Down Goes Frummy!

NeanderconsOnTheCanvas
ForGoodVille


I sure hope the following statement doesn't mean Our Frumness is getting ready to come home to run Mr. Harper's CBC:


"I always believed as a speechwriter that if you could persuade the president to commit himself to certain words, he would feel himself committed to the ideas that underlay those words. And the big shock to me has been that although the president said the words, he just did not absorb the ideas. And that is the root of, maybe, everything."

David Frum, Axis of Evilite
Vanity Fair, Nov 3, 2006

Sure thing Mr. Frum,

But, then again, you are even more self-deluded than that Prince of Darkness you call your own, Richard Perle, if you truly believe that the Shrubbery ever gave a crap about a single word you ever wrote for him.

Not that true beliefs necessarily mean much to a propagannonist such as yourself.

But the fact that you bring this up now is mighty suspicious to say the least.

Because the hogs are clearly in the tunnel.

And it looks like you and the rest of Neandercons are down there with them.

And by all accounts the stink is not emanating from the swine.

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Orwell Shrugs.....

.....In Penticton*?

From the sharp quill of on-the-spot reporter Sean Holman:

North Island provincial Liberals have been distributing goodie bags in support of their salmon aquaculture resolution. Not surprisingly, that proposal - which calls on the party to continue to "support a risk managed, science based approach to salmon aquaculture" - passed unanimously earlier this afternoon (at the Liberal's biennial convention in P-tikitown).


But just what is a risk-managed, science-based approach to fish farming anyway?

I have a pretty good idea, but why don't we check the views of a self-declared expert in the field:

.....In an interview following that vote, the constituency association's event chair Barb Walker explained her riding introduced the resolution because, "In the North Island and the North Coast, (aquaculture) is a huge economic input into our communities." "You know what - I've been to a lot of fish farms. And, you can tell by looking at them, where science is missing we need to use some common sense. Our eyes can tell us what we see. And we see clean, well-run farms. And, if you look in the systems, the wildlife that is growing there is just absolutely phenomenal."

Well, I guess so.

As long as you consider sea lice to be both risk-managed and phenomenal.

Because there is no doubt that the little critters in the 'systems' certainly are scientific.

OK?

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*Just don't tell Paladin .........Have gun will travel......

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The Adjuster

YouGotTheJack?
NoLongerB.C.'sFerriesVille


Awhile back we pointed out that when ridership is down and profits are up, it can mean only one thing......

And that is that the average British Columbian that cannot avoid regular trips on B.C. Ferries is being screwed royally.

And now that screwing has is become positively purple in it's royalheinousness.

But never fear, like crustaceans being slowly brought to a boil, we apparently won't even notice.

At least that's what Kevin Falcon is telling anyone who will listen:

Victoria (11/02/06): Transportation Minister Kevin Falcon is dismissing complaints from Gulf Islanders about the latest fare increase on B.C. Ferries.

Rates on the smaller ferry routes jumped almost 4½ per cent yesterday, compared with just under 3 per cent on the major routes.

Brian Hollingshead of the Gulf Islands Trust said fare increases and fuel surcharges are starting to hurt small coastal communities.

Mr. Falcon said no one likes to pay more to take a ferry, but the increases are only about $2 or less.

He said the public will adjust, and the increase won't affect the economy in any dramatic way.

The thing of it is though, this is not the only rate increase that has been forced upon us recently. In fact, according to Greg over at Dingorue, with permanent 'temporary' fuel surcharges included it looks like we have now been squeezed a total of 27 percent out of the past year alone.

Not that a thing like that would actually matter to the folks that Mr. Falcon likes to hang out with on boats.

Sheesh.

And don't even get me started on those bogus, and exhorbitant, 'reservation fees' that are not considered fares and thus are not subject to any oversight controls whatsoever (not that that would matter anyway).

Remind me again.....just who paid for those ships in the first place?

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Rolling Up Their Own Rim.....

....To Win?

Well, whadd'ya know:

“VANCOUVER/CKNW(AM980) Nov 1/06” - The president of the Canadian Taxpayers Federation is seeing red after learning the cost of setting up a Tim Horton's coffee shop in Afghanistan was almost four million dollars.

John Williamson says the restaurant chain giving Canadian soldiers a taste of home in Kandahar should be footing the entire bill.

“Tim Hortons is receiving a massive P.R. benefit from this whole entire venture.”

Speaking on CKNW’s morning news with Philip Till, Williamson says he's also concerned Canadians could end up paying more than two million dollars each year to keep the shop open.

In a way I guess we should be filled with Canadian pride by this little taxpayer-supported enterprise because unlike, say, Halliburton, by all reports THInc. is doing a great job of consistently delivering brown coloured fluid to our trooops that does not contain any sewage whatsoever.


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Trial Of The Century Sputters To Life

Surveillances'RUs
LedgeRaidsVille

Just in case you missed it, or not, now that the local media mavens are actually starting to start to shake themselves awake from their self-induced slumber, the British Columbia Legislature Raids trial, which will apparently involve the testimony of at least one member of the no longer existent PR firm 'Pilothouse' (ie. the company that allegedly paid out the bribes, but whose former principals have not been charged), is actually showing signs of sputtering to life almost three years after the fact.

And the best place to read all about it is at citizen journalist extraordinare BC Mary's place.

Today, Mary goes over Vaughn Palmer's latest column with a fine-toothed comb, including the so-called tidbit about an allegedly surveilled meeting/dinner between former Finance Minister Gary Collins and Omnitrax president Dwight Johnson (Omnitrax was one of the bidders for BC Rail and a client of the aforementioned very fine fellows from Pilothouse).


The thing is, Mary looks to have beaten Mr. Palmer et al. to the punch on this one by, oh say, 5 months or so, just because she has been paying attention from the get go.

And all she had to do was read Hansard.

Here is an exchange in the Legislature on Apr 26, 2004 between Joy MacPhail and Kevin Falcon as resurrected for posterity by Mary:


J. MacPhail (to Minister of Transportation K. Falcon): When did the minister become aware that the Minister of Finance was meeting with Pat Broe, the head of Omnitrax, while the bidding process for the Roberts Bank spur line was going on? When did he become aware of that?

Hon. K. Falcon: The fact is, I'm not even sure when I became aware. I think I recall reading something in the media about the member's questioning of the Minister of Finance in estimates or something. I have some brief recollection that I read something in the media, but that would be it.

J. MacPhail: I just want to clarify. It is this Minister of Transportation who is responsible for the sale of B.C. Rail — am I correct? — including the spur line to Roberts Bank.

Hon. K. Falcon: The member knows very well that that's correct.

J. MacPhail: Okay, and he was the minister on March 3. When the Minister of Finance was asked questions about these private meetings with Pat Broe by a Vancouver Sun reporter, the Minister of Finance admitted that he discussed the Roberts Bank spur line sale with Pat Broe. He said, "Oh, it was inconsequential," but he did admit to discussing it. That's his interpretation. It was inconsequential — a private dinner between the Minister of Finance and one of the bidders on the Roberts Bank spur line sale while the bidding process was going on. The Minister of Finance admits that it was discussed at their private dinner.

Did the Minister of Finance ever tell this Minister of Transportation about the nature of those discussions? Did he ever declare that discussion in what's supposed to be an open and transparent bidding process, of which Omnitrax was one of the bidders?

Hon. K. Falcon: No.



You got that? This was in the Spring of 2004.

So forget about all this 'accidental wiretap' stuff for the moment, because clearly people knew, and people have known for a long time, about meetings between the former Minister of Finance (ie. Mr. David Basi's boss, one of the former government insiders who, again allegedly, accepted money from the fine fellows at Pilothouse) and the very good folks from Omnitrax (ie. clients of the truly fine fellows from Pilothouse).

OK?


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Where's The Shrubbery Gone?

TooEarlyForPlasticTurkey
ReapingAWhurlitzerwindVille


Hmmmm......

President Bush will hold no public events of any kind on Wednesday, an exceptionally light schedule this close to next Tuesday’s midterm elections. That sparked questions about whether Bush has a “November surprise” in store. This is, after all, a president who has twice managed to sneak away to Iraq.


I'm not so sure about Baghdad, after all that mission no longer looks to be accomplished.

But how about Paraguay?

Or, better yet, maybe that bar in Burundi where ol' Wild Bill C. and Big Lee A., or at the very least their ghosts, are rumoured to be holed-up dispensing killer advice of the finest kind.

I guess only time, and The Cable Screamers, will tell.......


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Original Link Source to the Shrubbery's disappearance from public view: Bernhard on the comment threads at the Moon.


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Snap Out Of It......

KidsAreTheThing
DadVille

So, a while back I was whinging on and on about a season of full of deadlines, and time away from home, and all sorts of other jetsam and flotsam associated with the thing I do that I get paid for (and mostly enjoy a heckuva lot).

Anyway, the frenzy officially came to an end, at least for now, last Friday night when I got home from the final trip of the fall.

And payback time began almost immediately when C. took off for Victoria the next day to visit friends and relatives for the weekend which was followed by a workshop she gave yesterday, Monday.

All of which left me home alone to get the two E's get ready for Halloween.

And to prepare the 'Bigger E.' for her very first round of massive, stress inducing high school tests coming up this week.

And to get the 'littler e.' through the aftermath of her first tooth extraction, a bad baby molar brought on by too much candy last spring - probably my fault for letting her use her allowance to buy sour candies and gummy bears after tap dance class every Saturday morning (I'm a sucker for old-fashioned corner stores that actually sell no longer penny candy).

Anyway, we made it through the analgesics and the discomfort for e. as well as the Science studying for E. on Saturday ('twas cells and microscopes; ha! easy for me, although maybe a little too much info for E. - I doubt they'll actually ask her about the physics behind confocal scanning laser microscopy); then we went to the pumpkin patch (on Westham Island in middle of south arm of Fraser River where it meets the ocean - small, DIY farm, great fun) on Sunday morning where we got freezing soaked by a freak hail/rainstorm, but still got our four gourds (38 lbs total), went through the haunted house, and had hot chocolate with marshmellows and whip cream in the greenhouse; Sunday afternoon was Social Studies studying for E. (man, I am stupid when it comes to the voluminous nit-picky details of the world's four major religions - why do you have to know so much about so much in high school anyway?) and a birthday party to and from with e. (had to say no to caramels and chewing gum from the goodie bag on the way home so she gave them to her sister and her friend P); Sunday night was movies - actually put my parental foot down on 'Clueless' being too much for e. so we split things up with something with the kid who was in 'Matilda', only it wasn't actually Matilda but instead had something to do with Fairy God Mothers and Martin Short which wasn't actually as good as Matilda but it was OK, and so was Clueless, as far as teenager movies go, but it was no 'Pretty In Pink' which I'd rented once before for E. and her friends and their slumber party (I was a big hit that night, lemme tell you).

On top of all that there were also other assorted and sundry items all weekend long, things like shopping and meals and baths and dictee and figuring out who goes where with whom during all the carpools, not to mention filling out forms and dispensing fees and dues and finding the My Fair Lady CD so that the two Ee's could show me their latest dance routine........

But nothing prepared me for the costumes.

As in getting them together and getting them to look right, and having them look appropriate to wear to school, etc.

In fact, even now, late on Halloween afternoon, I'm not sure what E. will be wearing when she goes out with her pack of teenager friends tonight - I'm just hoping it will actually involve clothes that will keep her from freezing to death. I guess I'll find out when I pick her up for the back end of one of those carpools later this evening.

As for e.? Well, she decided a long time ago that she wanted to be 'Edna Mode' from 'The Incredibles' (see above).

Leave it to e. to pick Edna instead of one of the actual superhero kids from the movie.

I mean, do you think there is anything at Toys 'R Us, or Zellers, or even evil Mr. Walton's place, or anywhere else for that matter that would have anything even remotely approximating an Edna costume?

Sheesh.

Anyway, to be fair, C. had purchased/acquired a bunch of the individual components before she left.

So it was left to me to build the long black cigarette holder which, luckily, e. thinks is a pointer. And then I had to help get everything together in preparation for the big day.

The glasses were relatively straightforward from a kid we know who is obsessed with H. Potter, the dress took a lot of work which C's Mom finally finished sewing in Victoria and thus came home late last night; the boots we got last week; the tights caused no end of problems because of the way they felt under the dress; and the wig, well it was from our favorite dollar store but it had an unfortunate 'supermodel' label which caused e. to yell, in heavily germanic Edna-speak, 'I hate them, dahling - stick figures with pouffy lips!'.

Anyway, because e. is in grade 2 she wanted to wear her costume all day long today which caused a lot of keffufle and consternation before school this morning - especially with E. getting more and more worked-up about her tests and the fact that she was going to start this evening's escapade at her friend H.'s house, which was making her more anxious because H. is one of her new highschool friends.

So, do you have it all straight now?

And do you have a feel for the level of craziness at our house this morning that ratcheted up to infinity at 8:15am precisely when we finally got outside and found that there was frost all over the windows of the not-so VW microbus which signalled that we were going to be late for school for sure.

Which, of course, got my own bad mojo rising because I had a first-thing-in-the- morning meeting of an administrative nature that I had put off for weeks that still hadn't prepared for because, well, you know......

But then, just as I was fussing and muttering under my breath while trying to find the scraper that hadn't been used since February, e., who was strapping her now Edna-ized self into her booster seat, looked up and blurted:

"Snap out of it Dad..... Have you forgotten who you are?..... You are Mr. Incredible!"

Which, of course, is a lot of hooey, because the only thing I learned this weekend (for about the thousandth time) is how much more C. does than me about 99.9% of the time. Still, Edna's utterances made me smile in spite of myself.

And they also made me hope and wish that E., in all of her emerging anxiety-ridden teenagerness somehow manages to have even half as much fun today as I know that e., in all her happy-go-lucky kidness, will have for sure.

In fact, now that I think of it, I hope that all kids everywhere have even half as much fun as e. today.

Because if they do it will be an incredible Halloween for everyone concerned.

OK?

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Winning Hearts and Minds.......

......When They're Dead Meat

ExterminateTheBrutes
StoneAgeBombadiersVille

According to Human Rights Watch, last week's bombing of Afghani civilians by NATO was not a one-off thing:

Human Rights Watch said NATO has relied extensively on the use of aircraft to attack insurgent positions, adding that in June 2006, U.S. Central Command reported 340 air strikes in Afghanistan, double the 160 strikes carried out in Iraq in the same month.

"NATO should reconsider the use of highly destructive but hard-to-target weaponry in areas where there is a clear risk of considerable civilian casualties," (HWO's Sam) Zarifi said, referring to bombs and missiles launched by airplanes that can easily miss their target."


The thing about hearts and minds though is this.....for every dead one an occupying force takes control of for no good reason at all they also leave behind scores and scores of living ones that will hate your guts for a very, very long time.

I mean, have the NATO/US commanders already forgotten how they recruited all those Mujahideen warriors when the Russians rolled into Kabul a generation ago?


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Can Regrets Be Asymmetric?

MidnightBombing,MorningShelling
SupremenessVille


Apparently, NATO is sorry that they're killing innocent civilians in Afghanistan.

"That innocent people were wounded or killed is to be regretted and investigated," he (NATO Supreme Commander and US Marine General James Jones) said. "I personally apologize for the incident, for any loss of life, and I expressed my concern to President [Hamid Karzai] this morning."


So, what is El Supremo Jones' explanation as to why even more hearts and minds must be lost to the killing of innocents?

"Sadly, in asymmetric warfare, when you're battling an insurgency, typically the insurgents do not play by the same rules that we would like to play by," Jones said at a news conference at Bagram, the largest U.S. base in Afghanistan.

Which is arguable at best. Imagine, for example, what would have happened in Northern Ireland if the British had indiscriminately bombed Catholic neighbourhoods because they had received tips that there were IRA safehouses in the area.

Regardless, his Supremeness also said the following:

"Sometimes in the heat of battle, in the fog of war ... it's hard to separate one from the other and you make a decision on the spot,"

Which somehow doesn't quite jibe with what people on the ground had to say after their houses had been levelled and their loved ones killed by an offensive that was anything but 'on the spot' in terms of its relentlessness.

Villagers told the BBC Pashto service that the bodies of many locals had been pulled from the rubble of their homes after the raids and buried.

"Twenty members of my family are killed and 10 are injured," one survivor said. "The injured are in Mirwais hospital in Kandahar city and anybody can go and see them.

"For God's sake, come and see our situation."

Another man said women and children were among 15 members of his family who had been killed.

"The airplanes came and were bombing until 3 am. And, in the morning, they started hitting our village with mortars and rockets. They didn't allow anybody to come to our help."


Still no definitive word yet if any 'non-regular' Canadian ground (or otherwise) troops were involved (ie. the original report from NATO was just about the furthest thing from definitive possible).


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The Biggest Hedge Fund Of Them All

OnePartyState
ShillVille

Hmmmmm.......

Looks like the Corptacular Fatcats must be looking at different polls than Mr. Karl Rove.

"I'm looking at all the same polls that you're looking at every day," (NPR's Robert) Seigel responded (during a recent interview with Mr. Rove).

"No you're not!" Rove exclaimed.

Rove said that he was reviewing 68 polls a week, and that "unlike the general public, I'm allowed to see the polls on the individual races," as opposed to public polls reported in the media.

"You may be looking at four or five public polls a week that talk about attitudes nationally, but that do not impact the outcome," Rove said.

Rove claimed that the polls "add up to a Republican Senate and a Republican House."

"You may end up with a different math, but you're entitled to your math," Rove said. "I'm entitled to 'the' math."

Full transcript of interview which can be heard at NPR:

How do I know the obese fellinious ones are looking at different numbers?

Well, as Tom Cruise once said when he, apparently, was still sane.....

"Show Me The Money!"

WASHINGTON, Oct. 27 — Corporate America is already thinking beyond Election Day, increasing its share of last-minute donations to Democratic candidates and quietly devising strategies for how to work with Democrats if they win control of Congress.

The shift in political giving, for the first 18 days of October, has not been this pronounced in the final stages of a campaign since 1994, when Republicans swept control of the House for the first time in four decades......


OK?

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Is This What We Signed Up For?

PeacekeepingWasOurName
TheCountryFormerlyKnownAsCanuckistanVille


From the BBC:

Locals in Panjwayi and Pashmul districts of Kandahar province say the Nato raids began on Tuesday, during the Eid al-Fitr festival marking the end of Ramadan, and continued into the night.

They said that several houses were hit, and civilians killed.

Funerals have already been held for a number of those killed, relatives said.

Villagers told the BBC Pashto service that the bodies of many locals had been pulled from the rubble of their homes after the raids and buried.

"Twenty members of my family are killed and 10 are injured," one survivor said. "The injured are in Mirwais hospital in Kandahar city and anybody can go and see them.

"For God's sake, come and see our situation."

Another man said women and children were among 15 members of his family who had been killed.

"The airplanes came and were bombing until 3 am. And, in the morning, they started hitting our village with mortars and rockets. They didn't allow anybody to come to our help."

Afghan Interior Ministry spokesman Zmarai Bashiry told the BBC that local police and officials had confirmed more than 40 villagers killed in the Nato raids.

Other local officials put the death toll at between 60 and 85.


Of course, Mr. Harper thinks it's just terrible - sort of:

In Ottawa, Prime Minister Stephen Harper lamented the civilian casualties. "I don't think these incidents help anybody, not NATO forces, not the Taliban," the Prime Minister said.


As for our actual direct involvement in the killing of the innocent in the name of so-called nation building?

Well......

NATO said no regular Canadian ground troops were involved in the series of clashes just west of Kandahar on Tuesday.


Please note the qualifier in bold.

Have we already become something we think we are not?

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Does Every Talking Head Want To Be Ted Baxter?

You'reANewsmanTed
LouGrantVille


A lot of people are telling me that Rush Limbaugh is nothing but a buffoon and thus is not worth worrying about.

But that's not the point.

The point is that his garbage, like when he smeared Michael J. Fox, is taken seriously.

By many people who, apparently, should know better.

Like ABC News' George Stephanopoulos and Robin Roberts.

Which is the real problem - so called newsmen and women who don't have the guts to call a spade a spade and stop the whurlitzer dead in its tracks.

Thus, is it any wonder that the only person on the inside willing to give it an honest effort is a former sportscaster named Olbermann.

Sheesh.

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Shamelessness On Crack

StemCellsMustDie
SmearVille


Following up on the smearing of Michael J. Fox who has made campaign advertisements for U.S. candidates that support evidence-based science.


"So this is really shameless, folks, this is really shameless of Michael J. Fox. Either he didn't take his medication or he's acting, one of the two."

Rush Limbaugh, Oct 23, 2006

The so-called issue, seized upon by Mr. Limbaugh and whirlitzered up by the other Screamers such that the mainstream media is now taking it seriously, is the fact that Mr. Fox is visibly shaking in the ads.

However, the fact of the matter is that the Parkinson's medication actually accentuates Mr. Fox's shaking.

Further, to the larger issue, which the mainstream media is also now hammering on thanks to the bleating of Mr. Limbaugh et al., here is what an actual neurosurgeon has to say.

Dr. John Boockvar, a neurosurgeon and assistant professor at Weill Cornell Medical Center at New York's Presbyterian Hospital, called Limbaugh's claim "ludicrous." Boockvar said those with Parkinson's have "on" and "off" spells.

"If there is one single disease that has the highest potential for benefit from stem cell research," Boockvar said Tuesday, "it's Parkinson's."

But, unfortunately, facts means nothing in the face of The Screamers and their viscious fictional onslaughts. Just google Mr. Fox and you will see what I mean.

And, as a number of folks have pointed out in the comments, this is only one tiny example of what's going on. Clearly, unless the so-called legitimate press receives an massive osteoprogenitor stem cell implant and suddenly grows a spine, we in North America will very soon wake-up and find that we are living in an 'Obfusca-mock-racy' in which we are led not by the tyranny of the majority but rather by a small, rabid pack of shameless liars.


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How Low Will The Swine Go?

Ain'tNoMedsLikeMyMeds
WallowingWithMrLimbaughVille


Rush Limbaugh says Michael J. Fox is faking.

Clearly, if this crap continues to work these people will ultimately say and do anything, no matter how vile and disgusting, to hold on to power.

And that will be very bad news, indeed, for all concerned.


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Update: This thing has now gone mainline, errrr......stream. Remember, these people only smear that which they fear most.


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Burnaby Mike Comes Through

NotBackingDownFromTheFuture
ScienceVille



A couple of days ago I made a snarkish remark about the possibility of a rise of faith-based, anti-science in Canada.

But this is not a joke to people like Michael J. Fox.

And here he tells us why, and why voting matters.






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Original link source: Digby.

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