Maybe They Could Fill The In 'N Out Burger...

AllTheConsThatFit
PostageStampVille

Remember last week, when 75,000 folks from all walks of life streamed into a Portland park to see Barack Obama and we wondered if anything could bring that many folks out to see, say, John McCain.

Well, if it was going to happen, you'd think that hometown Pheonix Arizona just might be the place.

Wouldn't you?

Well, actually, no:

Phoenix Business Journal - May 23, 2008A
Tuesday (May 27th) fundraiser headlined by President Bush for U.S. Sen. John McCain's presidential campaign is being moved out of the Phoenix Convention Center.

Sources familiar with the situation said the Bush-McCain event was not selling enough tickets to fill the Convention Center space, and that there were concerns about more anti-war protesters showing up outside the venue than attending the fundraiser inside.

Another source said there were concerns about the media covering the event.

Bush's Arizona fundraising effort for McCain is being moved to private residences in the Phoenix area. A White House official said the event was being moved because the McCain campaign prefers private fundraisers and it is Bush administration policy to have events in public venues open to the media. The White House official said to reconcile that the Tuesday event will be held at a private venue and not the Convention Center.

Convention Center personnel confirmed the event has been canceled at their venue.

'Nuff said.

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When Ian Welsh Speaks...

.....I Listen

The graph above is from the St. Louis Federal Reserve Bank, and it shows is how much cash US banks have on hand that they haven't lent to somebody.

As you can see they are bankrupt.

Or, as Ian and friend ChiDyke say, because the banks are still in business the technical term is actually 'insolvent'.

So.

What's the upshot?

Well, that the US Fed is going to make regular folks pay for the malfaesance of the rich.

(US Fed Chairman) Bernanke said (as paraphrased by Mr. Welsh) "I am going to make Americans pay to clean up this mess. The huge amount of money that was transfered to rich people will not be paid for by the rich, instead it will be paid for by ordinary Americans".

The Fed saying that it will take any crap paper the banks care to give it at near par, even if they aren't worth anything, even if they are such garbage that no one but the Fed would take them, is a massive government bailout.

But government, in this case, means "American citizens". There are only two ways the US can pay for the trillions of dollars of losses. You can tax and directly bailout, or you can print money. Neither of these is free - the cost of taxation is obvious, the cost of printing money is inflation.

The rich.

They really aren't like you and me.

After all, when we get in trouble the banks make us pay.

With extravagant extras like, say, I dunno, our houses.

OK?



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Oh, and as an added bonus Ian also explains what is really driving the ridiculous rise in oil prices, and it too has a whole lot to do with all the leveraged cash floating around that has been reaped by the selling off of all that crap paper.

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Is Good Prop Gooder?

'RSpinWorldsUs?
NotConVille

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Update: Jeff and Zorpheous, in the comments, both make it clear that they were just joshin'. And I understand that - it's just that I don't agree with it when it is not evident, right up front (including in the header to a post) that it is a joshin' thing. However, this is just my opinion....you decide.
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Jeff, in a comment to his own post, makes an interesting point:

"....if the Conservative Party can take quotes and twist them ridiculously out of context for Conservative.ca articles and even national TV ads, then I thought I could have a little fun and show they’re just as vulnerable to this kind of childish nonsense too."

What's this all about?

Well, it looks like Jeff and the Wingnutterer have decided to go ahead and Wurlitzer something said by Peter MacKay which, especially when taken out of context, looks pretty bad indeed.

It has to do with MacKay's suggesting that the Cons should 'cancel all student aid programs'.

But it was said completely in jest, during a soccer game when MP's were being beaten by student pages.

So, here's the thing.......

There is no need for this kind of thing, because in the end, in my opinion all prop is bad.

And besides, it's not as if there isn't enough egregious REAL Connitude about, just ready for the taking, that can be used against them and their own Wurlitzering.

Connitude like, say, this, from their own website:

"Canadians want action on the environment; action that reduces green house gases while preserving our standard of living and way of life. Unfortunately, previous Liberal governments failed to act while Canada’s air quality got worse and greenhouse gas emissions skyrocketed. Conservatives are turning the corner with a practical, achievable plan to clean up Canada’s air, land and water and to reduce greenhouse gas emissions."


Which, of course, in Connitudinous terms, really means "inaction" like this:

NUSA DUA, Indonesia (Dec 17, 2007) - The Harper government stood alone on the international stage (at the International Climate Change Summit) Saturday facing renewed accusations of sabotage because of efforts to block Kyoto Protocol countries from recognizing the scientific evidence that stringent and binding targets are necessary to avoid dangerous and irreversible damage to the climate, sources close to the negotiations confirmed.

{snippety doobey-wah*}

(Canadian Environment Minister John) Baird was personally invited to attend the meeting by the summit's president on Thursday, which was supposed to be the second-last day of the conference. But he failed to show up for the marathon negotiating session which finished after three o'clock in the morning.

OK?

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*Apologies for the 'doobey-wah' thing - Peter Frampton is coming to (the most sterile venue imaginable in our) town.

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Money Crocks

MoreMoreMore!
AndreaUntrueConnectionVille


Sometimes on a Saturday morning, when I get a little tired of the good, but earnest Sheryl MacKay on the the local Ceeb, I flip up the dial to hear what Michael, brother of British Columbia Premier Gordon, Campbell is spouting on his investment show called 'Money Talks'.

This morning, just before the 9:00am news, I heard Mr. Campbell crowing, with much glee in voice, about how much really big money there is to be made snapping up huge swaths of foreclosed family homes in the United States.

To which guest, market watcher Michael Levy, responded with equal glee that, what with our high dollar, we Canadians can now get in on that action too.

****

For the record - if I ever decide the time has come to start making a killing off the misery of others, well, that would mean that time has come to put me out of misery.

OK?

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Astronauts: What Are They Good For?

TravelsWithMyKid
Coolin'UpTheOldGuyVille


My oldest kid, Bigger E, is fifteen.

And she's pretty sharp.

Which you have to be to get through high school these days.

Why?

Because high school is the only place where you have to know everything about everything.

Which, of course, is not really all that new.

What is new, however, courtesy the good folks at places like the Fraser Institute, is the fact that if a kid wants to have any hope in heckfire whatsoever of getting into a University of decent standing they have to start getting almost all A's right off the bat.

Which is, if you ask me (and remember I'm an academic), flat out crazy.

Anyway, last weekend we were at a family gathering and somebody asked Bigger E. (who is one of those kids that gets tons of A's, regardless) how school was going.

Initially, she answered nicely, politely, and in the affirmative.

And then she, who is also very socially aware, mentioned that she thought Astronomy is stupid.

Turns out that it isn't pure science Astronomy that bugs her, so much as all the hype and money wasted on 'space travel' that could be put to better uses in the 'real world' (ie. on the planet earth).

Now, I'm a lousy one to argue against her on that last point, especially since I turned 11 and shut down the Apollo command module cockpit in my bedroom closet.

And, besides, I'm a life scientist not a space scientist.

But, in the interest of helping her out (and proving that not everything is 'All Bruce All The Time'), here's a good one for Bigger E. about how 'important' astronauts are (and how cool teenagers always have been and always will be) :



OK?

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Very good live version here.

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NAFTA-Gate: The Friday Afternoon Whitewash Dump

ThePavelBureDefense*
ConVille


Well, well, well......

Apparently, the soon-to-be former chief of staff to current Prime Minister Stephen Harper, Mr. Ian Brodie, didn't do anything wrong in NAFTA-Gate.

Here's the lede from the CBC's report:

A Privy Council Office report into the so-called NAFTAgate issue on Friday cleared Prime Minister Stephen Harper's chief of staff of breaching any confidentiality rules.


So, why was Mr. Brodie 'cleared'?

Well, according to Mr. Harper's Privy Council, it is all because of the timing:

The news report said Brodie had told Canadian reporters during a media lockup (on February 26th) that Obama advisers had privately assured Canadian diplomats that Obama's tough talk on renegotiating the North American Free Trade Agreement was essentially rhetoric.

The story caused an uproar in the United States and came in the final days of the Democratic primary in Ohio, which Obama narrowly lost to Hillary Clinton.

The Privy Council Office report said it found no evidence Brodie broke any rules of confidentiality when he spoke to reporters in the lockup.

"Any comments Mr. Brodie may have made during the lockup did not reveal any information tied to the diplomatic report, of which he was made aware only on February 28," said the report. "There is no evidence that Mr. Brodie disclosed any classified information."

So there you have it - Mr. Brodie couldn't have possibly said anything of consequence on Feb 26th because he couldn't have possibly known anything of consequence until Feb 28th.

But does this 'clearance' of Mr. Brodie actually indicate that he didn't speak to reporters during the media lock-up of Feb 26th?

Well, actually, no:

"Friday's report does conclude that Brodie, who is said to be about to resign, may have spoken to CTV reporters about the subject of NAFTA and Clinton."


So, given that, is it not reasonable to wonder if, by 'clearing' Mr. Brodie, Mr. Harper's Privy Council report is, in turn, impugning the work of the reporter who originally spilled the (now well-washed and quite pale) beans?

Before you consider answering that question, even if only quietly to yourself behind closed doors (with cone-of-silence fully operational, of course), you may wish to consider the following from Macleans.ca's Aaron Wherry:

There are various recommendations (in the Privy Council's Report), two related to Foreign Affairs, one covering the handling of documents by all government departments and then this.

"Any future undertakings signed by media representatives for admission to budget lock-ups should clearly indicate that comments made by any Government of Canada officials and/or ministerial staff during such lock-ups will be made on a background- not-for-attribution-basis only, and are to be considered and treated accordingly."


OK?

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Mr. Bure's defense during the last days of his tenure with the Vancouver Canucks was, 'I didn't do anything wrong'.
Update: The Star, is not nearly so 'clear' about Mr. Brodie's role as was the Ceeb. Does this tell us something about how the times they are a changin' at the MotherCorp?


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The Best Content Consulting Gig....

AllThePorkThatFits
BCFerriesBarrelVille


.....Ever.

It was a heated debate in the British Columbia Legislature yesterday as North Coast MLA Gary Coons revealed that the B.C. Ferry Authority board members were paid $250 per minute for a four-minute meeting in 2004.

Coons, the NDP's critic for B.C. Ferries noted that the directors also paid themselves large stipends for other short meetings, such as a recent 20-minute phone meeting in February, for which board members were paid $750......

Wow!

That's more than even the British Columbia's best known content consultant makes.

Apparently.

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Two Notes Of Caution On Today's Omar Khadr Ruling...

WheelsWithinWheels
JusticeTurningVille


While our Supreme Court has done much that is admirable, it's not quite all good for Mr. Khadr's defense and the rule of law in Canuckistan today.


Point 1:
....(A) lawyer for Mr. Khadr – Nathan Whitling – said that the decision does not go far enough. What the Khadr defence now needs most, he said, is a U.S. military report of the battle that took place on the day Mr. Khadr was arrested, and which were shared with Canadian authorities.

"The U.S. government claims to have somehow misplaced it," Mr. Whitling said in an interview. "The only way to get that report was to get it from Canada. We requested everything, but unfortunately, the Supreme Court has not gone far enough today."

Point 2, and this is potentially a big one:
In its ruling, the Supreme Court specifically instructed the Minister of Justice and Attorney-General of Canada, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, the Director of the Canadian Security Intelligence Service and the Commissioner of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police to "produce to a judge … unredacted copies of all documents, records and other materials in their possession which might be relevant to the charges against Mr. Khadr."

The court said that the judge "shall consider any privilege or public interest immunity claim that is raised, including any claim under Ss. 38 et seq. of the act, and make an order for disclosure in accordance with the reasons for judgment."

So, who will this judge be who will decide on what to actually, ultimately, release?

Well, Kady O'Malley is reporting that it will be federal judge Richard Mosley who, she suggests, might be in a position of a conflict of interest:

The federal judge who will, as per today’s ruling, make the final decision on which documents will be disclosed to Omar Khadr’s legal team, and which may be redacted or withheld for reasons of national security grounds is Richard Mosley — the same Richard Mosley who, during a previous incarnation as associate deputy minister at the Department of Justice, was responsible for drafting much of Canada’s current anti-terrorist legislation, which has raised concerns over potential conflict of interest in the past.


I think Ms. O'Malley may just might have a point.

OK?

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What If You Could Be Who You Really Want To Be....

....And Get Paid For It?

Would it be enough to get you to force yourself to work for one of the worst employer's in the world?

For this guy it was:

Like everyone, I grew up going to Disneyland.

Even as an adult I loved it there and went at least once a month. I was an annual pass holder, though not like the freaky ones you may have heard of. I’d see the park’s characters and think, “It’d be so cool to work here.” But there was never a character I really wanted to play. I had a role on the television show Veronica Mars and was working at Coco’s when a friend told me Disneyland was casting a Jack Sparrow character.....

{snippety-doo-dah}

We were the Johnny Depps and the Jack Sparrows of Disneyland. People called you either “Johnny” or “Jack.” They wanted to talk with you or ask for your autograph. It took me a while to get my rhythm down. I could figure out five or six different things to say to kids, so that by the time the sixth kid was gone, the next group in line hadn’t heard what I’d said to the first kid......

{snippety-doodle-dandy}

I'll be honest: I didn’t follow all the Disney rules. I played Jack like he was real, and if a woman flirted, I would flirt back......


Of course, there was only one way for this end.

And that was badly.

Because after wearing his costume off-site, which resulted in a surreptitious YouTube upload, the man who would be Jack (or Johnny, or Keef) was fired:

They had a manager walk me off the property. She told me she felt bad.

She took me past security and then asked for my Disney ID.

I asked when I could come back. She said in five years I could reapply......


But like all Fairytales it didn't end all that badly:

You’d hear that it sucks to work for Disney. They’re Nazis in Mickey hats. But I’d thought, “How bad could it be?” By the time I got fired, half of me was relieved. I was getting sick of constantly being barked at about what to do.

It was a month before I went back to the park. I missed it. At first I thought it would be a Walk of Shame, but everyone was very nice.

Not long after that I went back to stand in my girlfriend’s Ariel line on Valentine’s Day and give her flowers. I was wearing a beanie and a sweatshirt, but the parents in line were asking me, “Are you Jack Sparrow? You’re him, aren’t you?” I looked to the line’s host, who was a friend of mine. He said, “You don’t work here anymore—do what you want.” But I did what I was trained to do. I said, “Jack Sparrow and I are just friends.”.....

Self-delusion.

It's not just for children anymore.

OK?

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Is The Lorax Coming To British Columbia?

WhenTheGoingGetsBad
TheIdeologicalGetGoingVille


British Columbia's forest industry is in big trouble.

So how have Gordon Campbell and big Rich Coleman decided to deal with it?

Well, apparently, they've decided to turn the catastrophe into an opportunity.

An opportunity to deregulate.

Gordon Hamilton has the story, albeit in "he said/she said" form, in today's VSun:

Victoria's latest round of deregulation for the ailing forest industry was welcomed as a first step by loggers Wednesday.

But the changes, the result of a 90-day review announced last January by Premier Gordon Campbell, were criticized by environmentalists and the NDP opposition who say it puts wildlife and other forest values at risk, and won't save any jobs.

Forests Minister Rich Coleman said the 28 regulatory changes -- the second streamlining process the ministry has undergone since 2001 -- are expected to improve the industry's competitive position......

{snippety doo-dah}

In a news release, the forests minister singled out three changes to save loggers time and money:
- Faster approval of cutting permits and road permits.
- Ensuring that loggers only need to submit digital files of plans.
- Dropping stumpage rates in recognition of the additional costs incurred by new ecosystem-based logging practices.....

{snippety doo-dah}

ECO-GROUPS SINGLED OUT THREE CHANGES THEY FINDING TROUBLING:
- Less focus by the forests ministry on compliance and enforcement.
- Giving the industry more of a say on future land-use decisions.
- Including economic impacts when making decisions to protect wildlife.

Maybe the time has come to call in Dr. Seuss.

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Conyer's Starts Kickin' Rovian Posterior For Real

Who'sServin'Who?
WhyCongressionalMajoritiesMatter

This just in.........

WASHINGTON (AP) — The House Judiciary Committee on Thursday subpoenaed former White House top political adviser Karl Rove to testify about whether the White House improperly meddled with the Justice Department.

Accusations of politics influencing decisions at the department led to last year's resignation of former Attorney General Alberto Gonzales.

The subpoena issued Thursday orders Rove to testify before the House panel on July 10. He is expected to face questions about the White House's role in firing nine U.S. attorneys in 2006 and the prosecution of former Gov. Don Siegelman of Alabama, a Democrat.

House Judiciary Chairman John Conyers had negotiated with Rove's attorneys for more than a year over whether the former top aide to President Bush would testify voluntarily.

"It is unfortunate that Mr. Rove has failed to cooperate with our requests," Conyers, D-Mich., said in a statement. "Although he does not seem the least bit hesitant to discuss these very issues weekly on cable television and in the print news media, Mr. Rove and his attorney have apparently concluded that a public hearing room would not be appropriate."

"Unfortunately, I have no choice today but to compel his testimony on these very important matters," Conyers said.

Neither Rove nor his attorney, Robert Luskin, could be immediately reached for comment.

But in a twist of gigantuan bizarrity, apparently the Bush Administration, via the fiefdom sometimes known as the Dept. of Justice, has started up an investigation of its own.

Luckily, the ever vigilant Emptywheel thinks she has that one sussed out:

One more somewhat weedy note. Apparently, Office of Professional Responsibility has informed the committee that it "has opened an investigation into" the politicized prosecutions of the Bush Administration.

"Separately, Chairman Conyers recently received a letter from DOJ’s Office of Professional Responsibility (OPR) indicating that the office has opened an investigation into allegations of selective prosecution of Siegelman and others."

Call me crazy, but it sounds like OPR is trying to stave off the Rove subpoena by claiming it has a prior investigation started....

Wow.

Sounds like the StoneWally defense has gone to Washington.

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Why Does The NPA Hate Democracy So Much?

NotSoQuietOnTheDebateFront
CremeVille


First they tried to stop Peter Ladner from contesting Smilin' Sammy Sullivan's coronation.

Now, according to Ladner at least, they are trying to stop him from debating Mr. Sullivan.

Frances Bula has the story in the VSun:

The man challenging Mayor Sam Sullivan for his job says he's "disappointed" that his party won't hold a candidates' debate, as a result of what he calls a lacklustre response from the party board and the mayor.

"The board and the mayor have dragged their feet," said Non-Partisan Association Coun. Peter Ladner. "I'm going to organize my own event now June 3 and if the mayor wanted to come, he'd be more than welcome." Ladner's communications team sent out a press release late Tuesday saying the board has decided "against hosting a mayoral debate" and calling on the mayor to agree to one.....

Of course, the NPA excecutive puts a different spin on things:

NPA president Matthew Taylor said the board has agreed to a debate. However, it's on the morning of the vote June 8....


Sure they have.

But here's the thing - June 8th is also the day that the NPA is scheduled to have its 'Ladner vs Sullivan' nomination vote cage match.

All of which has us wondering why the NPA didn't go all the way and schedule the debate for June 9th.

2009.

That way they could have paid for it with what's left over from the smilin' one's half million dollar war chest and nobody would have been the wiser.

OK?

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By the way, the Vision candidates are already going at it tooth and nail. More on that later, because when something actually involves a bit of substance it takes a little time to digest.

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Sometimes Your Medicine Can Kill You

NoPalliationForAn
Anti-MaryJaneNationVille


And sometimes it's not even Big Pharma's fault*:

SEATTLE -- Should using doctor-prescribed marijuana be a deal-breaker for someone needing an organ transplant? It is not a theoretical question but a pressing and emotional one confronting hospitals and patients in states where medical use of marijuana is legal.

This month, Timothy Garon, 56, a Seattle musician, died after being turned down for a liver transplant. He was rejected partly because he had used medical marijuana.

Now, a second critically ill patient in Washington state says he has been denied a spot in two organ transplant programs because he uses doctor-prescribed marijuana.

Jonathon Simchen, 33, of Fife, a town south of Seattle, is a diabetic whose kidneys and pancreas have failed.

He said he was removed from the transplant program at Virginia Mason Hospital in Seattle because he admitted using medical marijuana. Later, he said, University of Washington Medical Center transplant officials refused to accept him because of the medical marijuana issue.

"I'm just so discouraged," said the community college student, who wants to be a teacher. "I've lost all remnants of hope. I look at my life right now as if it is a prison term. I just have to serve each day."



Costs and benefits......

Sometimes you have to wonder why the analysis is even done.


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*Unless, of course, there is some kind of 'get 'em back on the prescription painkillers' lobby. But they wouldn't do something like that, would they?

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We're Number 11!

It'sBetterThan97
CanuckiMarkMessierStanVille


Alison has the story of the Global Peace Index:

The Index is constructed from 24 indicators of external and internal measures of peace, including import and export of weapons, percentage of displaced and jailed people, military expenditure as a percentage of GDP, level of violent crime, and war deaths.

Japan is the only G8 country in the top 10.

#11 Canada

#97 USA


And Crabgrass has the (bestest) comment:

¢rÄßG®äŠŠ said...If they made peace an Olympic event, you can bet your ass the U.S. would get serious.

Maybe that's the answer.



OK?

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She's Not Comparing Him To Hey Zeuss....

...She's Just Sayin' That St. John The Obscurantist Is Kinda/Sorta Just Like Him.

The Chairperson of the Georgia Republican Party that is:

Columbus Georgia, May 17/08 — Georgia Republican Party chairwoman Sue Everhart said Saturday that the party's presumed presidential nominee has a lot in common with Jesus Christ.

"John McCain is kind of like Jesus Christ on the cross," Everhart said as she began the second day of the state GOP convention. "He never denounced God, either."

Everhart was praising McCain for never denouncing the United States while he was being tortured as a prisoner of war in Vietnam.

"I'm not trying to compare John McCain to Jesus Christ, I'm looking at the pain that was there," she said.

Who knew?

Thing is, I'm not sure the bearded one ever called Mary Magdalene and the rest of the disciples vile names and epithets.

OK?


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Original Link Source: BigCityLib


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