George Jonas Makes Interesting Intellectual Point on Omar Khadr, Irrelevant in Time of War

In the National Post, George Jonas wrote a column on the fact that confessions from detainees may be true, but are always coerced.  This is an interesting, and well argued point...

...That remains totally irrelevant.

Ontario Violates Constitution and Human Decency in the Name of Fear

I have a lot of stress in my life right now, and so I've been trying to avoid reading the news too much.  Alas, the Ontario Courts have decided that I need a double-dose of outrage to get my day going.  In a recent decision, one of the Appellate Courts decided that a Muslim woman testifying against her accused molesters had the "right" to wear her Niqab while giving testimony.

I cannot even begin to describe my feelings- but I can tell you why this is insane.

Why I vote How I do, and Why my Age Group Drives me Insane

A lovely little article in the globe and mail that I won't bother linking made the same tired argument socialist pollsters have been making since I can remember.  Basically, it looks something like this: Young people don't vote, but when polled they're fashionably "progressive".  The conservatives get practically wiped out, and we have a fun blend of NDP, Liberal, and Bloc voting.

Here's why the whole concept is not only irrelevant, but actually dangerous when applied.

Rapid Update: John Baird Talks Security Sense(Click for Link)

Seriously.  It's about time someone started talking sense.  If I have to put up with removing my shoes and belt every time I go through airports, the least we can do is require everyone to follow the rules

The End of Responsibility Part the Second

One of my favourite bloggers, Monique Stuart, also writes for Human Events.  She rather eloquently puts her finger on a clear-cut example of what I see as being the biggest problem with my generation.  Seriously, you need to read the particular article here.

Monique, if you see this, fire me and email.  This one's for you.

The End of Responsibility

So here I am, on my last real vacation before my next major life change, in a coffee shop.  I am the very model of a modern hipster douche-bag.  I am unshaven, hair styled, wearing fencing shoes with no socks, and furiously typing away on a post for a blog that few people read. The baristas are literally melting with adoration.  My post is important to me, though.  I've been exploring my old haunts, and despite the memories rushing back I can feel only faint nausea.

Better Late Than Never; Part the Third

Boring Canadian Culture Wars Episode 6: Return of the Coalition!

Wow.  Talk about a fast news cycle.  Before it even registers on me that people who call themselves Liberals were contemplating the idiocy of another coalition attempt, the Official Party Word is "No, I am not now nor have I ever been part of an NDP-Liberal coalition".  The leader of the YLC (Young Liberals of Canada), which is described by the Globe as being more radically progressive than the rest of the party, wanted this.  They wanted every progressive in Canada in one big happy tent made from unicorn giggles and rainbows, which would lead to the inevitable defeat of the amassed Frowny Conservative Horde.

Well, it won't fly.  Why?  Because Canadians are getting more conservative.  Trudeaupia has failed, and miserably.  Immigrants aren't becoming happy Liberals in droves, average Canadians outside of MTV don't live in terror of guns, and people are finally beginning to realize that maybe this whole "free healthcare" thing is the boondoggle of all boondoggles.  Not to mention, they are getting older.  What makes old people go conservative? They have more money, that's what.  They want to keep that money, so they can spoil their grandkids, own ridiculously large dogs, endlessly renovate their homes, and whatever other diabolical plots my father has in store for me.  Paying exhorbitant taxes so that Québécoise libertines can have 7 dollar a day childcare doesn't  really fit in for the average Ontarian Boomer.  Ironically enough, it doesn't work for Québécoise libertines either; the massive nanny-state that is Québec is also rife with nepotism.  Oddly, while your average socialist Québécois is on a waiting list for those fun social services, members of the Grandiloquently named National Assembly don't wait at all.  Neither do people with suspiciously Italian last names. I should get in on this.

UPDATE:

From what I can glean from the Globe and Mail, Messrs. Ignatieff and Layton have chosen the dumbest of all possible options.  There will be no coalition before or during the election, but post-election should the math work out, they will coalesce (coalitionate? coaliscify?) and become Canada's New New Government.  Except that this is precisely the type of jiggery-pokery that annoys the hell out of Canadians.  It's like the Liberals and the NDP watch Conservative attack ads and internal memos and say "hey, that's a GREAT IDEA!"

It's a wonder anyone takes us seriously at all...

Better Late than Never; Part the Second

The Epic Continues! This time, Young Women Convert to Islam. H/T Mark Steyn (through his Ports Of Call, it was a British Newspaper. I'm sure you can Google it)

I recently read an interesting piece on young British women converting to Islam.  Of course, this piece doesnt so much speak to me of the virtues of Islam as it does the vices of modern feminism.  I've ranted on this before, but it's time for an update.

Better Late Than Never; Part the First

These were a couple of blog thoughts I came up with while at work a few weeks back.  Naturally, such things get derailed, but better late than never I suppose.  This one is on Israel and Hypocrisy. Enjoy!

Yet again, we are expected to express shock and horror as the Israeli
state uses violence against "peaceful activists".  Yet again, I am moved
only deeper into the pro-Israel camp.  Allow me to explain why, before
the inevitable cry of "Zionist!" fills the air.

Conrad Black Receives New Avenue for Appeal (Click for Link)

Conrad Black has received partial vindication today, and my feelings are mixed.  The Supreme Court, in a somewhat complex ruling, declared that the objection Lord Black raised against the final Jury Instructions was in fact valid.  I didn't follow the case closely enough to make my own call on his innocence, or not, but I will say this: something was rotten in the State of the Investigation.

Comments System Updated

I apologize for requiring you readers (all 3 of you) to become members of some sort before posting comments, but the slew of fortune cookie comments by random Chinese add agencies is irritating the hell out of me. That is all.

Another long absence, more Musings

More Stuff To think on, by Category.  Today's menu? Al Gore is Weird, shocking news such as water being wet at 11. General McChrystal is dismissed. Aqsa Parvez's killers go to jail.

Back From a Long Absence, with Musings

Work has been ludicrous, lately, leaving me little to no energy for blogging.  Standard blogger excuse, I know.   So let's get on with it!  I've still been keeping up with the times, so I have a few points of interest to touch on, as follows: Appointing Kagan, Ahmed Wali Karzai (fun for everyone!), the PA-12 and what I think it means, and President Obama's tin ear on Daniel Pearlman.

Listen to old Blue Eyes- If you're going to spend my Tax Dollars, do it on something Worthwhile

My generation has been denied an experience that, for the briefest of moments, united humankind.  In a time of unparalleled fear, when two superpowers were geared for a war that could end our existence, a leader had the temerity to declare that we would achieve the impossible;

We would put a man on the moon.

The Mechanics of Constitutional Monarchy Mean Harper Has Every Right

I've been seeing a lot of the same attitude, on Facebook, in the Globe and Mail, and on the Blog roundup.  People who are unsatisfied with Mr Harper, particularly on the environmental file, say basically the same thing: "The Conservatives don't have a majority of the vote, how dare they act this way?!"

No offense, but despite your good intentions, you are wrong, and desperately so.

President Obama is Picking the Wrong Embassy Roof on Which to Die

Ludicrous over the top imagery aside, the Obama administration really has come to the end of the line on the Healthcare issue.  Most Canadians have a hard time grasping this, because quite frankly we get indoctrinated to trust no American news sources other than those on the left.

Treating Terrorists Like Ordinary Criminals

I've read a few interesting essays during my studies, and one book, that advocated de-sensationalizing terrorism by treating its adherents like ordinary criminals.  It's an interesting thought exercise, though practically speaking it's completely pointless, as was demonstrated recently.

Speech From the Throne- Talking the Talk, It seems

Well, the Speech from the Throne is out.  Not a whole lot that is new or unexpected, given that it is Canadian politics.  However, it remains a fairly ambitious project.  No one will be shocked that the Conservatives are pushing for tougher sentencing on sex offenders, given that it was a campaign plank.  Fiscal restraint is the word of the day, but as always, it'll be an uphill battle with the entitled.

Read more for highlights.

What they really mean when they say "Reasonable Accomodation" (Click for Link)

Yet another example of the ridiculous environment that Multiculturalism has created.  We have become so timid and inept when it comes to defending our own cultural values that it takes a Provincial Minister to make a common-sense judgment, and the "victim" still gets to waste our tax dollars on a human rights complaint.

Beauty is in the Eye of the Ministry of Art and Culture

I've been having an odd week.  Last night, I was dealing with a minor personal issue, and engaged in a conversation on the value of various forms of art.  Interestingly enough, both items had the same answer;

Our current culture has somehow, inexplicably, come to the conclusion that the individual is irrelevant.

Israeli Apartheid Week- Howling Barbarism with a Thin Veneer of Education

Canadian universities will soon be hosting Israeli Apartheid week.  This truly is a revolting display of hypocrisy and ignorance.  You see, it's mostly leftist groups that organize this, including gay and lesbian rights groups.  As an article in the Ottawa Citizen pointed out, this defies the most basic of logical constructs.

How far our universities have fallen from their mandates.

Update: Global Warming Expert Effectively Confesses to Junk Science (Click Title For Link)

Yeah, this from a British newspaper.  Now, before people start giving me the standard garbage lines about media hysteria (Yes, Q, it is garbage), keep several things in mind.

• The Scientific Community(TM) has been claiming the science is settled and demonizing those who disagree
• The whole point of the AGW movement is to enforce draconian social change on capitalist society

• AGW proponents have essentially been using Positional Authority (I'm a scientist, therefore credible and in charge) to bulldoze opposition, so attacking their credibility is fair game

The scare tactics of the AGW crowd are unraveling as  their "experts" are revealed to in fact be activists.  As I have said many times before: I have nothing against the environment. Recycling is fine, pushing for green energy solutions is fine.  Enforcing global governance because of a pack of activist hysterics in lab coats IS NOT FINE!

Call me a human supremacist if you like, but even if AGW were true it would not be a valid reason to fundamentally curtail the liberty of the individual.  The continued prosperity of the human race is more important to me than the maintenance of the ecosystem as-is. Things change. Get used to it.

In Anticipation of the Day; Why I Dislike V-Day

Valentine's Day has become the most irritating of institutionalized holidays.  I hate it.  I hate it when I'm single, and the rare times when I have been in a position to go on a date on the day, the job has mercifully saved me from it.  I would not like it on a boat, I would not like it with Navy's Goat... You get the picture.  So, in proper Canadian Parliamentary Debate Style, I will elucidate my disgust for this most saccharine and pitiful of holidays.

To my Delight, Global Warming Alarmism Takes a Beating

You know when the Globe and Mail starts running commentary saying the cause of Global Warming is lost, it's a good week for me.  I've maintained, as my friends know, that the science behind the IPCC has been questionable at best.  I have maintained that my position is logical and reasoned; I am not pro-pollution, but I am anti-world governance based on shaky evidence.  Not to mention, out of cynicism I know it doesn't work.  The Chinese certainly aren't upset about emissions. Regardless, read on to get some fun links!

Narcissism and Its Effect on Politicial Behaviour

Recently, I saw a couple of articles in the Globe and Mail that made a lot of sense to me. More importantly, they explained the manifestly bizarre political behaviour of my generation.

In the first article, someone had studied the demographics of dating websites, from the supposedly pure e-harmony to the more tawdry AdultFriendFinder. My own experience, with e-harmony and as a social experiment on myself, had been infuriating and traumatic. Naturally, I wanted to know why. In effect, the article explained that the majority of dating site users are women. The majority of these women also have no intention of ever actually meeting any of their admirers. While this certainly reduces the chances of said women becoming the next centrepiece on a hysterical 48 Hours special, it really raises a lot of questions. Apparently, most of these women also already have boyfriends; these women are doing it because they have a need for someone to tell them they are pretty. Their boyfriends don't do it because North American society mandates that for Attractive Male X to seduce Attractive Female Y, he must be discourteous and neglectful to demonstrate his masculinity.

Bear with me, this really is going somewhere.

Haïti

Haïti, as I'm sure every human being on the planet is aware, suffered a catastrophic earthquake that destroyed what little infrastructure kept the country from complete chaos. One cannot deny the depth and gravity of the human suffering there, and the generosity of average Canadians is truly humbling. However, three things have come to the surface of my thought as the coverage of the crisis continued.

Firstly, North Americans have developed an unpleasant fascination with the suffering of others, especially if they quite frankly are a visible minority. Since the current iteration of human society values non-violent and humane virtues, there seems to be a new and repugnant need for spectacle. It is considered too barbarous to display an appreciation for combat (can you imagine university professors discussing the last UFC fight?) therefore, we have sought a new arena to be seen doing something "impressive". Charity has in effect become a spectacle. During the crisis, we were inundated with footage of starving, filthy Haïtians. The commercial breaks were almost entirely the perversely sympathetic works of World Vision, and the like. Some argue that the visceral imagery is needed to shock people to action. If this were true, why do we need to see new footage every year? Simply stating that the problem remains would do. It strikes me as particularly self-centred, culturally speaking, that CNN had reporters on the ground in Haïti before the US Marines could begin deploying food aid. I assure you, the US Marines are almost as good as our DART at delivering aid, and they have more, bigger, and faster ways of getting it there. It speaks ill of our society that we are so desperate to see the suffering of others that we are better at getting footage of them starving than we are at feeding them.

Back! And more Able to Post

Yes, my one or two loyal readers will be delighted to discover I now have internet in my home. Which means more commentary as available.

So let's talk about what's on everyone's mind: the election of Scott Brown to the US Senate. Naturally, the best coverage came from Stacy McCain, at his new site. Lots of good analysis all around, and I must say- the Daily Caller doesn't suck. Sorry, Mr. McCain. I know you dislike Tucker Carlson.

So what can yours truly add to the discussion? A Canadian perspective, naturally. What does Scott Brown's election mean to those of us on this side of the 49th? It's a tired old saw in Canadian politics that parties run elections from the wings, and govern from the centre. It's generally true. Conservative (CPC) policies are very similar to Liberal (LPC) policies, which is why in the grand scheme our parties tend to win based on the popularity of the Leader. They make their promises and then get judged on how well they keep them. Mr Harper is currently beating the snot out of Mr Ignatieff because we know exactly what he stands for and what he will do. He'll play fast and loose with procedure to get what he wants. Mr Ignatieff? He vacillates too much to pin down. Better the devil you know, etc.