess it is hard for a reporter who did not live in that town to pick up on that little detail, but I sure did.

When the reporter Lee Pitts asked Don Beson about the closure and he compared it to a death in the family. Mr. Pitts spotted people taking video and pictures and asked one of them, Pauline Price, why she was recording the mill. Pauline, her voice was a little shaky with emotion, described how many of her family and friends worked there. Indeed, you can trace nearly everyone in GrandFalls-Windsor to that mill somehow.

And that is a problem.

You have a large section of the population in GFW directly or indirectly employed by AbitibiBowater and now those jobs are gone. While in recent months there was a lot of focus on Danny taking back the rights to Star Lake, and about the Union failing to cut a deal, about Abitibi failing to offer one worth taking, there has been relatively very little said about plans to fill that gaping void. Where is that press conference? Where is the big action plan to address that? What is Danny doing to attract industry? What is GFW doing?

I can tell you that families who lost work in GFW are doing a little action planning; they can’t sit around and wait for government to step in. Those young enough are thinking about going back to school, and re-training. Others are wondering if they can move into town and find something. Many others are thinking about trying their luck out west. Out west. What a surprise.

I keep hearing Newfoundland is a “Have Province” now. I hear Danny talk about bringing people back home- home to Newfoundland to work. I have heard a lot of talk about skilled workers leaving the province- but Jesus, what is back home to keep them there?

'We wish you well': Williams to AbitibiBowater

I have been following this story for some time now, and have found myself feeling warm and fuzzy feelings towards Danny Williams. Feelings I never really felt before. It made me feel strange. It made me feel icky.

So today, as I read the latest chapter in the Danny verses Goliath saga: 'We wish you well': Williams to AbitibiBowater I could not help but read the comments made by other readers. I was appalled and unnerved by what I read. It was no the number of positive responses that surprised me, it was the number of references to Danny's balls. Specifically the size and physical make-up of the boys below.

I shit you not. Check it out yourself:

"Danny Williams needs to take the show federal and start swinging his big brass balls in Ottawa!"

and

"I like this guy Danny Williams. He is just the type of man we need to run this Country. Big Boots and Big Balls. He got my vote."

and

"A politician with bollocks? Wow!" Is the word bollocks code for balls? I don't know but it sounds suspect to me.

and

"Way to go!! DANNY BOY you got BALLS !! "

and

"If we "Steve" had half the balls that Danny has, the whole country would be better off than it is right now. Way to go Danny!!! "

and from the Globe and Mail, a favourite word of mine, the rarely used cajones:

"More leaders in this country should have Danny's cojones. Government subsidies to most large companies in this country have been greater than any benefits they provided."

I could list many more, but I think you get the point, and I need to have a shower. Suddenly I feel very dirty.

Men, how exactly does this do it for you?

I am the kind of person who doesn't care much what curdles your cream- whatever makes you go to your happy place. As long as I don't have to see you do it, as long as no innocent bystanders get hurt: I say fill your boots.

But I have on occasion wondered, how exactly does that work? I watched a documentary while in university about sadomasochistic practices ( it was for Psychology 3050, honest) and I remember watching this one guy, dressed in a diaper and a baby bonnet, being yanked from room to room in a brothel by a chain wrapped around his neck. Occasionally the Mistress used a riding crop to swat his diapered ass and further direct his movements. Now, I thought that was odd. And again, I wondered how it all worked sexually. I never did figure it out.

So today when I heard about Richard Quest I found myself returning to that question. The CNN broadcaster was busted in the wee hours in Central Park yesterday with a rope tied around his neck and genitals. Richard and his friend were approached by Police because they were in the Park after hours. When the police questioned Richard he blurted out helpfully: "I've got some meth in my pocket,". No shit. The resulting search also revealed a sex toy in his boot. Can you say career over?

I am no prude. I think a healthy sex life is good for you. Have at it. Honestly. But this does not strike me as sex really. I don't know what this is.

I can see how porn might turn your crank, I can see how maybe a little role playing might be fun. Sex Toys? Hey, whatever floats your boat. I can even see how some people like to have sex in public places, I don't recommend it, but I can see how people might find it exciting.

But I just don't see what a rope around your neck, and scrotum does for a person. Gentlemen? Care to explain?