All the fear, all the time...

"I think you can anecdotally connect the spiking cat population to global warming," he said.

How do you explain this to your children?

Full Monty

Here's a great spot on the internet to kill an hour.

Merry Christmas

To the followers of Abraham, eastern mysticism, atheism, and any faith not specifically named.

This is as close to politically correct as it'll get - while remaining honest.

Best of the Season to you and your loved ones.

Nothing to See Here

There are few issues that motivate me more than environmental policy.

It's an unfortunate fact that global warming is not only unproven hysteria, but that it diverting crucial funds away from efforts far more critical, and worthy of our attention.

Here is one of those efforts.

Given the handling of the east coast fishery, our political types proved themselves useless. And they are at it again.

Our New Trainee

Municipal politics in Canada - like most places - is a backwater of lightweights and bureaucrats, or simply, leftists.

Having been run-off at the provincial and federal levels, these people simply dropped their colours, and went to ground in municipal politics.

One of our (ex) aldermen actually spent more than $9k on 'training' towards a Master's degree in board governance - or some such fluff. The rationale? ENTAX, our municipally owned utility, has a board of directors. Alderman are directors. Therefore, an alderman needs to know how to work on a board. Simple?

No. Just a statement that being a politician is just like any other job. You get your vacation, paycheck, benefits, an annual learning allowance, and opportunities to contribute to 'personal growth'.

Just like a real honest to goodness employee in a real company.

The problem is whether crafting governmental policy, drafting laws, or aligning internal reporting structures for greater accountability - the one doing this should know what they are doing BEFORE they begin doing it.

Hence the (sadly outdated) notion that one achieves in life BEFORE going to serve and bring their skills to the public sector. Instead, the current norm treats the position like any other gig.

That's why this idiocy will continue to repeat itself. While some hide their lack of skills better than others, ineptitude is dangerous in driving, climbing ladders, running a country, or painting.

Unfortunately, the results of bad policy and bad law impact citizens in far more insidious ways, using their own money and the weight of the law against them.

The hard part for me is that the citizenry demands as much of themselves as they do from their leaders. And look at what we have.

Happy Solstice

Greetings and best wishes on this most beautiful day.

Here's an interesting site built for those who like kissing rocks and hugging trees.

When in Greece...

Since my hard drive blew up last month, I started using del.ici.ous to do my bookmarks. It is handy, but I haven't really got the swing of it yet.

One of the best features is the sites you come across - is what other people are bookmarking. It looks like what a market unpolluted with professional opinion makers or synthetic hype should look like.

You see honest web pages from honest people trying to sell you an honest product.

The web is an insidious place filled with hucksters and charletons - interrupted by the genuine so frequently that you might be forgiven for letting your guard down. But don't.

This Greek Taxi Driver has the right idea...

Therapy

A friend asked how the blog is going, and if it was 'helping me out'.

I'd never thought of it that way - but I find it's good to have an outlet for things I care about. It allows me to put that energy into a focused, specific area of my world. So when I focus on work/life/play, I'm completely focused on work/life/play.

In fact, it's probably most theraputic for my friend, since prior to me writing this thing, he had to endure rants that didn't neccesarily demand coherence - like the written word does.

He has my gratitude, which I hope doesn't end up at the Bad Gift Emporium

Thought for the Day

"Truth, like gold, is to be obtained not by its growth, but by washing away from it all that is not gold" - Tolstoy

If someone can explain to me how these freedom suppressing trolls contribute to society - please advise.

The language is o f the bureaucrat - and process is the product. Aside from being bully pulpits for intolerant radical leftists within our society, these star chambers now offer anonymity to those who lodge complaints - and are deemed worthy.

Another move away from any kind of consistent application of law. Like a courtroom.

And while they 'celebrate diversity', it looks to me like you need to hang out at Krispy Kreme alot to get in those doors....

Low Cost Speechwriting

'Staying on message' is a rule for any organization seeking to communicate with the outside world. And the cardinal rule is never, ever, get off that message.

The most successful politicians are very good at this - and stay on 'it' despite distraction. If presented with unwavering conviction and supportive news coverage (or lack of), an effective communicator could convince many that the world is, in fact, flat.

What the new media has shown - like the blog you're reading - is that the medium for messaging is shifting.

But the elegance of the new media is that broad consensus is not earned as easily - and that critical mass of opinion can form quickly, and outside of message control .

This story about my MP on copyright legislation is a good case in point.

Prentice's duck and cover reveals he's inept.

And I would hope this is simply because he's 'outside of his expertise'. But when he was immersed in his 'expertise' at Indian Affairs, he was proven to be of his league there too.

And now, what about the message from the government on the new legislation? It doesn't change.

"Today, Canada's Conservative Government is introducing laws to modernize and equip the country with legislation governing intellectual property, for the benefit of all Canadians...."

No matter what the legislation is actually going to do.

Be a good girl now

I'd thought Steyn's article below said enough on Aqsa Parvez' death, until I read this at the Toronto Star:

Reacting to that perception, thoughtful community figures such as Atiya Ahsan of the Canadian Council of Muslim Women have been quick to urge Muslim parents to take an understanding approach to their teenage children, to focus on the core values of their faith and not to obsess over a piece of clothing.

"If you know that your girl is good and she practises her faith ... then for heaven's sakes, you know, let the girl have a chance," she says. That would be good advice for any family.

So, if she ain't so good - or maybe doesn't practice 'her' faith enough, then what exactly is the alternative?

Witchcraft

Just when you think that Africa might be showing a degree of progress - socially or economically - we are confronted by stories told from the Darfur region, or the incredibly high HIV infection rates in South Africa.

Or this.

Despite hundreds of millions of dollars in 'aid' from the affluent nations over a generation, parts of Africa still shock us when revealing the differences between western culture - and those of the 'Dark Continent'.

Is it be too much to ask our leadership (ie: the guys who write cheques with our taxes) to actually achieve some sort of tangible, long term change in rates of education or economic improvement, for all of the money put into the region?

And if they fail - if literacy and abject poverty grow, or the latest dictator of the month makes off with millions in aid - shouldn't they quit their post?

It's not too much to ask. But as history is littered with examples, it's too much to expect of politicians and bureaucrats.

The Faithful Weigh In

The Roman Catholic Church has always seen itself as a leader in faith and of the congregation, guiding and advising the faithful. And it is only natural that it reacts to threats.

Since the fall of Communism, the left has lacked a single, unifying, raison d'tete. Leftist ideology has simply formed along the anti-capitalism/anti-corporate line. Not that it has ever strayed.

But socialism's rail against human nature has been such a failure globally, that is has been easier for adherents to focus on specific persons or issues - as opposed to actually examining why people and societies are - in general - rejecting socialism's practices.

And climate change is an excellent proxy for this - because who better to portray Snidely Whiplash to our Nell Fenwick than of the big bad Corporations - and their evil stooge, Chimpy Bush McHitler?

The global warming prophets appeal to a large swath of people - and the natural concerns we all have have about their environment. And of the people I know who are the true believers, their faith burns as bright as a star.

Is it any wonder the Catholics have been concerned about false prophets since the beginning of their Church?

And is it surprising that the language used by the climate change converts is the same language used by politicians and ideolougues - the language of fear.

And the church's response? Clinical.

Stop! You're compressing me!

The murder of Aqsa: "...an acceptable price to pay for cultural diversity"

Some people say things so well - that it's best not to try and improve upon it....

A Magic Trick

"I think that we've lost a little bit of the human touch"

http://canadianpress.google.com/article/ALeqM5j19yccb8DQWBOdyEzW0ZTrxfUn4A


How fast can a death incited by 4 poorly trained officers from a corrupted and politicized militia be....

(POOF!)

...turned into an additional $1.2M in airport taxes to provide 'security' at the airport?

(POOF!)

Pretty darned fast it seems.

The politicians and 'those esteemed members' of high rank in the political dumping grounds of Airport Authorities grow their budgets with ease.

Nod your head, and get out your wallet. And congratulations to the bureaucrats. They are fufilling their role with initiative and drive.

The public and mass media are performing their role by not saying a word.

Inaugural Post

Since I'm going to be filling this space up with nothing but unvarnished truth, I think a crash course in some hardboiled speaking could help to set the tone...

http://www.miskatonic.org/slang.html