I've just realized...

My link on the Red Ensign Blogroll is the last one on the list (sorted by alphabet). Move over, Trudeaupia, there's a new kid in town.

Dirty Ecosystem

Is anyone else getting tired of seeing this when they go to check their ecosystem stats?

Database being updated -- check back again later for full details.

I've finally gotten up to an adorable little rodent (thank you, Red Ensign) and now I can't even check out my ratings! Come on Bear, the Ecosystem is suffering! Get those issues resolved!

Oh, those crazy Wonks

Last week, Edwonk of the Education Wonks gave me the heads up on a story out of England regarding Pink Floyd. Since I'm a super-huge PF fan, it piqued my interest.

Pink Floyd pupils sue for royalties

A group of former pupils at a London comprehensive school are poised to win thousands of pounds in unpaid royalties for singing on Pink Floyd's classic Another Brick In The Wall 25 years ago.

The pupils from the 1979 fourthform music class at Islington Green School secretly recorded vocals after their teacher was approached by the band's management.

Now the 23 ex-pupils are suing for overdue session musician royalties, taking advantage of the Copyright Act 1997 to claim a percentage of the money from broadcasts.

After reading the entire article, I had a number of questions. Does Pink Floyd (or the surviving band members) need to pay anything? What exactly qualifies a person as a "session musician"? Anyone who is a fan of Pink Floyd knows that used samples, audio clips, weird sound bites, and a whole host of animate and inanimate objects on their albums. Should the guy who lent them the alarm clocks for "Time" be given a slice of pie too? And what about the $1000 (probably pounds, not dollars, ed.)cheque that the school received after the recording? If that was the terms agreed to, how come this is an issue twenty five years later? Surely there is a statute of limitations on this? Are this "kids" just merely trying to take advantage of circumstance, in a get-rich-quick scheme?

I did a bit more digging, and as it turns out, the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation actually sheds some more light on the subject (colour me shocked!):

<

strong>The 23 ex-pupils, who were teenagers at the time the song was recorded, are not suing the band; instead, they are taking advantage of a royalty fund established by a new copyright law in 1997.

Broadcasters pay into the fund, and under the legislation the children qualify as session musicians. They stand to gain the equivalent of a few hundred dollars each.

Their claim has been hard to establish because the recording session was done in secret. The song's lyrics were considered scandalous at the time.

Does PF have to ante up some hard dough? Nope. Are these "kids" going to get rich because of this? Not unless you consider a couple hundred bucks as being rich. Is this a guaranteed thing? Nope, doesn't seem like it.

What worries me, is that if they are awarded the money, it could set a pretty crazy precedent. British broadcasters may need to put a lot more into their royalty fund, because "artists" and "session musicians" will be taking a lot out of it.

I searched online to find an archive of the Copyright Act of 1996. There doesn't seem to be one that is easy to find, but apparently a copy can be purchased through HMSO

Unfortunately, I'm too cheap to shell out the money to buy it, and see what it really says. Certainly there must be some guards in it against superfluous and excessive claims. Not to mention, do all broadcasters pay equal amounts, or it a per pound/per song basis?

Inquiring minds would like to know what lies outside the wall:

All alone, or in twos
The ones who really love you
Walk up and down outside the wall
Some hand in hand
Some gathering together in bands
The bleeding hearts and the artists
Make their stand
And when they've given you their all
Some stagger and fall after all it's not easy
banging your heart against some mad buggers
Wall

Advice for Democrats

Easy E has some great advice for Democrats in the US:

Remember, Nebraska has more electoral votes than France, Germany, and Belgium all put together.

Best. Line. Ever.

Go read the whole thing, it's great.

(Stanley Cup Ring to Showcase)

Slasher indeed

I like what Kateland says about Adrienne Clarkson's budget being cut:

I am all for budget cuts to stop the feeding frenzy of the federal purse but “slashing, dicing and paring” the annual budget from Cdn$19 million to Cdn$18, 683,000 is not what I had in mind when I think "slashed".

Me neither.

HA HA! LOOOOOOSER!!!!!

What a loser.

(Stanley Cup Ring to Colby)

Cheesiest

Everything you ever wanted to know about cheese. Glorious.

Test Post

I'm showing someone how easy it is to blog!

Quality

No one says it like the Babbler.

In fact, I was already planning to buy a big, garrish, plastic Christmas present for my kids at Toys R Us on the way home from work tonight. Not only will the kids love it, my wife and I will love seeing the smiles and hearing the shrieks when they rip off the wrapping paper and realize it's theirs to play with whenever they want.

Ain't capitalism great?

Hollow Threats

I wish Paul Martin would see this cartoon.

Bah! Fed Up.

Rant On.

I've worked almost forty hours this week... in three days. Today is looking like at least ten hours (I'm on a break right now :-), which will bring my weekly total to around 48. If I work only 8 hours on Saturday (fat chance), I will have worked 56 hours in five days this week.

Blech.

I need more free time. I'm suffering... my social life is suffering... and most importantly, this poor blog is suffering.

Rant Off.

So, how are you doing?

In Manningian Fashion

Since the CFL season is officially over, I've had to get reacquanited with the
NFL. If there are more games like this, I may just start to enjoy it:

DETROIT (AP) - Peyton Manning barks and gestures at the line of scrimmage, adjusting to defences and changing play calls.

It might seem like chaos, but he's in complete control. Blitzing linebackers or disguised coverages don't faze him. Manning truly seems flustered only when he's far from the field, standing in a locker-room to talk about his remarkable performances.

In his latest brilliant display, Manning threw for six touchdowns in less than three quarters and raised his season total to 41 TD passes, leading the Indianapolis Colts past the Detroit Lions 41-9 Thursday.

He set an NFL record with at least four TD passes in a fifth straight game - and he did it by halftime. Dan Marino had a four-game streak with at least four TDs in 1984, when he also set a league mark with 48 TD passes in a season.

A Casey Printers-like performance!

What kind of blogger am I?

You Are a Pundit Blogger!

Your blog is smart, insightful, and always a quality read. Truly appreciated by many, surpassed by only a few.

What kind of blogger are you?

Stanley Cup Ring to the Monger

What to do with my new found fame...

Today's site traffic is double the daily average.

Rather than wax eloquently, I'd like to take this opportunity to showcase a few blogs that I feel are either underviewed, or just plain cool (actually... both).

The Taiwan Asylum is a friend of mine who has recently moved to Taiwan to teach English. She's a wonderful person, who sadly doesn't post much. But when she does, you can bet it will be funny, witty, charming, unique, or a combination of all four. Don't forget to leave a comment on how lovely PinkE is!

Seth is an absolute freakin' genius. His posts are always thought-provoking, and quite often controversial. Give him a view, and then a link, and help spin his sitemeter.

Be sure to have a hot cup of Joe at Joe's Diner.

As well, The MJM Drill Wife has been a dialy read of mine for months. Fascinating perspective from the wife of a military man. You won't be disappointed.

And whatever else you do, be absolutely sure to check out No Pundit Intended. When a guy says something like this:

There are many things I identify with, but I am part of something bigger than all of those things. Something much more important. I am part of a legacy of free individuals who came here from all over the world, not for what they can get out of it, but for what they can be because of it. They came here to become Americans. Some of us were lucky enough to have been born Americans and we should be teaching others what that really means.

Well, I am not subscribing. I am going to be just a plain, old, garden variety American. I am not a hyphenated American and my ideal is not a hyphenated America.

I am not a hyphenated American because being American is enough.

You just KNOW he is something special.

Go check them out, as well as everyone else on the Red Ensign Blogroll. They are Canadians in the truest sense of the word.

Some schooling here, some schooling there

Yikes - Pei Yusei is posting! There must have been some kind of national crisis, or a natural disaster, or the second coming or something.

No, I just decided to get off my fatless ass and actually tell the world about something for the first time in almost a month. As far as exciting events go . . . nothing to report here. However, I will probably be moving to Vancouver in a couple of weeks, which is reasonably exciting. It almost even makes up for having no hockey to watch. Actually, no it doesn't.

The other most interesting thing going on in my life is my schooling, which always provides me with new and stimulating things to think about. The most recent thing concerns the age-old problem of how you can believe in a God who allows terrible things to happen. The argument is that either God is not loving (in which case all of the suffering makes sense) or he is not all-powerful (in which case he has no control over his creation).

What I learned about yesterday is the Kabbalistic tradition, which argues that in creating the universe, God had to withdraw himself from what he was creating, in order for something that is other than himself to exist. Since he withdrew himself from his creation, this means that the world is literally God-forsaken in some sense of the word.

In "God In Creation", Jurgen Moltmann argues that in removing himself from creation, he wasn't acting out of apathy or hatred, but out of love. By creating something "out of his control" (in the sense that things could then happen in his creation against his will, regardless of whether or not he could put a stop to it), he was making himself vulnerable to his creation, allowing it the inevitable opportunity to rebel against him. In coming to earth, he literally placed himself in the hands of his creation, and was worked over and then crucified. So, in essence, the God who removed himself from creation also placed himself within it, at its mercy. The God whose creation suffers suffers along with his creation.

Well, this may not feel like much consolation for somebody going through chemotherapy, but in some sense it can be. To know that God himself suffers along with us is quite reassuring.

I WAS the Newest Member...

Until this bold, fresh recruit usurped my thunder!

Welcome, Talk Canada!

Its guys like him that make blogging so much fun

Jeff is at it again:

It's time France admitted that Jacques Chirac has squandered the goodwill of the planet. Prior to his election, France may have been an international laughingstock, but it was good-natured ridicule, like watching a retarded person stuck in a revolving door.

Now, after 10 years of Chirac ramming his foie gras diplomacy down the world's gullet, the French are greeted with the withering contempt one reserves for the schmo at the next urinal who just pissed down your leg. Chirac's foreign policy quagmires:

*********************************************************

Faced with this litany of foreign policy disasters, small wonder that John Howard, among others, called for kicking France off its permanent seat on the UN Security Council. Chirac now trying to pack the Council, calling for expanding permanent members to include Germany.

Imagine France kicked off the Security Council. Quelle catastrophe! That seat - awarded on the shaky thesis that France fought against Germany in WWII - is France's ONLY claim to fame. Without it, what do the French have? Fondue, haute couture, & a shitty little maple republic that even the French despise!

M'heh!

Shout Out to Abbotsford

Red Ensign blogroll member, Northwestern Winds, is from Abbotsford... A city I am rather familiar with indeed! I think he is the first blogger I've come across from Abbotsford.

In the few moments I spend perusing his site, I found a number of fascinating articles, including this one. Here is a taste:

In British Columbia, my home province, almost 4 out of 10 pregnancies end in abortion. That one makes we wonder how many of those are native, and how on earth we can be said to be proud and supportive of native culture when we are assisting them to die. I raise this point too, because it is widely reported that natives have a suicide rate well above the rest of the population. It seems obvious to me that a culture that does not have a great will to live, is also a culture that would find it hard to muster the will to raise children. I'm not running down natives in pointing this out - I'd like to see a healthy, happy and growing native population. That is my point. The other statistic that hit hard was that if we stood in silence for one second for every baby aborted in Canada this year, we would be standing for a day and a half.

That stat hits me hard, too.

Checklist

Lemme see here...

Acceptance into the Red Ensign Blogs- one simple email: two minutes.
Re-organizing my sidebar- half an hour.
Downloading Hello and figuring out how to post the flag on my blog- the better part of an hour
Being welcomed with open arms by a group of bloggers infinitely more honourable than myself- priceless.

I'm not even going there

I picked an interesting week to finally sign up for Red Ensign Duty. There is apparently a lot of nattering going on between certain bloggers (both Red Ensign and otherwise). In particular, it seems to involve a certain blogger from Saskatchewan who I have a tremendous amount of admiration for, and the founder of the Red Ensign blog-ring.
I haven't really been following the whole thing, and I've promised myself not to even get involved.

And since I'm the newest member (if even for a short time, I'm gonna milk this title!), I'm got even more reason to keep my big mouth shut. I've had to endure enough hardships just to MAKE the squad... I ain't gonna jeopardize it, or risk another hazing!

Silent America

I've been reading Eject Eject Eject! for a year and a half now. Bill Whittle is a genius whose essays should be standard reading for everyone.

It is with great embarrassment that I declare I have not put him on the sidebar. That situation has been rectified, and he takes his rightful place in the American Pride.

Please consider buying his book, Silent America. It is a collection of essays he has written over the last two years. They are available for free on his blog, but the book is well worth having. It is a tremendous collection.

Historic value, or mindless Hollywood Drivel?

Apparently, the "Alexander" movie is getting crappy reviews. I'm not willing to write it off completely. I'll give it a chance, but if it sucks I'll be pretty disappointed.

Alexander the Great is easily one of the most influential persons in history. Under his leadership, the Greeks made a complete mess of the geographical and political map of his time. This "simple" Macedonian created an empire that was not equalled in area until Genghis Khan, 1500 years later*. Because of his exploits, people from Northern India to Western Egypt were Hellenized. Hellenization, in its simplest terms, is the spreading of Greek culture and language. The coine (pronounced coy-neh) language was spoken in markets throughout the Ancient Near East. It is called "coine" because it was the language of the common man. Traders travelling from Alexandria to Jerusalem, or Tarsus, or Babylon, or even to Persepolis, were be able to communicate and trade their wares.

There were other benefits to this diffusion of Greek influence as well. The road system of the Greeks was unlike anything seen in Europe or the middle East to that point. The Silk Road had its genesis during this time. This system of roads would eventually connect Rome with China.

Not only did trade become easier, but information became easier to transmit as well. This was crucial for the spread of Christianity in the 1st century. The writings of the Apostles were copied and desseminated throughout Judea, Samaria, Galilee, Asia Minor, Greece, and beyond.
As well, Greek Architecture spread. The classical design we see in history books has influenced building designers for two thousand years.

Alexander the Great's legacy cannot be overstated. It is a real shame to think that a movie dedicated to his biography could fail.

*Yes, you could argue that the Roman Empire was larger. True enough, but would Rome have ever been as great as it was if Alexander had died so young? His death left chaos throughout his empire, and when the dust settled, it was a relatively easy clean-up job for the Roman Army in the East. As well, the Islamic empires of the 7th-12th century included most of Northern and Central Africa, the Middle East, South Eastern and Western Europe, and parts of Central Asia. But it was never really one empire, and was a lot more pomp than substance, IMO.

Why fly the Canadian Red Ensign?

Canadian Red Ensign  

Why, indeed?

But Canada has also been about exploration and entrepreneurialism and optimism. Half this country is made up of Hudson's Bay territory itself granted in a charter to the oldest corporation in the world. It was trade that drove the voyageurs to find the next river or the next lake. It was trade that inspired the search for the elusive northwest passage (soon to be a reality if global warming finally pays off).
This country has also been a force for liberty. The third largest navy in the world fed Britain through the dark days of the Blitz and Hitler's north Atlantic wolf packs. This is the country that took Vimy Ridge and that stormed Juno Beach. Let's bring back that Canada.

I want that Canada back as well.
It is an honour and a privilege to fly the Red Ensign Standard.

Flying the Canadian Red Ensign

I am attempting to Fly the Canadian Red Ensign. Testing testing... one, two, three....

Depressed

There are only two things I need to say about the Lions losing in the Grey Cup game:

1) Why the heck didn't Printers start the game at QB (or at the very least, put in at the start of the fourth quarter)?

2) Steve Armitege sucks hose water. Worst announcer ever.

Thatisall.

Michael Moore Spotted in Central New York

I know it's not a nice headline, but I just can't resist.

A good sign indeed

Bush agrees to act on U.S. beef ban
Better late than never, but do ya think Kerry would've acted?

SANTIAGO, CHILE - U.S. President George W. Bush said his administration is committed to reopening the border to Canadian beef within several months

.

That is extremely good news. But I can't get over how creepy Paul Martin looks in that photo. Bush must be thinking "ewww, I've gotta wash my hands with anti-bacterial soap after this..."

Martin told reporters he reassured Bush his visit would be well received, despite recent problems with one government member.

"Well Georgie, the former member of our party who said all those bad things has been taken care of... it wasn't what she said about you that upset me, it was what she said about me."

I hope Bush makes it clear in his address to Parliament that Canada actually has a responsibility to promote democracy in the world. Many Canadians need to hear it.

A Must Read

A new addition to the daily reads! Keep up the great work Jeff (and I ain't just talking about the blogging)!

A Soul with no Face?

Fascinating:

I now know that people are given situations they can't handle all the time, and they either succeed in becoming more knowledgeable because of them, or fail miserably in learning anything from them. I now know that there are good and bad people in the world for a reason, and whether or not the bad can or do change for the better, really makes no difference to the world as a whole.

I believe that my life, and the things that happen to me, are the effects of the choices I make...to a point. I've suddenly become very aware of the many outside forces putting stress on the lives of billions.

Point...I still want to change the world, but I'm stuck in the never-ending cycle of despair. At what point will I be able to break through the centrifugal force and move forward? Is that even possible? And if it is, what will I do once I break through?

Again, fascinating.

Grrr... Broken Link!

It seems that the International School of Mongolian Studies (aka The School of My Dreams) is having server problems of some sort. Their link is no longer functional on my sidebar! Boooo!

I haven't taken it down yet, because I am hopeful that they will solve this issue. But for now, enjoy this link to Mongolian history.

Heart attack in a bun

The Monster Thickburger

Glorious.

Michael Jacobsen, the executive director of the Center for Science in the Public Interest, says this is a heart attack in a bun.

"These 'Thickburgers' are quintessential food porn — oozing with artery-clogging fat," says Jacobson

(Stanley Cup Ring to that Obscure Law Professor)

The Imperial Thief!

Something Misha said recently caught my eye, and this time it isn't only about his canny way with words.

Can anyone guess what it is that make me smile? Here's a hint: it is towards the end of the post.

Taking care of business

Three weeks ago, Nicole of Kapla's Krusade posted about some volunteer work she has been a part of. The World Link Childrens Center is a great organization doing fabulous work in Mongolia. Nicole has posted an address where donations can be made.

There are a lot of things you could do with twenty bucks. A case of beer... dinner with a friend... a new hockey stick...

Or you could give it to a group that will help feed, clothe, shelter, and educate these precious gems.

Just a thought, that's all.

World-Link Partners, Inc.
M. C. Dearden,
970 East 700 North #61,
St. George, Utah 84790.

Fifty bucks says she joins the NDP

Carolyn Parrish has been kicked out of the Liberal Party:

OTTAWA - Prime Minister Paul Martin has thrown the member for Mississauga-Erindale out of the Liberal caucus, less than two weeks before U.S. President George W. Bush makes his first official visit to Ottawa

Best thing Martin has done since he became PM. Too bad it was six months late. She should've been canned a LONG time ago.

In the past Parrish has called Americans "bastards." She's referred to the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq as the "coalition of idiots." And on Wednesday she was videotaped as she stomped on a doll of President Bush for the television program, This Hour Has 22 Minutes.

Stupid lousy sack of freeze-dried monkey urine (apologies to monkey urine everywhere)! Coalition of the idiots? Americans are Bastards? Crickey Minykey... this woman is a first rate, first class Loonie Toon. And a loud-mouthed, dictator-coddling, socialist shunt stained one at that.

The opposition (read: the Conservative Party of Canada, ed.) has demanded for weeks that Martin fire the controversial MP. Martin has always refused. But then Parrish took a shot at him in a Canadian Press story, calling him "weak" and saying she doesn't care if the Liberals lose the next election.

Not exactly the sharpest tool in the shed, eh? Hands up if you think mouthing off your boss is good job security!

Unless she chooses to cross the floor to join another federal party, she will sit as an Independent in Parliament, joining Independent British Columbia MP Chuck Cadman.

The only party she would have any chance of joining now is the NDP (read: Communist Lite). It would not surprise me one little bit is good ol' Jack Layton was on the phone right now with her.
The other Independent, Chuck Cadman, is a complete polar opposite of Parrish. Well-respected, thoughtful, intelligent, hard-working, and what else... oh yeah, he's got a little something called integrity too.

Something Carolyn Parrish has shown to have none of.

Interesting

From the Pirate's Cove:

In regards to the soldier who shot the fighter in the Mosque, didn't John Kerry receive a medal for doing almost the same thing? Except Kerry shot the wounded soldier in the back, after beaching his boat (there is a no no in the Navy), causing his gunner to be out of play, and running off his boat. Makes one think. (If anyone else has had this idea, I apologize for this foray, but I have yet to see it out there.) Also, our troops are shooting non combatants in the head.

Yes, it does make one think, doesn't it?

We've lost a real Pioneer

Canada has lost a truly legendary Conservative member of Parliament. Ellen Fairclough is dead.

You can read more about this remarkable woman here, here and here.

Why was she a pioneer? For many reasons. But one I like best is that she helped change our horridly racist immigration policies:

The reform was introduced to the public on 19 January 1962 when Ellen Fairclough tabled new regulations in the House that virtually eliminated racial discrimination as a major feature of Canada's immigration policy. Henceforth any unsponsored immigrants who had the requisite education, skill, or other qualifications were to be considered suitable for admission, irrespective of colour, race, or national origin, provided (1) they had a specific job waiting for them in Canada or were able to support themselves until they found employment, (2) they were not criminals or terrorists, and (3) they did not suffer from a disease that endangered public health. Only one vestige of true discrimination remained and that was the provision that allowed European immigrants and immigrants from the Americas to sponsor a wider range of relatives. This clause would be removed five years later, however, in the immigration regulations of 1967

(emphasis mine)

Current leader of the Conservative Party of Canada, Stephen Harper, had some very nice words to say as well.

She left a legacy, and will not be forgotten.

Sad.

And this clown still gets at least one hundred times the traffic I get.

COME BACK PLEASE! WAAAAH!

Bwa HAHAHA!

He who laughs last, laughs best.

Nicely done.

*Shakes head* Christians can be so stupid....

Fool me once, shame on you... fool me twice:

Minnesota Church Apparently Conned Out of Thousands of Dollars for Second Time in a Year

Normally one might think about how terrible those man are for conning this church. I certainly think that way too. But then I read this,

As with Bennett, church leaders found Poole in an Internet advertisement when they searched for a new pastor.

and I think "what in the blue hades were these people thinking???" An internet advertisement??? HELLLLLLOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!?!?!?!?!?!

(Update: Nov 20, 10:55am- Thank you, oh loyal Leather Penguin Readers! Feel free to browse the archives...)

Lions into the Grey Cup Final

Although my prediction was a little off, I was correct on the result. The Lions have defeated the Roughriders and have advanced to the Grey Cup Final.

Woo HOO!

Another song that isn't about God.

"Coming Back To Life"

Where were you when I was burned and broken
While the days slipped by from my window watching
Where were you when I was hurt and helpless
Because the things you say and the things you do surround me
While you were hanging yourself on someone else's words
Dying to believe in what you heard
I was staring straight into the shining sun

Lost in thought and lost in time
While the seeds of lifeand the seeds of change were planted
Outside the rain fell dark and slow
While I pondered on this dangerous but irresistible pastime
I took a heavenly ride through our silence
I knew the moment had arrived
For killing the past and coming back to life

I took a heavenly ride through our silence
I knew the waiting had begun
And headed straight..into the shining sun


David Gilmour of Pink Floyd wrote this song for his wife, Polly.

Polls deluxe

Did anyone notice the poll on the right hand sidebar? Indeed! I wasn't going to do it, because I think they are kinda tacky... but I broke down and did one anyways.

It seems that Asylum's motorbike is rather popular this year!

Qualifying my Death Penalty Stance

Hokey Dinah... the last few weeks I've been prattling on about killun' people. Not innocent people, mind you, but murderous fiends like Arafat.
After reading this post by the Warmonger, I decided that maybe I need to clarify something. I don't think we should kill everyone convicted of first degree murder. There needs to be some mercy in judicial system, even for the most heinous of crimes. We need to give people the opportunity to redeem (for lack of a better term) themselves.

But I disagree with the Warmonger as well. He says, in part:

"I believe that Scott Peterson should not be visiting Arafat in hell anytime soon. All evidence convicting him was circumstantial. Granted, there was a huge pile of circumstantial evidence but there still could have been a way, a remote way, that it might not have been him. Do we really want to kill an innocent man? People in America are sent to death row every year that are not guilty of the crime they were charged with. Innocent people have been killed. There is no justification for this."

(emphasis mine)

Scott Peterson is, as they say in Latin, Scummus Erectus Maximus. A simeball of the highest magnitude. Although Arafat is in a league of his own, that does not make what Peterson did any less horrendous. That poor baby. As Neil Young once said:

"That's one more kid that'll never go to school, never get to fall in love, never get to be cool"

He is responsible for taking two lives, one of which never even had a chance to see the light of day. When I think of this fact, it makes what the Warmonger says later on even more important:

There's no reason we should have to wait 20 years to take someone out of this world that desperately needs it. The thing that gets in the way most of the time is the appeals process. Even if there was a signed confession, murder weapon, videotape, DNA evidence, and 50 witnesses they still get to appeal their case. I don't want to see that part go away because it sometimes helps those that are innocent go free but we should really fast track the ones that really need killin'.

Yes, we really should.

Two more candidates for the D.P.

Vernon RCMP officer killed in high-speed chase

I heard this story on the radio this morning while at work. Needless to say, it made my blood boil.

Police were following a stolen van at about two this morning but broke off the chase because the vehicle was going too fast.

The driver of the van continued into the downtown core and ran a red light where it collided with a different police cruiser.

The auxilary officer was pronounced dead at the scene

Stupid, stupid wastes of skin. Neither one deserves any mercy.

Sad story indeed

Tragic.

ST. CATHARINES, Ont. -- Monika Woerlen was a "living sacrifice" who devoted her life to family, her grieving husband told the almost 1,000 mourners who gathered at a funeral service Saturday to honour the 39-year-old mother and her seven children who died in a house fire last week.

That husband must be going through unimaginable anguish. Lost his wife and seven children in one night. The firefighters who tried to put out the fire were in tears when they discovered the bodies. How awful.

Speaking at the funeral, Marc Woerlen praised the police, firefighters and the coroner for their "tremendous service."

What an honorable guy.

Took the words right out of my mouth... again!

That Stinkin' Gaines... always has the right words to say on EVERYTHING! Never lets me get a work in edgewise.

One day I'll write a post that makes him shudder! Tremble with fear I say! And he will know how dirty I truly am.

Until then, lets enjoy his most truthful words.

Pei is nowhere to be found

After an exciting day of hanging out with the Pei master two weeks ago, I haven't heard a sound from his candy ass. Where art thou, Pei?

In other news tonight, the filthy swine is guilty.
Guilty of killing his wife, and guilty of killing their son (unborn though he may have been)

I hope he gets the death penalty. He certainly has earned it for what he did.

This will be twice in the last week I have said this, but "any kind of dead will do" for this fellow. He is a fiend of notorious proportions.

I'm a reasonable person. I value life and think it is very important. But there can only be one suitable answer for what he has done.

Maybe he ain't so bad after all

Gordon Campbell, the Premier of British Columbia, has a friendly wager going with the Premier of Saskatchewan:

A Lions win Sunday at B.C. Place over the Saskatchewan Roughriders will get Campbell the steaks.

Should the Roughriders win, 10 pounds of smoked B.C. wild salmon will head east for Calvert to feast on.

That's awesome. I love it.

Campbell is confident about his chances of collecting from Calvert.

I am too. It will be a close game, but I'm calling B.C. by a touchdown.

Any bloggers out there care to make a friendly wager on it?

Lest We Forget

Lest We Forget.

How fitting indeed

He's DEAD!

What a lovely picture CNN has on their webpage for Arafat. Truly remarkable (barf).

It is a good day after all.

Come on, Asia people!

I've been looking at my sitemeter time-zone tracker, and it seems like Asia is really struggling.

Come on, all you Asians! Step it up!

Best Song about God that probably isn't

I don't know if Avril's inspiration for this song was anything more than a girl's hope for true love. But I suspect it is more than just that.

"I'm With You"

I'm Standing on a bridge
I'm waitin in the dark
I thought that you'd be here by now
Theres nothing but the rain
No footsteps on the ground
I'm listening but theres no sound

Isn't anyone tryin to find me?
Won't somebody come take me home
It's a damn cold night
Trying to figure out this life
Wont you take me by the hand
take me somewhere new
I dont know who you are
but I... I'm with you

im looking for a place
searching for a face
is anybody here i know
cause nothings going right
and everythigns a mess
and no one likes to be alone

Isn't anyone tryin to find me?
Won't somebody come take me home
It's a damn cold night
Trying to figure out this life
Wont you take me by the hand
take me somewhere new
I dont know who you are
but I... I'm with you


oh why is everything so confusing
maybe I'm just out of my mind
yea yea yea

It's a damn cold night
Trying to figure out this life
Wont you take me by the hand
take me somewhere new
I dont know who you are
but I... I'm with you

Take me by the hand
take me somewhere new
I dont know who you are
but I... I'm with you
I'm with you

Take me by the hand
take me somewhere new
I dont know who you are
but I... I'm with you
I'm with you
I'm with you...

Why is it that I feel more of an emotional bond with Avril Lavigne's music than I do with the uber-spiritual contemporary Jesus music that is out on the market today?
It is me, or is it the Jesus music? I really think something is wrong with today's "worship music"

Google Search

To all those finding my site via a google search on "Sergei Zoltok" (and there are a lot of you), my original post is here.

I know it probably isn't exactly what you were hoping for with your search, but there ya go.

This did NOT make me smile

What the DIRTY???

November 8, 2004 -- A 29-year-old Connecticut woman — accused of sexually assaulting an 8-year-old boy for months — says she considers the little neighbor her "boyfriend" and hopes to marry him someday, authorities said yesterday

Sick- check
Twisted- check
Blood Boiling- check

This woman needs to die. Now.

The boy's mother told The New York Post that she believes Imre began having sex with her son about six months ago, when he was still 7 years old. Imre would have sex with him in her home, while her daughter was downstairs watching television, said the boy's mother

.

Any kind of dead will do, because she should not be able to breathe our precious oxygen anymore.
This kind of thing just makes me want to puke.

(Stanley Cup Ring to Neale News)

(Update 8:55, Nov. 9- The Education Wonks weigh in as well.)

(Update 9:02, Nov 9- So does Leather Penguin... and I concur with his assessment.

This made me smile

If you are feeling a bit blue today, go read this article, in which an Iraqi minister slam dunks Kofi Annan's dictator-loving ways.

Glorious.

Stanley Cup Ring to the Monger

Always a bridesmaid...

And Finally a BRIDE!

EDMONTON (CP) - They've been knocking on the door for three straight years trying to get into the Grey Cup.

But an upset 14-6 victory over the Edmonton Eskimos Sunday on a snow-covered Commonwealth Stadium Sunday has the Saskatchewan Roughriders set to knock it down.

Taking advantage of two Eskimos questionable plays that backfired, the Roughriders (9-9) knocked off the defending Grey Cup champion Eskimos in the Western conference semifinal to earn a trip to Vancouver next week.

They have to knock off the first-place B.C. Lions to get an invitation to the 2004 Grey Cup in Ottawa later this month.

They will not beat BC next week, that goes without saying. However, the Saskatchewan Roughriders have given their fans a glimmer of hope, with their victory over the Edmonton Eskimos (a team that has stymied them in the past).

I wonder what Colby thinks of his beloved Eskimos being eliminated from Grey Cup contention?

Update Nov 8, 7:05pm- Oh yeah, he's eating crow now. And the Rider fans aren't letting him swallow any easier.

Which Country acts Unilaterally?

Well, it sure as heck ain't the USA.

But surprise, surprise, the French are going it alone.

Update, 11:38pm: Lest anyone think I'm a heartless jackass, I must state that I completely agree with that the Pirate has to say on the situation as well. There is a very real problem occuring here.

This made me smile

Hilarious Story! A classic example of miscommunication! (note: mild bad taste alert)

I wonder if the Asylum has any similar mishaps....

Quality Reading

For anyone remotely interested in Canadian Politics, the Babbler is a must-read. His latest babble is a response to the sickening treatment that Quebec Veterans have received at the hands of their slimy Members of Parliament.

All the more disgusting as we are a week away from Remembrance Day.

For the record, I support and admire the honorable soldiers from Quebec who served with distinction, and fought for our freedom. They have more dignity than those B.Q. bastards ever will.

Who lost the Election?

I've said to a number of people recently that I thought John Kerry was the wrong choice for the Democratic Presidential nomination. I stand by that, because Kerry is, well, a jackass. I've also said that if the Democrats had selected just about anyone else, they could've beaten Bush. Perhaps I was a bit hasty in making that assertion. As Joel argues, it probably wouldn't have made much difference who they nominated:

John Kerry did not lose the election, the democratic party's message did. It lost the election in rural America where the vast majority of "the middle class" lives. The democratic party spent 2 years talking about changing America for "the middle class" and "most Americans", but only won in high-density urban areas.

An extremely good point. After reading this, I was reminded that John Edwards did not help the Dems carry South Carolina. In fact, it wasn't even close.
The Dems chose Edwards partly because they thought his life story would resonate with working-class voters. It did not. When a candidate cannot carry his own state, there is something seriously wrong. In contrast, Cheney's homestate of Wyoming was won handily by Bush.

Perhaps all of this is just banter, but I like what Joel concludes with:

If you want to change America, you need to start with your party - it's in trouble. It's in trouble because the party message does not reflect what most people value.

A bold statement, and definitely true.

True dat

If you haven't yet read Ann Coulter's newest online article, what are you waiting for?

Serious, or hilarious?

We all know that most Olympic athletes are under a microscope. But now it's not only the humans who are being charged with using performance enhancing drugs:

Blood of Olympic gold horse to be tested
*************
The international equestrian federation, or FEI, said Waterford Crystal's sample would be analysed at the U.S. equestrian drug-testing lab in New York.

At stake is the gold medal won by Irish rider Cian O'Connor aboard Waterford Crystal at the Athens Olympics in August.

FEI launched an inquiry after Waterford Crystal's initial A sample tested positive for a banned substance. A second positive result could result in the medal being stripped.

How sad is that, really? How laughable as well.

Koffing Annus does it again.

BAGHDAD, Iraq (CNN) -- U.N. head Kofi Annan has warned America, Britain and Iraq against launching an assault on Falluja, as Iraq's prime minister says that time is running out.

Aw stink, there goes that plan out the window.

In a letter obtained by CNN on Friday, Annan warned the governments from attacking Falluja and other insurgent strongholds, saying it could jeopardize elections scheduled for January.

Erhm... correct me if I'm wrong here... but it seems to me that letting the "insurgents (read: Terrorists) live is what will really jeopardize the elections in January. Maybe I'm wrong on this one... but aren't they the ones who don't want a free Iraq? Hmmmmmmm...

While American and Iraqi officials have said a Falluja offensive is necessary to clear the way for elections, Annan warned that any escalation in violence "could be very disruptive for Iraq's political transition."

Well gloryoski! If Annan says it,it must be true! He's right almost some of the time!
The only disruption it could cause is to the internal organs of the terrorists. That isn't a disruption, that's a bonus!

The spokesman for the U.S. mission to the United Nations, Richard Grenell, also slammed Annan's comments, saying that "spectator nations and international organizations should be doing more in Iraq and not from New York."

To which I shout a hearty: Amen!

Would somebody please just out Annan out to pasture? And while you're at it, just scrap the whole UN. Have they done anything of any relevance in the last three decades?

This guy ruins it for all of us

Stupid, absolutely stupid.

This is NOT a representative of my faith. What a maroon.

Well, he IS from Surrey, after all.

Tee hee:

Missing Surrey man found naked at L.A. airport

It would certainly be hard to miss that, wouldn't it. Guess he ain't missing anymore.

VANCOUVER -- The mystery of a Surrey man who went missing a week ago has been solved.

If you call that "solving".

U.S. authorities arrested the man at Los Angeles International Airport after he climbed naked into the wheel well of a 747 jet bound for Australia

Guess he didn't have enough airmiles to actually get a seat on the plane. Too bad.

An LAX spokesperson says the man told authorities he stripped off his clothes to protest the airline's decision to deny him a ticket to Australia

.

Can't imagine why they's deny him a ticket. Couldn't be because he is a king-sized moron, could it?

The RCMP has a warrant out for the man's arrest under the Mental Health Act.

Shocking I say, SHOCKING! Release the poor man! The New Democratic Party needs him back. m'heh.

Sucks that they gave him back to us.

Alright... one more thing about the election...

This is quite an interesting map.

(Stanley Cup Ring to Aaron)

New Name, Same Questions

John Kerry, Question Fairy has been renamed to just The Question Fairy. Becki has been moved to American Pride on the Blogroll as well.

Regrettably, you can also probably expect "The Hillary Clinton Question Fairy" to debut sometime around 2006-ish...

Sounds good (and bad at the same time!). In the meantime, however, you'd better maintain the high quality posting that we've come to expect. No Slacking Allowed!

Now there's a holiday I want to celebrate

M'heh!

(Warning, extreme bad taste alert!)

A sad day for hockey

Sergei Zoltok passed away today. He was a bit of a journeyman, playing for six teams in his ten year career. His best year came two seasons ago, when he helped lead the Minnesota Wild to the Western Conference Finals. Colby has more details.

For a long time, Zoltok was on my blacklist of players I disliked. In the 2003 playoffs, he had 13 points in 18 games, including a couple of timely goals against the Vancouver Canucks. It was his out-of-nowhere sniping ability that helped eliminate the Canucks. It was heartbreaking to see the Wild advance and the Canucks dust off their golf clubs.
Nonetheless, he was an exceptional player with exceptional skill. Good hands, fast skates, and tough too.

Rest in peace, Sergei. May your skates be sharp for all eternity.

One final thought on the election

I saw and heard something from John Kerry in his concesion speech today that I hadn't seen or heard before from him: truthfulness.

This guy was raw, emotionally and even physically. He was the most honest I have ever seen him. Almost electable. I mean, his voice cracked, for cryin' out loud. He was pratically in tears.

The trouble is, I don't know if it was because he was just sorry to lose, or if his words were actually indicative of something more, somethign deeper.

If I was a democrat, I'd be asking myself why he didn't behave this way six months ago. That is the kind of thing that changes people's minds.

Glad I'm not in THIS parade!

Parade of Losers, indeed.

(Stanley Cup Ring to the Diner)

Tee Hee?

No, no, no...

HA HA

The award goes to...

And the Award for the "Best Awards Presentation/Description" goes to:

The Monger!

Biggest Overblown Piece of Pre-Election Night B.S.
A Massive Youth Turnout! Cell-phone Users and Bruce Springsteen Fans!! Omigod!!!
- Ha. Ha Ha Double-Ha. I knew this would be B.S. from the beginning. Every political loser in the world thinks he's going to be the one to motivate what Paul Wells calls the nonvoting nonvoter. This Never Happens. Never. Plus, did no-one twig to the fact that Bruce Springsteen is (how to put this) getting a little wispy and grey to be motivating the "youth" vote? I mean, come on, how old is this guy? 104? He looked like a dish-rag when I was a kid, and now he just looks like he should be in those Viagra ads with Bob Dole. Get serious. And the buzz about the nasty anti-Bush Eminem video, motivating an army of angry 20-somethings to the polls? Excuse me while I laugh my a** off. Eminem fans, in aggregate, have an IQ in the mid two figures. Most of them could probably not figure out an Arby's menu, let alone a presidential ballot. Anyone who can't pull his pants up all the way and doesn't know which way a ballcap should sit on the head is not going to be a deciding factor in a Presidential race. Ha Ha HAAAAAAAAAAAA. "Youth vote". Snicker.

(emphasis mine!)

Tiger!

While in Abbotsford (actually, Mission), I saw a tiger walking around. He was on a leash, and his owner was taking him for a stroll around the mall parking lot. He caught the attention of many passers-by, including myself and Pei.

I don't think I've ever seen a tiger up close and personal before. It was a kitten, probably not much more than a year old, but still, it was a freakin' tiger! Pei, your pic will be in the mail as soon as I get it developed.

Oh yeah, and George W. Bush has been given a clear mandate by the American people. Congratulations, W.

Lets hope that Liberal MP's in Canada keep their big traps shut. I mean, it is obvious that they hate W, but they give the rest of us a bad rep by their meaningless blather.
Oops, so much for that idea.

Lay the smack down on a liberal

As I write this, Bush is moving closely towards an election victory. Meanwhile, Seth has been kicking ass and taking names in an emailing duo that can only be described as lop-sided (in Seth's favor, of course).

Go read the entire thing. All of it. Now.

Bush wins Florida with room to spare

You heard it hear first, folks

The moonbats are howling

It's no "surpirse" to me that the raving moonbat known as Kos is, well, raving.

Tee hee, tee hee.

Lagging Web

It seems as though there is a real problem with servers on the web today. If you try accessing some of the bigger sites on my blogroll (ie instapundit, the Rottie, Michele, the Command Post) you'll probably come across some problems. This is to be expected, since half a bazillion people are out there trying to access whatever information they can on the election.

According to both Colby and Michele, it isn't directed at one particular group of blogs or another. It is a web-wide lag.

Fortunately for you, the Drizwald is running at maximum capacity. My 21 average daily visitors can rest assured that MY site will never lag.

A fine choice

Dipnut is liveblogging the election. A wise choice!

Not what you want from your University

I thought this was quite funny, in a mildly disturbing kind of way.

In other parts of the world....

Meanwhile, Kapla is doing wonderful things in Mongolia. As soon as she provides an address where donations can be made, I'll post it here too. I have never met this woman before, but she truly is a cut above the rest. Honor, decency, selflessness... what more can I say?

Oh, here's one more thing: I'm so intensely jealous that words cannot even begin to describe it!

SOMEDAY THAT WILL BE ME.

You go, girl.

Reason enough to vote for W.

A picture really is worth a thousand words! Yowsa!

Should have done this sooner

I've finally added a link to the Command Post on the sidebar, under "...other good stuff"

It is the very best resource on the net for news about the war on terror, and they are planning a huge election day blogfest that will make Instapundit look like Drizwald :-)

So definitely have a look.